Question

[divemedic]

I keep hearing about people that claim they can load for half of what factory costs are. I have done the math, and I don't see it. Am I missing something?

Prices for 1000 rounds:

Bullets $74.99

Brass $149.99

Primers $21.99

Powder $14.99

That comes to $261.96 for 1000 rounds, and that doesn't include miscellaneous supplies, the reloading equipment, or your time. That is equal to 20 fifty round boxes, or about $13 a box.

I can BUY 45ACP FMJ for $12.24 a box. What am I missing?

 

[thepreacher]

http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp

 

[remshooter]

Considering that you will not be buying that $150 worth of brass each time you load the price drops a bunch each time you load.

 

[k8do]

I am loading for 45ACP...
I am using moly coated lead 200gr RNSP from Master Blaster... Lead is 6.7 cents a pop, call it 7 cents...
The powder is AA#2, 5 grains which is ~$14 a pound (I buy in gallon jugs and it costs less)... So 1000 rounds used 5000 grains, or 71% of a pound : 0.71 X $14 = $10.00, or 1 penny a round......
Primer is 2 cents a pop...
Which totals 10 cents a round...
My brass will go at least 20 loadings before is gets too battered to be used... Figure another couple of cents...

So 12 cents a round... I shoot 100 rounds a week on average... Less than going to the bar on Saturday... (I don't go, but if I did

denny

 

[Unclenick]

Divemedic,

As the others have said, your brass price is the main thing you miscalculated. It's the "re" in "reloading" that you missed. Figure at least 5 loadings of each piece of brass at +P+ or magnum load levels, and as much as 50 reloads for light target wad loads (assuming you don't lose them at the range, first). 10 to 20 reloadings for standard load pressures is common. Depending on your intended load level, just divide this number into your brass price.

If your shooting a common police caliber, find a range used by law enforcement and you will recover a lot of once-fired brass free. That really improves on your costs.

 

[nate45]

I get .45 acp brass from the range for free.

I use wheel weights(alot of tire places give them away or sell them cheap) to mold 200 gr swc.

Red Dot 4lb about 50.00

Primers about .02 each.

5.6 grains red dot thats 5000 rounds in 4lbs so .01 for powder .02 for primers total .03 a round.

Even if you count the bullet lube and my time and effort it's still gotta be less than .05.

 

[Mal H]

That pretty much covers the discrepancy.

But, just for arguments sake let's say you could only use the brass one time. In that case you should compare prices on like-for-like ammo. You listed the price per box of CCI Blazer, aluminum cased ammo. My practice reloads are more like that offered by American Eagle (Federal), and at CTD that costs $15.43/box or $309 per case.

Also, you might look into Starline brass. 1000 cases of .45 ACP from them costs $130. I think that is post paid, but not positive. In general, I haven't found any retailer that sells it cheaper than direct from Starline.

 

[divemedic]

I got it. Wouldn't the problem be in collecting brass? The club where I shoot has piles of mixed brass everywhere. Is that a plus or a minus? Is it better to have my "uncontaminated" brass, or just take what I can get and clean it?

ETA: doing the math, it looks like each time you use the brass the price lowers, like so:

1 time $13.09 per box
2 times $9.34 per box
3 times $8.10 per box
4 times $7.47 per box
5 times $7.09 per box
10 times $6.34 per box

I don't know if I am ready to use lead. The other question I had, was how does that change higher pressure loads, like 357Sig, or rifle loads? 223 and 308?

 

[CrustyFN]

I buy everything in bulk. The hazmat fee is nothing when you look at how much you are saving. This is what it cost me to reload.
Primers = $16 per 1,000
Powder = $12 per pound
Bullets = $50 per 1,000 for 9mm
Bullets = $40 per 1,000 for 223
Brass = free, I pick it up at the range and have never bought any yet. I will have to buy some brass for 38 spcl and 357 mag. I load 9mm for $70 per 1,000 and 223 for $100 per 1,000. You should be able to load 45 for somewhere around there.
Rusty

 

[Trapper L]

If you go by Pats Reloading, they have 45 ACP military match brass for $55.00 per thousand and it will go thru a gun many more times than regular commercial brass. I think the point of reloading is being able to custom tailor the ammo to the gun. Try finding reduced loads for a 45 using a regular HP jacketed bullet. Try finding ammo that you can get to run exactly at 850'ps out of your gun. So many variables and the mix of powders and bullets are almost endless. If you're just blowing away ammo- buy it. There are folks that would love to have the brass. If you want the absolute best accuracy and bullet performance- you need to reload. I like being able to get the very best from my shooters, that's why I reload. But the initial investment doesn't make the math work. I've been at it since a box of bullets for a 243 was just over $2.00. My press only cost me $69.00 new and its an RCBS Rockchucker. Once you have all of the equipment, the cost to reload is basically the bullets, primers, and powder. Pistol reloading is cheap and well worth the investment if you shoot a lot and it's something that you will be doing for most of your life. If shooting is just a passing fad, it's not worth the money to reload.

 

[Trapp]

Range brass

Wouldn't the problem be in collecting brass? The club where I shoot has piles of mixed brass everywhere. Is that a plus or a minus?

Definite plus. It may take time to separate and inspect, but whatever you don't use can be sold. I used to collect range brass and it would pay for the powder.

Free brass and free powder. Can't be beat.

I have to admit though, I pay for my hunting and precision brass. Not necessary, but I like to know its "pedigree"

 

[joneb]

The percentage you save varies with the cartridge you're loading, factory ammo for .44spl is $17-23 per 50rnds I can reload it for $7.25 using 200gr Nosler JHP factory seconds, the bullet is my greatest cost and variable, I didn't factor in the brass since I had from fired factory ammo and with this low pressure round the brass lasts a lonnng time. I wouldn't waste my time reloading 9x19, but I do reload for .38spl and for a few pennies more worth of powder .357 mag.

 

[ob_1jr]

Well, in the end you don't save any, just shoot more. Pistol bullets you don't save as much as say my 300 RUM rifle. A box of shells cost about $50-60 for 20. Just for powder ($20), premium bullets ($30 for 50) and primers (about $3 for 100) I can save quite a bit over factory loads. I already had a bunch of once fired brass from buying factory loads.

 

[Scorch]

By reusing the brass, you eliminate a major cost component from the formula. This does not include the cost of your time, because to you, your time is free. You cannot buy loaded ammo without the case, so it's hardly a fair comparison, but the companies who make ammo do it as a business, and want to make a profit at it so they will charge markup on everything. If you include the cost of time, your savings still come out to 10-15%, depending on how fast you reload and how much you value your time. I always include something for time in my calculations when figuring cost savings.

 

[Rimrod]

Did anybody read the customers ratings of the Blazer ammo divemedic linked to?

 

[Jart]

Where I shoot I lose title to the brass when it hits the floor.

Didn't start reloading metallics until a revolver or two followed me home.

Rework the numbers in .41 magnum and you'll find plenty of savings even before the (easily retained) brass makes its way through the press more than once.

 

[shepherddogs]

I was getting lead 200 grn swc from Magnus 500 delivered for $20.00. That was about a year ago. You can pour your own from wheel weights for almost nothing. I was getting a flat tire plugged last week and asked the guy what he did with his old wws. He gave me about 200 lbs and helped me load them. Brass is mostly free picked up at range plus what little factory ammo I shoot. A tumbler doesn't cost much if you want them to look pretty. Figure about .02 per primer. A pound of Unique is 7000 grains and will do about 1100 rds. Cost around here is about $20.00. If you make your own bullets $3.00 per box is realistic. Add $2.50 for store bought lead bullets. Walmart WWB was 28.00 per 100 last time I looked. If you shoot a lot the savings add up quick. Plus its fun and you get exactly the load you want. Or that shoots best in your gun. Some people think lead bullets=cheap or substandard. They make the most accurate rounds you can get. Thats my opinion.

 

[T. O'Heir]

"...What am I missing?..." Reloading isn't about saving money. It's about using the best possible ammo in your firearms. No factory ammo will shoot as well as ammo that is tailored for your firearm.
"...and clean it..." That's part of the reloading process.

 

[44 AMP]

Doing the math

ETA: doing the math, it looks like each time you use the brass the price lowers, like so:

1 time $13.09 per box
2 times $9.34 per box
3 times $8.10 per box
4 times $7.47 per box
5 times $7.09 per box
10 times $6.34 per box

I'm not sure just where you come up with those figures. I buy brass once, and therefore each time I use it (after the first time) it is FREE! I have already paid for it.

So while the cost of the first box (with new brass) is $13, the cost of reloading that brass is only about $5, and that cost stays the same for each subsequent reload, until the brass wears out/fails/gets lost, etc., or the price of the bullet. powder, and primer change. While the actual cost differs between different rounds, this formula remains the same.

What sort of idea are you basing your costs on? I really am interested in how you came up with those figures.

 

[divemedic]

I got the figures like so:

using the 500 pieces of brass once, you pay the full price of the brass in every box, because you got 500 rounds for 500 pieces of brass.

using it twice, you spread the cost of the brass across two batches (the brass costs you half as much per round) because you got 1000 rounds by buying 500 pieces of brass

using it three times, you get 1500 rounds per 500 brass pieces, etc.