Reload savings

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team_realtree

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Just wondering if it's worth getting into to save a bit of money compared to buying at Canadian tire. If anyone has done the math and figured out their savings I would be interested in hearing how much you save.
 
team_realtree said:
Just wondering if it's worth getting into to save a bit of money compared to buying at Canadian tire. If anyone has done the math and figured out their savings I would be interested in hearing how much you save.
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It really comes down to the price of components especially shot. Mine run anywhere from $4 to $4.60 a box tax in. Thats 1 oz loads.
 
As this thread is in the shotguns forum, I am assuming you are referring to shotgun shells, not cartridges.

It has been said many times on here that reloading your own shells offers minimal returns because of the high price of shot as of late. I have never loaded my own shells, nor do I have the equipment, but I have seen the comments on here, and a lot of shotgun reloading gear for sale recently.

Cartridges on the other hand are an entirely different story. Factory ammo costs about twice what you can reload for. You can load premium bullets for the cost of basic factory ammo, and if you really scrounge (cast your own bullets, have a cheap source of lead, etc.) you can often do much better than that. As an example, factory .30-06 costs about $20-22 for a cheap box these days. That's over $1/round. Basic .30 Cal. Hornady or Speer soft point or FMJ bullets (equivalent to the bullets used in cheap .30-06 federal bluebox or remington UMC ammo) are ~$30/100, so $0.30/each. Add another $0.20 cents/round for powder, and another $0.03-0.05 cents/round per primer, and you're looking at around $0.55 cents/round.

I haven't included brass in the calculation, because I am currently reloading my factory ammo empties, but if you have to buy brass, you're looking at about $30/100, so $0.30/each. However, brass can be used more than once, and a lot more than once in some cases (especially straight-walled cartridges like pistol cartridges). If you use it twice, you're looking at $0.15/shot. 3x, it drops to $0.10/shot, and so on.

Now you need to decide if it is worth your time. Some people try to factor in their time as $x.xx/hour to this cost, but since I don't reload while I'm at work, or should be working, for me it's not realistic to add this in as a factor. Reloading in itself is an enjoyable way to spend a snowy/rainy evening for me. I don't get paid to watch TV or read a book either ;).
 
I find,that if you buy in bulk,you can buy cheaper than buying by the 100 packs from Canadian tire.If you belong to a club,many clubs get discounts from the suppliers,and offer the discount on a members purchase each spring.I used to reload my own shot shells,but the cost savings was so little over the club members purchase,that I sold my gear.

On the other hand,I will always reload my own rifle ammunition,as it gives me the flexibility that I want,and it saves me money.
 
stubblejumper said:
I find,that if you buy in bulk,you can buy cheaper than buying by the 100 packs from Canadian tire.If you belong to a club,many clubs get discounts from the suppliers,and offer the discount on a members purchase each spring.I used to reload my own shot shells,but the cost savings was so little over the club members purchase,that I sold my gear.

On the other hand,I will always reload my own rifle ammunition,as it gives me the flexibility that I want,and it saves me money.
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X2
if you are shooting 12 gauge and maybe 4 rounds a week, you will save nothing by hand loading.
However, if you are shooting high volume , and buying your components in bulk , using a progressive machine, time and money will be saved.
However, shooting 28 gauge and 410 , this all goes out the window, as factory for them than hand loading .
Cat
 
My post was based on 12 gauge or 20 gauge loads,however, as Cat mentioned, 28gauge and 410 target loads are more expensive to purchase,so you can save much more by reloading.I intend to do most of my skeet shooting with my 20gauge,so I will by several flats of 20gauge,and only a couple of flats of 28 gauge.
 
I just tried the cost calculator from trapshooters.com.

Cambodian Tire has 100 rounds for $30.00. I am guessing at the cost of most of the components but it looks like you can save maybe 5 to 8 cents a round if you do not include the cost of the hull.

That was using
primers at $45.00/100
20 grains of powder
shot at $30.00/25 pounds
wads 15.00/250
and as mentioned using my supply of AA hulls that I have salvaged off the ranges over the years.
 
What Wads are you buying at 15$ for 250? Claybusters are $10 per 500. My primers are $39.95 a 1000.
 
Cambodian Tire has 100 rounds for $30.00.
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That works out to $75 per flat,I usually can buy them for less from other suppliers,and a fair bit less if I get in on a club purchase.Even at $60 per flat,you aren't saving much by reloading.
 
stubblejumper said:
That works out to $75 per flat,I usually can buy them for less from other suppliers,and a fair bit less if I get in on a club purchase.Even at $60 per flat,you aren't saving much by reloading.
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So if I am reloading at $45 a flat I am only saving $15 a flat. My loads at that price are far superior to anything Walmart or Crappy Tire sells.
 
So if I am reloading at $45 a flat I am only saving $15 a flat. My loads at that price are far superior to anything Walmart or Crappy Tire sells.
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I can only hope to get good enough that I can see the difference in my scores that a high end load will make.:D
 
Win/64 said:
So if I am reloading at $45 a flat I am only saving $15 a flat. My loads at that price are far superior to anything Walmart or Crappy Tire sells.
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I shoot thousands of rounds per year at crows. Mostly inexpensive factory trap/target load stuff, Federal Top Guns, etc.

I cut open a Top Gun this past fall and couldn't believe my eyes at the poor quality of the 7 1/2 shot. It was tough to find a round pellet as most were oblong and sizes ranged from #7 to8 1/2.

I know at 34 dollars per bag of hard shot I could load a much superior shot shell for less than the cost of this facory ammo. My only concern would be the recovery of my spent hulls as many would be lost in the grass and brush...and the time required to load shells.:)
 
It really isn't about save money for me it is simply about it be part of the shooting sports I have reloaded since i was a kid and yes in the 70's 80' and 90's when i was shooting 10,000-12,000 rounds a yr at the trap and skeet club some savings were had, but I would still reload rifle and shotgun today even if it cost more Actually now that it is mentioned I do that $150.00 for 7lbs of bismuth just so I can hunt with my Model 12's, 97's and model 21.
 
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If you are serious into the sport I could not care about the prices. You know what you will be shooting and you can load specialty ammo using dispersor wads or different speeds of rounds. If you load for what you do it can really improve your game! It sure did for me! Canadian tire cheap universals or federals just don't satisfy me anymore unlike a handloaded 1690 fps lead shot!
 
MikeWells said:
If you are serious into the sport I could not care about the prices. You know what you will be shooting and you can load specialty ammo using dispersor wads or different speeds of rounds. If you load for what you do it can really improve your game! It sure did for me! Canadian tire cheap universals or federals just don't satisfy me anymore unlike a handloaded 1690 fps lead shot!
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1690 fps ... did you get that load out of a loading manual? What kind of pressure is that developing? I don't think I would want to shoot 300 of those shells in a day ... ouchy (LOL).
 
that is correct Mike wells when i was standing on the trap line running a good score i had more confidence in my loads than the factory load and that was when some of the best factory loads were made Federal paper possibly the best target load ever assembled Fed. Gold medal, and many others there is no way I would shoot the Cheap ammo of today .
 
I got that load out of ballistic products advantages v manual and it was running 10,000 psi not much kick but I'm a big guy. Just don't switch too much between fast and slower rounds I find I catch myself missing adjusting to different ones haha
 
M12shooter said:
I cut open a Top Gun this past fall and couldn't believe my eyes at the poor quality of the 7 1/2 shot. It was tough to find a round pellet as most were oblong and sizes ranged from #7 to8 1/2QUOTE]

I find that the top guns are about the most dirty factory rounds that I ever shot, but for me they really seem to break targets well.
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