I talked to a friend of mine today . He said that he is thinking about getting into reloading . Would I be correct in assuming that reloading components are difficult to come by right now , just like loaded ammunition ?
If we don;t support our local shops, they will ;go away;
I disagree on the saving money part, although, that shouldn’t be the only reason to learn the art.I hope he's not going to get in it to save money. You won't.
Components are pretty tough to get right now. I know lead time on projectiles is 4-6 weeks. Primers can't be found. Powder is easier to find depending on what you are looking for.
I think maybe not everyone looks at reloading the same. As far as time, I don’t look at it as a job at all. Or a chore. It’s a hobby. I make time for hobbies. I tend to load way more during wet winter season but also loaded a lot over the past few months with all the extra time I had due to covid, even though I was killing the overtime at work. I also set aside time to load at night when everyone else is unconscious, because I work nights and that’s my time. A couple hours with no disturbance or distraction is great for getting some rounds cranked out.I should clarify. You absolutely can save money. BUT if you are just getting into it to see a instant savings you will be surprised. You have to factor the up front cost of the press, dies, case prep equipment, and and the actual cartridge components. Not to mention the time it takes to load. When I was 20 living alone my time wasn't worth anything, but now with a wife and two kids when I get home from work my time is extremely valuable.
I reload mostly 9mm rounds for competition. I have my completed round down to .10/rd. (not including brass). If I were to buy the comparable off the shelf round it would cost .27/rd. That saves me $170.00/1000 rounds. All my equipment was about 3,000.00. It took me about 18,000 rounds to break even on my equipment.
Now you can reload the more expensive caliber rifle and pistol ammo and save a lot more. My .308 rounds are .90/rd. Comparable off the shelf round is 1.95/rd. So there is a huge savings there. BUT I would have to make a little over 3,000 rounds to break even on my equipment. That's a lot of .308 to shoot.
So, I wouldn’t try to sell someone on reloading simply to save money, but it’s definitely possible. It’s just not the only reason to get into it.