Considering Getting Into Reloading - Cost Savings/Equipment Needed?

S

SHIFT_Disturber

Member
Rating - 100%
2   0   0
Hello All,

I'm thinking of getting into reloading but am not really sure if it can be justified from a cost-benefit perspective.
My shooting patterns are pretty erratic in that I'll probably make it out to the range a couple of times a year, but when I go out, I'll spend a few hours and few hundred rounds.

There's probably no point reloading .22LR since it's cheap and plentiful, but for .223 and 9mm I'm thinking there might be some advantage. Am I mistaken? 7.62x39 is corrosive and non-reloadable but also pretty cheap for non-corrosive bought in bulk so I might skip over that too. Down the road when I pickup a 12Ga I might look into that as well.

In the event that I do go down the reloading route, I was going to start with a read thru the Lyman reloading book (and many...many online guides. I'm pretty competent when given instructions to follow, but safety first and all that).

For tool kits, are there any recommendations? Key decision factors are probably speed v. cost. I'd like to keep cost low, but if there's some equipment that's more beginner friendly, I'm all ears. Space is a consideration, and storage space is at a premium. Since I'm dealing with multiple calibers/dies, a turret might be the way to go?

Thanks in advance. Looking forward to the discussion.
 
what's your approx budget? as well a rough idea on how much you shoot per year?

from the sounds of it, you don't need to reload (from a cost perspective) but if you have the extra time, it's a fun and relaxing thing to do.

i reload for 9mm, 38/357, 45acp, 12 gauge, S&W500. i've reloaded some 223, but i don't own one yet.

for 9,38/357,45 and the 500 it runs about $6 per box of 50 using plated bullets or my cast bullets. the main cost is the bullet, and i've been lucky to get lead free, or cheap hence my costs being so low.

i've likely spent 1500-2000 in reloading equipment, casting, etc. but i could get about 1000 back without much hassle.
 
Well, for low cost I would say to pick up the Lee Anniversary kit. That's what I have, then you'll need some dies and shellholder. I think I got my basic setup for ~$300, but I've probably spent closer to $2000 now since I picked up a Rangemaster RCBM scale for a few hundred bucks, and a bunch of components and random odd bits like utility boxes and a bullet puller.

It you look around for used it would not surprise me at all if you could get outfitted and load your first 100 of .223 for $250. Lots of people seem to start with a single stage of some kind, then upgrade to a progressive and the single stage gets put in the corner or only used for priming or something. You should be able to find some good deals on them.

Realistically, it's going to cost more of an initial investment since it's smart to buy bulk. Big short term cost, big long term savings. It's not like your brass or bullets are going to expire in storage so buying bulk is best.

The thing I learned is that reloading will not save you money, it will let you shoot more better quality cartridges for the amount of money. Money savings is long term, once you start reusing the brass and/or casting bullets.
 
I hate to disappoint you but nobody I know (including me) saved any money by reloading.
We all just shoot a lot more.

Seriously
 
One other advantage is that buying the more popular factory ammo can be spotty at times. If you are forced to change brands you often have to adjust your sights or sight picture. For plinking it's not as big a deal, but for accuracy consistancy is everything
 
donor said:
I hate to disappoint you but nobody I know (including me) saved any money by reloading.
We all just shoot a lot more.

Seriously
Click to expand...

Yup, definitely true. Unless you stick with the most basic of all tools like the original whack with a hammer Lee Loader and the bare minimum to go with it. But it wouldn't be long before you'll want to get better and faster tools, and that's when the savings part really starts going down hill.;)
 
I load about 223 hunting ammo for $6-7 per 20 rounds. The ammo I used to buy was less accurate and cost $21-25 a box of 20. #0-06 is around 50-60 cents a round to load instead of $1.25-$2 a round. That in itself makes it worth while to me. It's cheap accurate ammo.
 
Not only did I not save money by reloading, the bug hit me hard enough that not only did I shoot more, I bought more and more equipment over time that the last time I estimated replacement cost, I could probably shoot for two lifetimes on what I have spent on my reloading addiction. Rarely have I sold anything other than rifles, anything I had that I didn't use anymore was gifted to friends, that probably doesn't help the cost factor. But I don't care, friends are worth it.

There are those that can save a lot, I just can't help myself when it comes to my room. Blah.....

Too bad we don't have the wisdom that comes with age while we are young.... all we can hope for is passing some of that to the next generation.
 
Since most reloading gear lasts a long time, your biggest factor in reloading costs is the consumables - primers, powder and bullets.

As the OP mentioned, .22LR is a non-issue, since it is (by design) not reloadable. If you have a source for cheap (free??) brass, you can load some handgun ammo quite economically (if you ignore capital outlay for the press, dies, other tools & accessories...) When I started handgun shooting, I could reload .38sp for about the same as buying .22lr (using my own cast bullets, of course).

If you exclude the cost of a press and dies from your cost per loaded round, you can come up with a quantity that you'll have to load to break even. Is your time spent reloading worth anything???

As other posters have mentioned, your ammo costs will now be primer+powder+bullet costs, and the total will likely be the same, if not higher, but you'll end up shooting more....
 
What it does is open up calibers you can shoot. For example I can load my 375 H&H for about $1.50 with TSX's where as the cheapest factory you can get is about $3 for a core lockt. So half price for 3x the bullet. I'm also able to more readily shoot obscure calibers as all I have to do is buy brass once(hard part to find) and generally every caliber of bullet is available locally or I can order the bullets through regular mail.

What you also find out when you get into reloading is that not all bullets/ammunition is created equal. If you are just punching paper you'll be able to increase the accuracy of a load tailored for a specific firearm. If you're hunting you can get that benefit along with choosing the bullet you wish to shoot in order to match your game(cup+core VS bonded VS homogenous VS partition/a-frame VS steel jacket VS target HP VS varmint grenade VS cast etc etc...).

So in short:

1)cost savings is usually negligible as you spend more time shooting because it costs less per round to shoot (unless you have self restraint...)
2) for cheaper than factory you get a custom tailored load to meet your specific needs above and beyond what factory can do
3) It's an excuse to waste time on shooting

If you want to get into it cheap go to factorysales.com or Titanreloading.com(cheaper shipping than factorysales) and buy yourself the lee 50th anniversary kit, a set of dies, a case trimmer guide, and a copy of Lee's Modern Reloading book. You'll also need a set of calipers that measure in the thousandth from any local hardware store.

Alternatively you can order the Hand press kit, case trimmer, chamfer tool, primer pocket cleaner, and powder scale plus the other mentioned items if you do not wish to dedicate space to a mounted press.
 
Last edited:
Get a Lee kit and see if you like it, you can start off with a set of dies for under $200. Not a big expense and you can upgrade in the future if you like it and everyone can always use a single stage press for something. You will find it very rewarding when you can get tighter groups than factory ammo and then you will start shooting more. The big payoff is when you start taking game with your reloads. Reloading just brings more into the whole target shooting experience.
 
I saved money on 30-30 and 308 but I shoot more and I've bought more guns. So really I didn't save money, however I enjoy it a lot more and I'm not always thinking $1 $1 $1 $1 every time I pull the trigger.

Now I'm thinking 'if I shoot more I get to reload more'......
 
Freyr_255 said:
What it does is open up calibers you can shoot. For example I can load my 375 H&H for about $1.50 with TSX's where as the cheapest factory you can get is about $3 for a core lockt. So half price for 3x the bullet. I'm also able to more readily shoot obscure calibers as all I have to do is buy brass once(hard part to find) and generally every caliber of bullet is available locally or I can order the bullets through regular mail.

What you also find out when you get into reloading is that not all bullets/ammunition is created equal. If you are just punching paper you'll be able to increase the accuracy of a load tailored for a specific firearm. If you're hunting you can get that benefit along with choosing the bullet you wish to shoot in order to match your game(cup+core VS bonded VS homogenous VS partition/a-frame VS steel jacket VS target HP VS varmint grenade VS cast etc etc...).

So in short:

1)cost savings is usually negligible as you spend more time shooting because it costs less per round to shoot (unless you have self restraint...)
2) for cheaper than factory you get a custom tailored load to meet your specific needs above and beyond what factory can do
3) It's an excuse to waste time on shooting

If you want to get into it cheap go to factorysales.com or Titanreloading.com(cheaper shipping than factorysales) and buy yourself the lee 50th anniversary kit, a set of dies, a case trimmer guide, and a copy of Lee's Modern Reloading book. You'll also need a set of calipers that measure in the thousandth from any local hardware store.

Alternatively you can order the Hand press kit, case trimmer, chamfer tool, primer pocket cleaner, and powder scale plus the other mentioned items if you do not wish to dedicate space to a mounted press.
Click to expand...


Freyer,

Thanks for the hand reloading kit link. I don't really have space for a workbench except in my backyard, and as much as i'm on good speaking terms with the neighbours, it's probably not the best idea to reload outside - so the hand reload kit might be the way to go.

As another user mentioned, time is definitly a premium these days but since I only shoot a handful of times a year, if it takes me a month to knock up another 500 rounds its not a big deal.

I like the appeal of reloading. I can't quite explain it but I like technical hobbies (lego's and meccano's when I was a wee lad, cars and bikes as a grown up), and reloading seems like it would be in-line with that.

I've made a note of all the useful advice from members for the future.
I think for this year i'll just buy ammo in bulk but save the casings incase I do end up going down the reloading route.

Maybe i'll build a shed out back and make room for that RCBS kit...that setup looks sweeeeet.

Thanks again for the input everyone.

Cheers
 
donor said:
I hate to disappoint you but nobody I know (including me) saved any money by reloading.
We all just shoot a lot more.

Seriously
Click to expand...

I have to disagree with this. I load for .38 spl, .303, .308, 6.5x55, 7.62x54r, and 12 guage. Say I take the enfield out for an afternoon of shooting, and fire 100 rounds. If I buy winchester super x .303 @ 28.99/box it will cost me about $170 after taxes. To reload it would cost::

IVI .303 brass, $50/100, 10x firings each .05
cast bullet (free lead) .00
CCI Lg Rifle Magnum primer (4.50/100) .05
13 grains Red Dot powder ($20/lb) .04

14 cents per round, or roughly $14 for the hundred rounds. If I add a gas check and shoot 40 grains of BL-C(2) they cost 33 cents per round, $33/100. That paid for a press right there. By the time I loaded 300 rounds, the savings has already paid for press, dies, case trimmers, scales, powder measure, tumbler, lead pot, etc, etc... After that it was pure gravy. I don't go shoot 520 rounds because the cost is the same. If I did, though, I would have more than paid for EVERYTHING plus components for a LONG while.

OldDude said:
Is your time spent reloading worth anything???
Click to expand...

Really? No, it's not. I hate when people say that it is. You don't take the day off work to stay home and load ammo, you do it in your FREE TIME. Nobody pays you to sit on your arse in front of the TV :)
 
How much do you save on reloading 45ACP, 38spl and 9mm? I'm debating on whether or not I want to start reloading. I'm sure I'll enjoy it as a hobby and good way to kill the winter months but I'm also looking at startup costs etc for someone who may shoot a couple times a month or so as opposed to a heavy shooter.

Seeing as one can get bulk reloaded 9mm for about .23¢ a rnd, .38spl cowboy loads for .30¢ and 45ACP and 357 for around .36¢ a rnd is there much to be saved?
 
If my time is not counted, I am sure I have spent as many $ on reloading & casting stuff as I would have on commercial ammo. But then my sons & I would not have sent the many thousands of rounds down range. I would venture to guess a large % of us that got into reloading are addicted to the casting or reloading or shooting & in my case all three. A tong tool with dies is an option but does not work well if the brass was fired in another gun or if you want to use the reloaded round in a different gun, you just need a scale or dipper and a lot of time. with this setup it can be done in the comfort of your living room (as long as the wife is not home)
 
Last edited:
I think most people start reloading not because it will save them money but because it is an enjoyable, relaxing and at times, a challenging distraction. Sometimes even a necessity depending on the caliber. It's a quest for perfection, at least for me. I'm more a target shooter than hunter. As someone stated earlier, seeing the fruits of your labour, whether you're shooting tiny groups on paper or taking game, when you pull the trigger on ammo you created is very rewarding.

I still remember the day many years ago when I bought my Sako 75 in 6PPC and was pondering what reloading dies to purchase when a customer at the counter said to me. "Why even bother? You'll never be able to do any better than the Sako factory ammunition. You'll just be wasting your time and money" Now there is a man who has completely lost the whole point of reloading. That Sako ammo I did buy while waiting for my dies to come in shot exceptionally well, but didn't compare to the accuracy I later achieved with the rifle and my hand loads.

I can appreciate your predicament. I doubt I would enjoy my reloading sessions as much as I do if I didn't have the time or more importantly, the space to do so. Be patient, do your research, keep an eye out for used equipment on the EE and build yourself a nice kit that fits your needs. It doesn't have a shelf life and you won't regret it. Perhaps you can get into it with a friend of yours. There are few things I enjoy more than sitting down with my best friend for a loading/beer drinking/BS session.

Good luck!
 
Considering I've spent over $20k on reloading equipment over the past 35 years I don't think it is cost effective, but is certainly addictive.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom