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

[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...

[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.