What's your 12ga. low cost recipe?

[cougar1717]

There is a well respected man I know that is telling me that he reloads 12ga. shells for $3.09/box at current component prices. I understand that he has to buy in significant volume, but I've done the math a few times and it still doesn't calculate. So the question is, how do you get there? What's your low cost recipe? Wolf primers? Windjammer wads? Rex powder? 7/8oz loads? A different combination? Assume you're reloading your own hulls (free), there is no equipment expense, and no labor expense. One last thing, please use current component pricing. As nice as it is to be glad about saving some money, using the cost of 10 year old components because that's what you paid for them doesn't help figure this out. Thanks.

 

[oneounceload]

I answered this on another forum - using Nobel primers, local shot (not reclaimed, nor magnum), bulk Clays and Remington or AA clone, my cost was 3.69 or so per box. If your friend has primers purchased a while ago or shot like that, his price is very realistic

 

[lgbloader]

For shotshell, I only handload cast lead slugs which I cast myself. I get the Wheel weights for free as my best friend is a lead technician for a good year. I usually get around 25 - 45 pounds or so a week. Yes, this is a blessing.

Projo's... $Free
Primers $3.00 / 100
Herco $20.00 / lb - I get 200 rounds per lb.
Claybuster wad $ 6.50 / 500
AA WIN shell $range pick up


$3.56 / box of 25

LGB

 

[ilmonster]

Well, I just went to my reloading supply store today and after picking up supplies for the upcoming skeet season calculated how much my reloads are going to cost. I can reload a 7/8 oz. load traveling at 1200 fps for $4.05/box using the following components:

Clays powder, 4# keg - $54.95
25# of 6% antimony shot - $33.95
Winchester 209 Primers per 1000 - $33.95
Winchester WAA12SL wads per 1000 - $20.95
Winchester AA hulls - free

This is bit more than a year ago when I could buy primers for $28.95 and shot for $29.95

 

[MARKMALL]

I just figured my cost for a box of shell at 3.56

promo powder 8# $80.00
claybuster wad cb2100-12 $16.30 / 1000
noble sport 209 primers 23.80 / 1000

 

[ants]

For shotshells, not slugs...

At current components TODAY it costs me $3.71 per box of 25 shotshells for 1 ounce loads, using the components I like. That's exactly in the ballpark as the other three members posting above.

My components:
Shot purchased locally $25 plus tax, Win primers $24.95/1000, Claybuster wads at 9.99 per 500. Titegroup powder in the 8# keg at $130 plus tax locally. I can cut the cost somewhat when I use Promo as mentioned by Markmall above.

Obviously shot is the big cost, almost half of the total cost per box.

From my experience reloading shotshells since 1968, your friend is not buying retail components. Either he is getting deals on shot through a club or buying group, or he bought his components 5 years ago and he's fooling himself that he can buy at those prices today.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

There is a well respected man I know that is telling me that he reloads 12ga. shells for $3.09/box at current component prices. ....but I've done the math a few times and it still doesn't calculate. So the question is, how do you get there?

Don't you think the questions should be, "Excuse me well respected man, how do YOU get there?" It seems to me it would be much easier to ask the person who claims $3.09 a box than to ask us to speculate on how he did it, no? I'm not giving you any jazz, I'm just using logic... I would also like to know how "the well respected man" does it...

 

[ants]

$3.09/box at current component prices.

Yes, ask him to please post his sources where he is getting supplies at current component prices to get down to that cost. Share the wealth, friend.

I would suspect he gets his shot from a trap club, and they buy it in 55 gal barrels from RotoMetal or Lawrence. Or they recover reclaimed shot.

 

[oneounceload]

If you buy components in bulk - powder by the case of (2) 8# jugs, primers by the batch in 25,000, wads by the case of 5,000 AND use reclaimed shot - shooting 7/8oz 12 gauge loads, you can easily get down to that price. my friend loads using that aspect, and his cost is 2.75/box - (he sold me one when I ran short at a shoot)

 

[evan price]

Promo powder for about $90/8#. Reclaimed shot from the local gun club at $1/#. Free AA hulls. Claybuster wads for $20/K. $25/K for Fiocchi primers. Used cardboard boxes turned inside out and remarked with a Sharpie = free.
Total cost is about $3.38 a box of 25. ($27/200, actually)
I do not reload shotshells anymore, I don't shoot enough to bother messing with them- I just hit the Wallyworld for $20/100 on sale, or cheaper other places if you look for them.

 

[HOWARD J]

I have no idea what it costs to reload my 12 gage rounds.
I do it for a hobby.
Win AA target hulls
Win WAA12 wads-1 1/8 oz. of # 8 shot
Win W209 primer
18 gr. of Red Dot powder

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About 1500 rounds..................
BTY -- I used the last of my 25 year old powder to load these !!!!!!

10000 rounds of .22 cal. beside the shot shells.................................