Reloading economics for .30-06 and .303?

[cluttonfred]

I am curious about the economics of reloading for rifle cartriges, particularly .30-06 Springfield and .303 British. Looking at the prices of a basic press and other equipment, bullets, primers, powder, etc. it seems to me like I'd have to load thousands of rounds of ammo for reloading to make much econonmic sense compared to surplus ammo, steel-cased ammo or even low-cost commercial brass-cased ammo like Prvi Partizan.

For example, the 150 gr FMJ bullets alone for .30-06 are going to run about 22 cents each, the primers about 3 cents each, plus the powder, and the brass has to come from somewhere, plus shipping costs (or higher prices if buying locally). That's at least 40 cents per round in raw materials, plus amortizing the cost of several hundred dollars worth of equipment and throwing in my time for free. With those numbers, 60-70 cents per round ready to shoot doesn't look too bad.

Am I missing something? I'd love to hear from folks currently reloading for these cartridges on what the numbers look like for you.

Cheers,

Matthew

 

[OYE]

30/06 at component prices current in spring 2014:
box of 20: 11.72 (.59 per rd) in components only is what we figured if we were buying at current prices, which we are not. We stock piled components
at much lower prices a few years back.

Looks like you can still shoot the nagants for about 4.50 a box (.23 a rd) with surplus.

You can spend as much on reloading equipment as you want. It's all about keeping up with the Jones's, but not always. OYE

 

[ArchAngelCD]

You can't compare the quality of the ammo you can load to surplus ammo or steel cased ammo. The ammo you build will be much more accurate. (hopefully)

 

[RugerBob]

I don't save all that much on my '06 rounds. But I do save enough on handgun rounds to make it worth reloading. That is what got me started reloading. I have a '06 and load for it because I have all my spent brass available, then just need primers powder and bullets.
I do like my loads over factory.

 

[Gadawg88]

If your only objective is to save money, then I wouldn't suggest reloading. Do not interpret that statement as me saying you cannot save money reloading, because you can (lots of it). But, IMO, you need to enjoy doing it as a hobby, almost as much or more than shooting, to make it worthwhile. ArchAngelCD said it already, but I will repeat, you can't compare the cost of well crafted hand loads tailored to your particular rifle to low end factory.

 

[sage5907]

Some people just like to do things themselves and that goes with reloading. It's easier to shoot a rifle accurately if every cartridge is identical. Bullets from the same batch, powder from the same batch, cartridge cases of the same brand, and primers from the same batch. If you have the basic set-up you can load standard cup & core bullets for less than 50 cents per cartridge. If you're only shooting 2 boxes of ammo a year it wouldn't be worth the effort, but if you shooting 200 rounds a year you could pay for the set-up in less than 5 years.

 

[mstreddy]

Sage's post above is exactly what I would say. The economy is there if the volume is there.

 

[readyeddy]

40 cents vs 70 cents sounds about right. Load 1000 rounds and you save $300.

 

[higgite]

You're probably right if you are only going to load "surplus ammo, steel-cased ammo or even low-cost commercial brass-cased ammo like Prvi Partizan." Have you priced any Federal or Hornady match ammo lately?

 

[BCRider]

The brass is re-useable for quite a few loadings. LOTS more if dedicate a batch to each rifle and neck size only with occasional annealing. So that lowers the cost as well.

But either way you look at it you will need to load a few thousand rounds before the equipment pays for itself. But as mentioned it does not take a lot to make better ammo than you can buy for the most part. But unless you shoot a LOT then it won't save you anything for quite a while. Mind you .30-06 and .303Brit are pretty common ammo types. So the cost difference isn't that big. But if you were shooting some more exotic ammo then the equipment pays for itself a lot sooner.

Still, all in all if you're only shooting a couple of boxes a month then you're better off with just buying the factory stuff.

And to OYE you can't even begin to compare the performance of surplus 7.62x54R to anything we can reload. The milsurp stuff is a distant level of poor compared to what can be loaded at home even with just basic equipment and practices. I'd far rather shoot a dozen rounds of home loaded ammo that actually hits where I'm aiming than the milsurp stuff I've got that looks like I'm building a slow shotgun pattern.

 

[WelshShooter]

Compare the reloaded costs with new factory boxer primed ammo rather than milsurp. The 303 is a good round to handload, just be careful not to use Sellior & Bellot brass. It's very brittle and even with neck sizing I get 4 loads before getting case head separation (even when I annealed). PPU/Privi is good brass.

You can make reduced loads with Accurate 5744 (about 27gr) with a 174gr bullet. I've also had good success with Ramshot Big Game and an equivalent of Vihtavuori N140. With the 303 you'll want to keep pressure low to have long brass life.

 

[oneounceload]

It really comes down (as far as cost saving go) how much you shoot. If your 30-06 is strictly a fire about 10 shots a year while sighting in and hunting type of gun, find a factory brand your gun likes and do not bother. If your gun is for weekly matches and practice in between where accuracy trumps everything, then it makes sense.

 

[Walkalong]

plus amortizing the cost of several hundred dollars worth of equipment

You don't need hundreds of dollars worth of equipment. Get a $125 Lee kit and a couple of die sets. For under $200 you can be loading both calibers, and can now add more for the price of a die set.

 

[Sunray]

Surplus ammo, steel-cased ammo or even low-cost commercial brass-cased ammo like Prvi Partizan isn't tailored for your rifle. No comparison is possible. It's like comparing your Goodwill bought suit to a hand made tailor made suit. Reloading isn't about cost saving. It's about using the best possible ammo out of your firearms.
"...several hundred dollars worth of equipment..." Paid for in 6 months or so depending on how much you shoot.

 

[Edarnold]

When it comes to paying off the cost of reloading equipment, the question revolves around 'over what period'? My loading press was bought in 1957, and is still in regular use, so I think it's paid for itself. The oldest powder measure I use dates from 1980, still does exactly what it did 35 years ago, so I think that's paid for too. Unless you load an unGodly number of rounds, loading dies pretty much don't wear out, so the 20-or-so calibers of dies I've collected over the years will still be working after I'm gone. The cost of brass depends on the caliber and the gun, but for rifle calibers five reloadings is a reasonable expectation, bringing the cost-per-round contribution down to a dime per shot.

Comparing the cost of surplus military ammunition to reloads is a fools pursuit. I shot up my share of WCC43 9mm, IMI57 8x57, Finnish VPT .303 British, etc. at ridiculously low price-per-round in the day. Anybody seen any of that great ammo around lately? The UN Small Arms treaty regulations will probably be used to choke off the supply of true military surplus ammunition within a year or so, while the trade in imported low price commercial ammunition could cease at the stroke of BHO's pen. If you are loading your own, you will still have a supply of ammunition that will be as good as anything the US makers can make, at half the price or less.

So, in my humble opinion, if you intend to continue participating in shooting sports over the next few decades, not setting up to reload is a poor choice.

 

[OYE]

And to OYE you can't even begin to compare the performance of surplus 7.62x54R to anything we can reload. The milsurp stuff is a distant level of poor compared to what can be loaded at home even with just basic equipment and practices. I'd far rather shoot a dozen rounds of home loaded ammo that actually hits where I'm aiming than the milsurp stuff I've got that looks like I'm building a slow shotgun pattern.

Have to disagree. We've had excellent accuracy with ours and military surplus. We certainly have a lot of sage advice here, but few answers to the ops question. For me it's accuracy and cost savings. Always has been and always will be.
OYE

 

[mstreddy]

The OP asks:

That's at least 40 cents per round in raw materials, plus amortizing the cost of several hundred dollars worth of equipment and throwing in my time for free. With those numbers, 60-70 cents per round ready to shoot doesn't look too bad.

Am I missing something? I'd love to hear from folks currently reloading for these cartridges on what the numbers look like for you.

The answers touch on that. But as to the overall question of economy it does come down to volume. And the time, well, that's been beaten pretty severely around here a few time already. Two camps -- those that amortize and account for their time and those that feel it's a hobby - the free time doesn't count.

But, since the OP asks -- here are my numbers.
Plinking loads
30-06 - brass is free from previously purchased factory rounds.
bullets - around .20 (RMR 147gr FMJ)
Primers - .025
powder - .145

That's .37 per round for me.

303 is going to be a bit more if you use the .311 bullets as those are a little pricier. Also, finding large amounts of reloadable boxer primed brass is harder. And another thing is that Enfields are known to to have loose chambers and brass life is reduced.
So for the 303 you may have to buy brass and it may not be reloadable more than 4 or 5 times.

Now, comparing to surplus, in those two calibers, the surplus has been quickly drying up.

But the biggest reason for me to reload is not the price/economy - it's the availability of ammo on my bench.

OP - a question for you: how much do you shoot your rifles? How many rounds a month? What other calibers do you shoot?

 

[BigBore45]

Well you can get way better quality with hand loads than any commercial ammo you listed. And while at the range plinking you can shoot cast bullets with pistol powder at reduced velocity. so maybe instead of 54 gr of a rifle powder at 2900 fps you can shoot a lead bullet with a pistol powder at 12-16 gr. of powder and 1200-1600 fps. so that is saving a lot on bullets and powder.

.303 British for me.

brass: $.05per round (spread threw 5 reloads)
Powder: $.21 (14 gr. trail boss)
bullets: $.14 (MBC cast#1 .32-20 .313 Diameter 120 Grain RNFP Brinell 18 For Lever Guns Price per box of 500 Price: $37.00)
primers: $.03

Total: $.43 per round plinking. and to save typing about $.56 for full house hunting loads. i know people say that military surplus shoots good but no way it shoots with my hunting loads, go from 3" groups with surplus at 100 to 1.5" with reloads at the same cost or below, not to mention i can pick bullet type.

 

[maxxhavoc]

Well you can get way better quality with hand loads than any commercial ammo you listed. And while at the range plinking you can shoot cast bullets with pistol powder at reduced velocity. so maybe instead of 54 gr of a rifle powder at 2900 fps you can shoot a lead bullet with a pistol powder at 6-8 gr. of powder and 1200-1600 fps. so that is saving a lot on bullets and powder.

Yep. If you try new things, you might win, you might lose.

I load a 100-yard plinking round that is soft shooting and less expensive.
12gr Red Dot (or reduced H4895 load per directions)
Wolf LR Primer
Xtreme 150gr FP plated bullet.
$0.16 per round.

My 1903 loves 'em. Not match accuracy, but as good as some of the surplus I have run.

And the 4895 cycles the bolt most of the time in an AR-10. It jams about 1 in 10 into the feed ramp, sets back the bullet all the way into the case, and puts a crimp on the mouth. I am going to ease up the load and see if I can get it to cycle 100% before the copper plating starts to peel.

 

[joem1945]

I shoot quite a bit and reload quite a bit. I enjoy reloading as a hobby but I do shoot more than I normally would. So far I have worn out a Dillon tumbler, RCBS sidwinder tumbler and the toggle on a Hornady loc & Load press, several small parts on a dillon 650. A electric case feeder motor for the Dillon 650. I guess I shoot about 5000 to 6000 rounds a year maybe a little more. I bought surplus powder, cases and bullets when they were cheap. Real glad I stocked up.

 

[sean1129]

You don't need hundreds of dollars worth of equipment. Get a $125 Lee kit and a couple of die sets. For under $200 you can be loading both calibers, and can now add more for the price of a die set.

Agreed. I eventually bought a Dillon progressive for handguns, but that was after loading 3500-4000 rounds on the Lee Challenger single stage. I still use it to load 30-06, personally. The only thing I'd buy is a $40 digital scale, as the Lee balance beam did not work well for me.

Otherwise, in Missouri our current box of 20 30-06 rounds is $22-25, which is about $1.10 a round. I just loaded some '06 two weeks ago (after buying new reloading components), and the cost per round for me was $0.49. So, if you shoot a box of ammo a year, reloading is not worth it. BUT, you'll shoot a lot more.

Plus, as others have said, much better quality.

Have fun!

 

[splattergun]

It ain't about the money!

Yes, You are missing something. Something important. Yes, it will take a lot of hand loaded rounds to recoup your costs. So what?

Once you know what you're doing, the cartridges you produce will be of a much higher quality and probably more accurate than any of the "economy" ammo you are now comparing it to (with the possible exception of Prvi Partisan, which is pretty good target fodder, and excellent reloading brass). You will probably be shooting more, so that recovery will not take very long! Thousands of rounds comes more quickly than you might imagine.

There is a lot of pride shooting the ammo you build yourself, especially when you find your first sub-MOA load in a gun you've never shot better than 1.5 MOA before handloads.

I think it's safe to say that among the majority of us handloaders, reducing Cost per round is not the primary goal, but a pleasant benefit, much lower on the priority list than the quality that we shoot.

When was the last time you took pride in shooting imported steel-cased ammo of questionable quality?

 

[jmr40]

Cheap military surplus ammo is getting harder to find. A cheap box of 30-06 ammo in Walmart is going to cost $1 per round. I can load with premium bullets, get better accuracy, and beat factory speeds in my 30-06 for less $1 per round. A box of premium factory ammo that comes close to my hand loads will cost me $2-$3 per round.

For me it isn't so much about the savings, as about better quality. And my time is worth something to me. I only load for my center fire big game rifles. It is not worth the time involved for the small savings for me to try to load for 223 or any of my handguns.

 

[double bogey]

I don't save a cent. But I shoot lots more, and I keep ammo in stock. I load and shoot for several handguns that I couldn't afford to buy factory.