ArchAngelCD
Moderator, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
You are very lucky BUT, eventually there will be no lead WWs to give you since they are now using alloys instead.
Grab um up as long as they last...
How can you reload for 3 or 4 cents a round?
- Thread starter 1sailor
- Start date
You are very lucky BUT, eventually there will be no lead WWs to give you since they are now using alloys instead.
Grab um up as long as they last...
Yeah, the tire store where my kid works will give me all the wheel weights I want - but they're almost all zinc so they are worth just what I'd pay for them
Yeah, the tire store where my kid works will give me all the wheel weights I want - but they're almost all zinc so they are worth just what I'd pay for them
I try to pick out the zinc ones and store those aside. Zinc will stop up the drippers on my shotmaker. Doesn't hurt so much if you are just casting bullets. I have around a ton of old WW's on hand. Push come to shove. I could mine the berm at my range......And I have done that at other shooting ranges.
Build a box about 16 in. square x 8 in. high. Leave top off. Cover the bottom with 1/4" or 3/8" mesh hardware cloth. Put 2x4 legs on it around 16 in. high(Hdwe cloth on bottom). Shovel bullets and dirt into the box. Tap box til all dirt falls through. Pour bullets in 5 gal. bucket. Repeat.
No lead WW's here. State restricted those. Looks like 6 other states also.
https://www.bendpak.com/wheel-service/wheel-weights/many-states-now-banning-lead-wheel-weights/
crstrode
Member
How can you reload for 3 or 4 cents a round?
In my dreams.
In my dreams.
The answer to this question is easy-----You Can't!
Well the truth is I can1/2 cent primers free lead...father in law was a plumber and squirreled away a coupletons. Much of my powder has been pretty much free or a couple dollars a pound. I just got 2 3 lb metal cans in the last online auction...both had about a pound of powder in them...$2.50 cents plus 10%...so 2,75. One was Herco...the other Green Dot. I emptied them both into plastic powder bottles and will sell the metal cans. The GD weighed 15 ounces...Herco 17 ounces. I will get at least 25 dollars for the M T metal cans. Yeah one day I will run out of the primers that are so cheap...Powder probably last me 25 years if I make it to a 100. But my business was a gun shop heavily involved in reloading. I still have 70 cents a pound 4831 WWII Surplus. Even have about 4M(M is Roman numerals for a thousand) FA surplus rifle pistol primers for JIC You never know. Don't remember what they cost now but seem to remember 2 dollars per M. So it is possible to load for 4 cents a round...but I am lucky. In 2013 I attended an auction where primers cost me 3 dollars per M. When the powder sold I had no more room in the P/U. It sold for 10-12 dollars for 8 lb kegs. BTW...Look for estate sales stuff can be cheap. A lady gave me 14 sealed cans of powder just to get rid of that scary explosive stuff in the cabinet
Safestuffer
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The reason you stack components deep when they are cheap is so you can come onto threads like this and brag about how cheap you can reload ammo at prices from 10 years ago.
I'm still loading using primers purchased at $30/1k, cast bullets at $1/lb for wheelweights, powder at $25/lb, and brass that has long paid for itself so doesn't go on the expense list.
$0.03/each is an exaggeration though. The cheapest I've ever been able to reload a cartridge for is about $0.06/each for cast 9mm plinkers and .38spcl wadcutters, and thats with free range brass, $30/1k primers, $1/lb lead, and $25/lb bullseye powder.
I'm still loading using primers purchased at $30/1k, cast bullets at $1/lb for wheelweights, powder at $25/lb, and brass that has long paid for itself so doesn't go on the expense list.
$0.03/each is an exaggeration though. The cheapest I've ever been able to reload a cartridge for is about $0.06/each for cast 9mm plinkers and .38spcl wadcutters, and thats with free range brass, $30/1k primers, $1/lb lead, and $25/lb bullseye powder.
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GypsmJim
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Not a dream, but because of a nightmare.
When lead wheel weights were outlawed, it was obvious that we needed to stock in a lifetime supply while they only cost pennies.
Back when the several crises happened, we simply could see it might happen again. When the 6:00 news uttered the word "pandemic" it was obvious that it was going to come back. That was the time to act now.
How can you load for 3 cents? - by being prepared.
Basically the answer to the OP's question is...
IF you've been hoarding reloading components for 20-30 years AND you cast your own bullets from FREE wheel weights, THEN, maybe, you can reload pistol cartridges for 3-4 cents a round.
OTHERWISE, expect reloads to cost you between 3 and 6 times that much (10-25 cents per round). The actual price depends on when you started buying your reloading supplies.
The really good news is that, even if it costs you 25 cents per round to reload, you're still WAY ahead financially to reload your own ammo. Not to mention being light years ahead in terms of being able to get the ammo you need when you want it or need it. Especially compared to those who are relying on the ammo factories to produce what they want.
Here's a perfect example of what I mean: just for giggles, I've been looking for pretty much ANYTHING in .32 caliber for the last 6 months. The only thing I have found on the shelves is a little overpriced 32ACP here and there. No 32 S&W, no 32 S&W Long, no 32 H&R mag, no 327 mag.
Thankfully, with just one set of dies and a couple of different bullet weights, I can reload any or all of the above calibers for less than a quarter per round.
Having the ammo you want when the shelves are bare:
PRICELESS!
IF you've been hoarding reloading components for 20-30 years AND you cast your own bullets from FREE wheel weights, THEN, maybe, you can reload pistol cartridges for 3-4 cents a round.
OTHERWISE, expect reloads to cost you between 3 and 6 times that much (10-25 cents per round). The actual price depends on when you started buying your reloading supplies.
The really good news is that, even if it costs you 25 cents per round to reload, you're still WAY ahead financially to reload your own ammo. Not to mention being light years ahead in terms of being able to get the ammo you need when you want it or need it. Especially compared to those who are relying on the ammo factories to produce what they want.
Here's a perfect example of what I mean: just for giggles, I've been looking for pretty much ANYTHING in .32 caliber for the last 6 months. The only thing I have found on the shelves is a little overpriced 32ACP here and there. No 32 S&W, no 32 S&W Long, no 32 H&R mag, no 327 mag.
Thankfully, with just one set of dies and a couple of different bullet weights, I can reload any or all of the above calibers for less than a quarter per round.
Having the ammo you want when the shelves are bare:
PRICELESS!
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As I said... I am very lucky. I have bought stuff so cheaply I can reload for almost nothing. Still if you can get it done for 5 dollars a box of 50 anything is really good. If I needed 9 mm to shoot I'd pay that. Still beats 10-12 bucks in bulk. The one part of cast bullets that is a pain for me is sizing/lubing...and I use a Star sizer for most. Gas check bullets are done on a RCBS LAM or a Lyman 45
reloader7.62
Member
Casting, reloading and shooting are my hobbies, it's what I do when I'm not working for the man or working on the honey do list around the house. I've been in this game for over forty years and have seen many shortages of everything related to my above hobby, that includes surplus and factory ammo as well.
I made my mind up many years ago not to get caught short of what I needed to enjoy said hobbies, hunt and defend myself and family if the time ever arises regardless of economics or which way the political winds were blowing and both of those seem to have gone further south as the years go by. I chose to get ahead of the curve but I understand those that are just getting into reloading or even casting especially the last couple of years don't have those choices like I did it's just going to be more expensive and honestly I don't think it's ever going to get cheaper in some aspects component wise.
I might buy some primers next month just to add to the stash, most likely a couple of thousand SP and LP, but thats all I'll probably even need with what I have on hand now. Even at the new cost of powder and primers, it's still cheaper for me to reloaded everything I shoot vs. buy factory ammo.
I made my mind up many years ago not to get caught short of what I needed to enjoy said hobbies, hunt and defend myself and family if the time ever arises regardless of economics or which way the political winds were blowing and both of those seem to have gone further south as the years go by. I chose to get ahead of the curve but I understand those that are just getting into reloading or even casting especially the last couple of years don't have those choices like I did it's just going to be more expensive and honestly I don't think it's ever going to get cheaper in some aspects component wise.
I might buy some primers next month just to add to the stash, most likely a couple of thousand SP and LP, but thats all I'll probably even need with what I have on hand now. Even at the new cost of powder and primers, it's still cheaper for me to reloaded everything I shoot vs. buy factory ammo.
I haven't been at it nearly as long as you have, but otherwise I can echo all of that.
Not too long after I got started reloading, I figured I wanted to make sure that when I retired I would have enough components to reload and shoot as much as I wanted for as long as I want to.
So, I decided that while I was still working, I would budget an average $100 a month to spend on reloading supplies. I've also bought and traded for a lot of stuff from people who were getting out of reloading or who had more components than they needed or whatever. After 7 or 8 years of that you can accumulate enough to last a lifetime.
Even though all of the components are more expensive now, I'd recommend that people new to reloading take the same approach. Figure out a set figure you can afford to budget each month, and make the best deals you can to stretch that budget as far as possible.
Then stick with it.
Like the old saying
"How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time".
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reloader7.62
Member
As far as primer go, I have it on good authority for an individual that I know is a straight-up honest individual that primers as we know them are going to be few and far between and more expensive compared to days gone by.
Rather than put words in his mouth, I'll let him tell you his experience and what he was told. I can personally attest to one of the statements about raw materials as not only has my company seen a lack of raw materials, many not produced in the states by anyone but the expense has increased on some items by 600%.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2zHGfaOjvQ[/ame]
Rather than put words in his mouth, I'll let him tell you his experience and what he was told. I can personally attest to one of the statements about raw materials as not only has my company seen a lack of raw materials, many not produced in the states by anyone but the expense has increased on some items by 600%.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2zHGfaOjvQ[/ame]
I began amassing lead WWs prior to the change to steel and zinc, and I seriously doubt I'll ever run out. Out of curiosity, I decided to see if I could build a bullet trap just in the interest of being able to make a bucket of lead last indefinitely.
A frozen chicken cardboard box and a few bags of rubber mulch was all it took to successfully recover all my cast 9mm and .45 acp. Two boxes would stop my .41 mag loads. Even better, there's no lead dust to contend with like you get from steel traps. I don't use the trap, because I don't need to, but it's nice to know I can make a small supply of lead go on and on and on.
A frozen chicken cardboard box and a few bags of rubber mulch was all it took to successfully recover all my cast 9mm and .45 acp. Two boxes would stop my .41 mag loads. Even better, there's no lead dust to contend with like you get from steel traps. I don't use the trap, because I don't need to, but it's nice to know I can make a small supply of lead go on and on and on.
max503
Member
How much is it worth when the shelves are bare?
How about the rat hairs?
I have some lead that's been down the barrel 2 or 3 times now.....Should be inherently more accurate now now........Don't ya think?
GypsmJim
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It all depends if you hit the old rifling at the right spot. If you are crooked and the rifling makes new grooves in the boolit, you'll have leading...
Current cost of reloaded handgun ammo at todays component prices is around 12 bucks a box with cast or lead bullets. Still a lot cheaper for most cartridges but I just purchased 1000 9 mm loaded rounds(cci blazer) for about 275 with shipping and tax so prices are coming down for some. I stockpiled components over the years when they were plentiful so l can load for much much less. It is still worth it even at todays prices for most cartridges(38,357,45,44sp 44mag ect)
