Here is my problem. I bought this 1986 Marlin 30AS 30-30 a few months back (It's the one in the thread below, "The story of MY 30AS"). As I said in the selling forum here, I failed to do some good research before I bought it and now find out I can't buy reloads cheaply at the gunshow since no one sells it. At $10/20 rounds it's too expensive for plinking, which is all I do. I will not hunt nor reload , so that's out.

What I was thinking was getting was either a 45lc or 44mag lever action. All things being equal, are they generally about the same price? I know I can go to one of the chain stores here in S. Cal. and get 357, 45,44 and 30-30 for the same price of $320. I ask because I'm wondering if a trade is fair for both parties. I don't want someone I deal with to be at the short end of the deal.

Any advice would be helpful, but please don't suggest reloading. I don't have the money for the expense, tho I realize I will save in the long run, nor do I have the mechanical ability to trust myself doing it. Thank you in advance.

Actually forgot to mention someone has a 1yr old winchester 94 trails end, 20" barrel with 300 rounds thru it that he is considering trading for mine. It is 45colt. is that a good deal, considering what I'm looking for and what he is looking for (a 30-30)? How does a scope attach to a Win. since it ejects from the top? Again, thanks.

Since you're not hunting or reloading, a 357/38spl would be the least expensive fun - other than a .22.

Hey Retired,

You might find the cost of say 50 rounds of 45 Colt to be not too much better than your 30/30. Is Blazer the cheapest price wise fellas? I pay about 15+ Bucks for 50 shots of 44 Special Lead Semi Wad Cutters around here(Federal 210 Gr.). I personally would go the route getting a Lever 22 in the configuration you want(ie Marlin 39 or Win. 9422). You can have fun to no end, and get a good small game getter in the process as well as honing your rifle skills. If you wanted a lever of higher power...the 38/357 wouldn't be a bad idea. I payed 30 dollars for 250 rounds of Ultramax 38 Semi-Wadcutters. They are accurate little buggers out of my Ruger Security Six and fun to shoot.

you'll regret it...

Cabelas sells bulk thutty thutty ammo at pretty good prices...
Cabela ammo (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0024241215342a&type=product&cmCat=search&returnString=_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&hasJS=true&_D%3AhasJS=+&%2Fcabelas%2Fcommerce%2FCabelasCatalogNumberFinder .giftCertificateURL=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Ftemplates%2F giftcertificate%2Fgiftcertificate.jsp%3Fid%3D00055 86990011a%26podId%3D0005586%26catalogCode%3DIB%26n avAction%3Djump%26indexId%3D&_D%3A%2Fcabelas%2Fcommerce%2FCabelasCatalogNumberF inder.giftCertificateURL=+&QueryText=30-30+Ammunition&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form9&Go.x=11&Go.y=11&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=30-30+Ammunition&noImage=0&returnPage=search-results1.jsp)

I've bought and shot this stuff, It's good!!!!


Also, try Kings ammo (http://www.kingsammo.com/catalog/default.php) for deals on reloaded and new ammo.

44 and 45 can cost double the price of the 'ol thutty.....

How's about that 22....A viable alternative that'll shoot anything is a Winnie 9422 or Marlin 39.

Thanks for the info. Walmart has the 44 mag for about $17/50 and another place has the 45lc for $18. I figured I could get 500 or 1000 rounds cans of reloads at the gunshow for a lot cheaper than it would take to get a 1000 rounds of Walmart 30-30 at $10/20rounds; that's why I'd switch.

You are right Chris re the price. 44mag at around $17 for 50 comes out to $2.94/round and 30-30 is $2. I was hoping the gunshow would be a lot cheaper.

God, I wish I knew how to reload and could afford the equip. I have read some of the comments by the guys who do reload and have no idea what they are talking about, that's why I figured I'd probably ending up killing myself.

I bought a Ruger 10-22 semi auto for my son when he was 16. He just turned 23 yesterday and doesn't live at home, but I still have the gun and enjoy shooting it. I still shoot it once in awhile, but eventually he will take it. If I ever bought a 22, it would be a semi not a lever, I want that in a stronger round to knock over bowling pins and such.

Hello Retired,
Forget .45 LC and .44 magnum, your ticket is a .38 special/.357 magnum if you are only plinking with it. Thats what you should be looking for.

You can reload any of those rounds very cheaply. The cheapest set is the Lee loader. I started out with one a long time ago and I bet a lot of guys on this board did also. Im not sure what the set costs now but you would be surprized I'm sure. I would recommend you get a hand priming tool instead of using the supplied priming part. The very cheapest would be the 357/38 but the 45 and 44 are not that much more expensive. The process is very simple and the instructions will have you loading ammo in notime. If you need help, you can certainly find it on this board. I just thought of something. I have a set of 30-30 dies around here some where and a Lee hand press. I can probably come up with almost everything you need to get started. I will let it go very cheap if you are interested. I even have some 30-30 brass and maybe some bullets.

First let me say I'm really embarrassed. My math is bad and I know it; also I just proved it in the above post. I divided 20 rounds by $10 and came up with $2 per round. Stoopid. If I had done it correctly, I would have divided $10 by 20 rounds to get a per round cost of $.50, which is actually cheaper than Cabelas even before shipping. (tho I appreciate the tip m141a). There must be a math gene and I didn't get it, my brothers did.

Ok, with that in mind, is it safe for me to reload? ;)

ironhead, what kind of dollars are you talking about and does it come with a manual? I'd love to be able to keep the rifle if the price per round was real cheap, but if not, I could try and get a 357 and buy both 38spl and 357 reloads at the gun show in large amounts (500 to 1k). Ironhead, do you know how much it works out per round of 30-30 if you reload your own for plinking purposes, not some wazoo power round that will take down 2 elks at once. Thanks as that will help in my decision.

You guys are great. Sorry this is so long.

Read this:

Handloading on a shoestring (http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_notes/archive_tech_notes.htm/51)

I got started in reloading by buying a used RCBS press for $40 (still the press I use today). All said and done I invested around $100 to get started loading .44 magnums.

With commercially cast bullets, you can reload a box of 50 for something like $4 a box. Figure that factory loads will be around $18 - so that's a savings of $14/box. So, after shooting 8 boxes, the equipment had paid for itself, and that only took me a couple of months!

Like others have said, though, bulk .38 ammo can be really cheap, so that may be a better rout to go.

Retired,
I cant speak for the other guys here, but I can tell you that when I started reloading over 20 years I had no clue. You have to start some where. A reloading manual has instructions to get you started, and any of the guys who reload would probably be more than happy to help when ever you have a question. You can afford to shoot a lot when you reload. I figure a box of 30-30 hunting loads cost me around a $4.00 box to load, reduced load plinking rounds is even cheaper, maby $1.50-$2.00 a box. You cant beat it. For the price of a few boxes of factory you can get started loading. The only way to get started is just take the plunge.

Consider what several have suggested, get a lever action .22 rimfire and buy the cheapest ammo you can find at Walmart.

Thanks for all of the varied and helpful suggestions. Ranch Dog, I went to the Handloading on a shoestring site and read everything; it seems like a rather tedious process, but I'm guessing like the author says, it's easier doing it than describing it.

I think I might look into this reloading thing, especially after reading big medicine's posted prices. It looks like it would pay for it self soon since I like to shoot and do so a few times a month. As long as I observe the safety precautions, I should survive, I have so far with firearms. ;)

Besides the 30-30, I have a 45 cal 1911 and 2 9mm semi autos, 3 38cal revolvers (one is 357), so I guess it would be cost effective. Does anyone know if 7.62x39 can be reloaded for an SKS, or is just cheaper to buy wolf at the gunshow?

Again, thanks for all of the help. This is a great board with some nice people willing to help.

Sorry it took so long to reply. Been offline. How about 25.00 plus whatever it takes to ship the stuff? Will throw in an older Speer manual. If you use a cast bullet with a light load you can probably make a round for .10 or so. This would not be a deer load but will be a nice plinker. Havent dug the stuff out but I know where most of it is. Let me know if you want it. You can load for the other rounds by getting die sets. You can reload 7.62x39 but the Russian factory would be cheaper. If you want to hunt with that round then you could make up some good ammo for that purpose.

Retired,
I taught myself how to reload at 14 with a RCBS loading manual, so I'm pretty sure anyone can do it. I certainly didn't have any forums like this to help me, but I did have a good gun shop owner to give me advice. I've never blown anything up yet either...well there was that one time...oh, lets not talk about that. :)

Seriously, reloading is a snap and very cost effective. If you decide not to go that route, I've got a Marlin Camp Carbine in 9mm...that is a non-rimfire rifle you can plink with for REALLY cheap.

Hi Retired,

Being afraid you might blow yourself up is a good first step in starting the reloading process. Many don't have that fear and it is these guys wind up doing something bad. You will realize pretty quickly that as long as you take some care with your loads, that blowing yourself up is a much more remote possibility. This hobby is pretty safe. I reloaded as a kid with my Uncle John, but wasn't paying a great deal of attention. After I got my 356 Win. in 1992, I realized I better start reloading or sell the gun(ammo was over 20 bucks for 20 rounds), I read through the short reloading section in the Speer manual,...gathered gear for over seven years and finally started reloading in the late 90's. No problems so far and if you knew how my simple brain is, you would know you could do it too. It gives me a lot of satisfaction to make something with my hands and actually finish it. When it makes three nice holes, close together, even greater satifaction! Take care and good luck, no matter what you decide to do.

If you're considering reloading ger a pistol caliber carbine.those cases are so much easier to relaod it's no contest.No lubing,trimming,shoulder setback to worry about,etc.A dillon square dealb or 550b will put out 5 times the ammo a single stage will but there IS learning curve of sorts.Definately not rocket science,just gotta be a lot more careful on a progressive.
We'll all help ya get the 'fever' if you decide to try it. :)

Retired,

You'll never save a single solitary dime by reloading.... but you'll shoot VOLUMES MORE AMMO and have more fun doing it! :D :D :D

Dive on in.... heck, it's only time and money!

God bless,

Marshall, I'm a bit confused now. Others are saying I will be able reload for approx. .$10/round of 30-30 versus $.50, which means I will save and you say I won't. Will you please elaborate on why I won't. Thanks.

Ironhead, does the Lee Loader only do one round at a time and if so, how time consuming is it to reload? On average, how many rounds can you do in 1hr once proficient. I have read on this forum and others that 500-600 are possible with a progressive loader (I'm guessing that is a multi station loader that allows one to do more than 1 round at a time).

The reason I ask is because I am unable to spend hours upon hours sitting due to 4 back surgeries and the resultant scar tissue pain (that's the reason for the name retired).

I'm wondering if a used progressive might be more advantageous. Throckmorton, you speak of a learning curve; can someone who is severely math challenged master it?

I just finished reading 2 reloading threads on the reloading forum and someone there mentioned the turret reloader. Since I the 30-30 is the only rifle I'd be reloading and I have 2 9mm, 1 45acp and 3 38/357 revolvers, would I be better off buying a turret type over the progressive since I'm new to this?

The best, from my point of view, thing to do would be to buy a single stage kit with all the stuff you need to reload. The only part of the kit that is redundant is the press if you want to go to a different style. I would learn to reload on a single stage press, without question. Since you have several pistols, I'd skip the turret and go straight to a manual indexing progressive press after you figure out what you're doing with the single stage press. That way you can use it one at a time like a turret or full progressive with a cartridge at each station. The Dillon 550B is a very proven, dependable, and high quality manual index progressive press. It uses the same dies that you use in a single stage press for the most part..there are a few brands of dies that sometimes don't work well in them as a result of the length of the die body that is threaded being insufficient to go thru the toolhead and still have enough room for the lockring. I would not at all recommend a auto indexing turret or progressive press to a beginner, the manual indexing progressive presses give up little speed to a auto indexing type and are a ton more versatile in addition to giving you complete control over the loading process. The turret type press doesn't really increase speed too much, nothing like a progressive does, so it doesn't really hold much of an advantage over a single stage press in that area. You can get a good quality, last a lifetime, single stage press for relativley little money..the same can't be said of a turret style.

You don't need to sit to reload. My bench is at a standing work height, although I typically sit in a high swivel chair or on a barstool type stool when loading...often switch between standing and sitting if at the bench for a long time. I figured out the standing height bench was the way to go on my SECOND bench.

Retired -

If I can learn to reload anyone can because I am not the mechanical type, either. I am seriously artistic, which is just a mere step below being seriously autistic. But, having said that, I think there are two considerations: is it something you want to do and is it something you should try doing alone? Being a visual person, I learn by watching. I would not recommend to someone like myself to simply buy a book and try it on his own.
In a short period of time I became hooked on reloading and within two years I had reloaded several thousand rounds for half a dozen or more calibers.
Was that cheap? Nope. But reloading can be inexpensive if you are not obsessive-compulsive.
Good used reloading presses are not hard to find. I use an old Herters even though I was also given a new RCBS. The only pricey item I thought I really had to have was an electronic scale and it was well worth the $120 I paid for it.
If you just want to plink with a lever-action I would pick up a Henry .22 or something similar.

retired, What Marshall is saying is that instead of shooting one box at .50 cents around, you will end up shooting 5 boxes at .10 cents a round, thus having 5 times as much fun for the same bucks. (It happens to all of us.)

Lee L.

Thanks for all of the good info and comments, i really appreciate it. I'll will get first get some books and see if this is something I can understand to do. I also have a neighbor who used to reload, not sure if he still does, but I will talk to him about it also.

Again, thanks for all of the help you have offered.

the 'rounds per hour' on a prgressive machine are MAX numbers and i don't think high speed relaoding is safe reloading.Once set up,the Dillon 550b can EASILY do 100 rounds per hour using t as a single stage while learning it's operation.Then if you want to load it up and do double that number,no problem at all.I mention this because of your desire to not be at the bench for hours on end.
ie: a dillon can laod 300 rounds with about 304 pulls of the hand.A single stage would be over 900 operations:300 to size,300 to add powder,300 to seat/crimp,another 300 to crimp seperately like I do.
Just some more food for thought.

I am STILL using the RCBS Jr press I bought whe I was a teenager. I have thought about buying a newer one but this ones still does what I want after more than 30 years of service. You do not have to spend a lot of money to get started.

Retired,

Indeed, my comments were made in jest.... you'll save volumes on a per-round basis by handloading, and as Lee pointed out, you'll have so much fun that you'll just shoot many times more ammo than you might if purchasing at retail price, hence little net gain on the budget overall, but WOW, how much more bang for the buck!

Too, if you're looking at $$$ in regard to getting started, the article that Ranch Dog directed you to on our website should illustrate that startup costs can be VERY low.... in fact, I've still got a couple of those original Lee Loaders that I received as gifts when I was a teenager, and although they've seen many thousands of rounds through them over the years, they still produce excellent ammo when put to use!

Buying handloading equipment is merely an investment in guaranteeing your ability to enjoy affordable shooting for many decades to come.

Dive in, read some good reference materials and get started! A really good place to start is with the Lyman Reloading manual, in that it has some really great chapters on the processes and techniques of handloading, starting with the basics first.

Also, as you've found, there is a vast amount of experience represented on these forums, and folks very willing to share with you and help smooth the rough spots as you get started.

God bless,

Ironhead, I'm sorry I forgot to say I am still considering your generous offer, but I just want to read the book first and talk to my neighbor before making the jump. I didn't want you to think I had flaked out on you.

Sorry it took so long to answer your question on the Lee loader. Business kept me offline. The Lee Loader is a little kit that requires a hammer to operate. It is very slow but very cheap, looked it up and it 20.00 new. You could probably load 2 boxes of 30-30 ammo in an hour taking your time. The Lee company makes a lot of different presses. I usually recomend the turret press for a new guy because it is reasonabled priced and speeds loading a lot from a single stge press. The turret can be used as a single stage press at first as a learning tool. The Lee hand press is designed to be portable so you dont have to mount to anything. In fact you can use it to do non-critical prts of the loading process while watching tv. I got it because I had a job that allowed me to reload at work.

FYI,pistol rounds are a lot easier to load than bottle-necked rifle rounds.NO lube neede,almost no trimming needed,and a lot less powder used per round.ie:6 grains vs. 30+ depending on caliber.
.44 mag would be my choice for you.

Forget about reloading as well as the 44 and the 45. For what you want you need to pick up a 38 special. Your best bet is not to trade your gun just sell it then go buy a 38. It will do everything you want.

Chuck Wagon, what is the range on a 38 cal lever action?

Chuck Wagon, what is the range on a 38 cal lever action?
That is a really tuff question because a straight answer depends on your expectations. The 38 has rounds available from mild to wild and that will have some impact on your range. The 38 is growing in popularity for CAS shooters because its cost effective and easy on the shoulder. I hunt with a 44 mag that gets the hottest rounds possible. Great accuracy by modern MOA standards can be pretty difficult for me even on a bench. I have seen video of a handgunner shoot the 44 in a handgun to 600 yards! :eek:
So there are a LOT of variables but if you are looking for a FUN gun that is cost effective to shoot get a 38 special. You wont go wrong. Bigger is not always better. You should be easily able to knock the stuffing out of the bullseye at 50 yards. You might look for used guns at gunsamerica.com that's a good place to sell but I think local gun shows will always be your best buy for a used gun. Best of Luck.
FWIW I'd trade for that 45 Trails end in a flash. Shoot a box of shells then get rid of it. It will be easier to sell IMO as the new trails end models are pretty slick but 45 rounds can be expensive. you might look up 10x ammo for prices on target rounds.

After my dad set up a progressive for his 16ga, he bought up some used loading equipment and included was a 12ga Lee Loader. I was able to get a bunch of empty hulls from a deadmark shoot & went & got the same shot cup wad & reloaded them w/ the lee loader.

I used to cheat by de-priming & re-priming on dad's press. Once primed; shot shells were easy; you had a fixed amount powder dipper & an adjustable shot measure. Prior to the shot cups you had to experiment w/ wadds so the plastic cups made it alot easier.

Since they are cheaper; you do tend to shoot more.