# Ideas for cheap practice ?



## Blackcat (Nov 12, 2012)

My .45-70 rounds cost about two dollars a bullet. Im told thats the cheapest ones in my area.
Most of my ammunition is pretty over priced to the point I dont get a whole lot of practice these days.
I can reload but the cost of componants is almost as bad these days.

Ive been trying to come up with less costly options that will allow me to target practice with some accuracy and do basic skills like sighting the rifle.

Ive been considering things like wax bullets, or minimum powder charges with light bullets. Idk... Brain storming here.
Any other ideas ?

I could rig up a bullet trap but thats has pros and cons as well.


----------



## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

If your intent is to use this gun as a means of defense, my recommendation is simple. Don't.
Anything you can't afford to practice with, you won't be any good with. You'll only arm your attacker.
Realistically, you'd need thousands of rounds of practice to be considered proficient, and by that time, you've paid for a new weapon a few times over.
Look for a battle rifle with a standard caliber. The cost reduction will be drastic.

However, if you're just wanting to blast holes in things, you just might have to suck it up and pay the price. Entertainment ain't cheap.


----------



## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

That's a pretty good price. I haven't bought any 45-70 in a couple years, the last was some Black Hills 405 grain lead flat point at $42 per 20 round box. I've seen it go for $48/box.


----------



## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

Many people practice with .22 LR. Also 9mm carbines would be pretty cheap to run.


----------



## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Your reloading your own, right??


----------



## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

45/70 will take down the Brown Bear variations common to C*N*D*, eh?


----------



## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

There's the old saying in sports, "Practice like you play. If you practice sloppy, you'll play sloppy, if you practice sharp, you'll play sharp". And that's just for a damn game. 

We're talking a potentially deadly weapon here. If you don't practice with it, you don't deserve to have it in your hands in my opinion. Focus, be sharp and suck it up. You got to pay the price. Its that damn simple.

This ain't no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no foolin' around. Its a firearm son, respect it and respect yourself by dedicating time to practice.

(Please read that above in Slippy's serious ass Dad voice, not his other voice, thanks)


----------



## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Slippy said:


> There's the old saying in sports, "Practice like you play. If you practice sloppy, you'll play sloppy, if you practice sharp, you'll play sharp". And that's just for a damn game.
> 
> We're talking a potentially deadly weapon here. If you don't practice with it, you don't deserve to have it in your hands in my opinion. Focus, be sharp and suck it up. You got to pay the price. Its that damn simple.
> 
> ...


Other voice?? You mean the high pitched one that has 'Coming Dear" down pat? Yea, I got that one to sometimes.


----------



## Blackcat (Nov 12, 2012)

45/70 take down a bear ? It should take down anything on earth... Im in the shot placement crowd. Becides that 45/70 is a pretty potent caliber.
Reload my own yes... Still pricey lol.

Ive had a fair share of practice, I just want to get back to it. If theres a way to do that and not end up living on the street eating out of garbage cans... That would be good too. As it is now im already just about that poor


----------



## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

My first LE job granted us a box of 9mm a month for practice plus two more a year for qualifying. I hoarded it and bought cheaper rounds. Also bought several 22s and shot them regularly always following or ending the session with some 9mm. I left the PD with 1500 rounds of silver tip hollow point ...still have some.


----------



## Stick (Sep 29, 2014)

BB/pellet gun and 9mmm brass at thirty feet. Or Little Green Army Men. I like to throw in model cars and stuff, too, just for the holes.


----------



## SDF880 (Mar 28, 2013)

I try to get to the range now and then and pretty much use 22LR and 9MM. Lately I have been shooting a 1911 CO2 airgun at home and find it is very similar to
firing the real 1911 until the BB is on it's way! The fit feel and finish is so similar to my Colt 1911 and the trigger feels very close too so why not practice with it?
I have a Bow target set up downstairs and it works just fine!


----------



## Seneca (Nov 16, 2012)

You can reduced the cost of shooting a 45-70 by casting your own bullets and reloading. I can shoot 100 reloads for about half of what was mentioned for a box of 20 factory loads. I honestly think that for the 45-70 casting and reloading is the only way to go.


----------



## Boss Dog (Feb 8, 2013)

Yep, you beat me to it.


----------



## oldgrouch (Jul 11, 2014)

I've started reloading several different .45-70 loads on my own. I don't know if I save a dime, but I enjoy the hell out of it!


----------



## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

I practice alot with 9mm and 28/357 and 45 acp. I load a ton of it. The cost break down is that i get to shoot 2x as much for the same price with 9mm. 3x as much with 38 special and 45. 

So its not about more its ab7out maximizing what you have to get the most in terms of quantity and quality out of it. 

My hand loads look factory. Source the best quality for the money you have budgeted for practice - i bet having lead shipped down from Canada would be cheaper for the same stuff than local sourcing. We have powder shortages here but its still around and cant be exported anyways. 

I use seller and belliot primers because they are 25% cheaper than CCI and the drawback being they are a little stiffer to work with. But thats not a big deal. 

Sometimes rethinking strategy of dollar use yeilds great results and maybe it would work for you.


----------



## Seneca (Nov 16, 2012)

Brass-free recycled spent
Bullets-free + my time
Powder-IMR3031 @ 25-30 dollars per lb.
Primers-3.50-4.00 dollars per hundred
I get roughly 175 rounds from one pound of powder.
The equipment to cast/size/reload was purchased so long ago, that if it were a person it could vote.
I shoot a 45-70 for less than what it costs to shoot factory .223/5.56.
It's all in how you go about it.


----------



## Blackcat (Nov 12, 2012)

I think reloading will be the way to go. I just have to get my reloading game back on.
I have lots of lead BUT im finding that lead is getting difficult to find. I generally go to tire shops and ask if they have old buckets of wheel weights. Since they stoped using lead, many places tell me to get in line. All the lead is spoken for (fishermen using it for downriggers)
One tire shop the guy even yelled at me lol. I was polite, never been in that shop before. Before I could ask he lost it on me and ranted about how it already belongs to somebody else.

But yes I do do have about 12 x gallon buckets of lead atm most of those about twenty dollars each. Or one guy trades me a bicket of lead for a case of beer. Still works out to be twenty dollars.

Brass isnt bad. I buy starline by the 1000s
Primers and poweder are the problem...

Its pricey yes but in my part of canada its mostly unobtainium.
The local gunsmith is a friend of mine. He tells me its so slow shipping powder from the USA to Canada that its nearly impossible. So theres lineups waiting for powder when it arrives once or twice a year. Limits on how much you can buy and so on. All supply and demand stuff.

Currently Inhave about 6-8 pounds of H110 and some unique and some titegroup.

About 4000 cci rifle primers.


----------



## 7052 (Jul 1, 2014)

Kauboy said:


> If your intent is to use this gun as a means of defense, my recommendation is simple. Don't.
> Anything you can't afford to practice with, you won't be any good with. You'll only arm your attacker.


+1

That's why I switched from my *much loved* Glock 21 (.45acp) to a Glock 17 (9mm). I prefer the .45acp every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Just me personal preference, not trying to wade into the 9mm vs .45 argument.

At the time it was $6 a box more expensive, and only getting worse. That's when a box of 50 was $16. Getting enough ammo to practice was impossible at my budget back then, so I made the switch.


----------



## Ralph Rotten (Jun 25, 2014)

Black cat, i have the opposite problem: plenty of ammo for my 45 70, but i can only shoot about a dozen before the gun beats me up. I have a whole batch of 400gr LRNs loaded, but they are death at one and hospitalization at the other. BLAMMO!

Reloading for the 45 70 is not very expensive. However, dont even think about buying components during the reign ofa democratic president. As soon as a repuglican is in el casa blanco then start stocking up for the next [eventual] democrap in the white house. I buy so much stuff during republican administrations that i do not buy during dem terms. Too damned expensive.

My favorite way to practice is to burn up a brick of 22 shooting shotgun shells on the ground (old empties...not loaded rounds!) If you shoot close they jump a little. If you hit plastic then they fly a few feet. But if you hit the metal, they fly away 30 or 40 yards. Aim for the brass. I love to do this with my classic little Ruger MkI (12th from last mk1 ever made, stamped 1 of 5000, with Bill Rugers signature.) At ranges of 3 to 10 yards, i skip the whole area clean of shotgun shells, then move to another spot and start over. Way cool way to practice, and even a little addictive.


----------



## Medic33 (Mar 29, 2015)

use a 12 gauge and not a 45-70 maybe?


----------



## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

Google my friend. I heard powder was non existent. People were frustrated. I googled "buy pistol powder in Ontario " and my first had 100 pounds of vihtaviori the stuff is amazing and I've gon though 4 lbs in 2 months. It's out there. Ship from out of province if need be I buy stuff from the west coast all the time. 

Primers are 35 bucks for 1000. We got lots just look and use gun nutz too. I just got 2000 once fired polished and cleaned police range pick up 40 brass for 70 bucks to my door. Just be a bit of nerd and google out. Set up alerts at online stores and keep your CC at 0 so you can buy bulk to save big. 

Chin up you sound like you got lots anyways.


----------



## Blackcat (Nov 12, 2012)

Medic33 said:


> use a 12 gauge and not a 45-70 maybe?


Haha doesnt that sort of defeat the purpose of practice with a 45/70 ?

Actually I have:

(Rifles)
45/70
.308
7.62x39
.22

(Hand guns)
9mm
.22
.454

And two 12 guages.

I want to practice with all the above but not so much the shotgun.
One of my SGs is too short to really be safe or useful. Kind of gimmicky imo.
My Rem 870 wing 28" vent rib is crazy accurate with slugs. Full bore 3" slugs always seem to hit within 6-8 inches at 65-75 yards first time, everytime. I was surprised it was like that right out of the box.

I will probably sell the 9mm and the short shotgun as a down payment on a .45 acp.
The 28" remington is a great all around gun but its what I consider a home gun. It huge, its heavy, its long, its a tank.
The .308 is a safe queen (afraid to get a scratch on it) its only half built too. Its almost strictly my target rifle.
The 45/70, 7.62x39, .454 and eventually .45acp sig p227 tacops will be my "go too" guns.

Eventual plan is to get a few more sks rifles, I love my current one. The plan is to buy a 50 dollar 1" x20" raw barrel blank to really tighten it up.


----------

