Economics of Reloading

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bobmcd

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I have started considering getting into reloading, but was wondering what the break-even point is.

There is an initial setup cost and then so much per bullet, powder, primer. What is the cost per cartridge reloaded vs. the cost per cartridge store-bought? How long would it take to make back the cost of setting up the gear?

If I'm shooting say, 600 rounds of .38 per year, is it a waste of money? How about 1200 .38 plus 1200 9mm plus 1200 12-ga birdshot?

There's a spreadsheet lurking out there somewhere, I'm sure...

(By the way, sorry if this has been discussed before; I briefly tried searching on "reloading cost" but got buried in hits that didn't really get to what I was looking for.)
 
you can't load metallic and shotshell on the same equipment, so you will need more gear

depending on your volume - you mentioned two different quantities - it will vary the amount of time that you break even

Most folks do not look at reloading as a way to save money - they look at it as a way to shoot more for the same amount
 
OjibweIndian: how much would have a store-bought box of 7mm Rem Mag cost you? Then the difference in cost per box would tell you how many boxes you have to go through to "pay off" the press and other permanent gear.

OneOunceLoad: thanks, that confirms what I would have expected. I noticed in the catalogs that a given press seems to do one or the other. Makes sense, considering the difference in size and materials between 9mm brass and 12-ga plastic.

Oh, and yes, my motive is not to save money for a given number of shots, but to get more shots for a given amount of money. :)
 
oneounceload said:
Most folks do not look at reloading as a way to save money - they look at it as a way to shoot more for the same amount
Click to expand...

For me it's partially a way to save money, but more importantly I hate going to the range with just one or two boxes, and also constantly seeing my supply in the safe dwindle. When I go shooting I don't want to feel like I'm wasting a precious resource.

By reloading I can spend a few evenings or a Saturday stocking up, and be set for several months.

Edit:
Also keep in mind the resale value of the reloading equipment when you calculate your break even point. You have some equity in that. Should you chose to go back to factory ammo, you can get a significant portion of your investment back.
 
I reload for basically 1/3 the cost to purchase store-bought ammo. The more you shoot, the more cost effective the setup is.

Equally important, my reloaded ammunition is significantly more accurate than store bought ammo, and each round is designed around my gun and a specific purpose.

You haven't told us what equipment you are looking at buying. You will need a press, dies, calipers, (probably) a priming tool, a scale, and a manual. A powder measure wouldn't hurt either. All of your consumable products count in the price per box. you could conceivable get all of that stuff for $100-200. It just depends on what type of press you are willing to tolerate.
 
Reloading: the most expensive money-saving hobby I have! Well, not really, actually I don't really save money because I do a whole lot more shooting for the same money. Where before I might shoot two boxes of 20 shells at a range session, now I shoot 50 rounds from 4 or 5 rifles and then maybe 50 rounds each from 2 or 3 pistols. All for the same amount of money I used to spend.

Get into casting you own bullets, this really saves money for handgun reloads. Once you get the hang of it start casting for rifles. It takes some learning and a bit of experimenting but I shoot .257Bob, 6.5X55, 30-30, .308Win, .30-06US, .30-40Krag, 7.7Jap, .303Brit, 8X57Mauser, .32-20 & .32Win Spec. .35Whelen, .40-65Win, .45-70 rifles ALL with cast bullets at about 10 cents per shot or less.
 
I broke even on the first 1k rounds. I started reloading .45acp. It costs me $165 per thousand for FMJ (I already had the brass from factory rounds). I had about $200 in initial setup gear for a lee progressive press and tumbler.
 
i reload 357 magnum, with cast bullets, right now powder and primers are expensive, cast bullets are bout 3 cents per shot, primers were 5 cents per shot and powder was 2 cents, so bout 10 cents a round for 357 magnum, sure beats paying jacked up prices
 
As a rule of thumb a box of reloads, using your brass, costs about half as much as the same thing in the store.

I don't consider my time, brass or the cost of equipment.
I load in my spare time and turn out a box of pistol bullets in less than 10 minutes. Time well spent.
You either find the brass for free or pay for it one time, then it's free.
The loading equipment pays for itself fairly quickly. I can not even guess how many hundreds of thousands of rounds I've loaded with my old Dillon press.

At present my direct cost of powder, primers and bullets is costing me $2.00 to load a box of FMJ .233.
I always have bought in bulk, at a good savings, but the last couple years when I saw what was coming I loaded up on relatively inexpensive powder, primers and bullets.

Pre obama was the time to get into reloading but better late than never.
I've been waiting since April for a order of 20,000 primers.
 
I started reloading to get consistent 7.62x54R and cheap .357 figuring it would pay off in about 2,000 rounds of .357. Shortly after, I bought a 45-70. Reloading for the 45-70 alone paid the entire setup off in right over 200 rounds in present dollars. It costs, but if you can do some basic math you can figure out your break even point.

If you want to get real fancy, you can take into account what it costs today vs. what it will cost you if you want to buy the loaded ammo in 6 months or any other amount of time- it'll drop your payback time.
 
well the cost of startup is going to be dependent upon the number of different calibers you want to load as well as the number of cartridges you want to reload at a time.
ie if you only want to reload 38 spcl 1000 x a year, its not going to be cost efective to get a 900 dollar progressive reloading press that can load 500 cartridges per hour. However if you want to reload 12,000 bullseye loads for competition shooting every year, a classic lee loader is the least economical way to go.

I know quite a few reloaders and they have issue with reloading for duck and pheasant ammo. Most companies arent producing much lead birdshot, and the companies making non lead birdshot are only making certain sizes, and the sized they make arent anything like what you need for long range pheasant.

Also the issue with breaking even is your ability to purchase powder at reasonable cost. Another issue ive found is that when i buy a box of ammo off the shelf, and the box flap says it was assembled in july 2009, i knw that all the primers and powders are from that same month and year. The big companies only stockpile powder for x amount of time, due to degredation in storage and fire hazard and the risk of ending up with $20 a pound powder in stock when powder drops to $15 a pound.
On the store shelf the normal age of powder is extremely random. ive found cans of powder that are 5-7 years old before. i prefer powder that isnt older then the current white house administration.
 
For most of us it starts as a way to shoot more for the same money, but then most of us end up spending more anyway. Heck, we love to shoot, and buy more reloading goodies.....:D
 
I have been reloading for almost 2 years and although cost was a factor when I started reloading, a box of 7Mag Hornady at over $40, it no longer is. It is about accuracy and consistency for me. Also it is about the satisfaction of developing accurate rounds for each of my rifles. I got a lot of satisfaction last year hunting knowing that all of the game I took was done so with ammo I developed for my rifles.

I am not shooting near as much this year primarily because it has become a lot harder to get supplies. Although I have been able to increase my powder, bullet and case supplies I am having trouble getting primers and until I am comfortable with the supplies I have I am not going to shoot as much.
 
If you're going to shoot on a fairly regular basis, not like most city folks that shoot maybe 2 or 3 times per year, it will pay for itself quickly. Plus it's a great hobby in itself and fun to experiment with different powders/bullets and amounts of powders.
 
Given that everything is more expensive in France.. costs me 6 Euros per box of 9mm with FMJ bullets, and VV powder, versus about 11.5 for a box of magtech ammo.

My most dramatic savings are for my Mauser in 8x60S which costs be 8.4 Euros per box of 20, versus 82 Euros for the cheapest box of RWS ammo in the caliber.
Plus ammo for stuff like 6 BR and .260 Rem is next to impossible to find around here.
 
I think another factor to consider is that many of us consider reloading as a hobby. Thus like all hobbies, you can spend all the money you have, however I get alot of satisfaction and fun spending some of my free time reloading so it is hard to put a 'price' on the 'fun' factor.

Take Care,
Mike
 
I have only been hadloading for a couple of years and I reload rifle ammo on a single-stage press. I have been wanted to do this for some time, so I bought quality equipment and lots of components for several calibers and my break-even point is a ways down the road. My satisfaction-point came almost immediately, but lately my frustration-point is way up with the lack of vital components. It is a fantastic hobby for me. I just wish that I had started years ago when I first thought of reloading.
 
There are several factors in order to try to calculate your breakeven point. Reloading is a hobby and has to be treated as such. If you don't enjoy assembling ammo, it doesn't matter how much money you "save". I would start by picking up a reloading manual and reading it. This will inform you of the process and you can make a decision as to whether it's for you or not. Your breakeven point is dependent on caliber, components, and equipment you use. Let's use 38 special since it's one that you listed. This is a quick example. Prices are budgetary and are based on small volume retail buying.

Components:
Brass: free if you have collected it, $20/100 new, $12/100 used
Powder: Universal clays $18/lb (suggestion, many others work well also)
Primers: Small pistol $3/100
Bullets: Rainier/Berry 125gr plated $12/100

Equipment:
Lee challenger kit: $100
38 special dies:$35

Store bought 38 special ammo: $14/box of 50

For your first 100 with new brass cost approximately $37 components + $135 equipment
Your next 100 using your used brass costs $17

So the breakeven point for this example would be approximately 1500 rounds (not including your time)

There are few caveats for this example:
1) You save money by buying in volume instead of small volume retail buying.
2) The startup cost of the equipment is spread out further if you load for more than a single caliber since your equipment cost for an additional caliber only increases by the cost of the dies.
3) You reduce your cost by loading lead bullets in lieu of jacketed or plated.
4) More expensive equipment takes more cartridges to breakeven.

I hope this example gives you some sort of idea about relative costs of reloading.
 
I couldn't afford to shoot without reloading. Forget what my time is worth--I can't wring money out of that for commercial loads.

I was in revolver competition, shooting .38 spl for the most part. I used to purchase commercial reloads for about $7.75 (half or less than new commercial ammo), but the supplier moved out of state so I purchased all new LNL AP and accessories, 2000 new Starlilne brass and a thousand West Coast plated bullets (now Xtreme Bullets). And more bullets. At the rate of 1200+ per month.

By the end of the first year I'd broken even. Now it is all gravy.

I was concerned that the primers have gone up 50% and the bullets about 100%, but the current commercial prices make that a nit. I am still using the original brass from 10 or so years ago with no problems and powder has been reasonable.

Of course the ammo I reload is EXACTLY what I want. It's pretty as heck, too.
 
My entire reloading setup...all of it...cost me $120. Right now I'm loading 9mm for about $6/50 and I expect to recoup equipment costs in a couple months.

Thing is, I was only able to afford 3-4 boxes of 9mm at the range, and I could only shoot for a couple hours or so. Now I'm shooting twice the amount for less than half the cost. The price is the same, just twice the shooting!
 
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