.223 cost

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jedboom

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Is it worth it?

- other than the enjoyment of doing it, cost-wise it doesn't seem to be any less expensive than WWB.(maybe my math is bad)

-for reference WWB 40 round box for approx. $7.50 @ Wal-Mart.

_any tips? maybe I'm overlooking something, I'm just starting out with this caliber.
 
Nobody reloads .223 for the cost savings, they do it to get match quality custom ammo tailored to their gun. My gun loves 26.0 grains H335 topped off with any 50g bullet. This is not a hot load.
 
Agree with the above posts. My load for my Bushmaster Varminter replicates Winchester's Supreme Evil Black Silver loads. I can load ~280 rounds for about 70 bucks. Whereas the factory ammo is what? $25 bucks for 20 rounds? $350 for the factory ammo. Yeah, I'm saving some money on the nice ammo.

Now, if you just want plinking stuff? Yeah, it's hard to beat 1K rounds for $100ish bucks.

Edited to add: And my ammo way outshoots the factory premium stuff, btw. :)
 
I'm shooting some overruns from Lake City in my AR and keeping the brass. ($3.50 a box delivered to my door - in 1k batches) My thoughts are that as cheap as that is I'll not reload for the AR but someday I'm hoping to pick up a nice bolt gun in 5.56 and use the brass to feed it for the rest of it's life. :)

Have a good one,
Dave
 
A lot of the "cost savings" are dependent upon the bullet used and the intended purpose of the load.

Plinking ammo can be a little cheaper if you already have the brass, but if your loading for target with premium bullets (ie 69 gr HPBT Sierra MatchKing) the cost will be considerably less, particullarly if you watch Midway for example and pick up the bullets on special. An added advantage, as previously mentioned, is being able to tailor the load to the gun and bullet by trying different powders and amounts. Always keep in the back of your mind the most accurate load is not always the hottest load.

My system is to purchase the WW white box, (or similar) when its on sale, use this as my plinking ammo and save the brass. Once you've got the brass supply, reloading even plinking ammo becomes relatively inexpensive if your willing to buy bulk and put the time in.

Sorry for being long winded.

Take Care
 
I'm asking myself the same question.

I can get all the 5.56 brass I want since I work closely with the range guys on base.

I think I have like 700 rounds of empty brass sitting in the garage right now.
 
I reload .223 in varmint rounds using sierra or hornady 40 and 50 grain bullets specifically designed for varmints.

It is very cost effective for those specialized rounds. And as mentioned above I can make em as hot as I want, something you will never find in the commercial section of your local ammo store.

For plinking with my AR I use cheap commercial stuff.
 
Is it worth it? The real question is, "Is it worth it to you?" If you want to reload .223, then do it. There are several reasons to reload a caliber. Only one of them is about saving money. If you find you have several reason to load your own .223, then go for it.
 
With all my extra brass being 5.56, Im assuming I can use .223 dies (since there is no 5.56 dies on the market) or do I need to be smacked in the back of the head? :uhoh:
 
From a pure cost perspective and ignoring the brass cost and my time, 100 rounds of match-quality target/varmint ammo costs me under $20:

100 Hornady V-Max = $11
100 Primers = $1.50
2620 gr of N133 = $6.80

So yes, for super accurate ammo tuned for my gun that shoots circles around the "dollar a round" ammo, it is well worth my time.

But I also shoot the $100/delivered case ammo. Depends on which gun, my mood, etc.
 
costs me about $85 to $115 per 1000 depending on whether i'm using new or pulled bullets and surplus or new powder.

however, in any case, as stated above, the ammo anyone on this board can reload is FAR superior to commercial stuff (e.g. walmart specials). i suspect it's a lot better than lake city rejects, but i dont' know.

the one advantage of surplus lake city stuff is that it is sealed, if that matters to you.

the prices above are based on stockpiling and not reusing brass, which of course I do. if you figure 5 to 10 reloads on a case before you lose it or split it, it'll drop the cost as low as $65/1000
 
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