Cheapest .223 you can make

[Rich_1833]

Hello everyone I'd say I'm new to the reloading scene. I've been reloading 22-250 for the 6 months and just started reloading .223. I don't have a big hi tech 900 bullets an hour set up just a LEE Breech Lock Challenger Press, LEE hand Primer and RCBS charge master 1500 combo. I've been using a different load out of the 4 reloading manuals every time I reload the 22-250 intill I find the one that works best for my rifle. But when it comes to .233 I use it for range plinking and nothing else. So I'm looking for the cheapest load that still works the AR platform. Least amount of powder for maximum loads per pound. That works with the cheapest 22 cal bullet. Anyone already done the math?

[Clark]

In 2004 I got 7 gallons of 223 brass for $62 at a gun show. = 1.5 cents per piece of brass
In 2004 I got a few thousand Surplussed 60 gr .224" TAP [Hornady tactical and police] bullets for 1.5 cents each
In 2005 I got 8 pound canisters of surplus pull down IMR4895 from the 1960s for $99 = $12/ lb = 4.5 cents per shot
In 2007 I got small rifle primers for 1.5 cents each.
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9 cents a shot, and they cut a ground squirrel in half. I shot thousands.
It had twice the range of 17HMR, at half the cost.

Some might have thought buying all that stuff was crazy hoarding... not so crazy now.

[rlc323]

To keep the price per round low you have to be prepared to buy in bulk and in person to avoid shipping and haz-mat charges as much as possible.

Think 8 pounds of powder, 6000 bullets, and 5000 primers at a time.

The good news about .223 is that you can still walk in and buy 1000 primers (40 bucks), 1 pound of powder (24 bucks), and 100 bullets (12 bucks), and still get them loaded for less than 25 cents a round with your own brass.

[Stavman11]

I agree... buy Bulk save $$$$$$$

I originaly Purchase 6k bullets, my 1 shot Brass, and 16lbs of Powder and 5k primers and was right at $.14/rd

Some now based on smaller Bullet purchases and higher Powder and Primer Costs are upto $.21 But figure i average around $.18 or so

For Powder i like H335... 24gr are a great plinking load and found my Accuracy load at 25gr

FMJBT bullets can be found pretty darn cheap... find some bulk buys of 5000 and save some Cash

primers are a bit spendy Now... but tulla and Wolf can be found around $22-$24/1000 But be sure and buy 5000 ta save $$$

If you can buy primers and Powder at same time it save a lot on hazmatt.... But Thats a Crap shoot... so My last Purchases where 24lb of Powder and another for 11k Primers... made the cost cheaper for sure

So easy ta be in the $.18 to $.25 range

[Gadawg88]

I use 24.2 gn of AA2460 under a Hornady bulk 55gn fmjbt. My cost per round is $.21 not counting anything for brass. Bullet=$.10, Powder=$.08, Primer=$.03. Hazmat and shipping charges are baked into these numbers as well. Like others have said, buying in bulk helps spread those costs around. At today's prices and with limited selection it would be hard to get the cost down below $.20, but that's still way cheaper than factory when you can even find it.

[chris in va]

I used to get surplus bullets on the net but that has dried up. The only place I can find tips is at a gun show.

[jepp2]

The bullet price controls the total cost of the load. The primer and powder just aren't going to vary that much. I will assume you have a source for the once fired brass.

I use Hornady bullets from Widener's. Bought in bulk you can get FMJ for $539 per 6000 shipped. The spire points run a little more at $620 per 6000 shipped. So around $0.10 per bullet.

[Kansas Jack]

i try to load my sharps 45-70 cal. as cheap as i can. i always flinch twice when i pull the trigger. once from the recoil and again for the price.

[rdmallory]

Varmint Nightmare 22 Cal .224 Dia. 55 Gr. FMJ w/ Cannelure 1000 Count

$82 Midsouth Soft point and hollow point about the same.

Doug

[GTOne]

Patience, knowing what you want, setting up a list of vendors. Check them daily. Set up notifications if they have them.

Buy in bulk, anything less is throwing away money.

I am loading 21.5 grains of AA2230 behind MG/Hornady FMJ 55 grainer(both are junk/plinking bullets).

My only range is indoors and 28 yards, this load cycles my rifles, and isn't very dirty. I don't need more accuracy nor velocity. I have a good time whenever I feel like dumping a couple mags and watching the gun oil smoke off the rifles.

I think I'm around 18 cents per round.

http://handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp

[Damon555]

I can load 223 with premium bullets for around 35 or 40 cents a round the first loading.....It's even less once you amortize the brass. Loading 308 is a little more....155 grain FMJ bullets are the major expense and I get in at a little less than 50 cents a round....that's including once fired LC brass (full price for the first loading) and all the other components. Once again every time you reuse the piece of brass your cost per round goes down.

As mentioned buying bulk is the key....If you buy components one box or powder one pound at a time you are going to spend much more.....might as well buy factory ammo if that's how you are going to do it.

P.S. Sorry...I got so long winded that I forgot you were asking about 223 specifically.

[Swampman1]

I loaded about 500 last summer for .23 per round with 55 gr FMJ.

[Real Gun]

I did some checking for 223 brass today and found that it can be cheaper to buy new loaded ammo. The cheap stuff was unsorted, uncleaned, and no telling how many times it had been fired or reloaded. My reloading capability is just in case I can't buy loaded ammo or I latch onto a deal with good quality brass at a price that makes sense compared to the alternatives

[Gadawg88]

Once fired range pick-up .223 brass can be had online for $0.07 to $0.08 per piece. I recently ordered 1k from a guy that routinely has it for sale on another forum. Comes from a police range. It was $80 shipped to my door. I received 1040 pieces and tossed out about 50 that were a little too rough and dented for me. Cleaned and inspected every piece. Vast majority was WCC and LC brass of various vintages. No reloads as far as I could tell.

[anotherred]

I'm getting into swaging my own bullets, so just powder and primers at current prices cost $ .12 rnd. Thats still cheaper then what .22 ammo is going for.. Oh and nothing wrong with range brass, just like any brass you load. Inspect it first.

[Real Gun]

Sorry, but what was listed on Gunbot was not encouraging. It's too competitive to snatch the good batches. One listed was already sold out by the time I checked the site. They only had three bags to start. Some of these cheap, top quality deals are only by good fortune, it seems. Real world prices are much higher.

I will check my own list of brass suppliers.

[nemesiss45]

Just a suggestion on powder, I picked up a pound over accurate 2460 at my LGS for $21. I'm not sure how that compares everywhere else, but compared to the other powders in that store, it was $5-10 cheaper than anything else. The powder works for .223 and .308, which are all the rifle cartridges i reload. if I recall, the .223 charge weigh is on the low side compared to other powders, but I'm not sure if it is the lowest. I have found it to be plenty accurate. I have not shot paper with me AR to calculate accurate, but it hits what I shoot at. I have not had range time lately to run up a solid average, but the 2 groups I shot sighting in my .308 with a match load using this powder shot 1/3 MOA at 200 yards.