How much am I really saving on reloading?

Reloading is about half price for a finished cartridge when compared to factory ammo. Price goes down with casting bullets to about 30% of commercial.

So figure out how much you shoot and divide by 2. That is how much you save by reloading.
 
Reloading depends on what you load. Same cost (excluding casing) to reload 30-06 & 300WM, factory 300 cost 40% more than 30-06.

9mm casings is free if your range allows you to pillage the brass bucket whereas 45ACP is hard to come by. I quit collecting 1F 9mm after stockpiling more than 1000. Lucky to get 50 45ACP in 10 trips.
 
I shoot around 12-15K a season. If i would buy this from the store, will cost me at least 23-35% then my loads. Loads allows me to tune my ammo.
 
Yes,it cost me less to reload but I also shoot a lot more than before reloading so I actually spend more.

I had the same thing with riding motorcycle vs car-it costs less to operate and drive but I did 1000km a week on a bike vs 3-400km with a car(bike was a lot more fun :) ).
 
I've started keeping a spreadsheet to track my reloading costs. By waiting until I find good deals on components, I've managed too keep my shooting costs down (well, keep my shooting costs consistent while shooting more :) ).

9mm cast runs me $4.98 per box of 50. That is buying DRG cast bullets, not making my own. I also don't count the cost of brass. If i did, brass would add $2 /box (I've paid 4c for 9mm brass).

9mm plated runs me $6.64 per box of 50. Again add $2 if I need to buy brass.

Compare this to $15.25 for Wolf reloads, or $15.95 for Rem UMC from my local shop.
 
caramel said:
If you are getting all the best equipements and components, you dont save much, it is more you are going for the perfect group, it would be impossible to get if you did not handload, commercial load can do so much, after that it is up to us... JP.
Click to expand...

True that you wouldn't save much loading premium vs. buying cheap commercial, but I've found that I can load premium 308 and 300 WM for the same price I would pay for the cheapie Rem or Win stuff.
 
Just check the price of premium ammo for rifles like

300 weatherby or any other weatherby for that matter with premium bullets. I bought my stuff 20 years ago and it has paid for itself many many times over. It allows me to try new rounds where the cost of ammo would probably hold most guys to a box maybe two a year where as you can shoot to your hearts content if you reload.

IMHO reloaded ammo tailored to your rifle will almost always out do any commercial ammo in terms of accuracy.

Better ammo better price and a very enjoyable way to pass the cold winter. There is just no downside to it.
 
As has been said, the more expensive the round is, the more worth it it is to reload for. For anyone who shoots oddball cartridges reloading is very necessary and valuable.
 
For years my dad used a Lee challenger kit, and for xmas a few years ago he got me the 50th aniversary kit. It's around $130-$170 plus dies and some minor cartridge specific items a far cry from $2500, plus you oce the initial investment into the kit and dies, and initial brass that's where the savings come in. I kept all my .303british brass from before i had the press and now i can do a box of 20 for less than the $25ish the cheapies are in stores.
 
Interesting topic...;

Shooting .308, in my M14s;

.30$ a bullet, .05$ a primer, I already own the case (but to get REALLY picky I'd have to spread the case's value over all the loadings it gets... but 'no'), and I believe it's around 0.22$ of powder (at 35$ pound), comes to 0.57$ a shot. So I think I'm shooting at a 50% savings, sumthin like that... maybe 45%.

A custom to my rifle, homemade, shot. Nice and accurate, all perfect and consistent... Variables are the price of powder or a fancy bullet (150gr FMJBT or 168gr BTHP, for example). The problems (also know as 'undesirable costs') come when it's time to sit and do all that work!

....so I be sure to get out and enjoy the fruits of my labours, heh heh :dancingbanana: heh
 
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your not going to save notta...you will end up buying a bunch of #### that you "THINK" you need...:eek:but think of all the fun you will have with all the new toys;)
 
I got my single stage press for free with 1000 primers. I already had brass.
After buying dies, powder and bullets I'm loading cheap, tuned 7mm mag ammo with premium bullets. That was a no brainer.

Next comes a hornady lnl to load for 38/357 and 44 mag. I don't see it taking too long to recoup my investment loading them with the price of ammo now. Should be well under half price since I have enough brass saved up.
 
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