Is it worth reloading .30-06?

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corsara

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Hi,

I am new to the sport. My rifle is pretty accurate with cheap PPU brand .30-06 rounds, which cost about $1 / round at the local gun store.

My question: if we don't consider the cost for getting a press and equipment, how much do you think will a round of reloaded .30-06 will cost me? If somebody can tell me what I'm looking for in terms of price for the compontents:

+ Brass = ?
+ Powder (normal load) = ?
+ Primers = ?
+ Projectile (let's say 150 grain) = ?

Thanks a lot.
 
Leaving out the price of your resused brass

Primers $0.04 each ($40 per 1000 brick)
Powder $0.27 per case (about 1 cent per 2 grains at $35lb powder)
Bullet $0.40-.60 each depending on type ($40-60 per hundred bullets)

Somewhere in the range of 70 to 90 cents per round for me buying current components locally before tax. There can be more expensive or cheaper prices for these components but this is average for my area in a gun shop. New Rem .30-06 Brass is still going for $24.50 per 50 count here, but may cost a little more elsewhere. I have seen primers for $32/1000 $28 powder, and cheaper bullets that could put me under 50 cents a shot or under a dollar still with new brass, but it is either further away or requires minimum orders and or shipping for me.
 
Whenever the question of whether to reload or not to reload comes up, the asker is always told to reload.
But each case should be considered seperately. If you are primarily a hunter and are not a hobby shooter, then just buy the factory ammo, sight in and go hunting. Reloading is for hobby shooters, who commonly have several calibres to shoot.
 
You could also look at the cost of producing more accurate ammunition, or ammunition that has a premium bullet and see that as an advantage for around the same price you are paying for cheap factory ammo. In some cases I load to get more accuracy (223 for target shooting), in other cases its just to save money and shoot more (handgun), and in other cases its just because I get a kick out of hunting with handloads.
 
If you shoot much more than 2 or 3 boxes of ammo in a year, reloading is worth your while. You should be able to easily cut your ammo costs in half.
 
i load up my target rounds for 30-06 using cheeper hornady tips for around 8$ a box of 20.i get my imr4350 and h4350 for 26$ per pound locally as most of my powders also are at that rate. for hunting it works out to just under 2$ a shot but i only load up 10 rounds or so just before hunting season. in my opion if you shoot 2 boxes or more per year reload it (saves money) ( you shoot more for less i should say)
 
I like reloading, I shoot alot more as a result. If you're only going to shoot a 30-06, you will have to decide if you really want to reload or not.
It is worth the money if you're buying Federal Premium @ $60 a box. If you're shooting whatever you get at Canadian Tire for $24 a box, the deer will likely never tell the differnce, and the money and time for a box year is costly.

However, if you would want to shoot something like a 257 wby, factory ammo is $95 a box. I have a Vanguard that has never fired a factory round and never chambered a properly headstamped case(all mine are formed from much cheaper 7mm rem cases).

If you will be wanting something less practical and more fun, get used to reloading with your 30-06, it'll take a bit to start producing great ammo, but not long to start making good ammo. I owned a 30-378wby for a couple years, had a great time shooting that thing. If I didn't handload, I'd never even have considered it, factory stuff is $7-$8/round. AS it were I ran 250-300 rnds thro it.

Another perk is making exactly what you want. If you want a certain bullet at 200 FPS slower than factory loads, it can be done.

JT.
 
I do not shoot enough to effect the cost, I just enjoy doing it, and also like the feeling of downing my deer with my own bullets.

Accuracy also plays another part in the reloading equation. I have not found any factory ammo that shoots as well as my hand loads, and its just plain fun to be able to shoot small groups on paper, especially when with the boys in your hunting group who only shoot a few times a year.
 
Reloading isn't about saving money. It's about using the best possible ammo. Lets you tailor the ammo for your rifle. Makes the endless search for the best price for ammo go away too. You search for the best price for components instead. You will cut your ammo costs though. Depending on what bullet you buy.
As mentioned, there's nothing like going from pretty accurate to astoundingly accurate with ammo you loaded.
 
To load a 100 30-06 rounds
Primers - WLR - $5
Powder - IMR 4831(or what your gun likes) $0.23 a round or $23 for 100
Bullets - 165gr BTSP $32

so with no brass cost, it comes to $60 for 100 rounds or $12 a box of 20 of what I would call match quality (powder tuned for your rifle with consistant charge). people that don't reload always say well what about your time involved? well there is always an hour here or there that I would just be doing nothing anyways.
 
If you calculate all your equipment, and all the components you used before you even found that perfect combination of powder and bullet etc for a specific rifle, I would guess you would have to shoot a ton before you saw any savings.

What do you figure is the average amount of shots before you found that perfect recipe for you rifle ??
 
Buy a simple Lee loader, a plastic hammer and some scales, if you like reloading and want to go bigger you still have the Lee Loader to use at the range to work up loads.

Once you get enough brass to satisfy your excessive compulsive reloading habbits, the long cold winters pass very quickly.

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Step number one................

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Step number two..........

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Step number four, watch reruns on the educational channel. :D

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heavyBullet, it sounds like your pennies are pinched. If that is the case, my sympathies. You can get a low end set of reloading equipment for one cartridge, for under $100, brand new in the boxes. Everything you need to start reloading, other than primers, powder and bullets. A basic Lee kit. Google Lee and check it out.

If you are worried about how many rounds it takes to reach a satisfactory load, stay away from reloading. It just isn't your bag.

If you buy premium factory ammunition, it runs around $40/20 in 30-06, maybe more, depending on the bullets it's loaded with. Now, comes the conundrum, it depends on what you call satisfactory groups. If your rifle is a tack driver with any ammo off the shelf and I will admit, some are, but very rare, then just buy whatever is cheapest. Most bullets these days are decent and work well on game. If that isn't the case with your rifle, Then you need to keep on buying more ammo of different brands and bullet weights until you find one you rifle shoots well. Now, there is another fly in the soup. When companies load up a new batch of cartridges, they don't always use the same components. The bullet weights may be the same and of similar design and the powder may have changed, no guarantees are made. It all depends what was cheapest at the time of purchase or what was available for purchase. You might not see a difference when you buy the ammunition but your rifle, will just shoot them in the same general area of the last box you bought.

Handloading, takes out the variables and allows you to shoot less expensively at the same time. It also allows you to be able to afford more practise and that is a big plus right there. If you are counting your pennies each time you pull the trigger, you won't practise. That leads to all sorts of problems and it sure as hell isn't fair to the game you want to shoot. You need to know where that bullet is going and be capable of doing it time after time. You won't get that skill unless you practise enough.

I could go on and on. I won't. It's your budget, buy accordingly.
 
I trie many different brands and weights for my Midland 30-06. Very disappointed so I began to reload. What a difference to actually tailor your ammo to your gun. The 200 yard targets I shot were very pleasing to me.

Worth reloading 30-06?....I will never look back. Pennies compared to store bought and much more accurate in my gun.
 
There is such a simple answer for your question.
Are you going to become a gun nut???
If "Yes" start reloading as your budget allows. If "No" buy your ammo from the store and wait until you become a "Gun Nut". Then re-read above question and start reloading!

P.S.- Start saving your brass now for the day you realize you are going to start reloading.
 
corsara said:
Hi,

I am new to the sport. My rifle is pretty accurate with cheap PPU brand .30-06 rounds, which cost about $1 / round at the local gun store.

My question: if we don't consider the cost for getting a press and equipment, how much do you think will a round of reloaded .30-06 will cost me? If somebody can tell me what I'm looking for in terms of price for the compontents:

+ Brass = ?
+ Powder (normal load) = ?
+ Primers = ?
+ Projectile (let's say 150 grain) = ?

Thanks a lot.
Click to expand...

Reloaded ammo will cost half of what factory ammo will for most of us. Keep in mind that if your a hunter, and do not shoot alot, just stick with factory, unless you enjoy reloading as a hobby, not much of a cost saver for hunters really IMO. Target shooters will see much more savings by reloading. Not to mention, better ammo as well.
 
bearhunter, maybe my post was not clear. I started with a Lee loader, and now have a press, pinching pennies is not my issue. Its just when someone new asks the question " how much will each round cost me if I reload ?" its kind of impossible to give a clear answer since you must use up quite a few components before you even have a round that will fire accurately in your rifle. As I mentioned in my first post, unless you shoot a lot, reloading is about enjoying the time doing it, and accuracy, not saving money.
 
Hi, I am the one who started the thread. Thanks everybody for your answers, I think I got what I needed as information. My verdict: I'll get a single stage press and get into this reloading thing whenever I have time, of course.

In a matter of fact, I am not hunting, but I am shooting a lot at the range. In a matter of fact, I just came back from there, where I blasted through a million .22 and 40 rounds of .30-06, so it gets pricey. If I can cut the .30-06 price some, wife will probably love me again ;) Anyway, thanks everyone! Cheers!
 
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