New-ish to the hobby — not sure where to go next

[ikeo1]

For really common calibers like 9mm, 45 and .223, how many rounds does one have to shoot to save money with a reloading setup? And how many hours is one going to spend? One of our neighbors used to reload, but not for the savings (he was very wealthy), for the fun.

If you shoot 15k rounds a year (9mm) you'll break even in 2-3 years. Faster if there's any disruption in supply.

Things are changing now though, powder went up quite a bit so inputs are pushing the cost higher. It's a hobby in itself, so when you want to tune your firearm, it's like the last 5-10% of dialing in for consistency.

There's a common saying for reloaders, you never really save money, you just shoot more.

 

[Trapper]

Calculating break-even point and return on investment with reloading would depend on type of machine, calibers, and volume of shooting. I reload pistol calibers with range brass and buy components in bulk when they are on sale, which lowers cost. Shipping powder and primers to a local store avoids hazmat fees. With rifle rounds, I pay more for components but load the equivalent of match grade or premium hunting ammo so the savings is significant.

 

[Darqhelmet]

Single stage for match/hunting rounds saves you money pretty fast.

 

[findoutcoolbb]

What happened to your Glock 19? There are ways to make it run a lot nicer.
Eventually I suggest you get a Shadow 2. Send it to Cajun Gun Works for a pro package or learn to do it yourself with their parts. I've had some very nice guns that I eventually sold because the Shadow 2 runs so great for the money.

I sold it and use the fund on the Maverick 88 + Ruger American 308. Since I got Echelon, I no longer bring Glock to range anymore.

 

[john_marsten_1873]

I sold it and use the fund on the Maverick 88 + Ruger American 308. Since I got Echelon, I no longer bring Glock to range anymore.

IMO having at least 1 Glock is always a good thing. It's certainly not my preferred platform and I don't shoot them much but I'll always have 2: a Glock 17 or 47 and a Glock 20.

As someone also mentioned there's a HUGE aftermarket for customization and upgradeability for Glocks. Just got this cut from Maple Leaf for one of my slides:

Valkyrie Cut - Glock 17/22/31

sales@mapleleaffirearms.com

www.mapleleaffirearms.com

The Echelon has potential but it's just not getting much aftermarket adoption. But here's a good resource for Echelon upgrades:

J

Post in thread 'New Shop Coming soon in Oceanside'

May 4, 2026

Ordered a Mischief Machine grip module for Echelon from @DesertDepotArms on Friday afternoon and got it this morning.

Was considering selling my Echelon but now I’ll keep it.

• john_marsten_1873

 

[john_marsten_1873]

If you shoot 15k rounds a year (9mm) you'll break even in 2-3 years. Faster if there's any disruption in supply.

Things are changing now though, powder went up quite a bit so inputs are pushing the cost higher. It's a hobby in itself, so when you want to tune your firearm, it's like the last 5-10% of dialing in for consistency.

There's a common saying for reloaders, you never really save money, you just shoot more.

Up until recently, I've been thinking of it in terms fiscal sensibility. But now I just see it as a component of comprehensive firearms knowledge. Not at least knowing how to reload is a gap for me.

 

[john_marsten_1873]

Yes I am trying to narrow down a purpose. I enjoy trying new guns. So far the most I enjoy is shooting flatter handguns. I may try long precision shooting in the near future. TBH because of my schedule I may never enter competition.

Even if you don't actually compete consider trying out some classes. Not sure where you live but some defense or intro to competition classes are quite fun. Basically, something that gets you drawing from a holster, rapid fire drills, target transitions, movement.

For myself, I went through about ~1k rounds and realized I needed formal training. Not to say that ~1k was a waste of ammo but every round and gun since has been purposeful.

 

[PAGANSAINT71]

A few years ago I bought a Glock 19 during the pandemic and only took it to an indoor range twice. At the time I thought the recoil was pretty strong and everything was just loud, so I never really got into shooting.

That changed around March this year. I went to a shooting experience where I got to try more than 10 different guns, and that was when I really started getting interested in firearms as a hobby.

At first I was actually most interested in .22s. The P322 was probably my favorite because it had the feel of a regular handgun, almost no recoil, and was just really fun to shoot. After that I started wanting to try and own different types of guns instead of just sticking with one category. My first few were all bought new, then I found CAguns and started picking up some used guns through PPT as well.

Right now I have:

• SIG P322
• Browning Buck Mark
• SIG P365XL
• Springfield Echelon 4.5F
• SIG P320 X5 Legion
• Fusion XP Pro
• Ruger 10/22
• Maverick 88
• Anderson AR15
• Ruger American .308

At this point I feel like I have most of the basic guns/categories covered, and now I'm not really sure what direction to go next.

I've also figured out that I enjoy handguns quite a bit more than shotguns, and I'm not really into antique or historical guns. My budget isn't Atlas-level, but if something is interesting and worth trying, I'm open to it. I also tend to prefer things that aren't too difficult to sell later if I decide they're not for me.

For those of you who have been in the hobby longer, what would you try next from here?

Optics? Cache of ammo? Trigger time?

 

[irongunner]

A 380 ACP might be a decent option too

 

[RustVendor]

A 380 ACP might be a decent option too

 

[Gawernator]

A 380 ACP might be a decent option too

 

[john_marsten_1873]

A 380 ACP might be a decent option too

 

[PlinkyDinky]

The Advantage Arms .22 conversion kits for Glocks are pretty nice!

 

[PlinkyDinky]

There's a common saying for reloaders, you never really save money, you just shoot more.

Yeah, I wanna get into reloading, with no expectation whatsoever of saving money.

 

[irongunner]

Wow. I was not expecting a 380 recommendation would elicit such a response. 380 is the lower caliber I would recommend, but guys it is still better than 22. Fight me after school if you think otherwise, chicken. I triple dog dare you.

For the misguided souls, exposure therapy.





Hatefull demons be gone! The power of calibers compels you... THE POWER OF CALIBERS COMPELS YOU!!!
*sprinkles the ground with wholly empty shells*

 

[RustVendor]

Wow. I was not expecting a 380 recommendation would elicit such a response. 380 is the lower caliber I would recommend, but guys it is still better than 22. Fight me after school if you think otherwise, chicken. I triple dog dare you.

For the misguided souls, exposure therapy.
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View attachment 236749
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Hatefull demons be gone! The power of calibers compels you... THE POWER OF CALIBERS COMPELS YOU!!!
*sprinkles the ground with wholly empty shells*

well my critique of it is it's the same "caliber" as 9mm but just loaded shorter and lighter, hence you can simply load or buy light 9mm if you want to reduce recoil. Then you don't have to pollute the range pickup brass with 380

 

[PlinkyDinky]

For the misguided souls, exposure therapy.
View attachment 236748

And didn't he start on .32?

 

[RustVendor]

And didn't he start on .32?

James Bond is also fictional though... Pierce Brosnan upraded to a P99

 

[PlinkyDinky]

James Bond is also fictional though...

Aw, man...

 

[dilbert40]

FWIW,
1911: I bought and have nine 1911s till I got Les Baer and stopped.
Cz: 75 b, bd, sp-01, get any one. Compacts (p-01, compact, etc) check grip with your hand first.
22’s — browning 80% size 1912-22. Truly the one that eats any ammo.
Revo - yes. I am in sw camp except for one python.