Newbie reloading question
- Thread starter Cass_GRFH
- Start date
Well, many people reload 9mm for about $5 a box if they buy components in bulk and/or cast their own bullets. I do neither, so my cost per box is likely about $6...cheapo commercial 9mm doesn't come in much below $12 a box these days (depending on size of purchase of course) so you're talking about half price to reload. You can go the Lee route for reloading gear and have broken even by the time you've reloaded about 15 or so boxes or 750 rounds?
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There are a number of factors to take into account that mark in favour of reloading:
The craft of it
Customizing loads for your guns
The joy of a hobby
I'm sure others here could add dozens more.
Saving money isn't one of them however, because you will just be able to create more ammo for the same money you buy factory, and simply shoot more!
And as far as I am concerned, shooting more is the most important reason to reload.
But to answer you question LOL..(got distracted there hehehe)
My reloading setup for 9mm and .223 cost me a total of about $600. THat includes things like a tumbler, media, dies, power, calipers etc.
If you are going to shoot more 9mm in a year than you can buy for $600, spend the money. THe more you shoot, the sooner it pays for iteself!
The craft of it
Customizing loads for your guns
The joy of a hobby
I'm sure others here could add dozens more.
Saving money isn't one of them however, because you will just be able to create more ammo for the same money you buy factory, and simply shoot more!
And as far as I am concerned, shooting more is the most important reason to reload.
But to answer you question LOL..(got distracted there hehehe)
My reloading setup for 9mm and .223 cost me a total of about $600. THat includes things like a tumbler, media, dies, power, calipers etc.
If you are going to shoot more 9mm in a year than you can buy for $600, spend the money. THe more you shoot, the sooner it pays for iteself!
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Cass,
Good question. One thing many people who re-load never take in to account and I'm speaking as a person who has reloaded for many years, is thier own time. If you were to pay yourself your regular wages for the time you spent reloading, are your reloads still cheaper than factory ammo? I can not reload calibres such as .223 and 9mm cheaper than I can buy loaded ammunition when I take this extra money spent into account. My lovely wife bought me one of the very first progressive reloading sets about 20 years ago in the hopes that I would spend less time in the basement reloading. What actually happened was I spent the same ammount of time, loaded 5 times the ammount of ammunition and 3 times the ammount of time at the range shooting it!!!
Take care,
Scott
Good question. One thing many people who re-load never take in to account and I'm speaking as a person who has reloaded for many years, is thier own time. If you were to pay yourself your regular wages for the time you spent reloading, are your reloads still cheaper than factory ammo? I can not reload calibres such as .223 and 9mm cheaper than I can buy loaded ammunition when I take this extra money spent into account. My lovely wife bought me one of the very first progressive reloading sets about 20 years ago in the hopes that I would spend less time in the basement reloading. What actually happened was I spent the same ammount of time, loaded 5 times the ammount of ammunition and 3 times the ammount of time at the range shooting it!!!
Take care,
Scott
I've heard this point before and I agree with it, but often it doesn't quite work out like that in real life. I and I think many people have a job with a set amount of hours or pay, so it's not like they can just ask for 3 more hours a week to make more money for ammo.
Besides, at least reloading is different from what you will have been doing all day. And of course there are all the other benefits of reloading already mentioned in this thread.
It's true that the real cost of reloading includes the money you might otherwise have earned with the time you spent on reloading, but it is also true as agent mango says that the opportunity to earn at your usual rate is not necessarily available for all of one's "free" time. And I for one wouldn't care if it was. I find that my experience and enjoyment of life is enriched and enhanced by doing some things myself that it might be more efficient financially to pay someone else to do. E.g. reloading my own ammo, getting meat by hunting, fixing my car and my motorcycle myself.
BattleRife
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Let me get this straight. You can buy for $12 or load for $6. You save $6 per box by loading.
For 750 rounds (15 boxes) you therefore save $90.
I DO NOT want to load anything on a $90 setup. Unless I got lucky at an auction or garage sale, I would consider a setup to be miserly (and probably miserable) at double that.
I will heartily disagree with those people that speak of factoring in your time. The whole point of a hobby is to fill my free time. Should I bill myself to make me an omelette? When I wake up from a two hour nap, should I present me with a $50 tab? Your own time is worth nothing to you, unless you have an open invitation to be at work on the clock 24/7, in which case you should consider taking a moment to tuck your kids into bed as as expense.
Fine, I'm just saying that you can. I like to plink with pistols and live in a small space and I've found that I can reduce it to the level of a hand press, a set of scoops, Autoprime and dies. I have other gear too, but I've actually started using it less.
I'd have to disagree .... It's not about better ammo anymore, it is about saving money. Current factory ammo is very good stuff, but the shooter can save a fair amount of money by handloading, esp if he is using calibers that are a little off the beaten track.
At one time, some factory ammo was of spotty quality and handloading offered the shooter more consistent results, but the factory ammo now is alot better, more uniform and offers better bullets.
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Well said indeed. I always thought people who insist on factoring in their time are just trying to feel more important than they really are.
The time I reload is time I would've spent doing non money-generating activities anyway.
For my 2 cents worth;
I am just back into the shooting game and am considering a reloading setup in the near future. I used to reload all my own ammo and certainly went through 100's of round per week.
For me, nothing shoots as well as handloads; it is both economical and way more accurate than any factory loads i ever used with any gun.
Factor in the time spent reloading as part of the enjoyment of the sport as well as having the satisfaction of your own handywork.
I am just back into the shooting game and am considering a reloading setup in the near future. I used to reload all my own ammo and certainly went through 100's of round per week.
For me, nothing shoots as well as handloads; it is both economical and way more accurate than any factory loads i ever used with any gun.
Factor in the time spent reloading as part of the enjoyment of the sport as well as having the satisfaction of your own handywork.
A very experienced shooter once told me at the range (when I was considering reloading):
"You won't spend less money, you'll simply shoot a whole lot more!"
The next few months proved he was right I got reloading equipement and I've been hapily shooting ever since.
Lou
"You won't spend less money, you'll simply shoot a whole lot more!"
The next few months proved he was right
I got reloading equipement and I've been hapily shooting ever since.Lou
