Keeping track of cost

1927 caretaker

1927 caretaker

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The cost savings of casting and reloading is why most do it. With that in mind I've kept track of how many bullets I've produced this year and what the costs have been. I didn't included electric bills or propane so this isn't exact to the dollar but close enough for me.

My cost to buy factory (9mm and .357mag) at the best price I could find for what I shot (770 .357mag, 1650 9mm) would have been approx. $1150.00
I spent $125. on power, primers and lead. Producing my own saved approx $1025.00 dollars.

I didn't track things to the last penny but casting certainly makes this sport much more do-able. I didn't get to range as often as I would have liked but each time a minimum of 250 rounds would be spent. Next year I'm hoping to go more because the more I shoot the more I save! hmmm.
 
You may be right. I just like to know what the costs are. The family budget is easier to stay within that way. I can have my cake and eat it too. My family get their glasses, braces for teeth ect ect and I can still participate in the sport of my choosing!
 
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1927 caretaker said:
You may be right. I just like to know what the costs are. The family budget is easier to stay within that way. I can have my cake and eat it too. My family get their glasses, braces for teeth ect ect and I can still participate in the sport of my choosing!
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These days the cost of the bullet makes up the vast majority of the total cost of a reloaded round. Even if I have to buy wheelweights @ $1/pound I get about 50 cast 124 gr. 9mm bullets per pound so 2 cents each. Even if I can find commercial cast bullets for $70/1000 (and most are more than that) I'm saving 5 cents a round or $2.50 per box of 50 using home cast. I probably go through about 80 boxes per outdoor season so $2.50 x 80 = $200 in savings. That's just for 9mm and I shoot several other calibres as well so I would conservatively guess I'm saving at least $500 a year by casting my own.
 
I used to o to the range almost every week and fire off 200 rounds of 45/70. At 40$+ a box to buy, casting a reloading saved me........Well ALOT
 
I worked out my cost on shooting my 32-40 with a 209gr 1/20 mix and 13.5gr of AA9, to 63.50/1000 rds.
That was buying 99.9% lead & 99.9% tin, which at that time, was 1.00/lb for either. I had bought 8lb'rs of AA9 @ 55.00.
Still have 5000 RP6-1/2 that were 20.00/1000, and 5000 wlr's(?) at the same price. even if I jack the price of the primers up to 40.00/1000, that is only 83.50/1000

My 450/400ne 3" works out to 337.00/1000 with a 320gr boolit from free wheelweights and 48gr of AA5744, tossed in 50.00 for gaschecks. Beats 4500.00/1000 for factory by a wee bit.

There is no brass in that calculation, the 450/400 would be 400.00 initially, 200pcs. The 32-40 was about 50.00/100, bought some new brass last yr at about 60.00/100 ( not touched yet), so call that 110.00. I've got 15-20,000 rds out of that first batch of brass, primers are still tight, that will be the determining factor on their life,as they have never been sized after the first shot to fireform them, boolits were breech seated.
Not sure how much to add for lube, Crisco, beeswax, LBT Blue,

I find it interesting, that the savings on the 450/400 actually pays off pretty much any amount of loading gear I ever bought, for all of my guns put together. Don't have a clue on the 32-40 as that load cannot be bought. Even at 20.00/20, that added up higher than I can count in my poor tired brain this time of the day.
 
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I find it interesting, that the savings on the 450/400 actually pays off pretty much any amount of loading gear I ever bought, for all of my guns put together. Don't have a clue on the 32-40 as that load cannot be bought. Even at 20.00/20, that added up higher than I can count in my poor tired brain this time of the day.[/QUOTE]


There is a rather substancial saving to be had. All the casting tools have been pay for for awhile now. I went halfers with a fellow that does competition shoots and does a high volume of .45 acp. If your into high volume shooting calibers it is crazy expensive if you dont cast and reload. For hunters it isn't as cost saving short term but over time it can be. Once you're set up a new mold is cheap compared to buying factory 45 70 i.e. Even if you don't volume shoot it it is worth casting for it. IMHO that is.
 
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