if you buy all the stuff now to reload. It will take you 8 years to break even. If you are looking for a new hobby, its a great choice if your a shooter. 9mm and any straight wall case are easy to load. When you start getting into rifle different story. I hate to trim brass and all bottle neck case will need to be trim. So the prices of ammo is low on 223, so I don't reload 223/5.56 at this time. I started 30 years ago and always used 550b Dillon stations. I have 2 one for small primer and the other for large primers.
good luck this a fun hobby
8 years to break even? Perhaps if you are starting out with a high-end progressive loader, buying all the trinkets, etc.
I have used single-stage presses exclusively (I own 3) for 47 years. Many of my tools have been purchased slightly used from others who tried reloading and decided it wasn't for them. I have also shopped sales and close-outs, picking up some excellent deals over the years. I regularly load 5,000-plus rounds per year (yes, there is some time involved, but I enjoy doing this instead of watching stupid TV shows or other wasted time).
I have little doubt that a person can get a start in reloading for a single caliber today for under $200, perhaps even $150. That equates to about a dozen boxes of factory ammo (and not the high-performance stuff at that).
Commercial hard-cast bullets in most pistol calibers can be had for ~$70 per thousand delivered to your door ($0.07 per). Powder at about $20 per pound will load between 1000 and 1500 rounds (about $0.013 to $0.02 per). Primers at about $30 per thousand ($0.03 each). Cost per loaded round (in reused brass) is about $0.12 per round ($6.00 per 50-round box), or about half the price of the cheapest factory 9X19mm ammo.
Given those numbers the new reloader will break even at about 25 to 33 boxes of ammo. The casual shooter, going to the range once per month and shooting one box of ammo per trip, breaks even at about 6 to 7 months. A more serious shooter, perhaps 150 to 200 rounds per month), breaks even in about 8 or 10 weeks. Either way, after that the equipment is fully amortized and the savings can continue indefinitely.
I've been casting bullets myself, using salvaged lead, for decades. I figure 9mm and .38 Special cost me about $3.00 per box, and .45's a few cents more. Some of my vintage and antique firearms are kept shooting with homemade ammo for pennies per round instead of a buck to two per round (if you doubt this just check the prices for factory-made .44-40, .38-40, .25-20 and a few others!).
I agree with others who have pointed out that the most likely result of reloading is more shooting. That is a good thing, too, because the shooter can shoot two or three times as much within the same budget. Double or triple the enjoyment for the same buck! Another plus is that more practice generally leads to greater proficiency.
