Soon cheaper to buy than reload?

[silicon wolverine]

i was tlking to my gunshop guy yesterday and he said that all of his relaoding componets were going to go up at least 25% in price within a month due to the cost of base metals rising. I though maybe he was screwing with me so ichecked iot out in 1 other store in town and four others out of town. Smae story. At the increased price the only caliber i will save money on is my .375 H&H. .223, .308, .30-06' etc will be cheaper to buy WWB or wolf than reload. I took a ice cream pail of brass to teh scrapyard the other day and i got $22.50 for 35#. The scrap dealer siad its only getting higher and if i want to sell any lead its at a premium right now.

SW

[Foxman]

It has gone high due to a lot of pension funds in Europe investing in commodities ( including metals) but it is now coming down again and will be sensible again by around July/ August time. The cost of ammo would also have to go up by the same amount as they are using same components/ materials. There has been a price hike but some of these guys are just making a fast buck along the way.
Nobody screws with the US economy for too long before it gets put right!

[wilsoncqb/steyrTE]

Im in HVAC so i buy alot of copper probably 100,000#'s + a year. The cheapest way for us to buy it is in 40000# loads direct form factory. Currently one load is about $320,000.00 US. this price is up about 35% from just 3 months ago. Scrap on copper/Brass is moving through the roof as well up about 100% from just 6 months ago. But rumor has it that it is now capped out. It will be falling and probably by the end of 2006 it will be pretty close to where it was 3 months ago.

[skeeter1]

I don't know if I actually save anything on reloading, but it's a pleasant way to spend the evening. Beats watching reruns on TV. The last box of factory .357 Magnums I bought was about thirty bucks, and I have a hunch I can reload them for about half that.

[Kayser]

I have a hunch I can reload them for about half that.

Heh, what are you reloading them with? Solid gold slugs? I'd call anything much above $8 / 50 for .357 magnum pretty extravagant

[Shooter 973]

No way will it be cheaper to buy than reload!!! When the price increases hit the Ammo makers they will jump the prices also..... But other than 7.62x39 and 22 LR I reload everything I shoot. And most of those are with home cast lead bullets. I scrounged the lead years ago and still have a lifetime supply. I can reload and shoot my favorite load of 150-158 gr cast lead bullet and 7 gr.of Unique. for about $1.50 a box of 50. And that's using my own brass and not having to buy any. I have a couple of 1000. so I have plenty. 44mag and 45 acp and even 9mm are equally as cheap. As are 30-30 and 45/70 with cast bullets. I do load jacketed bullets for 223, 22-250, 243, 308, and 30-06, but I have a good supply of these on hand at years ago prices. Don't cost anything to let them set in my reloading room. Bought them years ago in bulk and just saved them for when things get expensive. Looked ahead and saw this sort of thing coming a long time ago!!!

[JJB2]

i'm with you on the reasons to reload sheeter.... i also cast my own bullets so i'm thinkin i can save a bunch, have a nice relaxing evening, and make better ammo than i can buy.......... i probably have enough brass and bullet lead and maybe bullets to last the rest of my life right now..... i'll be 52 yrs old this year and i really don't get out to the range that often...... oh by the way i wondered why you were stuttering



LIFE IS SHORT...............

[paratrooper]

I am not a reloader (yet) but hope to be next year when I retire to AZ . Here in CA you need a permit just to say the word "gun" . So my question . I have seen reloaders measuring their powder . Can you get ammo that is loaded as precise as you yourself would do ? It seems to make sense to do it yourself and knock out the profit of a few folks in the middle . I know that there is also a cost for the equipment to reload your ammo as well . Has anyone done a cost analysis on this ? If consistancy is premiere to you then the cost is not a factor but if "close" is good enough then perhaps a low shooting volume dictates that buying is the way to go .I knew a fella that did 5K rounds of .45 ACP a month (big family sport) so buying was out of the question .Where do YOU draw the line ?

[Schmeisser]

paratrooper,
reloading is just a hobby like shooting. It's fun and it can save you money. I've calculated the costs for the calibers I shoot, with the result that I reached the break even point (investment in equipment + components vs. factory ammo) at approx 550 rds. Of course, even if my .308 rifle shoots as accurate with Federal Match ammo as it does with my hand rolled rounds, every sub MOA group gives me a feeling of personal success.

[jmacx81]

Good point that reloading is a hobby like shooting. Shooting is not a cheap hobby either after you buy targets, eye protection, hearing protection, gas to go to the range it all cost money so weather or not reloading saves you any money at least you know what kind of a round is coming out of your gun. Plus who doesn’t need a relaxing evening in the garage (or where ever you reload). If you’re reloading to save money that is fine but you’re probably not saving any money at all. So if reloading gets to expensive then I guess surplus ammo would be the best route to go and then you have no idea what kind of load you have and then you may have dirty rounds too no one wants that.

[BIGRED]

.223,308,30-06 are not worth loading unless you are loading for precision. they are NATO rounds and everyone make ammo for them. its called supply & demand. also you can buy surplus ammo for NATO Calibers.

[Rangefinder]

As Bigred said---any standard NATO round isn't worth reloading unless you're working up a special load. There is no way to reload those for target shooting and save enough to make it worth your time and effort. For off-calibers, however, there's no better way to go. My 6mm and 7mm would be too expensive to feed if I didn't reload--average $1.20 to $1.50 a pop from factory. But between .30 and .40 cents a pop for my best loads off the press. Plus, it's a great way to spend an evening.

[Crosshair]

I reload 308 since I get the brass for free at the local range. Use surplus 110 grain bullets, cheap surplus 1680 powder, and you have a good plinking load.

[Ruger4570]

I reload for every gun I have and I especially like shooting my 45-70. A box of 20 is around $21.00 a box plus 8% sales tax, so about $22.70 a box. I cast my own with free wheelweights so my only real cost is primers and powder.. almost free shooting. Where there is a BIG difference is in my shotgun shells. I shoot a lot of skeet and shoot 12, 20, 28 and 410. I can buy the "promo" loads for about what it costs me to relaod, but when I get into the 28 and 410, the factory stuff is $7.50 a box and i can load them for less than my 12 or 20... less shot,, less powder. You have to figure your time as "hobby" time, if you expect to get "paid" for your time so to speak,, you might want to consider selling your equipment and buying your shells.

[Ruger4570]

I reload for every gun I have and I especially like shooting my 45-70. A box of 20 is around $21.00 a box plus 8% sales tax, so about $22.70 a box. I cast my own with free wheelweights so my only real cost is primers and powder.. almost free shooting. Where there is a BIG difference is in my shotgun shells. I shoot a lot of skeet and shoot 12, 20, 28 and 410. I can buy the "promo" loads for about what it costs me to relaod, but when I get into the 28 and 410, the factory stuff is $7.50 a box and i can load them for less than my 12 or 20... less shot,, less powder. You have to figure your time as "hobby" time, if you expect to get "paid" for your time so to speak,, you might want to consider selling your equipment and buying your shells. I would add one other observation, shooting sports are generally cheap compared to something like golf. Look at golf membership costs, the equipment etc. The Club I belong to charges $40.00 a year, hell that wouldn't pay a months required bar bill at most golf clubs

[BIGRED]

The 1 key factor most people don't factor in is "Your Time" What is your time worth? spending time preparing brass and loading is time consuming. so what is that time worth to you? is it worth $50. an hour. i consider it twice the amount as if i am working. this is time i could be using for fishing/hunting/spending time with the kids/ etc, so once you factor this time in Reloading is not as cheap as you think. if you are retired and don't work than you have the time to spare. most of us don't have that luxury, especially those of us in Florida who are still repairing our homes from 4 hurricanes!!! Casting your own bullets might save you money in buying bullets but also increases the time spent "RELOADING".

[brickeyee]

"What is your time worth?"

Probably nothing unless you are an hourly employee with unlimited overtime.

Time with family is a better argument.

[Ruger4570]

I have heard this argument many times before. Reloading is NOT a requirement for shooting and to expect to "pay yourself" for the time takes it out of the relm of a hobby. When you pump gas into your car do you mentally add 20 cents a gallon to the price of the gas for your "pumping time"
You can take "paying yourself" for things you do to the extreme. I feel that if you see a need to factor in your time as a cost of loading, well, maybe you should just buy your shells and work an extra hour at your job to cover the cost. You will probably be happier and have nice new shells to shoot without having to pick them up and carry them home.

[Mike Irwin]

I gave up reloading 9mm years ago because it was very close to break even.

[BIGRED]

Most of us reload for several reasons. 1. we enjoy tinkering with new loads & getting our guns to shoot very accurate. 2. Some reload soley to save $$. 3. Some of us load because we have so many guns, factory ammo is not feasible for high volume. 4. some of us reload because we just want to get away from the wife & kids for a little while. the list goes on & on. i have altered my methods for reloading as to spend minimal time at the press to get the amount of ammo i need to keep up with my shooting needs. also loading for some of my calibers (45Acp, 454 Casull, 35 Rem, 300WSM) is alot cheaper than a trip to Bass Pro shops. but what about when your friends ask you to reload for them? now what is your time worth? I recently have decided that loading my .223 for plinking was not cost effective. Materials alone cost about .10c a round not including prep time, recovering brass, loading, etc
for $110.00 i can get 1,000 rounds of brass surplus ammo. i think most of us can agree that we enjoy reloading regardless why we do it.

[2400]

The 1 key factor most people don't factor in is "Your Time" What is your time worth?

I'd much rather spend time handloading then watching TV, going to the movies or something like that. My wife like loading too, so far this year she's loaded over 15K rounds.

[2400]

i was tlking to my gunshop guy yesterday and he said that all of his relaoding componets were going to go up at least 25% in price within a month due to the cost of base metals rising.

If reloading components are going up 25% they don't you suppose the SAME components for factory ammo are going up too?

[dfaugh]

Seems like loaded ammo is going up just as fast as reloading components, so i't probably a "wash".

[Al Norris]

When I first started reloading, I did it with an eye to 1) save a little money and 2) experiment with different types of loads.

I started with the caliber I shoot the most: .44mag. After it was all said and done, I did save a bundle of money... But then...

I went on to other calibers that I shoot. .223; .300wm; 7.65 argentine; .357; and 9mm. I found that in each case, I could handload cartridges that performed as well or better than factory loads.

I also discovered that I couldn't load .223 or 9mm as cheap as the cheapest ammo out there. But, I could load both these calibers for a tad less than some of the best factory rounds. I get the satisfaction of producing something, made by me, that equals or excels what the best factory can produce.

I have also discovered, that as a hobby, it is a relaxing way to spend my time. Particularly during the winter, when I can load up thousands of rounds for the coming good weather months. At no time have I taken into account what it costs for my time, let alone the costs for the equipment. It's a Hobby! A fun thing to do. Something I enjoy. Reducing everything down to its base cost defeats the purpose of enjoying my hobbies.

I know many people that go hunting on a yearly basis. I used to do that also. When you figure the total cost of that week long hunt against the return on a 80 to 120 pound deer... You would have been better off just buying a side of beef. Would have gotten more meat, certainly! But you wouldn't have gotten the thrill of the hunt; The comraderie of the camp and all the other benefits you get being away from the day-to-day pressures of just living.

The same may be said for most every recreational endeavor. So why do we do it? Because it's FUN! For me, I don't really care what it costs. If component prices go up, factory ammo prices will follow. The trade off is to enjoy my hobby or go back to factory ammo... I'll take my hobby, if you please.

YMMV

[Art Eatman]

Aw, BIGRED, you're ignoring the fact that the main saving of $$$ from reloading is staying out of beer joints at night. Folks talk about the cost of reloading components; you priced call drinks, lately?

, Art