How much cheaper to reload?

[Bosun]

I'm interested in reloading 38sp for target practice. Lots of good info here to get me started. Plenty to read and learn before buying. I would like to get an idea of how much can one save reloading. I plan on shooting about 200 rounds a month. My wife and I both have SW J frame rev. She is new to the sport, joined me at the CWP training and really enjoyed shooting. Our permits are pending.

 

[cliffy]

Reloading is ALWAYS cheaper, if components are available

Sorry to come on so strongly, but primers are difficult to come by currently. Dedicated reloaders KNOW that their experimentation came at a dollar and sensewise VALUE. No factury load can compare against a dedicated, built-for-purpose, quality handload. Powder and primer choices seem to dwindle, yet NEVER shoot and relinquish reloadable cases! ALL Centerfire cases are valuable. .22 Hornet through .458 Winchester cases are pure gold, reloadingwise. I need not remind dedicated handloaders. cliffy

 

[Bosun]

Thanks. What do you mean by Never shooot and relinquish reloadable cases!?

 

[under_dawg]

I haven't priced 38 special in years. It is a very popular caliber though. I load mostly .357 mag. But I can give you a ballpark figure.

158gr lswc from Mastercast (IL) $0.06

primer $0.04

6 grains hs-6 powder $0.02

your brass $0.00

Price / round $0.12 or $12.00 per 100

Price will vary depending on the bullet you choose. jacketed bullets cost more than lead. Be warned reloading can become addictive. You will most likely end up spending more on ammo because you will probably be shooting more rounds (even though your price per bullet is cheaper).

 

[Bosun]

Thanks under dawg, that gives me an idea of the savings. Now I will do a lot of research/reading to gain knowledge so that when I do get started I will have a better chance at quality rounds as well.

 

[Oro]

Drunk blogging from cliffy aside, what you need to ask is if you think the continuous consumption of 200 rounds a month is going to keep up. If so, reloading will pay off in about a year (math below). My experience is that people jump into shooting, shoot lots, then back off. Much like many sports/pastimes. I am not trying to talk you out of reloading, just to be objective.

Now the math: I do it based on this. Buying a new Dillon SDB ($350), saving your existing shot brass for month, and then getting some locally cast lead loads and a decent powder works out like this:

Shooting 200/rds of .38 special = $40/month via Winchester white box from Walmart. Time to shoot $400 worth = 10 months.

Cost to have a nice handgun loading machine set up and crank out 200 rounds = $400.

There are flaws in this math (You could buy a used machine, but not much cheaper than new; they are in demand right now!), but it should hold. Also, there are cheaper machines than the Dillon SDB, but it is a good benchmark (it is also a handgun only machine, so if you want rifle capability you need to recompute).

Others will post and come up with better ideas, but based on what you said, that is your simple answer. On the other hand, there are upsides:

1) Most quality reloading equipment resells for 80 to 90 cents on the dollar, so you can't loose money (much) if you decide to get out, and this include dies, presses, and accessories.

2) Having a machine makes you much more likely to buy a gun in a new and different caliber. Once the initial machine is done, a new caliber is cheaper to add ($40 to $100 depending upon base machine).

3) Reloading is fun! It is technical, requires thought and careful work, and is rewarding. It's kinda like golf in that respect, or sailing or skiing. OTOH, if you aren't into that level of attention, skip it.

So, that's my take on it after 15 years of it, and I think it's a good thing. Heck, I used to live in a 600sf NYC apartment and I still had a progressive (Dillon 550B) press set up in it when I got started!

 

[Bosun]

Good point Oro. Now if I can find some "white" boxes from Walmart! I do think it would be fun. I'm going to get the ABC book and learn more.

 

[liljohn]

Start casting boolits, too

If you ever get something like a 500 Mag, between reloading and casting you'll pay for all your equipment after as few as 500 rounds, and that's if you get GOOD equipment and CUSTOM moulds from someplace like www.mountainmolds.com.

As an example, factory 500 ammo is $48 for 20. Once you have the cases, you can reload it with your own cast bullets for about 30 cents a round (that's if you buy the lead wheel weights instead of getting it free, and you use large powder charges). Your savings on 100 rounds is $210!

At this rate, you'll pay for all your loading and casting equipment pretty quickly, and the ammo you can load is way better than the factory stuff. I've got a 450 grain bullet that I push at 1700 fps that'll consistently group one MOA (an inch at 100 yds), a 550 grain bullet that's good for 1500 fps and 2 MOA, and a 625 bullet that's good for 1300 fps and 4 MOA.

The best thing is I can shoot it all the time.

 

[SASS#23149]

If you think your wife might like to help reload,2 people running single stage presses can turn out enough ammo for a month...for your needs...in an evening or 2,and it's more fun when you share the fun,gives ya someone to talk to andmakes the 'chore' more enjoyable.

I'd check availabilty of primers and powder in your area before buying the press,scale,tumbler,micrometer,etc.Stock up on a thousand primers and bullets,then get the rest.

 

[Tom S.]

If you think you are really going to save money by reloading, you may be disappointed. In many cases, because reloading saves money, people shoot more, and therefore end up spending as much (or more).

It's still a win-win situation though!

 

[RustyFN]

I agree with Oro and a good post. The only thing I disagree with is the price to start.

Cost to have a nice handgun loading machine set up and crank out 200 rounds = $400.

A Lee classic turret kit can be bought for under $200 and it is a nice press.
The price of your finished ammo is going to depend on how you buy the components. I buy in bulk ( 50,000 primers or 48# powder at a time ) and get cheaper prices by doing so. The way things are right now it can't be done but hopefully they will get better soon. If you shop around and buy smart you should be able to load for close to half of what factory ammo cost.
Rusty

 

[Floppy_D]

Bullet casting is where reloading gets inexpensive. I make some darn good 45acp rounds for under $5 per 100, including electricity to run the melting pot, and all consumables (lube, powder, primers, etc.)

The Lee starter kit is great. For doing small numbers of ammo like that, a turret might suit you better, so you're not changing dies every 10 minutes.

I used to shoot 100-200 rounds, every 6 weeks or so. Lately I'm at the range once or twice a week, 200+ each time. No savings for me, but I sure get to shoot more.

 

[Schleprok62]

What do you mean by Never shooot and relinquish reloadable cases!?

Basicly, what this emeans, is collect & keep the brass you just got done shooting at the range... make sure when you do have to buy factory ammo, that it is brass cased, or nickel-plated. Not those steel/aluminum ones... those, to my knowledge, are not reloabable.

And believe me, the stuff begons to multiply in the buckets... kinda like rabbits... My girlfriend asked me how I got so much brass... I answered with.. I don't know, I guess it got busy in the closet when we weren't looknig...

 

[jr45]

This site may also help.
http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp

 

[FredT]

Floppy D, you are right. Consider this, I have many lever action rifles in the cowboy calibers. I am looking at the Natchez catalog, .44-40 ammo for a box of 50 costs $52.77, .25-20 costs $48.72 for 50 rounds. My cast projectile is free since I get my lead for free at an indoor range, have lots of brass = free, primer, .04 a piece, powder is .06 a load for a total of $5.00 to load a box of .44-40, a savings of $47.77. The .25-20 is a bit less since I use less powder. Most of my guns have never fired a factory round that I purchased. Even buying the cast projectile is a considerable savings. Do I save money? Not really, I just shoot an awful lot for the same money I would have spent. I just ordered a 6 cavity LEE mold for $38.00 dollars that makes the .401 diameter 175 grain SWC tumble lube bullet. It will work in my .38-40s by crimping in the first lube groove and will work in my .40S&W. How much do you think a box of .38-40 goes for? More than the price of the mold + shipping.

 

[Landric]

Lets look at .38 Special, which is probably what I shoot the most.

Brass, I've already got it, and I reuse it a lot, but I recently added another 1000 pieces to my inventory for $35 shipped.

Bullets, 1000 158 grain SWCs from Missouri Bullet, $64 including shipping

Primers, average about $25/1000 lets say

Powder, average about $20/pound

Total, including brass: $144/1000 rounds
Total, w/o brass: $109/1000 rounds

Buying in bulk reduces prices on about everything, but the above is assuming buying just enough to load 1000 rounds. I load 6.5 grains of powder in each of my .38 Special rounds, so I use slightly less than 1 pound loading 1000 rounds.

So, including brass, its 14.4 cents a round, without brass purchase, its 10.9 cents a round. Buying in bulk, which I do, I can get down to about 9 cents a round, and that is without casting my own bullets.

I just checked Ammoman to get an idea of what factory .38 Special is going for. My standard .38 Special loading is +P. Ammoman is out of stock on all .38 Special, but their last prices show $149/500 for Federal 158 grain LSWCHP+P or $239/1000 of American Eagle 158 grain RNL (non+P). That is 29.8 cents a round for +P and 23.9 cents a round for standard pressure, and again, its all out of stock.

I don't account for my time in the figures because I enjoy handloading as a hobby in and of its self. My press is long paid for, so I don't factor in the hardware either.

Keep in mind that I can handload a seriously expensive cartridge to buy factory, like .44 Special, for only about $10 more a thousand than .38 Special assuming using brass I already have.

It saves a lot of money per round, whether is saves any money overall depends a lot on how much one shoots. I simply couldn't afford to shoot at all these days if I didn't handload. Luckily I've been doing it for 15 years now, so I haven't had to deal much with the huge spike in ammo prices.

 

[FredT]

Where do you find primers for $25.00 a thousand?

 

[Quoheleth]

Cost calculator

Here ya go:
http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp

Plug in your costs and it gives you cost per round, box, 100, etc.

For example: 45ACP
My last jug of powder was @$21
I throw 5.4 grains
Primers are $3.29 (for 100)
Cases I count as "free" so $0
Bullets: 500 for $33

12 cents a round
Under $6/50 rounds

It's actually a little more, as I didn't figure in sales tax to my prices (above). Still, you get the point. For .38 Special it's even less, as bullets are cheaper and a few grains less powder.

Q

 

[fourdollarbill]

I reload 158gr LSWC with bullseye and cci500 primers for $4.42 a box of 50.
Bullseye $16 / 1 lb
Primers $27 / 1000
Bullets $25 / 500
Brass will last a long long time.

 

[RustyFN]

Where do you find primers for $25.00 a thousand?

Graf's or Powder Valley when they are in stock. Actually cheaper.
Rusty

 

[twoclones]

I made a spreadsheet for calculating my per round expense for any reloading project. To my surprise, loading 500 S&W with 440 g. hardcast came to $1.06 per round when including the total price of new brass... Using the brass 5 times brings the cost to $0.58 per round.

Similar factory loads are $2.70 per round!

 

[Bosun]

You kind folks have convinced me. I get the picture, it will save me money, fun hobby, better ammo, more shooting. Works for me. Now it's time for me to learn how, what to buy and get started. Thanks!

 

[wankerjake]

I reload .38spl for under $4 a box. I feel this is a good deal.

 

[liljohn]

I enjoy the time at the casting/loading bench as much as my time at the range. It's also less hassle--I don't have to pack up any gear and drive to it, it's already in the basement, set up and ready to go.

 

[Chas.]

Bosun, you can cut your initial investment down a lot by buying used. For example, I have a Lyman Spartan press that I've used for 40 years. At the pace I use it, I will never wear it out. Slow, but works well for me. You can get the same press used on ebay for $45-$75.

You can also get good beam scales and powder throw used. Buy your dies and and the consumables and you're good to start loading.

There are lots of other things you'll want, but the three equipment items I mentioned are what I consider necessary to begin.