I'm glad I reload

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XD-40 Shooter

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Yesterday I was in Sportsmans Warehouse, just perusing around the hunting/gun counter, when I decided to check out the ammo prices, let me tell ya, my reaction was....:what:.

45 ACP Federal American Eagle = $17.50/50
40 S&W Federal American Eagle = $17/50
9mm Federal American Eagle = $14/50

Winchester White Box was similair in price, even the CCI Blazer was running $12/50 in 9mm. Pretty rediculous if you ask me. The 38 special, same price as 45 Auto, 357 magnum, forget about it, $24/50.:eek:

I'm currently loading 40 S&W and 357 mag for $6/50. Otherwise, I could only afford to shoot one box of ammo a month.:barf:
 
What you are seeing is the increased prices of raw products, increased prices of labor, and the increased price of transportation. All combined, they make for a hefty price jump. The increases in raw materials prices alone is staggering, thanks to the Chinese and India.

A friend manages a grocery store for a large chain and we were discussing the high price of eggs. Fuel prices alone are driving them up. The cost of producing feed, transporting it, etc.

The price increases on ammunition and components are going to continue as long as China and India continue to suck the world dry of copper, lead and steel. It's not helping at all that fuel prices are reaching record levels, either. Everything we use has to be moved from one location to another several times. Fuel costs are factored into that moving, and the consumer has to pay the bill.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
I completely agree with ReloaderFred with one additional point. We are at war, it can only reasoned that they need more ammunition and therefore resources are going to the military instead of the consumer. The military is likely getting the best priced copper and lead and we are getting what companies have to pay more for. Granted, this is all just theory, I have no actual proof about any of these claims :rolleyes:


Anyway I sure am glad I reload too. I just wish I bought more components before the price hikes.
 
Well... I'm sorry but I'm having a tough time believing it's just China and India. Why is it that cars haven't doubled in costs??? Nothing else in the consumer market with heavy metal content has shot thru the roof like ammo/bullets. Guns haven't either. I don't get it. Either way it ANGERS MEf and I'm inclined to buy A LOT of components.

Here's what I see:

Commerical .45 ACP/1000 ~$350.

Reloaded .45 ACP/1000:

New Starline brass/1000 $130
WLP $24
W231 $12
Plated or MC bullets $110 (Prices vary widely on this and it's heading up)

So... with ALL NEW components I can still make 1000 rounds for $276... when reusing my brass it's only $146/1000. That's a huge savings to me.

The math is simple isn't it?
 
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World copper & lead prices are at an all time high due to the industrialization of many third world countries, with China being the largest. And there is no end in sight to where those prices will end up.

And there is a war on several fronts.

Shoulda bought ammo & supplies a year or two ago when we were warning folks it was going to happen.

BTW: There is another 15% across the board price increase coming after the first of the year.
Ammo is as cheap right now as it is ever going to be again!

1224.jpg
rcmodel
 
Sportsmans is a bunch of freaking crooks. I buy ammo for $5/ box less than that in all those calibers from a single store outfit here in SLC Ut as well as compnents and powder for 3-5 bucks per pound less than sportsmans and bullets $1.50-2.00 less per 100. Its pretty obvious these high volume outfits with huge buying power are just raping their customers. (have you ever bought milk at wal-mart) Thinking that while you are one stop shopping, you will bend over and take their prices. Just a big convenience store really. They jack everything else up to make up for selling guns at near cost. Yes, there is a HOOK in that bait folks.
 
There is no way I could enjoy this hobby and not reload. When I go into the various candy stores I just get blown away by the outrageous prices of loaded ammo. I haven't bought more that 2-3 boxes of factory ammo for years. I do have to buy factory bullets to work up hunting/target or ccw loads and thats bad enuff, But day-yum! Without reloading & casting it wouldn't be possible. Without reloading, casting, hunting, shooting & tinkering..... well its my past time.

Oh, BTW Howdie.

My name is Bboomer and I'm an addict... Nah, I'm the new kid on the block but I've been around awhile. I been around so long, that I'm just getting over angioplasty and stent placement just this past monday.

cya
 
Luggernut,

Nothing else in the consumer market with heavy metal content has shot thru the roof like ammo/bullets.
Click to expand...

Being involved in the remodeling business I can tell you copper plumbing pipe, copper wire and any brass fitting has gone up even faster than ammo or ammo components. As to the reasons, there are many but the futures markets in these commodities really drives up the prices.
 
being involved with manufacturing, the price of steel, aluminum and stainless have gone up dramatically in recent history. Wire is also outrageous. It isn't just ammo prices that are suffering. And i do blame China and India.
 
which is exactly why my most recent investment has been made towards getting set up for casting!

I'm just hoping the world wide supply of wheel weights doesn't dry up :rolleyes:
 
Grab those wheelweights while you can. That state south of me is trying to force the use of non-lead wheelweights, and anything else using lead. They've already outlawed the use of bullets containing lead in any "habitat" of the California Condor, which should have gone extinct many years ago.

Because that same state declared lead a "hazardous substance", the only recycler within 100 miles of me won't handle lead, or anything containing lead, even though they are based in my state.

Fred
 
Wal*Mart has 9mm Blazer Brass for $7.67/50. .45 Blazer Brass for $11.97/50. .357 mag was $21 a box of 50, .38 was $12 a box of 50, and I think .40 was $10.97/50 but: WWB .44 mag was $29.99 a box of 50!!

Glad I started reloading.
With the lead projos I bought recently, I am churning out 9mm for $4.25/50, .45 acp for $4.50/50 and .44 mag for $5/50. With Rainiers 9mm is $5.50/50, and .45 acp is $7/50.

Heck, the ammo I loaded over the Thanksgiving holiday basically paid for a brand new Lee Pro-1000 setup in savings. (500 .45's and 200 .44mags=$150!)
 
Well... I'm sorry but I'm having a tough time believing it's just China and India. Why is it that cars haven't doubled in costs???
Click to expand...

Yeah related to the increase cost of ammo or guns they average car should be around 35 grand or so.

45 ACP Federal American Eagle = $17.50/50
40 S&W Federal American Eagle = $17/50
9mm Federal American Eagle = $14/50
Click to expand...

And this is the "cheap" stuff! Try pricing rifle ammo with match components like Federal match rifle loaded Sierra bulllets , saw .223 for $25 per 20 mail order! Over a dollar a shot for .223! No way I could shoot precision ammo for that price.
 
Um, you all realize that the cost ratio between materials and manufacturing/marketing/insurance/executive bonuses/recalls/etc is quite different with ammunition and cars, right? Last time I checked, there weren't any elaborate electronic components, nor any really complicated machinery inside of those bullets. Car prices have a LOT more to do with the heavy manufacturing costs than the cost of raw materials. If they all of a sudden tripled wages for union car workers, you would see a huge price jump in cars. The steel is a relatively small cost compared to that.
 
Thanx for the reloading calculator, Jhansman

I punched in a few numbers... This of coarse is after all these years I've definately recouped my reloading tools costs.

But.. pouring my own lead for my 45ACP target loads comes to just a bit over two bucks per 50 rounds. Still less than $.05 each.

3.5gns of powder in each from a $20 -one pound/container. (cheaper if I bought a keg.)

Brass... I already have thousands and pick more up each time I go to the range. Just how many reloads can you get out of 45acp?

Primers... Well, we'll call it $16/1000

Lead... I'm still working on reserves I've had for years, and running a bit low, but I can get a 5 gallon bucket full of wheel weights from my local tire dealer for $45.00. ~60 pounds. We'll call that 2,500 bullets.

If I were pouring/loading 9mm, that cost comes to near $.035 each.

My shootin buddy says that I should put a dollar value on my time spent in the gun room. I say that time is priceless relaxation doing something I enjoy, so I can do something else I enjoy.

-Steve
 
One gunshop has 25 pound bags of shot for shot shells @ $47.00 per bag. That's a little steep...another had it at $36/bag, their "sale" price...none of the bags was marked, so they can raise the price as they like, passing the new price increases on to the "unpriced" bags, for a little more profit.

BUT...whatcha going to do?
 
Primers... Well, we'll call it $16/1000
Click to expand...

More like $24. Last gun show, three different vendors, same price.

Powder Valley has them for $21.50...but between shipping and that $20 Hazmat fee... it blows that deal out of the water, unless you are buying 10,000 primers at a time.
 
More like $24. Last gun show, three different vendors, same price.

Powder Valley has them for $21.50...but between shipping and that $20 Hazmat fee... it blows that deal out of the water, unless you are buying 10,000 primers at a time.
Click to expand...
Exactry, that's why I buy primers 50,000 at a time. You can buy 50,000 primers for one hazmat fee. If you buy Magtech or Wolf you can get down to $16 to $18 per 1,000 depending on weather you buy them from Powder Valley or Grafs.
Rusty
 
Goodness gracious. Ammo prices are a heartbreaker. I can easily burn through 100 dollars worth of ammo at the range.
I have been meaning to get into loading my own ammo. It is just that I don't have a garage or a shed to do it in. I live in a relatively small place and I don't want to clutter it up into an industrial work area.
I suppose I can read up on it and fill my head with knowledge and be ready to dive into it when the time comes to be hands-on.

I've heard "The A-B-C's of Reloading" is a good book to start with. Suggestions?
 
Hey, the handguns I own are pretty much all 10mm. So I think it behooves me start loading my own ammo. I feel your pain. It is a terrific round though in my opinion.
 
JohnL2,

A couple of square feet of table/counter space and oversized shoe box to store the supplies is all you need to reload, if you're only doing one cartridge.

I started reloading shotgun way back when I was in college, I could keep everything (except the hulls) in an milk crate. The reloader was bolted to a block of wood and then C-clamped to our kitchen table. I could set everything up, crank out a couple boxes, and have everything put away in under an hour.

You could probably do the same thing with a Lee Loader or any single stage press.
 
those prices don't look too far out of line from what ammo goes for here in central iowa.. metal prices and lead shortage is getting to be a fact of life... i'm glad i saved all my brass from the federal factory .357 magnum loads i bought in the 80s and bought as much .38 spl brass i could from gun shows in the early 90s! i also have a huge bar of linotype i can use for bullets if i need to!! besides a few of us like to reload about as much as shooting! it's a great hobby that has been saving more and more money as time goes by......
 
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