Harbinger_of_lead
Member
Who's to say the current one is "one of our ilk". more of a danger to guns and ammo than the last one... just sayin'
556/223 Load or Buy Bulk?
- Thread starter Eddietruett
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Who's to say the current one is "one of our ilk". more of a danger to guns and ammo than the last one... just sayin'
LoboGunLeather
US Veteran
Yeah! Give a man a fish he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he rides around in a boat drinking beer for the rest of his life.
Buying stuff in bulk I can load .223 for 3.30 a box...or less as long as I have the free cases...bulk ammo is approx 6 dollars a box. Reloading is almost always cheaper. I can load much cheaper than the above prices. Was at the gun show last weekend and bought 5000 Alcan SR primers for 5 dollars a thousand a 1000 LP primers(5 bucks) and 3 lbs of 4198 for 10 bucks a lb. Even got one pound of 2400 for free. If you look around you can find 55 gr FMJs for as little as 5.5 cents each. I haunt the gun shows for cheap stuff and am not afraid to make low ball offers
It's probably a lot less trouble to buy..
Unless you are broke like me and have to reload everything I shoot, and have a lot of time it's probably better to buy. I have reloaded .223 and it's not difficult, easy in fact. If you have everything else a set of dies can be had for about $30. I buy enough factory ammo to get the brass I want.
If you are inclined at all to reload get the dies and it's good to have the option.
Unless you are broke like me and have to reload everything I shoot, and have a lot of time it's probably better to buy. I have reloaded .223 and it's not difficult, easy in fact. If you have everything else a set of dies can be had for about $30. I buy enough factory ammo to get the brass I want.
If you are inclined at all to reload get the dies and it's good to have the option.
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Personally, I'd rather spend a little more to get accurate results, than to make noise and smoke at the range.
It is common to find military surplus 5.56x41 ammo cheaper than you can reload, mostly M193, which I find relatively inaccurate. 1.5" groups at 100 yards are not uncommon, even when fired from a rest. I load 68 grain HP bullets, well within published limits, and produce 1/2" groups at that distance. I have heard that the steel core in M193 is not well balanced, causing poor grouping.
Have you noticed that M193 smells like cat pee when fired?
It is common to find military surplus 5.56x41 ammo cheaper than you can reload, mostly M193, which I find relatively inaccurate. 1.5" groups at 100 yards are not uncommon, even when fired from a rest. I load 68 grain HP bullets, well within published limits, and produce 1/2" groups at that distance. I have heard that the steel core in M193 is not well balanced, causing poor grouping.
Have you noticed that M193 smells like cat pee when fired?
I have "boat loads" of components for 556 and 9mm also.
Due to lack of interest and lower prices on these calibers I rather just buy factory when I find a really good price. I have lots of time to load, but 223/556 is just boring and time consuming. I would rather take a nap!
To save a few cents a round is not worth it to me. I have to vices to spend money on anymore.
I'm relatively vice-free
Giving up smoking and drinking and a few other energy consuming activities. Add to that being 'retirement broke'. Reloading is a great way to spend time. If I bought ammo I'd only be able to shoot a few times a year.
I have "boat loads" of components for 556 and 9mm also.
Due to lack of interest and lower prices on these calibers I rather just buy factory when I find a really good price. I have lots of time to load, but 223/556 is just boring and time consuming. I would rather take a nap!
To save a few cents a round is not worth it to me. I have to vices to spend money on anymore.
Giving up smoking and drinking and a few other energy consuming activities. Add to that being 'retirement broke'. Reloading is a great way to spend time. If I bought ammo I'd only be able to shoot a few times a year.
I've never found bulk ammo as cheap as what I can reload, but sometimes it gets fairly close. The real answer to the question comes down to: do you want to spend your time reloading or spend a few bucks more for bulk and free up your time?
hdwhit
Member
How do you define "cost-effective"?
If you're buying components in small quantities and loading in small quantities, you probably can't even match the cost of imported steel case ammunition.
And since you're reloading for someone else and not yourself, shouldn't you consider the value of your time? If you do, the answer is "absolutely not".
When I'm "buying" the ammunition (everything I shoot - or that I provide to my sons - are my own reloads), my sons get a 30 round magazine, each, per hour that we're at the range.
If they want to shoot their ARs faster, they can pay for the rounds themselves.
If they are aren't playing "cowboy" and are actually taking the time to practice aimed fire and proper tactical movement, the magazines come a little more frequently, but the general rule is 1 magazine per hour.
"a bunch of money"? No.
hdwhit
Member
Beggars can't be choosers.
Besides, new AR bolts are cheap.
MichiganScott
Member
1stgarand brings up a point that seems to be in the background of this discussion. I enjoy the whole process and do all my loading on a single stage Rock Chucker and did so even when I was competing in high power.
Besides, I have to have something to do when the range is under three feet of snow for six months. Empty brass melts its way down to the bottom and gets real difficult to find.
Besides, I have to have something to do when the range is under three feet of snow for six months. Empty brass melts its way down to the bottom and gets real difficult to find.
Not counting components purchased "years ago" at cheap prices at today's prices for bullet, primer and powder do the math and see if it is cost effective to load them yourself.
This is of course based on having brass.
For "blasting" ammo not precision bolt action work.
At around .08 to .10 cents for just a projectile it is not worth it to me to clean size and trim . Let alone the primer and powder.
But to each their own.
5.56x45mm NATO ammo rifle
This is of course based on having brass.
For "blasting" ammo not precision bolt action work.
At around .08 to .10 cents for just a projectile it is not worth it to me to clean size and trim . Let alone the primer and powder.
But to each their own.
5.56x45mm NATO ammo rifle
Twoboxer
Member
My advice:
(1) Use $0.20 per round as the cost of reloading your own brass using (eg) Hornady 55gr, H335, CCI Mil primers at today's PV pricing.
(2) Figure out your startup equipment costs.
(3) Search the internet for bulk ammo prices.
(4) Determine the savings (if any) and determine your savings after recovering your startup costs.
Only you can determine what you can buy components or ammo for TODAY, whether there are any savings or other benefits in handloading this ammo, and whether it's worth a lot of your time and effort.
(1) Use $0.20 per round as the cost of reloading your own brass using (eg) Hornady 55gr, H335, CCI Mil primers at today's PV pricing.
(2) Figure out your startup equipment costs.
(3) Search the internet for bulk ammo prices.
(4) Determine the savings (if any) and determine your savings after recovering your startup costs.
Only you can determine what you can buy components or ammo for TODAY, whether there are any savings or other benefits in handloading this ammo, and whether it's worth a lot of your time and effort.
Just had a similar discussion with another reloader recently.
The conclusion, Viriginia is...Yes, it’s about time. I only have so much time to devote to reloading. I would rather use that time towards other cartridges that are much more expensive to buy than reload.
However, as someone has said, if hysteria brings us to an ammo shortage, reloading is the way to go. So, I have stashed away the needed components, just in case. Until then, I keep my eye open for good buys. And buy in bulk.
The conclusion, Viriginia is...Yes, it’s about time. I only have so much time to devote to reloading. I would rather use that time towards other cartridges that are much more expensive to buy than reload.
However, as someone has said, if hysteria brings us to an ammo shortage, reloading is the way to go. So, I have stashed away the needed components, just in case. Until then, I keep my eye open for good buys. And buy in bulk.
I always get a chuckle when reading these kinds of threads.
Just another opinion:
Free 22lr cases/free lead for cores/free range brass/$0.022 primers/$0.029 powder
Free jackets and cores
223 brass is everywhere
Primers go in sale a couple times for $20 a brick + tax or $108 for 5000
Overpaid for powder paid $157 (each) for these #8 jugs, 24gr of h335 or 26gr of bl-c2
Went and bought a cheap savage axis hb in 223 for $325 out the door. Had a $50 rebate and I sold the scope for $50 that came with it. At the end of the day I had $225 in the rifle. Put a 24x scope on it, punched the bore out & checked the torque on the hold down screws and off to the range I went with the:
home swaged bullets/mixed range brass/ladder tests
Nothing more than 5-shot groups with that new rifle, easily did moa
Then there's the YA look at the cost of the swaging dies and core mold. I say YUP I'll use them making countless 1000's of free bullets for decades and then sell everything for more $$$ then I paid for them to begin with.
Right now I'm shooting 223's for under $.06 a round
Time consuming??? Perhaps, but right now there's still snow on the ground and it beats sitting around watching tv. I only load/shoot 5000+ rounds of 223 ammo a year
5000+ rounds ='s $300
Just another opinion:
Free 22lr cases/free lead for cores/free range brass/$0.022 primers/$0.029 powder
Free jackets and cores
223 brass is everywhere
Primers go in sale a couple times for $20 a brick + tax or $108 for 5000
Overpaid for powder paid $157 (each) for these #8 jugs, 24gr of h335 or 26gr of bl-c2
Went and bought a cheap savage axis hb in 223 for $325 out the door. Had a $50 rebate and I sold the scope for $50 that came with it. At the end of the day I had $225 in the rifle. Put a 24x scope on it, punched the bore out & checked the torque on the hold down screws and off to the range I went with the:
home swaged bullets/mixed range brass/ladder tests
Nothing more than 5-shot groups with that new rifle, easily did moa
Then there's the YA look at the cost of the swaging dies and core mold. I say YUP I'll use them making countless 1000's of free bullets for decades and then sell everything for more $$$ then I paid for them to begin with.
Right now I'm shooting 223's for under $.06 a round
Time consuming??? Perhaps, but right now there's still snow on the ground and it beats sitting around watching tv. I only load/shoot 5000+ rounds of 223 ammo a year
5000+ rounds ='s $300
I've handloaded .223/5.56 and didn't save any money. I'm more concerned with function than accuracy out of an ordinary AR-15. If you use range brass and cheap components, you can beat bulk prices by a hair. It doesn't take much "component extravagance" to price yourself above bulk ammo. In my case, I shoot M193 and save my brass for that day that ammo availability might tighten up.
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As a career Paramedic (non-Municipal, so no "nice" city/state/federal salary or pension plan), my chosen career requires me to work multiple jobs, to make an "adequate" living, AND to put away a little something for retirement (again, as a non-municipal EMS employee, not only are our salaries "lacking", but also our retirement plans, again, no nice municipal retirement plan here), so I would rarely have the time needed for reloading.
So for me, what little I'd save by reloading (not to even talk about initial "set up") makes little sense, when I can watch for sales and buy in bulk (when possible).
But that might just be me.
I always get a chuckle when reading these kinds of threads.
Just another opinion:
Free 22lr cases/free lead for cores/free range brass/$0.022 primers/$0.029 powder
Free jackets and cores
223 brass is everywhere
Primers go in sale a couple times for $20 a brick + tax or $108 for 5000
Overpaid for powder paid $157 (each) for these #8 jugs, 24gr of h335 or 26gr of bl-c2
Went and bought a cheap savage axis hb in 223 for $325 out the door. Had a $50 rebate and I sold the scope for $50 that came with it. At the end of the day I had $225 in the rifle. Put a 24x scope on it, punched the bore out & checked the torque on the hold down screws and off to the range I went with the:
home swaged bullets/mixed range brass/ladder tests
Nothing more than 5-shot groups with that new rifle, easily did moa
Then there's the YA look at the cost of the swaging dies and core mold. I say YUP I'll use them making countless 1000's of free bullets for decades and then sell everything for more $$$ then I paid for them to begin with.
Right now I'm shooting 223's for under $.06 a round
Time consuming??? Perhaps, but right now there's still snow on the ground and it beats sitting around watching tv. I only load/shoot 5000+ rounds of 223 ammo a year
5000+ rounds ='s $300
There it is in spades. Done all of the above or years. I just sold the Bullet swage press I bought in 1958(with dies $15). Made untold 1000s of bullets all these years. With the RCBS press and dies. I got more than I paid by about 70 times. Those bullets shot well in almost everything...not the Swift...and I never felt I was losing out on accuracy. S&B primers work just fine and you can load 223 cheaper than any boxer primed brass cased bulk ammo. Heck even Hornady 55 gr FMJs can be bought for under 8 cents each...just say 15 cents a round...and the average 16 inch bbl'd AR will shoot ok. It surely is NOT a target grade gun...my wife's isn't but it is angle of coyote at 150 yds or less. My Bushmaster Varminter gets loaded differently of course...I use Sierra match bullets with almost the same loads....or 40 gr Nosler Ballistic tips for coyotes(fur saving loads)...still under 4.50 a box. Heck the cheapest FMJ 223 I have bought was last November at Cabela's...Norma FMJs were priced at 6.60 a box ....on closeout 50% off..so 3.30 a box. Actually pretty good accurate ammo too.
Oh and at that price I bought 50 boxes....all they had. The Russian steel cased stuff was priced at 4.88 at half off or.2.44...wrong on the price of the Norma..it was 6.88 or 3.44 a box...still cheap. I bought 50 boxes of the Russian also...for a friend
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