Just finished loading up 1,000 .223 rounds using once fired RP brass, H-322 powder, CCI small rifle primers and Hornady 55gr V-max bullets. Total cost for components came to $355.42 (includes local taxes and shipping costs) or $.36 per round. I couldn't find any factory or remanufactured loads using the exact components, but Black Hills is offering 50gr. V-max remanufactured loads for $1.10 per round. The cheapest factory .223 ammo I could find was going for $.65 per round, or $650.00 per 1,000 rounds. Now I'm sure it didn't take them near as long as it took me to hand load a thousand rounds but since I'm retired I don't count time spent reloading (If I did, I'd have to subtract the time I spent shooting). All of my brass was full length resized, trimmed and polished before being hand primed then loaded. I no longer weigh .223 powder twice, so that saved me a little time.
Material cost breakdown as follows:
1,000 Hornady 55gr. V-Max bullets: $172.46
1,000 CCI SP Primers : $42.40
3lbs of H322 Powder: $90.56
1,000 Pieces Remington once fired brass: $50.00 (based on new brass cost being reloaded 6 times)
Most items purchased locally from either Cabela's or Spring Hill Rod and Gun. Trimming 1,000 pieces of .223 brass using one of the Lyman case trimmers was no fun, but worth the effort once finished.
Material cost breakdown as follows:
1,000 Hornady 55gr. V-Max bullets: $172.46
1,000 CCI SP Primers : $42.40
3lbs of H322 Powder: $90.56
1,000 Pieces Remington once fired brass: $50.00 (based on new brass cost being reloaded 6 times)
Most items purchased locally from either Cabela's or Spring Hill Rod and Gun. Trimming 1,000 pieces of .223 brass using one of the Lyman case trimmers was no fun, but worth the effort once finished.
