Reload cost

[Which Way Out]

I try to buy from local. So far, 100% of my primer purchase have been local. Powders how-ever.....Locally sold AA#5 for 25.99 when I can get it in another city for 15.99? Too much. Then RL-15 going for 36.99 per pound? ouch.

Other then that, I try helping local before I go internet.

Yea I plan to buy from my local store. Rick has reloading supplies and has been very helpful. I give him as much business as I can.

[Which Way Out]

This can't be repeated enough! Many/most shops do not carry reloading supplies. So, if your local shop does, you need to support them and encourage them to keep their inventory up.



Why do you insist on spreading such truths about reloading?

Thank you,
I will and I do as much as I can. I also shop a local fly fishing shop as well. To lose these guys would hurt the great resource of experience I hope to draw from.

[Which Way Out]

Most people I know save no money reloading . . . they just shoot more. So . . . you might want to set expectations accordingly.

No kidding, if I could make a living doing this I would be a happy camper

[zfields]

Most people I know save no money reloading . . . they just shoot more. So . . . you might want to set expectations accordingly.

So true it hurts.

[MaHoTex]

Yea I plan to buy from my local store. Rick has reloading supplies and has been very helpful. I give him as much business as I can.

If the objective is to save money per round, buying bulk overr the internet is the only way to go.

Powder Valley is A+ in my book. I have spent multiple hundreds of dollars through them in only a few months.

You just have to remember one word: BULK.

[Bigdaa]

My best example is for my S&W 500, it is $2.50 per round in the stores, when you can find it.

Rainier 335grHP: $.16 (bulk and on sale)
Lg Rifle Primer" $.02
16.1gr Titegroup: $.07
Total: $.25 each

Granted I did buy some Starline brass when I started, but now it is on its 2-3 loading so I did not include it.

Edit:
I would agree that reloading does not save any money, it only allows you to shoot more, sometimes way more. My wife and I have shot 100 rounds of my S&W 500 loads during one range session and loved every minute of it.

You really are talking the extreme lower end of cost, and though I don't doubt you shoot at greatly reduced cost.........................................


However, jeese, what can I say?

I've loaded for my 500 since day one. Never bought one single factory round.
You've got to be having sexual favors with a distributor, I swear!!!!
I loaded quite a few Leadhead 440 LGC's so far, to about 95% full listed load. The cost was quite a bit higher than you state. Quite.

I settle on 300 and 350 JHP's and JSP's now. They do not abuse the palm as much, but the cost...........................about $35 or so.


Side Note.........I have read that the 500 does not favor low-volume loads so well, giving inconsistent ignition. I load "fat" loads....ie, they fill the case pretty well leaving less air volume.
While I don't profess to know all and see all, I lay that on the table for edification and use or not at anyone's discretion.

Happy "BIG" Blasting fellow 500er!

[Markus]

Im hopefully going to be loading for half the cost of factory ammo here for my .40 S&W I know I could go cheaper with lead bullets and the like but I wanted to start with plated at least since i heard they were easier to load.

[Bigdaa]

Nobody ever considers their time, which in my book is justified, because I think of this as therapy, a hobby, a labor of love, a wonderful past time. If we did consider the time as the primary detriment, nobody would do it.
The fact that we sit and create ballistic magic is a wonder. There's the study of the art of reloading, the learning history of cartridges the myriad of projectiles, cases, equipment, powders and such.

Sure it can be overwhelming at first. But, the bottom line is that WE ARE IN CONTROL!

I am doing my best to get my boys in on it, but this seems an uphill battle thus far. They've both run the ram up and down on some resizing but these boys haven't felt the "necessity"

Well, don't want to hog any more time on W.W.O's thread.......... outa here!

[haole_50]

It's really not about quantity and cost; it's about the quality of your reloads and how well they hit the target. I just enjoy the process of reloading, while listening to the sounds of the 70's rock. The end result is having fun shooting your work.

[r3dn3ck]

My reloading has cost me quite a bit... easily as much as I used to spend on ammo (and still do spend a good bit). It's really hard to match the economy of scale that ammo companies have with low end .223 and other military standard rounds. Where I really save is the hunting and higher end target loads. I end up with more accurate ammo and I get to use all the super duper neato high end bullets and it doesn't cost me 3 bucks a round (closer to about $1 each for some). I never have to deal with the store being out of my calibre and I get to shoot more.

The real benefit though, my idle hands are busied and it keeps me off the streets at night.

For things like .30carbine and .444marlin and some of the other odd birds the economy is definitely there. A box of 50 110gr softpoints costs 46 bucks (nearly $1 per round eeeek) locally at retail or about 13 cents a round if I roll my own. I also get to use more interesting bullets than just plain ol' softpoints and ball... like 90gr XTP's.

[Waldog]

Go here: http://10xshooters.com/calculators/H...Calculator.htm

Great calculator for handgun ammo costs. They also have calculator for rifle and shotgun. It figures you cost per shell and calculates when you recoup the cost of your loading equipment.

[scarville]

I reload for my guns for the same reason I write code for my computers.

[Cowboy T]

I reload plenty of .38 Special, which has about the same cost as reloading 9mm. A box of 50 rounds, using my 105gr cast "boolits" and some Bullseye powder, costs me $3.25 to make. This includes the lead and all other reloading components. This cost includes buying used brass at $40 per 1,000 and assuming 8 uses (I actually get more than that due to the light pressure of my load).

You should see very similar costs with your 9mm rounds, and if you can get some range sweep-ups for free, that will lower the cost some.

For .45 Colt, which I also shoot, the cost savings are even more dramatic. A 50-round box of factory ammo, using cast bullets, costs at a minimum $35. I can make that same box, better, for $5.10.

[LGB Loader]

How long does it take to reload 100 or 500 rounds of .223 ?

This sounds like the 70's version of "how many joints are in a lid?"

Answer: It depends...

LGB

[bumpo628]

Lids?
My car gets 40 rods to the hogshead and that's the way I likes it.