I was doing some math,... Georgia Arms sells reloaded blasting ammo for $160/k plus $17 shipping, making it 17.7 cents to my door.  If I reload, I'm paying $.08 for powder, $.04 for the bullet, $.02 for the primer, and,... well, ~something~ for the case, even if it's reused many times... $.02?  I dunno, but that's 8 + 4 + 2 + 2 = $.16.

So, for not even $.02/round saved, why would I handload .223 blasting ammo???  That's only $20 saved for the many hours it'd take me to load 1,000 rnds.

*Note: I'm a city kid, and the local indoor range doesn't allow any steel-containing projectiles (S&B, Wolf*).  Given that I'm 45 minutes from any outdoor range that only allows slow-fire anyway, so many options other folks have are out.

Am I wrong???

*ETA:  They specifically ban Wolf ammo--too many issues, apparently, due to stuck cases, KB's, or other things I'm just not privy to knowing.

Here are my calculations:

The powder I use is Accurate Arms Data Powder 73. I purchased it for $52/8 lbs. I use a 25 grain load.

The bullets are Military M193 pulled bullets, I really don't remember where I got them, but they were $26/K. Primers are WSR at $14.5/K.

Powder - .023
Primer - .0145
Bullet - .026

Comes up to .0635/round. I guess I need to figure in shipping, but really can't remember the amounts. When I bought the powder and primers, the total shipment was 50#, 40# powder and 10K primers at 10#. Divide the HazMat fee into that and that adds .40 per pound of powder and per 1K of primers. When I got the bullets, I got 2K M193 and 1K M80, so shipping was divided among 3K of bullets. I guess if I added some shipping, I'd might get up toward .07 per round for approximate M193 loads. Still lots cheaper than XM193 or Q3131A is right now. I still have those for rainy days, but shoot the handloads for general blasting.

Brass is once fired Remington from the local police range for free.

If they looked OK, I guess I'd try pulled bullets, but up North here, it'd seem, I can't find primers under $18.99 for a brick (1k), plus tax.  I have to pay for cases one way or another, and even assuming 5 uses out of once-fired, that's a penny each.

Maybe I just need to hit the gunshow and see what I can do...

snip

Quoted: steel-containing projectiles (S&B, Wolf).

Wolf .223 is not steel jacketed only steel cased, the bullet is not attracted to a magnet, so if you don't mind steel cases you can get blasting ammo for around 10 cents a round.

Glock23C,

Where do you buy powder for $52/8 lb keg?  I've never heard of Data Powder 73, only Data Powder 79 at Natchez.  Thanks.

$160 NO SHIPPING if you buy over $500, as I recall


and you get a AMMO CAN!  

The beauty of RELOADING comes in to play for HIGH-DOLLAR, heavy ammo, such as MK262 clones or 75g. Hornady OTM loads. Retail will run you close to $300 for only 500 rounds. Reloads are usually HALF or less.

For FMJ blasting... either buy from massive reloaders like Georgia or XM193, etc...

YMMV
Rmpl

Quoted:
The beauty of RELOADING comes in to play for HIGH-DOLLAR, heavy ammo, such as MK262 clones or 75g. Hornady OTM loads. Retail will run you close to $300 for only 500 rounds. Reloads are usually HALF or less.


The above is very true plus:
Where it REALLY comes into play is for the big stuff-like reloading 300 Win Mag, 338 Lapua
and the precision 308 and 30/06 rounds. Also the magnum handgun rounds.

Otherwise I don't bother reloading blasting ammo like regular 223, 308 and the auto handguns.
I just use Wolf or whatever surplus I can find. Your time has to enter into the equation somewhere
since I'm further off working for money or working on another hobby than reloading hundreds of the
above paractice rounds for endless hours.  (and I even like reloading)

Quoted: Glock23C, Where do you buy powder for $52/8 lb keg?  I've never heard of Data Powder 73, only Data Powder 79 at Natchez.  Thanks.

Powder Valley had a run of it back about a year ago.  When I ordered mine, they said that the supply would last only a few months.  I ordered 4 8# kegs of it at the time, I have been really pleased with it.  I will hate it when I run out.

If you don't enjoy reloading for its own sake, don't reload.

Thanks guys,
I do reload, but I think the $192 I paid for 1k rounds (including tax) of non-magnetic ammo (looks like plain FMJ, in 55gr.) at this weekend's gun show is about as good as I can do.

I'll stick to reloading my 44 mag., 9mm, .40, .45, .243, and others.......  I am saving my cases, though--I think I might make up some of my own heavy stuff (Mk262-ish) just for fun.  At least ~that~ will pay for itself!!

Quoted: Here are my calculations: The powder I use is Accurate Arms Data Powder 73. I purchased it for $52/8 lbs. I use a 25 grain load. The bullets are Military M193 pulled bullets, I really don't remember where I got them, but they were $26/K. Primers are WSR at $14.5/K. Powder - .023 Primer - .0145 Bullet - .026 Comes up to .0635/round. I guess I need to figure in shipping, but really can't remember the amounts. When I bought the powder and primers, the total shipment was 50#, 40# powder and 10K primers at 10#. Divide the HazMat fee into that and that adds .40 per pound of powder and per 1K of primers. When I got the bullets, I got 2K M193 and 1K M80, so shipping was divided among 3K of bullets. I guess if I added some shipping, I'd might get up toward .07 per round for approximate M193 loads. Still lots cheaper than XM193 or Q3131A is right now. I still have those for rainy days, but shoot the handloads for general blasting. Brass is once fired Remington from the local police range for free.

I did the calc's once too, came to about 8-9 cents a round, based on surplus AA2230C powder and bullets at $30/K.  The old arguement was "hell I can pay $20 more and get a case of Wolf!".  Those days are gone.  Where's the Wolf?  And if you do find it the price is jacked up.

I'm set up with a Dillon progressive, 9 -10 thousand bullets, primers and empties, a couple kegs of surplus powder and I DO NOT reload for my AR's.  I have this stuff sitting here for the day I can NOT buy loaded ammo.  I keep on buying both loaded ammo and reloading supplies but as for now I just shoot whatever I can buy.