Reloading vs Factory Pricing

[tater19]

I am just getting started with reloading. I have bought a few books on how to and I have a few friends who are going to show me the how. I just went into a sporting goods store and priced the materials for reloading and it seems to me to be more expensive than just buying factory ammo. I don't mind paying more to reload for my rifle ammo for the accuracy, but for ammo for plinking I can get 100 rounds for my .357 in a 38 special 130 fmj for $20! I haven't done any reloading yet, but it seems cheaper to just buy the factory for it??? Approx. how many loads can you get out of a 1lb can of powder in a 38 special either a 110 jhp or 130 fmj? Any ideas of costs?
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[Wedge]

Read the stickies at the top of the forum.

This one will break it down for you and get your some nice worksheets.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=18835

www.midwayusa.com
www.cabelas.com

they both sell reloading supplies online for pricing...

I would estimate that 100 rounds of plinking 38 special will run about $6.

100 primers, $2, est. a 5gr. charge of power at $16/lb and you have 500gr. of powder used which is 500/7000 or 7.14% of the lb. so that costs you $1.15 then 100 lead 125gr. bullets would cost about $3.5 (might be able to find less locally). That adds up to $6.65...or $13.35 cheaper than buying WWB...or you could shoot 300 rounds for the cost of 100 WWB.

Cast your own bullets and use a lower powder charge and you are practially at the cost of primers.

 

[Idano]

Wedge is pretty accurate on his prices. I have read here many posts that you can buy 9mm cheaper then reloading it but I never seen even the cheapest priced ammo beat my reloaded price, plus my reloads are +P hollow point loads. Therefore, I find it ridicules to shoot inferior ammo for practice when I can shoot the same ammo all the time for less.

 

[tater19]

How many times do you think on average you can use the brass?

 

[Jim Watson]

I seldom wear out an autopistol case, I lose them first.
.38 Special wadcutters are easy on brass and you can load it dozens of times.

 

[Wedge]

I got into reloading for the economy of it. I had a .45 Colt to feed.

I figure that my plinking load costs me around 10 cents a shot, so 100 would cost me $10. These loads are higher quality and more accurate than the "Cowboy" loads available which costs about $40 per 100. So I save $30 every time I load up a batch.

The more accurate .45 Colt loads from the factory run more like $50 per 100.

My slightly warm load is closer to $12 per 100. Magnum level is about $15 per 100. Slightly warm to magnum .45 Colt from the factory will run you nearly $100 per 100.