anyone compare the cost of 22 vs 9mm

[Lloyd Smale]

I wonder with the price of 22 shells at about 8 bucks a box if shooting cast 9mm is cheaper. Say a guy is using 4 grains of 231 and paid 200 bucks for a keg and for comparison primers were 5 bucks a pack (both prices high but ive seen components that high around here) I'm still using pr200 at 4 grains and I only paid 50 bucks for 6lb kegs back in the day and my primers are still from back when they were 20 bucks a brick so I'm sure I'm much cheaper right now but if this continues and I have to buy components some day id be curious which was cheaper to shoot.

[rancher1913]

don't know about 9mm but I switched to 38 special with mousefart loads for the wife and kids to shoot with in place of 22lr. all the 22lr guns are collecting dust now.

[RogerDat]

I don't know about 9mm but .38 special cast from lead purchased at scrap prices is cheaper or nearly the same cost as any .22 LR I have seen lately. Best price I have seen on .22 was 7.5 cents a round.

Somewhat depends on what you paid for the powder. Even current supply varies a good deal in price. Bass Pro Shop you will probably pay 5 or 6 dollars more per pound than some shops or the gun show. Expansion Industries has an inexpensive pistol powder suitable for 9mm but with hazmat fee how much you order determines price per pound. Really helps if you can "group buy" a powder order so the hazmat fee gets split among more pounds of powder than one person will typically purchase.

[C. Latch]

9mm and 38 brass is, for all practical purposes, free.

Primers are $0.03 per shot, or less. Powder is running around $0.006 per shot, for me, using some old shotgun powders I bought for $9/lb.

Bullets are $0.02 if I use WW ingots I purchased here, much less if I use locally scrounged lead. So I'm comfortably under $0.06 per shot, maybe under $0.05 if I'm really cheap about it.

That's cheaper than .22lr, and more powerful to boot. The only other factor is time. And given the choice between reloading at night or starting at Facebook all night, I like reloading.

[matrixcs]

It really annoys folks at the range when you mention to them that your 45acp reloads only cost me 6 cents each...
with careful shopping and scrounging for castable lead ... and labor at $0.00 per hour

[Hardcast416taylor]

A combination `General Store` grocery store/hardware/sporting goods recently ran an ad for Spring shooting supplies in a mailed circular. They have Federal HP .22s for $3.95/50 ct box. They also had CCI Mini Mags for $5.95/50 ct box. No mention of limits.Robert

[Pine Baron]

Keep your eyes on this site and you can get in on some real deals on lead, molds, etc. Midway sometimes runs specials on primers (they waive the Hazmat charge), brass is free. Labor, well it's more like therapy for most of us. I'm currently having trouble finding powder locally. Thank goodness I have enough Red Dot and Unique stashed for awhile yet (sure would like to find some Trailboss). When all else fails I just pack my 1858 Remmie C&B, Heck it's almost shootin for free (about $.03 a shot)

[dverna]

I have run the numbers and both 9mm and .38 Spl are currently less expensive than .22; and for me more fun.

[Lloyd Smale]

no doubt about that!! and the nice thing is I have probably 4 tons of lead and enough powder to keep going for years even if it shut down totally. Do wish I had another case or two of 22 shells though. If not for me to shoot, for my grandkids.
I have run the numbers and both 9mm and .38 Spl are currently less expensive than .22; and for me more fun.

[tazman]

The problem I have is, I don't have a rifle in those calibers. I can buy a lot of 22lr, even at the high prices, for the cost of a decent rifle in either 38/357 or 9mm.
In handguns, I have both calibers.

[Handloader109]

I've found a few 22s at Academy for $5 for the cheapest..... On up to $12at cabelas for the supposedly good ones... I buy my lead here, primers and powder cheapest I can find. Looks like it is about $3.60 for 50 9mm 115gr. Yep, I can do less than that.

[runfiverun]

22's have been running 7 to 9 cents each when I find them.
I put a big bucket of 1400 back the other day figuring I'd never get that many shot in my lifetime.
I went and bought a 5 gallon bucket of 9m brass with the money I woulda spent on them.
even buying brass gets things in the same window for the first load.
2.8cents for brass
2.9 cents for primers
.008 cents for powder
a single penny for the 9m boolit. [electricity and lube and such]
that makes it 6.708 cents per 9m for the first shot
round it up to 4 cents after that.

[Hickory]

A little off topic, but I think it would be wise to buy as many primers and as much powder as you can afford before inflation goes supernova (hyperinflation).

At some point, with all the printing of money by the government, inflation has got to skyrocket making the cost of everything go out of control. I'm surprised it hasn't happened already!
Imaging primers costing $100.00 per 1000. Or an 8 lb keg of powder costing $1000.00-$1200.00.

When the world has lost faith in the American dollar and is no longer the world currency our dollar will loose value very fast and the cost of everything will increase.

[C. Latch]

A little off topic, but I think it would be wise to buy as many primers and as much powder as you can afford before inflation goes supernova (hyperinflation).

At some point, with all the printing of money by the government, inflation has got to skyrocket making the cost of everything go out of control. I'm surprised it hasn't happened already!
Imaging primers costing $100.00 per 1000. Or an 8 lb keg of powder costing $1000.00-$1200.00.

When the world has lost faith in the American dollar and is no longer the world currency our dollar will loose value very fast and the cost of everything will increase.


I don't think shooting *as a hobby* will be a big deal when that happens.

Life as we know it would change, and leisure activity might decrease.

[Lloyd Smale]

ya but you get a NEW GUN!
The problem I have is, I don't have a rifle in those calibers. I can buy a lot of 22lr, even at the high prices, for the cost of a decent rifle in either 38/357 or 9mm.
In handguns, I have both calibers.

[Garyshome]

Well $.02 Brass
$.03 Primer
$.01 Powder
$.026 Cast Boolit [PB/$1.50/lb]
_________________
Total $.085 ea Until the brass gets reloaded a 2nd or 3rd time. Take off the price of the brass and it's very competitive with the best price for 22's at wally world.
[B]Having a pistol cal. carbine that uses the same mags as your hand gun is a definite +

[Outer Rondacker]

My friends have spent a good 40-60 dollars in gas and hours driving to all the stores that sell ammo in the area to find no 22s. This being done once a month with the end result of 50-500 rounds if lucky at a stupid high price. Last three months the guys I know got NOTHING. Add that into the cost of 22s. Now I have to go to the towns once a week. I stop in and take a look. Gas was free. They head out on a bullet hunt. Funny thing is when they find it for $8-10 per 50 they walk away and keep driving around.

[GhostHawk]

My primer ammo can is stuffed to the gills.
My lead stash is in good shape with clip on wheel weight ingots, stick on ingots, range lead ingots, and Lino ingots.

Powder I am sitting on 17 lbs of Red Dot and some 12 lbs of other assorted powders like 4895, 3031, 4350, etc.

I also recently bought 1,000 rounds of Federal 9mm at 24 cents each shipped to my door.

I was just not keeping up with all the 9mm my buddy was shooting every week. Was taking the fun out of life, turned my hobby into a job. So I ordered ammo, will sell it to him at cost, and no more free 9mm ammo.

[Mica_Hiebert]

The VOLUME I shoot 22lr it's not feasible to load my 38 even if the cost is comparable. Don't get me wrong I enjoy shooting my center fires but not 3-500 rounds per outing like I do with 22s I refuse to buy the $50+ bricks of 22 I grudgingly will pay the current "fair" price of $30 a brick when I find myself wanting.

[Outer Rondacker]

Mica Hiebert everyone here has a point and a what works for them style. In my area if you refuse to buy at 50 per 500 then you will not be buying anything. Walmart is not going to be getting any 22 ammo in any time soon. For some reason shooting 22 just makes me feel like a kid again. So I too blow off 500 rounds at a sitting. I have no need to buy any more for my lifetime. But like others given the chance at a deal I will.

[smkummer]

I bought a finicky 22 conversion for my M11/9 that I could not get to run in full auto so I returned it. I also have a 380 conversion that slows the rate of fire and runs fine. I am loading cast bullet .380 for .05 each. That is what the cheapest 22 LR SHOULD sell for. So yes, more work and time making .380 but the stubborn part of me will not pay more than a nickel for 22LR bulk. I don't know If I really win at this game being bull headed but I don't care! 32 S&W Long, 9mm, 38 special, 38 S&W, 40 S&W, 44 special and magnum, 45 auto and even cast bullet 45 Colt is cheaper than 22 LR these days. Hell, I am loading a aluminum gas check 30-30 cartridge with 10 grains unigue for less than .10. But yes, 38 special and 9mm with 6 cavity molds gets loaded the fastest.

[flyingmonkey35]

A little off topic, but I think it would be wise to buy as many primers and as much powder as you can afford before inflation goes supernova (hyperinflation).

At some point, with all the printing of money by the government, inflation has got to skyrocket making the cost of everything go out of control. I'm surprised it hasn't happened already!
Imaging primers costing $100.00 per 1000. Or an 8 lb keg of powder costing $1000.00-$1200.00.

When the world has lost faith in the American dollar and is no longer the world currency our dollar will loose value very fast and the cost of everything will increase.
Then I stick to shooting black powder.

[dtknowles]

.22 LR is still the cheapest factory ammo you can buy.

Tim

[Lloyd Smale]

going rate around here is 50 bucks and I can load 500 38s in a couple hours time. My lead is free, my time is free. Cost me powder I bought at surplus prices and primers I bought back before the price of those went skyrocketing. So in all reality if I spend 2 to 3 hours in the morning loading what I shoot in the afternoon (and yes many times I shoot up 500 38s or 9s in an afternoon) then I'm paying myself about 20 bucks an hour to load vs buying 22s at 50 bucks a brick..
The VOLUME I shoot 22lr it's not feasible to load my 38 even if the cost is comparable. Don't get me wrong I enjoy shooting my center fires but not 3-500 rounds per outing like I do with 22s I refuse to buy the $50+ bricks of 22 I grudgingly will pay the current "fair" price of $30 a brick when I find myself wanting.

[Lloyd Smale]

that is definitely true but I haven't bought more then a couple hundred rounds of factory ammo in the last 30 years other then 22lr and 22 mag.
.22 LR is still the cheapest factory ammo you can buy.

Tim

[Outer Rondacker]

Well I have not seen 22s cheaper then 7.99 per box of 40. Boxes of 50 are going for 9.99 and up around here when you can find it. I have not seen a box of 500 count or 525-555 in some time now. For sale anyway. In my area perfecta 9mm is 8.97-9.47 at walmart. Most of the time it has some but then again I do not make special trips to the store for ammo. In my area 22s and 9s are the same price off the shelf. I get to keep cases with 9s. I do reload 9s but I also buy up a few and keep a factory stash going. Do not leave the store without a box of ammo is my rule. I dont care if it is federal 12g for 4.97. Years ago it was remington thunderbolts for .89 cents.

After typing this I had something strike me. I shoot CCI Stingers. I have not seen a box of stingers for sale in four years. They must have stopped making them.

[dtknowles]

going rate around here is 50 bucks and I can load 500 38s in a couple hours time. My lead is free, my time is free. Cost me powder I bought at surplus prices and primers I bought back before the price of those went skyrocketing. So in all reality if I spend 2 to 3 hours in the morning loading what I shoot in the afternoon (and yes many times I shoot up 500 38s or 9s in an afternoon) then I'm paying myself about 20 bucks an hour to load vs buying 22s at 50 bucks a brick..

I think you forgot to count the time to smelt the lead, cast the bullets and size and lube. But again for you that is probably all good fun.

Tim

[dtknowles]

that is definitely true but I haven't bought more then a couple hundred rounds of factory ammo in the last 30 years other then 22lr and 22 mag.

A few years back, in a different thread here people would question you why you would bother to reload 9mm since it was so cheap. Then I was retired and had time to kill and liked the idea of shooting my own ammo. Things are different for me today and I have purchased some 9mm.

I needed to stock up on .22 hornet brass as I had been shooting them a lot and even with annealing I was losing some to neck splits because I waited too long between anneals so instead of buying brass I bought loaded ammo, it is sort of like going out to dinner, I can cook a better meal for myself at home but it involves shopping and preparing and cleaning up. The luxury of being waited on is sometimes worth the price.

Tim

[dtknowles]

A while back, actually maybe longer ago than that I bought a bunch of Commie ammo for my Commie guns. 7.62x39 and 7.62x25 a Russian SKS and a CZ-52. I don't shoot them a lot so I still have a bunch of that ammo on the shelf. I have a bunch of my reloads for those guns as well but chasing the brass is for the birds.

Tim

[dtknowles]

I used to be all about semi-auto's but now it is mostly revolvers and single shot rifles, chasing brass is for the birds. The only semi-auto's a shoot much these days are .22 LR.

Tim

[birddog]

picked up a case of 22AM by Federal, 3250 rds/cs. got another on order, $162.00 out the door.
Charlie

[Outer Rondacker]

picked up a case of 22AM by Federal, 3250 rds/cs. got another on order, $162.00 out the door.
Charlie That is not bad. May I ask where you got this ammo? Us NYS guys can not buy online. We are stuck to the stores and shops. Gun shops always want way to much so that leaves the box stores. Our local running has not had a 22 anything instock since mid 2015

[wv109323]

At $200 for 8 lbs of powder you would have 1.42 cents per round at 4.0 gns. per round.
Primer would be 5 cents and raw unprocessed lead at .40 cents per pound you would have .71 cents per bullet.(124 gn. WW)
I can buy WW at .35 per pound.
That would make 7.12 cents per round.
That is about the best you can find promo .22LR for.
Plus the 9MM you would have time in smelting lead,casting and lubing the bullets, and reloading the round.
This has no money for lube, electricity or casting/reloading equipment.
If you are a busy working dad, the 22LR looks attractive.

[dtknowles]

I taught myself to cast bullets out of curiosity. I stuck with it so that I would have ammo if things got tight. I pursued accuracy because it was fun. I still cast to keep my skills sharp and for the uniqueness.

Tim

[762 shooter]

As we all know the limiter on reloads is primers, half the cost. Also the most difficult to produce from scratch.

Take a hint.

762

[Forrest r]

I loaded up on s&b primers when cabela's had the on sale for $19.99 a 1000 with free shipping on orders over $99.00. I typically buy pistol powder in 4#/5#/8# kegs. But might as well go with $25 a #.

38spl's:
primer $.02
powder $.015 (3.5gr load/2000 per #)
bullet and brass are free
$3.50 per 100/$35 a 1000

9mm:
primer $.02
powder $.018(5.0gr/1400 per # @$25 per #)
bullets and brass are free
$3.80 per 100/$38 per 1000

I've bought my fare share of blammo ammo in the past, still sitting on 4 or 5 cases. But I also buy/shoot allot of low grade match ammo in the 22's. Instead of buying blammo ammo for $50 (or more) a brick/$500 a case. I buy ammo like this for $45 a brick/$450 a case.
http://www.champchoice.com/store/Main.aspx?p=ItemDetailOptions&item=F711B
I might not set any records with that ammo but it is a good solid target ammo to practice with.

To this day cci mini-mags and wolf target cost the same $$$$. I've always bought the wolf. Instead of spending $500 for a case of blammo ammo or $600+ for a case of cci mini-mags. I'd rather spend $570 on a case of wolf target ammo.
http://www.championshooters.com/index.phpoption=com_virtuemart&view=productdetails&virtuemart_product_id=2181&virtuemart_category_id=46&Itemid=111 (http://www.championshooters.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&view=productdetails&virtuemart_product_id=2181&virtuemart_category_id=46&Itemid=111)

Those are real links to real prices & that ammo is in stock.

I've always tossed a little extra $$$ in the pot when buying 22lr ammo. But with the prices of blammo ammo today, some of the low grade target ammo is cheaper.

[Lloyd Smale]

ya tim its my hobby. It would be about like telling me 20 years ago that riding my dirt bike on Friday was work I did to get ready to race on sunday.
I think you forgot to count the time to smelt the lead, cast the bullets and size and lube. But again for you that is probably all good fun.

Tim

[Lloyd Smale]

762x39 is one round I have and still do buy as factory. Wolf at least a couple years ago was dirt cheap. I was buying cases of it for less then a hundred bucks. My use for it was at camp. Lots of tall grass there and its a pain to pick up brass. With the steel wolf I could just let it lay. Anymore though the price of that steel cased ammo has about made it necessary to reload it.
A while back, actually maybe longer ago than that I bought a bunch of Commie ammo for my Commie guns. 7.62x39 and 7.62x25 a Russian SKS and a CZ-52. I don't shoot them a lot so I still have a bunch of that ammo on the shelf. I have a bunch of my reloads for those guns as well but chasing the brass is for the birds.

Tim

[Mica_Hiebert]

After typing this I had something strike me. I shoot CCI Stingers. I have not seen a box of stingers for sale in four years. They must have stopped making them.

CCI still is making them but the runs are dwarfed by the amount of mini mags, standard velocity, and blazer being produced.

[Outer Rondacker]

Ah thanks. I will keep my eye out for more. I shoot a good deal of mini mags too.

[jmorris]

I bought all of a specific lot# of bulk .22lr ammunition years ago and still have many thousands remaining so I have not had a shortage and still shoot it often but I can reload 45 acp for less than $35/1000 not counting time. Still like my .22's although I do shoot my suppressed 9mm AR more than I used to, just to keep from burning up my "stash".

[35remington]

A question for those that bought primers for one or two bucks/100 and powder for 6 dollars a pound all those years ago......

If I offered you that price today......would you sell it to me for that price? If not, you might want to re figure your actual cost of production.

[Outer Rondacker]

A question for those that bought primers for one or two bucks/100 and powder for 6 dollars a pound all those years ago......

[RIGHT]If I offered you that price today......would you sell it to me for that price? If not, you might want to re figure your actual cost of production.

I bought my last box of primers two years ago at the gun show. I took two cases. 10 boxes each case. 1500 primers per box. One large one small. I paid 275 dollars out the door for the case. If you brake that down its 0.0183 So just under two cents each. This was only two years ago at the gun show. Powder on the other hand I have paid dearly for. Most pounds are 25-30 each. So based off 30 dollars a pound and 7000g per pound per grain cost .00428 X 5g = 0.021.
Now I do not use that much in my 9mm charge so it is even less at todays prices. I think this puts a under four cents mark on powder and primers at recent prices. But for fun I called the local overpriced gun shop. He is getting 31 per 1k primers if you take 10k worth. So if you like we can up it to 0.05 cents per round for primers and powder. Bullet of your choosing to finish. I currently pay 40 dollars per jacketed 1k 9mm so that would be 4 more cents making 9cents or in my real case six and a half. Not sure what it cost when I shoot cast I have taken up enough bandwidth.

[35remington]

I'll take that wordy reply as a "NO."

[Outer Rondacker]

I buy and sell a lot of things. I have a favorite line and all my buddies know it . Here it is. Its not my fault you overpaid for it.

The answer Yes I just sold a few to a buddy at cost. He is even a member here.

[Lloyd Smale]

Not if I was going to run out of it tomorrow but I have enough stash to keep me in 9mm for many years.
A question for those that bought primers for one or two bucks/100 and powder for 6 dollars a pound all those years ago......

If I offered you that price today......would you sell it to me for that price? If not, you might want to re figure your actual cost of production.

[frkelly74]

At the depth of the shortage when there was no 22 ammo I would tell people I could shoot any of my centerfires for $.06 a round. Then I would hedge and say, " assuming free brass, free lead, and plus labor'' because they all wanted me to load some for them of whatever they were shooting. I think those good times are coming back next November.

[jmorris]

A question for those that bought primers for one or two bucks/100 and powder for 6 dollars a pound all those years ago......

Cabelas just had S&B primers on sale for $17.99/1000 and free shipping on orders over $150, I used the total cost of my order shipped divided by the number of thousands of primers I ordered, to come up with my total.

Last ones I loaded were $33.60/1000.

$20.75 for the primers (recent Cabelas order)
$9 worth of powder (obviously I don't use a full lb of powder for 1000 rounds)
$3.85 worth of hi-tek coating.

My all time best was $18/1000 when Tula primers and BA-10 powder were dirt cheap.



If I offered you that price today......would you sell it to me for that price? If not, you might want to re figure your actual cost of production.


No, I wouldn't buy a bunch of something on sale and sell it at regular price. Any more than I would try and stock up on things at inflated prices, like so many have done in recent years.

I don't need to re figure my costs because you don't wait for the deals and buy in bulk to reduce shipping and hazmat costs anymore than I need to refigure how long it takes me to load 100 rounds on a progressive because someone else loads much slower on a single stage.

I bet if you ask everyone that says range brass if free, to pick it up for you and give it to you to prove its really free, you won't get much responce.

[3 gun Gus]

I read most of this thread but I think I missed the part about where to get free smelted lead.


Gus.

[Forrest r]

I read most of this thread but I think I missed the part about where to get free smelted lead.


Gus.

Good catch Gus!!!!!
I apologize for mis-speaking. It shouldn't of been free lead.

It should of been they pay me to process the free lead I pick up from the rifle/pistol range berms. YES, They pay me $$$ and the lead is free!!!!

A by-product of range lead is these copper things called jackets or more commonly known as copper jackets. The end result is a bunch of lead and buckets of those copper jackets.

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t242/forrestr-photo/bucketbullets.jpg (http://s162.photobucket.com/user/forrestr-photo/media/bucketbullets.jpg.html)

I take buckets like the one pictured above to places called scrap yards and they pay me $$$ for them along with other things I find at the ranges like scrap brass cases and al cans.

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t242/forrestr-photo/bulletreceipt.jpg (http://s162.photobucket.com/user/forrestr-photo/media/bulletreceipt.jpg.html)

Some years are better than others, depends how much time I have to go to the ranges.

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t242/forrestr-photo/prices2015_zpss5j8jmzg.jpg (http://s162.photobucket.com/user/forrestr-photo/media/prices2015_zpss5j8jmzg.jpg.html)

Last year that's what I took in & while I was there I bought #280 of what they were calling lead for $.35 a #.

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t242/forrestr-photo/165oflead_zpsv5nb1ghy.jpg (http://s162.photobucket.com/user/forrestr-photo/media/165oflead_zpsv5nb1ghy.jpg.html)

I sold the pure lead for $1 a # to a couple of bp shooters. Sold the 30# (3 10# pigs) of babbit for $300 and kept the rest. I also sold a bunch of the brass I didn't scrap and took the $$$ from the selling of the lead and and added the brass sales to the pot and bought this.

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t242/forrestr-photo/clayspowders_zpstjvuxwee.jpg (http://s162.photobucket.com/user/forrestr-photo/media/clayspowders_zpstjvuxwee.jpg.html)

Thats 16# of clays/5# of trailboss/4# of american select.

So I guess you're right. The 25# of powder & 180# of lead/soldier was free and I paid for the 1/2 tank of propane ($10) to smelt the lead.

I didn't buy the primers from cabela's when they were 17.99 and free shipping. Mine were 19.99 and free shipping. If I don't want to order primers on line the gunshows around here have wolf primers for 19.99 to 21.99 a 1000 + tax. Or the last time I was in fin feather fur they had cci's on sale for 22.99 + tax.

Anyway, yes there's such a thing as free lead or in my case. I get paid to smelt it.

[Lloyd Smale]

not smelted but ive got a few tons of ww through the years just for asking. Got over a ton of pure from a commercial fisherman that retired. So if you look around theres still free lead to be had.
I read most of this thread but I think I missed the part about where to get free smelted lead.


Gus.

[Whiterabbit]

Not that anyone reads detail after 50 replies but:

Start here. It's an alloy calculator. Input your lead recipe and how much you pay for it, and it spits out your cost. Don't forget to add 4 cents a pop if you use gas checks and a penny for your lube, give or take:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=45784&d=1341560870

Now that you have your projectile cost, go here:

http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp

And put in whatever you buy in however much you buy it. It spits out the per round cost.

Compare to your 8 bucks for a pack of 22.

Might be cheaper! Tells me that I pay about $7 per 20ct box of 460 S&W. I think it costs $35 a box at bass pro. Looks like you need to be at about 3.5 cents per 9mm bullet to equal a box of $8 per 100 22lr. Assuming free brass.

[HangFireW8]

A question for those that bought primers for one or two bucks/100 and powder for 6 dollars a pound all those years ago......

If I offered you that price today......would you sell it to me for that price? If not, you might want to re figure your actual cost of production.

Don't confuse cost with value.

Once we old-timers restock, our cost goes up. Value of reloads stays the same.

[dtknowles]

People can add the cost, value, time, convenience, joy or whatever anyway they want.

Free lead after smelting is still worth close to a dollar a pound, you shoot that bullet and you sent at least a penny into the dirt. Of course you can get it back. You could have sold the ingots for cash.

Same deal for powder or primers that were purchased at a low price, they could be sold for a higher price. Value them however you want.

I have 9mm ammo that I loaded more than a decade ago, I value it the same as ammo I could load today.

Tim

[JSH]

Lloyd I have compared cost to quality. Cent for cent I can make better 22 hornet ammo than I can buy 22 RF for the same money. I don't blast,plink or spray and pray. I want small groups. The $$ that folks have spent on bulk junk .22 ammo, doesn't interest me. Oh I have plenty of match ammo, but refuse to shoot it because of what it is worth compared to what I paid for it.
I have shot less than a brick of 22 since the mess started. I have swapped off several 22 RF guns for smaller caliber cast shooting guns. Wish Rossi or Marlin would chamber the 327.
I figured the 22CCM would come back but have seen nothing on the cartridge as of late. If the brass issue would not have been what it was years back I would own one now.
Jeff

[jmorris]

Free lead after smelting is still worth close to a dollar a pound,

That makes 30 of your free 230 grain bullets worth $1. I figure with the .gov planning on spending more and more of our money on BS it is only a matter of time before we get a value added tax(s).

[bangerjim]

Using pick-up brass (free), ETR7 powder, bulk primers, and ~$1/# lead, I can reload almost any caliber (9-45) for 5-7¢ a round depending on the boolit weight. Have been doing that since the 22LR "shortage (HA....ha!)" hit. More fun than shooting 22's!

I was able to acquire 7 bricks (500) of 22's last month at WalMart (~4¢/round). But that was just pure luck.....right place at the right second. So they ARE out there at reasonable prices!!!!

I do not factor my time into a hobby. After all, it IS a hobby, right??????

And these daze, I shoot mostly bolt action long guns, carbines, and revolvers as said above. I despise semi handguns - - - with a passion.

banger

[Lloyd Smale]

your chart is proabably correct if you have to buy lead or additives to alloy. A lot of us still get free ww, Ive got a couple tons I paid nothing for and close to that in pure I got for free. Only cost was some propane to melt it and the mold I use to make the bullet. When store bought bullets go for 20 bucks or more for a 100. It sure doesn't take long to recoup the gas and mold costs. I consider plain base bullets so cheap there basically free.
Not that anyone reads detail after 50 replies but:

Start here. It's an alloy calculator. Input your lead recipe and how much you pay for it, and it spits out your cost. Don't forget to add 4 cents a pop if you use gas checks and a penny for your lube, give or take:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=45784&d=1341560870

Now that you have your projectile cost, go here:

http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp

And put in whatever you buy in however much you buy it. It spits out the per round cost.

Compare to your 8 bucks for a pack of 22.

Might be cheaper! Tells me that I pay about $7 per 20ct box of 460 S&W. I think it costs $35 a box at bass pro. Looks like you need to be at about 3.5 cents per 9mm bullet to equal a box of $8 per 100 22lr. Assuming free brass.

[Lloyd Smale]

My thinking was the same when I picked up this ar15 in 9mm. Darned near as fun as a 223 ar more fun then my 22/15 smith and cost about the same to shoot. Maybe someday the price of 22 will get back down to realist levels. Maybe someday the idiots that buy them for 75 bucks a brick will realize there getting took and they will have to lower the price to sell them.
Lloyd I have compared cost to quality. Cent for cent I can make better 22 hornet ammo than I can buy 22 RF for the same money. I don't blast,plink or spray and pray. I want small groups. The $$ that folks have spent on bulk junk .22 ammo, doesn't interest me. Oh I have plenty of match ammo, but refuse to shoot it because of what it is worth compared to what I paid for it.
I have shot less than a brick of 22 since the mess started. I have swapped off several 22 RF guns for smaller caliber cast shooting guns. Wish Rossi or Marlin would chamber the 327.
I figured the 22CCM would come back but have seen nothing on the cartridge as of late. If the brass issue would not have been what it was years back I would own one now.
Jeff

[rbuck351]

Buying the expendable components (powder and primers) I can load with current off the shelf prices for about 5 cents per round using my 22 H, 22KH, 25/20, 32/20, 32acp, 7,62x25 and others. Cases last a very long time at better than 22lr performance levels. The lead I can dig out of my back stop and melt back into ingots in the wood stove in the winter. The cost of electricity for my Lee drip o matic lead pot can barely be calculated. And it doesn't cost anything for the entertainment value I get from doing this. I could go play golf and pay the fee for a couple hours of smacking little white balls around a pasture into store bought gopher holes. Or I could spend a couple hours smelting, casting, reloading, shooting or just messing with guns in general, have a lot more fun and cost almost nothing. Considering that most folks pay, some pay a lot, for their hobby time, casting and shooting are very cheap. If you want to go really cheap there is my 32 cal flint lock with home made black at about 2 cents per shot gives about 2000 fps with a 45gr RB and about 1" at 50yds. About like a 22mag for 2 cents per shot. BTW I can't remember ever in my 67 years going out and burning through a brick of 22lr in a day. That's just not my game. My flint lock beats a 22lr for fun, cost and performance. You just don't get a rapid second shot so you better make the first one count. Very good training for proper shooting technique and super cheap.

[flyingmonkey35]

Rule #1 If you are paying yourself for this hobby. Even at minimum wage. You will loose money fast.

Rule #2 if you make money from a hobby and out it back into your hobby. It makes the wife confused. But it is still NOT a job


Rule #3 if a hobby feels like work. Then it is no longer a hobby!!!


At this point in my life I can say that I reload for FUN. (Cause I can)

If you don't do that stop and buy factory ammo as you are deluding you're self.

[dverna]

FM35,

I do not reload for fun. It has never been fun. I do not cast for fun. That has never been fun either.

I do those things for the following reasons:
to save money
to get better ammo than I can buy
to be self-sufficient, in case "something" happens.

If I could buy ammunition for 10% more than reloads, I would never cast or reload again. I would forego the "better ammo" aspect as my reloads are not that much better for the shooting I do.

There is definitely a sense of accomplishment to both casting and reloading. In a way, that makes it fun...but it wears off after a while...at least for me.

For many, the bottom line IS "the bottom line". We save money. I can reload metallic ammo for less than half the price of economy factory ammo.

BTW look at the title of the thread. It is all about cost. When it is cheaper to shoot CF than .22's people will use reloads.

[Lloyd Smale]

well ive got ever cheaper shooting now. Loading components have been scarce around here and paying hazmat makes them expensive mail order. My neighbor was going down state and driving right past Jay's sporting goods. I asked him to pick me up 2k small pistol primers. I wish I could have asked for more but moneys short this month. He knocked on the door just now and handed me a case of them and wouldn't take a dime for them. Said he owned me for all the ammo I give him and his son. One problem is he doenst know loading and brought me 5000 cci small pistol MAG primers. Oh well ill make them work.

[rbuck351]

Karma can be a wonderful thing.

[Lloyd Smale]

different strokes. Theres parts of loading I don't care for like trimming brass but for the most part loading and casting has been my main hobby for 40 years. I spend a heck of a lot more time casting and loading then I do shooting and I think that for as much loading and casting as ive had to do in my life if I didn't enjoy it I would have found another hobby and gave up on shooting all together. to me all the pressures and problems of life disappear for a couple hours when I'm in the grove casting or loading. I think I would take just to much of the enjoyment out of my hobby if I was shooting someone elses ammo. Theres just something about the pride of shooting a one inch group with ammo I loaded using bullets I casted.
FM35,

I do not reload for fun. It has never been fun. I do not cast for fun. That has never been fun either.

I do those things for the following reasons:
to save money
to get better ammo than I can buy
to be self-sufficient, in case "something" happens.

If I could buy ammunition for 10% more than reloads, I would never cast or reload again. I would forego the "better ammo" aspect as my reloads are not that much better for the shooting I do.

There is definitely a sense of accomplishment to both casting and reloading. In a way, that makes it fun...but it wears off after a while...at least for me.

For many, the bottom line IS "the bottom line". We save money. I can reload metallic ammo for less than half the price of economy factory ammo.

BTW look at the title of the thread. It is all about cost. When it is cheaper to shoot CF than .22's people will use reloads.

[odfairfaxsub]

I used to reload when I lived in my old house about a year and half ago. Got married and acquired a step daughter, have a boy now, work for a utility company (10th year) and have no time to spare so buying 22 lr and not reloading is what happened. When kids get a touch but older I'll start again. Btw she's prego again so I better keep buying 22 lol

[Lloyd Smale]

worked as a lineman for over 30 years. Used to carry a lee hand press in the bucket truck and size brass at lunch time!
I used to reload when I lived in my old house about a year and half ago. Got married and acquired a step daughter, have a boy now, work for a utility company (10th year) and have no time to spare so buying 22 lr and not reloading is what happened. When kids get a touch but older I'll start again. Btw she's prego again so I better keep buying 22 lol

[odfairfaxsub]

Lol the best I do for reloading is read about it at work...sometimes line up guys I work w in other districts to look out for me things

[Clay M]

I don't enjoy reloading 9mm, so I leave that one for my son.
I bought my son a case of Rem 9mm 147 gr ammo for his birthday.
Got the case of 500 delivered for right at $150 with free shipping.
He likes the 147 so they are a bit more spendy.

I like having one round I don't have to handload ,so I will continue to shoot .22LR
Besides , I saw what was coming before Obama was ever elected the first time, so I stocked up while there was plenty everywhere.
The one time in life I actually had a crystal ball...

I also predict more fun to come, but I don't like talking politics ,so I will just leave it at that.

But ..if you want to know what I am buying right now, it is hi cap clips, primers, and powder.
Also more brass for the things I shoot a lot.

Remember a politician doesn't have to actually successfully do anything. It is the perception that cause the shortage.

[shdwlkr]

Well some of my brass is free(range pickup) and then some of it is $1.00 per case, some of my powder was cheap (bought decades ago) some cost money, some of my primers cost $0.02 and then some cost $0.04 each, my lead all cost around $1.00 a pound should have got more a very long time ago.
So when I reload I don't figure in the cost of my equipment, time or even what I am reloading as if you need to do this then reloading costs to much.
As to cost of 22 ammo if you don't like the price just wait for a few months and you will wish you had got it now when it was cheap. The real challenge is there can only be so many 22 rounds made in a day because the priming stage can only produce so many primed cases and there has not been a new priming stage built I think I read in 40 years and do you really think the EPA today would allow a new one to be built? So either we pay for what we want in 22 ammo or put the guns in the safe and let them become safe queens. I have found 22 ammo most of the time I look, some at ok prices some cost a lot depending on what I am looking for in 22 ammo as some of my firearms like certain flavors and nothing else so if I want to use them then I spend a already decided amount and sometimes I get lucky and sometimes I walk out with nothing.

As we move forward I wonder just what anything will cost the closer we get to November and then January. Friends there is a bad moon rising and if we can't stop it the Republic is lost and so are most of our freedoms and then what happens next is unknown.

[Mauser48]

I'm loading 38 special $50 for 500 and that's with buying cast bullets. That's what most 22 costs now, a lot of times even more. If I casted it would be about $25. 3.4 grains of 700x does the trick!

[Lloyd Smale]

yup and if your like me and still cant find them in stores locally and have to buy from places like midway youd be jumping up and down to get 500 delivered to your house for 50 bucks. More like 75!
I'm loading 38 special $50 for 500 and that's with buying cast bullets. That's what most 22 costs now, a lot of times even more. If I casted it would be about $25. 3.4 grains of 700x does the trick!

[tazman]

yup and if your like me and still cant find them in stores locally and have to buy from places like midway youd be jumping up and down to get 500 delivered to your house for 50 bucks. More like 75!

I saw those prices online at various stores.
I was lucky recently and picked up 3000 rounds of 22lr for 6 cents per. That's the price I have to load against for practice now. I can load my 9mm or 38 special for about 5 cents per for a little while longer(until my current stash of lead runs out)so the savings isn't a big thing for me.

[wonderwolf]

$14.16 per 500 rounds of .38 special is as cheap as I've been able to go, that is with a very low powered target round (2.7gr bullseye and a cast wadcutter) but I have a rifle and revolvers for that and its not much of a step up to go to .357 :)

[Lloyd Smale]

that's about as cheap as 22s were before this mess started.
$14.16 per 500 rounds of .38 special is as cheap as I've been able to go, that is with a very low powered target round (2.7gr bullseye and a cast wadcutter) but I have a rifle and revolvers for that and its not much of a step up to go to .357 :)

[Lloyd Smale]

had to chuckle in Walmart yesterday. I asked the gun guy if he had any 22s and he said "I sure do" Then he showed me 20 round packs of 22 shotshells. for 13.99 each. I laughed and said I doubt your going to sell them. He had 5 packs on the shelf. I went and gots some oil for the car and wandered back by there and low and behold someone bought them all!!! I wonder if they even knew what they bought!!:bigsmyl2:

[odfairfaxsub]

Haha that poor sap. I doubt he knew

[Outer Rondacker]

LOL I buy a lot of 22 shot shells. Have you ever been attacked by a nest of flying squires? I have been trying to get ride of them from my barn for years now. Never seem to get them all but I do take out a few every time I go in.

[wonderwolf]

that's about as cheap as 22s were before this mess started.

That is of course assuming lead and brass are free for acquisition cost, which for the time being they are.

[scattershot]

At current prices, I figure it costs me $6.00/$7.00 per 50 to load full power 9mm. That's buying the bullets. Not much you can do about primers and powder, but by casting my own and loading plinker loads, (roundball, etc. ) I could get that down considerably. I agree with the poster above about stocking up on components. If the communists retain control of the government after November, components will be scarce and expensive.

[Lloyd Smale]

they've been free for me for years too. Might change someday but ive got about 3 tons of lead and get 9mm brass all the time mostly free.
That is of course assuming lead and brass are free for acquisition cost, which for the time being they are.