I'm not sure reloading for common calibers is worth it right now.

[mikld]

I am glad money is waaaaaaaay down on my list for reasons to reload. In 1970 I emptied the cylinder of my 38 Special and thought; "I wonder if I could reuse these?". Went to Weatherby's in South Gate, CA and asked questions...

 

[Dfish1247]

What attitude do you have? Buy a box here and there, buy gobs of boxes to ride out the panics? Most big game hunters I’ve met could buy 10 boxes of what they like and be set for life. Regulars at the range, whole different story.

People who reload are generally hoarders, keep enough to roll through the shortages. Same goes with rim fire enthusiasts.

Benchrest folks inadvertently become hoarders buy trying gobs of different combinations, I’ve been there. Partial boxes of bullets and primers, partial cans of powder. Then they find what they like and keep plenty of it to still have fun. And the rest sits until the end of time, you may trade bits and pieces off time to time, but it’s rare.

Reloaders are also at the bottom of the food chain, loaded ammo is more lucrative.

You can also save your components and use them when 270 dries up on the shelf. If you just hunt with it, you don’t need a warehouse.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

223, 308, and 45ACP are as common as can be, but no company loads them for my gun's accuracy like I do! I even loaded some 9mm and 357 Sig just to have something to do. I haven't seen even common calibers that I can't load cheaper than I can buy, but then I am sneaky enough to have powder and primers stacked high & deep.

I remember in the late 70's and early 80's $16/100 factory ball 5.56 or 223, I could only load it 1 cent around cheaper than that, BUT they shot around 1" and My ammo was 1/4 MOA!

The paper targets and ground hogs may not care, BUT I DO.

Ivan

 

[71vette]

For bulk “general range practice” ammo in common calibers (9mm, 223, maybe even 45) right now that’s probably correct. For any kind of specialty round, it’s not even close. Plus I can make what I want. I actually enjoy reloading almost as much as shooting.

 

[alwslate]

It's not always about the money. When you reach old age the labor of handloading becomes a factor. I have carbide dies and a pile of 9mm brass. But with at least 10K of 9mm FMJ ammo that I bought cheap before the pandemic I just can't see reloading 9mm.

 

[venomballistics]

Right now, I'm playing with AR platform cartridges and cast lead
So far, with some buffer weight tuning, I can run a coated cast 55 grain in 5.56. This load comes in cheaper than WWB FMJ, but may prove a great small game load where the FMJ tends to be overkill.
Another cartridge is the 350 legend. This should be able to utilize cast lead to it's full potential. If it pans out, its not only a good range round, but a solid game getter as well. I have high hopes for it.
300 blackout, is a natural cartridge for the endeavor and well established as such.
Cast lead is an element one will not find often as a factory offering.

 

[twodog max]

Reloading, casting bullets and trying different loads is it's own sort of fun. Shooting them just takes it to another level. I have been loading for almost 60 years. If I get lucky I will croak off at the loading bench, on the range or hunting.

 

[pasound]

Nearly 40 years ago, when I first started handloading, I was making boxes of 50 38's for a little more than a dollar, 357's for $1.50, 44 special for $1.50, 44 magnums for around $2.00. Factory loads were twice that. I discounted the cost of my first Lee press, dies, and brass, because it was all reusable. Powder was a small cost, as were primers then. Factory bullets were the biggest cost. My full box of 1980's Aberts HSWC's was $5.90 - 100 bullets. One of the more expensive - a specialty round. Jacketed and factory lead of all calibers were $2-4.00 a box of 100.

The proportion cost ratio today is smaller, but it doesn't mean that reloading is less fun to do. Or more expensive. I like making my own ammo.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

I'll get about 120 loads out of the powder which makes the cost around .43 per shot. This puts my reloaded cost at around $1.00 per shot/$20 box, when you consider sales tax. I can buy factory S&B or PPU, which works OK for me, for $24 a box. Local farm store has Remington brand 270 for $27. I'm not sure it's worth reloading 270 to save $4-$7 a box.

Why not buy Tula or Wolf and save a lot of money?

 

[Miracle Man]

When I started reloading in the early 80's I did it because quite frankly my reloads would out shoot factory and it wasn't even close. (22-250)

Back then, after you paid off the equipment, you could save a good bit of money as well. But like many others have said the cost wasn't very high on my list of reasons. I also just enjoyed it.

Today there's very little savings in reloading in most cases.

 

[Wyo]

People reload for lots of different reasons. Cost savings is one though probably not as viable as it once was for common calibers. i quit reloading 12 ga. target ammo when lead shot went to $45/25 lb. and I realized I could buy loaded ammo for less than it cost me to reload. If you shop carefully, that's sometimes true for 9mm and a few others too. One of the biggest reasons for me, though, is that I shoot a number of cartridges that really can only be obtained by reloading or by paying really exorbitant prices like $5 or more per round. Examples include the 40/70 Sharps Necked and the 50/90 Sharps. You ain't gonna find those at the Walmart! Others can occasionally be found but it's rare and they're very expensive - 32/20, 44/40 and 25/20 come to mind. I shoot old guns in all those calibers because I can make my own ammo when I want. Were it otherwise, they'd mostly be sitting in the safe forever. Most of those cartridges use cast bullets too so they're actually less expensive to shoot than a modern 30/06 or 270. Besides, I enjoy making my own stuff. Anyway, one more reason to keep up with the hobby in these trying times.

 

[CH4]

Depends on your motivation for reloading. I reload because:

I simply enjoy the process
Creating something myself
Can’t find specific ammo

I pay attention to component pricing because I like the challenge of finding good deals, but I never calculate how much the end product costs.

 

[Racer X]

I shoot .357 sig and 10mm because when you reload, its a reasonable per round cost. If new factory weak loads were the only option, I wouldn't have them.

 

[dogdoc]

You can handload what you can’t readily buy even in more common calibers. Example 250 grain Lyman 429421 Keith over 2400 at full house levels in 44 magnum. You can’t find that on the commercial side often and if you do the cost is outrageous . I shoot a lot of mostly cast bullets so the savings is half or more over the cost of most factory and ammo is always available to me in quantity

 

[glenwolde]

The economics are different for handgun rounds vs rifle rounds. Handgunners tend to shoot up a lot more ammo than rifle shooters so a small savings per round can add up.

I only shoot (and reload for) handguns. I only use lead bullets. I save something by loading anything but with the scarcity of primers I don't waste them on 9mm. Not that I shoot much of it anyway.

I don't enjoy reloading that much. That's why I use a progressive. It is partially about cost savings. I go through thousands of rounds a year. When your favorite rounds are .38 Special.,357 and .41 magnum, you reload.

An equally important reason: consistent ammunition over the decades. I've been shooting the same .38 load for 45 years. The .41 about half that. I don't have to wonder if there's an accuracy issue with *whatever* factory load I've switched to this year. If you're buying factory you're probably not shooting the same thing you were years ago.

Of course I'm working off my stash and haven't re-rated for current prices but when I run the numbers now and then it seems like it's still worth it. I'll have to eventually.

 

[mtgianni]

Graf and Sons bring your price down to $23.99 for bullets and $44.00 per lb of powder if you buy an 8 lb jug. Primers are available locally for $80.00 per K. It is still expensive, but if you had bought the 8 lb jug in 2016 you would probably still be shooting from it at a $170.00 price tag vs a $353.99 price tag.

 

[Nevada Ed]

This summer I started buying supplies to reload 270 Winchester for the 1st time. A can of 4831SC was $52 at Cabelas, Speer 130gn bullets was $38, all +tax. Fortunately I have a few LLP but when I find some to buy they will probably cost $10.K.

I'll get about 120 loads out of the powder which makes the cost around .43 per shot. This puts my reloaded cost at around $1.00 per shot/$20 box, when you consider sales tax. I can buy factory S&B or PPU, which works OK for me, for $24 a box. Local farm store has Remington brand 270 for $27. I'm not sure it's worth reloading 270 to save $4-$7 a box.

In my opinion this is short sightedness from a manufacture/supplier standpoint. Yes, money is being made now but they are not going to build a future market at this rate. I've been reloading since the early 70s and will continue to do so for odder calibers as long as I can get components. But at some point the manufacturers/suppliers are going to have to replace me as a customer. That's not going to happen to save a couple dollars per box on ammo.

Yes, I know we're all loading ammo using components we bought in the last century. This summer loaded some 40 S&W using primers I paid $19/K, cast bullets from free wheel weights and and powder from an 8Lb jug of BE that had a price tag of <$100. Those prices are in the past.

You don't have to load that 130 gr bullet at 3,100fps factory spec's.

I load a 130 gr with only 53 grs of 4831 powder for 2700fps
that I use for my 100* hot weather days, for Antelope.
At 100 yards my rifle will group at +/- 4 at .61".

More powder, is not always better, in a lot of rifles.

 

[mikld]

"Worth it"? I can go to my bench, research my reloading manuals and choose a load, assemble components and start reloading. Sometimes I get as far as primed and ready brass. Good relaxing couple of hours. Or I could drive to the local box store (LGS in my town doesn't sell ammo any more), search for a parking spot, within 100 yards of the door, go in the store and wait for a clerk to hand me a box of factory ammo, wait in line for checkout, walk back to my truck (somewhere in the parking lot. At my age someone moves my truck when I'm in the store). Hopefully the main drag isn't clogged with mindless RV drivers that left their brain at home for vacation. Get home tired and a bit unnerved at the trip. Worth it to reload? YES!

 

[gmiller0737]

I was/still am well stocked & have enough for quite a long while so I'm not bothered much by todays prices,The Lesson to be learned is to stock High & deep when the getting is good

 

[raljr1]

I just ran some numbers, and with $10 per hundred for primers, I am loading 9MM with lead bullets for just under $11 per box total cost. I have 1000's of cases, most up them picked up at the local range for free. I am retired, and I process ammo while listening to the radio or with a movie on in the background. I put powder in one case at a time and seat the bullet before the case leaves my hand, so no worries about double charges. (sometimes I miss something in the movie) My labor costs me nothing and fills my time. The economics on all other handgun cartridges is much better. When 32 S&W Long is $40 a box and I load them for $12, it allows me to shoot more.