gettin started in reloading.

ratrodney · November 12, 2015, 08:39 PM

Hey all.
My buddy and myself are thinkin bout gettin everything we need to reload our own ammo.
Primarily 9mm and. 45acp.
Just a rough idea but how much after buying everything needed of course does reloading actually save you?
Any tips to newbies? Tnx

condor bravo · November 12, 2015, 09:09 PM

It varies considerably and will depend to some extent on cost of components. As a start, get the price for 1000 primers, 400 or so pieces of brass, 400 bullets and a pound or two of powder. Then break that down to the cost of loading 50 rounds and compare that against a factory box of 50. But then you have to factor in the cost of equipment to determine when savings will actually begin. It will take some time to actually experience a considerable savings. Just as a rough estimate, consider 250 grains of powder for 50 rounds of handgun ammunition. There are 7000 grains per pound. Do the math and break down the component prices to quantities of 50. Consider loading the recovered cases perhaps 10 times and so much the better if you can pick up some free range brass. Cast bullets will be less expensive than jacketed. Selecting equipment will be more of a major consideration and if budget permits, try not to settle on the least expensive.

toadywart · November 12, 2015, 09:21 PM

I reload 9mm hard cast at a cost of 10 cents each, copper plated at 12.5 cents each. I started reloading during the ammo shortage because I could not find any store ammo to buy. I have about 400 dollars in equipment and it takes about 30 to 45 minutes to reload 100 bullets. Hope this helps you.

Kosh75287 · November 12, 2015, 09:49 PM

Obtain at least three, preferably four reloading data manuals. You'll always be in better shape with too much information, that with not enough.

jwrowland77 · November 12, 2015, 10:11 PM

Save money? LOL. Probably not but you'll shoot 2-3 times more.

Jacketed, you can load for about $16-$17 per 100. Loading my own cast boolits though, I'm at about $6/100.

Sevens · November 12, 2015, 10:27 PM

It is going to be 100% true that the more money you can justify spending on buying your components in bulk... the more money you can save. And the opposite is 100% true also.

Just for arguments sake, simply to make a point:
If all your equipment was free and you had tons of great used brass all at the ready and you walked in to Cabela's and you buy a sleeve of 100 primers for $4 plus tax, one pound of powder for $26 plus tax and a box of Hornady XTP bullets for $22 plus tax... you can make some fantastic handloads with those items but your "savings" over buying factory ammo is going to be pennies.

On the far other end of the spectrum:
If you buy your powder in an 8lb jug, you could knock the price down to about $18 per pound. If you find a great deal on a case of 5,000 primers, you could bring them home for about $2.50 per hundred. And the bullet market is often quite volatile, but I'm eating through 16,000 bullets (plated 9mm, 124gr) and I have 7.5 cents per slug on them, shipped to my door.

For a lot of us (the kind of people who spend their free time chatting about handloading

), this hobby is a lot of fun and very rewarding. But it takes a lot of time and energy, and we burn through a lot of components (MONEY) simply trying things, developing loads, learning what works and what doesn't.

Most folks find the hobby quite rewarding. Some high volume shooters don't enjoy it as much as we do but they need the cost savings so they slog through it. Those guys probably save more money than us guys because we are constantly adding gadgets and new bullets and powders and trying new things because we enjoy it.

But the one place we both end up and usually agree upon is just as jwrowland77 said... we spend more money and we shoot a lot, lot, LOT more than we ever did before we started making our own ammo.

The hardest part for me is finding a sensible middle ground on how much money I'm throwing at components. All truth I posted above... most folks can't get fantastic plated 9mm 124's for 7.5 cents per slug... but I would imagine that most folks don't slap a thousand dollar charge on their credit card that results in a mailman bringing a couple hundred pounds of bullets to their door. Just bullets. Not ammo. Just bullets.

g.willikers · November 13, 2015, 11:04 AM

A word of caution.
If the main reason to get into reloading is to save money and make lots of ammo quickly, chances are your reloading equipment might soon be collecting dust in the closet.
You have to enjoy the process or you could easily join the ranks of those who have wasted a bunch of money on reloading to make a lot of unusable ammo.
Just a thought.

Girvin13 · November 23, 2015, 10:54 PM

I got a ton of reloading equipment including around 23K cast bullets for a song. Don't know if I'm going to use the cast bullets or not. My dad and me are getting into reloading for us and friends to shoot more. I would say its like anything else, if it seems like a job, it gets old quick. Hope to keep this a hobby for us.

November 12, 2015, 08:39 PM	#1
ratrodney Member Join Date: July 4, 2012 Posts: 99	gettin started in reloading. Hey all. My buddy and myself are thinkin bout gettin everything we need to reload our own ammo. Primarily 9mm and. 45acp. Just a rough idea but how much after buying everything needed of course does reloading actually save you? Any tips to newbies? Tnx

November 12, 2015, 09:09 PM	#2
condor bravo Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2014 Location: Nevada/Ariz/CA Posts: 1,753	It varies considerably and will depend to some extent on cost of components. As a start, get the price for 1000 primers, 400 or so pieces of brass, 400 bullets and a pound or two of powder. Then break that down to the cost of loading 50 rounds and compare that against a factory box of 50. But then you have to factor in the cost of equipment to determine when savings will actually begin. It will take some time to actually experience a considerable savings. Just as a rough estimate, consider 250 grains of powder for 50 rounds of handgun ammunition. There are 7000 grains per pound. Do the math and break down the component prices to quantities of 50. Consider loading the recovered cases perhaps 10 times and so much the better if you can pick up some free range brass. Cast bullets will be less expensive than jacketed. Selecting equipment will be more of a major consideration and if budget permits, try not to settle on the least expensive. __________________ Ouch, the dreaded "M-1 thumb", you just know it will happen eventually, so why not do it now and get it over with?? Last edited by condor bravo; November 12, 2015 at 11:05 PM.

November 12, 2015, 09:49 PM	#4
Kosh75287 Senior Member Join Date: October 15, 2007 Posts: 820	Obtain at least three, preferably four reloading data manuals. You'll always be in better shape with too much information, that with not enough. __________________ GOD BLESS JEFF COOPER, whose instructions, consultations, and publications have probably saved more lives than can ever be reliably calculated. DVC, sir. انجلو. المسلحة. جاهزة. Carpe SCOTCH!

November 12, 2015, 10:27 PM	#6
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	It is going to be 100% true that the more money you can justify spending on buying your components in bulk... the more money you can save. And the opposite is 100% true also. Just for arguments sake, simply to make a point: If all your equipment was free and you had tons of great used brass all at the ready and you walked in to Cabela's and you buy a sleeve of 100 primers for $4 plus tax, one pound of powder for $26 plus tax and a box of Hornady XTP bullets for $22 plus tax... you can make some fantastic handloads with those items but your "savings" over buying factory ammo is going to be pennies. On the far other end of the spectrum: If you buy your powder in an 8lb jug, you could knock the price down to about $18 per pound. If you find a great deal on a case of 5,000 primers, you could bring them home for about $2.50 per hundred. And the bullet market is often quite volatile, but I'm eating through 16,000 bullets (plated 9mm, 124gr) and I have 7.5 cents per slug on them, shipped to my door. For a lot of us (the kind of people who spend their free time chatting about handloading ), this hobby is a lot of fun and very rewarding. But it takes a lot of time and energy, and we burn through a lot of components (MONEY) simply trying things, developing loads, learning what works and what doesn't. Most folks find the hobby quite rewarding. Some high volume shooters don't enjoy it as much as we do but they need the cost savings so they slog through it. Those guys probably save more money than us guys because we are constantly adding gadgets and new bullets and powders and trying new things because we enjoy it. But the one place we both end up and usually agree upon is just as jwrowland77 said... we spend more money and we shoot a lot, lot, LOT more than we ever did before we started making our own ammo. The hardest part for me is finding a sensible middle ground on how much money I'm throwing at components. All truth I posted above... most folks can't get fantastic plated 9mm 124's for 7.5 cents per slug... but I would imagine that most folks don't slap a thousand dollar charge on their credit card that results in a mailman bringing a couple hundred pounds of bullets to their door. Just bullets. Not ammo. Just bullets. __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.

November 13, 2015, 11:04 AM	#7
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	A word of caution. If the main reason to get into reloading is to save money and make lots of ammo quickly, chances are your reloading equipment might soon be collecting dust in the closet. You have to enjoy the process or you could easily join the ranks of those who have wasted a bunch of money on reloading to make a lot of unusable ammo. Just a thought. __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

November 12, 2015, 09:21 PM	#3
toadywart Member Join Date: January 5, 2015 Posts: 18	I reload 9mm hard cast at a cost of 10 cents each, copper plated at 12.5 cents each. I started reloading during the ammo shortage because I could not find any store ammo to buy. I have about 400 dollars in equipment and it takes about 30 to 45 minutes to reload 100 bullets. Hope this helps you.

November 12, 2015, 10:11 PM	#5
jwrowland77 Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2012 Location: Conway, Arkansas Posts: 1,398	Save money? LOL. Probably not but you'll shoot 2-3 times more. Jacketed, you can load for about $16-$17 per 100. Loading my own cast boolits though, I'm at about $6/100.

November 23, 2015, 10:54 PM	#8
Girvin13 Junior Member Join Date: November 16, 2015 Posts: 6	I got a ton of reloading equipment including around 23K cast bullets for a song. Don't know if I'm going to use the cast bullets or not. My dad and me are getting into reloading for us and friends to shoot more. I would say its like anything else, if it seems like a job, it gets old quick. Hope to keep this a hobby for us.