Shooting .357 mag or .38 special ammo. Trying to calculate at what point would it pay to start saving brass and invest in reloading gear. Price of factory ammo varies widely -- from roughly 30 cents to a dollar per bullet depending on volume, etc.

I average 100-200 rounds a week.

Somebody help me do the math to justify a look at reloads.
Thanks

Check the reloading board. Plenty of discussion & math on this & most other gun forum reloading boards.

As for saving brass, just do it. As somebody else said... "It doesn't eat anything, it doesn't go bad & it ain't getting cheaper."

At 200 rounds a week you're already there. You can get set up for $300-ish.

FWIW .357 brass is always gold whether you reload or not. During The Great Ammo Drought of '09 it was the one caliber that got snapped up immediately on the WTS boards. Even Starline was backordered.

Sorry, didn't notice the Reloading board. Perhaps someone could move this thread if appropriate. Thanks much.

Joe,

I don't have the time right now to do the math for you, but I don't believe it's really necessary. It will pay you greatly to begin loading your own right away. I often don't shoot two hundred rounds in a month's time, due to time and other constraints. I've saved 70-75% per round by reloading.

Best wishes,
Andy

Thanks, Andy, but I believe patience is required for handloading. I'm 70 and darn near out.

Not so much patience as attention to detail. Once you get set up pistol ammo is a snap and it's almost zen like when you get a rhythm going, concentrate on what's happening in the press and the little tub starts to fill up with finished rounds.

I load on a Lee Turret press and it's pretty near fool proof once it's set up. 100 rounds/hour is a very liesurely pace. Plus my ammo is better quality than commercial.

"Attention to detail" is not one of my strong suits except when it comes to Italian cooking.

I got started loading for about 120$ I purchased a lee classic loader for .38 cal 25$, which came with all the data needed for loads which can be found on the net also easily. A scale 15$, a micrometer 15$, primers 15$ and powder 25$. You will need to find a good source of bullets. I am using cast RNFP 30$ per 500.Of course i had been collecting brass for a long time. Yes you do it all by hand the deprime, prime, size, powder charge and crimp. Dont get me wrong it is a hobby,time consuming but it is great fun, and relieved me so much stress. You also will learn so much about technical data and tolerances. You can adjust your bullet weight and powder charge for the different shooting situations and distances. What im getting at is by all means do it. You dont have to go all out at first. You can start cheap and learn the basics before you buy and expensive press. If you have tons of money you probably woudnt be interested in reloading anyway because some people consider their time more valuable. So yeah go for it. Dont shoot up all your kids inheritance. Like i said. For 120$ i was loading away and the basic kit you start with is easily portable. You can take it to work, hunt camp, of friends or whatever and it is always a great back up if parts on your press break and you are waiting for replacement. As said above, it saves about 75% of ammo cost. I shoot about 100 rounds per week and it adds up.
GL and have fun
Dave

Great price on cast bullets. i am looking for a good source, would you mind letting me know where you get your's?
Thanks,
Frank

I'm also 70 and reload everything I shoot. In .38 and .357 it gives me the opportunity to develop the most accurate round, at the power level I want, which is really nice at our age. You don't have to shoot full power loads all the time. Nice and gentle on these olde experienced hands. Especially my .44 Mag and .44 Special loads. Elmer Keith I ain't.
Stu

I would recommend reloading, there is a great saving to be had. If nothing else you will be able to shoot a lot more for the same cost, that's the way I look at it!

It also gives you the ability to tailor your loads for each gun. Or develope lighter loads if the full blown .357 is more than you like.

By all means save your brass it's the basic start to reloading.

when to start saving brass ... after you fire it even if you never intend to reload.
when to start reloading ... when YOU feel like it ... math be damned.
what to reload with ... this depends on your volume. You at 100 - 200 a week might think about a progressive press.

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it just needs more voltage

It's not about saving the money.

It's about making better ammo than the factory, ammo you can't buy, ammo custom tailored to your own gun, ammo you made that just knocked the red out of the center of the target or just made that deer fall to the ground, and ammo that you can't find on the emptying shelves.

If you only focus on the money then you will miss what makes reloading so great.

Next ask me about bullet casting.

OK, I'm askin

+1. Loading your own is a great hobby

When, at the LGS where you buy your ammo, the dealer buys a new truck and thanks you for making the monthly payments.

Maximumbob, I havent taken on bullet casting yet. 30$ per 500 is just to cheap to take on the time consuming and potentially dangerous task. I need to get some instruction and proper equipment and i was concerned about consistency. I do have about 2.5 gallons of wheel and scuba weights saved up so yeah im working toward it just as a hobby.
Gl and have fun

Hey Bob,
How much can I save casting bullets?
How many do I need to make to pay for the pot heater, molds, sizing dies, etc.?

As far as reloading goes, the bigger the bang, the more you will save. I even reload 9mm plated at about $.14 per round when you can buy factory loads for about $.21. I listen to the radio in the basement and just relax. It's part of the hobby.

Reloading pays off on the first box that you pay off your equipment. If you are judicious and only buy basic equipment, then, that can come pretty early. If not, like me, you never really get it paid off unless you shoot in competition.

BUT, (there is always one of them) you will shoot much more for the disposable income that you have. Case in point: You have $30 a week that you can spend on ammunition. If you purchase ammo, that is one box of Winchester White Box, maybe 100 rounds, and then you are done. Now, load your own....A box of 100, 230gr 45ACP loads at most will only cost you $8-$10, and that is incredibly high. So, now you can shoot 300 rounds for that $30 of disposable income. You are going to spend that money anyway, it just doesn't get any different than that. You might as well shoot more for that same $30.

Now, as Bob has said, start casting, get your lead from local tire shops for nearly nothing and the cost per box, my cost, can drop to $3/100. So, for that same $30, I can now shoot 1000 rounds.

Usually, what you do though is spend some of that left over money for other things, like more tools, moulds, components, different dies to load different calibers.....

And at that point, you will know that you are bit...............

One of my "by lines" on a forum that allows long ones is:
"EVERY shooter should be a reloader and EVERY reloader should be a bullet caster! GET STARTED TODAY!"

I make target 357 ammo for my dad for around $9 per 50 using Missouri Bullet Co. cast bullets. At a couple of hundred rounds per week, a simple Lee kit would pay for itself within a year. I have already saved enough since April loading to pay for mine several times over.

p.s. Reloading and casting allow you to have stuff that no commercial ammo maker offers. Like this:










And lets not forget the whole "no other way to get a wildcat round" thing than reloading!

Like this .358WSSM which is a legal deer round in a rifle in the land of Indiana!

Start with the low cost Lee casing gear to see if you get a feel for it. Danger? I still feel like driving on the interstate is the most dangerous thing I do on a near daily basis. But then you get into the Castboolits Forum and you find MP-Molds... And then you find some of the most fun HP bullet molds ever and it's all over. Then you find yourself getting tired of scrap lead and wheel weights and you start shopping on Roto Metals for perfect blended alloy. Then you find your ammo just keeps getting more interesting and your ammo looks and performs better than ever.

Save money? Whaaaa....? This is about fun.

You should be reloading. It is easy and you can save lots of money. You can get started pretty cheaply with used equipment from EBAY.

Like to know when you can buy used equipment cheap on FeeBay?? People are paying almost as much for used equipment as they could buying retail. See RCBS RockChucker presses going for $80 - $90+ routinely then add $15 to $20 for shipping and it comes to $100, and they are $135 at Cabelas new. I have seen used Forster Coax presses bring $225+. The best place to buy used equipment is locally, search local for sale ads, sometimes there are deals to be found on Craigslist. You can find a lot of people getting out of the hobby because they don't shoot any more, and they generally have a lot more equipment than what comes in a kit, and it usually a lot cheaper than you could buy it new. My reloading setup started with a garage sale find of a new in box RCBS Rockchucker 2, 5-0-5 scale, Uniflow Powder measure, funnel, deburring tool, set of dies and a couple boxes of bullets, for $125.



Buying and selling some stuff locally and my bench now looks like this, and I now have a second bench with casting equipment and my case cleaning equipment: tumbler, media etc.


I am also fortunate enough to live near a Cabelas. With their points program for their Visa card, I am able to reload for a really low cost-per-round, by using their card to purchase a lot of my everyday items, and paying off each month. The only thing that I really have to buy for components now are some bullets for come of the calibers I am not set up to cast for.

Fun?! Well, maybe for you whippersnappers. But when you get on the wrong side of 70, it sounds like a job. I admire anyone who has the time, patience and competence to reload/handload (I believe there's a fine distinction between the two). Although one fellow my age above reloads, I'd rather cut down on shooting and buy factory ammo than try to take on what appears to be a major project. Still, I find all these comments fascinating and have come to appreciate what could be called as much an art as a science. You guys who reload are quite creative.

I estimate my cost for 50 rounds of target 357 is about $8 using Xtreme plated bullets. For the more expensive Hornady XTP bullets, my cost for 50 is about $14. This does not include my time but only covers components including the cost of new brass spread over 10 reloads.

Is that worth it? It is to me.

Plus you can experiment and find out the answers to 'what if' questions.

Shooting my .22 at four cents a bullet seems like the best bargain of all.

from reading your various posts here it sounds like you have made up your mind not to reload...to each there own...we that do reload get what we want,when we want it and with a tremendous savings...many many folks your age and then some reload...and enjoy the hobby as well as the savings...as i mentioned...to each their own

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

I gotta admit. Most here have been persuasive and have made an excellent case for reloading -- enough to give me pause at least before making a final decision. Thanks for everyone's input.

Seventy, shmevendy. OK, I'm half that. But still, it isn't nearly as much work as you might think.

Lee Classic Turret:

2012-11-25_13-08-34_792.mp4

Cases were already prepped on that one. Reloading pistol would have the sizing die in the empty station.

Yes, that's the bird in the background at the end...

My 38 special target loads cost about 4 cents for primer and powder. To this add whatever the cost is for your bullets ( you already have the brass ) and compare that with the cost of factory ammunition. Divide the difference into the cost of the reloading equipment and you know the breakeven point. You will probably break even between 1000 and 2000 rounds which, for you, is in around 4 months. Using a single stage press you can load about 100 rounds an hour. Thus it will take you about 2-3 hours a week to feed your habit.

Enjoy your new hobby.

I not only reload to save money...but also for accuracy....big difference if you roll your own.

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Lt. Dan, what R U doing here?

Joe Wisconsin you have a PM about an RCBS RockChucker for sale.

Press has been sold.

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S&WHF 366

I just turned 70 in aug and we are not old. I think you will find the time spent reloading rewarding. Also when you go to the range and things are going well you will not mind shooting an extra 150 rounds.[/I

Joe, by your own admission:

1) You lack patience

2) Attention to detail is not your strong suit

3) Look at reloading more as a job than anything else.



In all honesty...

There ain't enough money in the world to make this something you should attempt.

I agree and I'm one of the bigger cheerleaders when it comes to handloading. I started with a Lee Loader and now have an 8x10 room dedicated to the hobby.

I can't disagree with your logic.

Joe just noticed the wisconsin address. Winter is a great time to reload.

Also a good time to shuffle the furniture. Just ask my wife.

I'd like to know WHERE those tire shops are that give away buckets of wheel weights???

I got a 5gal bucket from Sears and another from Discount Tire. The mgr said the Co. doesn't like to do it for EPA reasons or some nonsense like that but I convinced him I would use gloves and a dust mask and give him an empty 5 gal bucket in return. The empty bucket was what sealed the deal.

The hard part is sorting out all the junk weights

Less than a nickel a round for .45 ACP, using my own cast bullets and range brass. Can't get much less expensive than that.

I am less then 6 months away from 70, I have been reloading since the early 70's. Equipt has already been paid for.

I just loaded up and shot some .308 match loads. Those 50 rounds cost me less then $.40 a round. A box of Federal match would have cost me around $32-34 for 20 rounds. My handload are as accuracte or maybe more so then the Federal Match, in my gun.

A box of 50-- .45 ACP rds, since I cast my own bullets, cost me less then $3.00 a box.
I am at the local range at least twice a week.

So no wild women, no late nights at the bar getting rowdy, got bored watching daytime TV. So I shoot and have been for the last 50 years.
More so since I retired.

Reloading helps me keep the cost down so I can.

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Semper FI

At 70 think about next day air. Once you start loading your own youll wonder why the hell you waited so long. Get going!

Getting everything set up takes a couple of munutes, but after that, it's pretty much just pulling a handle and paying attention.
As far as saving money, it's been said here many times: Theoretically, one could save money reloading, but we know of no one who has yet done so. They just shoot more.

Greg,

I don't doubt that there are some who just shoot four times as much or so and thus spend the same amount of money as when they bought factory ammo. But as I've said here more than once, I don't have the time to shoot more, therefore I've saved a great deal of money reloading. And I counted around half a dozen others posting in this thread who affirmed the same.

Regards,
Andy

Joe,

Do you know of anyone in your area who loads their own? I was thinking that, if you do, maybe they would allow you to sit and watch them do it for awhile and it might give you a better feel for what the task is like. It is not a hobby for me; I do it in order to be able to afford to shoot enough to maintain an acceptable degree of proficiency with my handguns. So you don't have to have fun doing it; you just have to be willing to do what is required in order to assemble a thoroughly safe product. Nevertheless blujax's post needs to be carefully considered; there are some personality traits that increase the risk of hazardous errors, oversights, etc.

Andy

Andy,
You are the exception to this rule. You are the FIRST one in over 50 years of shooting that shot the same in both scenarios, the absolute first. Remember, when you approach a situation, just because it is normal for you, doesn't mean that that is what the majority does.

In this thread alone, you are the ONLY one that has made the statement you have, the only one......

On the one side, reloading requires a fairly stiff initial expense, and the space to set up the equipment and store primers and powder, that may make some people nervous. Reloading also requires expenditure of time and effort that you may not have unless you're retired.

On the other hand, you can make cheap ammo that in many cases is more accurate than factory. You can make varities of ammo that you can't buy. You don't actually save money; you just shoot a lot more for the same cost. I started reloading when I was 20 and next year I'll be 80, so I don't think attention to detail is anything gun related. There is the possibility of blowing something up if you make a mistake, and you HAVE to be attentive and do all the little details right. However I've never damaged a gun with the tens of thousands of rounds I've handloaded.