Need help .223/.556 .224dia prices

[Prophet]

I have been reloading pistols for about 2 years and I love, I can reload 9mm for almost half the cost of mal-mat fed.

I did the math today for reloading the .223 round. the sum = $6.45 per box of 20 (hand load)

The wall mart I go to has AR223 ammo for $6.79 a box of 20 (wal- mart)
why is so much more to reload the 223. I know they take more powder, but why do the bullets cost so much. I can only find 100pks for around $19.00

I just need some advice or a better place to buy bullets

[melliw]

where to buy

I was just in your shoes. look a little farther down to one of my threads with this same question. Folks were very helpful. cost about 6 to 8 cents each. good luck in your search.
Al

[XDRoX]

I stopped reloading 223 for your exact reasons. Not worth it IMO. At least for plinking ammo which is what I use it for. I was reloading it for like 22cents a round and could bu it for like 25cents a round.

Not to mentio loading rifle is a hassle with all the trimming at what not.
I put my 223 dies an a drawer will they will remain.

[CalTeacher]

Look at Midsouth shooters supply. They have their own brand of bullets called varmint nightmare. For 2000 55gr soft points with cannelure the price is around 157..at least it was last time I ordered. That'll help get your cost down and these bullets have been great in my 1:7 AR.

[Prophet]

Thanks guys

[BrianRodela]

Prophet, if plinking is your pleasure then the above comments definitely apply. However, if your looking to get into high power shooting at ranges up to 600 yards, then it will be hard to beat reloading as off the shelf ammo either will be incapable of being precise or a buck a round. Reloading allows you to match your ammo to your chamber.

[Antihero47]

I'm reloading 62gr FMJBT at $208 per 1k after all shipping and taxes are figured in. That's with Varget. 55gr projectiles I could reload $10 cheaper and even more if I changed to a cheaper powder.

I find it worth it to reload 223.

As NiteQwill wrote, the 208 per k is with buying brass every time. You wind up saving your brass and you cut the brass costs in half or more saving even more money.

[NiteQwill]

I'm with the folks who reload .223. I find it definitely worth it and way cheaper than anything bought online.

Usually 2k bullets are $150-175. Brass is free.

[adrenalinejunkie]

I think with my initial brass cost my rounds are around 27c per round. The way I look at it, that's the same price as the cheapest steel cased bi metal jacket ammo that I can't shoot at most CA ranges. Reloading saves me the hassle of finding a place where I can do that, and lets me have brass for the same price as steel,which is easier on my rifle. Not to mention that price drops as I reuse the brass. I can also change my load as I get more money, but for now i'm just sticking with a 55gn projectile and 24 ish grains of powder for plinking.

[9mmrevolver]

Check out hitech ammo. They have powder and bullets for dirt cheap. Also before u order have a buddy order with u which will bring down the shipping and hazmat costs. If u buy 4 8 pound kegs of powder I think they pay hazmat. Shop at gun shows for primers. Look for the 1000 ct that has old packaging. Buy around 4 and haggle the price down to 21 dollars.

[ExtremeX]

I'm just getting into the whole reloading thing and one of the main reasons was to save a little more per shot on .223 just so I can enjoy shooting more... and this thread isn't helping haha.

I really hope I am able to find some good deals on components because the equipment is starting to get spendy.

[XDRoX]

I buy my primers by the 5k minimum, and my powder by the 8lb keg. My brass was all free. The only thing I was paying more for than I should was bullets. I was using Hornady 55gr BT with cannelure.

It doesn't matter what caliber I reload, I prefer to always use quality bullets.

I use these same principles when loading my other calibers. I load 9mm for under $5 per 50 rounds which is way less than any factory stuff. Same with the other caliber I load.

But when I did the math with my 223 load, I was paying like 22cents a round when I can buy it for 45cents.

I'm not going to argue that for quality rounds reloading isn't worth it. But for plinking, 25cents a round is a bargain IMO, which can be easily found online.

I did have a few reloading parties about a year ago where I had 5 buddies all in my garage reloading 223. Each guy had a different job. We'd get through well over a thousand rounds in a night. Fun times.

[troysland]

Checkout Hi-Tech.
I got 2k 62gr m855 pulldowns for $151 shipped.
My loads are about $0.23 each with H335 & CCI #400. I Prefer my loads to PMC, which are about $350-400/case. I'm looking at $230 for my 1k.

http://iidbs.com/hitech.zkb?root&GENMENU6000&object-menu6

[Dutch Henry]

I stocked up on bulk bullets ($80 per k), primers ($30 per k) and 8# kegs of W748 ($160 per 8#). Since I already paid for the brass once (new ammo) my reloads cost 20 cents each. They shoot more accurately than the original 'store bought' stuff, too.

If you consider reloading part of the shooting hobby, then don't add your time into the equation. If you do, then you should just buy your ammo and forget about it.

[NotEnufGarage]

You can't save much if you buy bullets by the 100. You have to buy them by the 1000, 2000 or 5000 and get powder 48lbs at a time to see the big savings.

I bought 55's for $75/1000, 62's for $80/1000, WC844 powder for $90/8lb and primers for $20/1000. I think my 55 grain loads come out to about 13 cents each and my 62 grain loads are a penny more.