Whilst I very much appreciate all the input on this thread, that there is the most direct answer to my question, so far!!!-Pond
Sorry my friend, best answer is you may never "break even". If you fire a modest amount of ammo (.38, 9, .40, .45 ) that is available in bulk it takes a long time. If you shoot several hundred 45-90's, 38-55's or Weatherby Mags each year your break-even point may come in the first few weeks. Most of us got into it to save money but a break-even point is very difficult to determine. Equipment upgrades are sometimes expensive but they, too, eventually pay off in the long run, or at least we tell ourselves that.