Money question(handloads)

[mallard044]

(Very vague,I know) How much pistol shooting can you do, before handloading starts to save you money?? I used to reload shotgun shells,when I was shooting trap,(saved some money). I shoot trap rarely now,plus the price of shot ,went sky high. Did some high powered rifle reloading a good long time ago,(more for fun than cost.) I might shoot 500>1000 rounds a year 45acp,....Other than the fun of reloading,is there any real savings to be had.

 

[Walkalong]

At that volume it will take longer to break even, but it will save money if you buy the minimum equipment and shop for components wisely.

Most of us spend the same amount and just shoot more. Some go hog wild and end up spending even more. Save ourselves right into the poor house.

 

[DMH]

I would say for me, I save about 50% of the cost of shooting store bought ammunition. But I do not reload because of the savings. I reload to control quality and like to do things myself. I reload .45acp the most (since 1985 or so) and still have same press and dies. Also do .223, but recently started doing .45 colt, 44-40, 32-30 and 45-70. I've also started doing black powder loads. I think it all comes down to what you shoot and how high the round count is. Everything is getting more costly.

DMH

 

[GLOOB]

Depends entirely on what equipment you buy and what calibers you shoot. If you shoot a lot of .357, you can reach the break even point in no time flat. If you load only 9mm, it'll take a lot longer.

I broke even after about $450.00 invested. Figure it like this. If the cost of ammo is starting to pinch your wallet, you can either shoot less. Or you can stock up on a lot of ammo at a good price. You can easily calculate how much you have to spend up front on reloading gear + components in order to make your "bulk ammo purchase" cheaper than new ammo. Just don't forget the HAZMAT fee if you're going to buy powder and/or primers online.

Oh, and reloading is definitely a bulk discount game. Powder and primers, particularly, get much cheaper when buying in bulk from online vendors. Certain bullets are also much cheaper in bulk. If you're willing to buy 1000 rd's worth of 45 ACP components up front, and you're trifty on your press, and you're ok with shooting cast bullets, then you can save money on your first 1000 rds/one year. You can load 'em for around 7.00-8.00 a box of 50, vs something like 20 at the store, using commercial cast bullets.

 

[cfullgraf]

i agree with Walkalong.

I got into reloading 30 some years ago to save money. I found I enjoyed it so I really do not care what it costs or what i save. I know my per round cost is less than factory. Besides producing tailor made ammunition, I enjoy working with new and different reloading equipment. I buy gear to try out and experiment with. Some I like, some I don't.

But, reloading is drudgery to many therefore for small quantity of rounds shot, purchasing ammunition may be the best option.

 

[JLDickmon]

I started reloading to save money, KEPT reloading to tailor the ammo to the gun..

 

[jfrey]

I can reload my 9mm and .45 ammo for half price or a little less. I'm saving money - Right? My wife thinks I am anyway. I shoot a lot more so the difference is probably a wash in real terms. By reloading I tell myself I can afford to shoot more and I do.

 

[James2]

How much pistol shooting can you do, before handloading starts to save you money??

Not sure what you are asking here.........

Your very first reloads and every one after that, will cost less per shot than factory ammo, unless you figure in the cost of your reloading tools. You can get set up pretty good for the price of 30 boxes of 45 ACP so it will take a while to realize a real saving, however once you have recouped that cost, the tools last a very long time.

As a rule of thumb I figure reloads cost about half what factory ammo costs. (cost of tools not included) Of course that depends on the caliber and the components you buy and how good of a shopper you are.

As others have mentioned there are other reasons to reload besides money. If you like mechanical things and like to do things with your hands, you may like it. If its going to just be a job, forget it.

Now if you want even less costly ammo, cast your own bullets. Yes, that requires tools too...............

 

[Rmeju]

I depends on the caliber. Reloading AK ammo, it's actually hard to spend less than you would on some of that steel cased russian ammo.

But .45acp is a fairly good round for volume savings, and it's what I started on. That said, if you're only shooting 1000 rounds/year, it could take you a year or two to break even depending on the press, etc. that you buy. You can probably load a box of 50 rounds for $10-$12.50 without shopping too much for components, if you've been saving your .45 brass already (otherwise you'll have to beg/borrow/buy some). Shooting cast lead helps you save even more, but can be kind of a pain to get out of your barrel.

So, what you should do is calculate your best option for buying ammo (say 1K rounds from some online dealer, don't forget to include shipping). That's your per/box price. Then you can figure that vs. what it'd cost you to reload. The more you reload, the more you "save," but as others have noted, you can save yourself right into the poorhouse. A cheap(ish) setup for reloading is probably about $200... although it's been so long since I've looked basic tool prices, I can't be sure. How much ammo do you have load to recoup that cost? Do that math and then decide if you want to shoot that much and also if you want to take the trouble of learning a new hobby.

Personally, if I only shot 1K rounds/year, I'd just buy the ammo online. If you think you might get more into shooting, even 2k or 3k per year might work. DON'T FORGET that many people find reloading tedious, and there's A LOT to know. If it doesn't sound like much fun to you, don't forget to factor that in. If you're into that kind of stuff though, pistol cases are fairly easy to reload. Just make sure to get a good reloading manual and read up on the basics!

Hope that helps.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Shooting between 1 box to less than 2 boxes of .45 Auto per month will take a very long time to recoup your investment in reloading equipment. You can probably set up for between $300 and $400 and do things right. A box of FMJ .45 Auto ammo costs ~$20 and you can reload the same ammo if you already have fired brass for #11.50. If you use LRN bullets the price drops to $6.75 a box.

At those prices even if you shoot the upper end of your 1000 rounds a year you will only save $170 the whole first year so it will take you about 2 years to recoup your investment. (you will save $265 if you load lead bullets with a 1000 round count) When I started reloading I was shooting so much I made back my money within only 6 or 7 weeks... That's because I was able to spend $20 a week on ammo. At the time that was the cost of 2 boxes of ammo but with that same $20 I was able to make 250 rounds which I did and I shot them all.!!! (like said above, you probably won't save money but you will shoot a lot more for the same cost)

 

[gamestalker]

Actually I never really considered start up costs into my finished product. I don't even give brass much consideration, being that factory includes the brass. So I would say yes, you do save a substantial amount of money on the price per box reloading.

If I buy the bottom of the shelf 7mm RM box of 20 it will cost about $25. That same box of 20 using a quality bullet and custom loaded for your personal action will run about $9 per box, currentky i am shooting some 139gr. BT's @ $8.20 per box. And exotic hunting bullets like Barnes LRX would still be around $17., maybe less? So to shoot the best ammunition obtainable at a cost any hunter of shooter can afford whats there to contimplate. I was in a Cabelas last year and was looking at the top shelf factory ammunition, and almost had to change my under wear after seeing the price for the 7mm RM "good stuff". There was just about every variation of bullet combinations as I ever loaded and many of those were in the $65 - $80 per box class.

There are also sources of ammunition manufacturers who will reload your brass as per your desired load data. But the expense of such custom reloading is astronomical.

So does reloading save me money? Absolutely.
GS

 

[blarby]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=18835

 

[jcwit]

I cast my own bullets from free range lead and free wheel weighjts. I use canping equipment I already owned to do my casting. I did buy moulds< Lee brand for approx $15 bucks apeace and have maybe 100 dollars invested. Most of my reloading presses were either given to me or purchased used at gun showes. I guessing all in all I have less than $500 bucks tot invested in casting and reloading, this has all been recovered in savings back in the 1960's.

So yes, except for componets, reloading saves me a bundle of cash.

 

[BADUNAME37]

For me, it has more to do with tailoring the loads to shoot what my gun likes best (most accurate, tightest groups).

For many of my loads, I use Barnes Solid Copper X bullets which are NOT CHEAP. However, with that being said, yes, I do save on each round I load, however, not as much as if I were to buy, say boxes of 500 or 1,000 Speer Lead Semi-Wad Cutters (SWC) for, say, a 38 Special, a .380 Auto, or any cast bullet (pill) for any gun.

I do load some cheap bullets that shoot very well, of course for those I am saving the most money. Those I don't mind plinking with and burning them up. The Barnes bullets I load are only for special shots (deer hunting, black bear hunting, etc).

You see, the MORE you shoot, the MORE you save. That is why I stated that my "PREMIUM" handloads (using Barnes X Bullets) are not saving me that much money, reason being, I do not shoot them very often, they are not the cartridges I take for several hours of shooting with a friend. Yes, I may shoot several rounds of the "PREMIUM" handloads just to confirm they are hitting zero at 200 yards, however, beyond verification of pinpoint accuracy, I have no desire to burn up my "PREMIUM" reloads! I purchased 1,000 Armscor 55g .223 FMJ bullets from Midway a couple of years ago and loaded all of them over the course of several months. I don't mind taking my AR out and letting my friend or a relative shoot the gun with those cartridges, as I realize they are inexpensive, in other words, they are "Plinking Material."

I wouldn't even think of loading up a 30 round magazine of my Barnes X bullets and shoot away 30 rounds for plinking. That would be like sitting here at my desk and burning up $10 bills -- not something I am about to do. Period.

I agree with others, if you have intelligence that leans toward mechanical reasoning and you are able to figure out how things work, reloading may be just the sport for you. I don't look at reloading as any kind of chore or job. I look at reloading as quality time to be with myself and not be disturbed by anything. If my wife is out of town, it may be something I decide to do on a day when there is not much else to do (like it is pouring rain out, or it is 20 below zero out, like it is snowing really hard out). I can sit in the warmth of my basement and reload.

I find that the time spent at the reloading bench doesn't even seem like time. It is as if time is standing still as I am all-consumed by the process, making sure I have everything just so and making sure I am not forgetting something. I have a complete system down, where it would make it difficult for me to "accidentally" use a wrong powder, accidentally load too much powder or too little powder, accidentally trim too much off the case mouth, etc.

In time, you will learn to devise a system of checks and balances to be sure what you are doing during every single phase of the process is proper and is done well. For myself, I have to have total quiet, be in absolutely NO HURRY WHATSOEVER and be organized at my bench (even though the rest of my workbench looks like a yard sale).

 

[Buckeyeguy525]

Heres an idea:

Lee Classic Cast or turret Press: $100
Safety Prime system: $22
auto disk powder measure: $25
digital scale: can vary, i paid $40 for a hornady
calipers: $25
Pimers per 1000: $36
230gr fmj (1000): $130
Powder: Bullseye powder $22 per pound (7000 grains @5gr per charge = 1400 rounds)

Total equipment cost (bare, bare basics): $212
Total components per 1000: $188
Cost to buy 1000 .45 at wal mart: $340 at $17 per box of the cheapest junk available

So as you can see (assuming you have brass), you are saving $152 per 1000 and making better ammo. At that rate, you will pay for your equipment investment after about 1400 rounds. You can always buy even cheaper equipment and save faster. But you will soon realize reloading is addictive and shoot twice as much just so you have more to reload

 

[gahunter12]

I started reloading to save $$, but now reload to talor my own ammo to my firearms, and shoot more. I have about $950 invested in loading equipment purchased late summer last year. The way I figured it, I have already broke even, and now it's pure savings. I loaded 2000 40s&w, and 1500 45acp last year. So far this year I have completed 5000 40s&w, 4000 45acp, and 2000 38spl. Still have a box of 1000 lead 40s&w left to load this weekend. I will be ordering 1000 40 s&w, and 1000 45acp this morning. For me the savings came fast at $9.60/100 of 45acp cast, $8.90/100 40s&w cast, and $10.42/100 for plated 38spl. My plated 40s&w loads cost about $14.00/100. I buy powders and primers in bulk. Just picked up 8lb of powder, and 5000 primers last week.

 

[chrome_austex]

(Ballpark estimates) Reloaded match quality ammo often costs 1/2 as much as factory match ammo of similar quality. Savings for plinker ammo is less, and savings for expensive rounds can be more.

Anyway, figure $180 saved per 1000 for bulk .45 ACP (for example), and/or $400 per 1000 for match 223.

If reloading equipment costs ~$800 for a nice set bought new, you're looking at a 2-4000 rounds to brake even, depending on what you're shooting. Figure 4k rounds if you just want to make plinker ammo, and closer to 2k if you're making match ammo.

For me, working on a single-stage, its not worth the time investment to handload plinker 223 or 9mm, but I'll never buy .223 or .308 match ammo ever again. Its just too much cheaper to reload it.

Now, for 308 those savings go directly the berm downrage. I simply shoot more with my existing fixed budget because I can.

Shooting 2-gun or 3-gun only occasionally (223), the savings go to shooting higher quality ammo instead of shooting more often or more quantity. I was able to upgrade to match reloads on long-range stages, but still shoot factory plinker ammo in bulk at close range.

When I was shooting highpower, the savings let me participate more often. There was no way I could buy enough accurate ammo on my budget to compete as often as I wished without reloading as well.

If (more like when) I shift to a regular practice schedule and add 2-3 more days of shooting a week, I'll be shooting enough to make an investment in a progressive press and start reloading plinker 9mm ammo. I expect it will take me ~8-12 months to recoup that investment.

 

[chrome_austex]

FWIW, number of rounds to break even = $InitialInvestment / ($PricePerRound * (1-SavingsPerRound%))

 

[2zulu1]

I like to shoot and reloading/handloading is the method I use to shoot more rounds than if I was limited to shooting whatever's on the shelf at Walmart.

1000 rounds/year has a way of turning into a 1000 rounds/month and that has a way of becoming 500-1000 rounds/ week. Since the climate I live in is conducive to year round shooting, there is no winter break, meaning reloading and shooting times are set aside on those busy retirement days.

On the last # of W231, so it must be time for another order to Powder Valley.

 

[medalguy]

Another aspect of reloading worth mentioning is that when ammo is hard to fine, you always have the option of making whatever you need, as long as you had the foresight to stock up on primers and powder. Brass is easy to come by for most calibers, and you can buy or cast bullets yourself.

Someone said "The more you shoot, the more you save." My wife uses that same argument when she comes home with 5 pairs of new shoes. Oh heck, I do it too every gun show.

 

[56hawk]

At that rate, you will pay for your equipment investment after about 1400 rounds.

I did this same calculation for a friend and came out with around 900 to break even. That was with lead bullets though. After you have the basic equipment, adding another caliber is really cheap. Expect to break even with no more than 100 rounds.

 

[s.forktraveler]

break even rapidly shooting 220 swift or any ammunition the manufacturers deem to be low volume sellers -- i appreciate the ability to use custom loads for my firearms that are
not available at any price -- many handloaders are shooting what is essentially match grade ammunition every time they go to the range , varmint hunting or just plinking -- when you attempt to dollar evaluate handloading vs in the box retail be sure to factor in the quality of what you are shooting -- i enjoy the process & since i work for free i save
$$ while using premium components

 

[Hondo 60]

How much I save per box, depends on how much the stores are charging for ammo.

Last time I checked, WallyWorld was charging $32.97/100 rd box.
I can reload those same 100 rounds for $12.04.

According to my calculator that's a savings of 65.2%

Now, do I actually save? No, but I sure do shoot a heck of a lot more.
(and my ammo is WAAAYYYY more accurate)

 

[JamieC]

I bought a Lee Turret press, dies for 9mm and .38 special, a couple of odds and ends to be able to load. Loaded a thousand rounds, (500 each), compared to Wal Mart prices, came real close to paying for the equipment. Like many have said, it's not so much how much you save, (you do per round), you shoot more which is fun and since everyone agrees it's not the caliber, it's shot placement that really matters and that is what MORE shooting gets ya!

 

[thump_rrr]

I cast my own bullets from free range lead and free wheel weighjts. I use canping equipment I already owned to do my casting. I did buy moulds< Lee brand for approx $15 bucks apeace and have maybe 100 dollars invested. Most of my reloading presses were either given to me or purchased used at gun showes. I guessing all in all I have less than $500 bucks tot invested in casting and reloading, this has all been recovered in savings back in the 1960's.

So yes, except for componets, reloading saves me a bundle of cash.

Free range lead. Is that like free range chicken?
Where is this so called free range lead found?