Am I missing something on the cost of reloading?

[RNE228]

I would preface that, with some work, you can make match grade type ammo.

It's not hard to develop accurate ammo, but there is some effort and time involved.

As others have mentioned, I reload partly for cost, but also because I like the load development. I like to cook too; reloading reminds me of that, from the perspective of working up and trying different recipes.

First, the ammo you turn out will rival good medal match ammo in consistency and accuracy. Use that as a price point.

[downdiver2]

Realoading

Ive got kids, a wife, two dogs, house maintenance, and a life - "Aint nobody got time for dat"

I buy other peoples reloads

[tanks]

If you think you will save money then do not reload. You will not save anything. At the end of the year you will have spent just as much as if you bought factory ammo. The thing is you will shoot a whole lot more....

If he is shooting a lot more for the same money by reloading then indeed he has saved money as cost pre round is a lot less.

[RaffiD]

I started reloading .308 just recently. According to my calculations, I should be down to around $.66/round at around the 400 round mark.
Pretty cheap for match grade ammo if you ask me.
IMR 4895 powder, 168gr Sierra Matchking bullets, CCI #200 primers.
Started with new unfired brass so I should be able to use them a few times over.

[wilderness medic]

For plinking-grade .308, it's possible to get it much lower than 58c. Get once-fired brass from the reloading marketplace here, the projectiles from Everglades or Rocky Mountain Reloading (or Hornady 150fmjbt if you can find it on sale), and the primers & powder is the same. Cost should be around 42-ish cents, which is comparable to the steel-cased Tula you used to shoot, but it won't damage your gun. While not truly match grade it will still be quite precise.

[smoothy8500]

Nosler Custom Competition 168 grain "blemished" sell for $22 per 100 and will go on sale a couple of times a year for $19.

http://www.shootersproshop.com/nosler-products/nosler-blemished-2nds/nosler-blemished-bullets/shopby/f/isAjax/1/type_bullet/Custom%20Competition.html

[edgerly779]

I buy from nosler a lot.

[NiMiK]

In order to save $, you can buy in bulk, wait for sales or buy in bulk when components are on sale.
I got into reloading with the same thought of saving money. I was wrong since I just ended up shooting more. In a way, reloading=trigger time. You'll also develop OCD along the way too.

[Metal God]

If you think you will save money then do not reload. You will not save anything. At the end of the year you will have spent just as much as if you bought factory ammo. The thing is you will shoot a whole lot more.

If he is shooting a lot more for the same money by reloading then indeed he has saved money as cost pre round is a lot less.

No No didn't you hear , If you get 2 gallons of milk for the price of 1 . You don't save money , you just drink more . err wait , what

[smoothy8500]

Yesterday my wife told me she saved me $100 because the purse she really wanted was on sale for $395 at Nordstrom's....

[superdave50]

I save enough on my condor friendly hunting rounds to more than justify reloading

[anonymouscuban]

I reload all my guns sometimes cheaper than Wolf steel cased ammo, and it usually shoots comparable to match grade factory ammo.
For example:
-
45 ACP ($0.20/rd)(Wolf ~ $0.28/rd)(1.25" Group at 10 yards)
9mm ($0.16/rd)(Wolf ~ $0.18/rd)(1.5" Group at 10 yards)
30-06Sprg ($0.55/rd)(Wolf ~ $0.60/rd)(Haven't tested my new Lapua brass yet but 0.87" groups at 100 yards with an old M1903 and Winchester brass)
.50DTC or BMG ($1.50/rd)(Basically half the price of anything else I know of.) And my good ammo, @$2.00/rd shoots 0.85"@100yds
-
*All prices calculated with HazMat, and shipping. *

I buy primers and bullets in increments of 1,000 due to how primers are boxed. Then I get just enough powder to accompany the order. Brass is free for me unless I decide to buy Lapua brass.

For me, I like to reload to save money, and to avoid FFLs. With reloading, everything gets shipped to my door unlike buying loaded ammo in CA. The biggest reason I reload though: it's a lot of fun.

If you want to know what I load I'd be happy to share what components I use. I buy from many different online stores such as Grafs, Natchezss, and especially Brownells. Wait for those weekly discounts. Also, install the Honey browser extension if you want to shop on Natchezss. You'll save a lot of $$$. Hope this helps

I started reloading about 2 months ago. I was told I wouldn't save money because I am only loading 9mm. I went into because of the upcoming changes in ammo laws and the fact that I am now competing and burning through more ammo than ever.

To my surprise I am saving money and the ammo I'm producing is more reliable and accurate than the "cheap" ammo I was buying. I was averaging about 18 cents per round buying cases online before the FFL requirement. I stocked up but my supply is almost gone. I am now reloading at 11 cents per round and it's a better round than what I was buying before. Its tailored to my competition gun. Shoots softer and is more accurate at 25 yards which is all I need for IPSC.

I don't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Seems more of a task to me but one well worth it. I spend a couple of hours a week to churn out all the ammo I need for practice and matches. And if i want to shoot more, i just make more. That's priceless.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[the86d]

Buying 5k primers on sale, and 4-8lb jugs of powder at a time saves bit more money too, along with picking up once-fired range brass, and buying projectiles on sale/clearance.

The lowest I reloaded 90fr frangable in 9mm was .0952/rd.

With a 2016 Black Friday deal on plated 124gr, I am still reloading those at about $0.104/rd.

It looks like Walmart Federal 100pack of Federal 9mm is currently about $0.25/rd, but I can's seem to find their current price (via internet search) on the 250pk of the same, and the only retail 9mm I have purchased in recent years was SD/HD JHPs. I haven't purchased primers in a few years, but I haven't been going to the range as much the last few years as I initially did. We'll try to rectify that this year.

One benefit, aside from pinking plated ammo at almost 1/2 retail FMJ fodder prices (1/3 the price during hikes/shortages), is not ever running out, especially during droughts, if one buys in bulk...
Hell I had my pick of lanes at my member-only range during the last 9mm and .223/5.56 drought, and I wasn't spending $1/rd for green-tips (yes it was going for about $1/rd in 2015, I was reloading them instead), as I thought ahead and bought before I needed it...

EDIT: the lowest I reloaded 5.56/.223 was $0.157/rd with pulled 40gr V-MAX I got via a hell of a sale... and Walmart Federal .223 in 100pks, of which my last retail purchase was ~$0.42/rd, probably 4-5 years ago.

FYI the price right now is probably never going down much further, but if you buy in bulk, buy on sale/clearance components, you will stay one step ahead of those who say you don't save anything reloading...
You won't really save money, but you WILL have (untragic) boatloads MORE ammo than others who don't reload.

I don't reload .308 yet, but .308 match seconds ~$0.2099/projectile, not including shipping, buy more to offset shipping:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/610978/factory-second-match-bullets-30-caliber-308-diameter-168-grain-hollow-point-boat-tail-box-of-100-bulk-packaged

Seconds: https://www.google.com/search?source...+second+bullet

[RestrictedColt]

It's extremely rare to find free or really cheap ammo, but I've found several private party deals on components. I've made a few thousand .223 and .308 for about $.03/round, and still going. And components are still legal for private party trade in Ca.

On the commercial side: I don't see surplus, over-run, or blem sales on ammo like there are on components. Match grade ammo is spendy, and custom tailored ammo is ridiculous $. Ca. legal hunting ammo is also big $. Making any of those is much less $.

On the flip side, reloading can become an expensive hobby. Fortunately everything can be sold later with little or no loss, sometimes a gain. I have a few presses I bought for $350 that I could sell for around $800 and I've also flipped components.

[edgerly779]

If you shop wisely you can reload very cheap. I buy pull down powder and pulled bullets. I picked up15 k of different primers for 10 bucks a thousand
SPP,SRP.LRP, LPP. Sometimes on here there are good deals on components.