in the very near future I will be spreading my wings and purchasing a 50th anniversary lee kit to learn to reload for my 45-70. I noticed a lot of guys talking about much more ammo they get for the money spent when they roll their own. I couldn't help but notice though when I was looking at the price of bullets,primers,powder and brass and don't see where the savings are coming from. For instance on WSS catalogue .308 Remington bullets are .50 cents a piece, then add the rest of it and your basically paying a dollar something a bullet, so wheres the savings? I still want to reload because of novelty reasons though, what am I overlooking?
going to start reloading
- Thread starter olympia
- Start date
I think that most folks who get into loading their own ammo "START" by thinking it might be less expensive.
I think that most folks who continue to load their own ammo are NOT attracted by cost savings...........
Accuracy, yes, making ammo for wildcat cartridges, yes, making ammo for obsolete cartridges, yes............
Doug
I think that most folks who continue to load their own ammo are NOT attracted by cost savings...........
Accuracy, yes, making ammo for wildcat cartridges, yes, making ammo for obsolete cartridges, yes............Doug
- Location
- West Quebec
Welcome to the reloading club.. I get a buzz on when I see those little brass beautys coming out of the tumbler..
For example, it will cost me approximately $.50 to shoot my match 308 rounds that I would say are compareble to Federal Gold Medal rounds which are about $2 a shot. The bigger the case the bigger the savings, I don't think I could afford to buy;
45acp
44magnum
357magnum
308 match
223 match
300 winmag match
etc
and shoot the same volumes that I do. It is also very rewarding when you get a super-tight group that you can show to your friends. I would imagine the cost savings would be huge on a 45-70, especially when you buy bulk cast bullets.
A site sponser on this here is "Custom Reloading Service" out of BC. They have incredibly fast shipping, great prices, and very communicative. I would highly reccommend them when looking at bulk bullets, and no I am not a relative giving a plug, just a genuinely impressed customer!
45acp
44magnum
357magnum
308 match
223 match
300 winmag match
etc
and shoot the same volumes that I do. It is also very rewarding when you get a super-tight group that you can show to your friends. I would imagine the cost savings would be huge on a 45-70, especially when you buy bulk cast bullets.
A site sponser on this here is "Custom Reloading Service" out of BC. They have incredibly fast shipping, great prices, and very communicative. I would highly reccommend them when looking at bulk bullets, and no I am not a relative giving a plug, just a genuinely impressed customer!
Reloading for me is accuracy, buying the cheapest ammo at $16.95 for 20, ya it works in a pinch, might get 1-2" at 100 yards. Reloading saves the most when bought in bulk, while i reload my own for about $.60 a piece and accuracy is in the cloverleafs. Took about 30-40 shots to get there and hrs of time but well worth it for match ammo compared to $35/20pcs. The best savings is in rare or hard to buy ammo thats not common, like 460 weatherby mag at about $210/20pcs, or .338 lapua, .257 weatherby at $80/20pcs, and reloaded for 1/4 the cost of factory and its something you dont find everywhere.
OP...I'm in the same boat as yourself. Seriously considering learning how to reload. Mostly due to the rising cost of shooting factory ammo (44mag and 460mag).
In the end I don't think I will be saving 'cause I'll probably will just shoot more
In the end I don't think I will be saving 'cause I'll probably will just shoot more
- Location
- Over the rainbow
50 cents is a reasonably expensive bullet. You can do a lot better than that, particularly if you buy cast bullets or get a bulk deal. If you cast your own bullets, your reloading costs will be stupidly low, particularly if you can manage to find a decent source for bulk lead on the cheap.
I don't make my own boolits, and I'm targeting to make my reloads cost around 50 cents for a .308 cartridge, including all components, but I long ago gave up on doing this to save money. It turns out that buying gear and tinkering with it is *fun*, and I have spent so much money on fixed equipment costs in the two month or so that I've been engrossed in this hobby that I would probably have to reload for a couple of years just to break even.
Look at it this way though: for 50 cents with decent projectiles, and probably around 75 cents for high quality projectiles, you are going to get a cartridge that will be hands down better than any factory ammo you can buy, because it will be tuned for your specific rifle and needs.
I don't make my own boolits, and I'm targeting to make my reloads cost around 50 cents for a .308 cartridge, including all components, but I long ago gave up on doing this to save money. It turns out that buying gear and tinkering with it is *fun*, and I have spent so much money on fixed equipment costs in the two month or so that I've been engrossed in this hobby that I would probably have to reload for a couple of years just to break even.
Look at it this way though: for 50 cents with decent projectiles, and probably around 75 cents for high quality projectiles, you are going to get a cartridge that will be hands down better than any factory ammo you can buy, because it will be tuned for your specific rifle and needs.
I have never thought of reloading as saving money, i can tailor the load to my rifle. Any money i've saved gets spent on more components, but yes i have checked several times figuring out the cost and it is cheaper to reload. Ammo like 7.62x39 i will likely never reload, cheap surplus can't be beat for price and stuff like 223 can usually be picked up bulk at good prices. If my 223 was a good bolt action i would reload because of accuracy, but if i'm just strafing gophers with the kel-tec the cheap stuff works.
Accuracy.
Consistency.
And accuracy.
... you'll most likely shortly end up thinking ... factory box ammo?, no longer must I settle for second best.
How many shooters you ever hear of, have given up reloading for lack of results?.
I would have saved hundreds, maybe thousands from not reloading. I will say though I have never shot so much or so good. Reloading has benefits on so many levels. I started reloading the .338 win when the Federal high energy loads were pushing 80$ a box and I could load them to the same level for less than half. It has since ballooned into an obsession with accuracy, power and way more guns just to reload for.
giant yetti
Regular
- Location
- Mighty Peace
I hunt with a 270 win. I found I got around 1 inch @100 m with blue box. on a lame day my handloads will group 3/4. I've had groups at 1/2... cost was the same as basic factory ammo after brass. if I were to buy 270 premium loads, (comparable bullet and velocity) I might be able to match my handloading results for 190% cost...
I say do it for the hobby, and enjoy the side effects such as cost savings and having better stuff to enjoy
I say do it for the hobby, and enjoy the side effects such as cost savings and having better stuff to enjoy
Obsolete ammo is when reloading really starts to make sense. A good case for this is .577 Snider. Who makes it? Ten-x does, but they are in the US. If you can get it their price is $139.00 per 20. The cost to reload would be (not factoring in the cost of the press,mould and dies)$100.00 for 100 CBC 24 gauge brass hulls,$6.00 for 100 large pistol primers,$25.00 for a pound of 2F black powder(7000 grains=100 rounds .
7 pounds of lead at $2.00 a pound and you have a total cost of $145.00 compared to $695.00.Add in the cost of the press $130.00(Lee classic cast),dies(Lee .577 Snider)$145.00 and a mold $25.00(Lee.578 Minnie)
total cost $300.00. So your initial cost not counting your time would be $445.00 compared to $695.00.The next batch would be$145.00 and so would be the next batch.
7 pounds of lead at $2.00 a pound and you have a total cost of $145.00 compared to $695.00.Add in the cost of the press $130.00(Lee classic cast),dies(Lee .577 Snider)$145.00 and a mold $25.00(Lee.578 Minnie)
total cost $300.00. So your initial cost not counting your time would be $445.00 compared to $695.00.The next batch would be$145.00 and so would be the next batch.
Just take care, read your reloading manuals over and over. If you are not sure ask here. Most of the advice is good, but if you are not sure ask again. If you load Black make sure that it is slightly compressed. For all other smokeless loads please follow a reloading manual in regards to type of bullet and starting loads. Stay safe and enjoy.
handofzeus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Trout Creekish Ontario.
I, also, wanted to get a kit when I began reloading. Glad I didn't. I got a couple Lee loaders and learned the basics from videos and books. Not too long after I felt the 'need' for a press. After I got a deal on the first single stage press at a show I got another one ......then another and then I realized that a turret would help and so on. If you're on a budget you can make do with a strong old used RCBS and when you need to perform other tasks faster you'll know what sort of press to get next. The only thing I could recommend is to read, read, read on the topic ( and don't buy a press with any cast aluminum parts!). Be safe and measure twice!
IMHO, the Lee kit comes with a great manual. I have quite a few, and that is my go to. There may be stuff in the kit I didn't like, but the manual is not one of them and I have both editions.
I also like "The ABC's of Reloading", most esp the early ones written by Dean Grenell, rather than the later compilations of old articles from gun digest edited by Bill Chevalier or Rodney James.
I am a book guy, this is pretty much my internet activity.
- Location
- Haliburton County, Central Ontario
At risk of repeating myself from another thread on this page, if you do go ahead I highly recommend buying or borrowing a copy of Bill Chevalier's 'The ABC's of Reloading' prior to getting started. Give it a good read.
I think your best bet, if you belong to a gun club/range, is to find an experienced hand-loader and ask them to show you the ropes. I learned from a guy who had loaded tens of thousands of rounds. Now that I have been at this for forty years or so I have shown a number of folks how to get started. And there is no such thing as a stupid question!!! Good luck to you.
Doug
