Non-Reloaders: When is a Round Too Expensive to Shoot?

prior to reloading, my 454 and 500 were costing 2-4 bucks a round, enjoyed the heck out of them before and after, can't run with the big dogs...stay on the porch...

It is.
I tend to think more this way but could use some large pistol primers.

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38-72? Anyone?

I like your vintage ammo. Thanks for sharing.

I'm glad I'm not buying for a 500 Nitro express...

https://www.opticsplanet.com/hornad...edium=affiliate&utm_campaign=affiliate-432030

Conelrad

Couldn't answer the poll, my category is not there... The calibers we shoot around here, adding the location factor, take us into the $10.00 and more per round. And we can't reload. We don't use them for plinking...

"Cheap" stuff (7.62x39) is like $1.00 per round...

I didn’t vote. I don’t have a limit on ammo in general other then on caliber and type of ammo. I’ve bought custom loaded 458 SOCOM ammunition at $2 a round.
A few years back my son wanted to shoot a rifle in 50 BMG. The guy said that he only shot factory ammo in his rifle and it cost him $4 a round. I gave him $10 to let my son shoot two rounds.

If I didn't hand load I'd shoot a LOT more 223 and 22 RF. I'd still keep and use my centerfire rifles in 308 etc. but would not shoot them nearly as much. They'd get zeroed, and practiced with a bit before hunting season, but other than that not shot as much.

I got into reloading about 15 years ago when I picked up a used custom rifle in 338/06. I initially tried to get the guy to sell me just the Zeiss scope on the rifle, but he made me a good deal on both the rifle and scope. My plan was to keep the scope and sell the rifle. But it also came with a box of ammo. I made the mistake of shooting it 1st and decided to keep it.

Factory loads were hard to find and around $70/20 rounds. I approached a friend who I knew had all the reloading tools, but had gotten out of hunting and shooting and asked if he wanted to sell his equipment. He did, and I stared loading.

I said $1.50 for just random target practice, but I sure won't shoot much of that.

Thankfully I do reload, but I will shoot up more expensive stuff to do things like verify SD ammo or dial in my scope with hunting ammo.

I'm a cheap skate and I don't hunt or shoot rifles. At the same time, I'm recoil sensitive from accident after accident, so I guess a 10mm or 357 out of a heavy handgun is my limit.

As I read this......My mind immediately jumped to a date not a dollar value! For which my answer was .....around 1967 or ‘68!

In an attempt to more accurately answer the question.....it solely depends upon the cartridge. For some of the African, dangerous game cartridges, you can easily surpass 7 or 8 dollars a shot. Many premium cartridges used for typical NA big game can run above 3 dollars/round! So, if you have one of those and do not hand-load....I guess that is an acceptable dollar value! memtb

I recall seeing a 20-round box of Federal Safari ammo in .416 Remington Mag for I believe $160 bucks at Bass Pro a year or two back.

I guess if I’m paying 10K for a safari trip, 8 bucks a shot won’t break the bank.

Stay safe.

I can’t answer. I buy three types of ammo (22LR, self-defense centerfire, shotgun) and all are at different acceptable price points. The quantity I intend to shoot also makes a difference: I’m hopefully going to be spending some time camping in brown bear country in a few months so if I have to pay $3/round to buy a box of 12 gauge slugs then that’s what I’m going to do.

I shoot some old EXPENSIVE cartridges.
450-577 Martini-Henry
577 Snider
11 Mauser
11 Egyptian
All of those above, a box of 20 is a sizable amount of the cost of the rifle.
Especially the 450-577. 80 rounds is more than I paid for the rifle.

If you really want to shoot em, you will find a way.

JCooperfan1911 said:

For all the NON-RELOADERS out there, when do you look at the price per round of ammo, step back and say “yeah that caliber is too pricey for my shooting needs”?

Just curious as I don’t reload .30-06 but have been eyeing a classic M1903A3 Springfield rifle here locally, but checked the prices on .30-06 on ammoseek.com and am seeing the very cheapest steel cased rounds at a dollar twenty-five per shot. I was like “nope” on that one.

Interested to see your thoughts on this guys (and gals). Godbless and Happy 4th!

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I think a lot would depend on the anticipated amount of round to be shot. Currently, the big news for turkey hunting is using a 28 gauge with #9 tungsten @ $9/each; but if you only anticipate shooting 2-3 shells per year, would it really be better to try and buy components, etc. or just suck it up and buy some?

So in your 30-06 example, is this something you intend to shoot a lot? If yes, then reload; if less than a box a year, then don't waste your time.

$14.95 a pew!

Riomouse911 said:

I recall seeing a 20-round box of Federal Safari ammo in .416 Remington Mag for I believe $160 bucks at Bass Pro a year or two back.

I guess if I’m paying 10K for a safari trip, 8 bucks a shot won’t break the bank.

Stay safe.

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I have always been under the impression that African hunting trips are wildly more expensive than 10k. I wouldn't think 50k is out of the picture, but I suppose it has a ton of cost variables involved.

Encoreman said:

As for the Op's question you shouldn't have left out all the reloaders.

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I believe OP's point was to limit this to people buying "off the shelf."

Reloaders have all sorts of stockpiles and their buy-in affects how they measure the PV (Present Value) of their loaded inventory. There's always been a disconnect between what reloaders "spend" for ammo and what off-the-shelf ammo "costs." Our present situation has not made that any more clear.

May have created even more of a divide, little point in even looking at off-the-shelf in .243, .25-06, 7mm-08 and such similar when the ammo is either Unobtanium or $40 & $50 the box, and you are stuck with whatever the factory load is. Where there are plenty of 60-70gr .223/5.56 factory loads that do just fine for many shooters.

What remains is a fascinating discussion, though. The question for those who buy by the box off a shelf at present, becomes one of "Is price point your criteria?" From the discussion so far, that question is not as simple as it might seem. Which is also interesting, too.

rabid wombat said:

$14.95 a pew!

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Not that anyone typically fires more than 2-3 to sight in and then 2 or 3 at that buffalo

Like most, it depends.

For example, currently and the last ammo shortage, I won't pay more than .10 for CCI mini mags. I'll let the market correct itself 1st.

With inflation, I realize that eventually, .10 would be cheap.

I wouldn't plink cans with $1 ammo because I get just as much joy with >.50 ammo and even >.10 ammo is dang fun.

But if I was hunting deer for meat to eat where only a few shots are fired, $5 a round wouldn't be expensive to me.

Have ya priced 416 Rigby?

The good news is nobody really wants to shoot more than $25 worth (~3 rounds)

twarr1 said:

The poll results don't mean a lot to me because I remember when everyone was saying if gasoline went over $1 a gallon they would quit driving.
Don't see lot of people walking..

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When I bought my first car (1971), gasoline averaged about $0.30 per gallon and my car would get 13 -15 mpg. When the price of fuel hit $0.65 (about 1975) I bought a Fiat 128 SL coupe that would consistenty get 30+ mpg and occasionally hit 40 mpg. It's all time best was 44 mpg on one trip. I didn't quit driving (and never said I would), but I greatly reduced my fuel consumption.

My point? When prices rise, people modify their behavior, but not usually in the extremes often expressed because it is only a natural thing that people exaggerate when they are excited or upset about an issue. It often works that way in the firearms community, too.

Poper said:

My point? When prices rise, people modify their behavior, but not usually in the extremes often expressed because it is only a natural thing that people exaggerate when they are excited or upset about an issue. It often works that way in the firearms community, too.

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My point as well. In 2 years, 5 years, the guy saying he'll never pay over 50 cents may be paying $1.50. Another guy saying the same thing may give up or greatly reduce his shooting.
People fuss, complain, make declarations, then ultimately adapt.

I reload. If I didn't, it would be 30-30, 223, and 22LR

I buy 22s at $5-6/50, and have paid a bit more. I'd rather increase my stock than to give up shooting.

If I didn't load 30-30 I'd pay 20-25 a box but wouldn't shoot it much. I'd also....start reloading.

A friend that doesn't reload paid $50 a box for 38 specials, then he topped that by paying $62. I'd still carry a gun and use it occasionally if I had to pay prices like that, but I'd pare down considerably. I offered my friend to use my equipment, under my tutalage, and just pay current replacement costs, and he refused.

I agree this is an interesting thread. I can't imagine not reloading and casting. If there is anyone in my area that wants to learn either, feel free to message me.

It is relative to what the prices are in "normal" times for that round. I will not buy in these times and this may run years. If so I cut way back and may hit the range once a month or at longer intervals to preserve what I have. I wouldn't pay $.60+/round for 9mm.

A buddy told me he was in ID last week and saw 9mm at $22/ box 50.

I was sent this pic a few days ago when joking about ammo: (Doesn't look like a grocery store either.)