Welcome Aboard !Stephen -
What you've been given above is true... but realities may vary in your local area. Here's what I'd tell you...
1. First of all, in a perfect world, 'Yes' you'd be swapping your
time for your
money. Normally, you'd be saving about 50% on the cost of your ammo. These saving go back into paying for the equipment. With normal shooting rates all the equipment is paid off in
under 1 year, and since most of the equipment lasts 20+ years you can see it's a worthwhile investment. So it's strange, but the hobby of reloading actually pays for itself. The place to start is
HERE.
2. You're in luck, the 45ACP is one of the few guns that excels with lead bullets. This is due to the very low bullet speed. Lead bullets can be much easier to find right now than the plated and jacketed bullets needed by other handguns. And, being a novice, you don't need 2 or 3,000, you're simply looking for 200 or so to get started. That's much easier to do. (The best for you may be coated 200gr SWC.)
3. Since you got to have brass to "reload" in order to start
reloading, I hope you've been picking up your empty brass. Brass is actually the starting point. You're going to want a coffee can full, or as much as you can gather.
4. Powder is out there. Most of it is $10 higher than it was this time last year. Now the good news... 45ACP can shoot a VERY wide variety of powder, so it's not as picky. And some of the powders (like Ramshot
Competition) really can't be used in anything else. So scarcity is
nothing like the extremely popular 9mm powders.
And too, a small 1 lb can will be able to load about 1500 cartridges. So if you find even a single canister, you're set !
5. As was mentioned, primers are the hardest component to find. There again you may be in luck. Most 45ACP brass uses
Large Pistol Primers, which is again an uncommon size for handguns. So again, in your search you're competing against maybe 50 reloaders instead of 10,000.
[Be careful here. In the last 10 years, some ammo makers have been using 45ACP brass with
Small Pistol Primers. So you'll want to pre-sort your brass accordingly.]
6. Reloading will take over space inside your home. Not as much as classic cars, but at least 6x4ft (the size of the closet in the guest bedroom). And you want the space heated so the equipment won't rust, and the weather won't shut you out. In Wisconsin, winter static may be your largest hurdle. Access by children is an important consideration.
7. If this all sounds feasible, ask your family for a hardback copy of the
Lyman #50 Reloading Manual for Christmas. Start reading that, then you can ask more questions here. No question is too silly, we all asked the same questions when we started.
8. Ask for help from local mentors at your range, gun club, workplace or even here. Reloaders are generous, low-profile people. Finding a mentor at your Club or in your neighborhood might get you a great deal of the components you need to get started.
Hope this helps.
