Cheaper to buy Factory Ammo??

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Mark_Mark

Mark_Mark

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I don’t know guys, If these prices keep dropping, it might be cheaper to buy factory practice ammo and only load the special stuff. Hear me out and look at my math

unobtainable primers current market cost $100-ish per 1,000

FMJ 115 gn bullet, not plated, $100

powder, 5gn / 7,000gn = 1,400 or 2/3 of a bottle of powder. $20-ish

new factory 9mm brass = $100

$100 + $100 + $20 + $100 = $320

Natchi is selling a case of new 9mm 115 fmj for $360 / 1,000 shipped! if it gets any cheaper, Buy Factory AMMO??? what you folks think?

1BD16964-5132-471B-A36F-D706B49C7715.jpeg
 
For many years I never reloaded 9mm or 5.56mm... when you factor in the time spent at the bench, particularly with 5.56mm, it was a wash. It becomes a factor when ammos are Unobtanium, like they were the past 2 years or so. As always, a quick rundown on the cost will give you your answer. Side benefit to factory ammos is... you get more brass to stash for reloading, should the need arise.
 
Click bait!!! You sir are a greater provocateur than Vladimir Putin!

First I challenge a couple of your assumptions which go directly to costs.

1. Why FMJ and not plated? I doubt many if any can tell the difference when shooting. Everglades has plated at about 3/4 the cost as I write this. Coated are even less.

2. Why new brass? Range brass from Everglades (for instance) is half the cost of new and is available as I write this. (Pickup is next to nothing provided it’s available)

But your biggest assumption is we’re in this for cost savings. That is the greatest affront of all! I demand the satisfaction!
 
That’s the reason I no longer reload 55 gn FMJ 223/5.56. Why spend 30¢ on components to load a 40¢ round when for 5-10 cents more you can load a $1 round?
That said, I don’t reload primarily to save money, I do it so I can have the rounds that fit my needs and my guns instead of whatever ammo the gun store happens to have. But the main reason is, I just enjoy it. Using perpetually scarce components to crank out generic FMJ doesn’t make sense for me. Others may feel differently and that’s great.
 
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I seldom buy any factory ammo save rim fire stuff, not because of cost, but because my luck being what it is, I have only ONE rifle out of 30 that actually shoots decent with factory ammo. The rest all require handloads unless you like groups that would make a shotgunner proud!

Besides, I leaned from past panics and stocked up when things were plenty and cheap, so my costs are still far less than factory stuff...but I'm slowing eating up my stash ..and hope things go back to normal before I run out
 
I am about ready to start buying factory 9mm S&Bs to take the load off my remaining cartons of primers. I will keep the primers for .357mags and maybe some 32s.
Sig 226 and S&B115gr.jpg
Believe it or not I put all 50 S&B 115gr 9mm through this target. This was with someone else's Sig 226. I have always shot striker fired guns so I couldn't get the single action trigger under control until about 12 shots in. Then I started landing them in the area under the 10 circle. 38 rounds went through that
jagged hole.
I had a hard time transitioning to the trigger being the whole way back at the trigger guard.
I guess the Sig is pretty dang accurate with the 115 gr S&B. I'm going to do this combo again to see if this is repeatable. I want to try them in my Q5 SF pro also.

Edit to add, right now these boxes of S&B 9mm 115gr rounds are only twice what they used to be and I can get them now.
I can't get primers yet at only twice what they were ($22/k) so I will, for the first time in my life, start buying factory loads to practice with.
 
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CQB45ACP said:
Click bait!!! You sir are a greater provocateur than Vladimir Putin!

First I challenge a couple of your assumptions which go directly to costs.

1. Why FMJ and not plated? I doubt many if any can tell the difference when shooting. Everglades has plated at about 3/4 the cost as I write this. Coated are even less.

2. Why new brass? Range brass from Everglades (for instance) is half the cost of new and is available as I write this. (Pickup is next to nothing provided it’s available)

But your biggest assumption is we’re in this for cost savings. That is the greatest affront of all! I demand the satisfaction!
Click to expand...
I have not bought factory ammo in forever. But FMJ’s can be used in many penetration applications, Bears and Stuff.

Factory ammo is pretty and shiny and you can sell and trade with it.

Factory new brass is like driving a New Rental car

Savings…. not yet, but if 9mm FMJ goes to $299/1000 would you buy it?
 
tightgroup tiger said:
I am about ready to start buying factory 9mm S&Bs to take the load off my remaining cartons of primers. I will keep the primers for .357mags and maybe some 32s.
View attachment 1052556
Believe it or not I put all 50 S&B 115gr 9mm through this target. This was with someone else's Sig 226. I have always shot striker fired guns so I couldn't get the single action trigger under control until about 12 shots in. Then I started landing them in the area under the 10 circle. 38 rounds went through that
jagged hole.
I had a hard time transitioning to the trigger being the whole way back at the trigger guard.
I guess the Sig is pretty dang accurate with the 115 gr S&B. I'm going to do this combo again to see if this is repeatable. I want to try them in my Q5 SF pro also.

Edit to add, right now these boxes of S&B 9mm 115gr rounds are only twice what they used to be and I can get them now.
I can't get primers yet at only twice what they were ($22/k) so I will, for the first time in my life, start buying factory loads to practice with.
Click to expand...
That was kindda my idea, buy cheap factory ammo to ease off my stash of primers and save them for my big boys like 10mm and 45 ACP and .357 and 7STW
 
Mark_Mark said:
I have not bought factory ammo in forever. But FMJ’s can be used in many penetration applications, Bears and Stuff.

Factory ammo is pretty and shiny and you can sell and trade with it.

Factory new brass is like driving a New Rental car

Savings…. not yet, but if 9mm FMJ goes to $299/1000 would you buy it?
Click to expand...
Shiny?? You haven’t seen my polished range brass!!

9mm for bear? Teddy bear?

I only shoot 9mm & 45ACP and wouldn’t buy factory until my powder & primers run out—I have already decided to stop reloading and sell my stuff at that point.

Then, buying factory will be my sole source.
 
CQB45ACP said:
Shiny?? You haven’t seen my polished range brass!!

9mm for bear? Teddy bear?

I only shoot 9mm & 45ACP and wouldn’t buy factory until my powder & primers run out—I have already decided to stop reloading and sell my stuff at that point.

Then, buying factory will be my sole source.
Click to expand...
Don’t sell your reloading gear man. I go to my reloading room to get away and relax. It’s not aways for making ammo.

Go in there, count primers and components, day dream about your next cowgirl gun. Pop on the YT … it’s not all about reloading
 
twarr1 said:
That’s the reason I no longer reload 55 gn FMJ 223/5.56. Why spend 30¢ on components to load a 40¢ round when for 5-10 cents more you can load a $1 round?
That said, I don’t reload primarily to save money, I do it so I can have the rounds that fit my needs and my guns instead of whatever ammo the gun store happens to have. But the main reason is, I just enjoy it. Using perpetually scarce components to crank out generic FMJ doesn’t make sense for me. Others may feel differently and that’s great.
Click to expand...

I sold some lead yesterday and meet the guy at the local cabelas.
223 was $1.50 a round with tax.
I'll reload before I spend that kind of money.

20220115_135113.jpg


Some people don't mind paying them prices, I find 223 brass up to the pits on the ground free to pick up.
I just bought 1,000 pieces of 62 grain FMJ 223 bullets for $119 free shipping and I have thousands of pre inflated small rifle primers and plenty of powder.

At $1.50 a round the guns would stay in the safe.
 

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Hey Mark, you're the one that brought up money. Reloading isn't all about money, for me it is another aspect of my shooting hobby and it affords me the option of actually shooting rather than searching for a box of 30-30's for example. I have seen the look on a man's face that wanted to go hunting and couldn't find any ammo, it isn't a pretty sight.
 
There really isn't an absolute answer to this. As I mentioned, for many years I didn't reload 9mm or 5.56mm because the cost differential wasn't enough to offset my investment of time. I would rather spend the little time I have available to reload for cartridges I can't afford to buy... .41MAG, match .308, .348WCF, .45-70, et al. If I was retired and had all day to spend crunching bullets, it might be a different story... but prolly not. I love to reload, but not necessarily 9mm or 5.56mm, which I consider a pain in the rumpus. The current supply and demand cycle being what it is... yes, I'm reloading 9mm and 5.56mm. That is not to say I don't have my stash of factory ammos for both, but I prefer a balanced approach... conserving my primers as much as I can, but still being able to shoot.
 
Mark_Mark said:
I don’t know guys, If these prices keep dropping, it might be cheaper to buy factory practice ammo and only load the special stuff. Hear me out and look at my math

unobtainable primers current market cost $100-ish per 1,000

FMJ 115 gn bullet, not plated, $100

powder, 5gn / 7,000gn = 1,400 or 2/3 of a bottle of powder. $20-ish

new factory 9mm brass = $100

$100 + $100 + $20 + $100 = $320

Natchi is selling a case of new 9mm 115 fmj for $360 / 1,000 shipped! if it gets any cheaper, Buy Factory AMMO??? what you folks think?

View attachment 1052552
Click to expand...
How much is factory .357RemMax in a heavy FN-GC? If they’re less than $30/box of 100, it might be worth it. Oh, and if anyone is selling 200gr LSWC .44Spl at a halfway decent price - less than 50-cents a shot - let me know.
If all you’re interested in is mag-dump 9 and 5.56, then you probably shouldn’t ever have bothered starting reloading to begin with.
 
Encoreman said:
Hey Mark, you're the one that brought up money. Reloading isn't all about money, for me it is another aspect of my shooting hobby and it affords me the option of actually shooting rather than searching for a box of 30-30's for example. I have seen the look on a man's face that wanted to go hunting and couldn't find any ammo, it isn't a pretty sight.
Click to expand...
I was more referring to 9mm being cheaper to buy than make. If 9mm goes down to $250-ish a caee, I’ll probably buy some
 
RMR seconds 8.5 cents
Primers from Academy 7 cents
Titegroup 1.8 cents
Brass: free range chicken pickin only


I’m at 17.3 cents for range practice ammo which is about half price of the cheapest loaded ammo I can get. Of course I’ll eventually run out of those Academy primers and my price each will go up to about 20 cents each.
 
@Highland Lofts , your photo shows polymer tip 223 for $1.40/rn. Which is my point. The cost of the case (plus prep), powder and primer are the same whether you top it with a 15¢ FMJ or a 25¢ HP, SP, Polymer tip, etc.
Use the FMJ and you end up with a 50¢ round
Use the not-FMJ bullet, end up with a $1.50 round.
 
Hartkopf said:
RMR seconds 8.5 cents
Primers from Academy 7 cents
Titegroup 1.8 cents
Brass free range chicken pickin only


I’m at 17.3 cents for range practice ammo which is about half price of the cheapest loaded ammo I can get. Of course I’ll eventually run out of those Academy primers and my price each will go up to about 20 cents each.
Click to expand...
If I can get 9mm/1,000 for $250-ish shipped, I’ll get a few and stash it away. Never know
 
Mark_Mark said:
If I can get 9mm/1,000 for $250-ish shipped, I’ll get a few and stash it away. Never know
Click to expand...

Not bad to have extra stashed. My guess is we’ve bottomed on price. The printed money and backward virus response can’t go back in the bottle. The damage is done and we’re stuck dealing with a broken system. Of course that means reloading supply cost has also bottomed (my guess) so the cost ratio will stay about where it’s at.
 
Hartkopf said:
Not bad to have extra stashed. My guess is we’ve bottomed on price. The printed money and backward virus response can’t go back in the bottle. The damage is done and we’re stuck dealing with a broken system. Of course that means reloading supply cost has also bottomed (my guess) so the cost ratio will stay about where it’s at.
Click to expand...
yeah, I’m still stocking up on what ever is cheap or on sale. That reminds me, probably need to go local to see if they have more 45LC brass for $.12 each
 
twarr1 said:
@Highland Lofts , your photo shows polymer tip 223 for $1.40/rn. Which is my point. The cost of the case (plus prep), powder and primer are the same whether you top it with a 15¢ FMJ or a 25¢ HP, SP, Polymer tip, etc.
Use the FMJ and you end up with a 50¢ round
Use the not-FMJ bullet, end up with a $1.50 round.
Click to expand...
That's my ideology. I either reload with expensive bullets or cast. Either way I'm not paying near standard prices.
I still buy 9mm when I need it. But I had enough stocked up for my wife to be happy for years.
All my primers go to 38/357, 22-250, 260, & 300 WM.
300WM is the only one that is back to pre-dummy prices.
 
I am buying that idea with 9mm, only because I just don't see any primers to be had, and I am saving my SPP for 357, and I don't know when I will see primers. I have watched posters on here, for the last 2 years, saying, it's coming back, soon, but I just don't know. I have enough SPP primers for a long time of shooting my 357, but not so much, 9mm, so my choice, buy the "deals" with 9mm, and keep looking for that day, when primers come back to the shelves.
 
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