How much does reloading really save?

[Too_Pure]

People sweep the brass towards you?

One of the ranges I go to.. I swear the range guy tries to count the cases I have to make sure I'm not taking any of 'his' cases.. that is cases of people who don't want to reload.

Yeah. People ask me all the time if they can sweep up my brass and I say I'm going to keep it. Then when I go and sweep mine into a pile near my lane they scurry to kick theirs into their lane.

"Easy sparky. I don't want your crappy .380 brass. And I'm the only one here with nickle plated 10mm so give it back!"

 

[GLOOB]

My gun range is cool. Many times other people have swept their brass to me in a neat pile or even handed it to me. Sometimes I don't even wanna pick it up, because I have enough, already - but it obviously makes them happy to give me their brass.

I also watch people shove loads of once-fired brass through the grates, never to be seen again, and not a peep or a raised eyebrow outta me. I'll never solicit other people's brass at the range, because that's just annoying, in my book. There are plenty of people in my area that scrounge and sell brass at a good price, and I'd rather take that route if I get low.

I used to grimace every time my brass rolled behind another shooter. But then I got over it. Enough brass rolls behind me to even things out. Add the occasional donation, and I definitely come out ahead.

All that brass will eventually get recycled. It's not all up to me.

 

[James2]

I was wondering how much money it is actually possible to save reloading.

Most of us spend quite a bit of money on reloading.

Fact: You can't save money by spending it.

Ok, with that out of the way here is how I see it.
It is the use of fired brass that lets you make reloaded ammo that costs much less than factory ammo.

Without adding the cost of equipment, it is pretty easy to reload rifle ammo for about half what factory ammo costs.

I cast my own bullets for handguns and I can make reloads at much less cost than factory ammo. The 3.5 cents for the primer is about half the cost per round.

In any of this, it depends on what you are loading, and how well you shop for components.

For most of us it boils down to spending a pile of money, but shooting much more for the buck.

About tools: I bought my original setup many years ago. If the cost of the equipment was prorated over each round of ammo I have reloaded, the cost per round could hardly be found.