Cost to reload .45 ACP....

[lppd4]

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.

My point is only to make sure you make it worth your while to reload. How many rounds do you see yourself loading in a year? Will you reload enough to make the equipment investment worth it? Cost savings may not be the reason you want to reload. I got out of the rifle loading business several years ago but bought the equipment I sold to a friend back when 30-06 ammo became hard to find.

 

[LostintheOzone]

My point is only to make sure you make it worth your while to reload. How many rounds do you see yourself loading in a year? Will you reload enough to make the equipment investment worth it? Cost savings may not be the reason you want to reload. I got out of the rifle loading business several years ago but bought the equipment I sold to a friend back when 30-06 ammo became hard to find.

That's an end-of-the-world scenario.

 

[cmj8591]

You might save money reloading. Or not. People who get into reloading solely to save money are usually disappointed and end up selling off or warehousing their equipment after a short while. Reloading is a hobby unto itself and I think that is the saneist way to approach it. If you shop and scrimp and look around for deals on components, you can make ammo very economically. You can get into casting, another hobby in and of itself, and reduce the cost a little more. I reload these days to control the ammo I shoot more than the cost of the ammo I shoot. That includes having access to ammo when it's not readily available. All of my hunting ammo is reloaded. All of my competition ammo is reloaded. I have guns that I shoot regularly that have never seen a factory produced round since they left the factory. If you went back to 1973 when I got my first set of reloading equipment and tallied up all of the rounds I have loaded vs. the expense of buying factory, I'm not so sure I would be on the plus side of the ledger. I can tell you that I have spent many a miserable winter day happily toiling at the reloading bench or researching what my next move was going to be to try and reduce the size of that group a couple of thousandths of an inch or wondering if that bullet I was seating was going to be the one that killed a record deer.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

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!

Well it only took to post #44 for someone to state the obvious

 

[AlHunt]

My point is only to make sure you make it worth your while to reload. How many rounds do you see yourself loading in a year? Will you reload enough to make the equipment investment worth it? Cost savings may not be the reason you want to reload. I got out of the rifle loading business several years ago but bought the equipment I sold to a friend back when 30-06 ammo became hard to find.

No, I get what you're saying. A person could dip their toe into reloading for a couple hundred dollars to test the waters. At that point, I suppose it's fair to amortize the equipment costs over X number of rounds.

Upgrading from a Yugo to a Cadillac is about luxury, not cost any more. It seems to me that a Dillon is about time savings at a monetary cost. For a competitive shooter, I can see the need for speed due to the volume of ammo needed. In drag racing, they say "Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?" Same concept, I think.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

When I started reloading I was only reloading 38/357 ammo and 45 Auto ammo. I think .38 Special ammo was $4.99/50, .357 Magnum was $5.99/50 and I'm not sure but I think the 45 Auto ammo was also $5.99/50 when you bought a case of Remington ammo on sale at Dick's Sporting Good. Of course single boxes of 50 or 100 were a little higher.

I bought a Lee 4 Hole Classic Turret press and a few other items I needed to load the handgun ammo. I clearly remember I paid for all the equipment in 2 1/2 months. I originally thought I was going to save money but found out I was spending the same amount of money but shooting a lot more ammo for the price. I was happy and never looked back. Of course over the years I added much more equipment to make loading faster and easier but I'm still loving what I do. (never bought a full progressive press like the Dillon 550) I now load 7 or 8 handgun cartridges and 8 or 9 rifle cartridges. I still enjoy loading except for the .223/5.56mm because I have to load so darn many of them lol.

If you really think you will be shooting for the rest of your life either for fun, just to play at the range or even participate in matches, reloading is a good idea even in today's environment. The component prices will never be what they were but they will come down some and availability will increase in the future.

 

[davek42_43130]

I have a little different spin on this, yes I’m a long time reloader and with my cast powder coated 45 bullets, 5.5 gn of titegroup.
So it about .10-.12 cents a round max.
That being said every time I go to the range and shoot, I’m shooting the exact same ammo Every time I shoot, and this makes me a better shooter and I can shoot more because I alway have ammo on hand to shoot.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I started reloading in 1972. In 1992........20 years later I started keeping a reloading log. For kicks and giggles I got it out and totaled up what In loaded since 92 to today.......130,523 rds or 4210 rds a year average. Or 351 rds per month average. Which doesn't take into account the gazillion .22's fire in that time frame.
I load for
12 ga
20 ga
28 ga
410 bore
32 long
32 magnum
380
9mm
40 S&W
10mm
38 spl
357 Mag
44 spl
44 mag
44 black powder Remington(Pietta)
45 acp
45 auto rim
45 long colt
223 Rem
280 Rem
7.62x39
30 carbine
30/30
30/06
35 Rem
444 Marlin
45/70 Marlin

I have I think 26 bullet molds. Haven't killed anything(outside of a .22) with a factory cartridge in many years. This is my SPORT/HOBBY......I never cared to watch sweaty men hit/chased balls around a field........Ain't my thing.......Shooting is.

 

[STORMINORMAN]

S&W Accumulator:

What? No 30/30, 270 Winchester or 7x57 Mauser...?

Cheers!

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I forgot!!!!! I have 2 30/30's a Marlin and a Winchester. Also for got 30 carbine...........Gettin old and forgetful.

 

[Johnrh]

3.4 cent primer......from my stash
free 230 gr MY cast bullet
0.015 for 5.5 grs 231 at $20/lb.......From my stash.
free.......45acp brass have lifetime supply
=3.415 cent per cartridge or $1.7075 per box

Think you messed up a decimal point. Your powder cost is not 0.015 cents it's 1.5 cents. So your total cost per round is 4.9 cents.

 

[mikld]

[ame]https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-9816054-51st-Reloading-Handbook-Hardcover/dp/B0B39P4NZ4[/ame] This should be your first purchase. I started reloading out of curiosity, not to "save" money. 40+ years later I still reload for fun and have no idea how my handload's cost compare to factory...

 

[Beemer-mark]

Starline would be 20.35 cents a casing, you are off by a factor of 100 (aka 2 digits)

No, I stated my 45 acp brass is good for around reloading 10 times, so 2.035 cents a round. Actually over the years I've picked up thousands of 45 acp, 9 mm and 223 brass from my local range. Sold a lot of it (cheap) a couple of years ago when I was cleaning house. Unfortunately can't find what i shoot the most of, 32-20, 38-40, etc. Also for your hoarders that stocked up over 20,000 rounds of primers what are you going to do when they run out?

 

[walnutred]

3.4 cent primer......from my stash
free 230 gr MY cast bullet
0.015 for 5.5 grs 231 at $20/lb.......From my stash.
free.......45acp brass have lifetime supply
=3.415 cent per cartridge or $1.7075 per box

Cheaper to shoot than .22 long rifle.

You have to look at replacement cost, not what you paid for the items originally.

 

[AJ]

You have to look at replacement cost, not what you paid for the items originally.

Your replacement costs will go up and down over the years. My friends and I call it "Cost Averaging". Cost averaging first started out for us in bulk silver and gold as the market fluctuated so much.

 

[walnutred]

Your replacement costs will go up and down over the years. My friends and I call it "Cost Averaging". Cost averaging first started out for us in bulk silver and gold as the market fluctuated so much.

I think original cost only comes into play if you're reselling the components. If someone asked "What's the cost of an M1 Garand compared to other rifles" me saying they were $125 delivered when I bought mine would be irrelevant. Unless I was willing to sell mine for for what they were going for in the 90's or had a time machine. Neither case is true, BTW.

 

[AJ]

I think original cost only comes into play if you're reselling the components. If someone asked "What's the cost of an M1 Garand compared to other rifles" me saying they were $125 delivered when I bought mine would be irrelevant. Unless I was willing to sell mine for for what they were going for in the 90's or had a time machine. Neither case is true, BTW.

The cost is to you, out of your pocket. What you do with the commodity is up to you. If you are using the consumables you have paid for it. So you are kind of selling it to yourself.