Why is reloading cost-effective?

[semi_problomatic]

ok here's my calcs. not including start up:

1 pound powder - $32.65 (not including shipping and hazardous fees)
hornady a-max bullets - $27.90
CCI large rifle primers - $25.21 (plus $22-32 shipping)

I won't include brass because I saved mine. so here goes:

1lb of powder makes 160ish bullets using 42.2 grains of powder, so you'd need two boxes of bullets which makes it $55 ish for that and well, you got 1000 primers so you're good there.

So to make 100 bullets it'll cost you around $107. (I only charged one hazadous fee even though finding powder and primers from the same source is pretty hard) now a box of 20 of the same bullet is $25.89 so $129.45 for 100. Which means you're saving roughly $22 bucks for every 100 that you make. Eventually this will pay for the cost of the equipment.
And really the cost of the bullets you're buying could be even more, right now there's a shortage where I live so a box of 20 .243's are going for $40+ at your local gun store. And my .45 LC is a pain to find ammo for so its more convienient just to make my own...
On the other hand you can find surplus (midway has some) going at $100 bucks for 200 rounds so there'd you'd be wasting money reloading of you're just going for quantity. It depends on the shooters wants and what he puts into on how much he saves.

 

[Dodge DeBoulet]

ok here's my calcs. not including start up:

1 pound powder - $32.65 (not including shipping and hazardous fees)
hornady a-max bullets - $27.90
CCI large rifle primers - $25.21 (plus $22-32 shipping)

What powder are you using for the basis of your calculations? I don't load for rifle, so I'm unfamiliar with the powders used.

Regardless, you'll find that buying powder in larger quantities (4lb or 8lb containers) will provide dramatic savings, and not just on the hazmat fee.

I pulled a random powder from Powder Valley's Vihta Vuori price list and found that a single pound of N133 sells for $25.40, and 8lbs sells for $168.00; that works out to $21/lb (and a savings of $175 when hazmat is factored in on single pound purchases).

 

[Arquebus]

(I only charged one hazadous fee even though finding powder and primers from the same source is pretty hard)

Even if you did, powder & primers cannot be shipped in the same package so you'd be up for two HazMat fees anyway. Always pays to buy in bulk when buying components that attract the HazMat charges

 

[Mtn Biker]

The main advantage for me in reloading is that I alway have ammo on hand. This summer when my shooting buds didnt have anything to shoot, I had plenty because I had bought some bulk supplies last year.
Also the cost for me is at least 50% less. Even with some of the recent cost increases I am loading quality, full house jacketed .357mag rounds in the neighborhood of $10 per 50 and lead Cowboy .357mag rounds for $6.50. If you can find .357mag on the shelf anywhere you wont come close to that price. (I do not count my labor time and I of course reuse the brass. I have paid for my simple reloading equipment many time over.)
VL

 

[kdog70]

Another advantage that no one really touched on is if you like wildcat calibers. 243 Ackley Improved, 260 AI, 338-300(338 edge). You cant buy ammo at the store for those. Another place where I see savings 50 bmg, 408 cheytac, 375 cheytac, 375 snipe tac or 338 snipe tac. Very expensive guns and ammo by reloading it helps to cut down the cost so you can keep shooting.

 

[semi_problomatic]

(I only charged one hazadous fee even though finding powder and primers from the same source is pretty hard)

Even if you did, powder & primers cannot be shipped in the same package so you'd be up for two HazMat fees anyway. Always pays to buy in bulk when buying components that attract the HazMat charges

well you'd better tell that to the last place I ordered my VIHT N150 from and my 1000 CCI Large Rifle primers. Because they were shipped together and I only paid one hazmat fee.

 

[CrustyFN]

Even if you did, powder & primers cannot be shipped in the same package so you'd be up for two HazMat fees anyway.

Sure they can, I have been buying them that way for a few years. Some places like Midway won't because they don't stock the powder, they have it dropped shipped from Powder Valley. I know Powder Valley and Graf's will mix powder and primers for one hazmat.

 

[xnaerughiazk]

investment in the future

I bought many of my components several years ago, in the early nineties or even before and have slowed purchases with the recent spike. It was money well spent considering the costs per round now.

I mostly reload rifle and don't consume many rounds per year, I also have many different 30, 7mm, 22 rifles etc, list goes on. With various components I can decide which cartridge to reload for and if not they sit on the shelf for another cartridge and time

Many times one size component does fit all, you just need the brass.

 

[Dodge DeBoulet]

Sure they can, I have been buying them that way for a few years. Some places like Midway won't because they don't stock the powder, they have it dropped shipped from Powder Valley. I know Powder Valley and Graf's will mix powder and primers for one hazmat.

Are you sure it's drop shipped from Powder Valley? I ordered 8lbs of Bullseye and 4lbs of WST from Midway because PV didn't have the WST in stock. A few days later I was notified that the order shipped, and PV still didn't show any stock.

 

[CrustyFN]

Are you sure it's drop shipped from Powder Valley? I ordered 8lbs of Bullseye and 4lbs of WST from Midway because PV didn't have the WST in stock. A few days later I was notified that the order shipped, and PV still didn't show any stock.

Could be different now. A couple of years ago a couple people I know ordered powder from Midway and when it showed up the powder had Powder Valley stickers on it. I am sure about powder and primers being shipped together.

 

[okiefarmer]

Scott, DFE, and Disco,

Right on. Those guys claiming to not save much on pistol fodder likely won't as long as they are buying their projos. Casting is way more than half the fun of loading. Remove that 10 to 15 cents a pop and pistol ammo is dirt cheap. I haven't loaded a jacketed pistol round in ages. I have military ammo boxes full of jacketed bullets if'n I ever need them, but it doesn't make economic sense to use up 3 cent bullets, replace with 15 centers, when I can make them for far less than three to start with.

Have had my casting equipment for longer than I can remember. LIke the old country song goes, I was casting/reloading when casting/reloading wasn't cool.

 

[brickeyee]

Those guys claiming to not save much on pistol fodder likely won't as long as they are buying their projos.

You can still save, you just have to buy in bulk.

2000+ bullets per box.

 

[Hammonje]

I'm pretty new to reloading....but I get enormous satisfaction from:

1. The quiet time spent reloading
2. Working with my hands
3. Producing a quality round that meets my requirements
4. The meticulous nature of the work
5. Having ammo available regardless of shortages

And if I save a little money while I do it....great!

Major

Pretty much sums it up. You do save a lot of $$$ since you are reusing the brass case. There is an initial investment (~$400), but it is easily regained if you load for multiple calibers.

For me the biggest reason is accuracy as I shoot competitively. You can tailor loads to specific firearms. It's also a lot of fun and satisfying!!!!! You are getting superior ammunition at an affordable price. You can make sub-MOA .308 Win rounds for 38 cents/round. FGMM is about $35-40/box or $1.75/round. That is a significant savings.

Only bummer is those of us who have been reloading for some time have a stash of components that were much cheaper than prices are today. I have enough .308 Win, .223 Rem, and 30.06 brass to last 10 lifetimes. Only thing I need is primers, powder, and bullets. Been sitting on CCI 41 and 34 (20k each) for a couple of years. I was mad b/c I paid $17/k. Now they are double that much and bullets have really gone sky high.

My advice is stash as many components as you can afford. Metal products are not going to get cheaper as the dollar continues to fall and demand is high. You can always trade for what you need later if your shooting habits change....and they will!!!!!

 

[erikrichard]

I think of reloading exactly as I think of my kegorator. It doesn't save money, but you get to enjoy more of each for about the same money spent.

 

[steelman762]

I was reloading .223 last winter and decided to figure out the component cost. The bullet 55gr fmjbt, WSR primer and powder it came to 18 cents a round. I had the brass from old military stuff my dad used to bring home. His idea at the time was to collect enough brass to cash in at the scrap yard but he never did it. That was 40 years before I started reloading. Well anyway the brass would add another 20 or 30 cents or so. But as you reuse the brass the cost goes down but not lower than 18 cents a round. Wolf steel cased .223 sold for around 27cents/rnd. That was the cheapest factory I knew of. The brass cased factory is all the way up to 85cents/rnd. same with surplus. I am not adding in the tooling part which brings it up much more. I just think its a great addition to the shooting hobby.

 

[Doodlebugger45]

What finally made me take the plunge was a year ago, I couldn't find 45 Colt ammo anywhere for any price, period. The 357 ammo was almost as bad. So I started reloading just so I could have some ammo. It wasn't about saving money. But now that I am reloading for 480 Ruger and 454 Casull, the financial implications are huge. And I also reload for 325 WSM as well as 7 mm mag and 270 WSM. Those WSM cartridges are gawdawful expensive, especially the 325, at over $50/box for the cheap stuff. If not for reloading there's no way that I could shoot any of those particular cartridges.

 

[semi_problomatic]

Amen Doodlebugger AMEN!! I just got a .45 LC and it took me forever to find ammo. Found 1 box of cowboy action at a basspro in Jackson, MS. So now I'm savin' my brass and trying to find the best place to get boolits so I can start working up loads.

 

[GeauxTide]

Savings? You Bet

Ok, I'll bite again. Based on my 260 Remington, which brass costs twice the norm, I spend .83 every time I pull the trigger on a hunting round. Here's the break down: Case: .40, Bullet: .24, Primer: .03, Powder: .16. That's $16.60 per box compared to $30.00 for Remy Green Box Ammo. Oh, and the next 5 boxes cost 8.60 each because I can get at least 5 loads from each case. These numbers are based on 40.00/hundred cases; 24.00/hundred bullets; 29.00/thousand primers; 25.00/pound powder. The load is 46gr. of RL-19 under a 120gr Speer fired by a Rem 9.5 primer.