What about forming local reload clubs?

[flybeech]

What with ammunition becoming scarce and costly, reloading seems like the natural progression, but tooling up to reload all the different calibers and gauges is costly and difficult. Plus, economies of scale for the average shooter keeps reloading cost prohibitive, though with many calibers now selling for $1 to $2 bucks a shot, even reloading at home is starting to look more cost effective.

I've heard of local shooters forming local reload clubs and pooling resources such as tools and equipment and purchasing in bulk to improve scaling. I envisioned nodes of local shooters who bring their talent and resources to a private club who could meet with their own stuff and have something like a quilting-bee, only instead of turning out comforters, the club could churn out precious metals, like lead and brass. I think it would be fun and even profitable to be a part of a reloading club where shooters could pool together and churn out rounds of fresh ammunition, constructed with better tools, processes and purchasing power than any one shooter could have working on his own.


Last year, I bought the domains for reloadclub.com, .net and .org because I thought it might be fun to start a little website with a forum and a way to organize groups, if there is any interest and a club spontaneously formed.

 

[MyMonkey]

Great idea!

 

[swampratt]

Some people on the other forum i visit would have a lead casting party.
Few guys get together and cast lead bullets...There is the money saver right there.
You get too many people around while actually reloading and 1 distraction and you may have an over charge or under charge...
You could get a great understanding of different ways of casting of bullets and prepping of brass..
And possibly if the place was set up right you could load a few..
I myself load in the same environment with my beam scale ..and i do not move my scale from it's spot.. very accurate.
I have a bedroom dedicated to reloading..

 

[dennishoddy]

I've kind of tried that, but it seems like every member has a pet load. Nobody can decide to use one powder for one load. If you told a group of reloaders that you wanted to load 230 grain .45acp to 950fps, there would be a dozen different powders mentioned, and a dozen reasons the powder you want to use won't work.

If it could be worked out, it would be a great deal though.

 

[BamaAlum97]

It's certainly an interesting concept.

 

[Model 70]

I envisioned nodes of local shooters who bring their talent and resources to a private club who could meet with their own stuff and have something like a quilting-bee, only instead of turning out comforters, the club could churn out precious metals, like lead and brass.

That's kind of comforting in itself.

 

[ripnbst]

I've kind of tried that, but it seems like every member has a pet load. Nobody can decide to use one powder for one load. If you told a group of reloaders that you wanted to load 230 grain .45acp to 950fps, there would be a dozen different powders mentioned, and a dozen reasons the powder you want to use won't work.

If it could be worked out, it would be a great deal though.

This. Plus, reloading is not exactly a social event. You need to be focused on what you are doing to prevent catastrophe. Then there's the liability/risk of shooting someone else's reloads. Its a good idea on paper but the pennies I might save buying 10 lbs of powder vs a pound or two is not worth all the risk that would be introduced. It just wouldn't be my cup of tea, but it is a cool idea and kudos to you for trying to come up with a fresh idea.

 

[Stackle2]

I would enjoy learning from others. I am self taught, and I'm sure there's better ways to do things.

 

[jrguns]

I too would like to learn from others. But I also agree on the fact that there should be no distractions while loading. But there is so much more to learn that this would be a great idea.

 

[runnin17]

I would actually be really interested in this. My father-in-law has all the reloading equipment and he is going to teach me the beginnings, but actually learning to cast bullets would be interesting.