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Tips and Articles Reloading - What Does It Cost? by Shane Hurkmans What is reloading and why do it? First, reloading is to reload a hull or a case with a sticker, propellant, and projectile. Why do it? There are actually three reasons. To get better accuracy from your weapon or a better pattern, for the fun of it and it's cheaper to reload. We will get to all of this in articles to come but now we start with the three biggest questions I get from guys starting in the shooting sports. Rifle shooters, pistols shooters and trap shooters, It doesn't mater, these are the questions they want answers to. First, "how much does it cost to start reloading?" I tell them it all depends on how much you want to put into it. There are kits that have everything you need to start. Then there are the conveniences you can get for reloading, electronic scales, prep stations, power case trimmers, auto scales and more. You can get started on shot shells from between 50 to 100 dollars. For reloading rifles and pistols it can cost from 70 to 300 dollars. Second question, why reload? I reload for the cost of it and I enjoy it a lot. I can reload the best components for my shotgun and rifles for the same price I can get a cheap box of shells in the store. For instance, I can reload a box of AA shotgun shells for about $2.50 a box. In the store a box of Winchesters AAs are $5.50 -$6.00 a box. Now I can take the money that I saved and take it off the cost of my reloaders, bushings, dies or what ever I bought for reloading. I have paid for my reloader and put the rest of the money into better reloaders, books, chronographs, case gauging tools, and computer programs. Third question, How do reloads compare to factory loads? I reload so I can get the best out of my guns. It doesn't matter if it's a shotgun, rifle or a pistol. You can mix and match to get the best out of your guns. Not all guns shoot the same. This shotgun doesn't pattern with this primer or powder. This rifle with this bullet or this case doesn't go well with this load. Factory ammo is great, but if you are looking to hit the same spot every time, reloading gets the right load for that gun. Then you can tell your buddy's that you made the shell that killed that deer or whatever you hunt with that load. Reloading is a great time and safe as long as you follow the rules. Get a reloading manual and read it from cover to cover. Read everything you can about it. Find someone that is into reloading and ask questions. Get all the information you can about what you are going to reload. Most importantly follow all the safety rules and have a place that you can keep all your reloading stuff together where little fingers can't get into it.