Cheaper to buy some types of rifle ammo than components???

[big bear]

Just priced 300 rounds loaded ammo vs 300 new brass/new pojectiles. Same manufacture. Shipping costs taken into consideration. I have powder/primers so that is not an issue, in fact given inflation that probably makescthe loaded ammo an even bigger saving. Very strange times. Am I missing something here?

 

[meatsticks]

Just priced 300 rounds loaded ammo vs 300 new brass/new pojectiles. Same manufacture. Shipping costs taken into consideration. I have powder/primers so that is not an issue, in fact given inflation that probably makescthe loaded mom an even bigger saving. Very strange times. Am I missing something here?

For most ammunition I shoot, I can still load for half or less what factory would cost me. That said; I’m not buying the brass just figuring cost of other components. I did recently buy factory ammunition to make brass with because it was quality brass to start with in a new to me caliber. But I used to do that sometimes before recent cost increases.

 

[big bear]

For most of what I shoot I am in same situation. But for this calibre I wanted some PRVI brass and the difference for 300 is just $50. Figuring the cost of Powder/primer/my time to end up with 300 once fired (in the rifle I will be using the brass in going forward makes me think in this instance at least buying bullets/brass not good economics.Buy the loaded stuff, buy the projectiles down the road.

 

[wasa]

With the amount of Large Rifle primers in short supply, I've been buying surplus 7.62x39. My outdoor range lets us shoot steel core ammo into the berm, so no more reloading 7.62x39 for me. The cost of primers, powder, and projectiles really can't beat the $0.38 or whatever milsurp ammo is now-a-days.

I'm also using Berry's plated 123gr 0.311 projectiles (SKS, etc) in my 7.62x54R and 303 British using TrailBoss powder and large pistol magnum primers (NOT A SUGGESTION - DON'T DO THIS) to again save my large rifle primers and my "rifle" powder for hunting ammo.

YMMV

 

[bearhunter]

Big Bear, there are always "deals'' out there that make such things happen.

That doesn't mean it's the norm.

You also don't tell us what make/type/round description you're going on about.

I ran across some new old stock of Remington 270 Winchester on the shelf of an out of the way dealer last week for $35 per box, taxes in. I bought everything he had left, which was nine boxes and he sold them all to me for $32 even per box.

That was not a ''normal'' price and the fellow knew it but the cartridges had been sitting on his shelf for at least 3.5 years and he wanted them gone.

I compared prices of factory ammo online, including shipping and the cost of purchasing components per one hundred rounds, after going to the Vernon Canadian Tire opening day sale and using their list price to make the comparison, it is still significantly cheaper to reload, if you already have the brass cases on hand.

If you have to purchase primers/brass then the cost difference is definitely reduced.

Sadly, very few rifles get their best performance with factory loaded ammunition, even the Premium types. Again, there are always one offs out there but they aren't the norm. If you have such a jewel, be happy.

 

[big bear]

thanks for your opinions1

I didn't mention the calibre because I haven't made my move yet. In this era of shortages I want to get the small amount I need before the masses swoop in and clear the shelves.

It is not a sale price. But the difference between brass/projectiles and loaded ammo(using the same projectile i would and will buy for future loading) for 300 rds is only $50 ,I am hard pressed not to just buy the loaded ammo.

 

[alpining]

...Sadly, very few rifles get their best performance with factory loaded ammunition, even the Premium types. ...

Agreed - While I'm usually able to load quality hunting ammunition at less cost than purchasing quality hunting ammunition, I mostly do it so I can get the best performance out of my rifles.

If you're just after the cheapest, then depending on your cartridge it can go either way right now.

 

[DFarmer]

My opinion is that if you have no brass on hand for the caliber you wish to shoot, buy factory ammo. You will then have "free" brass to reload for this caliber, and it will no longer factor into your cost per round price until it is worn out.

 

[Suther]

I didn't mention the calibre because I haven't made my move yet. In this era of shortages I want to get the small amount I need before the masses swoop in and clear the shelves.

It is not a sale price. But the difference between brass/projectiles and loaded ammo(using the same projectile i would and will buy for future loading) for 300 rds is only $50 ,I am hard pressed not to just buy the loaded ammo.

It sounds like your math is considering brass to be a one-time-use component? By factoring in the multiple uses you can usually get out of brass (at least 3 should be doable even if you're loading it spicy and never annealing from my experience) your savings via reloading will increase.

Alternatively, if you are not concerned about having 300 rounds ready to go you could just buy 100 brass, and that should still easily get you to 300 rounds total over time.

 

[big bear]

It sounds like your math is considering brass to be a one-time-use component? By factoring in the multiple uses you can usually get out of brass (at least 3 should be doable even if you're loading it spicy and never annealing from my experience) your savings via reloading will increase.

Alternatively, if you are not concerned about having 300 rounds ready to go you could just buy 100 brass, and that should still easily get you to 300 rounds total over time.

I reload a lot.So brass is not a 1 time thing. The comparison is $178 for 100 new brass and 100 bullets vs. $200 for 5- 20 rd boxes of loaded ammo, same brass/projectile. albeit not custom loaded for my particular rifle, so $22 for powder, primer, labor. I'm retired so I work cheap. I have lots of primer and powder.I know, a 1st world problem, but not really straight forward for me.

 

[Suther]

I reload a lot.So brass is not a 1 time thing. The comparison is $178 for 100 new brass and 100 bullets vs. $200 for 5- 20 rd boxes of loaded ammo, same brass/projectile. albeit not custom loaded for my particular rifle, so $22 for powder, primer, labor. I'm retired so I work cheap. I have lots of primer and powder.I know, a 1st world problem, but not really straight forward for me.

$22 for the first go around. Your second load you are not paying for the brass anymore, and that's probably half your cost of $178?

Personally when I run the math I divide my brass cost by 3 based on the assumption I'll get at least 3 loads from it. So let's say that's $100 in brass and $78 in bullets, I would only consider it $33 in brass and $78 in bullets, bringing your 100-round total down to $111. (Or $100 in brass and $234 for 300 bullets, bringing the total for 300rds to $334, which is a ####load less than the $600 for factory ammo you just quoted... of course i don't know if $78 for bullets and $100 for brass is what you're paying but you get the point)

 

[big bear]

$22 for the first go around. Your second load you are not paying for the brass anymore, and that's probably half your cost of $178?

Personally when I run the math I divide my brass cost by 3 based on the assumption I'll get at least 3 loads from it. So let's say that's $100 in brass and $78 in bullets, I would only consider it $33 in brass and $78 in bullets, bringing your 100-round total down to $111. (Or $100 in brass and $234 for 300 bullets, bringing the total for 300rds to $334, which is a ####load less than the $600 for factory ammo you just quoted... of course i don't know if $78 for bullets and $100 for brass is what you're paying but you get the point)

Gotcha! Thanks for the explanation. Bits and pieces it will be.

 

[deadeyes40]

Was in our local Bass Pro today, looking at ammo prices. Not sure of your caliber but 223 rem ammo was running 50-55 dollars for 20 rounds and the only 6.5 creedmoor they had were 80 dollars for 20 rounds, pretty sure you can load for less than what these factory prices were.

 

[boxhitch]

$22 for the first go around. Your second load you are not paying for the brass anymore, and that's probably half your cost of $178?

Personally when I run the math I divide my brass cost by 3 based on the assumption I'll get at least 3 loads from it. So let's say that's $100 in brass and $78 in bullets, I would only consider it $33 in brass and $78 in bullets, bringing your 100-round total down to $111. (Or $100 in brass and $234 for 300 bullets, bringing the total for 300rds to $334, which is a ####load less than the $600 for factory ammo you just quoted... of course i don't know if $78 for bullets and $100 for brass is what you're paying but you get the point)

so then flesh that out further
after buying the factory ammo, he now has free brass for the next 2 or 3 reloadings too
closer to apples vs apples

 

[bearhunter]

so then flesh that out further
after buying the factory ammo, he now has free brass for the next 2 or 3 reloadings too
closer to apples vs apples

Not quite, it's still cheaper to reload than it is to purchase factory ammo for the components, that may or most likely won't produce the best results or even acceptable results from your particular rifle.

There are a lot of ways to bring costs down when handloading and at the very least get acceptable results down range at point of impact. That won't happen with any factory loads that I know of, other than some surplus rounds that are relatively cheap and available, but even that stuff is getting more expensive.

I notice many gunshops are now selling range brass to keep costs for hand loaders down.

Now is not a great time to get into the hand loading game, unless you're serious about getting the best performance out of your firearm on target.

If you're just out there to make noise????????

 

[damullet]

Dont forget, usualy you can load a decent target load for the price of buying plinking or hubting ammo.

I think you are always ahead bu roling your own, as long as you dont count the labour