Posted: 11/25/2011 1:35:39 PM EDT
|
Help me out here, guys. Quick reloading costs on the back of an envelope, ignoring shipping costs, for 5.56 componants: $135 - for 8 pounds powder - does approx 1000 rounds @ 55 grains/round. $105 - for 1000 boolits. $30 - for 1000 primers. $270 per 1000 rounds of 5.56 = buying a case commercially. I understand the option of custom loads, but I just want to shoot. Add in shipping and case prep time/materials and equipment, and I just talked myself out of any cost savings. Where does the 'You won't save money because you'll shoot twice as much' come from? It's not even a break even deal. This is why I've been shooting 5.45 and .22 cal AR uppers. What am I missing? What happened to $00.15/round costs I was reading about? Thanks. ETA: my 55 grains/round seems to be off. I thought that was what I read in a Hornady manual. My mistake. |
|
Quoted: Help me out here, guys. Quick reloading costs on the back of an envelope, ignoring shipping costs, for 5.56 componants: $135 - for 8 pounds powder - does approx 1000 rounds @ 55 grains/round. $105 - for 1000 boolits. $30 - for 1000 primers. $270 per 1000 rounds of 5.56 = buying a case commercially. I understand the option of custom loads, but I just want to shoot. Add in shipping and case prep time/materials and equipment, and I just talked myself out of any cost savings. Where does the 'You won't save money because you'll shoot twice as much' come from? It's not even a break even deal. This is why I've been shooting 5.45 and .22 cal AR uppers. What am I missing? What happened to $00.15/round costs I was reading about? Thanks. buy cheaper components |
| I don't reload .223/5.56 or most of the common pistol cartridges because it's just cheaper to buy it in the store. But if you are going for magnums like .357 and .44 or rifle rounds like .308 and larger, it is way cheaper to make my own. Match quality ammo like federal or black hills is like a dollar or more per round and .44 mag ammo went way up from the days of $18 per 50 to almost double that now. I can handload my own rounds for about 40% to 50% less and maintain decent almost "match" accuracy. |
|
Quoted:
Help me out here, guys. Quick reloading costs on the back of an envelope, ignoring shipping costs, for 5.56 componants: $135 - for 8 pounds powder - does approx 2240 rounds, so less that $60/1,000 $105 - for 1000 boolits. $30 - for 1000 primers. $270 per 1000 rounds of 5.56 = buying a case commercially. I understand the option of custom loads, but I just want to shoot. Add in shipping and case prep time/materials and equipment, and I just talked myself out of any cost savings. Where does the 'You won't save money because you'll shoot twice as much' come from? It's not even a break even deal. This is why I've been shooting 5.45 and .22 cal AR uppers. What am I missing? What happened to $00.15/round costs I was reading about? Thanks. Fixed the cost of powder for you. Still works out to $195 per 1,000. That means you won't really save any money over Wolf if you just want blasting ammo. There used to be greater savings in reloading, but the cost of bullets has gone way up. |
|
No problem.
This excellent resourse from AR15.com: http://gun-deals.com/ammo.php?caliber=.223%2F5.56 Shows that 18 cents a round is about the best you can do on Wolf. Cheaper than your reloads, even at 25 grains of powder per round. |
|
Quoted:
Help me out here, guys. Quick reloading costs on the back of an envelope, ignoring shipping costs, for 5.56 componants: $135 - for 8 pounds powder - does approx 1000 rounds @ 55 grains/round. $105 - for 1000 boolits. $30 - for 1000 primers. $270 per 1000 rounds of 5.56 = buying a case commercially. I understand the option of custom loads, but I just want to shoot. Add in shipping and case prep time/materials and equipment, and I just talked myself out of any cost savings. Where does the 'You won't save money because you'll shoot twice as much' come from? It's not even a break even deal. This is why I've been shooting 5.45 and .22 cal AR uppers. What am I missing? What happened to $00.15/round costs I was reading about? Thanks. Lots of fail in your post. 8 pounds of power will give you FAR more then 1000 rounds. Assuming 25gr of power per round, and there's 7000gr * 8lbs = 56,000 grains of power in an 8 pound keg, that gives you 2240 rounds worth of powder there. Doing the math, that's $60.25 for 1000 rounds for whatever powder your using. I prefer Tac myself, which currently is $125 per 8lbs. You can do 48lbs per hazmat order, and the last order I did was about $45 for shipping and hazmat combined. So 6 * $125 + $45 = $16.56 per pound of powder. Each pound gives you 280 loaded rounds, so the math there works out to $59.14 for powder for a 1000 rounds. I'll just round up and say its $60 per 1k 
Bullets - you're way over paying. If I order a case of 3500 55gr FMJ's from Montana gold, it works out to $78 per 1000. Primers - once again, buy in bulk. Wolf 223 primers from Powder valley are currently $15.50 per 1k. If you buy in bulk and average in the hazmat and shipping, you're looking at about $18 per 1k. So... $60.00 powder $78.00 bullets $18.00 primers $156.00 per 1K (and this INCLUDES shipping costs) |
|
As noted, .223 uses approximately 20-25 grains of powder per loading.
But even still, components are expensive, especially considering shipping and haz-mat fees. The larger issue, however, is that reloading - especially rifle rounds - takes time. Lots of time. Look into the steps needed to prep a single .223 case. It's tedious work, and you're essentially doing it for free. I've long been of the opinion that if your only goal is to shoot in quantity...shoot steel case, and buy it in bulk. .223 can be had for under $200.00/k, delivered. 9mm for less. With that said, however, I'm an eager reloader. But I'm loading almost everything except FMJ practice ammo...varmint rifle rounds, hunting ammo, wildcats, and (soon) C&R ammo. Reloading for me is an almost-separate hobby that lets me participate in the shooting sports without leaving my garage. I'm not saving any money either...any 'savings' from what I would pay for factory ammo is just reinvested into new components and tools. 
|
|
Quoted: Fixed the cost of powder for you. Still works out to $195 per 1,000. That means you won't really save any money over Wolf if you just want blasting ammo. There used to be greater savings in reloading, but the cost of bullets has gone way up. Yeah, if you count your time and trouble, you lose money verses buying Wolf, or even the $260/case brass stuff AIM and Wideners sell. The real advantage is in loading match rounds. You can load 69SMKs for $280/k, not counting time invested. |
|
Reloading calculator
Yes it is worth it. I paid for my dillon press in 2 months flat. Quoted:
You don't really save until you start recycling the brass. Pick up range brass its free!!! |
I don't shoot enough ammo to justify any cost savings by reloading. I reload because I enjoy it and it makes 'availability' a non-issue. I have the hardware & components to reload for almost every caliber firearm I currently own (working on the others). The independance gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. 
|
|
Your late in the game. A few years ago 55gr FMJ's were $33 per 1K and primers were $$11-$15 per 1K.
You can find better deals: Widener's for bulk .223 5K for $390, find deals on primers when you can at $20 or less per 1K. Powder is about right $130 but figure 7K grs per pound at 23grs per round you'll get about 300 rounds per lb. So you are just under $65 for powder for 1K rounds. $78 for Bullets $20 for Primers $65 for Powder I don't figure for brass as there is always stuff around and I can shoot it several times. (work some matches that are lost brass, as the SO you'll fill buckets) $163 per 1K and you're not shooting Wolf or Silver Bear. The real savings kick in when you want higher quality ammo vice cheap blasting stuff. Take 77gr SMK's from Blackhill's, normally $39-$45 per 50 round box. Reloader is $89 for a 5lb jug, you only need 2lbs and a 500 count box of 77's is $109. Use the same primers. 109+35+10= $154 for 500 match quality 77gr bullets. (pick up the brass from the highpower line at Camp Perry SAFS or anywhere you can) $154 for your reloads vice $400 for 500 rounds purchased commercially. Look at 9mm. 1k for $68.35 (Powder valley 115gr berry's) 4lbs of Titegroup for $55 (Powder Valley) 1k primers $25 (most places, just get them local and save on shipping) That's still $50 per case cheaper than wolf or tula. (don't factor in your brass, you more than likely have several thousand laying around and you can always pick up more) |
Thanks for all the input and corrections.  I admit that self-sustained cheaper shooting was a primary motivator. The Idea of being able to reload after O'Bama is re-elected is awfully tempting too, ignoring the fact that the components will be as hard to find as the ammo itself. I don't mind the labor and time to reload, but there is clearly a break-even point before it's costing way too much. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Help me out here, guys. Quick reloading costs on the back of an envelope, ignoring shipping costs, for 5.56 componants: $135 - for 8 pounds powder - does approx 1000 rounds @ 55 grains/round. $105 - for 1000 boolits. $30 - for 1000 primers. $270 per 1000 rounds of 5.56 = buying a case commercially. I understand the option of custom loads, but I just want to shoot. Add in shipping and case prep time/materials and equipment, and I just talked myself out of any cost savings. Where does the 'You won't save money because you'll shoot twice as much' come from? It's not even a break even deal. This is why I've been shooting 5.45 and .22 cal AR uppers. What am I missing? What happened to $00.15/round costs I was reading about? Thanks. Lots of fail in your post. 8 pounds of power will give you FAR more then 1000 rounds. Assuming 25gr of power per round, and there's 7000gr * 8lbs = 56,000 grains of power in an 8 pound keg, that gives you 2240 rounds worth of powder there. Doing the math, that's $60.25 for 1000 rounds for whatever powder your using. I prefer Tac myself, which currently is $125 per 8lbs. You can do 48lbs per hazmat order, and the last order I did was about $45 for shipping and hazmat combined. So 6 * $125 + $45 = $16.56 per pound of powder. Each pound gives you 280 loaded rounds, so the math there works out to $59.14 for powder for a 1000 rounds. I'll just round up and say its $60 per 1k
Bullets - you're way over paying. If I order a case of 3500 55gr FMJ's from Montana gold, it works out to $78 per 1000. Primers - once again, buy in bulk. Wolf 223 primers from Powder valley are currently $15.50 per 1k. If you buy in bulk and average in the hazmat and shipping, you're looking at about $18 per 1k. So... $60.00 powder $78.00 bullets $18.00 primers $156.00 per 1K (and this INCLUDES shipping costs) ^ this exactly. Plus I have made 65 grain SP, 69 and 75 gr BTHP for "other" purposes. Kaos, get yo' ass back to the VGOF where you belong! ETA: get your powder from TNT reloading who will meet you at gun shows and hand you the HAZMAT's for free. His prices are stellar and he will hold stuff that is backordered until he meets you at the show. |