Reloading cost

[L2bravo]

I am shooting more and more, and really want to get into reloading. Right off the bat, .223 and 9MM will be first in line. I am considering pulling the trigger on a new Rem. Long Range, in 30-06 though.

What are you guys spending on reloading per round on something like the .308/30-06? I get the whole "buy bulk" idea, and that for sure is the way I will go on that. So given that, I guess I would be talking about loading them up with one of the SMK's, in a premium round.

Thanks for the help guys, I appreciate the insight, as always.

 

[DirtyRod]

$.52/rd for 175gr SMKs using Varget and recycled BH brass.

 

[Steve Williams]

$.71 per round in .308 for long range work.

LC LR 03,08,10 Brass
Berger 185 Juggernaught (Target and OTM)
GM210M Primers
IMR 8208 XBR

 

[Joea132]

When you look at the Hazmat fees and shipping fees, it does get a little more expensive but I consider it the cost of doing business. I use 5c primers, 32c bullets, my saved brass, and Varget (36c worth) for 308/30-06. The biggest cost is the initial investment, but you're getting a new hobby as well. I find it relaxing, almost therapeutic to reload. And I'm able to custom tailor my ammunition.

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[milo 2.0]

Four typically non-counted costs most people don't seem to communicate when the tell you how "cheap" their reloads are. I think of that as on par with the Gov accounting plan for "O" care!

1- You can spend many, many thousands on reloading gear.. Most don't factor that or their time into the cost -- you might want to do so.
Reloading Costs Calculator « Ultimate Reloader Reloading Blog

Jt

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I agree with just about everything you said here, except this. First the equipment is an asset and can be sold, usually for 80-85 cents on the dollar. Some items, like my T7 press, Forster coax, 10-10 scale, Giraud annealer, will bring more than what I paid if done right, you can't figure these costs in.

Second, this is a hobby in the true sense, if you can't generate income in your free time, you can't figure reloading time in. Like any hobby, fishing, snowmobiling, skiing, ones that you must consider initial cost, if you factor in time from the time you left home to return, it'd be fugly!

I with you on the shipping, hazmats and the like that we tend to ignore to make ourselves look like smarter buyers, and I'm guilty as hell. I chalk the shipping up to a bottle of solvent or scope rings that were in the package also.


You should see me buy. It's awesome.

 

[No1]

The equipment is an investment.
Let's use Steve's $.71 for premium rifle ammo. Let's buy premium ammo at $30/box, $1.50 per round.
It costs $710 to hand roll 1000 rounds. Or you can spend $1500 on 1000 rounds of Brand X mass produced- that is excellent ammo by the way.
so you save $790 per 1000 rounds over factory ammo. Plenty enough savings to buy really decent single stage or turret equipment to load premium ammo and it pays for itself in the first 1000 with just 1 caliber.
In 2000 rounds down range you save enough to get completely set up on Dillon equipment which makes loading for the 9 and 223 a lot less tedious, depends on how much volume you intend to do.

 

[Bill Larson]

when you figure man/hrs..... store bought is proably cheaper..... However.... if you want accuracy....... reload.......

 

[milo 2.0]

when you figure man/hrs..... store bought is proably cheaper.....

So just what is your off the clock time worth? Is it your hourly wage?

Bill your wife sometime for the time you spent with her, that's free time also.

On the lighter side, let us know how you fare there!

 

[earthquake]

I just started reloading, and so I haven't recouped my initial investment yet in equipment. It was a little frustrating at first, and I felt overwhelmed and almost quit before I began! But thanks to folks on here like KevinU, OinCO and milo 2.0 I stuck with it. Now I enjoy the hell out of it, except for maybe the brass prep part! Once I settled down, quit being so anal and figured things out, I really like the final product. Then seeing how well the ammo performs in my gun on the range is very rewarding. I really enjoy charging the case and then seating that bullet....a box of freshly hand-rolled ammo for my gun is a thing of beauty, and I can't put a price on that.

 

[milo 2.0]

Nice looking ammo COfox, I'm glad you hung in there too! After 25 years of it, I'm gut full, but my choice of cartridges I shoot dictate that I'll continue till the end.

 

[fireEMT5]

Do yourself a favor and just forget the notion that you are going to reload to save money. I had the exact same thoughts when I started - "I'll get into reloading and it will save me money". I had to throw the B.S flag on myself for that. Honestly, you get into reloading for one or many reasons, but in the end it's not to save money. You'll probably find yourself:

1. producing ammo that is tuned to your gun/guns.
2. shooting more because the cost of your reloads are less than buying new factory rounds - the end result is you spend the same or more here honestly.
3. having bought metric shit tons of components and don't want to ever go through a shortage like were going through now. The intial plan of saving any money is really shot all to hell with this mindset! Ask me how I know.
4. doing it because you enjoy it as a hobby, find it relaxing, etc. It's guy shit and we enjoy it - nuff said!

You get the point, and I'm sure there are many more reasons. I know in my case one thing is certain. Taking into consideration the cost of my simple setup - RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme kit, and all the other little things that I justified to myself that "I had to have" to make the task better, more stream lined, and now add in all the components I have because it's cheaper to buy in bulk...... my wife would kill me if she had any vague idea the amount of cash tied up on/around my reloading bench!

I'd actually probably save money if I were shooting factory ammo, because the way my brain is wired, there is no way I'd let myself spend the same wad of cash on factory ammo at todays prices. Just couldn't do it. Yup, I'm probably f'd up in the head. I reload because I enjoy it, I like the time I spend at my bench, I find it relaxing and it gives me a project especially during the winter months. It's a hobby that costs me money and I'm ok with that. So with all that said, Hello, my name is Doug and I have a reloading problem. An I sure as hell don't save money doing it! May you enjoy the journey Sir!

To answer your question about costs per round - roughly

9mm
Range brass bought - 3.5 cents
CCI small pistol primer - 3 cents
Power Pistol powder - 5.1 gr charge - 1.25 cents
Zero brand 125 Gr. JHP bullet - 11 cents
Total cost per round - 19 cents per round.

.223
Bought once fired brass - 8 cent
CCI small rifle primer - 3 cents
H335 - 25 gr charge - 6.5 cents
55 gr Horandy SP bought in bulk - 11 cents
Total cost per round - 28 cents per round

Each example allows for a little added in for shipping/hazmat fees as I buy in large bulk orders to spread out this cost. Also note, no value or cost associated with the time involved.

 

[HodgdonExtreme]

You should see me buy. It's awesome.

Good stuff.

I really enjoy charging the case and then seating that bullet....a box of freshly hand-rolled ammo for my gun is a thing of beauty, and I can't put a price on that.

I love opening up a box of ammo that was freshly loaded a day or two ago - and taking in that sweet sweet aroma.

 

[duhblow7]

This thread inspired me to calculate my cost per shot in reloading 6.5mm creedmoor including hazmat, shipping, taxes, etc. I think i paid too much for my brass.

brass = 0.67
140gr amax = 0.33
ccibr2 = 0.055
h4350 = 0.16

first shot = $1.215
next shots = $0.545

 

[Darkside-Six]

I'm reloading my precision rounds at about .60 per round.

As someone said above, you will not get into reloading to save money. That is what I thought originaly too but soon after found that I was shooting twice as much at half the cost so it was a wash. hahahaha

 

[mdmp5]

Some calibers offer greater savings than others. If you load 338, the cost of loaded ammo is almost 6 bucks a round. I can load it for about $1 a round after the initial cost of the brass. For 308, new brass is anywhere from 40¢ (Win, Rem) to 70¢ (Lapua, Hornady - Hornady sucks) for the initial cost. A 175 SMK is about 32¢. Powder drop (Varget 45gr) is about 13¢. And a primer is about 3¢. A newly loaded 308 match round with Lapua brass will cost about $1.18, on par with the cost of FGMM, depending on where you look. If you use Win brass, the cost is about 88¢ per round. As you load subsequent rounds with the same brass, the cost amortizes as the brass gets reused. So the 2nd firing of Lapua brass, same load will be 83¢, and the Win load will be 68¢. 3rd firing will be 71¢ and 61¢. Eventually, the cost of the brass goes down to a nominal sum, and is essentially free, so the main cost is the bullet. So the lowest cost of a loaded match round of any caliber is limited by the cost of the bullet, and powder charge.

 

[Onewolf42]

When you look at the Hazmat fees and shipping fees, it does get a little more expensive but I consider it the cost of doing business. I use 5c primers, 32c bullets, my saved brass, and Varget (36c worth) for 308/30-06. The biggest cost is the initial investment, but you're getting a new hobby as well. I find it relaxing, almost therapeutic to reload. And I'm able to custom tailor my ammunition.

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I assume $0.36/rd for Varget is a typo?

 

[mdmp5]

I assume $0.36/rd for Varget is a typo?

If he paid $60 a lb for it, then that would be the price. Otherwise, it is most certainly a typo

 

[Joea132]

Sorry, not enough coffee and too much math! 14c per round.

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[No1]

MY time is priceless. That's why I don't waste it sitting on my ars in front of the TV. I spend it wisely in front of the Dillon, or lathe, or mill, or at the range.
But on the other hand to quantify my time for handloading cost purposes I will place a value of $1/day in order to keep cost down.
Really though, when one starts placing a value on free time to relax and do something one enjoys, then it becomes a waste of money and ceases to be a time of relaxation and more like a Fing job.
.
COfox,
That is some beautiful ammo.

 

[roggom]

IMHO reloading takes your shooting to another level. You are not just married to store purchased ammo, and the research you put in allows for a better understanding of important variables, such as BC, velocity, bearing surface, sectional density, etc.

Also there is satisfaction to shrinking groups based on your own hard work, or harvesting game with ammo you loaded. One more thing is the ability to roll some low recoil ammo for the spouse of kids, this way they can enjoy the shooting sports as well.

Lastly, rolling premium ammo may not sound like such a savings, but the availability of surplus and pulled components will allow you to plink on the cheap, (especially 556 and 308)

 

[JRM83]

I'll give a quick breakdown including all of the hidden costs like shipping and hazmat for a typical round I will load. Some people use more premium components in their loads, but I wanted to give this as an example of the dirt cheapest match quality round I could build. If someone has better sources for components, please hook me up with them.

Brass (LC LR) - $0.021 ($75 per 500, free shipping, spread over 7 firings per piece)
Powder (AR-COMP) - $0.12 (Ordered 4 jugs, $25 hazmat and $17 shipping split equally amongst all 4 jugs. $147.50 for the power, 42.4 is the charge weight.)
Primer (Wolf LR) - $0.027 (Picked up a case at an LGS for $135)
Bullet (Nosler 168 HPBT) - $0.185 (Cabelas had a sale on a 1k pack of Nosler 168s for $200 with $5 shipping and a $20 off $150+ voucher. Sweet)

Total: $0.35 per round for a load that will easily shoot 1/2 min in a rifle that is capable of it.

If you search around you can find FGMM 168 for approximately $1 a round. I know you can't always get it at that price, but if I'm going to compare apples to apples, I should be using best prices available for the entire calculation. The way I view equipment expenditures is not to add the cost to each round, but to figure out how many rounds I must load to break even. My initial setup cost around $1000 (Hornady LnL AP, chargemaster, and a few other bigger ticket items). It paid for itself pretty damn quick.

 

[dariof]

The equipment is an investment.
Let's use Steve's $.71 for premium rifle ammo. Let's buy premium ammo at $30/box, $1.50 per round.
It costs $710 to hand roll 1000 rounds. Or you can spend $1500 on 1000 rounds of Brand X mass produced- that is excellent ammo by the way.
so you save $790 per 1000 rounds over factory ammo. Plenty enough savings to buy really decent single stage or turret equipment to load premium ammo and it pays for itself in the first 1000 with just 1 caliber.
In 2000 rounds down range you save enough to get completely set up on Dillon equipment which makes loading for the 9 and 223 a lot less tedious, depends on how much volume you intend to do.

You are exactly correct. Reloading does save money. I calculate I save at least 50 % the costs from purchasing bullets at the store.

Without getting into each caliber I load, because I reload for about 10 calibers, I can share a few tricks I use to greatly cut the cost of reloading.

First, I buy everything in high quantity bulk, and split what I buy among my friends. Recently I purchased 6000 bullets from Hornady, 55 grain sp for .07 cents each. I split that among to friends.

Second, I buy powder in no less than 8 pound containers. But if I can find a larger container, I will purchase it and split that among my friends as well. I do the same with primers.

As far as brass is concerned, I get all the free brass I want. In fact I don't even want anymore. I shoot at an outdoor range, and you guys would be surprised how many folks come out there, shoot good brand name brass and walk away from the brass.

I purchased my Dillon reloader about 30 years ago. When I need new parts for it, I simply call Dillon, tell them what I need and it's in the mail. Since they have a lifetime guarantee, there is never any charge. They have probably rebuilt my 550 B reloader by now.

But the best part about reloading, is I can make better rounds, know exactly what is in them, and test them to get the best groups.

Lastly, reloading is very relaxing to me. It's a great way for me to unwind after the day, so I sit in front of my TV and reload. The spousal unit brings me my dinner, and my family sits with me watching TV while I'm reloading.

 

[rw496]

Reloading to save money is just what you tell the wife. It is a great hobby though. Actually firing the bullet has become just the final step in a long complex science experiment

 

[milo 2.0]

You are exactly correct. Reloading does save money. I calculate I save at least 50 % the costs from purchasing bullets at the store.

Without getting into each caliber I load, because I reload for about 10 calibers, I can share a few tricks I use to greatly cut the cost of reloading.

First, I buy everything in high quantity bulk, and split what I buy among my friends. Recently I purchased 6000 bullets from Hornady, 55 grain sp for .07 cents each. I split that among to friends.

Second, I buy powder in no less than 8 pound containers. But if I can find a larger container, I will purchase it and split that among my friends as well. I do the same with primers.

As far as brass is concerned, I get all the free brass I want. In fact I don't even want anymore. I shoot at an outdoor range, and you guys would be surprised how many folks come out there, shoot good brand name brass and walk away from the brass.

I purchased my Dillon reloader about 30 years ago. When I need new parts for it, I simply call Dillon, tell them what I need and it's in the mail. Since they have a lifetime guarantee, there is never any charge. They have probably rebuilt my 550 B reloader by now.

But the best part about reloading, is I can make better rounds, know exactly what is in them, and test them to get the best groups.

Lastly, reloading is very relaxing to me. It's a great way for me to unwind after the day, so I sit in front of my TV and reload. The spousal unit brings me my dinner, and my family sits with me watching TV while I'm reloading.

Sounds to me like you're a Class 6 FFL, or going through one to get your goodies! Not many people can get powder containers larger than 8lbs.