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KnotRight

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For you reloaders out there. When was the last time you shot factory rounds at the range? Or when was the last time you bought factory rounds besides 22?

For me, I have not bought factory rounds in he last 3 years. Those were 308 rounds when I got my first hi-power rifle. I think that I still half of the box of 20 that I bought. And those were probably the last factory rifle rounds that I shot. Most of my EDC hand gun carry rounds are factory Hydro-Shock, Silver Tip and some Winchester Lawmen that I have inherited and do not shoot them anymore. They we shot a bunch before I got back into reloading.
When 223 was hard to get about 3 years ago I bought a bunch of them in 20 to 500 round boxes. The only box that I have opened was some federal green tip and may shot 20 of the 15. I prefer my reloads in every day carry.

I have enough not to worry about reloading the gun for the few range outings.

Now how about you?
 
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Still shoot cheap steel 7.62x39, been thinking about picking up some steel cases in other calibers for days when I don't feel like picking up brass :D
 
NoNameHavel, I do have a bunch 7,62x39 steel rounds that I purchased 10 years ago. I think that I might have bought 4 to 6,000 rounds in a couple of months. I only have a SKS in great shape to shoot the steel cases. Maybe one day I will get an AK-47. I did buy a set of dies, brass, lead and some limited powder to reload that caliber. In the past 5 years I bet I shot less than 50 rounds. The only reloading material I have is for some type of jacketed bullet.
 
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I have a mix.
Bought some 9mm HSTs two weeks ago.
Last factory I shot was probably some Gold Dots in 357Sig to see where they chrono'd.
Ran about five boxes of 40 before my dies came in in January.
Have a box of Hornady .308 half left from 3 years ago, cause dad didn't want to use my Amaxs for deer.
Buy 7.62x39.
I probably shoot somewhere around 50-100 reloads for each factory round down range.
 
In the last 3 years or so, the only factory ammo I have bought:

7.62x39 steel case.
7.62x38R for a Nagant revolver.
9mm, 357, and 45acp self defense ammo.
.223, small amount before I started loading my own.
.308, small amount, have not started loading my own yet, only have one rifle and don't shoot it much anyway.
450 Bushmaster, saving my brass to have enough to reload.
12ga shotgun.

I have not purchased a large amount of anything except the steel case 7.62x39. I have loaded some for that, mainly because I have a .308 bore Mini-30 in that caliber, and I also have an AR that I like to shoot at the indoor range occasionally, and they don't allow magnetic bullets or steel cases.

Before I started reloading about 5 years ago, I had managed to stockpile a decent amount of factory ammo in different calibers, especially 22LR.
 
In the last 10 years, only steel cased 223. All others have been reloads. 9, 40, 45, 38/357 and brass 223
 
I buy factory steel 223, x39 and x54, oddball milsurps like 7.5 Swiss, 8mm Mauser, 303 Brit, etc, FGMM 223 to test a new build, and 12 ga shotgun because I can't load it cheaper.
 
Balancing my time against the cost, I've been shooting exclusively factory .223 for 3-Gun matches. With prices where they are now, the cost difference is not enough to warrant the time of reloading.

Most everything else is reloads.
 
Balancing my time against the cost, I've been shooting exclusively factory .223 for 3-Gun matches. With prices where they are now, the cost difference is not enough to warrant the time of reloading.

Ultimately, that is what everyone must decide. I look at reloading like a hobby, and I really enjoy it, but even so there are a few calibers that I shoot so rarely that it does not justify me buying the dies and supplies.

I don't shoot a whole lot of .223, but I just did not like the accuracy I was getting with factory ammo from what should have been a very accurate gun. After I went through all the effort, I did find one factory round that was close to my handloads (Winchester black box 77gn). But that is over $1.20 per round, while my precision handloads are about $0.30.
 
Steel 762x39, a box of Gold Dots for every SD pistol i own (even though i reload them also), various 38 spl since its a recent new acquisition.

I would rather spend that ammo money on molds and lead any day
 
I load, 9, 40, 380 556 and haven't purchased ammo since I started loading.
Still have some in boxes but I don't shoot it.
 
Bought some 22Hornet and 300BLK last week, will be setup to reload them by next month and might as well have the brass.
 
I had to buy some factory ammo for my wife, who attended a 3-gun clinic back in march. They wouldn't allow reloads, so I had to pony up. Other than that, I think it's been 5 years since I bought any factory ammo.
 
I shoot ~some~ factory ammo every time I practice with my personal defense weapons. I was persuaded that carrying handloads for defense is a very bad idea. Other folks opinions may differ but it made sense to me.
 
The only factory ammo I shoot is 9mm when I find it for 9 bucks a box. Other than that heck no, I save to much loading 44spl, 357mag, 38spl myself.
 
Balancing my time against the cost, I've been shooting exclusively factory .223 for 3-Gun matches. With prices where they are now, the cost difference is not enough to warrant the time of reloading.

Most everything else is reloads.

After all the work for reloading .223 (pick up, deprime, clean, resize, trim, clean, load) I'm struggling to justify continuing to load it for range ammo. Everything else I shoot is reloads (9mm and soon, 300 BLK and 308 Win).

As to the OP question- the only non-reloads I've shot lately are when I took the kids and shot up some 115 sitting around that I got on sale a while ago. Oh- and shotgun- I'd be in trouble if I try to reload that too.
 
The only factory I have bought, other than a couple of bricks of 22, in the past 5 years was some 380. Have not bought dies for that, and probably won't.
I reload 30-06, 223, 30-30, 45, 9 mm, and 357, and 38.
 
Sans 22lr, I Bought some m80 ball 2 years ago to add to the stash, but havent fired factory 308 in about a year..had one box left of murican eagle that i wanted the brass for reloading..223..it has been 4 years since I shot factory stuff...just reloaded 575rds to finish off a keg of win748.
I load 30.06, 308, 223, 30 carbine, 45acp, 9mm, 38spl. Single stage on a rockchucker baby.
 
For me, reloading is mostly a cost savings measure. If I can save a lot of money by reloading it, I will. If the savings are minimal or nonexistent, I won't reload that caliber often.

I reload 38 special, 357 magnum, 44 special, 44 magnum, 30-30, and 308 on a regular basis.

Nearly all of the 9mm and 5.56 I shoot are factory ammo. The savings I'd get on 9mm or 5.56 is only $0.02 to 0.04 cents per round over factory costs, and when I consider the time invested in reloading those calibers, its not worth it to me to reload them in large quantities.

My savings on 44 mag are the biggest. Factory ammo is usually around $0.75 per round, and I can reload it for around $0.16 a round.
 
I have been shooting Tula steel case .223 in the AR, but except for that and .22, the .45, 9mm and .357 had a box of factory when they were new, factory for my CCW shooting test in TX (it is a law) and when I shoot up ammo someone gives me, I've never used factory.

Cost savings is the main reason I do it, but I do compete a little and I like to tailor the load to the purpose
 
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