Can you save money reloading??

[roscoepc]

The short answer is: It depends.... Mainly on just what yer loading!!

The main reason for this post is, when I was first posting about reloading for my pistol: the 500 S&W Magnum, I said it seemed to be the best way to go as far as cost, getting the load I wanted, etc., but mainly the cost.. Naturally there were some Naysayers that roasted me a bit about the cost savings! And that's OK!! We're here to talk about ALL aspects of our chosen hobby/sport!

That said, here's some figures on just what my set-up cost was and the money savings are so far.

My initial set-up has the following:

RCBS® Kit Rock Chucker Supreme kit
200ea Hornady cases
4lb TITEGROUP powder
400 CCI LRM Primers
1000 count 350gr Berrys Coated bullets
100 count Hornady 350gr XTP HP bullets
Digital scale, and a few other items....

I figure I'm at about $450.00 so far into my set-up and I don't foresee any additional expense at this time as my rig is performing to my satisfaction!

So far I've loaded 300 rounds and here's what the cost is, less the casings which are reused of course!!

50 Hornady XTP @ $0.85/round = $42.50

250 Berrys Plated bullets @ $0.32/round = $80.00

Total is $122.50 for 300 rounds.. At $3.00 a round for over the counter ammo that would be $900.00!!!! Online the cheapest ammo I've found is about $2.70/round and that's still $810.00 for 300 rounds!!

So for the 300 rounds I've loaded I've saved at least about $680.00!!!!! I think my Set-up is paid for!!

And yes I know.. Loading out just 300 rounds is really not that much in the overall scheme of professional reloading but I'm impressed so far!!!

 

[Rick_A]

I've found that the savings are offset by shooting more, but that's a worthwhile trade off.

 

[Collo Rosso]

I've found that the savings are offset by shooting more, but that's a worthwhile trade off.

I couldn't afford to shoot the amount of rounds I do if I didn't reload.

 

[petepeterson]

What about the more common rounds? For instance, what does a box of 50 9mm rds cost to load? I've always been interested in reloading, but haven't made the time to start. I have brass out the wazoo, but I can buy practice ammo for $10/box.

 

[5-Shot]

If you really want to save money, cast bullets.

Ed

 

[Bastogne71]

No, you won't save by reloading. What's going to happen is you will spend the same amount but will be able to shoot a lot more! Honestly, if I had a firearm that cost $3 per a pop, it would stay in the safe a lot.

By reloading you can tailor your loads to your needs: load down for plinking, develop the most accurate load, or use bullets not available in commercial ammo. It also gives us something to do in the middle of this monsoon rain that's penned us up in Virginia.

 

[4barrel]

If you cast your bullets. 38s = .08 per 100 ---45s = .11 per 100 ---44 mag =.13 per 100. It beats watching TV when it is raining. Primers are $4 for 100 & powder is $18--$28 a pound. You can load 1000 or so 38s from a pound of Bullseye. You may be surprised at what you run across at a garage sale in reloading stuff. I am going to a few this morning. Lead is .80 cents a pound but I know a guy that owns a truck shop & my lead is free. I shoot 500-800 rounds per month. I have to reload.

 

[Engineer1911]

Saving money ? ? ? ? ? ?

I am stunned, really stunned, that an actual savings is documented by reloading ammo. I thought it was only a figment of an Accountant's imagination.

Now to further enhance the growth of your retirement funds, you must start bullet casting. Here is a fine Lyman mould, but you will need lube, sizer die to realize the next level of savings. The bullet is a smallish 375 grains so the yield will be 18 bullets to a pound of lead alloy.

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/Dept/reloading/lead-bullet-casting/lyman-moulds/-point-500-dia

Continue on with your calculations and in only a short period of time you will be shooting for almost free, until you buy another caliber firearm.

Congratulations!! I nominate you for the Story Teller of the Year Award. Welcome to the World of Fiction. It's how we all keep going.

 

[Vulcan Bob]

Good for you, welcome to the club! Why yes, yes you can, but you will wind up shooting a lot more! As already mentioned if you cast your own you can really save especially if you score a lot of free lead. For example a box of 9mm 130 gr with free once fired range brass costs just over $2.00 a box and the big boomers with 250-270 gr bullets cost a bit under three bucks a box after the first blast of the brass. Sure it takes a lot of time to smelt, cast and size and lube em but it sure beats sitting in front of the idiot box!

 

[epj]

I cast my own bullets and figure they average about a penny apiece. Primers cost just over 3 cents. Powder, in pistol cartridges, maybe 2 cents. Depends some on the load. Anyway, that's $3.00-maybe $3.50 per box. Doesn't much matter if it's 9mm, .38, or .45. When I load .223, I use store bought bullets that are about a dime each. Primers are still $.03. Powder is more expensive. Cost is around $.20 per round. I don't see much if any brass case .223 less than $10 per box, so the rounds I make are a little less than half price.

 

[old&slow]

Can you save money reloading ? Depends !

If you shoot 50 or 100 rounds a year,, No. If you shoot 500 or 1000 rounds a year,, or more, Yes.

The example someone stated was 9mm for $10 a box, ( I haven't seen $10 a box for awhile,, )

That's $200 a thousand,, last time I figured my 9mm cost was around $120 - $140 per thousand depending of plated bullets or FMJ's..
And you can taylor your loads for your firearm or the type match you are shooting. I prefer 147 gr. 9's ,, most of the stuff that is usually on sale is 115 gr.

Factory match rifle ammo is usually about $2 per round. My reloads are taylored to my rifle and cost about .42 cents a round..

Right now shotshells on sale for clay birds are about the same price as I can reload them. So, I currently am not reload shotshells.

 

[gwpercle]

I've been telling my wife for the last 40 years about how much money I save reloading......but I think she's starting to catch on.
After making a few purchases for powder, primers, new bullet moulds, more sizers and the never ending new and improved do-da's , gizmo's and widgets that come out, She said " I don't mind your spending so much money on your shooting and reloading hobby, it keeps you out of the bars, casino's and out of trouble, you are usually in your loading room or the range....I know you are not saving money but you're having fun , so enjoy yourself ". Did I marry the right girl or what !
Gary

 

[JBnTx]

Reload so you can shoot more, not save money.

 

[TTSH]

I've found that the savings are offset by shooting more...

No, you won't save by reloading. What's going to happen is you will spend the same amount but will be able to shoot a lot more!

Why yes, yes you can, but you will wind up shooting a lot more!

True, but...

I guess I'm an example of a person who should not reload because I never saved one thin dime. All my reloading equipment now just sits and gathers rust & dust.

Here is why:

1) By a very wide margin, most of my shooting now is .22 LR.
2) When I shoot .223/5.56 or 7.62x39 (rarely these days), I use mostly steel case.
3) I only go through about 1.5K rounds/year (average) of reloadable centerfire pistol & revolver ammo.
4) I buy all my ammo dirt cheap. Actually, cheaper than dirt cheap.
5) Brass collection is all but impossible at the busy indoor range I now use.
6) I have no current room available in the house for a reloading station.
7) Even in semi-retirement, my time is worth a bit more than $3.50/hour.
8) At this point in time and being quite old, I probably own more ammo than I'll ever use the rest of my life.

God bless those who really do save money (not just "shoot more") via reloading after consideration of all direct and indirect and "lost opportunity" costs. It just never worked out for me.

 

[scattershot]

What about the more common rounds? For instance, what does a box of 50 9mm rds cost to load? I've always been interested in reloading, but haven't made the time to start. I have brass out the wazoo, but I can buy practice ammo for $10/box.

You can save money, but you have to amortize the cost of the reloading equipment. To answer the above question, it costs approximately $6.00/box to reload 9mm, depending on whether or not you have the brass and the cost of your bullets. When you get into some of the larger calibers, .45 Colt, for example, the coat of factory ammo goes up considerably, but the cost of reloading only slightly.

One advantage of reloading is that you will have ammo when it is scarce on dealers shelves. If the communists get back in office in 2016, that may be a real concern.

 

[chuckster57]

I was reloading 9mm and .38/.357 before I bought my .500. I wouldn't be able to shoot it as much if I didn't reload, OTC rounds ain't cheap and it seems they only sell in boxes of 20. I will shoot 40-50 rounds each time, that adds up in a hurry. IIRC my current cost per round is right at $2.00

 

[PPCSHOOTER]

NO YOU WILL NOT SAVE MONEY. IT CAN COME TO BE AN AFFLICTION !

IT'S REWARDING, ADDICTIVE,& IT CAN CONSUME YOU. I LOVE IT !

 

[Thomas15]

There is a cost involved in joining the club. Once a member, there is a learning curve.

But once your a member and past the learning curve you can provide yourself with ammo that shoots very well in your particular gun under your particular conditions. And the ammo always available for your shooting pleasure even when the dealers shelves are bare.

 

[novalty]

 

[Krell1]

IMHO I believe you can save quite a bit by reloading. A lot of pros and cons and opinions have already been stated. People tend to buy equipment from the very low end to the very high. I go for low cost. I figure I save more that way. My setup cost me about $200. Single stage press, two calibers(.38 and .45). I bought 2000 once fired cases in both calibers. I don't count much of that cost in reloading because you can get numerous reloads per case. The cost per case drops to less than a penny a piece. I bought 8 lbs. of powder I can use for both calibers and the cost per round is about a penny a round. Primers 3 cents each and bullets 6 to 8 cents depending on the caliber. I compute my cost at $7/50 in .45 and $5.75/50 in .38. I get the load and bullet I want to do the shooting I do. I can't say how much I save because the last time I looked for commercial ammo I couldn't find any. The ammo I'd need for my Model 52 is so scarce I probably wouldn't be able to shoot the gun without reloading.

Yeah, using a single stage press is slow and very time consuming. For me, it's a hobby I enjoy. Since I changed to Promo from Bullseye I've tweaked the loads to what works well for me.

The reloading allows me to shoot more and enjoy what I'm doing. If you don't shoot much, it's probably not worth the expense. Reloading is for the shooter that spends a lot of time at the range. The more you shoot, the faster you'll amortize the cost of equipment.

One thing I won't do is bullet casting. You want time consuming? Take up casting. If you decide to do it you'll end up with muscular forearms. From what I've seen, a 4 cavity mold is quite heavy. You'll also need very good ventilation or you'll expose yourself to lead fumes and possible poisoning. Then there's sizing and lubricating. Sure it can be cheap if you can get lead at a reasonable cost. Just not for me.