How much to cost to reload .45ACP ?

[stilly]

I saw some reload bulk 230 gr. 45.ACP online around 25-27 cent per round. I never reload before so I wonder how much I save for reloading the same ammo ?

Thanks You.

It costs about .07-.13 cents to reload .45 acp...

I can load up .45 ACP for around .07 or maybe even cheaper. And that is with PC pills WHICH ARE TOUGHER THAN PLATED PILLS AND CAN GO FASTER AND STILL HOLD IT TOGETHER... (yes I just yelled that)

Of course, in .45 ACP, the fastest you will typically go is a tad over 1200 FPS with a 155gr pill, and usually around 900 FPS with all else SUB 230gr. Once you get up to about 230gr expect velocities to range from about 600-850 or so depending on your typical powder. And of course there is ALWAYS some guy jumping up bragging about how he loads his to about 390 fps to let his kids shoot the dart board or whatever.

[Trainman]

I cast and powder coat 45ACP for $.08 per round, when I use free lead. If I have to buy the lead, it's $.10

[rm1911]

Depends. On average I'm about $0.15 a round. Brass I have literally thousands of so that's technically free. Using xtreme plated 200gr fp is about $0.11 a piece. Of course I try to buy them when shipping is free and/or they have discounts. Primers and powder round it out to I guess another $0.04-0.06 per.

It's hard to really know for sure exactly a price per round. Here's why.

I stock deep in powder and primers. I'll buy 5k primers at a time and usually several pounds of powder. So what happens is that I'm loading today and shooting tomorrow with stuff I bought months ago. When I buy more components, it's to replenish stock, not load immediately.

Thing is I don't really recall what I spent on supplies 6 months ago. And any good reloader will have months of supplies on hand. I know I do shoot a lot more. And I know I'm not going to be crushed by any shortages. Fortunately we shouldn't have anything to fear nationally for the next four years. In this fascist hellhole however, the problem will always be present. So reloading is a big FU to the tyrants. And an insurance policy.

As mentioned above, don't reload just to save a few cents per round. Because it'll take a long time to recoup any costs. However, if you're thinking long term investment, for far more than just saving a few cents per, then go for it. But as with the AR thing a couple of years ago, if you haven't already, then you're already too late.

[robert101]

First answer how long you plan on shooting. The cost to purchase the needed equipment is the first governing factor. Then, applying a cost for powder, primers, brass, bullets, etc. is what people are telling you at say 10 to 18 cents per round. If you think you are going to shoot for say 5 years - then forget reloading and buy ammo.

[dk94044]

Who cares about cost per round, how much spare time do you have to devote to the hobby?

[tonyjr]

I estimate at about 15 to 20 cents per round .
It can be done a lot cheaper , but I only use Hodgdon powder , CCI primers and either Jacketed ball or hollow point . [ fmj or fmjhp ]
It is far cheaper to buy if you figure in the cost of press , dies , tumbler , sonic , vibrator , books , scales , ammo boxes .
That is just the bigger stuff . You also need space , time and well lighted- clean area .
In my case I have 8 nephews / nieces that reload here and I [ my wife ] gets to feed them .
Last year during the shortage , THEY started showing up with everything when they saw it .
There is 600 - 308 / 762 in the vibrator right now . In an hour or 2 they will be primed and 2 nephews should be here around 6:30 - they will eat and then reload .
Last night one of my nieces and her brother did about 200 9mm and 380 acp .
[ on trap of each . ]
Reloading is something you have to like and be willing to spend the time to do .
AT 25 cents a round and figuring at least 400 to start for a press and die , you could buy 1600 cartridges .
The big thing about reloading is you know what what you have and if / when a shortage comes again , you can still shoot .
Depending on how much you like shooting - California is and will make it harder to get cartridges .

[DarkKing]

As for reloading at 9mm

I did the math. Every 500 rounds I'm saving 80$ assuming the type. At the 2k mark I saved enough to recoup my main equipment. Not counting scale. Calipers and checks(had these already).


I can certainly do that in a month.

Largest cost is the bullets or cast bullets.

Cast will allow you to recoup faster as they are way cheaper.

For me it's 6$ per 50 rounds of 9mm instead of 15 to 16 per box.

It can also get cheaper if I used cast lead instead.


For you buy in bulk. 100%. In the long run it is cheaper. I.e. 250fmj for me is 30$ but for 500 fmj it's 45$.


Buy 1k or 2k bullets reuse your brass so it's free. But primers in bricks of 1k if possible. And buy powder locally or use a ship to store option to not get charged a hazmat fee for primer and powders.

Bullseye powder tends to need less per round there for you get more rounds per pound of it but it is dirty.

[M1NM]

It's always cheaper to reload in the long run. There is a lot of expense at first that will need to be spread out over years of reloading for true savings. If you shoot a box a month don't waste your time and money. If it's 500+ per month you can start saving money but also need to add in your time. Figure 4-6 hours for 500 of one caliber when you are first starting out. .45 is a good round to start on. Slow enough lead bullets are practical. Big enough case neck to easily check you haven't missed adding powder. Don't go cheap or progressive to learn on. The bottom line LEE will do .45 but buy an RCBS single stage eventualy you will want to do other rounds. I do a lot of belted magnums and those would kill a LEE press in a couple hundred rounds. Figure on spending $400 before you've gotten one round reloaded.

[tonyjr]

M1NM -
I agree 4 to 6 hours for 500 cartridges - if you have that many MT's .
To me 4 to 6 hours for 1st 100 for a beginner .
Little things like up side down primers and cases .
You could spent an hour setting up dies .
Organizing your bench will take time , especially if you have a small space.

[stranded1980]

The bottom line LEE will do .45 but buy an RCBS single stage eventualy you will want to do other rounds. I do a lot of belted magnums and those would kill a LEE press in a couple hundred rounds.

I'm going to disagree with you on that one. I've used the Lee Challenger (inexpensive single stage) for all kinds of resizing of rifle cartridges, including 300 Win Mag. I couldn't put a number on how many, but a lot more than "a couple hundred rounds". So long as it's lubed, the press didn't know any difference. My Lee Challenger is still going strong.

For a beginners kit to a newbie that isn't sure reloading is right to them, I recommend the Lee Challenger kit.

[AandO]

Fathers Day is your friend on GB. I bought out an old guy in Colorado's 45acp Bullet collection. He no longer loads 45 so he made the mistake of having his auction close when most guys do not visit GB and he had no reserve. Think it was either .03 or .04 a round for several large flat rates including shipping.
.
So my cost is somewhere between 7 and 8 cents per round for 230gr fmj (mostly) and 200gr lswc .

Geez, and to think that I thought that was too high and almost started casting.....to lower it even further......

[kmullins]

For me, .45 Auto with a 230 grain FMJ comes out to $.17 a round (not including brass cost).

Reloading with a 200 grain LSWC that I cast myself, I can get that down to around $.07 a round (not including brass cost).

[diveRN]

If I load lead, .10-.11/round. Jacketed is about .15-.16/round, unless I can find pulled jacketed pills then bullet prices are about 1/2 of new.

When I started reloading.45acp after Sandy Hook, I did it as a hedge against increasing prices and demand, not to save some immediate cash. Plus, if I want to go shoot, I first go to my shop and load some up - not to the store to buy rounds.

[9mmrevolver]

6-7 cents per round. I cast my own

[tonyjr]

To me 15-20 a cartridge is you get what you pay for .
I could go to mack-y D's and get a burger and fries for 3 bucks , but instead go to in and out or fudrucker's .
I have had way to many problems with cheaper primers and powders .
I only use CCI primers and Hodgdon ball powders .
If just starting buy better stuff - not the cheapest . After you learn - then switch to the cheaper stuff .
When I bought the load master , it was the only one in stock that would take
5 dies and I got it 50 off because it was an open box return .
Now I want one that will take 6 or 7 dies .
I looked at the Lyman T-Mag - no case feeder