True cost of reloading

[Farmland]

Today I sat down to figure out how much I spent to reload 1,000 rounds of 223. The total cost was $213.50. this included the cost for the bullets, primers and powder. The brass was given to me which I have been lucky over the years to have a free source for once fired 223, 40 & 45.

Now currently the average price for a box of 20 is around $9 at most places. ( Note thanks to Shoney for adding valuable input to this thread and catching the $ sign in front of the 20. )So if I had bought 50 boxes I would have spent $450. So I was able to save $236.50 which is just over a 50% savings.

However to that total savings I have to subtract $29 for a RCBS Swagging outfit, $8 for a shell holder. So adjusting that amount I still have a pretty good savings.

But what about the other stuff? Yeah if I had just started out I would have to include a Lee Cast Single Stage for $90, Dillon 650 equipped for the 223 at around $600 ( Mine is a few years old) RCBS Trimmer $90, RCBS Primer tool $54 and the list can go on. Lets not forget the new Hornaday LN and the equipment I am starting to add for that. When it comes down to it I have more than a few thousands dollars invested into my equipment for reloading.

By now I would guess my total start up cost would be less than a few dollars per 1,000 of rounds loaded. But if I had to go out and get everything I have at one shot it would be next to cost prohibited.

Lets talk about supplies such as powder, bullets and primers than that total can skyrocket pretty fast. I have over 12 pounds of powder, 15,000 primers and more than a few thousands bullets.

They say you shoot more when you reload I tend to agree. However when I think back to my pre reloading days I shot just as much but mainly used re-manufactured ammunition to save money. I tired to figure out if I was ahead or at least at the break even point when it comes to just the money.

To tell the truth I could find the answer.

[robhof]

I've been reloading since the 80's and have a large amount invested, due to a variety of calibers and casting as well. I still feel I'm several dollars ahead if just in the reusing of brass and casting and making bullets to my gun's preference for best accuracy. Had I used factory ammo all this time, I would have spent alot more and not had the satisfaction of tuning a round to MOA with my own components.

[Unclenick]

All that equipment you've bought has to have its value amortized over all the rounds it does in its service life. If you load another 1000 rounds tomorrow, you just cut all that investment overhead in half on a per-round basis. So it tends to get cheaper over time if you keep using it. If you stop loading and shooting, then the loss of income from the fact you don't have the money tied up in bonds or some other investment comes back to bite you. So, e-bay or otherwise recover whatever you can from what you stop using.

Another point is, as suggested above, if you are doing everything right, your ammo should be better quality and better matched to your gun than what you can buy on the cheap. So it's like getting better grade at below cheap ammo prices.

Finally, owing to the shortages that are just starting to ease, prices have been high. I expect you'll see them come back down a soon as all the pipelines are filled again and people have to compete on price for customers again. My last .223 short range loads cost about $210 in supplies to make a thousand, but that was with match bullets and primers at pre-shortage component prices.

[hornady]

I have looked at it this way. What price do you put on enjoyment. I started reloading back in the early 70s. so I have had many years , to accumulate the tools necessary and some that are not. But if you put a price on everything. Who would Hunt, Fish, Reload, or for that Matter even go on Vacation. All with your time and money spent.Are not really worth the cost. I reload and cast Bullets because , I enjoy it.

[Shoney]

Farmhand wrote
Now currently the average price for a box of $20 is around $9 at most places.

Now that is a deal! Getting $20 for only $9. Let us all know where you shop.

[B.L.E.]

As long as we are amortizing the cost of the equipment and counting the capital tie up, we may just as well put a value on our labor.

I could probably work an extra hour of overtime at my job and use that money to buy more ammo than I could reload in an hour.

Face it, it's a hobby and that means we don't have to rationalize it.

[bigautomatic]

Don't compare prices of your hand loaded ammo to cheap factory ammo. Even if you were to use low end components for your handloads, it will still be more consistant, straighter, and much better tuned for the firearm that you worked up the loads for. It is more realistic to compare your handloads to mid to high-end factory ammo. If you don't take better acuracy into the equation, at least to some extent, you might as well just buy a pack of firecrackers to make noise and a sharp stick to make bullet holes. Just my two cents on the subject.

[Farmland]

I think you know what I meant Shoney. But thank you for all the wisdom that you have in this sport to correct my slip of the keyboard. You have made this thread better with your wisdom. Once again thank you.

Yes it is a hobby but I was looking at it just as a cost base for a hobby that has a lot of expendable products. Lets face once you shoot them they are gone, except for the case.

So I was really taking a harder look to see if over all was I better to reload or to buy cheaper ammunition. Since my main type of shooting doesn't depend on the need for tack sharp accuracy but volume I wanted to know if I was even or better than even.

Without a doubt when it comes to my ground hog hunting cost is less of a factor since my loads out perform factory ammunition. In addition the fun factor of reloading is priceless.

So far the numbers are looking positive when it comes to saving by reloading.

[Maligator]

I don't want to even think what my first box of ammo is going to end up "costing" :barf: since I haven't reloaded a single round yet and am still buying up the goods.

However...I think of it this way: I could have spent the money elsewhere with no return on my investments. In the end my reloading gear is guarenteed for life sooooo...I get to keep shooting more and not wanting to puke everytime I see the price of factory ammo.

[bullspotter]

It all depends on what you shoot and what you buy. I did get lucky and invest some $$ before the big mess with componets, found some good deals, and always have my eye open for more. It cost me about $881 to load up 6000 rounds of 40s&w. ( about $14.68 per 100. With MT gold bullets)I buy componets in bulk, and got primes for $24.99 per brick last year. 8 lb jugs of uniqe were $109 in jan of this year, bought 3 of them. I bought 4000 55 gr fmj .224 bullets at a gun show for $200. As far as brass i get to hunt the public shooting area for brass, theirs several others that do this also so sometimes i dont find much, this dose cost me gas, (and my time) but i can sell what i dont want or cant use, this i feel this is a wash, free brass minus my time. as far as equipment, all mine is fairly old, i have a single stage press. I did by a charge master combo and a new hand primmer this year, cost $320.00. And 2 sets of carbide dies. ($80.00). I shoot uspsa and 3 gun so i shoot alot, This year I pry would have not been able to shoot as much as i did if i had to buy factory ammo. I shoot till im broke so reloading allows me to enjoy shooting that much more. Now some will say you need to calculate your time reloading, as an added cost to reloading, I dont, Im lucky in that way, I do most of my reloading during the winter when its cold and snowy, when i dont really have anything to do anyways. I also enjoy doing it. I think if your just getting into this reloading you need to look at the time you have to reload and the amount your going to be shooting. Its going to cost alot more for progressive high end equipment to make ammo faster, if you dont shoot alot get a single stage setup. personally i would like to have a big fancy set up with all the bells and goodies, but i have the time in the winter months to get done what i need to with what ive got, so im not spending the $$ id rather buy componets.

[troy_mclure]

if you are going to add up equipment cost, you have to add the cost of the gun, the cleaning kits, cases, safes, etc...

[rc]

The cheapest thing to do is buy two or three boxes of whatever you want to shoot, spend a box sighting in and live with the accuracy you get. However, those of us who reload want better performance So we spend hundreds of dollars working up the perfect load and then we run out of components and have to work up another load But we learn a lot more about our guns and performance than the average guy on the street We also can afford to shoot more, and in the end we will all die poorer but having lived a more accurate life that makes other people One of the nice things about reloading equiptment is that it holds it's value relative to other things and is generally built to the highest of standards unlike many things we buy in our disposable society. I don't consider buying tools a total loss as I can always sell them for at least 1/2 of what I paid. Reloading is also a form of recycling.....

[Unclenick]

Besides, its keeps us off the street and out of our wive's hair.

[RGS]

Save this link somewhere and you can go back and figure just how much ammo you have to produce to "break even".

I've paid for the cost of my equipment and "consumables" several times over. It's a volume deal.

http://10xshooters.com/calculators/index.htm

[Brian Pfleuger]

I know that in the case of my handgun, which is 357sig, it will be about 450 rounds before my initial investment is completely paid off, and that's loading expensive Hornady XTP bullets. I can load them for less than 1/3 the cost of factory ammo with the same bullet and at the same cost of factory FMJ bulk ammo.

Since I already spent the major chunk of money, the jump to rifle will cost me little more than 2 boxes of factory ammo. That investment will pay for itself in the first 40-50 rounds.

[bignz]

I reload for every reason EXCEPT the phantom cost savings.
Reload for:
- better accuracy
- a great hobby that is challenging, interesting, an art form that developes......
Cost savings are likely not real because of the time involved. If you, like me, consider your time worth money - reloading will probably never pay off financially.

[B.L.E.]

Reloading doesn't really save you money, it just makes you shoot more.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Your time might be worth money but unless you're giving up time that would otherwise be used making money in order to reload then it's pretty tough to say that it's costing you anything. Missing a baseball game on tv is not exactly a monetary "cost".

[mongoose33]

I'm loading .223, 9mm, and .45 at about a 50 percent discount over what I can buy it for (at normal prices). More if one counts inflated prices from the O effect.

But I do not necessarily consider paying off my reloading equipment to be all that important, for several reasons.

1. That equipment is a sunk cost.

2. Part of the reason I reload is that I have a source of ammo that isn't dependent upon supplies showing up at my local shops. That's worth something to me.

3. I produce better ammo than I can buy.

4. I can tailor loads to whatever I want to do, or try.

5. I enjoy reloading, call it a hobby if you want, but lots of people spend money on lots of things, like golf (guilty!), bowling, bicycles, whatever. Reloading is no less, nor more, valid as a hobby or pastime as anything else that costs money. It's fun.

6. I find reloading relaxing, and have a sense of accomplishment when I produce several hundred rounds of my own ammo.

So, for me, much of this discussion of how much you can save by reloading is beside the point--yes, it has money-value, but to me that isn't even the third- or fourth-best reason to do it.

[Kyo]

but look at it this way. buying reloaded ammo at the range is costing you 20 bucks a box(45's) and the price is 20 bucks.

What if I told you there was no cost in reloading? Lets take a look. my range charges 20 bucks for a box of 50.
My supplies including everything to load my first 1000 was $215
I can make a box of 50 for 7.04 but thats not even bottom price. With lower primer costs, and lower bullet costs(3 cents instead of 5/primer, and 5 cents instead of 7 per bullet) I can drop that by even more.
So, for 1000 bullets, my cost is going to be 140.80.
The range's cost for 1000 bullets is going to be 400 bucks. 400-140=260.
So, the supplies might be priced at around 200 bucks to get started, but the cost is FREE. You are saving money your first thousand rounds.
I love that sales pitch. Cost vs. price. it makes great sense.

besides, its great time to spend with my dad. enjoy the labor i love doing it

[jpdavis423]

First reloaded round: $750 - $1,000 - progressive press, dies, components scales, etc.

Second reloaded round: $0.10 (with brass scrounged from range)

Jeff

[Dave R]

If you buy used reloading gear (garage sale, buddy or mom & pop shop that sells used gear) your capital outlay does not have to be much.

And I'm here to tell you, the savings really add up.

I shoot the same amount I ever did, for about half the cost.
I was $100 into reloading gear when I turned out my first round (I bought used, and had a powder scale given to me)

But, I do have to agree that the enjoyment vastly outweighs the cost savings. Reloading makes ALL shooting more enjoyable. And it makes ALL my guns more accurate. That's pretty darn valuable.

[Crosshair]

I could probably work an extra hour of overtime at my job and use that money to buy more ammo than I could reload in an hour.

Except you don't have to pay the 15% Social Security tax on that labor. Then there is income tax. Nor the other costs paid by your employer.

Reusing your brass results in significant cost savings. It is also environmentally friendly.

Not to mention I can reload ammunition in my pajamas listening to music. If I want a break I just walk 30' to the recliner and watch some TV.

I often get my press setup on the weekend and go down for half an hour every day during the week and just load ammo until I get tired of it and go do something else.

[PCJim]

Reloading is an enjoyable hobby just like others have said. Every hobby has it's costs, radio controlled boats / planes, street cars, fishing boats, etc, etc. I very much enjoy knowing that "I" made what I shoot.

Like others, consulting work could easily pay for factory rounds instead of investing my time and labor into the effort. But, I'm also the kind of person who will paint my own house rather than hire a painter, buy the miter saw and install wood trim rather than hire a carpenter, change my car's oil and brake pads rather than go to a mechanic. It's simply the satisfaction that I did it myself. You can't place a price on that.

[darkgael]

Amortize. Amortize. Amortize.
Once you have been reloading for a while, equipment doesn't figure in. Brass accumulates...and lasts. Powder and bullets and primers in bulk keep the bottom line small.
And the ammo.....custom made.
Pete