Is Reloading Ammo Worth It? A Comprehensive Guide

Table of Contents:

1. Cost Savings and Financial Benefits
2. Performance and Accuracy Advantages
3. Equipment and Setup Requirements
4. Who Benefits Most from Reloading
5. Berry’s Bullets: Superior Components for Better Results

At a Glance: Reloading provides cost savings, better accuracy, and custom load development for dedicated shooters. The initial equipment investment pays off through reduced per-round costs and superior performance tailored to your specific firearm.

Reloading ammunition means assembling your own cartridges using individual components like brass cases, primers, powder, and bullets. This process transforms fired brass into fresh ammunition tailored specifically to your firearm and shooting needs. The practice offers shooters complete control over ammunition quality, performance characteristics, and cost management.

Cost Savings and Financial Benefits

The financial advantages of reloading become immediately clear when comparing factory ammunition costs to component expenses. Premium factory loads often cost significantly more than equivalent handloaded rounds using quality components, with the gap widening for specialized applications.

• Factory ammunition costs: Premium loads command higher prices, especially for specialty calibers and match-grade ammunition that serious shooters prefer.
• Component savings: Handloading typically costs substantially less per round, with greater savings on premium bullets and specialized applications.
• Equipment payback: Your initial reloading kit investment pays for itself relatively quickly based on your shooting volume and ammunition choices.
• Ongoing benefits: After recovering equipment costs, continued savings add up significantly for active shooters who practice regularly.

Rifle ammo shows the greatest savings potential due to higher factory ammunition prices, especially for match-grade loads and premium hunting cartridges. The initial investment in reloading equipment becomes justified quickly for shooters who previously purchased premium factory loads regularly.

Performance and Accuracy Advantages

Handloaded ammunition often outperforms factory loads in specific firearms because custom loads can be tailored to individual barrel characteristics. Factory ammunition must function safely in thousands of different guns, requiring manufacturers to use conservative specifications that may not optimize performance in your particular rifle or handgun.

Load development allows systematic testing of different components to find the combination that produces the best accuracy. Competitive shooters and precision enthusiasts frequently find that handloading your own ammo provides the edge needed for consistent success.

• Custom load development: Reloaders can fine-tune powder charges, bullet weights, and seating depths to match their barrel’s preferences and achieve superior accuracy compared to factory offerings.
• Component selection: Choose premium bullets, powders, and primers specifically suited to your shooting application rather than accepting factory compromises designed for broad compatibility.
• Consistency control: Maintain tighter tolerances on powder charges, overall cartridge length, and component quality than mass-produced factory ammunition allows.
• Specialized applications: Develop loads for specific ranges, hunting conditions, or competitive requirements unavailable in factory offerings.

Better accuracy translates to improved performance whether shooting competitive matches, hunting game, or practicing marksmanship skills. The knowledge gained through load development also enhances understanding of ballistics principles and helps troubleshoot accuracy issues with any ammunition type.

Equipment and Setup Requirements

Starting reloading requires specific equipment and workspace preparation, but the initial investment remains reasonable for most shooting budgets. Quality equipment lasts decades with proper care, making the per-round equipment cost negligible over time.

Modern reloading equipment offers excellent safety features and user-friendly operation compared to older designs. Progressive presses automate much of the process for high-volume shooters, while single stage presses provide precise control for accuracy-focused reloaders.

Basic Equipment List

• Reloading press: Single stage presses work well for beginners and precision loading, while progressive press systems increase production speed for high-volume competitive shooters and regular practice participants.
• Dies and shell holders: Caliber-specific dies resize cases, seat bullets, and crimp cartridges, while shell holders secure cases during processing and ensure proper alignment.
• Powder measure and scale: Accurate powder dispensing equipment ensures consistent charges and safe pressure levels in finished ammunition while maintaining shot-to-shot consistency. Tools like powder funnels make pouring powder safer and easier.
• Case preparation tools: Case trimmers, deburring tools, and calipers maintain brass dimensions and prepare cases for optimal performance and extended case life. Tools like case lube, a bullet puller, and a primer flip tray simplify prep and corrections.
• Brass cleaning solutions: Vibratory tumblers with polish and media restore fired brass to like-new condition.

Safety equipment includes proper eye protection, current reloading manuals with verified load data, and secure storage for components. Reloading manuals provide load data showing safe powder charges and expected performance levels for different bullet weights and applications. These references prove indispensable for safe load development and troubleshooting.

Workspace considerations include adequate lighting, ventilation, and dedicated storage for equipment and components. An organized reloading bench improves efficiency and safety by keeping everything within easy reach. Less time spent searching for tools means more time focused on producing quality ammunition and developing better loads.

Who Benefits Most from Reloading

Certain types of shooters see greater advantages from reloading investment. Understanding whether reloading fits your shooting frequency and goals helps determine if the initial investment makes financial and practical sense.

High-volume shooters represent the most obvious candidates for reloading because their ammunition consumption creates rapid cost recovery. Competitive shooters who fire substantial quantities monthly for practice and matches often find reloading provides the only economical way to maintain their training regimen while achieving match-winning accuracy.

• Competitive shooters: Match participants who require consistent, accurate ammunition benefit from custom load development and substantial cost savings on high-volume practice sessions.
• Precision enthusiasts: Long-range shooters and accuracy-focused marksmen benefit from load development that often exceeds factory ammunition performance in their specific firearms.
• Budget-conscious shooters: Recreational shooters wanting to maintain shooting frequency despite rising ammunition costs find reloading extends their shooting budget significantly.
• Specialty caliber users: Owners of uncommon calibers or vintage firearms often find reloading provides their only reliable source for quality ammunition.
• Hunters and sportsmen: Hunters requiring specific bullet weights, velocities, or terminal performance characteristics benefit from custom load development unavailable in factory offerings.

Regular practice participants who visit ranges weekly appreciate both cost savings and performance improvements. The current prices of factory ammo make frequent practice expensive, while reloading your own ammunition keeps costs manageable for dedicated shooters pursuing skill development. Training instructors and shooting coaches who consume large quantities annually often find reloading provides the only economical way to maintain their programs.

Precision rifle shooters pursuing long-range accuracy often discover that carefully developed handloads significantly outperform even premium factory ammunition. This accuracy advantage, combined with cost savings, makes reloading nearly indispensable for serious long-distance shooting applications.

Berry’s Bullets: Superior Components for Better Results

Berry’s Bullets has served the reloading community for over six decades with superior copper-plated bullets and quality reloading supplies. Their family-owned business produces more than eighty types of bullets in their Utah facility, maintaining complete quality control from swaged lead cores through final copper plating. This American manufacturing approach ensures consistent component supply and quality that reloaders depend on for reliable results.

Berry’s offers a wide range of bullets, including plated pistol and rifle options for affordable accuracy and jacketed rifle bullets for high-performance applications. They also provide practical reloading accessories such as powder funnels, primer flip trays, case lube, and bullet pullers, along with brass cleaning solutions like vibratory tumblers, media, and polishes to restore fired brass and extend case life.

Take control of your ammunition costs and performance. Shop Berry’s superior bullets and reloading components, or master the fundamentals of handloading.