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Cost per round...

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MWC1974

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Jan 31, 2021
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For the heck of it, I calculated my cost per round for 9mm. I’m sitting at 20 cents per round, higher than I expected but it could be worse. I was at 11 cents per round a year ago.
 
There are cartridges I load that cost me over $1 each, factory equivalent is about $3 (in normal times). The cheapest I load is 357 mag, cast & coated bullets- maybe about .20 each or so. Not too bad.
I don't load any cartridge that's inexpensive (again, during normal times).
I've been thinking I should probably start loading 10mm, it's border line expensive but still not huge money.
 
I cant find any supplies currently. Do I use current rates to calculate. I was loading 45 acp for about 10 cents with cast bullets but I have no idea on the current cost. I was loading high class nossler hollowpoint target loads for 25 cents. Cant immagine those bullets are even available for 17 cents per from rmr.
 
AJC1 said:
I cant find any supplies currently. Do I use current rates to calculate. I was loading 45 acp for about 10 cents with cast bullets but I have no idea on the current cost. I was loading high class nossler hollowpoint target loads for 25 cents. Cant immagine those bullets are even available for 17 cents per from rmr.
Click to expand...

I based my cost per round on my most recent purchase data for comments. Some are pre-rona some are current prices (bullets and ‘some’ powder).
 
CoalCrackerAl said:
Just don't use Tite group with the coated. I had issues with leading real bad in 9mm and .380. Yet with Tite wad no issues. And it's a hotter faster powder.
Click to expand...

yeah, I’ve heard titegroup isn’t all that great for cast bullets. I have quite a bit of VV320 I just dipped into, a fair amount of TG, and WIN231. More powder than the 1K projectiles I just ordered, haha. I still have 2500 Berrys and 1500 Xtremes. I ordered the hi-tec to give them a shot and see if I liked them.
 
CoalCrackerAl said:
Just don't use Tite group with the coated. I had issues with leading real bad in 9mm and .380. Yet with Tite wad no issues. And it's a hotter faster powder.
Click to expand...
I'm curious which coating. My Eastwood powder seems ok with light loads in 38 and 45. Is it a powder coat or high tec
 
AJC1 said:
I'm curious which coating. My Eastwood powder seems ok with light loads in 38 and 45. Is it a powder coat or high tec
Click to expand...
The Hi-tek. But i did not have leading with T.G in 38 spec or .357 mag. I don't get it. Same with it in 45 and 40s. Just the 9mm and .380. And it wasn't limited to one gun or brand.
 
9mm... 115 gr.

RMR lead when bought in bulk is $200 for 128lbs so that’s just over $1.56 per pound. And that pound makes 60 bullets. 2.6 cents per bullet.

I’m still using primers I got for less than a dollar a tray a couple years ago. Call it a penny per primer.

Powder varies widely. 2 cents a shot seems to be the average cost.

I don’t count brass coat because I trade or pick up the vast majority of what I use.

5.6 cents per round. $2.80 per box. I just did the math myself for the first time and I’m a bit shocked. That’s not counting the $150 I have in basic casting gear. I will see similar pricing for all the 38 caliber rounds I shoot and that’s huge for 38sw and 38 spl. 32 caliber pistol rounds will be more like $2 a box. 30 carbine and 30-30 will be in the ballpark of $4 a box. I just have to get more molds and more space in the garage to do the casting.
 
I don't have access to my data at the moment, but I calculate my per round prices based on what the components cost me at purchase time. In my case, I was able to build up a good stock of components back a while ago.I keep my inventory/load log in Excel, so I know what the various components cost. So, for the most part 9MM with plated bullets from RMR, Xtreme, Berry's, etc, will run me around 9-10-12 cents a round. My primers cost around $20-25 per K.
I got into casting recently, and with lead that cost me around $1.25 a pound, my 9MM costs are even lower. I have some free lead that I will cast up into bullets soon, and with those, figure 2.5 cents for primers, and around 1 cent for powder --- whoa! Man, I love this hobby!
 
Last week I loaded some 9mm RMR 115gr FMJRN loads. The cost per round was with PowerPistol 13 cents, CFE Pistol 13 cents, and W244 12 cents. It is still cheap.

Thanks to RMR for not jacking up their bullet prices.
 
32-20: range pickup lead was free, lube was Christmas present, approximately 1,000 small rifle primers were given to me by someone cleaning out garage, 3.7 gr W231 comes out to 1 penny. So 1 penny. My 7.9 gr 2400 load runs 3 cents. The price quadruples when I run through the free primers. I'm enjoying this very slowly at 100 yards. Everything from 9mm to 45 auto is holding at a nickel.
 
My costs are way, way above any of those mentioned here. And calculating them with any accuracy, well I just don’t know how to do it.

I started loading September 2019–only load 9mm and 45ACP. I’ve spent easily $1500 for equipment. Probably closer to $2000. Who knows really. At least two of everything. And that’s before the panic price run up. So that sunk cost really skews my per round cost.

Also, early on, I never shopped for best component price. I just bought everything at pre-lock down gun shows and bought what I needed and more than I needed. Mostly because I was just learning and love to shoot a lot and really didn’t care how much it cost. (That was when 45ACP was well under 30 cents a round at Walmart and gun shows)

Now it’s too late to worry about price. It’s all about availability and the only thing I try to avoid is high hazmat and shipping costs.

I’ve loaded a good 15K rounds (45 + 9). So, if I’ve spent $5000, that’s .33/round?

oh and there’s gas and wear and tear to and from shows and cabelas 35 miles away.
 
One reason the cost was so low, several years ago I found a steal of a deal on some components at a salvage place they sold the XTP's for $6.50 per 100, also had AA winchester for $2 per box. Those deals don't come around many times though. But you always got to be looking!!
 
BWF, Before Wuhan Flue, it was costing me ~$0.14/rd. I quite reloading 9mm because I found top commercial ammo for < $0.16/rd on sale.
Fortunately I had a good stash of primers and have been able to buy power and bullets during all this. The price to reload is still pretty low, but remember I have the primers already.
 
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