How many Really count costs?

[308Jeff]

Unfortunately, I keep a spreadsheet for everything.

-A complete handloading log.
-Tracking sheet for pewter. Where I bought it, how much I paid, weight, cost/lb, etc
-Wheelweight sheet. Where they came from, total weight, cost, percentage of yields, total yields.
-Inventory of every reloading component I have (comes in handy when you think you have something, but not sure)
-Complete log on every firearm. Dates fired, rounds fired, total rounds fired, what ammo was fired.

Yeah, I know what all of it costs. And I can see that I have a lot of components I need to put together into live rounds. LOL.

[TexasGrunt]

I'm a bit of a numbers guy so I can keep track. I choose not to most of the time. I do look at it this way. A good mold costs less than 1000 commercial cast boolits. The cost of the mold can easily be recovered in one or two casting sessions.

I try not to pay more than $4 a lb for pewter.

Scrap lead I'll pay the going price which has bounced between $0.60 and $0.80 a lb the past three years.

Wheelweights are running me about $.30-.35 a pound.

Primers I try and not pay more than $25 per 1000. I've got a few thousand I paid a lot less than that for.

Powder I try and keep under $24 a lb, again I've got a lot of powder I picked up in the $15-$17 range.

Next time I get low on powder and primers I'm going to do a 48 lb order from Powder Valley, or I might pick up a case of the BR-5 surplus powder.

Brass, I'm sitting pretty good on most stuff. Still need more 10mm, .30-06, 7.62x51, and .357. If the price was right I'd gladly pick up another 5 gallon bucket of .45 ACP brass. I scrounge what I can at the range.

I also keep track of the stuff I use to make lures. I went through 100 lbs of lead between yesterday and today doing some stuff for a friend. Used up almost my entire stock of one wire form. I'll have to work on replacing both of those. I buy my wire forms by the thousand. Reason being is it's half the price or more doing so. Wire doesn't go bad and I've went through about 10k pieces of wire in the past three years. I try and buy my most used hooks by the thousand too. Again it saves a ton of money. I've went through right at 1500 lbs of lead making fishing lures and jigs in the past three years. Lure components I buy by the 1000 from Worthco or Hagen's. The cost savings on stuff like spinner blades is crazy. $0.08 vs $.35 each buying them locally.

Cost doesn't bother me, my wife may have a different opinion. But it keeps me busy and helps keep me sane. To me that's priceless.

[Drew P]

I've got a box of 45acp down to 5$. That's if I don't count the box itself, or the TIME. If I count my time then a box costs me about 165$. So do I do it for the savings or because I like to? I'm not even sure anymore.

[308Jeff]

I've got a box of 45acp down to 5$. That's if I don't count the box itself, or the TIME. If I count my time then a box costs me about 165$. So do I do it for the savings or because I like to? I'm not even sure anymore.

[45-70 Chevroner]

Looking at my mold cabinet(s)...... I don't really wanna know. It would be depressing.

Your right on the money "pun intended". I to don't keep track. My wife would be depressed if she knew how much money was stacked on my shelves.

[labradigger1]

I don't keep track of prices. For me it's enjoyable and relaxing.

[bedbugbilly]

The only "cost saving" I think I've had would be with my round ball/minie ball BP loading. Over the years, that has saved a LOT of expense as opposed to buying them.

Cartridge boolit casting/loading? Yea right! Saving money was just an excuse to get in to a new hobby but there are just too many moulds, dies, do dads, etc. that I've accumulated to ever begin to think that I MIGHT have saved anything! LOL

I'm sure if a person owned just one handgun or perhaps one caliber - used just one mold/design boolit - and the same for one rifle - then over time you would be able to say "I saved by doing it" - problems most of us have more than one gun, one caliber and we are hooked on molds and trying new ones, etc. But hey, it's a "hobby" and it gives you something to show for your efforts . . . more so than those who pursue other hobbies perhaps? Life is short so enjoy it to the extent that you can afford it without letting your other financial responsibilities and savings suffer.

[Skunk1]

Never counted cost. I was always interested and bit the bullet. Being a hoarder of good deals I'm sure I've lost on the making money of it. Hobbys are just that, interesting and enjoyable.

[Morgan61]

If you enjoy it, who cares if it saves money.
If I were happy spending a few bucks on some fish at the grocer, I'm even happier I spent 10's of thousands of dollars on a boat and fishing gear-money that I'll never get back.

[Hick]

When I got started I was half expecting my wife to someday question me about all that spending-- so I have counted every penny (and continue to do so). There was a day when she did ask-- and I pointed out to her that instead of guns I could have taken up fishing, and reminded her of how much her dad spent on his boat. At that point she said guns and reloading was a good hobby as long as I was having fun.

[dverna]

I hate every aspect of reloading/casting. If I could buy factory ammunition that would serve my needs, at he same cost as reloads, I would NEVER reload or cast again.

I reload to shoot...not the other way around.

But hey...different strokes for different folks.

[Bookworm]

Odd, isn't it, the different reasons for us doing this.

I started reloading to save money. It worked, for a while.

As I fell deeper down the hole, I found that I enjoyed it. Then I started casting.

Now, I'm like some others, in that I know roughly what each round costs, but don't care. I'm not certain if I cast/reload to shoot, or is it the other way around ?

It's a hobby. I enjoy it, and it keeps me out of the bowling alley.

[Digital Dan]

Cost would not be my primary concern, but over the course of the last 8 years or so, availability of ammo/components was. I started casting in 2010 for that reason and it has grown on me a bit. Factory ammo is stupid expensive these days and for some calibers the bullets are likewise. Brass too. Don't much care for back ordering anything.

Popped a couple of small hogs today so the wife won't be spending money in the grocery store on pork. How much does reloading cost? I don't have a clue. How much fun is it to pretend you're shooting a .25-20 Single Shot or a .38-55 Winchester Highwall? Do you want to take out a loan to buy a box of .416 Rigby ammo?

[MKN]

I think I am like most all of us, I cast / reload / and count pennies for many reasons:
- I wanted to get started out of curiosity, when I was a kid my Uncles reloaded 12 gauge
- with funds tight at the beginning, I wanted to see a return on investment, that is my nature.
- As I reloaded, I went down the rabbit hole for accuracy, with 5.56 I achieved a level I was happy with. Then I went to 30 - 06 and found a happy spot !
- 9 mm during this time, was a money saver for sure, but a pita, single stage.
-started skeet shooting, funds were more available at this time in my life, but , my nature, check costs. Paid for a MEC 9000 in 12 and 20 gauge in one year shooting with my 2 boys. I personally used 3/4 oz shot for 12 gauge to accelerate the pay off, and again reached a level I was quite happy with.
- During this time, I started using my reloads for deer hunting, took a number of deer with those, and thought about casting....to actually make the boolit as well.
- Started USPSA in 9 mm, immediately dropped the single stage and bought a Dillon 650, paid for that in one season of USPSA.
- thought more about casting as I would find cast loads on the ground at the range, thought, humm, someone is casting....
- the desire to cast my own bullet for hunting and USPSA was too strong, the cost savings on USPSA would pay for any hunting cast boolits.
- then I started smelting range scrap, and thought, damm I have spent a lot of unnecessary money over the decades,
- Now I am at the edge of heading down the rabbit hole for accuracy in cast boolits, looking at what the possible accuracy is achievable.

- Love every minute and get tremendous satisfaction from casting / reloading and it has allowed me to get a lot of equipment and shoot as much as I want for what I think is an acceptable amount !

Matt

[15meter]

I've watched cost pretty close over the years, started with a Lee loader in 12 gauge, the card board box special. Moved to a Mec for speed. Started rifle with a Lee loader in .308.
Started upgrading for almost 30 years now. I have been extremely lucky, sold the basic stuff for as much or more than I paid for it. When I upgraded it was almost always buying out some guy who was getting out of reloading or estate sales, several times it was large batches of reloading/casting stuff someone just wanted gone. Cleaned up/fixed up and kept what I wanted and peddled the rest. 11 shotgun presses in one batch for $75.00, cleaned them up ordered the parts to get them working right netted ~ $500. At this point I'm on the plus side of cost on my reloading equipment. If my shop burned down tonight I wouldn't lose a dime out of pocket. Components are bought in group buys @ wholesale prices and I have been able to scrounge enough lead to probably last me until I can't shoot anymore. I figure my 45 colt/45 ACP loads in the $4-5/100 range. Cheaper then .22. Rifle w/gas check might make .010 each. The biggest thing is shooting stuff that I couldn't afford to buy, 50-70, 8x56R, .43 Spanish and a number of others. Plus I like to load. A lot.

[racepres]

Not I ...never have

[trails4u]

I don't count....couldn't if I had to. I have two, somewhat separate and distinct 'hobbies'. I have a lot of passion for what I load for and shoot regularly, and then I have my buying/swapping/trading/selling hobby that somewhat pays for what I load and shoot. I enjoy each equally, but in very different ways. It's sometimes hard to separate the two....as I've been known to 'score' some obscure brass, bullets, or a mould, and then somehow end up with a rifle that eats it.

[LenH]

Never really gave it much thought. But it gives me something to do and it pretty much keeps me out of trouble.

I have a friends dad teach me the ropes of reloading and casting. That guy never bought factory ammo except for rim fire, so I learned that in my teenage years and
never forgot what he taught me. Now some 40 years later, well you get the idea.

[mozeppa]

i don't even keep track of time spent in the reload room.

[TexasGrunt]

When I got started I was half expecting my wife to someday question me about all that spending-- so I have counted every penny (and continue to do so). There was a day when she did ask-- and I pointed out to her that instead of guns I could have taken up fishing, and reminded her of how much her dad spent on his boat. At that point she said guns and reloading was a good hobby as long as I was having fun.

Yeah, I have both hobbies. Boat is paid for. I get 3.5 trips to the lake with my Ram 2500 Cummins. When I'm able I go 2x a week. That's just over two tanks of diesel a month. Then there's the boat gas. 24' with a 250 Yamaha. Sucks gas like there's no tomorrow. It's got a 70 gallon tank and if I'm good I can get by with one tank a month. If I have to run around the lake, Lake Tawakoni, then at least two tanks a month.

I haven't had the boat in the water since November due to leakage problems, mine, not the boat. So I figure the wife owes me 7 tanks of diesel and three tanks of boat gas. That's at least $852.

I took up bullet casting in January. I don't think I've spent even close to that on bullet casting. But I'm not stupid enough to poke that bear by pointing it out to my wife.