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Just getting into shooting and I hear about reloading and how it saves so much Money.. Was just wondering how much it saves? On average . I'm guessing the coat of equipment to start is going to be around $200 or so.. So what does a 308,cost to reload for example..
I calculated it out for my 6.5 x 55 last year and it was going to be just under $1 per round to shoot reloaded ammo over a 5 yr period making all sorts of assumptions and pro rating the cost etc. Not worth it if you can buy ammo for $1 round ( gun shows etc) and basically only shot 4 boxes a year.
My buddy who's been doing it for years said he looks at it like your not going to save allot, but your going to be able to shoot more.
For the most part I agree with MikePal. The per round cost of reloading (once you have the basic equipment) is much cheaper but you will end up shooting more. I have something on the order of $1200 invested in reloading equipment but it can be done for much less. Having said that, to answer your question in a more direct way - based on an average 30 cal load
Average cost of brass case (new) $0.5 (I normally plan to reload any single case about 20 times so my per case cost is really about 2.5 cents
Average cost of powder charge grains (50 grains) based on $22 per pound is $.15
Average cost of bullet 160 gr $.32
Primer cost average $.03
So you load for pretty close to 50 cents a round. As you can see it will take me some years before I will cover the cost of reloading equipment. On the other hand if you look at reloading as a hobby that compliments hunting and shooting then the cost is really about the same as buying another rifle and scope. Point being that once you have the equipment then you have a much greater flexibility.
The real reasons I reload:
1. Buying bullets in bulk is easier and I can store more, using them as I need them. A box of 100 bullets (30 cal) is about $35.
2. You can tailor you load to a rifle to provide greater accuracy and normally better speed
3. Reloading will allow you to tailor a load for different times of the year as different gun powders perform differently at different temperatures
4. With a good cross section of bullet weights (I have 110 Gr, 125 Gr, 150 Gr, 165 Gr adn 180 Gr) there is a tool in your reloading room for just about anything you want to do. I feed my 30-06 all of these. It is just plain fun to shoot different weight and see how the perform. Try finding all of these in a single place where they sell factory ammo. You just can't find this type of cross section of factory ammo anywhere.
5. Reloading and learning about the ballistics gives you a better appreciation of performance. IMHO I believe this will lead you to be a better hunter because you will understand the performance of your rifle better and therefore make better shot selections.
6. Shooting more = shooting better. Nothing replaces practice and I personally have misgiving about folks shooting 3 rounds a year before hunting season to prove the scope is still aligned and then go off and hunt critters.
7. Reloading allows for reduced safe loads. This means you can go shooting just for fun and reduce the recoil. It also means that if you are not planning to hunt out to 300 yds why bother building a max load when a minimum load will meet the need.
8. Reloading is not covered by the Firearms Act, it is actually covered by the Explosives Act. Legally you can have up to 69300 loaded bullets if each one has a net explosive quantity of 50 grains. (I recommend reading the Act since I have condensed this particular section).
9. There is nothing that can replace the satisfaction of loading and shooting your own bullets.
10. Reloading allows you to control quality. This means that with good procedures and an established protocol you can build better ammo than you can buy.
One other thing to consider - you should be comparing to the cost of premium store bought ammunition, not your general run of the mill stuff. My experience so far is that even my least accurate reloads have been more accurate than run of the mill store bought rounds.
Of course, the sky is the limit when it comes to how much you want to pay for the reloading components - premium bullets used by many reloaders can easily cost $1 each for a 30 caliber.
rf2 is right, just like anything else you can always spend more money. However, I bought a bunch of Remington 22 cal 55 gr SP bulk bullets. My first load without any tuning gave me <1 MOA. I think the cost of each bullet worked out to be about 5 cents.
Friend of mine has a 300 WSM. He likes the really pretty nickel coated factory ammo $47 per box of 20. At that price my wife would be limiting my shooting to once a month, if that.
Have to add in your intent.....if your primarily a hunter....the customizing of load/bullet is really not necessary. If your shooting off hand or with a barrel rest your not going to notice a 1/2 " difference at 50 yds.
Most of the load tweaking guys do is for target shooting...'lead sled' accuracy.
Sooo many variables...Quote:
Originally Posted by topher
Bullets can go from "pulled" military surplus at a few cents ea. to high end specialty bullets that cost $40 and up for a box of 50-100.
Standard quality primers are available for about $30 a thousand.
You "could" (maybe)buy enough reloading tools to get by for around the $200 mark, but... It'll be cheaply made stuff.
At minimum you'll need.
-A single stage press
-A scale or some other method to dole out powder in the right weight. Lee sells "dippers", but... your optiond will be limited.
-A set of reloding dies for the caliber(s) you want to load.
-A primer seating tool if your press doesn't have a system built into it.
There are a plethera of other tools that make the process easier, faster and facilitate the manufacture of better ammo.
I reload pretty much everything I shoot. I probably have thousands of dollars "invested" in my reloading gear, but...
Given the quantity of ammo I load there's no way I'd do it with a "Lee Anniversay Kit".
You need to decide how much ammo you're going to need for the shooting you do.
If all you do is sight in/hunt.. I doubt reloading is going to be worthwhile.
You'd be better off just buying the best quality anno your gun likes and stick with it.
Myself, as a competive shooter... Reloading is pretty much a neccesisity... When you go through 300 rounds of .223 in one match you kinda have to reload.
I m sure its more cost effective for handgun loads.. Re. .45acp
Mike - agree that playing with accuracy is a sled activity and I do spend a good deal of time at the bench toying with loads. On the other hand, once I am happy with a load then I like having lots of cheap ammo at hand to shoot from various positions I think I am going to use when hunting.
Gaoler has it right. You really need to decide what it is you want to do before you get into reloading. For my part I like to target shoot as much as I like to hunt so it is pretty much a slam dunk that reloading is for me.
There are only two reasons to reload. First is to customize ammo for accuracy from a specific gun, possibly one that has limited commercial ammo available, the other is to reload a $h1T load of ammo for competitions. You don't save money reloading, you just shoot a lot more for the same cost! :)
Topher. here is the post with my .223 costs
http://www.oodmag.com/community/show...eloads-tonight
So far, I have about $400.00 in my equipment, found most online on Kijiji and used Ottawa. Took about 6 months to start loading, but you can buy the LEE kit at BP or Lebarons for around the same price I have invested. I save even more money as I pick brass of the crown land ranges in my area. It was about saving saving money at first, but now the technical aspect is creeping into my thoughts.
above and beyond what others have mentioned, I find it to be another avenue to enjoy the hunting/shooting sports. Its an activity you can enjoy after legal shooting hours, or when the weather isn't cooperating with you, rather than sitting in front of the tv (or crossing things off your honey do list)
Everyone has good point's ! That being said my rifle reloading equip which I have thousand's into will never pay for itself for the amount I reload. I ENJOY it and find it as a hobby. That and the satisfaction of knowing on a sunday night when I need ammo for a Monday hunt that my buddy just called me on, I can go down and crank out a box if need be.
Father of a friend of mine is well into his 70's. He is still pretty spry and like to hunt. These days he is not as mobile but still has a need to keep the deer out of his fields. In an hour my friend and I put together a 'light' load of 125 Gr bullets for his old 30-06. Less recoil and certainly good for anything he is going to shoot out to 100 yds.
There are some good posts on this one and I can't say I disagree with what has been passed along. It is a personal choice based upon one's own needs/wants. I gave this example only to show that it brings versatility that you would otherwise not have. I load three different calibers for myself, but I have 10 different sizes of dies. So, like Exo says, you can turn out a box of ammo on short notice.
I reload my .223 but after I finish with my powder I have on hand, I will look for a factory ammo that does the job just as well. Its just not worth it for me, takes too long and there is always a chance I can screw it up plus the risk of keeping powder in the house compared to what I actually use is something that ways on my mind too. I don't think reloading is for me.
I spent about $150 on equipment roughly 45 years ago. This included two sets of dies, 270 and 357. Since then I have added another 15-20 sets of dies and a few other goodies, many used. I did buy a number of new 243 brass, but the rest was either "found" or picked up used at gun shows or from friends.
Once you have basic 30 caliber equipment, you can switch to another 30 caliber for just the cost of dies, which can often be found used for $20.
Lead handgun bullets are a lot cheaper than jacketed rifle slugs and can also be used for plinking loads up to 1600fps with no problems. You can also work up loads of varying weights (small game versus deer) that both shoot to the same point of aim at 100 yds. Those handgun slugs can be bought for 30, 35, and 44 caliber rifles. Many gunshops also sell 25 and 270 lead slugs as well.
Many boxes of jacketed bullets on my shelves have the original price tags in the $20/hundred range. Its only the Partition bullets that are costing me the big bucks....
Quote:
Originally Posted by fratri
That powder, or more accuarately "solid propellant" poses much less risk than that 20lb tank of propane bolted to your BBQ.
Yup ! Usually goe's sideway's ????Quote:
Originally Posted by topher
Unless you're going to be actually target shooting a lot (3-4 boxes of ammo a year isnt a lot) then the cost benefit will take many years to overcome.
Consider that for $300, I can buy more factory loaded hunting ammo then a lot of guy use in two decades of hunting (if not longer).
I was able to get into reloading for cheap using a Lee Classic loader (lee loader)
I use them for my military calibers (7.62 x 54r, 303 British, 6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser)
I get my reloads in for around 50 cents each, but less since i scored a huge load of powder.
I do save money compared to buying, but i also get way more accuracy out of my rifles (especially the 303)
Reloading can cost as much as you want it to.........
Is reloading shotgun worth it at all.. I do do a bit of skeet.. In the summer I'll go about every other weekend.
I am no professional, but overall it comes down to the amount you shout. The more rounds of reloads you can put down the barrel, the more it pays back the investment. If you only shoot a few boxes a year it is cheaper to just buy store rounds.
I don't shoot hundreds of rounds a year, but I do reload. I do it for the reliability of a load I did myself to my specs. I have had problems with cheaper factory loads. If you buy premium ammo then the reloads are that much cheaper. I also enjoy the satisfaction of taking game with a round I made.
don't think of the cost just go with what makes you enjoy the sport the best.
I reload for my 6.5x55 and can reload premium ammo (Lapua mega) for under 1 a round. You should try it for your 6.5. So many more options than factory ammo. Also have some woodleigh 160 for the 6.5 from tradex which are the best big game bullet for the 6.5.Quote:
Originally Posted by Moe
Shotgun - NO,NO, NO, NO it is not cheaper to shoot target loads or lead loads. the cost of the lead is $50.00 for 25 pds bag. I can by a case of 250 skeet loads at Lebarons for $56.00 + taxes. If you are making 3" - 3 1/2 shot shells it is on par with buying per 100. I reload slugs and make my own lead slugs, for fun and I have the lead. But lead car weights are getting hard to find in Ottawa.
This is what i do. For deer ive found some cheaper factory loads that are extremely accurate while offering good performance. For moose I do the same, but put two premium shells down the pipe before the hunt to confirm before the hunt. At any range under 200m my 308 shoots probably a dozen loads in more or less the same spot (enough that I dont need to think about the difference).Quote:
Originally Posted by Moe
Even at $50 a box, it would take years to overcome the price for setting up a reloading system, assuming hes punching paper with cheaper loads and hunting with premium loads.Quote:
Originally Posted by pbonura