Saved so much money reloading!!

[1moredeer]

My dad had me reloading shotgun shells for him when I could pull the handle down on the old MEC. He told me he was saving money doing it himself. I grew up and branched out to rifle and pistol ammo. It took me many years to figure out the only way to save money reloading was to wear out all those tools I bought instead of buying new ones.

 

[Muddyboots]

No different that a walleye guy saying he eats what he catches in his $75K Skeeter, Ranger, Triton, Nitro, Warrior boat.

Saving money reloading? uhuh that's our story and we are sticking to it!

 

[Txhillbilly]

Well, We actually save a crap load if you factor in that most of the ammo we shoot isn't available commercially. Pay a custom ammo loader to load your exact load's using the same brass, primer's, powder, and bullet's. You'd see pretty fast that we save a bunch doing it ourselves.

Now, I really wouldn't want to know how much money I've spent reloading the past 43 years, but I'd bet it saved me 3x that amount not having to buy factory ammo.

 

[flyguy1]

You know, we used to; loaded dove, duck (before steel) and skeet loads on single stage MEC for very little, and rounds for my .270 on a Lee Loader that were frankly as good as my Ruger would shoot anyway, about 1 1/2 inches. So, to achieve another 3/4 inch or so only cost about 10 grand in reloading gear, rifles, and scopes. I guess math wasn't my best subject.

 

[wv270wsm]

At $149.95 for a box of 20 30/378Wby, reloading is the only choice I have.

Amen to that . That sucker is still cheaper buying the components at today's prices

 

[volunteer06]

Well, We actually save a crap load if you factor in that most of the ammo we shoot isn't available commercially. Pay a custom ammo loader to load your exact load's using the same brass, primer's, powder, and bullet's. You'd see pretty fast that we save a bunch doing it ourselves.

Now, I really wouldn't want to know how much money I've spent reloading the past 43 years, but I'd bet it saved me 3x that amount not having to buy factory ammo.

I think you hit the nail on the head. May not save much competing with standard factory loads. But we get better components and tighter tolerances for around the same price.

Could use cheaper material and probably come out with cheaper per shot prices than factory (not factoring in equipment) but that's no fun lol

 

[SavageHunter11]

Factory ammo was getting so expensive I decided to start reloading and save some cash!! With just $1500 to start, $1000 in components, $500 every couple of weeks for random stuff to try out, another $500 in components every month and 457 trips to the range to collect load data..... I should have a return on investment in no less than 200 years! I feel bad for the guys buying factory ammo hahahaha.

But seriously, reloading has been a blast and saving money was not why I initially started. I love knowing that I built that bullet that hit that gong at 1000, or killed that big buck at 500. It's a certain type of sickness for sure and I feel bad for anyone that got into it to save money haha. Especially during these current times!!

There are a lot of guys at my work asking me about reloading. They all want to get into it with the current ammo shortage/gouging situation. I tell every single one that reloading is a black hole of money and you won't save a dime, you just end up shooting more.

 

[baldhunter]

Money spent on reloading stuff over the years is like water under the bridge.When I go to the range and shoot I feel like I'm shooting for free.I'm sure glad I load my own stuff.

 

[baldhunter]

He is another way to look at it.Let's say you have 2000 primers and enough powder to load 100 boxes of ammo at a price of say $40.00 a box.That would equal to $4000.00 You can reload a lot of ammo for $4000.

 

[Quintus]

Like Dosh, it was Weatherby ammo that got me started. I was/am a Wby nut and in the early 90s I saved a ton $$ reloading for the .240, .257, 270, and 300 Bee. At some point the internet started (thanks Al Gore) and range finders for the average citizen became available. I found out I needed different guns, my bullets were no good, my brass was garbage, my scopes were un-reliable, and if I didn't post a picture/video I didn't really do it, hear it, see it, or eat it. My cost per round has gone up exponentially.

 

[esshup]

I got started reloading when I was shooting shotgun. Looking back, reloading DID save $$$ since I was shooting between 20,000 and 25,000 rounds a year. (mid 1990's). I would buy shot in bulk through the gun club, a ton at a time and that wouldn't last me a year. I'd get empty hulls from the USA Shooting Team, 10,000 at a time, for $0.02 ea.

 

[claybreaker]

I started loading shotshells, shot was about $12.50 a bag, I bought Red Dot by the pound at a downtown Knoxville TN "jewelry store" (pawn shop) they weight out my powder and I carried out in a paper bag.

I certainly saved money and did for many, many years. Times and certainly prices have changes.

Recently shot has been over $40/bag plus all other components going up. I could save about $0.02 per round by reloading with I compare the cost to top quality new shells (with factory rebates) without including hulls. With rebates and selling once fired hulls, I mostly buy new top quality shells.

 

[19elkhunter51]

When I started reloading I one revolver and the Lee loader in a box. One round at a time. I was just starting to shoot competitions and that was the only way I could afford to shoot. When I scraped together enough money to by an RCBS Rockchucker I thought I died and went to heaven. By then I was shooting two matches a week, three hundred rounds per match. A lot of hours on a single stage press.
Then Dillon hit the market. Before they started selling direct I bought a 450. Now I could load enough to actually practice during the week before the match on the weekend.
I know that the only reason that I could afford to shoot those matches was because I reloaded my own ammo. I guess I am a tightwad because I still don't shoot much factory and am far more likely to shoot my reloads.
When I finally got around to buying my 300 RUM I couldn't find enough brass to reload so I developed my brass by shooting factory ammo. Other than those four or five boxes of factory, I haven't shot any rifle ammo that I didn't build for over thirty five years. Not always a lot cheaper but usually more accurate and a whole lot more satisfying than the factory ammo.
Others have said it and I will concur. There is a special feeling you get when you use your home loaded ammo the kill your game.

 

[epags]

Like when I said to my wife "Hunting saves $$!!"... Yeah let's see when I moved to Montana and caught the bird hunting bug...

Cost of dog
NAVHDA membership and training
New Browning Citori
New Browning silver
New decoys
Ground blind
waders
Camper for extended hunts
Gas money to travel to favorite grounds
Purchased two more dogs (gotta rotate ya know)
Bigger RV
New truck for reliability... I know I'm missing some things be this'll get me close.

So let's see (licks pencil).. Sum the items.... Divide by 10, average annual # bag of birds..... So yeah I'm around $1,500 a pound so far, lol.

And cost of a divorce or of a lot of jewelry for that significant other who will still remind you of the cost of your other passion. LOL