Just Doesn't Add Up

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bersaguy

bersaguy

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In the quest to feed a newly acquired Winchester '94 in 30-30 I've been stalking the internet for components and/or loaded rounds. Right now best prices on loaded ammunition seems to be running about $1.50/rd. To add 30-30 to my repertoire, I need a die set, case length gauge, power, bullets and of course, large rifle primers. Brownells.com actually have LRM and IMR 3031 in stock. They also have a Lee set of dies and the case length gauge, however, no bullets. Widner's has the 150g Hornady interlocks. But adding everything up, primers at $90/1000, powder at $38/lb, bullets at $32/100 plus the dies and accoutrements....I'd be looking at dropping $400 to load about 400 rounds initially. So, right around $1.00/rd. Granted, at that point I'd have all the tools and 600 primers left...but man...still seems like a lot. I suppose the next 600, cost per round drops to about $0.60/rd, but even averaged out over 1000 rounds thats pretty close to $0.75/rd. Now that doesn't seem too bad, but that's still $750 for 1000 rounds, and given the rate I go thru rifle ammo, that's enough to last both me and my son's lifetime.
So, pretty cut and dried right? Spend the $1.50/rd for now and wait out the market. That's the sane, rational thing to do. And yet...I have this nagging compulsion to just go ahead and get all the supplies I need now to get started. I swear, reloading needs to be added to the next edition of the DSM of mental disorders...or maybe I just need a 12 step program.....:D
 
Look at it this way - by the time Uncle Joe's Magic Economic Formula gets applied to the prices for a year, that $1.50/rd may very well be cheap.

If you buy $400 worth of factory ammo, you have a few hundred of one load. If you buy the tooling to reload, you have the potential for many many different loads, tailored to your firearms.

Either way you flip, do it soon. I know which way I would go.

When I got started on 6.5x55, I purchased 200 rounds of factory ammo to get started with. Now, I can't even buy brass for what the factory ammo cost me 5 years ago.
 
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I am not an economist so take my thinking and information accordingly. I had a good long conversation with the owner of one of the largest LGS in my area, a fairly big shop that sells a good volume for good prices. We got in the subject of reloading components but it applies to business in general. He stated he still has a supply of primers from before COVID. He sold off as many as he could at the old price to keep his loyal customers going. However, he is at the point where he cannot sell what he has until he starts receiving replacements at whatever new price is the norm. He has received some and waiting on more. The problem is that in order to keep things flowing he has to cost average the prices so that he can keep buying. For instance, he cannot sell the old primers anymore at the original price because he cannot replace them at that cost. In order to keep them on the shelf the price needs to be at the current rate. As he stated on certain things he never really made a bunch of money but he is not in the business to lose money. The point is even if prices drop considerably it will still take a while to get even close to what we used to spend. Now, I am sure ammo manufacturers feel some of this. We know the supply chain is strained multiple ways and inflation is seriously creeping in. Certain things are going to be expensive for the unseeable future.

So, make your best non panicked purchases, save wherever you can like combining shipping, bulk, etc. Hopefully the average price will make it worth while. Most importantly when you feel it gets cheap, buy it and stack it.
 
Give a man a fish and feed him once

Teach Reloading 30/30 and feed him 94 for life

Buy stuff on sale, like Lee 30/30 dies, used brass, non hornedy bullets, skip the case gauge and use your 94 as a gauge.

your most expensive thing will be the primers. maybe buy 200-300 LRP local to start.
 
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I made the same decision last year for 30-30 specifically. I could not find my preferred ammo, at any price, so I got Lee dies, case gauge (already had a trimmer), and box of Sierra FN 170gr bullets. I reload many other calibers so already had powder and primers. Thankfully I saved all my 30-30 brass over the last 40 years. I wouldn't worry much about trimming 30-30 brass, but Midway had some great sales and I will need the gauge eventually anyway. As Charlie98 said, casting is the way to go. I got a lee .309 mold and gas checks on sale.
 
If you are not hunting the plated bullets cold be something worth going with. It's not as good as a jacketed bullet but it's better than a solid lead bullet.
https://www.xtremebullets.com/30-30-150-FP-p/xc308-150fp-b0500.htm
I agree with the others with the cost because you won't be buying a new set of reloading dies every time you reload so the price of the dies will be spread out over the length of your reloading life.
 
The end economic cause of severe price inflation for non-essential items (I know, “I need to put meat on the table to feed my family” - absolute hogwash, go to Walmart and purchase your meat much cheaper - I have hunted all of my life, wild game costs a fortune when all costs are accounted) is the person/ people that buy the product. The cycle of business cannot be completed if the product just sits on the shelf; if the product is sold faster than it can be manufactured, the message sent to the supply chain is that the final highly inflated cost is just Jim Dandy.
Now if one was to wah-wah about a necessity like food, water, housing, medical, etc - I can concur with that concern. I have ammo, I hunt, I shoot - however, if all of that stopped tomorrow, I would be extremely disappointed but life would go on. In the end, stop purchasing ammo and reloading components at inflated prices - 100% guaranteed that the price of ammo and reloading components would come down - 100% guaranteed!
 
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noelf2 said:
As Charlie98 said, casting is the way to go.
Click to expand...

noelf2 said:
Forgot to mention that if you use cast bullets, you will need a case mouth expanding die, or you will shave the bullets when seating in the case.
Click to expand...

Casting is a good way to save even more money, but the initial investment is something to be considered. Personally, I do not cast... I have zero interest in it, nor do I have the time. I just buy cast bullets from a few good, commercial sources... RimRock/LaserCast and Montana Bullet are my 2 favorites, but there are plenty out there.

I would take the money you would spend on a case gauge and spend it on an M-die or similar (NOE, for example...) to size the inside case neck for cast bullets.

I used to poo-poo cast rifle bullets, but not so much anymore.
 
Noe has a great idea for bullet sizing, but the parts never seem available. I use the lee, but the noe product gives way more refined options.
 
Your first mistake is thinking a mere thousand rounds will last a lifetime. :) Once you get out and shoot it, it’s kinds hard to put it down. The thudy-thudy is kind of like a 357, you can load it from mild to wild, cast, plated, jacketed, hollow points, et al. You can load light enough for bunnies and snakies, all the way up to T-Rex. Definitely get the components to load for it. You can get once fired brass, buy cast bullets, and the rest as you go on as you find them.
E406B299-3E47-4664-8D4D-11B6EE3DECD6.jpeg
 
I don’t include the price of reloading tools in the cost of my ammunition.
I’ve been reloading for a little over 10 years now and I can sell any piece of reloading equipment including dies and moulds for more than I purchased them at the time.
You can also hand them down to your children along with the knowledge of how to be self sufficient.

If you just want to harvest a deer buy a box of cartridges and be done with it.
If you want the ability to tune the load to get the most accuracy out of your rifle and shoot it a bunch so you and your children can become proficient with it the answer is clear.
 
thump_rrr said:
I don’t include the price of reloading tools in the cost of my ammunition.
I’ve been reloading for a little over 10 years now and I can sell any piece of reloading equipment including dies and moulds for more than I purchased them at the time.
You can also hand them down to your children along with the knowledge of how to be self sufficient.

If you just want to harvest a deer buy a box of cartridges and be done with it.
If you want the ability to tune the load to get the most accuracy out of your rifle and shoot it a bunch so you and your children can become proficient with it the answer is clear.
Click to expand...
100% agree, I never question the price of ammo when buying a new gun. I always look to see if dies are available. Because it’s pretty much the same cost per round. Example, 3-4 years ago, they had a new but rusty .358 STA, Ruger #1 $650, I looked up the die and case.. Expensive! so I passed

I should have bought it and sent it to Ruger to be refinished
 
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