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Posted: 9/21/2026 6:26:52 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Trollslayer][Edited]
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Important edit - this is a fictional representation of what is currently available to the reloading hobbyist. Many of you will see the stark contrast when compared to how things were when we started. I wet tumbled my cases. I put a batch of cases into the hopper of my auto-annealer. Then, I put the cases in the hopper of my case feeder. I ran the automatic primer tube filler. I put a bunch of projectiles into my bullet feeder. I filled the powder hopper. I activated the automatic press and watched it run. Having set aside a few hundred annealed cases, I ran the Auto Trickler and filled the cases to within a single kernel of powder weight. The AF100 put that powder in the case and placed a bullet on top of the case. I used my micrometer die to seat some Lapua 6mm 120 gr bullets. Then, I went to the range. I set up my Shot Marker down range. I set up my radar chronograph on the bench. I opened up my iPad and logged onto the Shot Marker network. I viewed the target in crystal clarity through my massive $5k telescopic sight. As I fired, I watched as every shot was displayed on the LCD screen. The velocity at the target was also shown. Every shot location was logged into the data file. I'm sure I missed a few operations such a auto-trimming with a 3-way cutter. One thing has not changed - the shooter. Late last night I was modifying the template for my log book. As I finished, I realized no one needs such a thing anymore. All I need are my sight settings, my calls, wind and mirage. Even that is just shooter training (me). 
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Originally Posted By RogueSpear2023: Do you have a question or is this just a brag thread. It took a minute for me to understand this response. You have my apologies. No, there is no bragging intended in this thread, at least not by me. It is all true except the narrator is entirely a work of fiction. I wrote it in this style just to capture what a reloader can do these days and to capture all the things that have changed since I first started reloading. I'll check the list but none of those things were available or even dreamt of when I started reloading/shooting. |
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Originally Posted By Trollslayer: It took a minute for me to understand this response. You have my apologies. No, there is no bragging intended in this thread, at least not by me. It is almost entirely a work of fiction which I wrote to capture all the things that have changed since I first started reloading. And then the power went out for a couple weeks and I had to remember how to do it the old fashioned way! But seriously, things have definitely changed and I would say for the better. |
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Originally Posted By TN-MadDog: And then the power went out for a couple weeks and I had to remember how to do it the old fashioned way! LOLOLOL! Did I mention my whole house back up generator and the solar panels on my roof? But seriously, things have definitely changed and I would say for the better. The change is for certain. We have to discuss what "better" means. The entire scenario has changed. 223 and 9mm prices are low. All that new reloading gear is very expensive. Component shortages are more frequent, more complete and longer than they used to be, all at a time when their prices are very high. A basic reloading set up and relevant on-hand inventory is a good thing. Ever notice there are very few newbies that come here? Should we be concerned about that? |
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Originally Posted By Trollslayer: The entire scenario has changed. 223 and 9mm prices are low. All that new reloading gear is very expensive. Component shortages are more frequent, more complete and longer than they used to be, all at a time when their prices are very high. A basic reloading set up and relevant on-hand inventory is a good thing. Ever notice there are very few newbies that come here? Should we be concerned about that? I am not sure I agree that all new gear is expensive. I have a RCBS Rebel I bought new for $138 in 2025 I have a RCBS Partner I bought new for $80 this year I have a Lee Breech Lock that was $70 and came with a set of dies in the last 2 years I got a AmmoMaster 2 off ebay for $300 shipped Lee Powder measure can be had for $20-25. Decent digital Scales are $30-40. Dies can be had for $30-50 for each set The only thing I really though was expensive was RCBS universal hand primer that was $85. You can prime on press for next to nothing. So I guess I would say the presses are not exepensive, but you need to shop around. I went to the gun show, the other day, picked up RCBS 7.35 Italian dies, 380 Auto Carbide dies, and 10 primed 50BMG cases for $93 cash. I bought 500 22cal bullets for $45. A local guns store has Missouri River coated 9mm bullryd sitting on the shelf for $43 per 500. Most of my powders I bought new for $35-45. I started reloading in 2025 mostly because my FIL gifted me his Dillon 550 for Christmas, and I have not been able to work because of a back injury. |
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Originally Posted By RogueSpear2023: I started reloading in 2025 mostly because my FIL gifted me his Dillon 550 for Christmas, and I have not been able to work because of a back injury. Yeah, I would say most of that is just basic gear, like the stuff I own, including a 550. I was referring to the truly new equipment that has electronics and auto-drive, radars, auto-feed induction annealers... As TN-MadDog said, when the power goes out our equipment still works. |
| I have been reloading for over 30 years. I get the OP. So much change. Sure prices are higher but available tools and components are out of this world. Same as the universe of firearms to fire this ammo. So much more to chose from. Like so much in life you have to come from somewhere with very little available to appreciate what is simply sitting on the shelves now. |
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I don't know exactly when I started reloading but I remember for sure having my first press around 2006 or so, on a B&D Workmate before before I even owned a house. That was before MK7 and many of the bullet feeders, primer tube auto fillers etc. As someone who loads 10s of thousands a year, I still fill my primer tubes the old fashioned way and pull the handle. The radar choronos... worth every penny, huge upgrade there. But other than that; component costs... I started to load 9mm and 223 to save money; I did. It is still main reason I'm loading today, and I still do. Components go through cyclical availability and "increase" with inflation; they have done so the entire time I've been reloading. Back then, everyone was still talking about how cheap components used to be, just like today. 15 years from now, people will be talking about how cheap components were back in 2026, so why aren't we all out hoarding everything we can possibly find?  There is a lot of stuff that has become relatively cheaper over the years as the pricing number has not kept up with inflation... ARs and parts for sure, and I think Dillion falls into that category as well. The price today in absolute dollars isn't THAT much more than it was when I got my first 650 around ~2008ish. |
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Originally Posted By dryflash3: I hope your back gets better. Me too, surgery on Oct 2nd to replace the disk. I want to get a radar chrono but when I have the old style that works just fine other than it sucks to set up it's hard to justify $350- 500 I agree the auto drive stuff is expensive |
Yeah, but do you have an auto trickler, automizer?  AF100 | Automated Powder Dispensing Is Here |
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Originally Posted By Trollslayer: It took a minute for me to understand this response. You have my apologies. No, there is no bragging intended in this thread, at least not by me. It is all true except the narrator, is entirely a work of fiction. I wrote it in this style just to capture what a relaoder can do these days and to capture all the things that have changed since I first started reloading. I'll check the list but none of those things were available or even dreamt of when I started reloading/shooting. Ill brag it up...  I do all those things except mess with press automation and spotting scopes anymore. Shotmarker does that fine for me. Only time I get that beast out is when we ae banging steel and I want to take video. Doesnt matter though. Im still just an average shooter most days 
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As pointed out....it is still the jerk pulling the trigger in the end. Reloading has always been about minimizing the variables. The biggest one is the shooter. Look what a 105MM Howitzer can do from an orbiting C130 gunship. Reloading has gotten expensive....the recent price hikes from Dillon really make me think back...... Today 550 conversion is a C note! A 750 conversion is $175. The machines went up too. I realize I am older. Holy Cow no wonder Dillon has to expand it's non Dillon branded offerings.....they pricing themselves out of reach of a newbie. Man there is a lot of reloading stuff on FB Marketplace. Reloading is dying.....whether people do not see the benefits or entrance costs are prohibitive? Competitive shooting is dying.....all the disciplines seem to have have lost participants I hear it from people who run club events and you can see in event results. Guns are selling but not being shot?..... |
jme and I am a NRA Endowment Member
Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.
R W Emerson
Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.
R W Emerson
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Originally Posted By rn22723: As pointed out....it is still the jerk pulling the trigger in the end. Reloading has always been about minimizing the variables. The biggest one is the shooter. Look what a 105MM Howitzer can do from an orbiting C130 gunship. Reloading has gotten expensive....the recent price hikes from Dillon really make me think back...... Today 550 conversion is a C note! A 750 conversion is $175. The machines went up too. I realize I am older. Holy Cow no wonder Dillon has to expand it's non Dillon branded offerings.....they pricing themselves out of reach of a newbie. Man there is a lot of reloading stuff on FB Marketplace. Reloading is dying.....whether people do not see the benefits or entrance costs are prohibitive? Competitive shooting is dying.....all the disciplines seem to have have lost participants I hear it from people who run club events and you can see in event results. Guns are selling but not being shot?..... Eh.. not really. Find me a used Dillon 650 on the marketplace at all. Much less, one actually priced to sell. |
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Originally Posted By Trollslayer: The entire scenario has changed. 223 and 9mm prices are low. All that new reloading gear is very expensive. Component shortages are more frequent, more complete and longer than they used to be, all at a time when their prices are very high. A basic reloading set up and relevant on-hand inventory is a good thing. Ever notice there are very few newbies that come here? Should we be concerned about that? There is far more to life than. 223 and 9mm. I've been loading a lot of 6.5CM .270Win, .41 Rem Mag and .338 Win Mag lately. Last I checked, a box of 20rds of .338 was $85 for the load I'm using.. 41 Mag is atupid expensive too. High quality 6.5 is $40 a box. The former are not higg volume loads to be sure, but 6.5 ia for some guys. Even some specialty 5.56 is expensive (see 77gr TMK). There are still savings to be had, even with automated dispensers and all the other doodads. It all depends on how much you shoot and how far down the rabbit hole you want to go. Don't get me wrong, I still load plenty of lower priced ammo, still saving pennies here and there, and time has to be counted as free as it is a hobby. Very few gun ans ammo combinations off the shelf t any price can do what a customized load can. If you want to hire out custom ammo made, that's a different argument... |
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Originally Posted By RogueSpear2023: Me too, surgery on Oct 2nd to replace the disk. I want to get a radar chrono but when I have the old style that works just fine other than it sucks to set up it's hard to justify $350- 500 I agree the auto drive stuff is expensive Doppler chronos are a huge time saver and more importantly, more accurate and do the calculations for you, leading to less component use and faster load development. Absolutely worth every penny, and that's coming from someone who only loads on a single stage, albeit with an automated digital powder dropper. |
Malcolm X was right about liberals.
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Originally Posted By lazyengineer: Eh.. not really. Find me a used Dillon 650 on the marketplace at all. Much less, one actually priced to sell. They come and go. The LGS has used 550 650 Square Deal B and Super 1050 that have no moved and they are priced fairly. The Square Deal B was refurbed by Dillon. In years gone by that stuff would have been sucked up like no tomorrow. |
jme and I am a NRA Endowment Member
Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.
R W Emerson
Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.
R W Emerson
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Originally Posted By LeadBreakfast: There is far more to life than. 223 and 9mm. I've been loading a lot of 6.5CM .270Win, .41 Rem Mag and .338 Win Mag lately. Last I checked, a box of 20rds of .338 was $85 for the load I'm using.. 41 Mag is atupid expensive too. High quality 6.5 is $40 a box. The former are not higg volume loads to be sure, but 6.5 ia for some guys. Even some specialty 5.56 is expensive (see 77gr TMK). There are still savings to be had, even with automated dispensers and all the other doodads. It all depends on how much you shoot and how far down the rabbit hole you want to go. Don't get me wrong, I still load plenty of lower priced ammo, still saving pennies here and there, and time has to be counted as free as it is a hobby. Very few gun ans ammo combinations off the shelf t any price can do what a customized load can. If you want to hire out custom ammo made, that's a different argument... I never seem to save money but I shoot 45 and 10mm a lot more. |
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Originally Posted By Sinister: Technology can make data records better: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/18978/Sample_data_book_page_jpg-3831365.JPG This too. The apps these days do all the group size calculations for me, spit out very close DOPE as long as inputs are good, help with wind reads...some even help true ballistic coefficients. It's an amazing time to be a reloader. Cost increases are natural considering inflation. Buy as cheap as possible, stack as deep as possible, shoot more, shoot better, and have more time to have fun doing it. |
Malcolm X was right about liberals.
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Originally Posted By RogueSpear2023: I never seem to save money but I shoot 45 and 10mm a lot more. To be clear, I don't either - but anything that allows me to have more, better, more accurate toys without just throwing cash at it helps! There are definitely chamberings i wouldn't consider owning that become accessible and even semi- reasonable, a set of dies and some components can pay for themselves mighty quick with some chamberings. The ability to shoot more different things and improve capabilities, not to mention shrug off shortages, makes it worthwhile even if the price ended up the same. |
Malcolm X was right about liberals.
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Originally Posted By Kaldor: Ill brag it up... I do all those things except mess with press automation and spotting scopes anymore. Shotmarker does that fine for me. Only time I get that beast out is when we ae banging steel and I want to take video. Doesnt matter though. Im still just an average shooter most days It's nice to hear of someone who can "have it all" in the reloading world. Congratulations to you. If I wanted to, I could, but won't. <-- not a brag, just a statement of my thinking. With Shot Marker, I'm not so sure spotting scopes are all the relevant. Well, they're relevant in small bore because Shot Marker does not work for subsonic ammo (yet). Massive (and expensive) telescopic sights are mounted atop many of the rifles I see. Companies like Zero Compromise Optics and NightForce came to mind with features such as an 8X zoom ratio. |
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Originally Posted By Sinister: Technology can make data records better: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/18978/Sample_data_book_page_jpg-3831365.JPG LOL! Exactly right, that is. Still, I will use my paper worksheet when training/learning about wind and mirage. I will still use my ShotMarker as my shooting practice is usually done solo. |
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Originally Posted By WillieTangoFox: Yeah, but do you have an auto trickler, automizer?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNB4xe0rznsWow! Another step or two and it could seat those bullets, not just place them. Maybe use an AMP press and their seater die with the seating force telemery. I once priced aout a DEEE-luxe reloading set up and looked for the break even point on cost. Maybe I should do that again, using all the gizmos from the thread. |
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Originally Posted By LeadBreakfast: ... shoot more, shoot better, and have more time to have fun doing it. Now, if only I could reduce the round trip travel time for visits to the range. Currently, it typically takes me about 5-6 hours to make the 120 mile round trip. Hmmm,... a small helicopter could help.
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Originally Posted By Trollslayer: It's nice to hear of someone who can "have it all" in the reloading world. Congratulations to you. If I wanted to, I could, but won't. <-- not a brag, just a statement of my thinking. With Shot Marker, I'm not so sure spotting scopes are all the relevant. Well, they're relevant in small bore because Shot Marker does not work for subsonic ammo (yet). Massive (and expensive) telescopic sights are mounted atop many of the rifles I see. Companies like Zero Compromise Optics and NightForce came to mind with features such as an 8X zoom ratio. Well I dont have it "all". Trust me, there is always something I want to buy, I just have to justify it to myself, before I hand over my cash for it. And thats exactly what it is, it has to be justified and useful. Every single thing Ive purchased, traded for, sold, has been with that in mind. I wanted to get to a place where I can make legitimate match grade ammo on an absolutely consistent basis as quickly as I possibly can with no short cuts. My number 1 hurdle right now is powder handling. Im strongly considering adding a second ATv4, because that is the biggest bottleneck in my reloading process. So I have the justification, but I have other priorities right at this moment. The other thing to consider, and its the same thing I told my kid about anything in life, you dont have to have it all right now. Its taken me nearly 20 years to buy everything I have in my reloading room. That been alot of side jobs, horse trading, saving and buying when the right opportunity arises. Alot of folks dont have the patience for it. I told my son this exactly: "You want cool shit? Work for it, spend wisely, because youll appreciate it more." |
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Originally Posted By Trollslayer: It took a minute for me to understand this response. You have my apologies. No, there is no bragging intended in this thread, at least not by me. It is all true except the narrator is entirely a work of fiction. I wrote it in this style just to capture what a reloader can do these days and to capture all the things that have changed since I first started reloading. I'll check the list but none of those things were available or even dreamt of when I started reloading/shooting. I started reloading for an 8 x 57mm in 1979 with a Lee hand loader. Worked my way into basic rcbs press, most dies are rcbs, Lee, and a Dillon carbide set for 7.62 x 51. I still use the basic equipment, it's slow but I wasn't doing anything else any way. The only thing I conceivable would want was a automatic powder scale. I enjoy reloading. |
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I have recently started refining my reloading equipment. One piece at a time. However, I think the best purchase I have made is my Bald Eagle rifle rest (now sold by Grizzly). I made a chronograph mount for it, added a PTG speed screw for elevation and modded the windage adjustment to delete the cable. Having a very stable shooting position, makes me much more confident in taking target feedback 100%, without some lingering idea that my shooting affected testing. I used caldwell bags for a long time, and there is no comparison. |
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Originally Posted By WillieTangoFox: I have recently started refining my reloading equipment. One piece at a time. However, I think the best purchase I have made is my Bald Eagle rifle rest (now sold by Grizzly). I made a chronograph mount for it, added a PTG speed screw for elevation and modded the windage adjustment to delete the cable. Having a very stable shooting position, makes me much more confident in taking target feedback 100%, without some lingering idea that my shooting affected testing. I used caldwell bags for a long time, and there is no comparison. Do you mean this beast? 
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Originally Posted By Trollslayer: Do you mean this beast? https://cdn7.grizzly.com/pics/jpeg2000/b/be1153-678d7f502528359d415839d5a95ac92c.jpg Originally Posted By Trollslayer: Originally Posted By WillieTangoFox: I have recently started refining my reloading equipment. One piece at a time. However, I think the best purchase I have made is my Bald Eagle rifle rest (now sold by Grizzly). I made a chronograph mount for it, added a PTG speed screw for elevation and modded the windage adjustment to delete the cable. Having a very stable shooting position, makes me much more confident in taking target feedback 100%, without some lingering idea that my shooting affected testing. I used caldwell bags for a long time, and there is no comparison. Do you mean this beast? https://cdn7.grizzly.com/pics/jpeg2000/b/be1153-678d7f502528359d415839d5a95ac92c.jpg Yeah, with a couple changes. Attached File |
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