Cost of reloading vs. gun show ammo

[Mark_Mark]

OP.., don’t buy other peoples reloads. And be carful, open the package and make sure they are not reloads put in old factory boxes.

I bought factory box ammo at gunshows and get home to find they were a box of ??? lesson learned

 

[Nature Boy]

I would advise against buying someone else’s reloads at a gun show. I’ve read too many bad stories that were a direct result of doing so.

It’s like eating a taco from a street vendor in Juarez. You may or may not get the trots but you’ll never know what meat was in it.

Bottom line: is it worth the risk?

 

[Mark_Mark]

I would advise against buying someone else’s reloads at a gun show. I’ve read too many bad stories that were a direct result of doing so.

It’s like eating a taco from a street vendor in Juarez. You may or may not get the trots but you’ll never know what meat was in it.

Bottom line: is it worth the risk?

I like tongue and intestines tacos! Pig Brain tocos are good too!

 

[Obturation]

I load and shoot a lot of 45-70. All 405 grain coated and all in starline brass. I'm nowhere near $2 a shot, even if you figure today's prices
.10 - primer
.25 powder (maybe more or less, depending)
.50 bullet
The cases last a really long time, I've got 20+ loading on some so I didn't include it in the price. If you figure it at $1 a case and divide it by 10 loading its under $1 a round but likely less than that. If you cast you'll save some, if you bought powder & primer before the world went nuts (like I did) were talking more like .50-.75 a shot or less. I got no problem shooting 200 rounds of 45-70 in an afternoon and I'm not spending much, about as much as shooting factory pistol rounds.

I wouldn't shoot gun show reloads if it was the last ammo on earth. I could see pulling the bullets and checking/replacing the powder. That'd be ok

 

[presspuller]

Thanks for the reply's guys.
Let me clear up a couple of things. I think I messed up my math to start with, it should have been closer to $1.50/round. But the point I was trying to prove to my friend is that he is not going to find ammo at the gun show for $40/20, and if he does to beware.
I haven't had to purchase components in forever so I was going on current prices from Midway and others to show him the prices. I'm fully aware that with each reloading the cost per round goes down, but when trying to convince my buddy about the price vs new, the number of reloads doesn't matter, just the first one with all new components is what matters. If you start from scratch and purchase brand new Starline from Midway you will pay .75/round, plus shipping and tax, so that is the price I was using.
At the end of our conversation I told my buddy to let me know just how much he finds at the next gun show for that price, if he could find some to enjoy it and to not shoot it around me.

 

[AJC1]

Thanks for the reply's guys.
Let me clear up a couple of things. I think I messed up my math to start with, it should have been closer to $1.50/round. But the point I was trying to prove to my friend is that he is not going to find ammo at the gun show for $40/20, and if he does to beware.
I haven't had to purchase components in forever so I was going on current prices from Midway and others to show him the prices. I'm fully aware that with each reloading the cost per round goes down, but when trying to convince my buddy about the price vs new, the number of reloads doesn't matter, just the first one with all new components is what matters. If you start from scratch and purchase brand new Starline from Midway you will pay .75/round, plus shipping and tax, so that is the price I was using.
At the end of our conversation I told my buddy to let me know just how much he finds at the next gun show for that price, if he could find some to enjoy it and to not shoot it around me.

The initial cost is the lower of two priorities... how much is a new gun or surgery to repair a hand... this isn't nurff or Lazer tag...

 

[EricBu]

The initial cost is the lower of two priorities... how much is a new gun or surgery to repair a hand... this isn't nurff or Lazer tag...

Right?

"Yes, Marlin? I need to RMA a gun, the bolt face is cracked, and I just bought it, so it should be under warranty. Ammo brand? Not sure...it was in a ziplock bag, I got it at a gunshow. It was only 40.00 for 20 rnds though".

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Thanks for the reply's guys.
Let me clear up a couple of things. I think I messed up my math to start with, it should have been closer to $1.50/round. But the point I was trying to prove to my friend is that he is not going to find ammo at the gun show for $40/20, and if he does to beware.
I haven't had to purchase components in forever so I was going on current prices from Midway and others to show him the prices. I'm fully aware that with each reloading the cost per round goes down, but when trying to convince my buddy about the price vs new, the number of reloads doesn't matter, just the first one with all new components is what matters. If you start from scratch and purchase brand new Starline from Midway you will pay .75/round, plus shipping and tax, so that is the price I was using.
At the end of our conversation I told my buddy to let me know just how much he finds at the next gun show for that price, if he could find some to enjoy it and to not shoot it around me.

LOL!!! I totally get it. I know a gunsmith who's really GOOD - as in certified by multiple gun makers and has a couple of patents in his name GOOD - and he is 100% convinced reloading not only costs more but it completely the reason why most of the broke guns he sees are broke. I've known the guy since he was a kid - 12, to be precise - and that whole time I've been a handloader. He's shot my ammo and knows none of the guns I've had him work on were "broken" by my handloads. Don't matter, he is still against using handloads. Now, this isn't some dumb kid, he' pushing forty now and real smart but, he's got this way of thinking that no logic or evidence can penetrate. An inability or refusal to learn something which is easily demonstrated is the definition of the word stupid. Like Ron White says, "You can't fix stupid."

 

[presspuller]

Having talked to a lot of guys that reload over the years, I'm convinced that the #1 goal of the majority of them is to see how hot they can load stuff, which I'm sure leads to a lot of damaged firearms. I don't understand it myself, but that seems to be the way it is.

 

[AJC1]

Having talked to a lot of guys that reload over the years, I'm convinced that the #1 goal of the majority of them is to see how hot they can load stuff, which I'm sure leads to a lot of damaged firearms. I don't understand it myself, but that seems to be the way it is.

I hunt for the low node because I don't like recoil and paper doesn't care about terminal balustics.... sometimes magnum pistol is loaded for the wow factor but shot rarely

 

[dh1633pm]

I like to reload so that I always have ammo. Even if gun show ammo was better than sliced bread, sometimes there is no bread. Without a supply, doesn’t matter how much you have in money. You can’t buy what’s not there. Reloading ensures supply.