12 gauge reloading costs?

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hornadylnl

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I reload on a Hornady LNL AP press for handgun and rifle and am considering getting into reloading shotgun shells. What are the economics of reloading shotgun? I'd be reloading 00 buck mostly and some 4 shot for game and either 6 or 8 for clays. I haven't bought any regular shotgun shells for a really long time. Aren't winchester and Remington boxes of 25 running around $4 or $4.50? I remember when you could get all you wanted at wallyworld for $3 a box. Should have bought several cases.

I'm thinking I'll save a lot of money on reloading buckshot. Cabelas price for 10 boxes of 25 of Estate is over $110. That comes to about $11 a box minus shipping. What would it cost to reload 25 myself. I saw that I could get 500 high brass hulls on ebay for around $30-40.

I'm thinking I'll get the Lee Load All 2 to start with. That way if I don't like doing shotgun, I won't be out much. I believe it comes with everything needed to get started.
 
Well, the Remington STS Premier and Nitro Gold/Sporting Clays are now $5.97 per box at my WalMart, $6.49 at Gander Mountain. The promotional loads by Winchester and Federal are up over $4.50 per box. And then there's sales tax!

I load STS Premier and Gold hulls with Remington Fig-8 wads, Clays or Green Dot, 1-1/8 oz magnum shot, with Winchester 209 primers and have a premium quality reload for around $4.47 per box. It used to cost less but shot has risen dramatically in the past six months.

Here's a very good cost of reloading calculator for you to try http://www.10xshooters.com/calculators/
 
for reloading shotguns. i am still thinking about reloading for my .410 as the cost for a box of shells is usually around 8-9 dollars a box. 12 guage. i wouldnt even think about it. too many places when ammo goes on sale you can get it for less than 4 dollars a box. Just doesnt seem like id ever make out with prices that cheap.
 
A 5lb bag of buckshot runs $15.98 from Graf and Sons and a buckshot load is around 1 oz so you get around 80 rounds per bag of shot. Add tax and shipping so say $20/80=.25 or 25 cents per round shot cost. Add 11 cents for wad, powder and primer and depreciated cost for the hull and you are at 36 cents a round. That makes a box of 25 cost approximately $9 for a $2 savings over the $11 Cabellas price. For a $100 loader your break even point would be 50 boxes of ammo or 1,250 rounds.

If you shoot enough buck will it be worth it for you? Only you can answer that question.
 
Not to jump the thread, but I been thinking about loading for 12 guage so I thought this might fit somewhat. So my question is can you handload slugs for a shotgun?
 
Steve, thanks for the info. I've never really priced shotshell components so I wasn't sure what the going rate per round would be. I don't think I'd shoot enough to break even for a long time. Even if I go with the Lee Load All, it would still take 500 rounds to break even. I'm guessing the margin of savings would be even less for regular shotshells. I haven't priced any 4 shot shells for quite awhile. I know they used to always be high. I like using 4 on rabbits. Usually goes right through them and their is less to pick out.
 
Jethro,

Yes, you can reload slugs.

www.gardenerscache.com

www.precisionreloading.com


You're not going "save" any money reloading shotgun shells unless you shoot 16, 28 ga. or .410's Then there is significant savings.

For 12 and 20 ga you will be able to shoot more of a better shell for the same amount. Promo shotgun ammo prices have been cheap the last year or so because the manufacturer's were sitting on piles of previously purchased lead. Now they're paying market rates and the prices of all shotgun ammo is going up, up, up, up.

Now, I don't shoot that much, maybe 100-300 rounds of 12 and 20 ga per week (if the temp is somewhat above freezing). A box of reloads runs me around $4.00~4.50, since I'm out of the "cheap" lead, from when I bought 1/2 a ton and I'm trying to put together a group buy at my club to get a quantity discount.

Even if you shoot only a box or two pre week, The Lee Load-All is a great deal. Find someone near you who reloads and they might loan you some components and powders to try out to make your own loads. But to me half the fun is looking through manuals and making a box of "Testers" (or as an excuse to buy a different powder, wads, primers.)

You might even find that re-loading is a hobby unto itself and fun.
 
Don't look now, but prices of 12 ga shot shells are way up, doubt you can now buy them for under $4/box even on special. The shot shells that used to go on special for under $4 a box are usually 7/8 oz or 1 oz loads. Standard trap and skeet loads are 1 1/8 oz. Field loads are 1 1/4 oz.

In addition the hulls from the "special" ammo are junk. They are difficult to reload and have a very short life. The prices below are high end, and can be lower with greater bulk quantities,

shot is around $1 per pound in bulk boxes from trap club
(1oz = 16/lb = $.0625) - (1 1/8oz = 14.3/lb =$.07) - (1 1/4oz = 12.8/lb = $.078)

primer-- - = $0.019 per shell
wad- - - - = $0.017 per shell
powder - = $0.071 per shell ($20per lb; 7000gr/lb at avg. 25 gr per shell = 280 loads/ lb =20/280= 0.071 )
total - - - = $0.107

total 1 oz - - - = $0.1695 per shell X 25 = $4.23./box
total 1 1/8 oz = $0.177 per shell X 25 = $4.43/box
total 1 1/4 oz = $0.185per shell X 25 = $4.63/box

Win AA hulls are $0.06 per hulls divided by 6 reloads *(you can easily get 10 out of some). So if you have to buy hulls, add $0.25 per box.
 
Now I've got a reason to stop at Sportsmans Warehouse tomorrow. I'll stop in and price out shells. I think they carry the Load all press as well. At $40 or so, I don't think I can go wrong. I eventually want to get into shooting trap alot more. I only shoot trap once or so a year now. That, and I'd like to stock up on buckshot.
 
Reload 12ga

I only reload 410. My 18th box paid for the new Mec 600Jr reloader I bought.
Not worth my time in anything else other than 28ga.

The hardest component to find is the 410 hulls. Expect to pay 12 to 15 cents each.

:) :) :) :)
 
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