How much $ do you save reloading?

[CrustyFN]

I used to buy factory ammo for practice and competition. Now I reload for both. I still shoot about the same maybe just a little more than I used to so yes, I am saving money. I bought a AR 15 for fun and shooting in some club matches. I shoot it the same amount as I would if I was buying factory ammo. Not everybody shoots twice as much just because they reload. I save $100 every thousand 9mm and $180 every thousand 223. So yes you can save money by reloading. You don't have to quit shooting to save money.
Rusty

[ojibweindian]

Have been reading and it seems start up costs are a bit high. How many do you have to do til your even or saving money? I understand the ability to get much better quality and precision but how does it really stack up?

Start-up costs are what you make them. You could go high-dollar and get the very best progressive press, dies, priming and prep tools. Or, you can get perfectly acceptable, cheaper equipment.

Even if you buy the very best equipment money can buy, you'd fairly quickly make that up once you start reloading. For instance, I shot 100 rounds of 7mm Remington Magnum before finding a good load. Currently, a run-of-the-mill 20 round box of ammo costs $30. I was able to "build" that 100 rounds for $30. Compare that to 5 boxes at $30 (5*30=150). I saved $120.

All I buy is powder, bullets, and primers. Brass is usually scrounged at the range; what I don't scrounge, I buy off of Gunbroker as "once fired". And since a piece of brass for the 7mm RM can be reloaded a good 5-10 times (depending on whether or not you neck-size), the cost of a piece of brass can be pretty much amortized to 0.

[grymster2007]

I've saved nothing and if I counted my time, I'd be in serious red ink. But saving money was never the issue; I load to keep my primitive little brain stem from fretting about issues that it should give a rest to. Hand loading seems to work wonders in this regard.

[TexasSeaRay]

I've been doing this for so long that I don't even think about what it (reloading) saves me versus factory ammo.

Still have who-knows-how-many boxes of factory ammo that was issued to me, bags and bags (250 each) of surplus .223 and 5.56, dozens of old boxes of factory long gun ammo, and quite a few boxes of shotgun shells and slugs.

Only factory ammo I've fired in the last ten years or so has been .22LR.

I'm at the point now that I look at how much my reloads cost to produce, and then start looking at ways to further reduce that cost.

For example, I pick up all the brass I can at my local ranges. Those calibers that I don't shoot, I trade for calibers that I do shoot.

I buy my primers in bulk, 5000 at a time and store them. I've got some CCI large pistol primers that the price tag is still on the box of 1000--price I paid, retail, was $8.95. I just got through paying $102, plus shipping, for 500 Winchester small pistol primers. Prices have gone up.

And finally, I'm beginning to cast my own bullets--further reducing my costs.

I don't foresee or honestly know when I might ever shoot a factory round again.

So how much do I save by reloading versus factory? Couldn't tell you since factory ammo isn't even part of the shooting equation for me anymore.

Jeff

[629 shooter]

You do more shooting for the same amount of money. Plus, like learning to cook and bake, you master the skills necessary and understand the process better, and you can tailor your loads to YOUR tastes and needs. There is something very gratifying about finding a rifle's favorite load and turning it into an MOA or better gun without expensive customizing and gunsmithing.

This pretty much sums it up for me. I have started to shoot target rifle the last few years and if it were not for reloading I would not own a centerfire rifle.

I shoot match bullets like Sierra MatchKings which can also be found factory loaded for like $29 bucks for 20 rounds of .223 with the 69MK (Midway March flier price). Anyone think you can't save by reloading the same bullets yourself? Also like to shoot Berger match bullets which if factory loaded would be even more expensive.

[armoredman]

Shot another 80 rounds of cast bullets this morning. Even found some more brass than I went with...
Honestly, I spent more money on gas, than anything else, for that trip. And that was about a 14 mile round trip.

[castnblast]

depending on the bullet, for most rifle rounds, it's 3 or 4 to 1. I can reload 3 or 4 boxes of ammo for the price of 1 box of factory.

[mrawesome22]

None. I never got into hand loading for money savings though.

I suppose it could save you money if you only shot as much as you did when you shot factory stuff, but once you start reloading, you shoot a hell of a lot more. And custom ammo is so much more accurate, cost doesn't even get a second thought for me.

[qajaq59]

Come hell or high water I'm going to shoot at least a 100 rounds of 30-30 ammo a week. Now I can load cast bullets for 10 cents a round or I can buy it for ???? Come to think of it I've never bought ammo for the 30-30s. How much is it anyway?

[wogpotter]

Not a single penny.
But I have custom fitted ammunition for my rifle that has a choice of bullets, powder & performanc ethat the factory ammunition just can't match.

I'm not talking super high vel "kaboom specials" here, just good accurate ammo that is tailored to MY rifle, not some generic one.

I also load more ammo than I could afford to buy, so it works out more economically per round, but saving money, heck no.

[the_right_reverend]

I now save a bundle for a while....... I just recent got back into reloading after a 15 year break due to the fact i only shot 223 Rem and for years it was easier to swing by Grafs and pick up a case or two at Christmas.....

Now that I have the time to again devote to reloading I am Using 53 gr Hornady HPT that ran about $70.00 for a case of 10,000 in the mid 80's about 2 cases worth

At one time I reloaded for a M1A1 which has been gone for 20 years and have a few thousand 308 win that work just fine in my savage precision target....
along with about 140 lbs' Sierra 168 gr. HPBT Match......

I used to live walking distance to a huge reloading store that i was in real tight with..... so I am just getting buying powder and primers......

Now I am loading for a 204 Ruger....... I figure it this way

Brass $179 to $400
Powder $120 $140 for 8 lbs
primers 23 to 40 a thousand
bullets $125 to $200 a thousand

Total $447 to $740 a thousand

Prices taken from Powder Valley
Plus around $500 worth of some of the new high speed reloading gear to replace some of the old stuff



Loaded from Midway $854.00 to $1000,00 plus

Just my opinion I save a bundle

[Hkmp5sd]

If you include the value of my time while reloading, I do not save anything. I would come out ahead spending that time working and using the money to purchase ammunition. For me, reloading is merely a hobby.

[castnblast]

I don't consider my time as $ when I load. I pay to do things I like, Get paid to do stuff I don't... Anyway, To clarify, if I were to shoot as much factory as I do handload I save a bundle. Not to mention, I'm getting custom ammo that is the "perfect round" with no gives here, or there. In other words, I load to my specs for the intended use, purpose and game persued. I have the absolute most accurate round my rifle will shoot at any quarry I'm after. It doesn't get any more premium than that!

[DWARREN123]

None, but I do shoot a whole lot more!

[JAYBIRD78]

I haven't been loading for very long. Less than a year. I feel the cost of time is also "moot". You have to spend time going to the store to buy the ammo also do you not? We could bicker over every little variable. What about up front cost of the equipment? Well what about wear and tear on your vehicle to the ammo store? On and on and on we go. I save at least 50 to 60 percent by loading my own. To me that means saving money and I get to shoot more. I am a happy camper.

[Whisper 300]

Like most have said before me, you really have to factor in the initial set up costs and shoot a lot to see savings UNLESS you have a big bore or oddball cartridge.
Try this on for size, if I purchase 338 Lapua Mag it goes for 5.50 to 7.00 per round-no that is not a misprint.
I can reload for less than 2 bucks factoring in 8 to 10 reloads using Lapua cases.In this case, you can save a boatload of cash by reloading.

Otherwise, I can put together better than factory loads tailored for my needs for less and shoot a whole lot more thereby negating any real cash savings
Gary

[jamaica]

What was the question? Oh yeah.................

Have been reading and it seems start up costs are a bit high. How many do you have to do til your even or saving money? I understand the ability to get much better quality and precision but how does it really stack up?

On the average, depending on caliber, I can load for about half what it costs for a good grade of ammo over the counter.

If you go for a single stage press and the other starting tools you will need to get going I think you can get set up for $250 to $300. By the time you have loaded about 1600 rounds of 45 ACP you have paid off the equipment. Of course by now you are thinking about a few more tools...................

In my case I have been loading long enough to have the needed tools so my expenses are for primers, powder and bullets. I seldom buy brass.

Bottom line: I can shoot twice as much for the same $. I can taylor the loads for my gun and my needs. Is it a worth while investment? Yes!

[sgtwebb1]

My Model 70 likes the Winchester Supreme 130 gr Ballistic Silvertips--$33 a box.

I loaded a box Friday night, using the exact same bullet, with match grade components, tailored for my rifle, for $10.83.

Duh........yes, I saved a bunch.

[CPTMurdoc30]

I do not figure in all the money I spend on reloading tools. as most are fairly cheap How many rounds you reload to pay for a $5 lyman vld chamfer tool? Not a whole lot. Also you add all these tools over the years of reloading. So the cost is really spread out. That is why I do not figure them into my final price.

[freakshow10mm]

I load everything I shoot and cast my own bullets. I load pistol for $45/1000rds and rifle varies from $100/1000rds to $180/1000rds.

[xsquidgator]

If you include the value of my time while reloading, I do not save anything. I would come out ahead spending that time working and using the money to purchase ammunition. For me, reloading is merely a hobby.

True, but WHAT a hobby!

1) "save" $, at least that's what I tell my wife. "Honey, I just saved $35 by making a few boxes of 357!"
2) like someone said earlier, you can always have a couple hundred rounds for each gun lying around. Before I reloaded I had to plan to go to walmart or wherever before each range trip and cringe at laying out $13.50 for 100 9mms (only a couple years ago). No worries now about remembering to go to the store for ammo, I have plenty for every gun and if I do happen to be low on one caliber, an hour or two with the turret press will get me a couple hundred more. A rainy weekend where I can't go to the range will really let me bulk up my inventory of loaded ammo.
3) Get into casting your own to really make ammo cheap. I've been casting for 9mm/357/45 for a while and just added 8mm Mauser and 7.62 (for 7.62x39 and 7.62x54R) to the mix. Making blasting/plinking centerfire rifle ammo for 8 cents each is way cool.

The startup costs aren't that bad, especially if you buy Lee stuff somewhere. you can do that and see if you like it w/o sinking a lot of money into it, just in case you don't. In my case I found reloading to be every bit as satisfying as shooting, maybe even better because I can do it at home. Turns out casting is just as rewarding and satisfying as reloading and shooting are too!

[Hammer1]

How much money can you save by reloading ?

One example...


http://savageshooters.com/SavageForu...?topic=10621.0

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