Myth busting - General Reloading & Handloading Discussion

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LiveLife said:
After spending over $160,000 on reloading equipment/components I told my wife, "But honey, I saved you like around $200,000 compared to buying factory ammunition ..." :eek:

Wife was not convinced ... :oops:

< We now have an agreement that wife gets to spend double what I spend on my hobbies. :p Several years ago, I spent over $7000 on gun stuff over Black Friday/Christmas ... Yup, wife proceeded to spend $14,000 the following year ... :p:p I buy a Dillon 550C and wife now has a BIG chicken house with automatic doors >

Believe me, reloading DOES NOT save money ... That myth was busted like within 3 months of me reloading 4000-5000 rounds a month compared to shooting 300-500 factory rounds a month. :D
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Well, these are general situation myths, not specific individuals myths and I have serious doubts the general average reloader has even a tenth of $160k invested in equipment. In better than 40 years of handloading I have less than that total amount -$16k - invested in equipment, not including disposables. Factory ammunition buyers consider the entire purchase disposable so to keep it apple’s to apple’s so should powders, primers and bullets for the average, general reloader. Right?
 
Yeah, I wish I had saved those primer box lids for the past 40 years so I would know how much I "saved."
I wish I had kept a logbook on each of my pistols like I do on target rifles so I would know how long-wearing they are.

I figured it took six years to amortize my Dillon Super 1050 vs .45 econoball.
 
here another in the cost debate..

I bought a bit back 4 Spam can of 7.62x54R for $80 each out the door. 440 per can @$80 = 18 cent per round.

It would be hard to load 7.62x54R for $.18 a round.

My point is, Get them as they are cheap, and stack them deep. that goes for guns too people
 
Jim Watson said:
Yeah, I wish I had saved those primer box lids for the past 40 years so I would know how much I "saved."
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Probably a good thing as realization of actual money spent on reloading hobby could be very "disturbing". :eek:

The day wife and I sat down to tally up my shooting/reloading cost over like 25 years and it exceeded $175,000, we went, "What the ..." but after rechecking several times, yup the numbers were correct. Now, we are past $180,000 and I believe around $20,000 was spent on guns. And when we started tallying up cost of 4x4s, toy haulers, bikes/quads, dune buggies and RV/trailers, wife went "Stop ... We had many memorable family camping trips and that's all that matters. (Good thing due to my back, my saltwater fishing/boat hobby ended after 3 boats. :p)

Jim Watson said:
I figured it took six years to amortize my Dillon Super 1050 vs .45 econoball.
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That is if you keep shooting the same number of rounds. I usually tell people if they shoot recreationally, they could recoup the cost of basic reloading equipment purchase within 6 months to a year.

But if you shoot more, then savings go out the window even after the equipment cost was recouped.

Since most people tend to shoot more after they start reloading, the myth of "reloading saves money" is usually busted for most of these people.

LiveLife said:
Believe me, reloading DOES NOT save money ... That myth was busted like within 3 months of me reloading 4000-5000 rounds a month compared to shooting 300-500 factory rounds a month. :D
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In the 90s, 10 boxes of 9mm would have run around $100/500 rounds (More for 40S&W/45ACP I was also reloading).

So excluding equipment/brass cost, here's the break down:
  • Bullets - $60-$80/1000 (Montana Gold jacketed/Berry's plated)
  • Primers - $20/1000 (CCI/Winchester)
  • Powder - $120-$150/8 lbs. At around 4.3-5.0 gr per powder charge, 1400 rounds/1 lb (1 lb = 7000 grains/5 gr = 1400) and comes out to around $12/1000
  • Total - Average around $50/500 rounds
Now, had I kept the same round count, I would have saved $50/month but that did not happen as I quickly increased round count to 1000/month and quickly to several thousand rounds a month. So instead of saving money, I was spending additional $100-$200+ a month. And this was not counting factory/surplus ammo I was buying for pistols/rifles.

So if we take average 4000 rounds/month at $100/1000, then monthly $400 translates to $5000 annually. After 30 years, you are looking at $150,000 ... Yup, this is reloading at 90s-2010s pricing. With 2020s pricing, it will be higher. :eek:

Yes, reloading does not save money. :D
 
LiveLife said:
Probably a good thing as realization of actual money spent on reloading hobby could be very "disturbing". :eek:

The day wife and I sat down to tally up my shooting/reloading cost over like 25 years and it exceeded $175,000, we went, "What the ..." but after rechecking several times, yup the numbers were correct. Now, we are past $180,000 and I believe around $20,000 was spent on guns. And when we started tallying up cost of 4x4s, toy haulers, bikes/quads, dune buggies and RV/trailers, wife went "Stop ... We had many memorable family camping trips and that's all that matters. (Good thing due to my back, my saltwater fishing/boat hobby ended after 3 boats. :p)


That is if you keep shooting the same number of rounds. I usually tell people if they shoot recreationally, they could recoup the cost of basic reloading equipment purchase within 6 months to a year.

But if you shoot more, then savings go out the window even after the equipment cost was recouped.

Since most people tend to shoot more after they start reloading, the myth of "reloading saves money" is usually busted for most of these people.


In the 90s, 10 boxes of 9mm would have run around $100/500 rounds (More for 40S&W/45ACP I was also reloading).

So excluding equipment/brass cost, here's the break down:
  • Bullets - $60-$80/1000 (Montana Gold jacketed/Berry's plated)
  • Primers - $20/1000 (CCI/Winchester)
  • Powder - $120-$150/8 lbs. At around 4.3-5.0 gr per powder charge, 1400 rounds/1 lb (1 lb = 7000 grains/5 gr = 1400) and comes out to around $12/1000
  • Total - Average around $50/500 rounds
Now, had I kept the same round count, I would have saved $50/month but that did not happen as I quickly increased round count to 1000/month and quickly to several thousand rounds a month. So instead of saving money, I was spending additional $100-$200+ a month. And this was not counting factory/surplus ammo I was buying for pistols/rifles.

So if we take average 4000 rounds/month at $100/1000, then monthly $400 translates to $5000 annually. After 30 years, you are looking at $150,000 ... Yup, this is reloading at 90s-2010s pricing. With 2020s pricing, it will be higher. :eek:

Yes, reloading does not save money. :D
Click to expand...
I think you forgot to carry the 2 in your math. lol
 
LiveLife said:
Probably a good thing as realization of actual money spent on reloading hobby could be very "disturbing". :eek:

The day wife and I sat down to tally up my shooting/reloading cost over like 25 years and it exceeded $175,000, we went, "What the ..." but after rechecking several times, yup the numbers were correct. Now, we are past $180,000 and I believe around $20,000 was spent on guns. And when we started tallying up cost of 4x4s, toy haulers, bikes/quads, dune buggies and RV/trailers, wife went "Stop ... We had many memorable family camping trips and that's all that matters. (Good thing due to my back, my saltwater fishing/boat hobby ended after 3 boats. :p)


That is if you keep shooting the same number of rounds. I usually tell people if they shoot recreationally, they could recoup the cost of basic reloading equipment purchase within 6 months to a year.

But if you shoot more, then savings go out the window even after the equipment cost was recouped.

Since most people tend to shoot more after they start reloading, the myth of "reloading saves money" is usually busted for most of these people.


In the 90s, 10 boxes of 9mm would have run around $100/500 rounds (More for 40S&W/45ACP I was also reloading).

So excluding equipment/brass cost, here's the break down:
  • Bullets - $60-$80/1000 (Montana Gold jacketed/Berry's plated)
  • Primers - $20/1000 (CCI/Winchester)
  • Powder - $120-$150/8 lbs. At around 4.3-5.0 gr per powder charge, 1400 rounds/1 lb (1 lb = 7000 grains/5 gr = 1400) and comes out to around $12/1000
  • Total - Average around $50/500 rounds
Now, had I kept the same round count, I would have saved $50/month but that did not happen as I quickly increased round count to 1000/month and quickly to several thousand rounds a month. So instead of saving money, I was spending additional $100-$200+ a month. And this was not counting factory/surplus ammo I was buying for pistols/rifles.

So if we take average 4000 rounds/month at $100/1000, then monthly $400 translates to $5000 annually. After 30 years, you are looking at $150,000 ... Yup, this is reloading at 90s-2010s pricing. With 2020s pricing, it will be higher. :eek:

Yes, reloading does not save money. :D
Click to expand...
This assumes you are the average, general scenario reloader.
 
I really don't have any other hobbies. I also shoot oddball stuff like .32 class of cartridges, 7.5 Swiss, X45R, etc. Ammo is often hard to find commercially or it's corrosive (combloc). A box of .32 Long (factory is anemic by the way) was about 35-40 bucks a box last I checked. With cast bullets I can shoot it cheaper than good .22LR. So definitely saving money in that regard.

12ga slug and buck used to be about a dollar a shell for blasting purposes. Now you can't even find it anywhere. I cast 00 and 1oz slugs out of the free wheel weights that I scrounged. They are loaded over some seriously olllllddd Green Dot powder and are accurate and fun and cost pennies to load and shoot. More savings. I may be an anomaly, but I doubt it. There are folks who have been in this game way longer than me and have more and older stock than my stuff and are shooting even cheaper than I am.

Sure, if you start loading on a Dillon 1050 with jacketed Speer bullets and what is now extremely expensive powder and primers, you won't save money. I don't think the broad brush stroke applied to reloading applies to all reloaders....

Saving money and not finding loaded ammo on the shelves also makes ya think too.
 
Rule3 said:
Dillion is the ONLY equipment to buy and use, Has anyone really cried when they bought one??
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I have the XL650 and have by now loaded +- 1,000,000 rounds of ammo with it, Complaints?? Yes, it loads so damn fast ( THANKFULLY ) it takes TWO PEOPLE to operate, one to feed bullets and pull the handle, 2nd to feed bullet tray-primer tube-powder measure;-brass cartridge case feeder. Two people can load 10,000-20,000 rounds in just a few short hours. Fantastic!!!!
 
Jackalope 1 said:
I have the XL650 and have by now loaded +- 1,000,000 rounds of ammo with it, Complaints?? Yes, it loads so damn fast ( THANKFULLY ) it takes TWO PEOPLE to operate, one to feed bullets and pull the handle, 2nd to feed bullet tray-primer tube-powder measure;-brass cartridge case feeder. Two people can load 10,000-20,000 rounds in just a few short hours. Fantastic!!!!
Click to expand...
1 million????? You got to be kidding
 
Jackalope 1 said:
I have the XL650 and have by now loaded +- 1,000,000 rounds of ammo with it, Complaints?? Yes, it loads so damn fast ( THANKFULLY ) it takes TWO PEOPLE to operate
Click to expand...

Jackalope 1 said:
Two people can load 10,000-20,000 rounds in just a few short hours.
Click to expand...

Mark_Mark said:
1 million????? You got to be kidding
Click to expand...

1M rounds is not that far fetched. At 10K rounds every three hours it would only take 10 weeks to produce a million rounds (assuming two people and a 30 hour work week) and 20K every three hours would have produced a million rounds in just 5 weeks. Of course you would have to have the components (money), time, and desire, but still it could be done.

10K rounds in five or six hours would sound more reasonable to me, but I'm slow and load on a single stage!

chris
 
South Prairie Jim said:
Guys
10k rounds a day sounds unreasonable without some kind of automated system that is really fast.

14 rounds a minute for 12 hours straight with no breaks or mistakes etc.

Sorry im calling BS
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Yeah, I can do 1,000 in a weekend. Thats as fast as I want to go.
 
LiveLife said:
Actually, that's a myth busting thread I have been chewing on: Dillon 550 vs Lee ABLP/Pro 4000.

Load the same component rounds on both presses to see how consistent the finished dimensions are - Stay tuned for a new myth busting thread.
Click to expand...

Looking forward to this one.

Jeff
 
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