Cost to reload .45 ACP....

cracker57 said:

OP asks how much it cost and everyone tells him how much it used to cost.
how much is gas where you live?
it used to be about 2.99 a gallon of course its more now.
if you want to know how much it cost, one need to look up how much are the bullets one wants to use TODAY. how much are primers TODAY, which powder do you want to use and how much does it cost TODAY, brass cost how much TODAY, add shipping,hasmat add them all up and bingo you have your answer.
its just like the old story problems in math class, Jack wants to reload if primers cost x amount and powder is x amount and brass cost x amount with primers costing x amout how much will it cost jack to reload a round.

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Nope. My post is WHAT IT COST FOR ME TODAY!...........This ain't my first rodeo.

cracker57 said:

so what will it cost when those old supplies are all gone, or if you were starting from scratch.
my cost for a gun years ago was cheaper than today, so if someone asked you what does a M&P 40 compact cost would you tell them a price from 10 yrs ago or what they cost TODAY?
went to a car show yesterday, it was interesting to see 1966 GTOs cost 3,000 bucks new for a rag top in 1966, today a 66 would cost over 10x that.
Maybe the OP should have asked what does it cost to reload a 45 today if I need to buy everything TODAY?
How about I buy your rounds for what it cost at your yesterday prices, what would it cost you to replace them?

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If you plan to keep shooting for years to come. Then buy components as you go. Over time you can cost-average it out and be ahead of the cost curve. Prices go up and then down, everything runs in cycles. Just like gold and silver.

kamloops67 said:

Everyone that is boasting of their stash and saying it cost you a couple Pennies a shot , good for you but you aren’t really answering OP’s question
I’m sure he’d rather know what it costs for someone to load at todays prices

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Realistically the only 2 variables that matter are the price of the bullets being used and the primer. The cost of 4 to 6 grains of powder is about irrelevant - 2 pennies vs 3 pennies... For primers you should be able to find them for around $.10. The big variable is bullets - are you shooting $.10 lead bullets or $.50 premium bullets or casting your own for $.03.

Since the OP did ask "how much per round does it cost you?" For me I'm using home cast bullets, $.025 primers and probably under $.02 for powder. So about $.07 per round. Primers and powder purchased in 2017 to 2019 timeframe.

If you have been reloading for 40+ years, center-fire ammo cost for reloads is less than 22 LR for 50 rounds. If you cast and reload, but use current powder and primer costs, 50 rounds of 45 ACP with cast bullets is between $4.50 to $5.75 per 50 rounds.

If you start reloading today, that first reloaded bullet is $400 to $600 depending on what press you buy. To get to your first cast bullet, the price is $150 to $700 depending on bullet mold and melting pot.

Just to be fair, us old guys are not saving a dime in ammo costs. We shoot 400 rounds in 3 calibers and don't bat an eye. We'll even pick up other shooter's brass if they don't want it. Most of us have a sufficient current stash of supplies that we can shoot ten more years and not buy anything new.

I'm sitting here with 4 presses (from junk to progressive), 4 powder measures, 3 scales, ~25 bullet molds, and at least two 5 gallon buckets of "vital" accessories. My wife's daughter will probably be ultimately responsible for disposing of this stuff because I won't sell all of it, my wife won't make the "SELL" decision, and it ends up in the daughter's lap -- a pile of stuff that cost $150,000 that she will keep 20% and sell the rest for $1,000 to have it gone.

Another shooter / reloader's estate giveaway! Come on down!

Empe said:

For those of you who reload this cartridge approximately how much per round does it cost you ? ....assuming you are using your own brass.

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Sorry but OP did not post a date, just ask what it cost. Everybody different in how long they have been reloading and how much equipment and components they have.

AJ said:

If you plan to keep shooting for years to come. Then buy components as you go. Over time you can cost-average it out and be ahead of the cost curve. Prices go up and then down, everything runs in cycles. Just like gold and silver.

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That's me!

I was sitting in the yard about two hours ago and an old friend called and said he had a prize for me. He drove up and gave me 2000 once fired and cleaned 45acp cases with large primers. He said they were $10 at a garage sale this past weekend.

Right now I am loading .45 ACP for 5 cents a round. That's with home made lead boolets (lead for free) and primers and powder bought in March 2020.

At today's component prices it would increase to 19 cents, if I bought lead and cast my own. If I used store bought coated lead bullets I would have to pay 25 cents.

That's with equipment amortized over the last 50+ years.

The secret is to watch the economy and political climate and buy the stuff before the ships hit the fan.

Back in 2020 I was watching the news and the guy said "pandemic". The next morning I bought primers for $28 a brick and powder for $22 a pound. Three days later the shelves were empty.

Greyman50 said:

By chance you are much younger than us “ old guys” suggest you start stashing components too, won’t hurt.

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No, it's been a long while that McDonalds started automatically applying the senior discount ... But, I'll admit I was caught with my pants down on primers this time around, a situation I've rectified at no small expense.

Today a friend that has a antique/ junk/ collectables shop showed me this “ haul” he made on ammo. Several 100 rounds of 357 Mag, 90% were reloads, not for me unless get them for the brass and maybe 100 jacketed bullets. He did make out on the pre 63 22’s in boxes and even the round plastic Federal boxes which I haven't seen in many, many years. Guess I’ll take the good stuff to the next show and put it out on the table.

I'm going to try to answer the OP's question as asked.

Using your own brass.

Powder & Primer prices pulled from Powder Valley
Powder today 1lb W231 $31.50
CCI Small Pistol Primers $85/1,000

Bullets from Missouri Bullets
230gr LRN Cast Bullets, $50/500

Using 5.0gr of W231 your costs will be:
Single round $0.203
50 rounds $10.13
1000/rounds $202.50

The same load but using a Hornady XTP bullet @$30/100 would be:
Single round $0.335
50 rounds $16.75
1000/rounds $334.95

I hope this answered your original question as asked.

Just a side note, I have components from a better time and can load 50 cast bullet rounds for only $5.35, but still, $10.13 for 50 230gr Cast bullet rounds or $16.75 for 50 230 Hornady XTP rounds are still a heck of a lot better than any commercial ammo.

A box of 20 XTP ammo will run you around $27, that's $67.50 for the same 50 rounds you can load for only $16.75 at current component prices.

Good luck finding what you need. I only wish the new reloaders starting today were loading back 10 years ago so they could have components at a fairer price.

Thank you....to the two or three people who actually answered my question . I have a ballpark figure of about .25 cents per round.

ArchAngelCD said:

I'm going to try to answer the OP's question as asked.

Using your own brass.

Powder & Primer prices pulled from Powder Valley
Powder today 1lb W231 $31.50
CCI Small Pistol Primers $85/1,000

Bullets from Missouri Bullets
230gr LRN Cast Bullets, $50/500

Using 5.0gr of W231 your costs will be:
Single round $0.203
50 rounds $10.13
1000/rounds $202.50

The same load but using a Hornady XTP bullet @$30/100 would be:
Single round $0.335
50 rounds $16.75
1000/rounds $334.95

I hope this answered your original question as asked.

Just a side note, I have components from a better time and can load 50 cast bullet rounds for only $5.35, but still, $10.13 for 50 230gr Cast bullet rounds or $16.75 for 50 230 Hornady XTP rounds are still a heck of a lot better than any commercial ammo.

A box of 20 XTP ammo will run you around $27, that's $67.50 for the same 50 rounds you can load for only $16.75 at current component prices.

Good luck finding what you need. I only wish the new reloaders starting today were loading back 10 years ago so they could have components at a fairer price.

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There's something wonky with your math. Using your costs the XTP round should be 0.20 more because of the 0.20 difference in bullet cost. So to load XTP I come up with 0.40/rd. using your costs, or roughly half of commercial ammo.

But we get the picture.

I think you have to figure in your price of reloading equipment also. it takes quite a bit of loading to make the purchase worthwhile. You can get by on a single stage press but it takes a lot more time. I would check into a Dillon Square deal so you can step up production. Of course there is other stuff like scales, tumbler, and other accessories you will find you need or at least want. The good news is reloading equipment basically last forever I have an RCBS Rock Chucker from the late 70's that is still going strong and a Dillon 1050 that has loaded about a jillion rounds that still sees use. 100 rounds in 6 minutes on the 1050 once you get everything loaded and adjusted correctly.

Greyman50 said:

Today a friend that has a antique/ junk/ collectables shop showed me this “ haul” he made on ammo. Several 100 rounds of 357 Mag, 90% were reloads, not for me unless get them for the brass and maybe 100 jacketed bullets. He did make out on the pre 63 22’s in boxes and even the round plastic Federal boxes which I haven't seen in many, many years. Guess I’ll take the good stuff to the next show and put it out on the table.

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I got some of this out of estate sales. Back it up by casting my own also.

lppd4 said:

I think you have to figure in your price of reloading equipment also.

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I don't think a person can really count the cost of tools and equipment. We don't add in the cost of wrenches and screwdrivers when we change the oil in our cars or saws and hammers when we do home repairs.

Especially with the fairly high end Dillon stuff you have. It doesn't require high end hammers to drive a nail.

AlHunt said:

I don't think a person can really count the cost of tools and equipment. We don't add in the cost of wrenches and screwdrivers when we change the oil in our cars or saws and hammers when we do home repairs.

Especially with the fairly high end Dillon stuff you have. It doesn't require high end hammers to drive a nail.

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I think you can add a bit to the mix. Even 10 cents a box would add up over time even for the high end "hammers and saws". I once figured I paid for a 1500 dollar shotshell press in a bit under 1 1/2 years at 25 cents a box...Still have the press and it is now worth 2 grand used..

My actual cost is quite low. Shooting 700x powder that was given to me, primers I bought when dinosaurs roamed the earth, pick up brass, and home cast bullets from scrap lead, most was free or nearly so. Now if I had to buy powder and primers at current market price, whole 'nother story.

Like many others I'm still reloading from stock I bought when prices were a lot different than what they are now, but I keep an eye on current prices because my stock won't last forever.

Using my own brass if I had to buy at today's prices this is what I see:

Powder hasn't gone up much at all so enough for one round of .45 acp shouldn't be more than 3 cents.

I personally like 230 gr FMJ bullets and those are around 17 cents each.

Primers are advertised on some of the online giants at 10 cents or so, but they are never in stock and none of my local stores have any either. The only ones I know I could buy today are 17 cents each after hazmat fees.

So that comes out to 37 cents a round.

I'm sure glad I have a stockpile. If prices stay this high and I run low I'll probably just shoot my black powder guns more.

LostintheOzone said:

There's something wonky with your math. Using your costs the XTP round should be 0.20 more because of the 0.20 difference in bullet cost. So to load XTP I come up with 0.40/rd. using your costs, or roughly half of commercial ammo.

But we get the picture.

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You are correct. I used an online reloading cost calculator and must have did something wrong plus I didn't double check the numbers.

With the XTP
Single round $0.407
50 rounds @ $20.38
1000 rounds @ $407.50

The cast bullet numbers seem to be correct as written lol.