Anybody reload rifle ammo?
 

I bought a .223 wssm around 2008/2009 and used to be able to find bullets for it pretty easily. They are now getting harder and harder to find. Does anybody in the Lafayette area reload bullets to sale?

I think you need a special kind of FFL for ammo to load ammo for sale.

Are you sure you can't buy the gear and do it yourself?

It's not hard to learn.

I also found a couple of mail order sources:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/29...ted-soft-point

http://www.brownells.com/ammunition/...244-96517.aspx

If you have been saving yoir brass you certainly need to start loading your own. Initial investment can seem scarey but it pays big in the long run. It really is easy once you get the hang of it. It can seem overwhellming at first but it isn't. You can make really great ammo for cheaper than you can buy ok ammo.

I've tried midwayusa but when I try to enter in the quantity it won't let me type in the box.
I've tried brownells also but they are out of stock. I'm on email alert when they get more in though.

I do have some brass, maybe 40 or so. I've considered buying what I need to start reloading, only problem is with two young kids, I don't have much spare room to set up a spot to do it right now. Approximately how much $$ would I be looking at to get started?

Before you get sticker shocked could I ask what you do with that rifle and how much ammo you use per year? Ball park figure. If it is a hunting gun and gets shot for that or a little preseason practice I say sell it and get a more common cartridge. You'll never come out ahead if you reload to shoot 100 rnds a year.

Excellent point. Last time I purchased .223 cartridges at Walmart, they averaged 70 cents/rd. I reload the same FMJ for .23 cents/rd. So no doubt there is a savings. However, it's only worth it if you're going to do a lot of shooting in a year's time. 100-150 rounds per yr- not sure it's worth the upfront expense.

To be honest, I've probably only shot that gun 100/150 times since I bought it in 2008/2009, but only because the bullets are so hard to find. I'm just getting into coyote hunting and want to start using it for that. I looked at some reloading kits last night from around $250 all the way up to $500. I'm by no means a rich man but if I did buy one, it wouldn't really be to save money but more just to have ammo available for that gun. I do shoot a lot of .40, 9mm and .380 and would like to reload those rounds also.

With that said, if you decide to dive in, I would suggest the Lee reloading kit. I bought the little higher quality Hornady kit, but if I had to do it all over again...I'd go with the Lee. Frankly, it does just as good a job, and you will save considerable $$. I would also advise starting simple with the single stage press. Could mean the difference in an enjoyable first time experience vs. much aggravation.

Very true on all points. I do my rifle reloading on a Lee press and have zero complaints about it. I bought the kit to get started. With the kit you will quickly find that you want to upgrade a few things. The press and dies are great but I upgraded pretty much everything else. RCBS digital scale. RCBS champher deburring tool.
Along with the press and dies there are several other costs to consider. Case tumbler for cleaning brass, polishing media for the tumbler, case lube for sizing brass, stuck case remover (happens to us all eventually), primers and powder. Powder can be an investment.