Reloading for savings

[milotrain]

If you want to reload .223/5.56 for an AR in bulk for cheap your best bet is the following: (and I disagree with previous posters, this recipe works for EVERY AR so buy it DEEEP for savings)

Ramshot TAC
TULA KVB556 primers
PRVI .224 55 GR FMJ BT ($105/k) or PRVI .224 69 GR HPBT-MATCH ($140/k)
-alternatively wideners $540/5k 62gr Military ball (free shipping)
-alternatively wideners $540/5k 69gr HPBT MB2269HPB (out of stock)

With shipping and hazmat (assuming you buy the primers and powder from PVI) and you don't buy brass that's .21c a round.

[Jimi Jah]

I save using Tula primers and xtreme .224 bullets at 7.8 cents. It's been a while since I bought any new .223.

[xfer42]

Now is the time to buy powder.
Wideners has lots of powder for .223 (8lbs bottles of benchmark, TAC, BLC and lots of others). Cabelas has a bunch too. With SB53 coming up, there may be a big CA rush to buy up powders and other businesses refusing to ship to CA.

[Eljay]

I save money because I shoot some weird calibers. I wouldn't reload 9mm if I didn't want a specific competition load. I figure I save 10 cents/ round (N320, CCI or Winchester or Federal primers, xtreme plated ammo) versus Freedom Munitions and since I can do about 150 rounds/hour. Actually I could probably do more if I pushed it but these are "match" rounds so there's extra weighing, case gauge every one, etc. Anyway, it means I make $15/hour tax free. This may or may not be exciting to you depending on your situation. With a single stage, well, it's going to take a while.

For .223 I've bought blems but my go to plinking round is the xtreme 55gr FMJs. I think they're down to 8-9 cents a round or something, they're very reasonable. CCI or Winchester primer. I'm using H-335 right now at 25gr which is a standard load and I was really astonished at the accuracy versus surplus. The groups were maybe a third the size in each dimension. And these weren't trickle weighed or tuned or anything, just with the Lee powder dropper. But again the savings aren't THAT big per round and there's a lot of brass prep compared to handgun.

Now, if you shoot old Mausers or 300 BLK or black powder cartridges or something it's just a whole different set of calculations. You can use fancy pants match bullets and full price powder and I don't think there's any way you could not save money on those rounds even if you have to buy brass or buy some factory ammo to get the brass.

You'll probably save good money per round on the revolver calibers and on the .308 although you have to be careful about bullet cost there.

[Capybara]

Xfer42, as far as I can find in SB53, there are no restrictions on Internet ordering powder or primers. Do you know something we all don't?

[xfer42]

AB 962 got me and a bunch of folks in CA reloading. It also caused many retailers to stop shipping ammo and anything related to CA. Fortunately, it was overturned after it passed.

SB53 covers all ammo. So expect to see a surge in new reloaders and hoarders.

[ptroxx]

This is a little old but it came in handy when I started

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=552074

[toby]

Reloading use to be very economical now it only a slightly cheaper after all start up cost's and the high price of components BUT it's it the way to go if you are a serious shooter that want's the best performance you can get while saving a little cash. Besides being very rewarding it's also a great way spend alone time or share with your friends or family. I started reloading in 1979 and have only bought maybe 5-6 boxes of factory ammo since then. I sold that ammo soon after.

[FromTheGrave]

Total: $533.17 for 2600 rounds of 5.56

~$0.205 a round

That's pretty good dude. It's about 50% savings from where i'm sitting. Of course buying bulk is the key here.