how much reloading actually costs

[AXEMAN]

ok, $28 a pound for varget. $25 per 100 SMKs 168g. $40 for 1000 primers. i paid .18 per for 700 lake city match brass.

so...
150 rounds. i really think i could get 6-12 rounds more out of whats left maybe 6.

150 x 0.18 = 27.00 brass
150 x 0.04 = 6.00 primers
150 bullets = 37.50 SMK 168g
1 pound varget 28.00

total 98.50

98.50/150 = 0.6566667 per round

0.66 x 20 = 13.20 for a box of 20.

not talking about the press and dies and all that stuff, but its still easily going to be offset by the savings i gain in reloading.

 

[doc76251]

Re: how much reloading actually costs

I generally say after 1K of reloaded rifle ammo you have recouped your component cost as well as the cost of basic equipment.

Cheers,

Doc

 

[Bacarrat]

Re: how much reloading actually costs

Buying in bulk really saves money. 5k+ of primers and 8lb jugs of powder at a time. Get friends in on a big order to cut down on shipping cost.

 

[Austan]

Re: how much reloading actually costs

And just think the next time you reload that 150 you won't have to pay for the brass again so it will only cost $9.53 per 20 round box. Reloading saves a lot of money. I usually figure out price per thousand rounds, not sure why, probably OCD.

 

[Jrb572]

Re: how much reloading actually costs

It saves a lot. Reloaded some 38s. We picked up from the range. Free brass no one wants needs a good home. I think we worked it out to be around $7.00 a box. I forget how we came up with that. But thats what I remember we work it out to be. So if I am wrong on the price SORRY.

 

[mscott]

Re: how much reloading actually costs

Powder cost drops significantly (about $18 a #)with 8# jugs if you can buy them without paying shipping.

 

[dvdt]

Re: how much reloading actually costs

$28/lb of Varget is pretty expensive man. I would give serious consideration to ordering the 8lb jugs when they become available. I mean, you're going to need that powder to recoop your costs.

Just an FYI, this is how it starts.

 

[Super Bee 950]

Re: how much reloading actually costs

Buy 8 pound jugs of powder, and if Varget is too high, you can run BLC2, TAC, or other ball powder. TAC in an 8 pound jug is only $14.75 a pound at Wideners.

Buy it cheap, and buy a lot of it is the secret to reloading. When Varget was on sale at Cabellas, and they were offering 20 dollar off coupons, I bought enough to last me a few years.

 

[Ted_D]

Re: how much reloading actually costs

I purchased Varget for $18.90 a pound the other day. WOW! some of you guys are seriously taking a gouging

 

[bohem]

Re: how much reloading actually costs

Reloading costs a fortune... because I just go buy more components and shoot 'em up, I'm always in need of more stuff to shoot... LOL

I don't run 308's, but top quality 30-06's run me:

$27/100 - 208 Amax
$19/lb - RL22 @ 59.5gr/round = 112 rd/lb
$28.50/1000 - Wolf LRm primers

Reloaded Win Brass runs $40/100 and I get about 10 reloads, so 0.04/each

.27+.173+.0285+.04 = $0.51/round

Shooting bulk components in 223 is actually cheaper than my 17 HMR was, so I got rid of the 17 HMR and bought a bunch of 223 components

8lb BLC2 - $125 @ 270 rounds per pound
600 75 Amax - %90
28.50/1000 primers
Range Pickup brass

0.061+0.15+0.0285= 0.24/round

If I'm shooting bulk 55's and milsurp powder it's under 15 cents a round...

 

[Lindy]

Re: how much reloading actually costs

I learned decades ago a useful lesson. Reloading doesn't save you any money. It just allows you to shoot more for the money you were going to spend anyway.

 

[Niles Coyote]

Re: how much reloading actually costs

click here and put in your component costs
Reloading cost calculator

 

[bohem]

Re: how much reloading actually costs

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Lindy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I learned decades ago a useful lesson. Reloading doesn't save you any money. It just allows you to shoot more for the money you were going to spend anyway.
</div></div>

Exactly. Casting bullets and shooting unique in pistols makes it possible for me to shoot my 44 mag, instead of paying 70 cents a round.

 

[Barney88PDC]

Re: how much reloading actually costs

I shoot alot of pistol and save money there but it takes larger volumes of rounds before you start to see the savings over the inital cost of setup. Of course that would depend on the type of press you go with and how many an hour you want to do. I load on a 550B and shoot USPSA. I shot about 7K rounds out of my Limited gun and about 1K 9mm. I can load (with more expensive JHP bullets) for about .16/rd as opposed to the Winchester White Box at Walmart for about .28/rd.

Where you REALLY start catching up is in Rifle loads. I saw a box of Nosler Custom ammo 20rds of loaded 150 Accubonds for $58/box or 2.90/rd. I almost hit the floor. I can load that same round for under a dollar. So as you can see the savings can be significant.

 

[john_1182]

Re: how much reloading actually costs

damn dont come to Australia to reload (in aussue $$$ and were at about 92 US cents per dollar atm)

(local prices we cant ship primers/ powder to our door, have to go to the shop and get it)

(price for a common .308 load i see here on SH)

Primers Standard CCI X1000 $65
Powder varget 8lb (ADI 2280 5kg) $280
Projectiles Lapua Scenar Bullets 175gr X100 $87
Brass Lapua .308 X100 $105

so for about 1000 rounds ($200 of powder, 10 reload per brass) it come to about $2185 yeah thats about $1.30 a round including re using brass

thats why im happy with my reject wincherter powerpoints 150 gr i picked up for 4c each at a garage sale (3000 projectiles) so i can now load for 41c a shot including brass powder primer ect and good to about 600 meters)


and to buy ammo over here ive seen standard factory ammo going for easy $1.50 > $2 a round in the local shops

 

[Tactical30]

Re: how much reloading actually costs

For my .223 AR loads - $0.45 per round

For my 6.5 Grendel AR loads - $1.06 per round (Lapua Brass)

 

[azimutha]

Re: how much reloading actually costs

That reloading calculator doesn't take into account:

1) Reusing brass

2) Cost of equipment spread over X amount of rounds

3) Opportunity cost (time you could spend earning money)

That said, I never thought of reloading to save money. If I factor in time I could be billing clients (disregarding this as a hobby) it would be 10-20 cents cheaper per round to buy premium .308 ammo. But where's the fun in that?