Reloading 5.56 or .223 Rem Is it woth it ?

[Tigerbalm]

Bulk components , WC surplus powder, free brass range pickup have my 223 reloads at $0.21 per round. Once I finished my 2000th round I more than made up for my startup equipment costs.

If you're willing to put in the time and patience to reload rifle rounds I'd say do it.

 

[jetfixer]

I have more than one .223 rifle, so it is worth while re-loading for me. I developed a consistent round for my AR, but still buy bulk ammo for it when it is on sale. I process the brass from the bulk ammo I shoot through my AR and use it for my other rifles, using match bullets. 100 55gr Hornady FMJ-BT can be had for about $25, 454 grams of powder is about $45, and 100 primers $10. I can get at least 250 rounds out of 454grams of powder, so total cost for 250 rounds is $122.50 = .49 a round. I could use cheaper bullets and primers, but I choose not to. A Remington Freedom Bucket is $169 for 300 rounds = .56 per round. I am not saving much but I can make my own loads and do various ladder tests to find an optimum load for each rifle. If you shoot about 300 rounds a year, it's probably not worth it, if you are just shooting .223. I load other calibers as well, so I already have the equipment (which isn't cheap). I frequently say that I don't reload to save money, just to shoot more.

 

[VinnyQC]

It's not worth it if you're only doing 223. Buy ammos in bulk and sell the brass on the EE.

 

[bearhunter]

Reloading is not all about cost savings, as been mentioned numerous times here.

It's for quality rounds, if you are someone who likes the tinker and get the most of your gun.

If you want to compare prices alone, don't compare the cheapest "freedom bucket" style ammo with that
of a precision made and extremely consistent load.

In my opinion, reloading is a hobby unto itself. It should be approached as another time consuming skill
that takes time to learn, and years to perfect....if ever.

I find it somewhat therapeutic and enjoy a couple hours of escape now and then.

The only downside.......no longer being able to blame sh#tty shots on bad ammo, it's all YOU, lol!

Reloading is not about cost???????????? Sorry but IMHO it's one of the main reasons many serious shooters of several different cartridge types do it. It's a lot cheaper in the long run than purchasing even low end surplus ammo.

I will admit accuracy is a welcome bonus but even then, for the most part, only when the hand loader does some experimentation. The other thing hand loading allows shooters of antique firearms to do is keep those lovely old girls active in their retirement. You want to talk about cost savings??? Then look into the price of surplus 577/450 or 43 Spanish or 43 Mauser. Then look at the cost of a box of 300/340 Ultramag or 45/70. The list goes on. Reload a half dozen boxes of each of these and watch the savings mount. If the hand loader is going to shoot those rifles to become proficient with them, the cost of purchasing commercial loads becomes exorbitant very quickly.

I do agree though many hand loaders do so to achieve ammunition that shoots well in the rifle or rifles they hand load for.

 

[CHIA]

Reloading is not about cost???????????? Sorry but IMHO it's one of the main reasons many serious shooters of several different cartridge types do it. It's a lot cheaper in the long run than purchasing even low end surplus ammo.

As I said, not ALL about cost. Certainly the more you shoot, the better your return, but it's an upfront investment in $$, time and space.

And speaking for myself, in the context of someone who reloads...."serious shooter" and "low end surplus ammo" generally don't go hand in hand.

In the case of unique/sparce/very old rounds, certainly another way to continue shooting those guns.

 

[VinnyQC]

As I said, not ALL about cost. Certainly the more you shoot, the better your return, but it's an upfront investment in $$, time and space.

And speaking for myself, in the context of someone who reloads...."serious shooter" and "low end surplus ammo" generally don't go hand in hand.

In the case of unique/sparce/very old rounds, certainly another way to continue shooting those guns.

For plinking ammo it's all about cost, financial and time cost. Shaving a few cents per round or a few seconds per round is more important if you're gonna produce 10s of thousands of ammos per year than getting a half moa.

That's why some calibres make more sense than others. It takes the same time to reload a 44magnum and a 9mm. I save about 70¢/round for .44 and 9¢/round for 9mm. Guess which one has paid for my whole setup. Same for reloading 223 vs 300wsm.

OP is literraly asking about financial cost and not about accuracy. So far the best answer were "no, don't reload 223, buy it in bulk". Of all the calibers, 223 is the worst financial proposition in dollar saved per round, and it gets even worse if you factor the time required to prep the brass.

 

[jethunter]

I am seriously looking at reloading 5.56 for my CZ and AR. (they both take 5.56 and .223) With the price of Winchester 55 Gr. cartridges at $13 for 20 at Cabelas and elsewhere, is it really worth the investment and time ? Can you reload for much cheaper than .65 ?

You can find factory ammo cheaper than that if you look around.

If you shoot high enough volume, reloading could pay off but the payoff point would be several 1000's of rounds per year to make it worthwhile.

Opinions alone don't mean squat, except that of the judge who's deciding your court case.
For everything else you need to do the math:

223/5.56 reloading component cost:
processed 1f brass: $100/1000 = $0.10 per round; with 5 reloadings from each case that's $.02 per round
powder: $40/lb = $0.15 rd
primers: $5/100 = $0.05 rd
bullets: Campro = $60/500 = $0.12 rd
TOTAL per round = $0.34 per round

Those are rough numbers done fast without shipping or tax included. You could find better prices and you might have free brass in hand. But you wouldn't be far off to estimate that components will cost close to $.40 per round. That won't be match grade ammo but it will be as good as the factory bulk grade stuff.

You also need to consider the cost of your additional tooling - dies, etc. If you don't already reload that's a substantial investment and could easily be a deal breaker.

Decide if that cost is worthwhile and don't forget to consider your time because ammo doesn't reload itself. If you shoot enough to make savings of $.20 per round worthwhile then start shopping for components, otherwise just find the best deal you can on factory ammo.

 

[mmcintyre1220]

my current reloading cost for 55 grain fmj 5.56 plinking ammo is $299.19 taxes in per thousand . I don't pay for brass and have an excellent source for primers and powder. While its not a major cost savings vs hunting ammo, high precision ammo or other calibers, I enjoy reloading and to me its another hobby. I simply do not buy factory ammo aside from rimfire.

 

[Gatehouse]

I will absolutely handload prcision or hunting ammunition.

Ammo for general volumerange shooting with AR15's etc I look at it this way-

if you are set up with a good progressive press anyway, there is no reason not to look at reloading. It really depends on how much time you feel like putting into it.

If you aren't already set up, then buying cases of cheap ammo may be a better option.

 

[coreyd]

My cost for reloading 223 is this:

Brass: Free from range
Primers: $43
Powder: $110
Bullets: $110

This is CCI Primers, 25 grains of H335 and a 55 grain Campro bullet. There are other incidental costs such as Blue Dawn, Lemishine, Hot Water, Electricity for washing, trimming, case feeder, etc. so add $2 to the over all price. I am at 29.7 cents per round after tax. With this said I have 3 grand worth of equipment I use to load it all.

My prices for primers and powder are everyday prices from Lawry's and the projectiles you can get anywhere for $55 per 500 (or cheaper).

As I have said before, if I didn't enjoy it, it might not be worth it.

 

[robxcr]

I've been loading 55gr Camro bullets with D4198 for 25 cents per shot.

Auggie D.

I do the same, dont think it can be done cheaper if you reload using bullets like campro etc. Only thing bringing my cost way down is i swage my bullets from 223 jackets. Made my own lead wire extruder and cutter as well. Takes lots of time, but i like doing it. Enough seriously cold winter days in Canada so i can actually stay ahead on making these bullets.