Reloading set up

[Karakal]

The most rudimentary of kit can get you going. Lee hand press, Lee dies, Lee dippers, and a Lee priming tool and a good beam scale could see you make better ammunition than you can buy. Ashford, Kent?

Yes mate

[sarge4318]

You'll be making good ammo for about 50p a bang, compared to factory at, what £1+ (I haven't bought factory hunting ammo for a long time so I could be off on this).
The equipment (press, dies, scales, vibro-cleaner, manual trimmer is about the minimum + a reloading manual) will cost you second-hand somewhere from £150 upwards to get going, or even more.

If my figure for factory is even close you'll need top make 300 rounds to even come close to breaking even on the equipment alone (just don't factor in the time spent doing it, certainly not a commercial saving if you wanted to sell them!). That's not a lot to make but could be a while if you are only occasionally hunting with it and the enjoyment of making is part of the process for me.

Then you get hooked and need a bigger press, power trimmer, digital scales with a trickler, and before you know it your life will be irreversibly changed.

Don't do it!

[Karakal]

Thanks for all your help gents I usally shoot the hmr and .22 but have the land now to use the .223 plus just bought the pard 008 and 007a so I can use nv on all my rifles. The lockdown has given me more time to practice and the .223 is a dream to shoot. I made a mild steel 10mm plinker and have been shooting with federal 40g vmax amazing ammo compared to the 55g ppu they do the job for plinking but the federal just about punch through the plate at 200-300m god knows what a fox is going to look like after the vmax has hit it😀

[TVRGREG]

I reload .223 and it costs me approx £18 for 50. You could get going with new and used Lee reloading kit for £150.

[Karakal]

Wow that’s cheap how long does it take to make 50 what powder you using?

[simgre]

Vhitavouri N133 is a fantastic powder in .223. Beauty of Vhit is just about everywhere carries it.

Call Richard at the Ashford Gun Room. He stocks Vhit. He also stocks reloading kit and regularly has second hand gear on the shelf.

[JB101]

Also N140 is good for .223 & readily available

[TVRGREG]

Wow that’s cheap how long does it take to make 50 what powder you using?

Once the cases are tumble cleaned i can de-prime, size, reprime, throw the powder and seats heads on 50 in about an hour. I use murom primers and ppu heads with VV133 or VV140 powder depending what weight heads i am using.

[mag44uk]

I have some reloading gear for sale in the erm for sale section!
Shortly be adding a Lee turret press set up.

[lightning22]

Wow that’s cheap how long does it take to make 50 what powder you using?

Fall down the rabbit hole of casting your own bullets and it gets even cheaper. I feed my .303 Lee Enfield for about the same as a .22lr.

[Ranyhyn]

.223 Lee Loader (hand kit) £35
Lee Powder dipper set £11

Will produce surprisingly consistent and accurate ammunition.
Basic, but I get 1/4 MOA with .243

It's the start of a slippery slope if it floats your boat, you will hit break even monetarily very quickly.
Before you finish the second sleeve of primers you will be saving money.