Why consider the value of your time when casting/reloading?

[FISH4BUGS]

I have never understood why people seem to value their time into the equation of the cost of casting/reloading.
That's the whole idea of the thing - down time to relax and do something with added value, and to create something useful. Your time is what allows you to do these things.
I do not have TV. Haven't had it for 25+ years. THAT is what gives me time to devote to my hobby.
I treasure the time I CAN spend sorting and prepping brass, casting, sizing/lubing, reloading and shooting. I NEVER lack for anything to do in the man cave.
My SO calls it "man knitting". I understand what she means. But when many figure in the cost of the reloads, they say "...my time is worth $50 an hour" or something like that.
No....your time is what allows this to happen. If that's the case, sleeping 8 hours every night costs you $400.
For those that don't have time, MAKE the time. Murder your TV. You would be surprised at how much you can get done with an hour here and an hour there. The TV is a vast wasteland that creates vegetables out of us. I have not missed the TV one bit since my son and I machine gunned it at the range (yes I cleaned up the mess). It was a very liberating act.
Time? For instance, I sized, swaged , trimmed and chamfered/deburred (now ready to load) 500 223 military over a week or so amount of time....an hour here and an hour there.
I'll set up for casting and do a run of 1000+ bullets. Then size and lube them....all over weeks of time here and there.
The use of your spare time is what makes up your HOBBY.
Rant over.

[smoked turkey]

I agree with the OP that handloading time is a time of relaxation away from the normal hubbub of life. I can go to my "handloading room" and concentrate on what makes me happy. I take the creation of ammunition very seriously. Especially when I read accounts of Kabooms, and other malfunctions that occur occasionally due to the nature of the product. I know that those that post such incidents do so for the admonition of us all. I don't do well with other distractions, especially TV. I am one that needs to concentrate on the task at hand: creating ammunition. I enjoy the whole process from ingot to cartridge. For the most part my wife stays away from the mess and let's that room be mine. I love our hobby and gain much satisfaction from it.

[GhostHawk]

Exactly so!

My wife and I agreed that from the time she gets home from work at 4:15 until 8 is family time. No puters, no running off to the casting room. It is OUR time.

The other 20 hours of the day are mine. Now I am retired, so if I feel the need to cast, or reload I do so.

But most of us do this because we LIKE doing it. In my case if I can reload for 6-10 cents a round I can shoot a lot more than if I had to buy my bullets.

Plus I enjoy it. There is something very soothing in sitting down and making nice shiny cast boolits rain. And in the brass prep, and reloading.

If someone offered me the deal, I'll give you lifetime supply of ammo for the guns you have, but you give me your casting tools and reloading tools, dies.

I would not take it.

I think those that talk about time probably would. They are there because they have to be there to do what they want to do. Not because they enjoy it.

[DerekP Houston]

Yup I agree, hobby time is hobby time I don't consider getting paid by the hour unless I'm on the job. If I wasn't reloading, I'd be playing a game, playing with my son, or watching a movie/walking around the malls. I can always find ways to kill time that are entertaining this is just one of them. I enjoy reloading for more accuracy and the essentially unlimited rounds I get to fire at the range without worrying about price. @ 20-30 a box, shooting 300 rounds at the range is quite pricey. With my 38's I shoot for around 5c each load now, making each box of 50 $2.50 (I don't add brass price in as these have been loaded ~10 times at least each now).

[JBinMN]

I think there is more to it than just "time=$$". At least to "me" there is...

What ammo company can offer you the ability to "dial in" loads to fit particular firearms? I have not ever heard of an ammo company offering to the general public, "ladder tests" per tenth of a grain for folks to find the best powder for accuracy. ( nor for bullet /boolit weight or any component in a cartridge)

How about working up loads like above, but for "powder puff/mouse fart" loads for kids or folks who have a hard time dealing with recoil but still want to shoot? No ammo company I know of will do that...

My missus for example has issues with her hands & wrists & loves to shoot. Factory loads make her cut short her shooting time & tolerance. The reduced powder loads I have worked up for her have allowed her more shooting time & that equals ( = ) shooting time with me, which we both value. She has now even started to help out a bit in the reloading room with de-priming/priming & cleaning/preppeing cases to help speed things up for me to create more rounds to shoot.

But a reloader can do these things if they want to take the "time", where I do not know of any companies that offer such services for $$.

I could prolly put up a few more examples, and other reasons, but just the ones I put there justifies it for me, anyway.
;)

As I see posted... YMMV
:)

P.S. - computer time can equal TV time if one wants to putz around social media like FaceBook or play games & such. I would rather go make ammo. ( or tie flies, cast & make jigs & sinkers, etc.) I haven't watched a TV show on the boob tube in about 10 years.
;)


Interesting topic & thanks for posting it.
:)

[mold maker]

If not reloading, you could get an education watching SPONGE BOB SQUARE PANTS. It seems many of our children are raised that way.
If I had gotten paid wages for the time I've spent loading I'd be a multi-millionaire, but alas, I'd just be getting a late start acquiring stuff and start loading at a furious pace.

[koehn,jim]

I started reloading in college and than casting to save money, as years went on I could afford to buy factory ammo but don't. I enjoy the challenge of casting and reloading well worth the time. I like to light a cigar and go out and cast or sort boolits and than powder coat them. I also smoke one when sorting or prepping the brass. For me its relaxing and worth whatever time it takes.

[lightman]

I've never considered the value of my time for my hobbies. I'm retired now, but when I was working free time was hard to come by. Especially in the Spring. Often I would have to choose between working and making money or being off and relaxing. But I never allowed myself to put a dollar value on my casting, loading, shooting, hunting or family time. I probably worked more hours than most but I drew a line between work and play.

[crowbuster]

I must agree. I also heat with wood, my back up heat is...wood. I love to cut, people think my butter has slid off my biscut. It has always been relaxing and a good way to keep in shape. Why waste all that time cutting n hauling n splitting when you can just buy wood they say? Same thing with my loading. But the same people spend hrs with there face buried in their fones and not consider that wasted time? I'll pass thanks

[historicfirearms]

I too am into reloading for the hobby aspect. Some people, on the other hand, have shooting sports as their hobby. They reload to be able to enjoy those hobbies more. If they don't enjoy reloading, then I can see how they would make the time comparison. Work an hour of overtime to buy ammo for the match or spend two hours reloading, that type of thing. Not all people are weird like us and enjoy time in the basement pulling a lever on a machine.

[Big Boomer]

Guns and reloading have fascinated me since I was a child. Born in 1940. However, having a mother who was rabidly anti-gun anything put the brakes on an early start into shooting and reloading. Then marriage and raising a son who was born when I was 21 required most of the money available so my entrance into the reloading and shooting fraternity was delayed until I was 33. However, I did see to it that my son got to spend plenty of time shooting a .22 rimfire during those interim years ... I could at least afford that. Then in 1973 I picked up a Ruger Blackhawk .357 from a friend for what he had in it ... $ 72.10 and a box of ammo. It's been downhill ever since. Now I have 20 + 5-gallon buckets (some are the taller ones) of wheelweight lead ingots (mostly clip-on but a couple of 5-gallon cans of stick-on) and an ample supply of tin and linotype to make whatever boolits I please. I cast boolits for .380, 9mm, .38 Spl., .357 Mag, .41 Mag., .45 Colt, .45 ACP, .223/5.56X45, .243, .308 & .30-06. TV is a waste of time (besides I can't hear any more and when the talking heads talk over each other, I can't make out what is being said), though I do occasionally watch a program on the Velocity channel (car or truck building, but mostly I like to watch where they rebuild classic cars from the '50s & '60s or older). I keep up on the news via the internet. My wife and I built a new house in 2007 and the basement is my man-cave, though she does have some "stuff" down there. To many people my basement would probably be classified as a disaster area but it suits me fine. I do all my smelting and casting outside the basement door when the weather is suitable. I can shoot all I want for only the cost of primers, the propane for smelting and the electricity for the casting pot. Several years back a friend and I purchased 150 lbs each of two bulk surplus powders that fuel most of my reloads. I already have all the brass I could use in several lifetimes. Beyond a great relationship with a wonderful wife, almost nothing quite equals the satisfaction of getting a load come together on paper and then put to use in taking out groundhogs, coyotes or other vermin. Beats me why everyone isn't into scrounging wheelweights, casting boolits and shooting guns. Big Boomer

[Reddirt62]

Agreed [emoji817]%

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[white eagle]

never have considered cost as a factor in my handloading
I do it because I can take full responsibility for the outcome
not some factory and I can control every aspect

[runfiverun]

they call it FREE time for a reason.

[fatelk]

I learned some years ago that our time here is limited, so if we're smart we'll use it wisely for the stuff that really matters.

Time spent working is important because it pays the bills. Too much time spent working just to sock away more money when you don't need it is foolish because it takes time away from other important things.

Time with family is precious, especially raising kids. If you don't spend enough time there you will seriously regret it. Making money is important only because it secures the needs of people. People are what really matter.

Time spent with a hobby is important because it helps you unwind and get your mind off your troubles and worries. It's also good because you make friends with a common interest. It's especially good when you can share the hobby with family and spend time with them in the process.

Too much time spent in a hobby is where I've had trouble in the past. I really wish I'd spent more of that time in my past doing something a lot more productive, like learning more or starting a side business of some kind so I wouldn't worry so much about how I'm going to take care of my family financially in years to come.

One thing I absolutely won't do at this point in life is turn down work because of my hobby. That OT pay is a lot more than I can "save" with my reloading. It's not money for money's sake, it's just that we need that money in the paycheck. I don't buy ammo with OT money; I still cast and reload so I can afford to shoot. Been casting, reloading, and shooting a lot less though, spending my time on more important things lately.

[johnho]

I've read many times some guy saying you have to count you time as money. Ridiculous statement. I've always responded that unless you have to take time away from a paying job and you are loosing money by reloading or casting then you have a point, otherwise it's BS. It's a hobby. Funny how they never comment back.

[Kraschenbirn]

When I first began reloading...using a second-hand C-frame press with pull-down milsurp bullets and powders...it was so that I could afford to shoot more but that was something over 50 years back. Now that I'm comfortably retired, those activities help keep me active and busy. A man can only read (and re-read) so many books or spend so many hours in front of a computer screen (television is pretty much a total write-off these days) so, I cast, reload, shoot, and tinker with my collection. Looking at it pragmatically, I'm probably still saving money because, if I wasn't puttering in my workshop, I'd probably be out doing something involving out of pocket cost.

Bill

[osteodoc08]

I rarely watch tv and the shows I do watch are on DVR and I skip the commercials.

May be blasphemy to some but I rarely watch sports on tv unless it's a social event.

[dragon813gt]

I don't consider it for monetary reasons. And before I had kids it had no value. Now that I have two young ones any time spent reloading is time away from them. Even more so because I'm gone Monday thru Friday for work. So any time I have at home is extremely valuable. Can't tell you how much it's worth because it's invaluable.

[DerekP Houston]

I don't consider it for monetary reasons. And before I had kids it had no value. Now that I have two young ones any time spent reloading is time away from them. Even more so because I'm gone Monday thru Friday for work. So any time I have at home is extremely valuable. Can't tell you how much it's worth because it's invaluable.

To each their own. My son likes to sit in my lap and help reload so i consider it part "family time" even thought i'm loading at 1/4 of the speed. His job is to hand me the brass and bullets. I make him wear glasses, he calls them his "power glasses" and we make a game out of it. I'm sure some people will naysay letting a 3yr old assist but we enjoy our time together.

[jonp]

It is a hobby and something I've come to enjoy much like cutting firewood, sitting on a stump in the woods or on my deck reading a book. The enjoyment is priceless

[dragon813gt]

I'm sure some people will naysay letting a 3yr old assist but we enjoy our time together.

My 3yo won't sit still long enough to help me. He does hang out in the garage w/ me. What that means is I have to put all the tools back in my tool bag when we're done. He really likes taking the adjustment screw off the nitrogen regulator. Once he's older it will be family time. The 5mo is a different story. I have no free time because of him. I'm perfectly fine w/ this because he will never be this small again.

[DerekP Houston]

My 3yo won't sit still long enough to help me. He does hang out in the garage w/ me. What that means is I have to put all the tools back in my tool bag when we're done. He really likes taking the adjustment screw off the nitrogen regulator. Once he's older it will be family time. The 5mo is a different story. I have no free time because of him. I'm perfectly fine w/ this because he will never be this small again.

I'm shocked how quick he grew up =/ now we're considering number 2 and i'll definitely change the way I did things around the house. Unfortunately the job being what pays the bills I'll still be away from the house for a good portion of the time.

[bedbugbilly]

I agree with the OP that casting, reloading, hunting or whatever your hobby is is "down time" to be enjoyed. But, I'm retired and now my time is pretty much my time except for when my wife and I have other things to do or she wold like to do something. It wasn't always that way though.

My wife and I don't have kids. She taught school full time, I ran my own business which was NOT a 8 to 5 thing as it would have been had I worked for somebody else. On top of it, we took care of sick parents for around 25 years - our last parent passed away last year and I would give anything to have them all back and be limited on time to do things. I have been casting for 55 years but during some of those years, I just didn't have the time. I could barely get time to shoot a couple of times a year let alone get away and afternoon to go hunting. When I did plan of doing something - such as going to Friendship for the NMLRA Nationals for a couple of days, I had to have everything and all bases covered before I left and more than once I got there only to get a call and have to turn around and drive the 7 hours back home.

Situations such as this happen all the time - especially to those with young families where there is a big demand on their time. So I can well see how some have to "count" their time as far as casting as opposed to buying boolits, buying carrtridges as opposed to re-loading as they onlyhave so much time and they have to make the decision do I cast? do I reload? or do I take an hour and go shoot?

My wife and I have our own hobbies and we respect the need for the other to enjoy them and get some "down" time but we also know the importance of spending time together and doing what the other would like to do whether it be go out to dinner, go to an event or whatever. After 45 years of marriage we make it all work though.

The funning thing is that after I retired and did have a little more "spare time", it took me a long time to get over the "self imposed guilt" that it was alright to take time to cast, load, shoot or work on building a new muzzleloader. I guess that it all boils down to using your time responsibly - enjoy "your" time but balance it with the needs of those around you as well.

As far as putting a dollar value on time versus purchasing such things as boolits, I've never done that. A hobby is a hobby and if you can't afford it, then you either don't do it or you don't do it to the extent that it takes away form other things.

[fatelk]

My 3yo won't sit still long enough to help me. He does hang out in the garage w/ me. What that means is I have to put all the tools back in my tool bag when we're done. He really likes taking the adjustment screw off the nitrogen regulator. Once he's older it will be family time. The 5mo is a different story. I have no free time because of him. I'm perfectly fine w/ this because he will never be this small again.

So true, enjoy that time. It's a lot of work but it's over so quick. I was laid off and going back to school when my older son was little so I spent a lot of time with him. He's coming up on the teen years but he's still my buddy, loves to hang out with Dad. My dad was too busy when I was little and we've never been close.

[CraigOK]

To me it depends on where you are in life. If you're retired I agree, if you have the opportunity to work some OT at $40 an hour it might be something you factor in. I bought my dillon 550 when I was working a lot of OT and was short on free time. But it is fun and a hobby so I'll always make time for it.

[Hick]

Time isn't worth $ unless someone will pay you for that time. If you give up a $50 job to stay home and reload that time is worth $50-- but if nobody is going to pay you for that time it isn't worth $.

[JBinMN]

To each their own. My son likes to sit in my lap and help reload so i consider it part "family time" even thought i'm loading at 1/4 of the speed. His job is to hand me the brass and bullets. I make him wear glasses, he calls them his "power glasses" and we make a game out of it. I'm sure some people will naysay letting a 3yr old assist but we enjoy our time together.

That is Outstanding & I hope it continues until HE show YOU how to do it right, like the ol' man showed hi...
;)
:D

[JBinMN]

Until someone is willin to pay ya to do it, it ain't worth more than what value that you, yourself add to, or put on
it...

If... someone pays ya,or if ya do place a $$ value on it, then it becomes a "business".

Otherwise... It is just something fun ya like to do...
;)

{Posted as I sit here & ponder on just how many glass jars & such we need to use tomorrow to make home made salsa... ;) }

[Rcmaveric]

I actually watch TV while doing it all. I guess listening to it is more accurate. I live in an apartment so I am always in the same room as my wife. My casting station folds up and tucks away on the back porch. I dubbed the walkin coat closet my Harry Potter Man Cave, but don't use it much. I have all my reloading tools organized in a mobile case with a hand press. about the only time I use the bench mounted press is for converting brass. Wife loves to shoot as much as me so she has to let me reload/cast. If its case prepping I will make her help. There isn't enough hours in the day for me to enjoy all my hobbies. I love it because it gives my hands something to do while I listen to documentaries and let my mind ponder. I also like audio books to help pass the time. The only time I focus is when it comes to powder charging. So I consider the whole endeavor as spending time. When I have my kids they help as well with brass cleaning and prep.

[Bzcraig]

I enjoy the whole process so much I will over do it when smelting. We ALWAYS make time for what's important to us. Reloading is important to me and was when I had a lot less free time. As mentioned, time only equates to money while your engaged in making money. I think many of those that say that, just thought it would be cool to repeat it. If a person genuinely believed that, they would buy factory ammo and use their time making money not ammo.

[fatelk]

We do what we enjoy. Do people factor in the value of their time when playing golf?

I'm getting to where I don't enjoy casting so much anymore. If I could afford it I'd be tempted to just buy some of those inferior factory bullets, but I can't, so I cast.

[gray wolf]

What kind of labor charge do you put on things you enjoy doing ?
How do you judge that, I don't figure in a labor charge when I cook a meal.

[samari46]

I've never considered how much time was involved reloading jacketed ammo or casting my own bullets,sizing and lubricating them and finally shooting them. It's a hobby, stress relief, and quiet time all rolled into one. Have a couple firearm projects and although way behind getting them done, messing around with them is something I enjoy. Frank

[jcwit]

Do you consider your time while eating, er, reloading?

[kingstrider]

I enjoy reloading as it allows me to do "gun stuff" when I'm not actually shooting. Truth be told I'm lucky to shoot 1-2x a month but spend a lot of time tinkering with guns, reloading etc so enjoy my time. The only thing I don't really care for is brass prep work so tend to buy tools that maximize my time such as power trimmers etc.

[bob208]

I had one say his time was worth more then reloading. I asked where I could get a job setting on my butt watching football. that was the end of the conversation.

[DerekP Houston]

I enjoy reloading as it allows me to do "gun stuff" when I'm not actually shooting. Truth be told I'm lucky to shoot 1-2x a month but spend a lot of time tinkering with guns, reloading etc so enjoy my time. The only thing I don't really care for is brass prep work so tend to buy tools that maximize my time such as power trimmers etc.

My wife says the same about me, I just enjoy casting and loading. Shooting is always fun but I have more downtime when working at the house remote and its a good way to keep my hands occupied. Casting is for the winter and loading is for the summer.

[KMac]

It seems the people that get into reloading just to save money don't stay at it long.
I got into it about 4 years ago because we were at my wife's uncle, who is one of my favorite people in the world. He was reloading and my oldest son thought it was really cool. So my wife's uncle sent home a Herter's C press, some powder, a Lee scale and some other stuff he thought we would need to get started. Me being of Scottish decent thought it would be a good way to save money. I started adding die sets, powder, brass and anything else I thought we would need. We loaded some 30-30 and my son helped a little. Then he got a steady girlfriend and he wasn't interested in anything but her. By that time I was bit by the bug. Read everything I could find online about reloading and stumbled onto the CB website.
Bought a mold, then another and now I have at least one for every gun we own. The time I get to spend at the bench is payment in itself. It is therapy to take my mind off of everything that is going on in my life.
My youngest son who is 15 now is interested in it much more than my oldest ever was so I get to spend time with him doing something we both love.

[Love Life]

Time, time, time.

When I have it, I use my free time to cast, reload, and basically piddle around the reloading/woodworking/metalworking/everything else area.

Now I have no time. 19 hour work days over, und over, und over, und over again. I find myself buying more factory jacketed bullets (mainly hornady) and commercial cast bullets (Summer Enterprises for 200 gr LSWC). I'm still trying to find a good source for quality 45 cal 255 gr FLAT BOTTOMED LSWC boolits.

Many times I have found myself at the casting post wishing I could just buy the bullets. Either that or get a master caster to up production....

However, 99% of commercial cast boolits I have bought are ****. Beat up in shipping with Crayola lube, lol. Small casting shops that make high quality boolits charge accordingly, so I cast my own, lol. Either that or the boolit I want isn't commercially available. Basic plinking fodder like 45 cal H&G clones I just buy by the 1,000 because there is a very high probability it will work in any 45 acp pistol and not lead regardless of lube used.

I love reloading. I tolerate casting. Doing the one allows me to do more of the other. If I ever make it big then I am going to hire a minion to cast all the boolits I want, lol. I will say, it is mighty nice to have a box of jacketed bullets show up on the door, add splody powder, and go.

[popper]

It seems the people that get into reloading just to save money don't stay at it long. Unless they get interested in casting and reloading. If you have to include time into your cost (unless you are commercial) you need to find something else to do.

[fatelk]

I have a friend who's interested in reloading. So interested that I've helped him get set up with good deals on inexpensive used equipment twice over the last 15 years or so. He always talks about how interested he is and how he really wants to find time to reload and eventually cast. The problem is in the 15 years he's been talking about it, he hasn't loaded a single round.

[Three44s]

I handloading for a number of reasons:

1) save money, shoot more

2) make better ammo than I can buy reasonably

3) cheap therapy

I cast to shoot even more reasonably in volume but I think the more important reason to horde lead and cast is in case our world goes gunsack. Primers, powder and lead coupled with the skills to make useful things happen might just save your and your loved one's life!

I really like to handload, cast and shoot but the knowledge that I possess both the skill set, tooling and components to accomplish such an objective should the need arise is an added form of therapy, a form of piece of mind if you will.

Three44s

[mold maker]

I guess time spent sleeping is wasted, but I don't care to be around you when shooting if you haven't.

[dverna]

I used to shoot over 20,000 rounds a year. I reload to save money. Been doing it for over 45 years.

I reload hunting ammo because I can and it is more accurate, but would be good buying commercial ammunition. Sub MOA is not needed for the hunting I do.

I save less than a dollar a box on 12 ga Trap loads. But I can produce about 20 boxes an hour so it still makes financial sense to do it. If it ever gets to about the same cost, I will purchase 100k rounds and stop reloading Trap shells.

I believe most people who love to reload do not shoot competitively or a lot. If you do, it can become a chore.....making sure you have enough of the right loads for the next match.