Mr_Flintstone
Member
Why don’t we figure the time it takes to shoot ammo into the cost of a gun?
Cheaper to buy Factory Ammo??
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Crazy Horse
Member
You really think that's going to happen? I don't think they'll go below 62.00 per 1000.
Looks like folks may have been listening to the doom and gloom prophets. Especially those out to make a profit.
CH
.455_Hunter
Member
What? Not everybody on this forum is retired with kids long gone from the house. Do you work a 40+ hour per week professional career with kids in multiple non-school activities, plus assisting in the care of an elderly parent with cancer?
When I get to carve out some range and training time, "losing" $$$ by not reloading common range ammo is the least of my concerns.
.455_Hunter
Member
Another "What?" is deserved here.
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Mr_Flintstone
Member
Well, we don’t think of adding the time spent shooting guns in with the price of the gun because it is something we like to do. We don’t consider it work. That’s the way I look at reloading. I don’t consider the time I spend loading as work because I enjoy it. Looking at it another way, we choose to do all kinds of things in life for ourselves. Whether we enjoy it or not, we are doing it for ourselves. We will never get any pay for our own personal endeavors except the enjoyment we get either from the job itself or the end result of the job.
.455_Hunter
Member
Fair enough, and my guess is that your are retired. Bulk reloading is only viable if you have no time commitments that require your attention.
.455_Hunter
Member
Yes- Your personal time is required to shoot firearms. However, extensive personal time is not required to obtain ammo, beyond the effort for purchase.
"Son, I am going to miss your baseball game today because I need to track down components and load ammo for a range trip with the guys" Yeah- not happening.
Mr_Flintstone
Member
That’s kind of a circular argument. Using that line of reasoning, you could just as easily say “Son, I am going to miss your baseball game today because I’m going on a range trip with the guys". I’m going to assume you just don’t like to reload, and choose not to do it if you don’t have to. Nothing wrong with that, but you can’t use time as a limiting factor for one thing and not for the other.
AJC1
Member
Does time here on the forum in the reloading room go against the time cost of reloading or in the time doesn't count shooting section? It's just time doing what I want in my book.
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Mark_Mark
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10X $$$$$ ! nice almost better than bitconsBack around Y2K+1 I stocked up on factory Speer and CCI 9mm blasting garbage; aluminum case and 115gr FMJ. Did the same thing with some surplus .38Spl - French Gevelot and USAF M48. Come 2020 I sold all (well, most) to a LGS for 10x what I paid. Sold my box hunting ammo I got on sale for $4-5/box around the same time to a hunt club for $20/box. The advantage to buying box ammo is you can resell it for a good profit later on and still not be gouging.
.455_Hunter
Member
No conflict of reasoning if you have solid life priorities. My interest and joy in reloading is to obtain specialty ammo, like BP .45-70-500, or something like 200 gr .38 Special Super Police, NOT common range fodder. I don't look at a box of 9mm FMJ for $19, and think to myself I could load that for half (or whatever less than number).
.455_Hunter
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No problem if you have the free time available.
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Mark_Mark
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Reloading time and forum time add to the value of the ammo. I my reloads should be worth $1 each then
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Mark_Mark
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I look at cheap HP ammo and be like.. I can pull that and make them +P+
WeekendReloader
Member
My daughter has the most expensive hobby. She reads books. It would be more cost effective to pay $10 and watch the movie. She never seems to allow the cost of her time when she reads.
AJC1
Member
I am entertained by how people value their time. How can they afford to sleep, eat or watch tv. Reloading is a source of entertainment and that also has value.
AJC1
Member
My mom has read about 300 in books this weekend. The library is a valuable resource
brewer12345
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Nope, unfortunately. Have kids, dogs, a wife and all the usual. What I will tell you is that reloading is something you can do whenever you feel like it and have time. That means that when I have no present other occupation I can amuse myself by loading whatever, whether that be eye of gnat, weigh every charge type stuff, or 38 special with a cast whatever and dropped powder for wheel gun blasting. If I am busy with other things, well, no reloading happens. In a way, loaded up ammo is like banked free time. I view a pile of cast bullets the same way. If I have the time to cast, coat and size, I do it. The bullets don't go bad and if I have a busy few months they will stilll be there when I resurface.
If you never get to resurface, you have my sympathy. There have certainly been periods in my life when that was the case. I try hard to make sure I don't end up back that way.
Charlie98
Member
Speaking of circular arguments...
In reality, and going back to the OP's question, the time spent shooting does not equate. You would spend the same amount of time shooting reloads as you would factory ammo, given a 1 to 1 exchange.
I like to reload... in fact, sometimes I wonder if I like reloading more than I do shooting. As far as that goes, everything is a balancing act... not only peeling some time off to reload, but to pile in the truck and go shooting. Both require a time investment I don't always have... the difference is I can reload at 1AM when I can't sleep, but I can't go shooting at 1AM. Everyone's situation is different, of course.
I can get primers. They are not cheap like they once were, but they are available. I figure 12 gauge trap loads will cost me $7.88/box loaded at home. For example, 30.06 hand loads. Primer .10 cents, bullet .37 cents (ELD) powder, 54 grains(4350) is .28 cents = .75 cents per round. Brass go figure maybe 5 cents from my club as range brass, .80 cents/round x 20 a box = .$16/box. There are a lot of variables there. Interlocks are still under $30/box. You can still get cheaper powders from IMR that don't have all the extras in it and of course go buy in bulk. It's going to be harder to start reloading from scratch, but used equipment, look for deals, buy in quantities and some prices will be coming down. It can be done. Powder coated pistol bullets are going to give copper jacketed projectiles a "run for their money.". An acquaintance passed away in 2018. I bought most of his reloading supplies I can still load 9mm for under $8/box.
Mr_Flintstone
Member
It doesn’t
But you wouldn’t if you didn’t have a gun and had to buy one. The point I was making is that we can’t count the time we spend using something as part of the cost of the thing; regardless of what it is.
But you wouldn’t if you didn’t have a gun and had to buy one. The point I was making is that we can’t count the time we spend using something as part of the cost of the thing; regardless of what it is.
redcon1
member
That's a decent price for 9mm. I'm tempted to buy a case. This is one of the big reasons why I always recommend 9mm. It's cheap enough that you can afford to train with it. That being said, if you shoot magnum revolvers or .308 MSRs, the cost savings becomes more evident and, the fact is, reloading is fun. I enjoy reloading as much as I enjoy shooting. maybe more.
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Mark_Mark
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I like the free shipping and FMJ’s not a fan of coated bullets
GoWolfpack
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I buy a lot of factory ammunition because I value my time. I would rather not shoot than spend my precious hours slaving away at the reloading press to try and save a few pennies.
If you're not determined to shoot a certain number of rounds it might be much better to buy one box of 44 magnum than to spend time and money reloading so you can shoot 3 or 4 boxes equivalent.
As difficult as components are to come by and as cheap and available as a lot of ammunition is, I'll just buy it. Two cases of 9mm just showed up last week.
If you're not determined to shoot a certain number of rounds it might be much better to buy one box of 44 magnum than to spend time and money reloading so you can shoot 3 or 4 boxes equivalent.
As difficult as components are to come by and as cheap and available as a lot of ammunition is, I'll just buy it. Two cases of 9mm just showed up last week.
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