Reloading cost

[doeslayer]

I was wondering if reloading goose loads in 3" would save much money, if any over just buying them in a store? I reload rifle rounds for my 30/06 and just enjoy my basement time, but just wondering if I could save any money by reloading shotgun shells.

 

[pmeisel]

My experience was that I just didn't shoot enough shotgun shells to make it worthwhile. Haven't set up my Load-All in 12 years and still have shells left. But YMMV.

 

[mgkdrgn]

You -can- save money by reloading shot shells ... but just like the rifle reloads there is a break even point to cover your fixed costs in equipment (I would suggest a good used MEC 600 Jr).

IF you shoot enough, you can recover those costs. If you take care of the reloader, you'll be able to use it pretty much forever. I'm still using the MEC my dad and I bought back in the 70's.

 

[chas08]

While reloading steel can save you a small amount of money. It is a much bigger PITA to reload than lead. Even the reloader is somewhat different. My hunting buddy and I went halves on a Mec Steelmaster a few years ago. Pellet sizes above BB need to be reloaded by pellet count, as they will not feed smoothly through the reloader. Then there is the issue of hulls. There isn't a really good quality 3 or 3.5 inch hull made. They are all crap when compared to a AA or Remington STS hull. We abandoned our efforts after a few years and started buying factory loads by the case and have never looked back. I'm sure you can save some money, but is it worth it? Not to me.

 

[Geneseo1911]

I'll start by disclosing that I have NOT reloaded steel.

That said, I just ran the numbers on the shells I reload for casual skeet shooting (12ga, 1oz lead). A case of cheap factory loads (250 rnds) goes for $55-$60 around here. Assuming free hulls (The key here is to buy shells which are quality enough to reload), I can load 250 rnds for $40 in materials. The savings over factory loads pays me about $4/hour to do it, but I enjoy it. I use a Lee Load-All II, so my equipment cost has long since been recovered. I need to get something better one of these days....

I suspect the savings would be greater for steel, as factory loads are so much more expensive. Of course steel shot is also quite expensive. However, if there is really no decent 3" hulls around as the above poster mentioned, buying new hulls would likely eat up most savings.

 

[cochise9424221]

It is a big savings if you buy the good stuff as you can make better for way less. The issue is the cost of the loader, if you already have one for clay shooting it will make sense, if you need to buy a press for just your goose loads it probably wont make sense unless you shoot a ton of them.

 

[Virginian]

If you reload your own, you can put together loads that make steel look like blanks. Check out Ballistic Specialties for certain. I used to load up some nickel plated #3s and #Bs that would really smoke the waterfowl back in the old days.

 

[MCgunner]

I wasn't saving enough, if any, to mess with it, so I quit 20 years ago with the shotgun stuff. Handguns, rifles, sure.

However, I've got this MEC for 10 gauge and I think I can safe significantly on 10 gauge stuff, especially steel. 12 and 20 gauge is just too cheap at wallyworld.

 

[gotgcoalman]

Been thinking about reloading my own for a while.

Cheapest over here in the UK i've found £129/1000
+ vat (value added tax lol) @ 15% less 5% if i buy
over 1500 shells at a time.