Still cheaper to reload

[Wayne Smith]

No one needs a dozen different calibers that each require it’s own special component.


BLASPHEMY!

Not complete blasphemy - if you separate 'need' and 'want'.

[Thumbcocker]

Not complete blasphemy - if you separate 'need' and 'want'.

These words you speak are strange to my ears.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[1Papalote]

Cheaper or not does not matter to me. Availability does matter. Components I "hoarded" years ago provide inexpensive reloads today. Plus, while some were searching for a box of 243 in the stores, I had 20 boxes waiting to be reloaded. Buy components when things become available again and never worry about what you shoot come hunting season. Plus prices will continue to rise. Some of us remember .10 coca-cola.

[John Guedry]

Some of us remember nickel cokes.

[Wal']

Now that I got old.......still don't know how that happened, today I enjoy reloading more than shooting the stuff, which is a minor problem I have to live with...
And with all the gear acquired over the last forty years or so, this shooting thing costs me virtually nothing, range lead, wheel weights & the found lead makes it all worthwhile........

[white eagle]

Some of us remember nickel cokes.

how about .25c gas

[alamogunr]

Very few reloaders get their brass for free, and few also get their lead for nearly free.

You have to remember that most people on this forum are retired hoarders who have tons of brass and lead stored up.

Most reloaders use purchased lead and brass, or those darn J-words.

I resemble that comment.

[Soundguy]

A buddy wanted some 45 colt.. they are going for 60$ per 50 around here for cowboy stuff.. and 80$ per 50 for others. Yikes.

I sat and made up some cast lead 200gr last night over titegroup. With primers at 15 cents and powder at 45$ a pound.. they are only costing me .. rounded up.. 22 cents each. With my old primers and old powder calculation.. they are costing me 10 cents each.. reused cases.. etc. ( that's with about 10bhn scrap lead.. If I need harder.. add a penny and can bump up to linotype mixed. )

I'm still glad I reload. I made up 45colt and 9mm last night.. will do 44 spl and 45 acp tonight I think.

[JoeJames]

Along with being cheaper I have found in revolver shooting that my cast bullet loads are also much more accurate than store bought. Factory ammo is tailored to the lowest common denominator as far as bullet diameter goes in my opinion.

[missionary5155]

I started after the Pickle Suit time (Armor) because my dad was a reloader. Muzzle loading also. He and his Navy buddy cast their own HPWCs.
I bought one box of 32 Win. Special (to get the brass) in 10 years.
But now it is all about being able to weekly shoot calibers others dream about. Plus those expensive, hard to find to buy special calibers.
Life is fine with a well fed accurate firearm !

[Lifeshort]

My son-in-law wanted to compare the Gen 5 Glock 23 to the Gen 5 G19 while at the cabin this weekend and while I had plenty of 9mm, I was all out of target ammo for the .40 S&W, so I was forced to stop by the local gun shop and pick up some plinking ammo.

I paid $28 per box of 50 for Federal FMJ 165 grain. Cheapest ammo they had.

Current price at that same store for components is $25 for a bag of 100 brass, and you get about 10 loadings from each case, so figure 10% of 50% of the bag cost, so that's about $1.25 for the brass. Primers are $10 per 100, so $5 for primers. Hornady FMJ bullets are $27 per 100, so $13.50 for bullets. Powder is now $40 per 7000 grains (1 pound), and figure 5 grains for plinking loads, and that is about $1.50 worth of powder.

So, my total cost for 50 reloads is $21.25. If plinking ammo gets back down to "normal" prices of $15 to $17 a box for .40 S&W, and components remain stupidly high, then buying commercial ammo will be cheaper.

If you figure in the cost of brass, then the 50 brass cases I get makes the commercial ammo significantly cheaper.

Buying new brass is loading not reloading. Save the brass you shoot and reload or buy once fired.

40sw reload cost

Once fired bought and shipped online $.05
Primers $.10
Powder $45/ pound=7000gr/5gr per load=1400 loads=$.035
170grain boolits cast from lead purchased from the Captain a vendor sponsor $1.46/pound delivered=41 boolits /pound $1.46/41=$.035
Powder Coat .01/boolit
Total $.23/round X 50=$11.50 per box using brass you buy once fired
$.18/round X50=$9.00 per box if you use your own brass or scrounged brass

[Winger Ed.]

Plus those expensive, hard to find to buy special calibers.

That's where you really make out.

It doesn't cost but a few cents more to load a .30-06 or .300WinMag than it does to load a .300Weatherby Mag.
5-6 years ago I was in a Bass Pro, and glanced over at the factory ammo shelf.
A box of Weatherby ammo, for 20 shells, was $72. even back then.

[rbuck351]

I have been hoarding long enough and am old enough that I will never have to buy another piece of brass, primer, pound of powder, pound of lead or piece of loading equipment as long as I live. That being said, my reloads cost me nothing as the money was spent long ago. Also I have been gifted powder, primers, brass and lead which also makes reloads free. Most of my brass has been found or traded for on the original Ammo Brass Trader or the current ABT. My equipment was mostly bought used and/or years ago which means I could easily sell it for more than I paid

So yes, my reloads are a LOT cheaper than factory loads and made to my needs. I can load 25/20, 256 win, 30 Rem, 7.7 Jap, 32/20 for next to nothing. Try buying any of that at any price.

And I do need 30 or 40 different calibers to load for. It keeps me from spending my money on shrinks.

[bangerjim]

Most all my brass is free for the picking-up. I did buy 80# each of .223 and 38SPL (shiny as new) at the local yard for $1/#. I like rolling my own because I can tune the load to my needs. I would NEVER shoot commercial 44MAGS! Unless I want to spend weeks in a cast! But I can light -load 44's to a comfortable 45LC feel very easily. Same with 38/357MAG.

And all the rifles I like to shoot (from 223 up thru 45LC).

All the tons of Pb and alloy I have ranged from 30¢ to $1 a pound over the years. That included pure Sn, high Sb alloys, Bi alloys, and COWW's, along with the normal soft Pb

I figured I saved some money re-loading in the olde days of component pricing. It was just fun!

Today, I load very little due to the vast supply of ready-to-go things I have loaded in the past & stored away. By the time those dwindle down to under 750 rounds each, I hope prices are back down and I will start in again.

Happy shooting!

banger

[Hogtamer]

If my ciphering is correct to load a box of 1oz 12 ga with powder at $40, shot at $75, primers at $.065 ea. and wads a nickel it would cost north of $11 per box of 25 shells. ok, I’ve got the hulls, primers and powder. Still, Let’s go Brandon!

[Idaho45guy]

Buying new brass is loading not reloading. Save the brass you shoot and reload or buy once fired.

40sw reload cost

Once fired bought and shipped online $.05
Primers $.10
Powder $45/ pound=7000gr/5gr per load=1400 loads=$.035
170grain boolits cast from lead purchased from the Captain a vendor sponsor $1.46/pound delivered=41 boolits /pound $1.46/41=$.035
Powder Coat .01/boolit
Total $.23/round X 50=$11.50 per box using brass you buy once fired
$.18/round X50=$9.00 per box if you use your own brass or scrounged brass

Checked out The Captain and he has a great deal going. Nice tip!

[Soundguy]

If my ciphering is correct to load a box of 1oz 12 ga with powder at $40, shot at $75, primers at $.065 ea. and wads a nickel it would cost north of $11 per box of 25 shells. ok, I’ve got the hulls, primers and powder. Still, Let’s go Brandon!

Hmm.. 1 1/8 oz loads of shot or buck and 1oz slug for me are:

.09 powder
Hulls free
.10 primer
.00 fiber wads ..i punch my own
.03 wads
.13 shot or buck
.11 slug

So 35 cents for shot or buck and 33 cents for slugs, each shell...so.. 8.75 for shot/buck and 8.25 for slugs, per 25 round box is what it's costing me.

[Rapier]

If you want to win matches, your ammo must be prepared to exacting specification. I can not buy the perfection that I seek, so I make my own perfection, pretty much like BR shooters, except I prefer reactive targets. I only shoot paper for sight in and load development.

[sharps4590]

What missionary said. Nearly all the cartridges I like to shoot haven't been available in 75 years and some have never been available in the US. So, if I'm going to shoot them I'm going to handload...which in most cases also means forming and/or turning brass cases. I guess I'm saving money if I can make what can't be bought at any price, even with the addition of a lathe and mill. If it can be bought I ain't much interested in it anyway.

[MrWolf]

I don't shoot any 40 S&W but save them for swaging into .45 bullets.

Slim

I WAS doing the same thing but have enough 40's brass that I bought a S&W 40. I HAD to get one you see.