Reloading - Is it still really worth it?

[greenejc]

I never started with the idea of saving money. I started to get reliable consistent long-range rounds. RIght now, where I am and where I buy from. my costs have not gone up much, just the standard "where can I find primers" issue. Recently one local shop had primers that normally sell for about $49-$50 per thousand, now they want $115. Needless to say, I do NOT buy anything else from them, and probably nothing at all once things get close to normal.

They're running about $80 at Bass Pro and Cabela's, and the same most other places. When Remington gets cranked up again, it might go down. Part of this is military and other Federal contracts. I think some of those contracts are designed to suck up components from the general public and push ammo prices up. That's what they did under Obama, too. I think it was the Social Security Admin that ordered 2 billion rounds of pistol ammo back in 2014. Might have been the Education Dept.

 

[Lenny Foffa]

Yes!!! Let me re phrase. Hell. Yes!!! Ask your. Friends who. Cannot. Even. Find. Quality. 3o-06 rounds ! Having to save their. Last 6. Rounds to. Hunt. With !!

 

[jbenevides89]

I could buy 10 boxes of ammo for my 338 and it would well exceed the cost of what I have invested in equipment at this point. 200 rounds of ammo is a drop in the bucket. Absolutely worth it.

 

[skipglo]

I bet you're happy you don't live in Australia.
A box of ammo here runs $115-$150 per 20 rounds for the 300RUM, $115 or so for the 300WM and it just goes up from there.
Brass costs are $75-$125 per 50 just on Remington alone. Norma brass is $200 per 50. Lapua runs $365 per 100.
Bullets are $110 per 50 on average, have paid more and less.
I do not add up my costs on reloading, I just know it is cheaper than $115 per 20.

Cheers.

Not far off in Canada either with the exception of 300wm...45.00 for Federal. But Weatherby 300..109.00 -125.00. Lapua brass 4.25 a piece, bullets like Hornady 30 cal and up....69.00 to 90.00.... 50 cal ATIP....3.10 EACH wholesale....God Bless America! (And still does)

 

[Panhandle Pete]

I didn't start reloading to save money,

In 1975 when I started reloading I was working as a firefigther my starting pay was $555 per month ( it was a good thing I worked as a carpenteer on my days off), believe me I was reloading to save money.

 

[skipglo]

I didn't start reloading to save money,

I know Bean......you were just bored...needed a hobby....and Hammer Bullets thanks you!


.

 

[montanablackdog]

I like others do it for performance. Cost is no object.

 

[rewiltshire]

I am lucky. I have a great supply of brass, powder, primers and bullets I have stocked up on over the years for what I shoot. Jacketed bullets are saved for varmint and my big game rifles and over the years I have stocked up on what shoots best out of them. At 75 years young I probably have enough stock to last the rest of my life. I also cast my own bullets for different pistols/rifles. I know you long range marksmen scoff at lead bullets, can't push 'em as fast as you need, but out of my 40-65 and 45-70 that is all I shoot in front of real black powder. I also cast bullets for my old Winchester '92 and '94 and most of my pistols. Now with Hodgdon ceasing production on Goex and Old Eynsford that might hurt. I will keep smokeless powder on hand, but I order what I will be loading in black powder and do not like to store it in-house.
But I always keep my eye out for a "sale".

 

[slickyboyboo]

@Mark37082 here is a load cost calculator I developed a while back that allows you to account for multiple firings for each case. It also lets you account for shipping costs as well.

Load Cost Calculator.xlsx

Shared with Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

 

[greenejc]

I never started with the idea of saving money. I started to get reliable consistent long-range rounds. RIght now, where I am and where I buy from. my costs have not gone up much, just the standard "where can I find primers" issue. Recently one local shop had primers that normally sell for about $49-$50 per thousand, now they want $115. Needless to say, I do NOT buy anything else from them, and probably nothing at all once things get close to normal.

I did, but that was back in about 1967, and I was about 16. I made around 200 a month and a box of 30-06 was around 10.00, 222 Remington was about $3.50 and .22LR was around $0.40 a box, maybe less, I don't remember. But a Lee Loader was about $8 or $10, and I could get components cheap enough (we already had the brass) that I could load 30-06 and .44 for less than 25cents a round. I loaded for economy back then, and better accuracy was a bonus. It was the early 70's when accuracy became more of the goal. But my first 6mm Remington in around 1970 and a neighbor's prairie dog town made me load for accuracy. I used Speer 105 grain bullets, Remington or Winchester primers and IMR4350 to shoot about a thousand prairie dogs on that pasture over the next few years with either the 6mm or a Ruger No1 AB in .223 Rem. which I hand loaded for, too. Both rifles with the Leupold and Tasco scopes I had on them were good for 400 yards using the right hold over. That 50 year old Tasco is still on the 6mm, but I'm now in Prairie dog country again, and I'm going to replace it with a used Shepard I think. I now load for economy, accuracy and availability. I don't have to hunt for any ammo.

 

[greenejc]

I am lucky. I have a great supply of brass, powder, primers and bullets I have stocked up on over the years for what I shoot. Jacketed bullets are saved for varmint and my big game rifles and over the years I have stocked up on what shoots best out of them. At 75 years young I probably have enough stock to last the rest of my life. I also cast my own bullets for different pistols/rifles. I know you long range marksmen scoff at lead bullets, can't push 'em as fast as you need, but out of my 40-65 and 45-70 that is all I shoot in front of real black powder. I also cast bullets for my old Winchester '92 and '94 and most of my pistols. Now with Hodgdon ceasing production on Goex and Old Eynsford that might hurt. I will keep smokeless powder on hand, but I order what I will be loading in black powder and do not like to store it in-house.
But I always keep my eye out for a "sale".

I've done the same. I have Speer bullets I ordered in 2011 while in Iraq. I also have about 10+ lbs of black powder stored in Colorado.

 

[Montana'eer]

I started reloading because I like to do things myself and learn. However I do save some scratch too. I understand some calibers are certainly pretty pricey to load for, but I've been fairly frugal with buying components. I've been able to buy CCI LRP 3x at Sportsmans Warehouse for $49.00 p/thousand. Not my first pick but they work. I know the days they get routine shipments and I pop in every now and again and I get them.

For my general 'plinker'- a .308, I'm on my 10th reloading with my torture test of Peterson brass. I use IMR 4064 which is not difficult to find and I've 16lbs of it. Sierra bullets are not hard to come by either- I can walk into my local Capital Sports and find 500 on the shelf routinely.

So yes- I save money on that rifle and load match grade ammo to boot.

If one is frugal and stays the hell away from Gunchoker, do a little horse trading yeah you can save some coin in the long haul. Of course it depends how far down the rabbit hole you want to go with equipment.

For example- I just bought about 7,000 various primers from a local estate sale for about .04 cents a primer, and I'm buying a Dillon 550B plus 5-6 plates including dies for about $350. I'll sell off a few of the die/plates, some of the primers I don't use and maybe have $275 in a new press and some primers. (I'm getting brass in the deal too).

Reloading, to me, is part anal accuracy AND frugality. Just my .02c worth...

 

[greenejc]

The only downside to reloading is that it is totally addictive!!

No one saves money by reloading, they just shoot more, much more.

True, true.

 

[asd9055]

After 9 pages, I think it boils down to this:
We load to optimize each rifle/bullet setup! Long term Savings it is just an added bonus!