cost of reloading?

[w1984s]

I hand load because I like it, not to save money. It is enjoyable to me to take the time and effort to make bullets. But then I do like shoot 'em also. It's the circle of life.

 

[brucev]

im sure this is a broad question, what would it cost me to start reloading? I have nothing but my brass I always save.
9mm 45 38 357.
also how much money do you save by reloading?
thank you

Cost to get started reloading. It depends. A inexpensive single-stage setup w/ powder measure, press, dies, few other odds/ends can be done for maybe $200. LEE offers a number of good presses. RCBS has a starter type setup that you might want to look at. In 1980 I bought a RCBS Reloader Jr. kit. I used it for the next 25 years. It was a excellent deal. Paid for it's self many many times.

How much money do you save? This afternoon I priced .38 Specials at a LGS that had some in stock. The price was $20.99/50 rds. of 158 gr. LRN. I can handload the exact same load using common pistol powders and commercially cast lead bullets for no more than $130/1,000 rounds. That works out to about $6.50/50 rds. This is a tremendous savings for me. If you cast your own bullets, you can drop the $130/1,000 cost down by about $70 leaving you putting out $60/1,000 rounds of service velocity ammunition.

A real advantage to reloading your own ammunition is that you can load ammunition that will often not be available in stores. For instance, today I was looking for .38 Special wadcutters and .44 Special 240 gr. cowboy action type loads. Neither was in stock at the LGS. In the course of one Saturday working rather slowly I can on a single-stage press produce at least 200 rounds of either of these types of ammunition. I can also load .44 Special wadcutters... a load not available from any producer. And, with the same cases I can load scalding hot JHP loads that will be extremely effective, accurate and completely safe. In a word, reloading allows you choices. You can choose what you want to shoot and then load that item. You can load softball loads for practice, etc. You can load hardball loads. You can load full-power SD/hunting loads. It allow your handgun to be much more flexible as with different loads you can adapt it to all sorts of different jobs.

 

[rwsmith]

You are a candidate.....

you are probably right about shooting more. I would shoot a lot more if I had the cash.
I normally shoot a few hundred rounds a couple times a month. mostly 38's and 45. 38's are getting expensive.
im going to start reading up on this. thanks again

You sound like a prime candidate for reloading.

Yep. Start with the.38. It's very forgiving. Overall length isn't a big deal. Headspace is easy because it headspaces on the rim. Get some lead bullets, swaged or softer cast ones. Full wadcutters, Semi wadcutters, round nose. Any of these will work. DEVELOP A SYSTEM WHERE YOU CANNOT DOUBLE CHARGE A CASE. Double charge with a fast powder like Bullseye will wreck a gun and maybe you. 2.7 grains is a good target load. Check the cases with a flashlight before seating bullets. Add a little crimp. Load them in your gun to make sure they chamber. It's easier to fix at your bench than at the range. Shoot, enjoy. Bring your brass home and do it all over again.

 

[NJM15]

That's right, I enjoy loading, not to save money but for the satisfaction of doing it. Although I shoot more now then I ever did
before I started.

 

[bananaman]

There are sites on the internet that can help you with costs of reloading. Handloadsonline, Reloading cost calculater, etc. You put in your component costs and it calculates what your end cost is. Of this does not have anything to do with equipment needed. I got a heck on some .38 lead bullets. Factored in, $3.48 a box of 50. I never figure that my time should be figured in. I enjoy loading. Bob

 

[MrG5122]

Upping the post count here. I run a small business that requires 50-60 hours a week. My time has value to my family and employees. I also try to shoot 200-500 rounds per week. I load 100 rounds per hour on a Lee Turret press. Just ordered a Dillon 650. Looking forward to loading 300-400 per hour. That turns three hours into one. We'll see how it goes.

 

[fredj338]

Upping the post count here. I run a small business that requires 50-60 hours a week. My time has value to my family and employees. I also try to shoot 200-500 rounds per week. I load 100 rounds per hour on a Lee Turret press. Just ordered a Dillon 650. Looking forward to loading 300-400 per hour. That turns three hours into one. We'll see how it goes.

If you get the case feeder, it's pretty easy to get 700rds/hr sustained. It's nothing to pop into he garage, check the powder charge, load 3 primer tubes & 30min later shut it down with 300rds to box.

 

[RobsTV]

Start off by getting a C&R FFL license at a cost of $30, and good for 3 years. This will give you great discounts at places like Brownells, Grafs, Numrich and many more places. In the 3 years I've had my C&R, it has saved me several hundred dollars with these dealer only discounts.

After piecing the reloading parts together, then upgrading, testing, upgrading again, repeat, practically ended up with the $200 Lee "Classic Cast" Turret Press complete kit, but I ended up spending a lot more than $200 to get there. After 5 digital scales, gave up and thought I would give the $20 Lee safety scale included in those kits a try. Will not go back to digital for powder, as it just works and is always reliable down to less than 0.05 grains. The Pro Auto-Disk powder measure and riser work great as well. The press has method for inserting primers during cycle, for both large and small primers, and again, works great. Great way to knock out a bunch of bullets (or future boolits) fast.

For cleaning brass, the poor mans Thumlers Tumbler will run you about $40 after coupon for Dual Drum Rotary Rock Tumbler. Spotless brass, quick and easy using same pins and solution as the expensive version, but with a little less capacity. I toss the cleaned brass into ex-food dehydrator to quickly dry, but like most things with reloading, that is optional.

Cheap digital caliper with 0.0005 in. resolution at harbor freight for $14 after coupon also works great for most general reloading tasks.

Add in some dies and pretty much set to get started in reloading.

Everyone has there own opinion on what is needed, and the above is just one example of a low cost system that 1000's use everyday.

 

[RobsTV]

Upping the post count here. I run a small business that requires 50-60 hours a week. My time has value to my family and employees. I also try to shoot 200-500 rounds per week. I load 100 rounds per hour on a Lee Turret press. Just ordered a Dillon 650. Looking forward to loading 300-400 per hour. That turns three hours into one. We'll see how it goes.

Here with Lee Classic Cast turret press, it takes about 10 to 15 seconds per cycle, so around 4 rounds to 6 rounds per minute, or 240 to 360 per hour. Usually say 200 per hour to play it safe taking my time. It takes longer to say: Resize brass/decap, insert primer, flare/drop powder, insert bullet, seat/crimp than it does to actually do that cycle (even when crimping in separate step).

 

[kbm6893]

Unlike many other posters, I did not get into reloading to shoot more. I got into it so I can shoot for less money and not be a slave to whatever I can find in he store and waiting in line at 7 AM. 50 rounds of .38 at Walmart is 25 bucks with tax. I can reload 100 rounds for around 8 bucks. So do I wanna spend 50 bucks or 8 bucks for the same amount of ammo?

I shot more this summer due to wanting to try out my new ammo, but as the fall approaches my shooting is gonna calm down. So I'll spend the next 10 months cranking them out at my leisure. When the mood strikes I'll take a couple hundred to be range and shoot them

It's a complete myth that reloaders somehow shoot so much that they're spending just as much as before. By next May, the cost of my equipment will be paid for, and I will have a nice stash of ammo to shoot.

 

[MrG5122]

If you get the case feeder, it's pretty easy to get 700rds/hr sustained. It's nothing to pop into he garage, check the powder charge, load 3 primer tubes & 30min later shut it down with 300rds to box.

Case feeder is also on the way.....time IS money.

 

[fredj338]

I loaded on mine for about 2 months before ordering a feeder. Without one, it's no faster than my 550b, about 450rds / hr. the feeder allows you to move right along. The 650 just isn't designed for feeding by hand.

 

[gwpercle]

The plain unvarnished truth about saving money by reloading is ....you not going to save a dime!
But you will get to shoot a whole lot more, have a very interesting hobby and reloading (as my wife puts it) " keeps you off the street and out of trouble". Meet interesting people and have a whole lot of fun.
I've been doing this since 1967 , started with a $9.99 Lee loader and a 1-cavity Lyman bullet mould, and still enjoy reloading and casting bullets to this day . Beats golf or tennis in my book .
Gary

 

[fredj338]

Beats golf or tennis in my book .
Gary

Cheaper than golf too.

 

[rwsmith]

I'm at the opposite end....

Upping the post count here. I run a small business that requires 50-60 hours a week. My time has value to my family and employees. I also try to shoot 200-500 rounds per week. I load 100 rounds per hour on a Lee Turret press. Just ordered a Dillon 650. Looking forward to loading 300-400 per hour. That turns three hours into one. We'll see how it goes.

I had to retire early so I have time, but no $$$. Gotta do everything on the cheap.

 

[weatherby]

cost of reloading?

Looks to have been covered very well


cost of not reloading

time and gas back and forth from a store for ammo.
being a slave as to what ammo is actually available and at times the artificially inflated price you may have to pay for it.
and a biggie
Not bringing some kid friend spouse or acquaintance with you to the range as you can't replace what you shoot.


We're I just starting out as a shooter.
I'd be hard pressed to afford and enjoy it.

My kids won't have that problem.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I usually load 200 rounds/hour on a Classic Turret Press, more if I'm on a roll.

 

[dtom29]

IMO, buying a SDB is doing just that. With handgun only, & not even all handgun, Dillon only dies, too limiting. A 550B, better tool IMO, & is expandable, you'll never out grow a 550B. The best part as a beginners press, use it as an inverted turret, running one round at a time thru all the steps at the speed you want. Later on, fire it up & go 500rds/hr without bending anything. They should retire the SDB.
Having said that, few of us need any type of progressive. A ss press is a bit slow, but also never gets retired as your reloading advances. I still have my first ss press, even though I load mostly on my 550B & 650. I can only say regardless of brand, buy quality, it lasts. Cheaply priced stuff is generally just that, cheap, breaks more often or suffers poor qc, why it's cheap after all.

I have a SDB and a 550B. My SDB has loaded untold thousands of 9mm, 38 special and 380. All my small pistol primer rounds are loaded on the SDB. The SDB has been keeping my full auto M11 running for years without a hitch. I can't remember ever having a problem with either my SDB or 550 but I know the SDB will put out loaded rounds faster than the 550. I think for someone looking to load common pistol rounds the SDB is a viable alternative to the more expensive 550 or 650.

 

[fredj338]

I have a SDB and a 550B. My SDB has loaded untold thousands of 9mm, 38 special and 380. All my small pistol primer rounds are loaded on the SDB. The SDB has been keeping my full auto M11 running for years without a hitch. I can't remember ever having a problem with either my SDB or 550 but I know the SDB will put out loaded rounds faster than the 550. I think for someone looking to load common pistol rounds the SDB is a viable alternative to the more expensive 550 or 650.

Well your opinion of course but it isn't faster, not at all. Auto indexing offers no speed advantage once you learn the tricks of manual indexing on the 550. I didn't see the point of the sdb 25+ yrs go, still don't. The limited nature turns me off, but I realize many will only load one or two calibers their whole life. Even then, the 550 allows you so many more options for very little addl $$, what $60? Being able to buy cheaper no dillon dies for addl calibers easily covers that.

 

[blujax01]

Cheaper than golf too.

And you don't have to change your shoes!