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Posted: 9/13/2017 10:41:24 AM EDT
[#1]
For blasting ammo, I figure you are looking at about 21 cents per round if you have free brass.
Primer $0.03 55gr pulled SP bullet $0.08 Powder (23gr and $30/lb) $0.10 If you can get cheaper components, then the cost is obviously lower. If you have to pay anything for brass, then it is really hard to beat the current price of 24 cents per round (after rebate) for American Eagle ammo. The real savings in in loading better/precision ammunition. I'm loading mostly 69gr SMK and Varget for about 34cpr. |
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Posted: 9/13/2017 11:02:39 AM EDT
[#2]
You can now get good quality new 55gr. bullets cheaper than pulled bullets you were buying then.
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Posted: 9/13/2017 11:12:52 AM EDT
[#3]
Right now, for 7.62x51, you can get Federal Gold Medal Match 168gr for $22 from Cabela's, for 20rds. Just say $1/rd. And that is obviously not the cheapest ammo you can get, but good ammo.
Cheapest 168gr BTHP bullets you will find in bulk is probably about $.24. Buying primers you can get those down to about $.025/ea. If you buy powder in 8lb jugs you might get a 42gr load down to about .14/rd. About $.41/rd, with free brass. If you pay for brass, you'll be looking at what, $.20-40/ea for used brass? .50/1.00 for new? At the low end figure your round with brass now cost $.61. If time is a factor, then it's going to be hard to figure you are "saving" money. Saving is usually "shooting more for the same amount of money". Moreso with expensive equipment, factoring that in, any bench, etc you need to get also comes into play. As does shipping/hazmat if you buy online. For just shooting, I doubt 5.56 and 7.62 are "worth" loading for. You can make better ammo, and you can make ammo that isn't otherwise available, but with cheap ammo available, and if you don't mind shooting it, even 7.62x51 maybe hard to break even on reloading. I suspect that when talking real premium stuff (solid bullets, heavy for caliber, etc) you will probably see a bigger difference. When a box of 20 is $40, you can do a decent job of "saving" money. It's still expensive to shoot. lol |
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Posted: 9/13/2017 11:42:26 AM EDT
[#4]
Hornady and Nosler 168 grain .308" match bullets, on sale, are the best value on the market. Anything cheaper than those and you get an inferior product.
Buying Hornady 52/53, 55, 68 and 75 grain .224" bullets, on sale and you'll get very good bullets for a very reasonable price. Two years ago I purchased 12,000 (2 - 6000 bullet bulk boxes) of Hornady 52 grain match bullets for $1000 delivered. While these aren't the best match bullets, they will shoot groups under an inch at 100 yards from most of my rifles. No bigger than 1.5" from the worst. For 8.5 cents a piece they were a steal. Buying crappy bullets to save money is waste of effort, time and money. |
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Posted: 9/13/2017 11:52:02 AM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
You can now get good quality new 55gr. bullets cheaper than pulled bullets you were buying then. I was using a reloder 7 powder load to cut down on cost too. |
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Posted: 9/13/2017 12:15:42 PM EDT
[#6]
I also have bullet molds to cast from wheel weights.
That's how I was doing the 38 spl so cheap. 3 cents a primer isn't bad at all Brass I usually get for free from folks I know who don't reload and or picking up at the range.( If the other scavengers haven't beat me to it!) Lol Powder seems to have gone up alot. |
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Posted: 9/13/2017 2:16:25 PM EDT
[#7]
I buy everything in bulk to reduce prices the most possible. I'm talking no less than 8lb of powder, primers by the 1k, Hornady bulk 6k 55gr bullets, and pick up free brass.
Last time I calculated it I was around $0.15-$0.16/rd for 223 and I case bullets and powder coat virtually everything else at $0.05-0.07/rd. The cast bullets include 300blk, 30-30 and all pistol calibers. My long range precision stuff in 308 (and soon to be 6.5CM) will probably be around $0.50-$0.70/rd depending on how many firings I get as I buy brass for those. |
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Posted: 9/13/2017 2:20:19 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Right now, for 7.62x51, you can get Federal Gold Medal Match 168gr for $22 from Cabela's, for 20rds. Just say $1/rd. And that is obviously not the cheapest ammo you can get, but good ammo. Cheapest 168gr BTHP bullets you will find in bulk is probably about $.24. Buying primers you can get those down to about $.025/ea. If you buy powder in 8lb jugs you might get a 42gr load down to about .14/rd. About $.41/rd, with free brass. If you pay for brass, you'll be looking at what, $.20-40/ea for used brass? .50/1.00 for new? At the low end figure your round with brass now cost $.61. If time is a factor, then it's going to be hard to figure you are "saving" money. Saving is usually "shooting more for the same amount of money". Moreso with expensive equipment, factoring that in, any bench, etc you need to get also comes into play. As does shipping/hazmat if you buy online. For just shooting, I doubt 5.56 and 7.62 are "worth" loading for. You can make better ammo, and you can make ammo that isn't otherwise available, but with cheap ammo available, and if you don't mind shooting it, even 7.62x51 maybe hard to break even on reloading. I suspect that when talking real premium stuff (solid bullets, heavy for caliber, etc) you will probably see a bigger difference. When a box of 20 is $40, you can do a decent job of "saving" money. It's still expensive to shoot. lol |
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Posted: 9/13/2017 2:28:55 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
You have to figure in how many times you fire the cases in the cost. If you pay $0.60/case and shoot it 10x you effectively paid $0.06/case. That drastically changes the cost of the round. I used rcbs x dies. |
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Posted: 9/13/2017 2:32:36 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
You have to figure in how many times you fire the cases in the cost. If you pay $0.60/case and shoot it 10x you effectively paid $0.06/case. That drastically changes the cost of the round. I would start getting split necks and mouths around 5 reloads and by the 6 th or 7 th, I tossed all of the brass. I used rcbs x dies. |
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Posted: 9/13/2017 3:40:08 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Haven't loaded 308 enough to wear out brass but with 223 I would go maximum 7 reloads before I chucked the brass. I used rcbs x dies. I was just using 10x because thats the best I can use math in my head. I have a math degree, means I cant do basic math in my head... Haha. But I can do integrals and derivatives like nobody's business! When I'm loading for my bolt action I only size the neck and only 0.002" less than bullet diameter. I'll bump the shoulder if I have to to chamber. Those brass last much, much longer than 223 that is higher pressure anyways, I full length resize, and I have a ton of neck tension. Im lucky to get 5x out of 223 but have seen 8-10 in 308 on a regular basis. |
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Posted: 9/13/2017 3:47:42 PM EDT
[#12]
Cost calulator
Check out this link to bear tooth bullets. They have a cost calculator. According to the link above the last 38 special I loaded, I had $5.78 per box of 50. Possibly a little less. Not sure what I gave for my last brick of primers so looked it up on midwayusa. That was using 158Gr sns cast bullets, Clays and CCI primers. |
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Posted: 9/13/2017 4:48:20 PM EDT
[#13]
I buy once fired 5.56mm Lake City for $70.00 per thousand. I reload them three or four times and recycle. They're too cheap to worry about. Two reloads and they cost the same as the primers. The third or forth are cheaper still. Reloading them five times for use in a semi-auto is pushing it IMO.
7.62x51mm gets fired four times and recycled by me. If I buy once fired, that means I reload it three times and I'm done. If I buy it new I load it four times and I'm done. New IMI brass is $300.00 per 1000 (30 cents a piece) on sale. That works out to 7.5 cents per loading if fired four times. That's cheap for .308. Once fired Lake City is cheaper still, around $140 per 1000 (14 cents a piece). But that brass is labor intensive and hard to resize in comparison. IMI is a better deal because it's virtually identical to Lake City regarding load data and you don't have to deal with crimped in primers. |
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Posted: 9/13/2017 6:03:46 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
You can now get good quality new 55gr. bullets cheaper than pulled bullets you were buying then. Xtreme RMR I never reloaded rifle rounds because they were available and cheap. Once those things dried up, I started loading. I will never be without a shit ton of components on my shelves. Ammo prices are almost back to where I am comfortable buying, but reloading is the most relaxing thing I do before happy hour.  
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Posted: 9/13/2017 8:26:40 PM EDT
[#15]
I always used once fired brass.. Never bought new brass.
5 to 7 times for 223 but I didn't load them to Max. 38 special I've loaded 20 times with no problem. 2.8-3 grains bullseye. |
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Posted: 9/14/2017 5:40:41 PM EDT
[#16]
blasting 9mm and 223 has come down in price that sometimes its not worth it to reload. palmeto has 9mm for $150 1k and 223 for $250 after rebate . cost me about 11 cent for 9 and 19 cents for 223 to reload.
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Posted: 9/15/2017 8:26:40 AM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
blasting 9mm and 223 has come down in price that sometimes its not worth it to reload. palmeto has 9mm for $150 1k and 223 for $250 after rebate . cost me about 11 cent for 9 and 19 cents for 223 to reload. |
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Posted: 9/15/2017 10:43:47 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Even at Palmeto prices I'm still reloading 9mm at 10.2 vs 15 and I do 800 an hour on my 650 so still savings works out to 38.40 dollars an hour witch is more than I make at work AND reloading is relaxing for me. Now have said that if I did not have a press and all the trimmings I would not start. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
blasting 9mm and 223 has come down in price that sometimes its not worth it to reload. palmeto has 9mm for $150 1k and 223 for $250 after rebate . cost me about 11 cent for 9 and 19 cents for 223 to reload. Reloading equipment pays for it over a long time.. Its not something your going to recoup in a year or two.. When the clown was in the oval office for 8 years i rode out the peak with no issues at all expect for 22lr which i was down to my last 1000 rounds . I used up my stuff i purchased back in the late 80's early 90's aka winchester bulk 55gr fmj i think i paid 18.99 for 500 bullets. back than.. So the center fire shooting was never impacted.. Im going back now and restocking up ... to the levels i had prior to the clown.. At some point another clown will be in the oval office. Once again impacting shooting.. Never forget history it always repeats itself. |
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Posted: 9/15/2017 10:45:48 AM EDT
[#19]
I hand cast with lead that is given to me to produce PC bullets, so all I have in bullets is just time spent making them in cast bullet rounds.
So this breaks it down to power and primers to reload, ending up with 9/40/45 costing me about $.03 a round, and 44 and 357 a little under $.06 a round. In 300blk with PC cast bullets, they are still about $.06 a round. In 308 match loads since I buy the 168HPBT bullets in bulk, its about $.30 a round. In 223 since I have stockpiled for such for a decades (got to love it when you could buy a 8lb just of AA 2230-C for less than $60 a keg), $.08 a round. |
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Posted: 9/15/2017 11:43:13 AM EDT
[#20]
Quoted:
I have all the reloading equipment and know how to reload. However I haven't purchased any components and done so in a while because I stocked up years ago and was living abroad until farly recently. How cheaply can calibers like 223, 7.62x51, 7.62x39, 9mm and 38 spl ( as examples) be reloaded using bulk and or pulled bullets for the rifle caliber? I remember reloading a box of 38 spl using casted bullets and like 3 grains of bullseye; for less than $2.00 a box. 223 using 55 grain pulled bullets cost me, if memory serves, like around 10-12 cents a round. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks. Depends on what you are loading. Heres some rough numbers. 223 plinkers with Hornady 55gr FMJs or SP run about 18 per 223 with Hornady 68gr BTHPs are about 28 per 308 varies alot, but depends largely the on the bullet, but still a far cry cheaper that factory. I figure about 15 cents per bullet for powder and primer, add the bullet to cost. If loading pistol plinking ammo, you need to look into shooting HiTek coated bullets as they are far cheaper than jacketed, but are easier to use than lead, and effectively just as accurate. Ive found that Hornady rifle bullets will hang right with the Sierras and others for less money and they are generally more available in bulk quantities. There are obvious exceptions to this rule. HiTek coated is a great deal for rolling up cheap pistol rounds. I load XTPs to +P or more for my carry stuff. Also, I dont CARE what deals are out there on the internet, or what rebates you can find. My blammo ammo that I load for 223 (55gr FMJBTs) is far more accurate than anything you are buying for 40 cents a round or less in 223. |
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Posted: 9/15/2017 12:27:55 PM EDT
[#21]
I reload to save money, not so much for enjoyment. I dont mind doing it, but I prefer to do small batches...ie....Precision loads are fun.
223 just isnt worth doing for me. I can get steel cased stuff for around the same cost as reloading my brass cases using current component prices. 9mm is worth it to me, I can reload for around 10 cents a round whereas buying new 9mm is around 14 cents a round. You can find a quick cost calculator At this link Assume: Powder - $26 per pound Brass - Free Primers - $28 for 1000 Bullets- $80 for 1000 rifle / $65 for 1000 pistol Obviously you can find deals and such but that should give you a good baseline and ballpark (As in ESTIMATES) for your reloading costs. |
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Posted: 9/16/2017 1:40:11 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
The cost have gone up in 30 years since I started but that could be said for the same thing 30 years before that.. Reloading equipment pays for it over a long time.. Its not something your going to recoup in a year or two.. When the clown was in the oval office for 8 years i rode out the peak with no issues at all expect for 22lr which i was down to my last 1000 rounds . I used up my stuff i purchased back in the late 80's early 90's aka winchester bulk 55gr fmj i think i paid 18.99 for 500 bullets. back than.. So the center fire shooting was never impacted.. Im going back now and restocking up ... to the levels i had prior to the clown.. At some point another clown will be in the oval office. Once again impacting shooting.. Never forget history it always repeats itself. |
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Posted: 9/16/2017 9:09:24 PM EDT
[#23]
I also cast all my pistol and 223,308,and 300no
and have enough to last me till I get too old to shoot.I have about 5 pounds of aa2300c which is a old surplus powder I bought in 07 that I only use for light 223 loads. |
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Posted: 9/16/2017 11:02:00 PM EDT
[#24]
For blasting ammo in 5.56 your cost is loading is about the same as steel case ball ammo. You get brass case copper jacket ammo for your effort. For another 3 cpr or so Wolf makes some steel case with copper jackets.
For match grade reloading is considerably cheaper. 9mm is about the same. You can buy steel case for the cost to load it. However if you are casting 9mm, you can load it for about the cost of good 22lr. I save my reloading for match grade ammo in 5.56, hunting ammo in 243, and for obscure calibers for milsurps that is expensive to buy. |
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Posted: 9/16/2017 11:03:14 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Hornady and Nosler 168 grain .308" match bullets, on sale, are the best value on the market. Anything cheaper than those and you get an inferior product. Buying Hornady 52/53, 55, 68 and 75 grain .224" bullets, on sale and you'll get very good bullets for a very reasonable price. Two years ago I purchased 12,000 (2 - 6000 bullet bulk boxes) of Hornady 52 grain match bullets for $1000 delivered. While these aren't the best match bullets, they will shoot groups under an inch at 100 yards from most of my rifles. No bigger than 1.5" from the worst. For 8.5 cents a piece they were a steal. Buying crappy bullets to save money is waste of effort, time and money. |
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Posted: 9/16/2017 11:24:56 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
For blasting ammo in 5.56 your cost is loading is about the same as steel case ball ammo. You get brass case copper jacket ammo for your effort. For another 3 cpr or so Wolf makes some steel case with copper jackets. For match grade reloading is considerably cheaper. 9mm is about the same. You can buy steel case for the cost to load it. However if you are casting 9mm, you can load it for about the cost of good 22lr. I save my reloading for match grade ammo in 5.56, hunting ammo in 243, and for obscure calibers for milsurps that is expensive to buy. |
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Posted: 9/18/2017 1:20:17 AM EDT
[#27]
Quoted:
How cheaply can calibers like 223, 7.62x51, 7.62x39, 9mm and 38 spl ( as examples) be reloaded using bulk and or pulled bullets for the rifle caliber? If you consider your time worth more than the wages paid to a child chained to a sewing machine in Bangladesh, it does not make economic sense to reload. If I consider that I could take on another client with the time I spend reloading, then 9mm would have to cost $125 per box (of 50) before reloading would "pay" for itself. I reload because it keeps me sane enough to go to work and earn the money that I spend on reloading in the first place. Reloading doesn't "pay" for itself in economic terms. It "pays for itself" in the distraction, calm and focus it provides me. |
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Posted: 9/18/2017 1:39:31 AM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I beat wolf by 5 cpr no problem and it's way better quality. Wolf is running 20.5 cents per round here at SGAmmo That means you are doing reloads at 15.5 cents per round. If you assume 22 for a pound of powder, 22 for a box of primers and 80 for a 1000 bullets you still ring in at almost 18 cents a round. While it is cheaper, it sure isnt 5 cents a round . |
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Posted: 9/18/2017 5:36:46 AM EDT
[#29]
The best thing a reloader can do is take the buying of bullets out of the picture. The $$$ saved by making your own bullets will easily pay for the primers and depending of the caliber, pay for the powder as well.
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Posted: 9/18/2017 8:01:42 AM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
At current component prices? I'm skeptical of that. Wolf is running 20.5 cents per round here at SGAmmo That means you are doing reloads at 15.5 cents per round. If you assume 22 for a pound of powder, 22 for a box of primers and 80 for a 1000 bullets you still ring in at almost 18 cents a round. While it is cheaper, it sure isnt 5 cents a round . |
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Posted: 9/18/2017 11:31:13 AM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I beat wolf by 5 cpr no problem and it's way better quality. |
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Posted: 9/18/2017 11:47:50 AM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
At current component prices? I'm skeptical of that. Wolf is running 20.5 cents per round here at SGAmmo That means you are doing reloads at 15.5 cents per round. If you assume 22 for a pound of powder, 22 for a box of primers and 80 for a 1000 bullets you still ring in at almost 18 cents a round. While it is cheaper, it sure isnt 5 cents a round . Buying in bulk when on sale with free shipping (when they run the deals) and especially free hazmat pay (they also occasionally do that), you can really cut down the price for years of shooting. You just have the be patient and jump on the deals and buy in bulk.  Attached File |
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Posted: 9/18/2017 12:22:05 PM EDT
[#33]
My biggest point of frustration when people discuss cpr is there is best case cpr and there is.....expected cpr? Standard cpr?
I look at it like this. If I told a guy thinking about getting into reloading what my best case cpr is but didnt clarify how I got that and just did a generic "I do it 8 cents cheaper than factory!" if that guy runs out and drops 600 bucks on reloading gear hes going to be a bit put off when he finds out he'll need to then drop 500 or more and maybe even have to wait for a sale before he can get those numbers. When he realizes that using your average everyday component prices he may very well be more expensive than steel cased stuff....Well, thats just not being terribly honest. Heres a perfect example. I'm still using component I bought 10 years ago. Would it be fair to say "I'm reloading at around 12 cpr for 223! You should reload!". No, not at all. I think we have a responsibility to list our cpr but clarify how we get that. Surely if I ran around telling everyone "You should reload, hell its 12 cpr for 223" that would be considered borderline lying. On the other side of the coin if I use my local component prices (Which I checked this weekend to get updated numbers as my stash is drying up!) Powder - 29 / lb Primers - 39 / 1000 (WTF?!) Bullets - No bulk, online at $90/1000 That puts cpr right at about 23 cents if you wanted to get into reloading right this moment. Thats a damned far cry from "cheaper than steel cased", but thats an accurate cpr if you dont wait for sales and buy in bulk. Which is critical to getting good cpr, and almost never mentioned when people are tossing out their cost to reload. |
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Posted: 9/18/2017 12:52:37 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
My biggest point of frustration when people discuss cpr is there is best case cpr and there is.....expected cpr? Standard cpr? I look at it like this. If I told a guy thinking about getting into reloading what my best case cpr is but didnt clarify how I got that and just did a generic "I do it 8 cents cheaper than factory!" if that guy runs out and drops 600 bucks on reloading gear hes going to be a bit put off when he finds out he'll need to then drop 500 or more and maybe even have to wait for a sale before he can get those numbers. When he realizes that using your average everyday component prices he may very well be more expensive than steel cased stuff....Well, thats just not being terribly honest. Heres a perfect example. I'm still using component I bought 10 years ago. Would it be fair to say "I'm reloading at around 12 cpr for 223! You should reload!". No, not at all. I think we have a responsibility to list our cpr but clarify how we get that. Surely if I ran around telling everyone "You should reload, hell its 12 cpr for 223" that would be considered borderline lying. On the other side of the coin if I use my local component prices (Which I checked this weekend to get updated numbers as my stash is drying up!) Powder - 29 / lb Primers - 39 / 1000 (WTF?!) Bullets - No bulk, online at $90/1000 That puts cpr right at about 23 cents if you wanted to get into reloading right this moment. Thats a damned far cry from "cheaper than steel cased", but thats an accurate cpr if you dont wait for sales and buy in bulk. Which is critical to getting good cpr, and almost never mentioned when people are tossing out their cost to reload. If you're reloading for price, why would you not bargain hunt? Reloading and buying factory ammo are not mutually exclusive. I still buy 7.62x39 because it's not worthwhile for me to reload. If you're getting into reloading I would advise to buy a pound of powder, a few boxes of primers, a few hundred rounds, and learn how to reload. If you're worried about price at this stage still buy factory ammo to meet your shooting demands. As you get more comfortable reloading you should start looking for deals on components and jump at every instance where you can buy cheap and stack deep. Components dont go bad. Another aspect is future prices. If I buy 16lbs of powder today I will be able to load ammo in the future way cheaper than the inflated price of factory ammo. This means that buying in bulk makes future reloads cheaper almost guaranteed. The $0.16/rd I can load today is because I was diligent 3 years ago when i bought 16lbs of H335 for $17/lb to last me a while. If you cab buy ammo cheaper that reloading, do it. If not, reload. I save $1.50/rd by reloading my factory hunting rounds that are $60/box of 20. But I have never reloaded AK because it's $4/bx and I would probably have to buy the cases to even reload them, it's not worth it for me. |
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Posted: 9/18/2017 3:18:50 PM EDT
[#35]
Quoted:
How cheaply can calibers like 223, 7.62x51, 7.62x39, 9mm and 38 spl ( as examples) be reloaded using bulk and or pulled bullets for the rifle caliber? Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks. How far do you want to go in chasing the lowest cost per round? You can lurk around ranges and scavenge brass for free. Similarly you can beg tire shops for wheel weights. If you cast your own bullets out of scavenged lead, your cost will be only the amortization of the melting pot and molds. You can buy private label powder or military surplus powder. If you don't want to cast bullets, then you can lurk on bullet dealers' websites until they get something in they can't sell and mark it way down. For example, if you're willing to sort through a mixed lot of 223 bullets, here's a seller that will sell you a thousand for 7.5 cents each. https://americanreloading.com/en/22-caliber-222-227/463-223-premium-mix-pulled-1000ct.html Or if you just want to punch paper and your range allows FMJ, you can get these for 7 cents each: http://www.reloadingvalley.com/22-Cal-55gr-224-FMJ-p/rv223p55fmj-0500.htm It really comes down to how much time and effort you want to invest in acquiring components cheaply. When I was a graduate student, I had to watch every penny, so I was constantly looking out for cheaper ways to load. In time, I found that I was spending more time trying to reduce costs than simply enjoying reloading, so today I maintain a balance between low cost and the freedom to enjoy what I'm doing. |
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Posted: 9/18/2017 5:47:05 PM EDT
[#36]
I am confused as to how they end up with all sorts of pulled .223 bullets mixed together.
What kind of operation is that? 
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Posted: 9/18/2017 10:35:33 PM EDT
[#37]
Calculating my CPR is one of the joys of being a reloader.
It is nice when you can buy ammo that is much cheaper than it was before. 556 at less than $.20 each, 9MM at $.18 each. Means the market is in our favor. I still won't buy it, but I know people are happy about it. When I first started loading 556, I bought 3k 55g fmj bullets, 3k primers and 8lb of LT-32 powder (only powder I could find at the time) My CPR was somewhere around $.21 which was great at the time when factory was north of $.33 for steel cased junk. Now, I bought the 6K hornady FMJ box with a coupon code, bought 24lbs of H335, and 10k S&B primers. My CPR is below $.16 now. I will gladly sit down and explain to anyone who wants to hear it how hard it is to shoot for that cheap. I think, with about $1500 to drop on components at once, and good timing, a resourceful reloader could load 55g FMJ loads for under $.13 CPR at todays prices. |
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Posted: 9/19/2017 7:52:36 PM EDT
[#38]
This is a hobby. If you try to factor in some "hourly rate" to account for your time, you wind up seeing that reloading is expensive per round.
But since I LIKE doing reloading stuff, since I enjoy the technical, mechanical and research tasks involved in reloading, and since I do not reload to get the absolute cheapest cost per round, I get a lot more than shootable rounds out of the hobby. My time is very valuable, and my employer thinks I'm pretty expensive. I choose to use my valuable time reloading (among other things) because I get enjoyment out of the process. If you want something else out of reloading, you have some serious decisions to make. |
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Posted: 9/19/2017 11:06:05 PM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
The best thing a reloader can do is take the buying of bullets out of the picture. The $$ saved by making your own bullets will easily pay for the primers and depending of the caliber, pay for the powder as well. I have to get a free source of lead (Not easy) Casting .223 I know can be done but it's difficult and the powder coated billets can't be pushed past a certain speed from my understanding |
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Posted: 9/19/2017 11:09:07 PM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
My biggest point of frustration when people discuss cpr is there is best case cpr and there is.....expected cpr? Standard cpr? I look at it like this. If I told a guy thinking about getting into reloading what my best case cpr is but didnt clarify how I got that and just did a generic "I do it 8 cents cheaper than factory!" if that guy runs out and drops 600 bucks on reloading gear hes going to be a bit put off when he finds out he'll need to then drop 500 or more and maybe even have to wait for a sale before he can get those numbers. When he realizes that using your average everyday component prices he may very well be more expensive than steel cased stuff....Well, thats just not being terribly honest. Heres a perfect example. I'm still using component I bought 10 years ago. Would it be fair to say "I'm reloading at around 12 cpr for 223! You should reload!". No, not at all. I think we have a responsibility to list our cpr but clarify how we get that. Surely if I ran around telling everyone "You should reload, hell its 12 cpr for 223" that would be considered borderline lying. On the other side of the coin if I use my local component prices (Which I checked this weekend to get updated numbers as my stash is drying up!) Powder - 29 / lb Primers - 39 / 1000 (WTF?!) Bullets - No bulk, online at $90/1000 That puts cpr right at about 23 cents if you wanted to get into reloading right this moment. Thats a damned far cry from "cheaper than steel cased", but thats an accurate cpr if you dont wait for sales and buy in bulk. Which is critical to getting good cpr, and almost never mentioned when people are tossing out their cost to reload. |
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Posted: 9/20/2017 1:23:26 AM EDT
[#41]
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2 things I have to get a free source of lead (Not easy) Casting .223 I know can be done but it's difficult and the powder coated billets can't be pushed past a certain speed from my understanding No special hard alloy here, aprox. wheel weight hardness. Not getting any leading and I'm over 2000 fps. My loads cycle my AR and are accurate at 25 yds. Next time out will try at 100 yds. |
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Posted: 9/20/2017 9:56:34 AM EDT
[#42]
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At current component prices? I'm skeptical of that. Wolf is running 20.5 cents per round here at SGAmmo That means you are doing reloads at 15.5 cents per round. If you assume 22 for a pound of powder, 22 for a box of primers and 80 for a 1000 bullets you still ring in at almost 18 cents a round. While it is cheaper, it sure isnt 5 cents a round . My 55gr FMJBT reloads are 17 cents per, and shoot right around an inch. I roll them a few thousand at a time. |
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Posted: 9/21/2017 4:31:11 AM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
2 things I have to get a free source of lead (Not easy) Casting .223 I know can be done but it's difficult and the powder coated billets can't be pushed past a certain speed from my understanding 
Free 44cal hp's from 40s&w cases and free lead 
Free 35cal fn's and hp's from free 9mm cases & free lead 
I do have a source for free lead and have a fair amount of molds to cast bullets with. Calibers like the 9mm run around $.05 a round to reload with the free bullet I cast. 
Same thing with the 38spl's around $.05 a round 
200gr hp's for the 45acp from free lead, The 45acp's run cost $.05 a round also 
Anyway if you find a way to have free bullets and are selective on what powders you use, reloading becomes extremely cheap. I burn a lot of these powders (a little goes a long way) in handgun plinking ammo. Most pistol calibers can be reloaded in the $.04 to $.06 range with them. pistol calibers ='s 9mm/38spl/357/44spl/44mag/45acp. 
I relaod 223rem's for $.10 a round using those swaged bullets. free range brass free lead cores free 22lr for jackets $.03 for primers $.07 for 25gr of H335 powder or 25.5gr of bl-c2 |
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Posted: 9/21/2017 8:13:34 AM EDT
[#44]
Remember wheel weights are not all lead anymore.
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Posted: 9/21/2017 9:23:34 AM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Remember wheel weights are not all lead anymore. I cleaned up about eight 5 gallon buckets of bullets and smelted them all down. I sold the copper jackets (made about $100) and got a few hundred pounds of free lead. Actually, if you neglect the time I spent, I got paid $100 for lead. I typically shoot in the same dirt pile when I'm slinging lead so I can also collect my shot bullets and just smelt them back down again. If you want to reload for dirt cheap, casting is definitely the way to go. I think I have around 800lbs of lead at this point from collecting over the years. I also bought about 200lbs of linotype to harden the lead too. I can makes tens of thousands of rounds before I run out of bullets. I'm definitely ready for the next gun scare. |
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Posted: 9/21/2017 12:18:12 PM EDT
[#46]
Free lead is one thing but do not forget the cost of the bullet swaging gear, itself. That is the most expensive reloading-related equipment I have come across.
One thing to note, you should not use any turret or progressive press for bullet swaging. Corbin also says you cannot use of presses like the Forster Co-Ax that do not accept standard shell holders and have floating dies. It seemed like they ruled out all the commonly recommended reloading presses. So, you may end up buying a press just to swage. Compare Corbin's swaging presses to any turret and you will see dramatic differences in overall strength and price (~$1k). Corbin die sets are bewilderingly expensive (~$300/bullet type - caliber and tip style). Then there is the smelting gear,... If someone out there can better educate me on the process and cost of making your own bullets, I'm all ears. I found the Corbin web site to be both visually confusing and anything but easy to navigate from exactly what do I need thru what is the cost and lead time. I'm concerned that by the time I have all the gear I need to reload all my calibers, I would end up spending thousands on gear (~$3k = SWAG) and still have to do the work. The work is digging in the dirt to sift the lead from the rocks, smelting, recycling, casting, swaging, powder coating, etc. Corbin should have a starter kit - everything you need to make bullets for one caliber. I'd like to see that list of equipment and the price, thereof. Now, in an extreme shortage of the type that just ended, all that may be justifiable for a hard core shooter. One person could probably make a small business out of supplying bullets to a local gun club. Where they'd get powder and primers during times of shortage is yet another matter. |
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Posted: 9/21/2017 4:57:07 PM EDT
[#47]
ETA - I went thru this same exercise during the depths of the last shortage and came to the conclusion that it was not a viable option due to cost and lead time. Back then, the costs were similar (high) and lead times had grown to 6 months for the dies due to increased shortage-induced demand.
You can buy a lot of components for $3k (or whatever), even at shortage-inflated prices. |
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Posted: 9/21/2017 7:30:37 PM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
ETA - I went thru this same exercise during the depths of the last shortage and came to the conclusion that it was not a viable option due to cost and lead time. Back then, the costs were similar (high) and lead times had grown to 6 months for the dies due to increased shortage-induced demand. You can buy a lot of components for $3k (or whatever), even at shortage-inflated prices. The other side of the street is called horse trading and being smart. Any time you know you can make $$$ off of some ting buy it/sell it and take the $$$ and invest it in things you want. Been at this a little while, any time I could buy a steel mold for $10 I bought it. Any time I could buy a firearm and turn at least $20 I bought it. Any time I could buy any reloading equipment for 25% of the new cost I bought it. Rome wasn't built in a day, $5 here $40 there adds up to buy your freedom bullet wise. To make those home swaged 223 bullets pictured above I made 4 sets of gas check makers, sold them and bought the swaging dies. I'm going to use those swaging dies till I can't use them any more and then sell the for twice the $$$/doubling my investment when I'm done with them. At 1 time I traded anything and everything and got $$$ for the trades and bought steel bullet casting molds. Had over 300+ molds, when the $$$ got right and shit hit the fan I sold 250+ of them in 2 days. Kept the custom molds and invested in another 20+ custom molds with enough $$$ to spare to invest in a new lathe and a couple other things. The point is this: Buy low sell high and when you do buy something you want. Buy it use it and when you sell it the price will go up high enough that you will get paid for owning/using that piece of reloading equipment. Heck I used to buy used sets of reloading dies for $5 apiece, bought 100's of them at that price & sold them for $15 a set. Back them $10 bought 1000 primers/1# of powder/etc. You want it make it happen! Don't have to put $$$ up front, trade/sell/enjoy It's you're world, you have a choice follow or lead |
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Posted: 9/21/2017 8:32:30 PM EDT
[#49]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Free lead is one thing but do not forget the cost of the bullet swaging gear, itself. That is the most expensive reloading-related equipment I have come across. One thing to note, you should not use any turret or progressive press for bullet swaging. Corbin also says you cannot use of presses like the Forster Co-Ax that do not accept standard shell holders and have floating dies. It seemed like they ruled out all the commonly recommended reloading presses. So, you may end up buying a press just to swage. Compare Corbin's swaging presses to any turret and you will see dramatic differences in overall strength and price (~$1k). Corbin die sets are bewilderingly expensive (~$300/bullet type - caliber and tip style). Then there is the smelting gear,... If someone out there can better educate me on the process and cost of making your own bullets, I'm all ears. I found the Corbin web site to be both visually confusing and anything but easy to navigate from exactly what do I need thru what is the cost and lead time. I'm concerned that by the time I have all the gear I need to reload all my calibers, I would end up spending thousands on gear (~$3k = SWAG) and still have to do the work. The work is digging in the dirt to sift the lead from the rocks, smelting, recycling, casting, swaging, powder coating, etc. Corbin should have a starter kit - everything you need to make bullets for one caliber. I'd like to see that list of equipment and the price, thereof. Now, in an extreme shortage of the type that just ended, all that may be justifiable for a hard core shooter. One person could probably make a small business out of supplying bullets to a local gun club. Where they'd get powder and primers during times of shortage is yet another matter. I cannot remember when I first tripped across it. But trying to return to it like 5 years ago yielded no results. That must have been before the time of the google bots crawling through forums and archiving everything. I do remember at least one dude and his set up. He had one of Corbin's hydraulic presses. He was ordering copper strip that was maybe two inches wide on a roll. He had converted over an engine stand to hold the roll about 3 or 4 feet off the floor. It would gradually unwind as the hydrauluc press would stamp out or blank out what he called "coins". They were circular discs of that copper sheet. Then at some point he would switch the dies in the press and form these coins into cups. I can't recall if he was ordering in his own lead wire, or if he was extruding his own dead soft lead wire himself. These copper cups would get filled with lead and then gradually would get drawn into a jacket. Eventually that produced a finished bullet. Of course, the initial start up cost was really high. If I lived out west where I could shoot something like a .50 BMG or .408 or .416 at really long distances, then maybe a better option would be to have a CNC lathe machining up solid copper, brass, or bronze bullets. Either way....the initial start up costs represent quite "the barrier to entry". |
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Posted: 9/24/2017 1:24:43 PM EDT
[#50]
I don't even worry about the cost. I have the gear. I enjoy doing it. When I need bullets, powder, primers or brass, I buy or scrounge for them. I stock up in bulk when I can and am setting pretty good right now. Plus I am shooting a fair amount. The cost is irrelevant in my opinion. The enjoyment I get out of reloading and shooting is worth more than the stuff costs.
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