The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post

Lost Sheep · December 15, 2012, 02:19 AM

This summer I devised a spreadsheet to show the breakeven point for rolling your own ammunition. It generated some of the same controversy this thread is experiencing when I posted it.

It included amortizing the initial cost of the equipment, the money value of your time (or the money you have to pay someone else to mow your lawn to free up your time to load) and even the value of the time you had to spend to learn to load.

Here are the formulas: (Copy and paste starting at cell B2)

350
140
35
28
6
0
20
10
10
0
25
50

100

=B15*(B3/1000+B4/1000+B5/(7000/(B6/(1-B7)))+B8/100/B9)
=+B17/B15
=+B12/B13-B18
=1000/B10*B19
=(B2+B11*B20)/B19
=+B21/1000*B10

then copy and paste this starting at cell c2

Cost of the loading tools
Bullets (per thousand)
Primers (per thousand)
Powder (per lb)
powder load (grains per round)
spillage/shrinkage (I guess at 0% unless specified otherwise)
Brass (per hundred)
# of times each case is used (account for loss in this estimate. If Brass cost is zero, use 1)
Time required to load 1000 rounds. Include EVERYTHING. Picking up, cleaning, sorting, inspecting, filling powder measure, primer tubes, etc.
Initial time learning to load
Cost per box for purchased ammuntion
Rounds per box referred to above

Incremental round count (50, 10, 20, 100: your typical production batch)

(Calculated) Cost per increment loaded
(Calculated) Cost per round
(Calculated) Savings per round
(Calculated) savings per hour. Your "wage" if you choose to see it that way.
(Calculated) Your breakeven point, in rounds produced
(Calculated) Your breakeven point, in hours

Of some interest might be the content of cell B20. That is your "wage", or more to the point, what you are saving per hour. Note also that that "wage" is figured into your breakeven point as part of the cost of your learning how to load. Some people will load even if that figure is zero. Those are the ones who really enjoy loading, or who cannot find their caliber of ammunition anywhere on retail shelves.

Enjoy

Lost Sheep

FOUND IT!

What's my TIME worth, loading? (Monetizing your time at your press)
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=663065

and this similar thread
http://rugerforum.net/reloading/1671...-analysis.html

might as well pull them ALL together.

December 15, 2012, 02:19 AM	#40
Lost Sheep Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2009 Location: Anchorage Alaska Posts: 3,341	So where IS the breakeven and how much can I pay myself to load my ammo? This summer I devised a spreadsheet to show the breakeven point for rolling your own ammunition. It generated some of the same controversy this thread is experiencing when I posted it. It included amortizing the initial cost of the equipment, the money value of your time (or the money you have to pay someone else to mow your lawn to free up your time to load) and even the value of the time you had to spend to learn to load. Here are the formulas: (Copy and paste starting at cell B2) 350 140 35 28 6 0 20 10 10 0 25 50 100 =B15(B3/1000+B4/1000+B5/(7000/(B6/(1-B7)))+B8/100/B9) =+B17/B15 =+B12/B13-B18 =1000/B10B19 =(B2+B11B20)/B19 =+B21/1000B10 then copy and paste this starting at cell c2 Cost of the loading tools Bullets (per thousand) Primers (per thousand) Powder (per lb) powder load (grains per round) spillage/shrinkage (I guess at 0% unless specified otherwise) Brass (per hundred) # of times each case is used (account for loss in this estimate. If Brass cost is zero, use 1) Time required to load 1000 rounds. Include EVERYTHING. Picking up, cleaning, sorting, inspecting, filling powder measure, primer tubes, etc. Initial time learning to load Cost per box for purchased ammuntion Rounds per box referred to above Incremental round count (50, 10, 20, 100: your typical production batch) (Calculated) Cost per increment loaded (Calculated) Cost per round (Calculated) Savings per round (Calculated) savings per hour. Your "wage" if you choose to see it that way. (Calculated) Your breakeven point, in rounds produced (Calculated) Your breakeven point, in hours Of some interest might be the content of cell B20. That is your "wage", or more to the point, what you are saving per hour. Note also that that "wage" is figured into your breakeven point as part of the cost of your learning how to load. Some people will load even if that figure is zero. Those are the ones who really enjoy loading, or who cannot find their caliber of ammunition anywhere on retail shelves. Enjoy Lost Sheep FOUND IT! What's my TIME worth, loading? (Monetizing your time at your press) http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=663065 and this similar thread http://rugerforum.net/reloading/1671...-analysis.html might as well pull them ALL together. Last edited by Lost Sheep; December 15, 2012 at 02:59 AM.