How many Really count costs?

[mdi]

Not wanting to hijack OS OK's thread about costs, but I was wondering, how many really count the costs for reloading and casting?

I don't. I didn't start to "save money" either, I was mainly curious ("I wonder if I could reuse these?" as I emptied a cylinder in 1968). Of course I don't buy components willy-nilly, just poking the "buy it now" button, I still shop, but money/costs are not my main objective. It would be really difficult for me to compare costs as the prices of my components/supplies vary greatly and have been purchased over the years (I have powder from 1990, primers from '02, brass from '69, lead from 1998 to 2009, some components were on sale when I bought them, some purchased locally and some had hazmat fees attached). I reload because I like to. I like trying different components, different methods and qualifying/recording results. I like nearly every aspect of reloading (except maybe bending over and picking up brass) and I have much more time for reloading than I have for shooting. I also cast my own bullets; taking grungy wheel weights and scrap lead, melting and cleaning and finally casting, lubing and sizing my "perfect" bullets. Great satisfaction.

So, how many members put money/costs high on their reasons for reloading and casting?

[shoot-n-lead]

I don't...but then I know what it costs to load anything that I load.

But, for those thinking of starting, potential savings is almost always a driving factor.

[Soundguy]

I count, in some cases.

For instance, I shoot a 69 cal musket. The Lyman mold cost about the same as 3/4 a bag of 100 balls.

Making my own, I'm paying just lead cost now, a savings of nearly 90% of the previous cost.

I also shoot safari calibers like 416 Rigby, 458 Lott, 458 winmag. Those ammunition types can cost 80-120$ per box of 20, not counting shipping.

I'm now reloading those cartridges for a couple rounds per dollar easily, and that's using j-word commercial bullets. Casting my own, and I'm down to alloy cost, gas check, powder and primer. I can do a box of 20 for just a couple bucks... Most of that is powder cost now.

In fact, the more big stuff I shoot, the more gear I pay off that gets used on calibers with closer margins.

Shotshells are about the only thing that is too close to expend labor on.

[ShooterAZ]

I don't put a value on what I'm doing. I cast and handload because I want better quality ammunition and because I enjoy it. I'm an accuracy freak I suppose. Like the OP, I love tinkering in my shop and trying different combos in search of the "holy grail" loads for my firearms. I won't say that money is no object, but if I really need something I usually just buy it.

[therealhitman]

Keep track? Of expenditures? For GUN STUFF? Oh goodness no. That just won't do. What if the Russians hacked it and leaked it to yer wife? :shock:

[Ithaca Gunner]

I don't, for me it's about self reliance. Not depending on the ammo companies.

[clintsfolly]

I never saved a dime loading but have got to shot more for my money!

[Beagle333]

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

[country gent]

I reload to shoot and in high power matches couldn't always buy the best bullet ammo factory loaded for it. I also liked tuning the load to a particular firearm or use. ( How about a light 300 win mag load that prints to point of aim for pot meat while hunting). Or a Speacialty load for use inside or around buildings? I mainly cast bullets I cant buy for the BPCR rifles or the desired lube isn't available. I reload and cast to do things with my firearms I normally couldn't.

[Walter Laich]

I like the fact that I can reuse the brass and come up with my own loads.

with 4 rotatory cuff surgeries, 2 on each shoulders, I also will tailor the shotguns loads to something below Featherlites.

I enjoy the processes and they keep me off the streets which is great for everyone on foot near a road upon which I drive :-)

[reddog81]

I keep track of about how much stuff costs.
Average 9mm or 38 round is about $.08 - .03 for the primer, .02 for the powder, and .03 for the bullet with PC.
10mm or .45 is about .02 more since they use a little more lead and powder.
44 loads are probably a little over $.10
.30-06 loads depend greatly on the type and amount of powder used. the powder for .30-06 can range from $.03 for 10 grains unique up to over $.20 for a full charge of slow burning rifle powder.
All my numbers are approximate but they're close enough for me. I guarantee reloading and casting hasn't saved me a penny, but I have been able to buy and shoot guns I otherwise wouldn't have been interested in.

[44man]

Everything I own has paid for itself long ago so 10 cents a shot is common. But I see the point when a friend comes to shoot $2 a shot loads. Most now load but I still see them buying some things too cheap for quality. You still must be careful to reach or exceed factory loads. Buy something that does not work is still a waste.

[flyingrhino]

I don't. Reloading never saved me a cent. I just shoot more.

[mold maker]

I shoot to empty brass for loading. I really do enjoy it that much. Since I'm already shooting, the cost isn't that important. The tools are paid for and the lead is free so the cost is just powder, primers, and time.
BTW I make my own BP, and swage many of my jacketed bullets. I quit counting at 80+ molds. Of course this is a 54 yearn old hobby.

[dragon813gt]

Technically I do. Anything I've ever bought is logged in Quicken. I started using it when I was 16 so we're talking 21 years of transaction records. I itemize everything. It's interesting to go back and see what I paid. Every year I run a report to see how much I've spent. But the thing is, I don't care. It's all discretionary spending. I can tell you what it costs to load a round for any cartridge. But it's irrelevant. It's a hobby and I know I'm going to lose money.

I didn't get into reloading to save money. I did it to be self sufficient. That's why I added casting, gas check making, black powder making......the list goes on. IMO if you started to reloading to save money you're in it for the wrong reason. Producing rounds that are more accurate than factory fodder is the payoff.

[mdi]

One of the reasons I started this thread was yesterday I was standing in line at the local box store and the feller behind me plopped down 5 boxes of Winchester White Box 45 ACP, 230, FMJ cartridges. I was wondering if he just inherited a million dollars or saved up his money for a year. Then I wondered, for mebbe 1.5 seconds, what my 45 ACP ammo cost me then took my beef jerky and went out to my truck...

[Harter66]

I have .
In some cases the savings is huge !

45-70 is new to me , $1.34-2.50 a shot .
45 Colts not new to me $0.70-90 a shot .
264 WM sort of new $2.25-2.75 a shot .
32 Rem Unavailable $3-5 a shot .
All of these and many others come out at $14-18/100 for rifles and 10-12 for pistols if I bought lead and amortization of moulds and tools . $21 won't buy a box of 20 name brand rifle ammo above 22-250 anymore and I haven't seen a $10 box of 50 9mm or 38 in I don't know how long .

Yes I keep track , no it's not important to the process , yes it's awesome to go to the range and shoot $25 worth of the same stuff my buddy Jorge is and know his cost him $60-100 and his spent brass all goes in my bucket .

I don't even know that I shoot more for the same money , in that context . I do know that if it cost me $0.50-3.00 every time I pulled the trigger I would not be pulling it half as often and a half a box of Colts would be a whole of shooting for me .
Can you imagine going to the range and shooting a full magazine in the 92' and 2 cylinders in the SAA and going home ?

[sharps4590]

Some folks start reloading so they can shoot more for the same money. Some of them end up shooting a lot so they can reload more. I fit that description for several years as I'm certain several do or have.

First off I'm so far in the hole the tunnel has closed up, definitely no light at the end. I handload and cast bullets these days so I can shoot a lot of old, obsolete, obscure, long out of production German cartridges chambered in some fascinating and beautiful rifles. To do that often requires lathe or mill work so when you throw a lathe and mill in your loading room the tool cost went up considerably, even bench top machines. So no, I don't count costs. It would probably be enough to choke a mule or scare me to death.

[robg]

I do a ruff calculation now and then just to convince myself I'm saving money .started out trying to save money now I handload for accuracy and soothe my soul.��

[OS OK]

Not wanting to hijack OS OK's thread about costs, but I was wondering, how many really count the costs for reloading and casting?

No hijack taken...that bit about cost was merely for the Newb's considerations...it seems to be a major portion of their decision to pull the trigger. I was just trying to troll some more Newbs into getting involved and joining us here. Getsome NewBlood out of the Lurkers!

When I was a kid and had a Cop for a Dad I was introduced to guns at a very young age...it stuck! Unfortunately on a Cops salary there is not much to go around for a family of 4 kids...just the essentials but adequate...no complaints here.
I did start a 'bucket list' as a kid for all the things I couldn't do in my youth. I decided then to prepare myself to have a family and career to earn enough to go round with plenty left over.
I made up for those lean years as an adult and drug my entire family along for the fun...fun is important in my estimation of a 'well balanced life'.

Therefore I never considered the cost of handloading or casting...it was on the list and I did it without anyone doing without. The other part was to always be self sufficient in every aspect of living if possible. Also to learn other trades and skills and do them with the most expertise possible. I always investigate everything I can find out about something new I'm interested in...IMO the worst thing I can do is try to do something on the 'cheap' just for the sake of 'half-asp' doing something...Naaawp...either do it right or don't bother...I never got an 'atta boy' from Dad for 'half-asping' anything.

No...cost is not a factor.

[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.

:lol:

[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. :bigsmyl2:

[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.:bigsmyl2:

[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.

[Moleman-]

I got into reloading after buying my first box of 44mag shells. My buddies dad showed me the basics and it was all down hill after that. I doubt overall I save anything, but it allows me to shoot more for the same amount of money that would get allocated for ammo. Even convinced a few people along the way to try it. I used to go shooting with one guy I worked with pretty often. He only used factory ammo and I reload everything I shoot except rimfire and lead shot shotgun shells. When we got done one day I asked him how much the ammo cost he shot that day. He said about $120 and asked me how much the ammo I'd shot off cost. I'd probably given him 200rnds to shoot after he shot his ammo and I shot more than he did. At the time I was getting lead for free so it was pretty much powder, primers and lube I was paying for so 45acp cost around at worst $3.25-$3.50 a box to reload. He was shocked when I told him at best I'd spent $50 including the 200rnds I'd given him. A couple days later he said his late uncle had a bunch of reloading stuff that his aunt said he could have and asked if I'd show him how to reload. He ended up bringing over a treasure trove of reloading supplies including about #15 of green dot alone. He had a Lyman turret press and an all American turret press, scales, measures, dies, everything except books. I bolted his Lyman press to my bench and had him set it up and walked him through how everything worked. Then watched him for a while turning out 45acp ammo. I had an extra Lee auto disk measure that I'd been given and gave it to him. He wasn't into casting, so he bought cast bullets and still saved quite a bit over buying factory ammo. Shot with him a few more years until he moved, but he was still reloading last time I spoke with him.

[Harter66]

The most expensive cartridge I load for with cast as of now costs me 40¢ a round the best buy on factory ammo for it today is $1.34 /round . I'll have to buy a new mould for it probably eventually so I'll have to add another dime to that . Even then it's 2.5 to 1 for shooting . The second most expensive cartridge to load comes in at about 38¢ each but bargain basement clearance sale ammo is north of $1.90 per shot .
Most of the tools are long since paid for so for a new cartridge I only have to count dies and and moulds as tools . I figure if I pay cash money for brass it's free after 5 cycles if I bought it as loaded ammo 1x is as good as pick up .

Costs how do you really count that when you buy a press the has an Amazon price $200 a new price pushing $300 and the seller throws in 200 brass for $125 ......
If I had to replace it all at one time at current market value I'd be very sad . Another $125 A Max will never happen the RockChuckers are 235 last I looked and Ohause M5 scales ........ There's $1200 that cost me less than $300 . I think I have something like 29 die sets . I know some of those sets were pig in a poke grab bags and a couple I paid full retail for but they were only $22-25 . I don't have a single set that is under $30 now and several that are over $50 , 1 set that is 75 + . So die sets go north of $1200 pretty easy . 4 MECs and a Pacific shot shell press ...... Ok I'd replace them with just 4 MECs but that's still $1000 . Moulds , there's a bucket of snakes . $300 in 6C Lee , 10 NOEs probably 18 Lyman , RCBS , LBT , MM and Cramer moulds plus that many 2C Lee's . $3000 seems like a fair number there except that all but 5 of the NOEs were on sale ,second hand or came with something else so spent is more like $2000 . Let's not even start into the little tools .

In spite of the above coming in something like $14,000 if I had to count all of the brass, primers, powders , caps , sizing dies ,tumblers etc etc , it's still paid for .
1000s of 9mm,38 and 357 at $10/100 vs $13-18 /50 . Cheap 45 ACP is $20/50 vs 11/100 , Colts is over $35/50 vs $11/100 . Most any rifle ammo from the big 3 is $1/round vs 14-18/100 .
The last 3 range trips saw me run off
20 45-70
50 45 Colts
50 357
50 45 ACP
40 45 Raptor
30 222
50 30-30
50 380
Unk number of 06' in 3 different rifles
$275 vs $70 maybe . Let's call it $200 on just these 3 trips . 12 trips per yr plus 2-3 social shoots over the last 25 yr come to a safe low number $100/yr that I didn't spend on factory ammo . I think of the weekends that I shot 60 rounds of 32 Rem and a couple of boxes of 264 WM that was $20-25 to load but would have cost at least $200 to have bought and the savings out strips the expense by some $11,000 .
If I throw in the steel shot I loaded every season at $5.60/ box in 12 ga vs 12-15/box let's call it a $6/savings from 92-02 at a box per field day comes out 32 boxes/yr or 320 boxes . $1920 now that I know is a soft number because I had 4 kids that hunted ducks and geese with me during that time also . 97-02' there were at least 2 on almost any day and my work schedule changed from 5/8 to 4/10 so in 96 I gained a day every weekend .
The shotgun gear is paid for twice over at today's money with steel shot 90s prices . That almost makes the safe and it's contents free . :)

Ms knows what it is all worth and has an idea of the value .
Now that there is a price on it ,in the words of Beowolf ," they can only count what they can see ,now we must give them a glimpse of what they cannot". I have no way to place a value on the days spent in the field or at the range with the kids ,friends and family . There is no way to place a value on the kids and adults introduced to shooting or the friendships made through those trips .

Whether or not every dime is tracked doesn't matter , I mean really the dime is gone after the sear break , it is the immeasurable value that comes from casting ,loading and shooting that is the real reward . You can't buy 100 days freezing in a duck blind with your kids or that 3 generation afternoon skining deer or the cool evening around a Rondy fire passing a bottle of rye for any price .

[Kraschenbirn]

I don't maintain a spreadsheet but do have a fairly cost of my 'cost-per-round' for most of the calibers I reload and shoot. In terms of 'disposable income', I'm not saving a single nickle by casting/reloading because I simply wouldn't shoot as much if I was limited to factory ammo. Actually, casting/reloading is probably costing me considerable extra 'cause I wouldn't own most of the obsolete military and antique caliber guns that take up most of the space in my safe(s) if I couldn't shoot them.

Bill

[lightman]

I started reloading to save money. I started casting shortly after that. At one time I was in the "black". I slowly added equipment and it slowly paid for itself. Then I got into long range shooting and started buying more precise, more expensive equipment. Some of those tools cost more than my whole original set-up! So who knows? And I really don't care. But I'm probably still in the "black".

I load for a few things that you can't buy. A tight neck 6.5-284. A tight neck 22-250 AI. A few expensive and scarce or obsolete calibers that I can reload as cheap as more common ones like 44's, 45's, 10mm's, 38 Super's, ect ect. My ammo is more accurate than anything that I can buy. Even Federal Gold Metal Match, Black Hills Match, or LC Match can't out shoot my handloads. The only thing that I can't beat is Weatherby ammo. That kinda hurt my feelings, but I don't have a Weatherby anymore.

I cast nearly 1000 44 bullets last week. That would have gone a long way towards paying on a piece of equipment. I cast about the same number of 45's 2 weeks ago. Yesterday, I cast several hundred 38's. All with free or very cheap lead. But no, I don't keep precise records on the cost. I may buy $500 or $1000 worth of primers, powder or J-bullets at a time and shoot for months or even years.

As far as cost goes, a box of 300 Weatherby ammo or a box of 7mm STW sells for between $50 and $80. I can load 100 for that cost. A friend bought 700+ factory rounds of 220 Swift for a Prairie Dog hunt a few years ago. That would have paid for a reloading set-up and possibly the cost of components. If you shoot nearly any form of competition you almost have to reload in order to afford it.

[runfiverun]

if we are just looking at tooling costs it can be a pretty good outlay of funds.
I could look at just my brass cleaning/annealing bench, the 2 casting benches, the sizing bench, and look in their various drawers and shelves and see well over 10,000$ [American money]

we don't even want to turn around to the other side of the shop where the swaging stuff and most of the shot gun reloading presses are bolted down.
or go into the metallic reloading room in the house.
'that's just the stuff I got now.
never mind the tools I started with and threw or gave away over the years.

I just threw away over 50 empty shot bags because I found another box with even more bags in it.
just the shot I have put down range over the years would easily pay to double my house size at 1$ a pound.
but it's all gone and I don't regret any of it.

[fredj338]

I do count the cost but then I shoot quite a bit. If I didn't reload I wouldn't shoot as much or I wouldn;t have gotten into some calibers I have because of cost. Rounds like the 44mag are expensive to feed unless you handload. Just for IDPA alone I am shooting about 8k rounds a year between 9mm, 40 & 45. I like being able to customize my ammo, but certainly cost comes into play for most of us. Right now, casting my own, I am shooting 45acp for what you can shoot 22lr today.
Yes & probably have $5-6000 in total reloading/casting gear. That is a spit in the bucket compared to factory ammo cost. 8000 rds of 45acp a year is about $2400 alone. Over just 3yrs, shoot it up, all you have is dirty gun. I could sell all my gear for more than I paid for most of it 15-20yrs ago.

[rintinglen]

I started reloading for the economy, but it eventually became an end in and of itself. I spend more time loading than shooting. However, the major benefit for me today is that I can shoot guns that I can not buy ammunition for, at least not easily. I seldom see 44 Special on the shelf, to say nothing of 32 S&W long, 9 mm Largo, 32-20 or 45 Auto Rim. But I have managed to accumulate brass for all of these, and once you own a press, dies are cheap.

My first reloading set up cost me about two day's pay in the seventies. A used Pacific press for $5.00, a set of dies from the Commissary on base for 12.50, a pound of powder and box of 500 b cast boolits ran another 20 and 1000 primers cost exactly $10.00, tax included, altogether it was under 45.00. I reloaded 500 38 specials, in brass I had already scrounged and payed for my setup that weekend. in fact I was 5 bucks ahead, because those 500 rounds bought as reloads from the range would have run me 50.00. Once the press and dies were paid for, my cost per round dropped to about $3.60 a hundred. I managed to acquire a trash can full of wheel weights, and then got into casting.

Now I have "saved" about 5,000 dollars in reloading gear over the years.

[bedbugbilly]

I already posted but it has sure been interesting reading this thread! It sort of got me to thinking . . . when we get back to MI in a couple weeks from spending the winter in AZ, we are moving from the house we've lived in for 40 some years in to a condo. We've already "thinned things out" for the move but i still have to pack up my reloading stuff. The condo we are moving to has a nice full basement so I will be starting from scratch, building a new bench and storage etc.

It will be interesting I'm sure, as I pack and move as I KNOW I have accumulated way too much stuff - dies for calibers I don't reload but "might someday", brass for calibers I don't have guns for but "might some day" and let's not even talk about the accumulation of molds! At my age, a lot of those things will probably never get used. I'm even thinking of culling out the "pistol herd" and maybe a long gun or two. Will I get out of it what I put into it? Maybe yes, maybe no . . but it's sure been fun.

[dverna]

I already posted but it has sure been interesting reading this thread! It sort of got me to thinking . . . when we get back to MI in a couple weeks from spending the winter in AZ, we are moving from the house we've lived in for 40 some years in to a condo. We've already "thinned things out" for the move but i still have to pack up my reloading stuff. The condo we are moving to has a nice full basement so I will be starting from scratch, building a new bench and storage etc.

It will be interesting I'm sure, as I pack and move as I KNOW I have accumulated way too much stuff - dies for calibers I don't reload but "might someday", brass for calibers I don't have guns for but "might some day" and let's not even talk about the accumulation of molds! At my age, a lot of those things will probably never get used. I'm even thinking of culling out the "pistol herd" and maybe a long gun or two. Will I get out of it what I put into it? Maybe yes, maybe no . . but it's sure been fun.

When I moved, i had an 8' Supercab dually. It took more than three trips to move the loading and casting equipment, the supplies, and the ammunition. And it is heavy work. Three tons alone of casting lead and shot.

[Leadmelter]

I know about what cost me but this is my hobby. I don't bowl, hang out at the bar, go to overpriced sports events or other nonsense,
If the wife wants to find me some night, I am casting, loading or gone to the club. Church on Sunday.
Keep it simple and enjoy it while you can. No gun chests on a hearse.
Leadmelter
MI

[Garyshome]

If I add my labor, i'm not saving any money. But it's a hobby, so i'm saving all kinds of $$$$$$$$.

Yea Right!

[Silvercreek Farmer]

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.

Just curious, what do you do for a living?

I keep a quite few rough figures in my head, but my paper trail consists of only a few post it notes...

[JohnH]

I don't think about it and I don't wanna know.

[6bg6ga]

If someone were to ask me if I saved money reloading my first thought would be to say yes I save a hell of a lot of money. That is until I start figuring what I have invested in my little hobby. Lets see A Dillon 650, a Lyman T-Mag, Ballisti-cast Mark IV, A Star sizer, Magma sizer, two dozen or better Magma molds, sizing dies for the star and Magma, Magma bullet feeders, Diy PID heater control systems, Dillon's largest tumbler, chop saw to make 300 blkouts, Hornady case sizing prep station, and I haven't mentioned everything else. Yup, really saving money here.

[ghh3rd]

I love to use Excel ... so of course I've made a few quick n dirty spreadsheets with if lead costs this much, and tin that, and brass cost this and lasts this many times, etc.... I have surprised some folks who doubted that one could save a substantial amount by reloading... that is if you didn't spend your savings more shooting :-)

[bullseye67]

Good evening,
This is a topic that gets talked about every 3 weeks after our club night. All the bullseye shooters reload and those that don't cast trade with those that do. We all "know" reloading saves $$. In my case. If I only shot my 32 S&W Long pistol. A box of 50 Sellior&Belliot wadcutters are right around $35.00 they are the least expensive, the most expensive are Fiocchi at over $40.00. Makes for an expensive night!!
So....8lbs Bullseye powder is $250.00, 35K in primers are $245.00, Brass more than we know what to do with, so free. For those unfamiliar with low power bullseye loads. The brass is a lifetime item. I have 38 and 45 ACP cases that are 35 years old and 32 brass that was gifted to me that's 50+years old, reloaded LOTS....I would make a very educated guess at 12 times a year so somewhere close to 600 times. I did a quick cost of the lead I have/use and for 35K in boolits say $100.00. Long story longer $595.00 for 35,000 rounds or 700 boxes of S&W Long ammo that consistently shoots better than factory. I didn't add anything for equipment, my time casting or reloading....BECAUSE....factory loads would be $24,500.00. When I relate this to the younger guys just starting out they can't believe the numbers. I just take them over to the bagged bullets on the shelf point out that 500 bullets is about the same as 3 boxes of ammo, do the same with primers and explain that a pound of powder will load over 2000 rounds, they start to get it. I have had a couple of them come over and used my equipment for a couple of bags of bullets. Only one hasn't started reloading!
Save money....ABSOLUTELY....Love doing it for the hobby....ABSOLUTELY....Do it because I can't walk past a WW or used brass lying on the ground...ABSOLUTELY....Could I stop tomorrow....ABSOLUTELY....NOT!!!!

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I can't remember exactly what year? 1997? or maybe 2002? somewhere in there I started reloading 44 Mag, because Factory ammo was just too spendy. I was counting the potential costs before I geared up, as well as, after I started loading...for maybe 3 or 4 years, then things $$$ just started getting out of control. Then, when I started casting in 2010, the $$$ really started flying around, I'd need a CPA license to keep track now.

[armoredman]

I roll pennies for gas sometimes, because being a state slave doesn't pay what it could. So, if I didn't reload I'd be able to afford to go to the range about once a month, for less than an hour. With casting and reloading, I can go whenever the state gives me a day off....

[Dusty Bannister]

It is interesting to see how others think of their hobby expenses. I got into reloading because I was in a profession that I felt demanded proficiency. I could not afford to buy factory ammo in those days so reloading was necessary. Through the years, I have always tried to shop wise and buy what I could when the prices were favorable. And as with many, there have been rather thin years that had the money not already been spent wisely, there would have been nothing to reload with. When I go shooting, or take a friend shooting, I am not thinking how much I might have spent on the components. Rather I am thinking this is going to be fun because I know I have made the best bullets I can, I have used care in assembly and I have not gone cheap by cutting down a quarter grain or whatever trying to save a penny or two. That money was spent months or years ago so is not even in the thought process as I just have a good time and shoot the best ammo I can make. I refuse to waste a good afternoon shooting wondering if this is the powder I bought at $10.00 a pound from another reloader, or the newer stiff that was $26.00 or more.

So many other things to worry about, but just forget them all and enjoy the range time.
Dusty

[mdi]

Hmmm. Presses and dies and assorted tooling, paid for. Lead, molds, lube components paid for. Brass, bullets and powder, paid for. Didn't happen all at once.

Maker's Mark about $40.00 per bottle, next morning a headache. All reloading stuff paid for, next morning a huge sense of satisfaction..

[bedbugbilly]

Leadmelter - it must be something in our Michigan water as I'm like you. LOL Not knocking other folk's activities at all, but my wife and I have always lived pretty frugally so we could enjoy our retirement. Like your wife, mine knows where I'm at and I have been blessed with the love of my life for 45 years. She has her hobbies and I have mine and if she wants something, then I tell her to get it. In my upcoming move though, I know I need to downsize on some things - not because I don't want or need to keep it but to make things a little simpler for her if something happens to me. If I'm bone and she sells the stuff to someone, no, she certainly won't get back what I have in it but how can you put a price on the hours and hours of enjoyment? When you get to the age where you know you are on the "downhill slope" - things become pretty clear as far as just what the important things are in life . . . and hearses don't have luggage racks or trailer hitches. :-) We have never put hobbies ahead of bills or savings and I would easily give up my hobbies if it meant that I could have another five minutes with my loved ones but we have no say over those things . . . so enjoy your hobbies whatever they may be . . . even it it's just sitting on a river bank and fishing with an old cane pole while you enjoy the beauty of nature that's been bestowed on us!

[bob208]

when i got started into loading and casting. price had a lot to do with it . a box of .38 cost $8.50 .357 mag. were $14.00. I bought my first .357 pistol a 4 5/8 ruger for $60. .38 brass was cheep even free. I read skeeter skeltons works so I shot a lot of his hot 38 loads. with bullets hand dipped in a single cavity 358429 mold. I was shooting near mag loads for about $3.00 a box.

then when the price of ammo dropped it was the convince. now it is the convince and price again.

[Green Ghost]

When I started reloading about 3 years ago, it was both to save money and because of a lack of available ammo. I did a cost to benefit analysis and found that if I didn't cast my own boolits, it would still be too expensive. So, instead of buying a thousand boolits, I bought a Lee Pro 20, a 2 cavity mold, and several hundred pounds of wheelweights. The Lee pro 1000 was less than $200, and rounded out my kit. That's less than $400 for a reloading kit with enough components for a thousand rounds.

If I Hadn't of started reloading, I'd have bought WWB ammo. In 45acp, it would have cost the same amount $400, but it wasn't available at the time. So after the first thousand rounds, I consider the price for the reloading equipment a wash.

I've added a few things like a couple of molds, a PID, powder scale and more consumables. But all told I'm still well under $800 for all my reloading equipment and components I've reloaded well over three thousand rounds of 45acp.

Have I saved money? On a purely price per round basis, I've saved at least $400 so far and have enough components for three thousand more rounds. Thinking more esoterically, if I didn't reload, would I have bought all those rounds? I doubt it. I just couldn't justify the expense for a hobby.

All in all, looking back, I've spent more money than If I didn't reload, but, where I used to shoot 200 rounds for $80, I now shoot 1000 rounds for about the same price. I've made some good friends an learned alot along the way. I would do it again in a heart beat.

[Texas by God]

As a 14 year old farm kid you bet I got into it so I could shoot more for less money.
Other than casting my own bullets for certain guns I'm not sure about saving much nowadays. But if I did the math(I won't!) Maybe 100 reloaded 22-250's are still cheaper than 100 factory Remington or Winchesters. Definitely more accurate!
Best, Thomas.

[GhostHawk]

Well I may be different than many. I do not count tools in reloaded cost.

A tool, be it a hand primer, a deprimer, a press, a mold is an investment in my future for a hobby which I enjoy. A 25$ Lee mold pays for itself IMO after the first couple hundred useable boolits made. It would cost as much to buy precast, and have zero control over contents, lube, etc.

So for me it seems a better bargain. I mostly don't count the cost of brass, that too is an investment in the future. May take years or decades to pay off fully, may never fully repay what I put into it. But you have to have brass to reload. I was lucky enough to get 25 lb box of 9mm, .40sw for 50$ from our range, another of .45acp for 75$. And considered myself lucky at the time. They tend to have reasonable prices on rifle brass also. I have bought at least 400 .30-30 brass at 8$ per 50 and put a 10 $ donation in their jar when I found 200 rounds of prime .30-30 brass at a time when I had 2 new to me rifles and no brass.


To shoot, you need to consider primers, need one for every round, I prefer CCI or Win.
Powder, I get by real cheap with Red Dot mostly. Lead, bought a lot of range lead here, some tin, some lino. Some WW from RedRiver at a good price, delivered. And a thousand thanks for it.

Those things go away with every shot. Primer is gone, powder is burned, in my club lead is not recoverable by me. So those are costs I have to track.

Tools remain, time, well I'm retired, I'm made of time. Energy is a little harder to come by.
Lately the ammo shelf is groaning, so I don't feel much need to be very active.

I did however recently find a great buy on some .444 brass, snapped those up, and loaded them too. It being one of the few calibers that is a bit in short supply on the shelf.

Fired a few of those today, but was having nothing but troubles. Scope mount and rings were loose, the 3 rifle paper stations were all full and the elecronic stations said I was not hitting the 4' x 4' target.

So be it, I'm happy, the light load of Red Dot went bang, the impulse to my shoulder was amazingly light, and I could hear the bullet smack the far end someplace. So it was not all bad.

There will be a better day.

[mdi]

I just thought of another reason for my reloading and casting, and again, it isn't about costs. Convenience. I remember having to go to a gun shop and I did not really care for the owner (self proclaimed and very vocal "expert" on every firearm ever made and all aspects of reloading). So, I bought a Lee mold, mail order, so I wouldn't have to deal with him (silly? maybe, but I realized that was a definite reason)...

[Chili]

I don't really count costs, but I do keep loose track of component prices. On occasion someone interested in reloading may ask about the potential cost savings, so I explain reloads cost me "about half" of factory ammo. People interested in reloading are also told it's more about accuracy or making a cartridge that is not available commercially for whatever reason(s).

[ioon44]

It is hard to put a price on a good time.

[6bg6ga]

Its an obsession. No better way to explain it. You have empty cases you have to clean them and reload them simple as that. You have thousands of bullets cast and its still not enough. The more you have the more you want. You buy another gun and now you purchase the reloading dies, and assorted primers, powders, and bullet molds so that you can save money by reloading. In my case I will never break even and if a tally up the costs of all the gear its simpler and less costly to just buy it off the shelf. The only redeaming factor about reloading is when the shelves are empty you have a stash when everyone else is frantically looking for ammo.

[DanishM1Garand]

I do not. That said the outrageous prices of 12 gauge slugs and buckshot got me into reloading. Metallic reloading followed soon behind.

[JBinMN]

Interesting topic! I have enjoyed reading all the posts!
:)

As for me... I don't really count the costs anymore.

I made the determination back when I first started reloading, that if I wanted to be able to determine & control that factors involved in shooting my weapons "economically", it would be less expensive for me to reload my own than to buy factory rounds. ( Same with fishing jigs & sinkers) Time in doing it was not a factor. I had the time to spare, but not a lot of $$ to spare. As life got more busy with my business, I spent much of my leisure time in hunting & fishing. So, Since I was making more $$, and had less time, I just bought factory rounds + jigs & sinkers to fill the needs. Now as I have become older & am semi retired, I am back to having more time & less $$. So I started making jigs & sinkers for fishing & have begun reloading ( & now casting boolits) again. I have to watch costs a little due to less $$ coming in, but only for a month to month cost for budgeting sake of what "leftover" $$ I have to spend once bills are paid. Thus, not really counting costs, just budgeting.

I kind of look at it like this... It costs me about $3.50 to buy a can or bottle of beer or a "bar brand" cocktail at an average working mans' bar/tavern around here. I can go to the local liquor store to buy a 24 can case of Budweiser & it costs me around $0.83 for that same beer. If I buy a bottle of booze, I can make my drinks for somewhere around the same. Using a different method, if I spend $20.00 in a bar, I get 5 beers/drinks with $2.50 for a tip, paying for someone to serve the drink & the "atmosphere".. If I spend $20.00 for a 24 beer case of Bud, I obviously get 24 beers for the same $$. The drinks in the bar are supposed to stay at the bar. The beer I take with me can go anywhere I want to take them. I have more freedom to choose what I want to do & how I spend my $$, by doing the "serving" myself & I don't have to pay for the "atmosphere". I reckon it all depends on what you want to do with your time & $$, right?

As another example, I smoked for 40+ plus years before I quit a short time ago. I started rolling my own smokes "by hand", & then, as I made more $$, I just bought packs & cartons. A few years ago, I started rolling my own by using a machine & store bought filtered tubes, mostly to save $$. A pack of factory smokes around here costs about $8.00, I roll a pack for $1.00 in materials and it only takes me five minutes to roll a pack of 20. Less time than it would take me to go to a store and buy one. So, once again, it goes back to what ya want to do with your time & $$.

So, like I said in the beginning, I really don't count the costs anymore... Once I have determined what I want to do with my time & $$. Pretty much the same with a lot of my decisions in life. LOL
;)

[barrabruce]

I count the cost... but only when I have to buy primers and powder occasionally.
22lr ammo is getting dearer all the time.
hell last case cost me $3.50 per packet now $7

I usually try and avoid gun shops and temptation.
I prefer to only have to whine and cry once in a while.

Save money...well if I worked for $5/hr I could probably just shoot factory ammo and let the cases lay where they landed from all the time wasting it takes to cast and load good ammo.
But it keeps me off the streets...but my wife thinks that I could spend more time doing things around here besides just fishing and shooting.

Wasted my youth doing the same ....may as well keep going...hell I might get the hang of it yet!
At only 55 have a long way to go.

[10 ga]

I'm a degenerate casting, SML shooting and lead scrounging addict. Yes cost is a part. With 15 ML bullets in a vac-pak hanging in the LGS for $25 it is really easy to shoot more and still save $. That $25 will easy pay for 100 sabots and way more than 100 boolits. Powder and primer outlay more but still saving considerable dollars and shooting all I want. Plus I get to mine ranges and berms. Feeding the addiction, usually run low on time before I run out of $. 10

[barrabruce]

Well one could just substantiate every thing by the cost of 410 ammo alone.
Anything that is not common military calibres or other stuff.

Even 303 shooters complain about the cost of projectiles now.

Well at least I know I will be able to use the same projectiles with out them drying up or never stocked again.

I ran into a bloke I have seen down the range the other day while at the post office.
Sending back a mold to the seller.
He couldn't see any benefit in a eagan mould and have seen them things advertised as cheap as $20 bucks.
He was grateful that he could still afford factory projectiles and not have to use those things. :veryconfu

:awesome:Poor bugga me

[reloader28]

I count it usually. Most everything is paid off fairly fast.
If your shooting 300 Weatherby or RUM you can actually pay for an entire RCBS reloading kit with only 4 boxes of ammo.

[LAKEMASTER]

It was a no brainer for me.

When you save up to $0.65 a round, its not a hard decision.

I sometimes view my pinking ammo as [ ammount i saved ] verses what it cost to reload said ammo.

[6bg6ga]

Even at .65 a round it would take me in excess of 10K rounds to try to brake even for equipment costs alone.

[toallmy]

:p I only count the cost when I reach in my pocket to get the money out to buy what I want . I enjoy being able to custom load for my rifles , and shotguns . After doing that for 30 years I discovered the joy of casting . My only regret is I didn't start casting for handguns back then so I'm trying to make up for it now .

[finstr]

Not any more I don't.
Here cheap .45acp ammo is $24 per box. Without factoring my time, I can reload 50 shells for about $2, maybe less.
I get the lead WW's for free
I get range scrap lead for free
I get the propane to smelt for free
I got 2,500 brass for free

The price of the moulds, 4-20 pot, HF powder, toaster oven and everything else that I made for smelting has long since paid for itself.

I have friends and new shooters that come by to smelt and cast for their own calibers. It's my way of paying it forward. Heck I even buy the molds for those just so I have them.

[6bg6ga]

The average reloader isn't going to get his components for free. Consider the average reloader trying to reload 45acp is going to spend lets say 4.5 cents for brass, 3 cents for a primer, 5 cents for a lead cast bullet and 2 cents for powder. This would equate to 14.5 a round or $7.50 for a box of 50.

[GhostHawk]

Brass is reuseable, ignore that and your at a dime a round.

In the realm of .22lr, only with a whole nother level of THUMP!

You give me a choice between 10 rounds of .22lr and 8-10 rounds of reloaded centerfire.
I'll take the centerfire, most of the time. But once in a while it is just fun to shoot 50 rounds of .22lr through the Ruger Mk III 22/45's. Not as much thump, but the precision is fun.

Put 4 dots around the outside of the target at 3, 6, 9, 12. Then go run the bases.

As fast as you can put 10 downrange and still hit a 1" dot 3 out of 4. Pushing for speed, 12, 3, 6, 9, round and round.

Run a couple clips like that. And then look at those groups.

Get a target like that with tight clusters of holes you can cover with a pop bottle cap, where you know you were faster than 10 shots in 15 seconds. Builds confidence.

[DerekP Houston]

I don't really consider my time or count the costs of reloading. I like the satisfaction of well produced accurate rounds that are relatively cheaper than factory. I do buy in bulk to get the components for cheaper.

[marshall623]

I never saved a dime loading but have got to shot more for my money!

That is it for me , shooting = relaxation - more shooting = more relaxation . For me range time recharges the batteries.

[6bg6ga]

You simply cannot ignore the brass when you don't have it. I started out with zero 9mm brass and purchased 1K from a forum member. Regardless of it being re-usable I still put out money for the first round I loaded thus I still factor that into the costs. After that round is fired I can drop that off the price of a reloaded round.

I started out with about 50 spent 40 cal rounds and now have 3K or better that I simply picked up off the ground. It makes the 40 cal cheap.

The point is if you have to purchase it you have to factor it into the cost of reloading. If you get it free you don't figure it into the cost. I do make an exception for cast bullets however because I factor in the cost of electricity for running the Mark IV bullet caster and running the sizer.

[dragon813gt]

You simply cannot ignore the brass when you don't have it.

I agree. I've never been able to pick up any 35 Remington, 356/358 Winchester, 375 H&H.....pick a rifle round other than 223/308 and no line leaves it lying at the range. If they do I consider it scrap since there is no telling why it was left there.

[reloader28]

You cant ignore it if you dont have it, but you only figure in the cost of brass once. Some people continually add on that cost and thats not an accurate figure

[mdi]

Just a thought; for those that closely count costs, do you amortize the equipment costs into the cost of reloads? Do you include shipping and hazmat where applicable? Do you count the utilities (lights and power) used in the reloading area? How about the cost of driving (wear and tear on the vehicle, fuel, insurance) to the local dealer, added to the component costs and factory ammo? Is any special clothing used when reloading/casting? What does one do about spillage? I occasionally spill a grain or two of powder, and maybe splash a bit of lead, or when sprues are dropped on the floor and forgotten to be later swept out? One problem on my part would be the cost of the components at the time I purchased them; primers from 2000, 2004, 2010, 2015. Powder from 1990, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2014. Bullets from 1990-2017. Lead from 1995-2011.

Whew! Too much figgerin' fer me! :veryconfu

[quilbilly]

Years ago I almost quit shooting my 338 WM because of the cost per round. Then I bought the mold for it.

[Biggin]

Hi guys I'm new to this site and I'm just getting back into reloading after several years absence. Like one of the other members said if I counted costs for my shooting it would probably scare me . I try to save money when I can but I just do it cuz I love it!

[Smk SHoe]

I figure it the easy way. Every year around x-mas, I take out my 1911 and shoot a box of .45 that cost me about $6,000. Everything else is free. I once tried to just look around the reloading room and write down what I spent. Then I figured if the wife found the sheets, she would get half of my stuff in the divorce. She has no idea what I really spend, and I want to keep it that way. Mortgages are paid, bills paid and the young in feed. time to buy more lead

[Harter66]

Just a thought; for those that closely count costs, do you amortize the equipment costs into the cost of reloads? Do you include shipping and hazmat where applicable? Do you count the utilities (lights and power) used in the reloading area? How about the cost of driving (wear and tear on the vehicle, fuel, insurance) to the local dealer, added to the component costs and factory ammo? Is any special clothing used when reloading/casting? What does one do about spillage? I occasionally spill a grain or two of powder, and maybe splash a bit of lead, or when sprues are dropped on the floor and forgotten to be later swept out? One problem on my part would be the cost of the components at the time I purchased them; primers from 2000, 2004, 2010, 2015. Powder from 1990, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2014. Bullets from 1990-2017. Lead from 1995-2011.

Whew! Too much figgerin' fer me! :veryconfu

Actually I have done all of that . I base every tool on 1000 rounds . 1 new NOE mould that's $.01 per keeper . 1974 RC $20 at a yd sale in 96' , 2010 I picked up an RCII for $25 , last year I scored a $75 A Max A4 , I put the 1974 RC up at $75 shipped and was practically trampled in the stampede . The 2 RockChuckers have loaded probably 10k between them and I cringe to think how many have gone through the partner press but probably that many as well as it was part of my original kit . Those and the 38/357 , 9mm , 06' , 243 and 12 ga gear paid off in 2000 . I've paid real money for only the 20# Lee dipper pot and cast enough to pay it off . This is especially true if I do the math back the other way .
NOE mould 2C $79
Die set 264 WM $42
Primers /100. $ 2.50
Brass /100. $42
Powder /. $23
Power etc/100. $10
Total first 100. $198.50
Cost from Miwall per 100 264 WM
$229.75 + 8% tax .
$248.13
$198.50 -
$48.63 difference
Currently 45 Colts runs about $72/100 + tax it gets loaded for $14/100 on my bench at $58/100 difference the new NOE mould pays off in less than 200 rounds .
6.8 in FC FMJ on sale goes for $60/100 + tax . $14/100 off my bench with everything figured in buying new brass at 5 cycles . If I only get by with at $20/100 that's still $40/100 ahead over 1000 rd that's $400 .

Just those 3 cartridges at 486.30 , 400 , 580 every 4 years because I shoot 12 other cal and 18 other cartridges is $1466.30 vs store bought ammo . I sight those because they are among the highest priced shelf ammo I use and the 264 and 6.8 don't share moulds or allow salvage of spent brass to or from other cartridges at this time . Chances are I would shoot as much as I do now if I had to buy the ammo but it would be Wolf steel case 223 and 9mm not 45 Colts , Schofield , ACP , Raptor or 45-70 and certainly not 7.7 , 358 , 32 Rem , 222 or 264 WM .

[Smk SHoe]

The average reloader isn't going to get his components for free. Consider the average reloader trying to reload 45acp is going to spend lets say 4.5 cents for brass, 3 cents for a primer, 5 cents for a lead cast bullet and 2 cents for powder. This would equate to 14.5 a round or $7.50 for a box of 50.
Yes, but after the first reload, you don't have to buy the brass again, so now down to 5 dollars a box for 50. So when your friend shoots 100 rounds for 50$ and you shoot 250 rounds for 25$. it's a no brainer.

[Smk SHoe]

During my heavy shooting times, I have financed some components and reloading tools with friends money. They buy a new gun, no problem, you buy the dies and we can load up some ammo for X$. Way less than factory, I get another set of dies, they get to tailored ammo for the gun, and always have extra components left over ( mostly primers and powder). They know the type's of primers and powder I prefer to use and just buy extra ( kinda my payment for all the work and them not having to spend a lot of $$$ on reloading equipment)

[Bazoo]

I count cost per round based on powder, bullet, and primer. I sometimes will count brass when I figure what its costing me per box, based one about the number of loads I expect on each piece. I do not count equipment at all though. First, i dont buy much new, mostly its used, and a decent deal. Not to mention that I was given some after a housefire from some of the kind folks here.

I dont think that you can count the cost of used equipment because at any time, you could sell that equipment and recoup any money that is invested in it. It would be the same as counting the cost of a hunting rifle in the cost of meat from havesting deer.

I started reloading for 3 main reasons. The hobby aspect, the savings aspect, and the self sufficiency aspect. That has lead to another aspect, the ability to have a gun in a caliber for which ammo is not available, either a wildcat, or obsolete.

[LAKEMASTER]

last friday, my shooting family was in town. we had saturday planned to shoot/ plink at the local range.

i sat at the reloading bar with them for 20/30 minutes and "hammered" out 100 40cal rounds stopping and checking charges every 3-5 rounds and oal

it was priceless. they had never seen reloading done before and now they wanna reload for their guns.

so, the savings i get per round, and the relaxing "summer" hobby in my honest opinion, is truly priceless.

not to mention, making sub MOA ammo.............................................. ...................