|
|
|
10-20-2018, 11:50 AM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Virginia
Posts: 8,771
Likes: 19,529
Liked 11,871 Times in 5,391 Posts
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by BE Mike
The commercial ranges that I have shot at in my area, allow shooters to pick up their own brass. They get plenty of brass left behind by non-reloaders. They don't allow steel cased ammo, but they say that it is because the coating on the steel cases clog up the air filters. They allow aluminum cased ammo, so I suspect their reasons are valid.
|
I'll buy that for indoor ranges, but I shot at one outdoor range, where you were not allowed to police your brass, that had big signs up forbidding the use of steel cased ammo. I seriously doubt that it was an air pollution problem, but more an issue with having to cull out steel cases from all of the brass they collected.
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
10-20-2018, 04:07 PM
|
Banned
|
|
|
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 3,121
Likes: 2,661
Liked 4,324 Times in 1,793 Posts
|
|
Steel is easy to cull from brass. Aluminum is not.
|
10-31-2018, 01:07 AM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: North Texas
Posts: 804
Likes: 86
Liked 482 Times in 300 Posts
|
|
Quote:
...how much on average is it costing you per round ?
|
It varies.
My self-defense rounds use Hornday XTP bullets and nickel plated cases. They probably cost as much as commercial ammunition, but I'm betting my life on them, so they are loaded slowly and with a great deal of care.
My training rounds use factory lead bullets and brass cases. There is a cost savings from loading my own, but it is not much compared to factory blulk purchases. The reason I load my own is not so much cost as the fact that I have a practice load and a self-defense load that both reliably impact the target at the same place. I can't count on that from commercial ammunition with different bullet configurations.
|
11-01-2018, 12:14 PM
|
US Veteran Absent Comrade
|
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: San Diego, PRK
Posts: 9,237
Likes: 11,531
Liked 11,249 Times in 3,916 Posts
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by robertrwalsh
If you count your brass cost as zero I find you can reload for roughly 50% of the cost of purchasing new.
|
That's about where I'm at. Exact figure would depend on what bullet I'm using.
Since my buddy & I have started casting our own I'm sure the average has decreased quite a bit.
|
11-01-2018, 06:03 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: May 2005
Location: The Show-Me State
Posts: 333
Likes: 45
Liked 95 Times in 57 Posts
|
|
My indoor shooting range allows only brass (and nickel) ammunition, no problem with reloads. No steel or aluminum cases. The brass is swept regularly by the RO unless you specify you are a reloader and need your brass. Since I shoot revolvers about half the time, the empties go right in the bag.
But getting back to reloading 45acp, shooting lead is the way to save money imho.
|
11-01-2018, 10:45 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: May 2016
Location: 30min SE Montreal
Posts: 2,026
Likes: 150
Liked 1,540 Times in 841 Posts
|
|
I've been reloading since the mid '70s.Some of my nickel .38 brass don't have nickel anymore and some of my .45 acp brass have barely readable headstamps from hitting the bolt face.
These 2 low pressure calibers can be reloaded 30 or more times before brass lets go.So if you have 10Ks of each,you can shoot quite a long while before you have to replenish your inventory!
|
11-02-2018, 12:12 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,551
Likes: 3,095
Liked 2,947 Times in 1,074 Posts
|
|
My cost to reload .45acp is about $5 for a box of 50. This is with zero cost for brass, and using powder coated 200gr SWC bullets.
If you’re new at this, I think it pays to stock up/invest in reloading components as they seem to go up in price pretty fast. I’m working off powder that cost $17 per pound and primers that were purchased at $20/$25 per thousand. Same with bullets, lead has increased in cost a bunch over the past 10 years. I used to buy a bag of lead shot for around $25. I checked yesterday and they are at $45 per bag...! It’s nice to be working off old stock/prices!
You can definitely save a lot of money reloading. Especially when doing the larger and/or more exotic calibers.
__________________
NRA Life Member
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
11-02-2018, 10:01 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 258
Likes: 34
Liked 152 Times in 85 Posts
|
|
So if I do my "handloading saves money" math for loading 16 different calibers :
equipment investment : About $2445
powder : about 322 lbs of powder = $8300
primers : about 66K = $2376
brass : thousands of pieces and absolutely NO idea $$
bullets: about 85K a wild guess would be an average of .08 ea = $6800
so i'm at a grand total invested of $19,920 not including my purchased brass which again I have no clue as some is purchased new, some is purchased once fired, and a lot is "free" gun club range pickups. So by my estimation I will start saving money after I load about 35,000 rounds. I shoot about 50 rounds a week, so in about 14 years I "might" start saving money. I'm investing now for a fun retirement hobby (got about 15 years till retirement) I could care less about the nickle/ dime cost arguments, as I've said many times I handload for the passion, the precision, the relaxing therapy, and the independence.
|
11-02-2018, 10:35 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,551
Likes: 3,095
Liked 2,947 Times in 1,074 Posts
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Road_Clam
So if I do my "handloading saves money" math for loading 16 different calibers :
equipment investment : About $2445
powder : about 322 lbs of powder = $8300
primers : about 66K = $2376
brass : thousands of pieces and absolutely NO idea $$
bullets: about 85K a wild guess would be an average of .08 ea = $6800
so i'm at a grand total invested of $19,920 not including my purchased brass which again I have no clue as some is purchased new, some is purchased once fired, and a lot is "free" gun club range pickups. So by my estimation I will start saving money after I load about 35,000 rounds. I shoot about 50 rounds a week, so in about 14 years I "might" start saving money. I'm investing now for a fun retirement hobby (got about 15 years till retirement) I could care less about the nickle/ dime cost arguments, as I've said many times I handload for the passion, the precision, the relaxing therapy, and the independence.
|
Seems to me that you’ve over-bought for your needs... .
__________________
NRA Life Member
Last edited by dmar; 11-02-2018 at 10:48 PM.
|
11-02-2018, 11:30 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Spokane, WA
Posts: 13,524
Likes: 1,184
Liked 18,473 Times in 7,310 Posts
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Road_Clam
So if I do my "handloading saves money" math for loading 16 different calibers :
equipment investment : About $2445
powder : about 322 lbs of powder = $8300
primers : about 66K = $2376
brass : thousands of pieces and absolutely NO idea $$
bullets: about 85K a wild guess would be an average of .08 ea = $6800
so i'm at a grand total invested of $19,920 not including my purchased brass which again I have no clue as some is purchased new, some is purchased once fired, and a lot is "free" gun club range pickups. So by my estimation I will start saving money after I load about 35,000 rounds. I shoot about 50 rounds a week, so in about 14 years I "might" start saving money. I'm investing now for a fun retirement hobby (got about 15 years till retirement) I could care less about the nickle/ dime cost arguments, as I've said many times I handload for the passion, the precision, the relaxing therapy, and the independence.
|
Well, if you basically buy a factory worth of equipment and supplies, then yeah, it will take a while to recoup the investment.
I have more like $500 in equipment,and another couple of thousand worth of supplies. So my payback time is a little more reasonable. FWIW, you don't really count the They are an alternate and significantly reduced cost (compared to buying ammo).
The equipment counts, but the consumables, not so much.
Last edited by BC38; 11-02-2018 at 11:31 PM.
|
|
|
Posting Rules
|
|
|
|
|