38 Special VS 22 LR reloading cost

[bouncer50]

One of friend and i were talking about the cost 22LR I told him i make my own lead bullets. I told him i could make 38 Special at the cost of 22LR prices or cheaper then 22lr. And have more fun shooting a 38. What do you guy think about the cost of reloading 38 Specials. And the trouble finding 22LR nowadays. I get my lead for free i have close to 1000 pounds.

[bandsmoyer]

I agree. I've been doing it for two years.

[35remington]

Here's how I do it.

Three cents for the primer.

At the replacement cost for powder, a penny or less for 3.5 grains Bullseye.

One 148 grain wadcutter, including price of lead at a rather miserly 50 cents a pound but a full cent for the price of the mould, price of electricity, cost to smelt the lead, amortized cost of lead handling equipment, lead pot and other factors including amortized cost of the brass (some free, some bought with ammo, some purchased as new brass) added to the one cent price of the bullet. So two cents for cost of bullet and other factors.

Six cents per round, three bucks for 50. Cheaper that current prices for .22's, but a bit more than the pre panic price for 22's, which was about two bucks per fifty or a brick of 500 for 20 bucks.

Very, very arguable whether my accounting is accurate, but I'm at least throwing in something for the cost of the non consumed items used in producing the round, which most do not do. Let's just say my "accounting" is more honest than most, but also probably inaccurate.

[koehlerrk]

Well, yes and no, because as you reload more, the impact of the brass, mold, melter, press, dies, etc, becomes less and less...

I figured my 38s to run between 5 and 6 cents a shot... cheapest 22s I've seen local recently are 10 cents a shot, most are 15-20 cents a shot.

Do the math... but my 38s and 22 Hornets will be cheaper than a 22LR for quite some time I figure.

[wv109323]

I have heard people recently buying CCI std. vel. for $349.00 per 5000. With shipping say $375.00 or 7.5 cents per round. I bought SP primers last fall for 32.00 per 1K. I found a pound of Bullseye recently for $28.00( I bought it for a guy that was desperate). With 3.5g of BE that is 1.4 cents.
So you get 3.2 for primer and 1.4 for the powder and you have 4.6 cents per round. Then you do the fuzzy math for the cast boolit and the brass. I have bought very little .38 Special brass and use mostly range salvaged lead. I have little actual money in bullet or brass but you have to consider your time for smelting, casting, sizing and reloading.

[tazman]

If you are going to factor in cost for your time you may as well buy your ammunition.
I have more time than money and am retired, so time doesn't count as much for me. Besides, I enjoy the process, and enjoy shooting cartridges I have made with my own hands. They work better in my guns than new ammunition does.

[Animal]

One more thing to factor into the cost of casting. Hands start to hurt from gripping the molds handles. If you are a ladle caster, you might have a flare-up in your elbow. Unless you have a method that lets you cast all day while in the seated position, your feet, ankles, knees and lower back will be talking to you after a long casting session. If you don't have a roof over your casting station, you might need a few shots of suntan loation on the back of your neck. Now that you have abused your body to create some picture perfect bullets, it is time to move to the loading bench to start sizing. Now you have a flare up in your rotator cuff from sizing a mountain of bullets.
Now that you are dealing with all these aches and pains and even a possible sunburn on the back of your neck, you need pain relievers, heating pads and good inserts in your boots. Factor in the cost of these additional items... Was it still worth it? shoot, you still got all them bullets that need to get loaded and shot... Damn right it was worth it! At some point, figuring out cost got a little boring to me.

[EMC45]

Yup! .38 special and .32 S&W-L are way cheaper than ANY .22 I have found. Primers @ .15 a piece, WWs free and powder was bought when it could be found. Mostly under 2 bucks for 50.

[HarryT]

Another plus for handloaded ammunition is your cartridges should be far more accurate than bulk .22 rimfire.

[bouncer50]

I also cast for my 44, 45acp and 45 Colt. So if you get your lead for free it would still be cheaper then 22lr. A friend of mine told me at a gunshow cast 45 acp 230 grain are going for 40 buck for 500. Is this the going price for cast bullets now. That price shock me. I like casting taking scrap lead and making bullets out of it. I am surprise more people don"t start casting it may be the start up cost or finding free or cheap lead.

[w5pv]

The lead I have was scrounged from tire dealers cost = time and gas
Powder was traded for cost = time and gas
Molds are Lee cost 5x25= 125
Lyman Lead pot traded for cost = time and gas
Trimmers Home made effort
Powder Throw cost =28.00
Powder Scale cost = 80.00
Dribbler cost = 15.00
Dies 5 different calibers cost = 200.00
Shell casings cost = mostly traded for
Primers Large Pistol and small Pistol cost = >.03 ea
Enjoyment doing this priceless

[BrianL]

It is even better if you have a set-up to recover and re-use the bullets. I have plans for a snail trap but last year shot into poplar logs and recovered by both splitting and by burning. The splitting was labor intensive and the burning was more messy. I am reading a bit about the ground rubber option.

[35remington]

Any costs you can recover is a good thing, as is recycling lead these days. One should figure that someday free things ain't gonna be free anymore.

As mentioned though, more than lip service should be given to the cost of the items used to produce the ammo that are not mentioned that are nevertheless factors. Any price accounting is incomplete without it, but most estimates are best guesses anyway.

In actuality our reloading costs are usually more than most are willing to admit.

So be it. That never kept anyone from hand loading for whatever reason of their choosing.

[wrench man]

As limited as the 22 supply is, I've picked up Federal 510 in a 500rnd brick for $19.95 last fall, just a few weeks ago I got two 300rnd packs of CCI Mini Mags for $19.99
Primers around these parts are running $34-$45, powder IF you can find any is $30+
It sure would be nice to have stock piles of powder, lead and primers from the last century?

[bangerjim]

I have been doing that for over 2 years also! 38SPL, 45LC, 30-30, 223......all lite-loaded to emulate 22LR's. And I figure over-all cost is ~5 cents/round!

22LR's are a thing of our childhood. For get them. Cheapest ones I have seen recently were 9 cents/round. Passed on that.

banger-j

[EMC45]

I meant to say 1.5 cents for primers. I got them for 15 bucks a thou a while ago.

[BrianL]

I meant to say 1.5 cents for primers. I got them for 15 bucks a thou a while ago.

Naw, you can't have it that way. If you could, you could say that the price of 22LR is still $7.99 for the 550 box at Walmart a short time ago.

Apples to Apples. @ 2-3 cents per primer you still come in under the current price of 22LR.

[bedbugbilly]

Yep. . . agree with you whole heartedly. When the .22 shortage and gouging started . . . I parked all of my 22s and haven't shot them since. In fact, I sometimes wonder why I'm keeping them. I have the brass, I have the lead . . . the biggest expense is the primer and what little powder I use. A pound of Bulls Eye or Red Dot goes a long way . . . especially in a 38 Colt Short where I only use a couple of grains. Yea, there's my time in doing the casting and loading but this is a hobby where you're supposed to have fun. . . . and that's exactly what I'm having . . . and not stressing out over trying to find 22 ammo or worrying about what the cost will be "today".

[BrianL]

I just finished the trade of a Ruger 10-22 and some light smithing work for a 6" S & W model 57 with dies, brass, and two molds. I will not miss it.

[johniv]

A cost of 5 or 6 cents per round is about right. Before you figger in brass, time, cost of your mold yadayada. I think of the brass as paid for once it is shot the first time, after that it is free, molds and equipment, they paid for themselves 30 or 40 years ago. Time? I guess I could be sitting on my duff watching 22 rich guys chase a pigskin around a cow pasture, but that pays the same. So.....
a nickel a round it is.
John

[WILDEBILL308]

You made me go look at what my cost is for 38wc. Like some one else commented we tend to under value our time and labor. Finding lead smelting, casting, sizing/lubing, These all take time. If you have brass and don't count the cost of bullets or labor to load them I can load for $0.04 ea. The cost if you use a commercially cast bullet like Berry's (ok I know they aren't cast) or some other local source that will add $0.135 to $0.15. I would like to think I was loading 38sp for $20.00 per 500 but reality is it is more like $75.00 per 500. Still not that bad I have seen bricks of junk 22s selling for that at the gun shows.
I went and looked at 45acp and primer and powder are $0.04 (4.0 Bullseye ) with a cast bullet that cost $0.21 that's $0.25 each or $125.00 for 500.
I have ben going through a period where I didn't have time to cast.
Bill

[Bigslug]

Well, a lot of my brass and almost all of my lead is scrounged. Yes there is the time and effort to process it, BUT. . .

. . .what nobody has yet mentioned is the time, gas, and effort that often goes into procuring .22 ammo these days. I keep hearing tales of guys roving between and staking out Wal Marts for the arrival of shipments, dealers limiting quantities, dealers holding back for preferred customers or to limit resellers, and on, and on. . . Then we get to the fact that lately, selection is non-existent unless you are shooting championship-level match ammo which was really expensive before anyone ever heard the name Barack Hussein Obama.

As a brass-scrounging reloader, I figure you are one step further removed from the hand-to-mouth feeding frenzy. As a lead-scrouging caster, one step further still. We're a lot less dependent on others to be able to shoot what we want, as much as we want.

[BrianL]

What a lot of people also have not mentioned is that compared to other hobbies/pastimes, shooting cast bullets is dirt cheap. Consider the price of a round of golf with a cart, lift tickets at the ski resort, etc. At the end of the day you still have your brass, perhaps your lead and a big grin.

[Bazoo]

I scrounge 22s, and I shoot my own cast. Cast shooting is cheaper, 22's is still fun though. I've paid 6x50 for 22's, normally pay about 5x50. I just keep my eyes and ears peeled for them and buy them when i have both the money and opportunity. My 38s cost me a little less than 3.00 a box. I have plenty of time, i had to buy some lead as I couldnt find any free, but I gave next to nothing for it. I gave 30.00 a pound for powder, and 40x1000 primers.

I like scrounging 22s almost as much as I like scrounging components.

[Oreo]

My $0.02.... To be apples to apples you need to be comparing against the cost of match grade 22lr. Not many people casting their own boolits are just slapping ammo together without a care towards quality. If you're pouring your own you have or will be assembling loads custom developed for each gun. Even the very best 22lr isn't custom loaded for your individual gun.

On another note... I keep my stash of 22lr exclusively for teaching new shooters. I bought enough before the shortage to bring up my two young boys and not worry about running out before they're ready to shoot center fire. I also dip into the stash when a friend or family asks me to introduce them to shooting.

[Cd662]

.22LR is selling for some insane prices and people are willing to pay for it. A lot of those people are not really interested in reloading.

[MT Gianni]

$1 lb for lead, 46 bullets per lb $21.50 per thousand. Primers $30 per thousand 2.8 gr BE 4/10 lb or $8.75 @ $175 per 8 lb keg. 60.25 per thousand. Even buying with todays prices you would have to find 22 lr @ $27.95 for 550 bulk pack. Mention versatility and 22 lr is far behind. Substitute the equation with 32 long and it was cheaper than 22 lr @ 19.99 per 550.

[ole 5 hole group]

All depends on the price of the 22lr. My cost over the past year was $58.00 or there abouts for a bucket of bullets from Remington - 1,400 rounds. The value packs, 525 rounds went from 18.99 to 23.99 with the majority being 21.99 a value pack plus tax. The store you ask???? Mills Fleet Farm in Brainerd, Minnesota - long way from you??? Sucks to be you.:bigsmyl2:

[clum553946]

For the non caster:
w231 @ $30/lb, 4.0 gr load equals $8.55, 500 ct Z Bullet 158 gr SWC @ $27/500 plus 6.00 shipping, $15 for 500 sp primers. Assuming you have brass that you picked up & not factoring in your time, (but heck, it's a hobby right?) equals $56.55 for 500 rounds or $5.66 for a box of 50! Still not bad! I know that casting your own really reduces costs by much more!

[robertbank]

For the non caster:
w231 @ $30/lb, 4.0 gr load equals $8.55, 500 ct Z Bullet 158 gr SWC @ $27/500 plus 6.00 shipping, $15 for 500 sp primers. Assuming you have brass that you picked up & not factoring in your time, (but heck, it's a hobby right?) equals $56.55 for 500 rounds or $5.66 for a box of 50! Still not bad! I know that casting your own really reduces costs by much more!

Not only does casting your own reduce costs but it adds flexibility as well. With bulk .22LR prices going up when ever you find it (It has been over a year since we have seen any up here locally), I pretty much have given up on getting any more. I can shoot my revolvers and pistols cheaper than I can buy .22LR and my reloads are always at hand.

Take Care

Bob

[bouncer50]

22 at just throw away shell cannot reuse the brass. The more you reload a shell the more cheaper it get. Just a primer some powder and a bullet. If you cast your own the more you save. The people who cast, shoot more then people who don't i bet. Hell if money was no concern i would buy factory ammo. But like most of use who are the working people on a budget reloading is the way to go. I seen guys trying to sell bricks of 22 for 80-100 bucks. I say to myself screw you buddy their be a cold day in hell if i will pay that.

[Wolfer]

I decided a long time ago that I didn't really want to know what this hobby costs. I don't intend to give it up.
I do think I can shoot my 32 mag cheaper than 22s. I can make 32s when I can't find 22s.

In the old days it was customary for me to shoot 18/24 rds out of one of my Ruger SAs and finish with 50 or so 22s from one of my single sixes.

Ive only bought 200 22s since Obamas first election. Needless to say my 22s don't see much use anymore. I suspect that will change in time though.

[BrianL]

A friend of mine dropped by last Saturday and offered me a S & W model 57 in 41 magnum and wanted a 22 lr (10-22)as part of a trade. He had 350 new brass, reloading dies, 3 molds and some j-words. I will not miss that rifle one bit.
Besides, I have had to go to muzzle loaders to keep the grandkids in shooting due to no ammo under $6 a box.

[therealhitman]

Man, you guys about have me convinced to empty out my rimfire safe and sell em all lol.

[trapper9260]

I have some stash of 22lr but save them for mainly the trap line.But when I start to get low on them I will use 32 S&W in my 327 .and just save some 22lr for my 22 gun. But for how the ammo was and is now and all you are stuck with what the factory gives out.It is cheaper in the long run to cast and load your own as needed.Also when ammo is short in the stores it will not hurt you in the long run and also you will have the ammo shoot the way you want.

[EMC45]

The unfortunate part of the "no .22 ammo" thing is younger or inexperienced shooters are missing out. For instance, my 3 kids all have singleshot .22 boltguns. I have a very limited amount of .22LR due to the availability of it and the price. They all 3 like to shoot. The last time I took my son out we were shooting my SP101 (.32 Mag) and my 110 YO hand ejector. Both with .32 S&W-L ammo. There is a way around all this, but the .22 has ushered many into the shooting fraternity by legions.

[Dave C.]

It seems like I'm the only caster that pays for lead. But I am shooting up the last 2 bricks of white box CMP 22 ammo that I bought in 02 for $75 a case of 5,000.
So that is one and a half cent a shot. I use a brass catcher so I can sell the empty cases to the scrap yard so it might even be less.

When you add up the cost of reloading ammo you must figure in replacement cost of primers, powder and lead if you cast or store bought if you don't.

Dave C.

[captaint]

Long ago I figured a box of 50 38's cost me about 3 bux plus. Certainly less than 4. The equipment used for loading was paid for L O N G ago. As was the casting equip. Yes, money spent, but gone, weather I load that box of ammo or not. So - I don't pay for lead, with the brass, I'll go maybe 4 bux. And as for my time, I look at this as entertainment. If I didn't enjoy the process, I wouldn't be doing it. We all have rationale.......