Hi gents. What would be an accurate estimate in cost per round to reload .44 Special and .44 Mag not counting the cost of the press, dies scale, powder measure, reamer?

Also, would you recomend the RCBS starter kit? If not, what would you recomend?

Hi gents. What would be an accurate estimate in cost per round to reload .44 Special and .44 Mag not counting the cost of the press, dies scale, powder measure, reamer?

Also, would you recomend the RCBS starter kit? If not, what would you recomend?

Time to stop thinking about it and get off of the pot, so to speak.

The RCBS kit will work fine. Make sure you have a scale in it, dies, powder dispensing of some type, and a way to prime.

I can load 38spl for less than $2 per box of 50. That is with my own cast bullets. Here is a link for a cost calculator.

http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp
Simply plug your numbers in and it will spit out the correct value.

Happy loading!

The RCBS starter kit is a great way to get going. My wife bought me one in 1978 and I am still using it. Tried progressive presses but went back to the single stage press.

Cost.
1.5 cent for the primer
2.0 cent for the powder
10 cent for the brass

The cost of bullets varies but lead can run from 5 cent to 7 cent each

Box of 44 mag runs about $8 up per box of 50

Heck of a savings.

__________________
Slim, U.S. Army, Ret.

I can't tell you exact numbers, but for .44 Special and .44 Magnum you will see significant savings. Not that saving money is the only reason to handload, its a great hobby too.

__________________
Hello Cleveland, Rock and Roll

I've reloaded shotgun shells for years and just started reloading for my handguns. I don't think looking at reloading from a cost effective standpoint is wise. Usually any money saved just turns into more shooting. It is rather rewarding to work up your loads and see how they perform though. Reloading just adds a new dimension to the joys of shooting; even if it doesn't save you a dime, it's well worth pursuing.

The local gunstore has Winchester .44 Special cartridges for $40 for a box of 50. That's 80 cents each. I don't know exactly how much it costs me to reload my .44 Special, but I would guess about 15 cents (primer, powder, and bullet). With moderate loads, the brass lasts a long time. I started reloading in the early 1960s when I was a kid. I reload .25-20, .45-70, .44-40, .44 Special, .44 Russian, and .223. Now I have to start reloading 9mm Luger to feed my girlfriend's Beretta 92. So far I have about 500 9mm Luger cartridge cases that were given to me. You can't beat free. I figure my reloading paid for my equipment a long, long time ago.

I have a single and was thinking of going to progressive. What are the specific reasons why you prefer single stage?

With reloading you save money, but you don't save money. In reality, what you do is shoot one heck of a lot more for the amount you spend! If you're good at scrounging scrap lead, or at least buying it cheap, you will save a MASSIVE amount of money reloading bullets that you cast yourself. The downside is that casting bullets is time consuming. When I only worked summers for the Forest Service and I had each winter off, I saved a ton of money by casting my own bullets because I had the time. When I began working full time I saved money by buying cast bullets because my time was more valuable than the savings of casting my own.

Along with commercial cast bullets, also look at Rainier and Berrys plated bullets for loads that don't go over about 1000fps (check with the manufacturer for the exact velocity limits). I find my .45 ACP loads with these plated bullets to give the same or better results than actual jacketed bullets. For all plated bullet loads, use low end jacketed bullet data and NOT cast bullet data (UNLIKE what the factory tells you). Even in revolvers you MUST use a taper crimp when using plated bullets (a roll crimp on a plated bullet without a cannalure will cause the plated jacket to separate), so it will require you to purchase a special die for some calibers. The plated bullets have a higher coefficient of friction than lead bullets. I bulged the barrel on my 627 using cast bullet loading data for .38 Special and a plated bullet. On a cold day one of the bullets didn't make it out the barrel. I was shooting quick double action and I couldn't stop my finger. On that cold day I was able to duplicate the stuck bullet problem AT WILL! It always happened on the draw, so my assumption was that the powder was being tossed to the front of the case and ignited. It sounded like a full load "bang", but it felt different. I pulled the remaining 150 rounds and weighed each powder charge, and there was no recurring low load that would have caused it. I reassembled the loads, and again was able to recreate the problem of stuck bullets using weighed charges. Like I said, it ALWAYS occurred on the draw. This same load has always worked perfectly using cast bullets, but it is lower than the minimum load suggested for the same weight jacketed bullet.

__________________
SWCA 2379

.44 Special and Magnum seem to be two of the pricier calibers sold these days. My buddy recently bought 50 Winchester white box .44 Magnum 240gr JHP rounds for $34.97 at Wal-Mart to try in his new S&W 329 revolver. That's about 70 cents each (ouch!). Additionally, there are very few non-wimpy .44 Special loads out there, and the robust ones are expensive.

If I only reloaded for my .44 Specials and Magnums, it would be worth it. Jacketed bullets are up to about 20 cents apiece, but you can still find lead bullets for around 10 cents each. Throw in a 2 cent primer, 3 cents of powder, and amortize your brass at about a penny a shot, and you're talking 16 cents for a lead bullet round and 26 cents for a jacketed bullet round. That means you save 44 cents every time you pull the trigger on a jacketed .44 Magnum round, and 54 cents for every lead bullet round (POW! "I just saved 50 cents." POW! "I just saved 50 cents", repeat as necessary).

As one example, if you wanted to shoot your .44 Magnum every other week for 2 years, and only shot 50 rounds of WWB each trip to the range, you'd spend over $1800 for the privilege. But instead you pay $800 for a VERY NICE reloading setup, and $1000 for your initial large buy of powder, primers, bullets, and brass. After those first two years, you're paying only for primers, bullets, and powder (and occasionally for brass). The savings add up over time (because you've already paid for the reloading hardware), allowing you to shoot a lot more for the same or less money. Plus I find reloading to be an enjoyable hobby in its own right..