reload cost

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shooter177

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hey guys i am interested in getting into reloading to improve accurcy in a few of my rifles (243 and 308) i am curious as to the cost of reloading not of equipment but the finished product i know there are veriables but mabie some of you guys could share some costs and components of your pet loads so i can get an idea of what to expect thanks
 
Assuming you have cases the following is my cost with tax.
primer 4.7 cents (wolf large rifle)
bullet 30 cents ( 150 Hornady .308)
powder 25 cents ( imr 4064)
This works out to be $11.94 per box of 308 again assuming you have cases to begin with . i usually get between 7 and 10 loadings per case depending on the load.
 
.308 Win (current website Wholesale Sports)

100 150 gr bullets (Sierra) @ $27.99...........28¢

1 lb IMR 4350 @$28.99 with 50gr load.........21¢

Primers 100 @ $3.69....................................4¢

Total...........................................................53¢

That does not include the cost of brass, which I am assuming you have from factory-bought.

Nor does it cover the cost of the equipment. You can start making perfectly good ammo for less than $50 with a Lee Loader, but it's a bit of work. A step up to a press, with all the little gidgits and gizmos is probably $200 for entry-level kit.

Remington 150 gr, 20 rds - $20.99.......... $1.05 per round.

You can do the math.
 
it typically works out to be about half the price of cheapo ammo... but with care and attention to detail you can make top notch match quality ammo which really makes it more like 1/3 or 1/4 the price in the end.
 
I handload for everything I shoot with the exception of shotguns . It dose cost a bit for the equipment at the start and you can buy very basic press/kits a a decent price depending on how much you are planning to reload . When I started Handloading it wasent about trying to save $$ on my ammo , it was out of frustration with a rifle I had that would not shoot under 2 inchs @100y with factory ammo ,Now that rifle shoots 3/4" all day long @100y and the bonus is it cost less then factory ammo and I can use Quality bullets , for my 9mm I shoot FMJ and can load a box of 50 for around $7, Go to the store $15-$20 a box
heres a good link to figer out your costs , Just find your prices and plug them in
http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp
 
shooter177 said:
hey guys i am interested in getting into reloading to improve accurcy in a few of my rifles (243 and 308) i am curious as to the cost of reloading not of equipment but the finished product i know there are veriables but mabie some of you guys could share some costs and components of your pet loads so i can get an idea of what to expect thanks
Click to expand...

Improve accuracy ?? Here ya go !

http://www.frfrogspad.com/loaddev.htm

Can't do it unless you do reload. Any cost benefit will become a mere perk once you're into it ;).
 
I have roughly calculated that by the time I am finished buying all the loading accessories that I think I need, I will be shooting for a long time before I ever recover my costs. I'm sure some can and do save money through this hobby but it just seems to make me spend more. :D
 
You can see that once you start making your own bullets also for practise or hunting you can save another 1/2 on your reloads. Buy a cheap tumble lube Lee bullet mold and a sizing kit and something to melt lead in and in a short while the equipment pays for itself. Just another addiction to get hooked on, lol.
 
warrenb said:
I have roughly calculated that by the time I am finished buying all the loading accessories that I think I need, I will be shooting for a long time before I ever recover my costs. I'm sure some can and do save money through this hobby but it just seems to make me spend more. :D
Click to expand...

There's some truth in that, but let's say you're saving 50¢ a round and you're dropping $300 on the equipment, manual, table, etc. Fire 600 rounds and you've broken even.
 
As with a lot of things, start up costs are required before you get any savings.
When I started reloading equipment was shared, and that defrayed the inital costs.
At one point, early in my addiction, .44 mag were being reloaded cheaper than .22 long rifle could be bought. A little creative math though as I was given powder and wheel weights so the cost was primers only and no consideration for time . . .
 
HKMark23 - Yeah, $300 is not what you wind up with, but you can certainly have a perfectly functional starter setup for that.

Current website prices from Cabelas

Lyman reloading handbook...................................$29.99

Lee Breech Lock Challenger Reloading Kit.............$109.99
(press, priming tool, 11 shell holders,
powder measure, funnel, case trimmer,
chamfer tool, scale, primer pocket
cleaner, tube of sizing lube. )

Lee 9mm die set.................................................$25.99

Subtotal for basic equipment (Cabelas)........$165.97

Solid Table (nominal)...........................................$50.00

Two lockable component boxes (nominal)............$50.00

Padlocks for above (nominal)...............................$10.00

Total for an entry-level, serviceable setup....$275.97

Plus tax.

That's enough to start making serviceable ammo. The 'nice-to' stuff like calipers, reloading blocks, neck turners, tumblers and media, stuck-case remover and so forth are just that - nice to have but not essential.

(Says the guy who's just had to build another cabinet to hold his reloading crap... But the OP wanted a feel for savings, which has been done. You can spend $3,000 on a reloading setup, true, but that doesn't mean you have to.)

Cheers.
 
I started with a Classic Lee Loader in .308.

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1234491230.887=/html/catalog/cleeloader.html

I purchased the kit on ebay, $40 incl shipping, bought a ruber hammer from a dollar store and started making ammo.

Since then I've purched all the other odds and ends on line and a scale on kijiji. All in all, I've probably invested $80 in this and am making quality ammo that gives me 1 MOA in my old worn out target rifle for less tha $.50 a round.

I'm happy with that
 
I shoot about ten thousand rounds through my AR and about the same again through my pistol/pistols. I try to shoot twice that but work/life/etc. tends to get in the way. Anyway, even at those numbers I'm saving about $3100 a year in ammunition costs. Now, you have to factor in what your time is worth to you, that's why I'm switching to a Dillon 650. I'll cut my reloading time in half. And there's another upside, you'll rarely find yourself with an ammo shortage (just ask my shooting buddies about this, damn 223)
 
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