This most recent ammunition shortage—one of several that have occurred over the past few decades—has prompted some shooters to ask, “Should I become a reloader?” The answer is, “Why not?” Although the current ammo crunch has also severely impacted the availability of components, that will change as it did during previous shortages. Shooters who have become reloaders will then be able to prepare for the next shortage. It’s not that hard to do.
Reloading small-arms ammunition is a simple mechanical process that takes a fired case, re-conforms it and installs the necessary components to make it ready to fire again. Properly reloaded ammunition can be as reliable and accurate as factory rounds, if not more so—and much less expensive.
Lyman’s new Apex 10 manual loading machine ($3,000) represents the state-of-the-art in reloading.
It takes a variety of tools to reload rounds, but they are not as complex or expensive as some might think. Careful online shopping can shave 10 to 20 percent off the manufacturer’s listed price. Here’s how to start reloading ammunition without spending a fortune.
An important, but sometimes overlooked, first step is cleaning the cases. Dirty range brass will gum up the reloading dies. A number of methods to clean brass cases exist, but the least expensive is a tumbler with media. My 20-year-old Lyman Turbo Tumbler, with a mix of walnut and corn cob media, will clean 500-plus cases in about…
