what's your average cost per round reloading?

[Broom_jm]

...and the one truth that it eventually all comes back to: You won't save any money, you'll just shoot a lot more.

 

[eachitandi]

...and the one truth that it eventually all comes back to: You won't save any money, you'll just shoot a lot more.

That's kind of what I'm hoping for, I don't shoot as much as I'd like to now because of the cost of factory ammo.

A lot of good info in this topic, thanks for the replies!

 

[xM3RC1L3SS1x]

I load .40 for ~ .20 per round

 

[eachitandi]

I load .40 for ~ .20 per round

I could live with that

 

[87iroc]

I don't think as much about going to the range anymore and shooting a 100 rounds of .38 spcl. That was the intent with reloading. To be able to shoot more...and get ready to reload .30-06 for my M1. Maybe I'll take that up later this year.

 

[DIRTROAD]

$7.00 per 50 for 9mm plated rn , you wont save money but you will get to shoot a lot Moore and reloading is calming

 

[Iroquois]

For those that worry about the cost of a hobby, or the money lost in hours pursuing such hobbies, I offer this pearl of wisdom handed down from one older and wiser than myself.
A hobby that cost less than $ 150 bucks an hour is cheap, because that's what the psychiatrist is going to charge you to screw your head back on when you lose your mind for the lack of a hobby....

 

[x10]

One issue that hasn't been brought up is your versatility and lack of dependence on traditional ammo sources.

With some planning and buying ahead I was able to shoot through the latest centerfire drought and I was never worried about running out of ammo.

A couple thousand primers set in an airtight container and a couple of pounds of powder on the shelf gives you a great peace of mind during these uncertain times

 

[partyboy6686]

I reload for $.11-$.15 a round. I save all my brass and pick up all the range brass that I can use.

 

[LarryC]

The way I look at it, that's not free, Range brass is time and casting is a hobby unto itself, I've looked several times into casting and for volume it just doesn't make sense, 5k rounds a year is a lot of time melting lead even in a 4 cavity mold, And lead isn't free all the time, if it is you have to scrounge through a lot of stuff to get your lead.

I'm just saying there are some hidden costs

You are correct, but when you calculate the cost of shooting at a range do you also figure in your time and vehicle mileage expense?
My son and I have been reloading, casting bullets etc. for many years (over 25). Much of the ammo we are currently reloading is from primers I paid $10/M, lead from "Free" wheel weights and bulk powder bought in 8 LB kegs for around 10 ~ $15 /lb. Still have a few 8 lb kegs of Mil surplus powder we purchased for $80 /keg. Yeah, we have that powder tested for velocity and safe loads for our .223 / .308 and 30-06 loads. At the present time we have in the range of 70 ~ 80 lbs of powder, 500 ~ 1000 lbs of lead, and 30K+ of primers with an additional 10 to 20K of FMJ, JHP and other manufactured bullets. This has been accumulated over the years when prices were low and/or we found special buys.

However in my opinion "cost" per round is one of the lesser reasons we reload. We can produce rounds that are custom tailored / tuned to our firearms for various uses, plinking rounds used for paper punching /practice can be downloaded so that neither our wrists, shoulders, firearms or wallets are harmed. Conversely "hot" rounds for hunting can also be loaded and the velocity / bullet weight etc. determined for the best accuracy and stopping power. When many were despondent about the lack of ammo available for their use and the cost of what little ammo they did find, we had no such issues. Do we "waste" time policing brass at ranges? Certainly, and enjoy every "find". We have thousands of rounds of rifle and handgun once fired brass tumbled and cleaned awaiting reloading.

Part of what we (this community) do is enjoy targeting and hunting, another portion is that we want to maintain proficiency with our firearms for the defense of our and our families and friends lives - don't know how to put a cost justification on that! When comparing the cost of reloading I think the issues I have cited should be considered. If you have the funds to purchase and store factory ammo in sufficient quantities to guarantee you have enough for all uses (and even a SHTF occurrence, God forbid), and you don't want to reload due to the time and or equipment costs fine, but I would bet that most that do not reload do not do this - but they are the first to complain when ammo is not available.

ALL hobbies that I have been involved in share much of the issues you mention, be it golf, boating, bowling, hiking, bicycling, fishing (I could have lobster catered to my home for the costs I have incurred for all the lbs of fish I have caught and eaten). All take up time - but isn't that part of the reason you have a hobby? To spend time relaxing, doing something you enjoy?

My son and I have several thousand dollars invested in equipment and supplies - all (other than our reloads) could be sold today for far more than the price we paid, try that with your fishing equipment, boat, motorcycle, golf clubs etc. The peace of mind from knowing we will never be "caught short" when we want to shoot or if SHTF, is worth a great deal to me. We will continue to purchase ammo, supplies and equipment when we find great deals but don't ever have to pay an excessive price to maintain our hobby. We currently have over 30K of loaded ammo, and enough components to reload at least that many more (as long as we reuse a portion of the brass).

 

[ifr2]

For round numbers it cost me about $.16 if I buy the bullet, and $.09 if I cast it. It's a huge savings over store bought rounds.

 

[SmileDocHill]

My son and I have several thousand dollars invested in equipment and supplies - all (other than our reloads) could be sold today for far more than the price we paid, try that with your fishing equipment, boat, motorcycle, golf clubs etc. The peace of mind from knowing we will never be "caught short" when we want to shoot or if SHTF, is worth a great deal to me. We will continue to purchase ammo, supplies and equipment when we find great deals but don't ever have to pay an excessive price to maintain our hobby. We currently have over 30K of loaded ammo, and enough components to reload at least that many more (as long as we reuse a portion of the brass).

I'd love to reload but haven't gotten into it yet. In my efforts to look into it though, I think what Larry is pointing out is often not considered. Personally I wouldn't factor the initial cost of equipment into the cost/round. It is a fixed asset and its cost can be recouped by selling it.

 

[throttletony]

I don't think as much about going to the range anymore and shooting a 100 rounds of .38 spcl. That was the intent with reloading. To be able to shoot more...and get ready to reload .30-06 for my M1. Maybe I'll take that up later this year.

This is exactly why I just got into it recently. To NOT worry about going through 2x$20 boxes of ammo in a range trip... to shoot more. Especially in my new 357 revolver. .357 costs between $.45-.50/rd for factory ammo. I can reload it for $.16-.19/rd. I already have some brass and am in decent shape should there be another panic in November.
It is not practical to think of reloading as a way to save money in the short term, rather to shoot more for the same amount if money. In the long term, yes, money will be saved.

 

[teddy12b]

I started reloading to save money. I was 22 and had a 300 Remington ultra magnum and at the time rounds were between $2-$3 per pull of the trigger. Within a short time the reloading equipment paid for itself. I've long since sold that rifle and haven't reloaded that caliber in years. Today I reload for the versatility it gives me.

I reload pistol ammo because I can find parts and pieces and put something together when nothing from the factory can be found on the shelf. When 9mm gets to $10 per 50 rounds I stop reloading 9mm and start buying in bulk stacking it away.

I reload blasting ammo for my AR-15 because I can save some money and with buying once fired brass I can create big lots of ammo for a uniform supply of ammo.

I reload precision long range ammo for my bolt gun. Match ammo is expensive, and I can make match ammo that tuned to my rifle for a huge savings, and I can play with a variety of bullets that otherwise wouldn't be available. For example, when I started reloading for my long range rifle in 30-06 I started with 168gr matchkings because they're the standard for .30 cal accuracy. After a while and playing with some sierra software I saw that if I switched to a 200gr matchking at the same velocity I'd take about 5' - 6' off the elevation adjustment, cut the wind adjustment in half, and double the energy at impact at 1000 yards. That's a versatility that you won't find with factory ammo off the shelf.

Reloading makes the ammo your own, just the way every sets up their gun to be their own. You're not putting another mans ammo in your gun anymore, it's all yours.

 

[sgtonory]

Most pistol I can reload for $.05 per round rifle around $.30 for 308. Cast rifle loads are down around $.15 per round. Cast all my bullets so keeps cost very low.

 

[jcwit]

Pistol rounds approx. a penny each, course my components were purchased years ago.

Powder------$8.00 a lb. Primers------$35.00 a sleeve of 5,000 Lead-------free

I've finally given up on 9mm and leading after 50 years, moved on to plated bullets so that up the cost per round to 8 to 10 cents per round for 9mm. All the rest are good to go tho.

 

[wolfman]

45ACP's $.09 for me as i cast too....

^^^^^^ ^^^^^ $.06 per round of .45 acp, $.08 per round for my .480.

 

[Cerberus]

I am loading 5.56 M193 equivalent for around 25 cents per, 7.62 M80 equivalent for just over 30 cents per, and .308 match for about 40 cents per. I also reload for 9mm, .45 ACP and .38 Spl, but don't shoot either in high enough volumn any more to calculate.

 

[IndyGlockMan]

9mm = $.14/round. Xtreme 124gr RN, Win231, CCI primer, free range brass.
40 S&W = $.18/round. Xtreme 165gr, Power Pistol, CCI Primer, free range brass.
223 = $.24/round. Xtreme 55gr FMJ, BL-C(2), Wolf primer, free range brass.

If you load your handgun rounds on a Dillon SDB, it wouldn't take but a few thousand rounds to pay for the equipment at today's ammo prices.

 

[Broom_jm]

With cast bullets and a modest charge of Power Pistol, I can load 44/40 cases for right around $.12/round. Compare that to $60 for a 50-count box of Winchester, IF you can find it, and you start to understand the real value of reloading. That's a savings of over $50/box. Plus, when I want full-house 44WCF (rifle loads) for the same cartridge, I can seat a 200gr XTP on a stiff charge of 4227 and get velocity approaching 44 Magnum levels.

Lots of folks get into reloading to feed their SA pistols or their AR's, and I load those too, but loading for obscure/wildcat cartridges and precision loads for bolt-action rifles will always be what motivates me the most.