Is this right?

[grubbylabs]

I was talking to a friend about cost of reloading and I was guessing that I was about 5.00 for a box of 50 for 45. He had a customer in the shop that said there was no way I could load for a 45 for that cheap so I figured it out and it turns out he is right, I am actually 2.00 for a box of fifty.

My costs are

Unique powder $16.00-$21.00 per pound, I figured the $21.00
I use 5.7 grains and rounded up to 6.00 grains.

My primers are $32.00 per 1,000.

I did not count the cost of brass since most of it is rang pick up
and I did not count the bullet since I cast my own and the lead I picked up for free.

So what say you, is my math right?

 

[rikman]

Price of bullets??

 

[rikman]

My 45acp loads are about $8.30/box

 

[burrhead]

Grubbylabs, I'm ballpark figuring your cost at about a nickle a pop. That sounds right. I buy cast bullets and my cost is around fourteen/fifteen cents per.

 

[oneounceload]

Buy powder in 8# jugs, and your cost goes down even more

 

[grubbylabs]

Price of bullets??

Free, I cast my own and the lead if free so far.

 

[rikman]

My iPhone app "handloads" shows your cost with free bullets & brass to $7.81/50rnds

 

[gamestalker]

$2.45 per 50 rd. box with powder at $21 per pound.

 

[bubbacrabb]

Well 1000 rounds at even say 1000 per that 1lbs of powder, which you'll get about 1130 of them or so plus your primers puts you around 5 bucks a 100. Not to shaby. Lot less than the 40 dollars most folks pay for win white box ammo. Good thing though is, them guys shoot that, then guys like us go behind them and pick up their brass

 

[rikman]

Oops! Grubster, you are correct! I left my rifle charge of 41.7 gr lol and with 6 grs I get $2.50.... Nice!

 

[armoredman]

And people wonder why I love casting my own bullets...

 

[kingmt]

Yelp. It coast me about $10 per 100 buying bullets.

 

[esheato]

Go here: http://www.10xshooters.com/calculators/Handgun_Reloading_Cost_Calculator.htm

 

[grubbylabs]

Thanks for the link.

My rifle reloading is not so cheap.

 

[esheato]

Saving money on reloading really depends on what cartridges you're loading. 9mm, 12 ga? Not so much.

Any of the more unusual stuff? Definitely.

For example, I'm loading my 338 Lapua for $1.25/shot. Super crazy cheap compared to the similar Hornady factory load at $4.55/shot.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Sounds about right....I buy bullets, but in bulk. I think I can load about 50 .45ACP for around 5 bucks....Getting Unique for 12 bucks a pound and using 20 dollar per 1k primers helps shave some costs.

 

[grubbylabs]

Saving money on reloading really depends on what cartridges you're loading. 9mm, 12 ga? Not so much.

Any of the more unusual stuff? Definitely.

For example, I'm loading my 338 Lapua for $1.25/shot. Super crazy cheap compared to the similar Hornady factory load at $4.55/shot.

That is what I noticed with the 444. Since I cast that bullet as well I just put in the cost of the gas check. What really drives up the price is the cost of brass for that. If I have to order it the brass costs about $1.00 a piece. Not as bad as some of the more exotic stuff but still not as cheap as my 45.

 

[Sunray]

"...at even say 1000 per..." 1228 per lb @ 5.7 grains. 1166 @ 6 grains.
"...no way I could..." He was likely thinking jacketed bullets.
"...lead I picked up for free..." That'll stop eventually. The rest of the World thinks lead is a bad thing.

 

[Lost Sheep]

Math is close enough, but...

Your math is good enough (but I calculate $2.50)

Free brass may apply to any number of us. Free lead, much less free bullets, not so much.

For your calculations to have much value to normal people, the situation must be comparable. You might as well calculate your loading costs in Denebian Marks.

Thanks for the mental exercise.

Lost Sheep

 

[BruceB]

It all depends on personal circumstances.

I have close to a ton of bullet alloy on hand, and the MOST I've paid was a case or two of Pepsi or beer for over 100 pounds....maybe 10 or 12 cents per pound at most. Much of my alloy was free.

Last year a group of us got a great buy on fresh-production CCI primers, and the delivered price was $17 per thousand for all types.

As a bullet-caster, my costs can be almost ridiculous. I load .416 Rigbys, which cost $5-$10 per ROUND at the store, for fifteen cents per round. This load is a 365-grain cast bullet at 2100 fps...more performance is easily available, of course, at slightly higher cost.

 

[EddieNFL]

My iPhone app "handloads" shows your cost with free bullets & brass to $7.81/50rnds

I can get within 20 cents of that per 100 rounds, including (purchased) cast bullet cost. But I use a spreadsheet, not an iphone.

 

[gamestalker]

For all of those who are trying to calculate your reloading cost for any given cartridge.
1 pound of powder is 7000 grains. Devide 7000 by the number of grains you use in 1 cartridge and multiple it times the price per grain. Get the price per grain by deviding the price per pound, say $20 (.00285 cents per grain) by 7000. Mutiply the price per grain times your single load and then mutiply that by 50. Example: .00285 cents x 5.7 grs. = .01624 cents x 50 = .812 cents for powder. Primers are .032 cents per rounds. .032 x 50 = $1.60 per 50 rounds + .812 cents for the powder= $2.41 per 50 round box.
When your doing it on a calculator it goes much faster and easier than manula calulating does and it is easier to understand.

 

[RustyFN]

My 45 acp loads are $1.23 per box of 50. Group buy primers ( $16 per 1K ) and powder ($12 per pound ). I also cast my own bullets with free lead.

 

[snuffy]

I can come real close to the others with 2-3 dollar 45 acp handloads per 50. IF I didn't factor in cost of molds, and every time I add a gizmo that aids in handloading. Being retired, I'm not getting paid to do anything, so my time is free.

I have a Microsoft excel spreadsheet that was designed by a fellow over on glock talk. I can and will send it to anyone that wants it via an attachment to an email. It allows you to plug in your costs for primers, powder lead and brass, then figures it per box of 1, 20,50, or 100. It also has the ability to print box labels using Avery labels bought at any computer store. Enter in all data, hit print and number of labels you want, looks real professional.

Send me a PM with your email Addy, I'll send it to you.

 

[armoredman]

Factoring only the cost of replaceable components, (can't do it with the gear, as much was donated, and I forgot what the rest cost when I bought it.), I come up with a box of 9mm 124gr LRN handloads is $2.50. I was given thousands of 9mm brass when I started, and I bought good clean wheel weight lead for .75 a pound. If I use the lead my Captain gave me la few weeks ago, (it's VERY cool working for a fellow reloader and caster!), it drops to around $2 per 50. I can't imagine anyone is selling 9mm factory ammo that cheap.