i am not a reloader . just bought a new AR15. THEY ARE FUN TO SHOOT BUT THEY EAT THE AMMO.HA HA. can you reloaders really save any money ? i see in shotgun news winchesters 55 gr are going for 164.95 PER 1000 at www.buyammo.com. can you guys that reload make them for less than 16.5 cents per round ? i was just wondering. thanks. marty

you really cant save vs the plinking round.  The 1000 round for 200 is a decent deal.

It takes time to load that much.

If your loading match ammo, you can save money, and it is definately more accurate, as it's tuned to your gun.  But then you just end up shooting more.

One place I do save money on is loading my own tracers.

TXL

Something else you should factor in is the fact that you can reload other calibers as well. While .223 isn't exactly cost effecient, .44 Magnum might be a different story.

I can reload a .223 round, using surplus powder and bullet and CCI or Winchester primers for around 14 cents a round.  That price is including HAZMAT and shipping charges on the powder.  Bullets are locally bought (usually fun shows) as are primers.  The cost doesn't include price of brass.  

So by me reloading I will get every 7th round free over your $165/1000.  That being said, I am able to load 1142 rounds for $165.

A also don't factor in my time because I find that reloading is a hobby that goes along with my shooting hobby (I don't find it to be "work")

Do I save money for blasting ammo?  No.  You will never save money by reloading, you will however be able to shoot more.  But as mw365 said, if you are loading expensive, hard to obtain or match ammo, then you will save money.

LC brass, unfired:  $.035
Win55PSP bullet:     .06
WC844 powder:        .031
WSR primer:          .015
Total:               .14

$.14 a round assuming you only get one loading from the brass.  4 is more reasonable, reducing the cost to about $.115.  For that I get a round that's sub moa and suitable for varminting, cheap enough for plinking, and I enjoy loading anyway. The cost could be further reduced by using cheaper bullets.

I could match the price, but doubt the Wolf or similar would be nearly as accurate or effective on varmints.  I don't count my time, since as I said, I enjoy loading anyway.

Yes and no.
.223 blasting ammo-as covered,not really unless
you enjoy spending your time (not knocking it,some
do)
Match ammo-Yes and you can more than likely find
some combination that shoots better than any
factory ammo . (talking small ammounts of better
but in competion sometimes that is all it takes)
Most pistol ammo-A big yes , and it allows you to
use ammo perfectly suited for the job . Lite loads
for plate shoots and newbie training,Heavy loads
or special bullet design for pins,hunting or what
have you.
Of course it is easy to fool yourself . You will
tie up lots of money buying supplies,some of which you will let sit on a shelf! Don't compare
the price of one box of fancy bullet ammo bought
at a small corner gun shop.Consider buying case
lots or truckloads with your buddies,sometimes
factory ammo isn't a bad deal if you hustle around . This is also the way to go for reload
supplies (bulk or groop buying)Give your local
guy a chance , lots of times they can work good
deals on bulk if you ask .    NHSPORT

Handgun reloading, I save lots of money, esp. using my own cast bullets.  Rifle, I reload to fine tune ammo to a particular gun and for special purpose ammo (tracer, AP, incendiary, etc).  You can save big bucks reloading your own flashy stuff using pulled down components.

MM

As mentioned previously for precision shoothing, handloads is where it is at!

New Federal 69 grain Match ammo sells for $14 to $18 for a box of 20, and this is good ammo indeed!  However, I can assemble the same Sierra bullet in a handload that when tailored to the specific rifle will shoot much better, and cost me about $25 for a HUNDRED.  This is not figuring in the cost of brass as I have lots of once to 3 times fired factory brass lying around.

Also the bottom line is you will shoot a lot more and become a better marksman if you reload.

Start up cost can be from $100 or so to $400 or more, and you need to be someone who will sit down and concentrate on reloading for an hour or two at a time, or you should not get into it.  This is not something you can learn in one afternoon.  There are reloading groups out there that can and do help reloaders, IM mail me (or search for it) if you are interested, as I belong to Addicted2Reloading, a very helpful group of all experience level reloaders.

Just my advice.

I would say you can't save too much reloading .223 blasting ammo, but you can save a boat load in the heavier calibers. .300 mag, .357 especially when using specialty bullets such as ballistic tips etc. I can make full power .357 loads with lead cast bullets for a couple of dollars a box.

Of course I don't save any money, I just shoot more.

Yup, I can reload .223 for about $.08 per round.
I use milsurp once-fired brass, pulled M193 bullets, surplus wc846 powder and of course regular off-the-shelf primers. I also just drive  a few miles to pick up my suplies so there are no shipping charges.
Check the surplus prices here...
www.hi-techammo.com

I don't think anybody ever saved any money reloading.  Ya just get a lot more ammo for the same amount of money (most of the time).

Hoppy

I don't reload for fun. It's work to me.

I reload to save money and to make ammunition that is more accurate than the factory stuff.

Here is where I save a lot of money
300WM
444 Marlin
41 Magnum
44 Magnum
45 Colt
308
357 Magnum
45 ACP

I rarely bother with 9mm
223 I only load for accuracy.  I buy bulk for plinking and defense use.

I reload to pass the time.  Keep a Lee handloader in the car and under the sofa, you'd be surprise as how many rounds you can churn out while your brain in on hold.  Money wise, reloading is actually more expensive then buying cause you'll need the latest XYZ loader, ABC trimmer, ZBT polisher, etc, etc.

Don't get too "on Hold" you do need to keep your head about you a bit to avoid any Mess ups.


...Be SAFE

I save Butt loads of $$$$ reloading.

Here's the deal.
The Brass I use is once fired commercial or once fired military.I get it Gratis from several sources.

Powder and bullets come from Pats reloading .com.
WC846 bought in bulk saves big $$$$

Primers are the big expense.
Buy in lots of 10,000 and the savings go up.

Share the purchase with a friend or two.

If I had to purchase the once fired brass,it wouldn't be much of an advantage other than my own loads being more accurate than production stuff.

If you Varmint hunt,reloading is a HUGE savings.
Same goes for match ammo.

Reloading gives you the ability to match a load to the rifle.
No factory ammo can match that.

It's one more aspect of controll.

Add it all up,and I'm sure that I'm upside down overall,but my rifles will outshoot other rifles with factory ammo all day long,and it's worth it to me to know a miss is my fault,not the unknown.

Loading your own is step#2 of the madness.
It involves disregarding economics in trade for the sense of controll.

If it's about cash,Shoot Wolf ammo and work double time cleaning and replacing extractors.

Hope this helps somehow....
Ya gotta try it to understand.

S-28

Reloading start up costs aren't that bad - I was given an old single stage press, turned the shaft on my lathe, picked up some lyman stuff at a yard sale, and a powder measure at a junk shop (new in the box for $5). I've got maybe $50 in my whole setup. With a 220 Swift you have to reload to get any form of accuracy. With a 22 Hornet you have to load for accuracy. I get 10-12 firings out of a casing before they are junk.

I've been pretty lucky buying brass for them as I get it used and then listen to the inside of my head while I resize and tune the casings.

For my AR - I buy cheapo stuff cause it gets shot too fast to reload without a headache on this old press. 20 years ago I reloaded because I had the time in the evening during the winter with no TV or radio - Today if I had a multi stage press where bullets fell out like water maybe I'd reload - but I don't due to the time/expense.

Hmmmm - handloaders club?? E-mail me please? My son and I are always looking for more info on reloading.

Once you blow up your rifle with negligent loading all cost savings, if there were any to begin with, evaporate pretty quickly.

There are many folks who have the extreme attention to detail to reload, but....

Squib loads routinely leave bullets in the bore.  Do a sloppy, improper immediate action drill and you'll put another bullet down the bore right behind it.

Sloppy resizing/trimming (yes, you have to resize/trim every time) will cause stoppages at best.  Couple this with soft primers indifferently seated and you can get a primer detonation from the face of the bolt before the locking locks go into battery.

If you also load pistols it's easy to load pistol powder rather than rifle powder.

There's more, but these have the most interesting results.

Loading for match shooting I understand.  Start with new, primed Winchester cases and throw your loads on a Dillon 550B.  You'll get National Match winning accuracy with the right bullets.  Sell your "once fired" brass to someone who'd rather load than shoot.

-- Chuck

I think that you have to figure in your time.  Plain and simple.  My time is worth much.  I enjoy relaoding butI can work 3 hours overtime and make what I need to buy 1,000 rounds of 223.

It would take me much longer then 3 hours to load 1,000 rounds quality rounds.  Figure in your time of inspecting each case, trimmimg them,reloading them, inspecting them, etc and you have more time then what you think.  

I work 8 hours overtime a month and buy myself 2,000 rounds/month and still have some money for beer.

Chuck is correct - if you aren't into reloading and do it half assed you are better off not doing it. I've been reloading since I was a kid and know my weapons and my equipment.

I don't find a lot on TV that amuses me and I can spend some quality time with myself while reloading. I take pride in my ammo and my ability to shoot tacks at 100 yards proves it to me each time I do it. Something about not thinking about bills, work, problems, or anything else - just me and the reloader.

It's the same thing when I go shooting. Just me and my rifle. It's one of the most peaceful places I know. And I've not had any problems with my single stage operation. I shot IPSC for a year or two and bought a Dillon loader. Once in a while I'd get a squib and the RO would shout stop - Or I'd feel the difference and stop.

But don't be BSing yourself that factory ammo is any more dependable because it isn't.
This is probably an old debate and I'm new to this forum. I will still put my handloads in my rifles up against anything the factory can hand out. For consistency, accuracy, and cost savings (if you don't count my time).

I've an old Model 59 S&W that I've used as my CC for 25 years. I've handloaded for it since I bought it and have no idea how many rounds I've shot through it. I've had exactly one failure with it - it stove piped on extraction with some factory ammo. Never had a failure on hand loads. I pulled the bullets on a couple of the other rounds in the magazine on the stove pipe and they were low on powder.

Anyway - nice visiting with you - cool forum -

I do save money by reloading.  I first started over 15 years ago when I took up action pistol and reloading was the only way I could afford to practice for matches.   Some of my guns have never had a factory load through them.  Most of my time spent reloading now is for my full auto Uzi and M16.  It does take time and depending on how high you value your time it could be expensive to reload.  I view it like household chores such as  cutting the grass. I make over $30 an hour at work but still take time to cut the grass along with doing other household chores.

I don't reload now, but I am considering it only for match .223 loads and 357/44 mag. I don't have the time or the patience to crank out thousands of rounds of plinking ammo.