with the supply problem, and expense of the centerfire rifle cartridges, we've begun shooting an optional 3 gun match using a .22lr for the long gun... centerfire pistol and shotgun.. but use the 2" and 4" verticals and 4" horizontal steel targets from the STC, along with reduced size silhouette targets for the .22lr... allows a fun match to be shot on a 35y pistol range..

The only supply problem we have around here is the .22LR ammo. I haven't seen any for years now. Luckily I am well stocked for several more years of drought. But you can find everything else easily ... just no .22LR ... not anywhere. I reload all my centerfire, excepting a few that I can buy cheaper than I can reload - 7.62x39, 7.62x54R, 8mm Mauser (well, you can't find the cheap 8mm easily anymore, but I bought a couple of spam cans of the mil-surp stuff back when it was available and cheap).

I abide by the rule, "Buy it cheap, stack it deep". The goal is to keep 8 years supply on hand - enough to make it through a bad president who causes a panic buying spree, then manages to get re-elected.

Haertig... shot the Chevy Truck STC for 5 years in the late 90s... still have a stash of .22lr, but it's days are numbered...we started the match when .223 was unobtanium...

The trim pro is more about processing in quantity. Doing 5,000 223 cases gets pretty old with the zip trim (I used to have one too). It starts feeling like I am going for some sort of yo-yo marathon record after a while.

I got the trim pro because with the power motor and the universal case holder, I can go pretty darned quick and I don't get too fatigued.

My next trip to the range will feature mostly .223 & 9mm. I'm shooting what I can replace easily and at a reasonable price for what it is. .22LR at reasonable prices is currently unobtainium around here. CCI standard velocity and Eley lead round nose can be found occasionally but the last time I checked the price was about .15 per round. It's getting to the point I may contact ammo makers & ask them just how much I would have to purchase to get on their direct ship list.

I have a 5 gallon bucket full of 38 special cleaned brass and another almost full of 9 mm. Most of the rest of the calibers I have no more than a few thousand cases.

I need to get into reloading. I currently don't shoot much my .308 Win and .40 cal, because of the cost of ammo. I bought the ammo I have several years ago. The value of it has more than doubled. I get less joy out of shooting when I just see dollar signs exiting the muzzle. I tend to shoot my 12 ga and .22lr rifle more often.

So, how should a pure beginner get into reloading .308 Win and .40 cal? By pure beginner, I mean I've never done it and have never seen anybody do it in real life.

I bought my first handgun last year and no I didn't buy because of the panic, it just happened that the budget reached that point of the todo list at that time. Ammo went from $14.99/box to $19.99/box from January to April then by May no store had any in stock.
So while I was stopping by Cabelas and walking by the empty ammo shelf I'd walk over to the reloading section.
So I bought a tumbler kit and cleaned the little brass I had so then a press and deprimer (while die set actually) and did that and cleaned it all again.
Finally found primers in stock one day so I bought those and primed then kept watching for other components. I was able to spread the purchasing out over a couple months and buy the tools, books, scale, etc in between.
Finally scored some powder and bullets and was able to start loading.

My cost of just buying the few small quantities that come available still puts me at %50 the cost of equivalent factory rounds. It will take ~1500-2000 rounds to pay for the tools and I loaded between 500-1000 the first year so in a couple years at most the tools pay for themselves and I start to see the savings.

Very few people save money by reloading. They usually just end up shooting more for the same money! Which is not a bad thing.

It's like buying that new super energy efficient refrigerator "to save money". Then you put the old refrigerator out in the garage and continue using it. You can say you "saved money", but really you just increased capacity for the same money (technically, "more money" if you're honest with yourself!)

Have you also considered a good air rifle such as a PCP. They would be perfect for a 35 yard range. Pellets are cheap and plentiful and air guns are excellent for shooting skill practice.

A lot of money is apparently spent on 'bang bang food' but shooting isn't a particularly difficult skill especially when getting to the level where its the consistency of the ammunition that makes the difference i.e. above breathing technique, hold and trigger control.

Why is it that everyone is practicing their shooting so hard that the cost becomes a factor for reloading? i.e. once mastering an air rifle, 1000 yard shooting with 7.62, .303 etc shouldn't be a problem considering the low cost of some rather decent optics available today.