There are three possible benefits to handloading:
- lower cost per round made than factory. IOW, cost
- more consistent ammo, better matched to your rifle. IOW, accuracy
- a satisfying hobby, complementary to shooting. IOW, enjoyment.
If you do not have time, do not have space to set up what amounts to a small assembly shop, don't have patience, can't or won't RTFM, don't have any mechanical aptitude . . . well, these things can be overcome but they are indicators reloading is not for you.
You will spend $500 to $1,000 very quickly on equipment depending on the reloading route you choose. And you will front money to buy components in bulk to lower costs, just like you would for bulk ammo.
It's easy to make 223 ammo (55gr Hornady, 25gr H335, CCI41 primers) for $0.20 per round ex brass (so save your brass). Brass can be re-used 5-10 times, and mixed Nato brass can be purchased for $42/1000 (Powder Valley). So brass cost is less than $0.01 per round.
This ammo will give superior performance and be more accurate out of your rifle than any bulk ammo you can buy. Period.
I don't know your bulk ammo cost. The great deals I see here often don't exist when I go to buy lol
But if you can save $0.20/round, your volume of 2,400 will net $480 per year. This will provide a 2 year payback on your initial investment at worst, and give a 50% to 100% return on your investment every year after that. Installing solar energy won't do that.
But I say again, you must have the time et al to do this. If you can work a second job instead of reloading, cost-wise you might be better off working than reloading. If you forget about ammo accuracy lol.
Others will say you save no money, you will just shoot more. For many that's true. But it completely hides the fact that if you shoot more, you will save more.
IOW, it is undeniable that every handloaded round you shoot costs less -
what you do with the savings is up to you.
If on a budget and only reloading 223, I would recommend a Lee Turret, Lee Dies, an RCBS beam scale and checkweights, Lee hand case prep and trimming tools to use in your drill. The Turret will give you enough speed to make reloading 200 rounds/month reasonable and all these tools have a short learning curve.
If you plan to load other calibers in the future, the Lee features quick changeover and setup as well as low cost.
After learning the process and gaining experience, there are some Lee tools you may want to replace for efficiency. If you eventually pursue match ammo, your savings will skyrocket . . . and you would likely choose different equipment. But the Lee stuff will work and produce very good ammo.
Evaluate yourself, your time, your patience, your willingness to be a prudent student. Then decide.
