.308 Best prices and reloading costs 2/2011

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Motega

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The best price I found on Federal Gold Match is $18.99/case (shipping around $20 for 500-1000 rnds)

What's the best bulk ammo to feed a FAL, pricing, and supplier.

Second- Can anyone comment on the initial investment in reloading gear (multi-stage high quality machine, dies, tools, etc.) and after that how much each round costs? What about minus the cost of brass? I'm sure I can use/collect enough brass not to have to buy any.
 
The shipping of ammo always has a HazMat label accompanied with it that is always an additional $20. There's no way around this, whether you buy one box or a case. Every single supplier has to charge an extra $20 for ammo shipments, so factor that into the equation.

I buy Tula and Wolf .7.62x51mm (.308) at Walmart for $8 a box. The FAL will eat anything you feed it. Seriously; anything.

Reloading is hands down the best way to go if you have the time. Don't think about the upfront cost, as you'll have the thing for the rest of your life once you start. I bought my press in 1995; I have no idea what I paid cuz it doesn't matter. But seriously, nowadays a Dillon Precision 550 comes with everything you need for about $450 to your door. Almost everything. You also need a scale and a primer flip tray (another $50), and then components. Primers are $25 per 1000. Powder is $150 for 8lbs. Bullets vary; I buy Winchester cheapos for $20 per 100. Its so much fun to go to the range with a huge tupperware container full of bullets and not worry about the price. Dillon 550's are the only way to go IMHO. They come with a lifetime guarantee, and they mean it. They'll send you replacement parts indefinitely for stuff you break. They're the best, sturdiest, fastest loading machines out there.
 
Just to clarify, completed cartridges do not carry a hazmat fee. Only raw primers and powders require a hazmat fee.
 
The shipping of ammo always has a HazMat label accompanied with it that is always an additional $20. There's no way around this, whether you buy one box or a case. Every single supplier has to charge an extra $20 for ammo shipments, so factor that into the equation.
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If you are buying ammo from someone who is charging you a hazmat fee you are getting ripped off.

Powder and primers have this, not loaded ammo.

I shoot mostly surplus NATO ammo in my FAL without any problems, 50-70 cents a round at today's prices unfortunately.

My own .308 reloads (not handloads, just thrown together reloads) cost me about 25 cents a round using the formula I've chosen. That includes primer, powder, bullet, and I assume I am going to lose 4% of my brass every time through to either worn out or can't find situations.
 
You guys are great. Just the info I needed. I'm thinking about getting those special bullets to break in the bore (impregnated with lapping compound) and then feed it a case of the good stuff before I start messing around with surplus. Just to burnish the barrel and wear in the action with the best stuff possible. I don't know if this matters or not but I have been pretty lucky or consistent with my "barrel break in procedure" (and I use that term loosely) and been blessed with tack-shooters. I mean, even with my muzzleloader and iron sights I can pop water balloons at 80 yards.
Thanks for the replies!
 
Motega said:
The best price I found on Federal Gold Match is $18.99/case (shipping around $20 for 500-1000 rnds)
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Clearly I don't understand the context here or this is a typo. The last Federal GMM I bought was closer to $28/box, not $18. Where is this price from?
 
ammoman.com had a decent price on 168 grain Federal BTHP Gold Medal Match the last time I looked. They also have some 147 grain German surplus that's pretty reasonable. I've shot quite a bit of it in the past and it performs well.
 
Oh boy should I divulge my $18 a box source before I have the cashe to buy a case? : )
 
Motega said:
Yeah I guess I should

http://palmettostatearmory.com/1120.php

DONT BUY ALL OF IT I need 500 rounds to break in my dream girl : )
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You've got a LOT more disposable income than me if you can afford 500 rounds of this stuff for a barrel BREAK-IN.
AIM Surplus has the German .308 FMJ NATO (7.62x51) 200rd Battle Pack (magnetic) for 79.95 for 200 rds.
Southern Ohio Gun has Radway Green (Non-magnetic) on strippers but you have to buy a 750 rd case @ $299.50 to get the price break. (Nice stuff. It's my choice)
That Federal is gonna run you almost $500 for your 500 rounds.
 
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How do you like this for not making any sense. There's no hazmat on ammo. There is a hazmat on powder and primers, but there is NO hazmat on primed brass. I really don't see the logic.
 
Well, I have a spreadsheet that outlines all of my components and the cheapest places to buy them. But I do not include the cost of the reloading tools in that price. Right now, running Sierra 168 gr SMK's, in Winchester new Brass, with Hodgdon Varget and CCI 200 LR Primers, the price is about $0.77 per round, but the total cost for all of the components is 410$ ish to produce 500 rounds. Really not horrible prices. That does include shipping on certain items. After you have used the brass once, obviously the cost goes down as you reuse it multiple times.

When I started out I bought 100 rounds of FGMM of the 168gr variety and bought 20 more when I started reloading. I also managed to get about 50 pieces of Federal Brass from a friend of mine who wouldn't reload it (I'm not shy, it was free :D) some of the original 120 has been reloaded 5 times now. Well worth the original investment. I paid 25$ a box at Cabelas (after tax) because they had them on sale, but they have since returned to the 34$ a box nonsense. I won't buy anymore FGMM unless I run out of components and Cabelas doesn't have the components in stock for emergency runs at a higher cost (the difference is about 10 cents per round). I'd rather buy new Winchester Brass then run more Federal.

Nothing really wrong with my Federal, just not the best brass in the world. It's volume makes it hyper sensitive to powder loads. I have about a 1 grain window from which I can reload in the "Good to go" zone according to Quick Load's data for my combo and case volume. At least the Federal case volume is pretty consistent at 54.6 +/- .2 of a grain. Still working up a load for my rifle though, too much stuff changes :D

Anyway, I'll stop rambling about the reloading costs. I'm sure if I used other components that I could go cheaper than this, and I'm sure I haven't exhausted all of my reloading component resources. Both Powder and Primers are bought locally (which ups the cost) but everything else will be purchased on line.
 
It seems that unless you are in it for the hobby and the possibility of producing some perfect ammo for your particular rifle, reloading .308 is not saving much, if any, money. JR found it at .40 a round above which is about what it costs to reload.
NOT a cheap gun to shoot WHEW!
 
Hey guys, I just wanted to thank you all again for taking the time out to post this info for me. It was REALLY helpful. Special thanks to JRntEwing and JSCoffman as I used those links to make my purchase and be confident I got what best suited me.
So happy I found this site, you folks are really great- very friendly and helpful.
 
Motega said:
It seems that unless you are in it for the hobby and the possibility of producing some perfect ammo for your particular rifle, reloading .308 is not saving much, if any, money. JR found it at .40 a round above which is about what it costs to reload.
NOT a cheap gun to shoot WHEW!
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You have to remember though, that surplus ammo is very hard to beat in terms of prices. Most of the time, if you reload, you can compete with those prices and come out with a vastly more accurate round. Personally I reload 8mm for an old K98. My reloads come out to be just a few cents more than the surplus I buy...but the vast difference in accuracy is well worth the price.
 
Motega said:
It seems that unless you are in it for the hobby and the possibility of producing some perfect ammo for your particular rifle, reloading .308 is not saving much, if any, money. JR found it at .40 a round above which is about what it costs to reload.
NOT a cheap gun to shoot WHEW!
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Comparing mil-surp ammo to hand loads is apples to oranges. I load 110 gr. Hornady Vmax's for my .308 at ~$.35/round. It'll put a group 1/3 of the size and the bullet is far better suited for varmints than mil-surp, all at a cheaper price. To buy a similar commercial load(sometimes hard to find) would cost $18-$22/box of 20. I regularly shoot 70-100 rounds per trip, so if I didn't reload, that'd be $63-$110 trip. But since I reload, it only costs cost $25-$39 per trip.
 
How long does it take you to make 100 rounds with a multi-stage machine? How much space does all your reloading stuff take up... not powder and components, just the machine itself and whatever else you absolutely need handy?
 
Motega said:
How long does it take you to make 100 rounds with a multi-stage machine? How much space does all your reloading stuff take up... not powder and components, just the machine itself and whatever else you absolutely need handy?
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Most of the time is spent lubing cases and cleaning them off after loading. With the .308, there really isnt a need to trim old cases like in there is in magnum chamberings. But once it gets going it moves quick. In my 4-turret press, 100 rounds can be loaded in just over an hour. With 9mm, it takes a while to get in the groove and quickly mental exhaustion kicks in, so i stop when I feel tired(Im 25 if that matters). But at peak, about 300round/hr is what i get with pistol ammo (9mm/10mm). I usually only reload for ~3-4 hours at a time.

My setup is in my "office" or computer room. I have a 4'x2' bench that the press sets on as well as scale and ammo thats loaded or currently going to be loaded. Tools are hung on the wall, powder is on the shelf above and brass/bullets are in drawers below.
 
Awesome. Great info- exactly what I needed. Thanks for taking the time to post.
 
AT J&R in Aridzona, you can get German 308 for $9.99 for 20. That's 50c a round, pretty cheap.
 
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