Current Cost of Hand Loading (Circa 2013/06)

[BullfrogKen]

First - Don't go buy reloading stuff off Gunbroker, Ebay, or wherever people put stuff for sale on a secondary market. And certainly not in today's marketplace with the shortages.

Second - the cost is about the same as it always was. About half. You can load at home for about half the cost of buying the same quality and type as factory loaded ammunition. That's a good rule of thumb.


However . . . . And we reloaders have been saying this for years - when the store's got nothing to sell, but you have the ability to still load for yourself at home from your own inventory of components, you can't really put a price on that.


Or maybe you can . . . Gunbroker will give you one.

 

[stavman11]

I started loading .223 cuz i shot WAY to many..... Could get Factory rds at about $.30-$.35 /rd
Buying Bulk Primers and Powder my Costs are aprox $.16/rd for .223 some more recent rounds are at about $.20 due to smaller purchases of Bullets

Now all my .357 and 9mm where purchased locally and 1lb or 1000 primers at a time

ability to Find 9mm factory at $.35/ea is still due-able... and .357 at $.45/ea as well

Currently my 9mm is running me $.15 - $.21 depending on Bullet type used
.357 is running me $.16 to $.25 .. higher Cost is for Full Magnum Loads that take 3x the Powder...

My pistol rounds Costs average will start dropping since my original Primer costs where $59 and now are $39 or less

No Brass is figured into any of my Loads... i figure they are free with the factory Rounds i have shot


For me it has made quite a difference in cost... but really means I can shoot more rounds for less... i also really enjoy Loading.... good way to spend my time when its gunna be 118deg out for the next 4 days

 

[GLOOB]

The "current" price of primers is for suckers. When the price drops to 3 cents each, stock up. It will happen pretty soon.

 

[BullfrogKen]

The local shop I frequent has been holding prices at between $30-$34.00/1k on vanilla-plain primers since this whole thing started and are controlling it through limiting purchase amounts. They did the same thing 4 years ago.

They have a little bit of everything. Except they've been very thin on small rifle primers. You could buy benchrest if you wanted them, they had those. I did buy 1k because I had need of some.

 

[silicosys4]

Your call. You're saving $1 per round reloading rifle ammo and about 18 cents per round reloading pistol ammo, and you think you're saving more on the pistol ammo?

Shoot a case of 9mm handloads that saves you $175 (70%, $75 reloads vs $250 factory case), then shoot a case of rifle handloads that saves you $1,000 (50%, $1000 reloads vs $2000 factory case). See which one leaves more money in your wallet.
I saved MUCH more on the rifle ammo per round, but hey, do whatever makes you happy!

Seems to me we are both right depending on how much of each you shoot. But dollar for dollar pistol reloading goes further than rifle reloading, you can't argue that.
To elaborate, if I sell a widget for $1k profit, it might be better than selling 1 gizmo for $5 profit....but is that better than selling 5k gizmo's at $5 profit each?

http://www.amazon.com/How-Lie-Statistics-Darrell-Huff/dp/0393310728

In the last few months I've shot about 10k pistol rounds,
and about 500 rifle rounds.
I saved about $300 on the rifle rounds,
and about $1.5k on the pistol rounds.
During that time you might have saved the same amount by doing the opposite. Depends on how much pistol ammo you shoot vs. rifle ammo.
But in the end, you will save more by reloading pistol ammo as a percentage of your equivalent cost in factory ammo. If you choose not to shoot enough pistol ammo vs rifle ammo to see the gains over reloading for a rifle, that doesn't mean that reloading for a pistol doesn't cost less. In the end I still saved three times what the pistol ammo would have cost to buy, and you only saved double what the rifle ammo would have cost to buy. Round for round I will save more, and will have more ammo for my money vs factory ammo if I reload for pistols vs. rifles.
So I'm not really following you,

But thanks, I'll continue to do things that make me happy, and saving money reloading makes me happy.

 

[stavman11]

The "current" price of primers is for suckers. When the price drops to 3 cents each, stock up. It will happen pretty soon.

Really... come On....

So you WONT get any primers based on $.01 to $.015 each

well personally...... I like Increasing my Stock.... ya would LOVE ta get primers at $24.99/1000 But even 8 months ago that was Tuff with haz and Shipping... I remmember cabela's had CCI400 at $27.99 plus tax....... that was Good.... and the Bulk 5000 I got online... was cheaper.. just dont remmember exactly the Price..

Bullet Costs effect the overall price more than Anything..... Well Rifle Rounds Cost More with Powder since the GR's are Much Higher.... So BULK Powder will help as well for Rifle but Not as much for Pistol

Anyways..... $39.99 or $44.99 who cares about $.015

 

[GLOOB]

Ur confusing me. Yes, I'd buy primers for $0.010-0.015 each. That's cheaper than 3 cents each. And even that is doable. I bought 1k CCI primers for $14.95 at Cabelas just a couple years ago. In store. No shipping, no hazmat.

But, but, that will NEVER happen again. There's a shortage!!! Yeah, w/e. There have been many shortages in the past, and many more to come in the future.

 

[nix4me]

Stop saying the work gun broker and you will be fine.

 

[beatledog7]

Don't ever start figuring in your time. Just consider it a vacation from the craziness that's all around us.

 

[HOWARD J]

I have not worried about the cost in years.
I enjoy reloading especially now that the stores are empty of ammo.
I keep a good stock of reloads & reloading components.
Enjoy
HJ

 

[stavman11]

No... I meant you implied you wont BUY them based on a Difference of $.01 to $.015 each

and thats a penny and Penny and a Half... Not Fifteen Cents.....LOL


Those Under $20/1000 may be a LONG time till they come back, if they do.....

But it also dosent Make sense to buy 5000 at $34.95 + Haz + Shipping either....

Oh well it is what it is....

 

[RugerBob]

If you happen to have a Cabelas near by, you can order online and have shipped to local store and not have to pay haz mat fees on powder and primers. Also no shipping costs that way. I have one close by and thats the way it works here in Maine.

 

[stavman11]

If you happen to have a Cabelas near by, you can order online and have shipped to local store and not have to pay haz mat fees on powder and primers. Also no shipping costs that way. I have one close by and thats the way it works here in Maine.

Not here in AZ... they wont do it... everything else they do but No HAZMAT items qualify


have you done it before with powders? Just tried... no will call option available

 

[RugerBob]

no, not powders. Never tried, Have another option here that has been my #1 choice before cabelas. But they did say if I ordered primers over the phone and had shipped to local store (cabelas) no extra fee.

 

[stavman11]

no, not powders. Never tried, Have another option here that has been my #1 choice before cabelas. But they did say if I ordered primers over the phone and had shipped to local store (cabelas) no extra fee.

ya

dont think that works....... hazmat still applies... only other way would be part of their STOCK order... But that could take weeks

 

[jlucke69]

Subscribe to this thread

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=707473

It will show you where components are available and what reloading prices should be.

Gunbroker auctions right now typically bring more than the item is worth. When the panic goes down, check back with them and it might be better.

Find someone to go in on for reloading supplies or buy local. Buying 1K of primers is going to double the price because of hazmat fees. I typically buy 10-20K primers and 10-20lb powder at a time and sell what I don't need to my reloading buddies for cost plus a portion of the hazmat.

The key to keeping reloading prices down is buying bulk when and where the prices are good. Find a few sources and keep an eye out for specials.

Also, classifieds here and elsewhere are great places to get brass and components at reasonable prices and don't forget to browse your local range and pickup discarded brass.

Good luck and welcome to the club.

 

[Potatohead]

Subscribe to this thread

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=707473

It will show you where components are available and what reloading prices should be.

Gunbroker auctions right now typically bring more than the item is worth. When the panic goes down, check back with them and it might be better.

Find someone to go in on for reloading supplies or buy local. Buying 1K of primers is going to double the price because of hazmat fees. I typically buy 10-20K primers and 10-20lb powder at a time and sell what I don't need to my reloading buddies for cost plus a portion of the hazmat.

The key to keeping reloading prices down is buying bulk when and where the prices are good. Find a few sources and keep an eye out for specials.

Also, classifieds here and elsewhere are great places to get brass and components at reasonable prices and don't forget to browse your local range and pickup discarded brass.

Good luck and welcome to the club.

yup. found some powder using this thread today

 

[cowtownup]

40 S&W have been costing me $0.18 per round to reload using Berry's bullets.. That includes the hazmat fee for I got those components from Grafs... I should be a few pennies less now that my LGS has powder...

 

[X-Rap]

I'd say I saw around 30# of powder and thousands of bullets and primers when I went to town yesterday.
Ammo is plentiful with the 22lr exception and gun racks are full. 22 won't show up in quantities until every American house hold has 5-10k set back but that can't be far out.
I think the monopoly of the privateers is almost broken as the margin is start in to close up.
Thing to remember is how many lean times you have to live through before you start setting stuff back instead of being at the mercy of an inflated panic market.
I also saw hundreds of 30 rd ar and ak mags for pre panic prices just 4 days out from the ban here in CO. I don't know what the small stores will do with left overs, I suppose Cabelas and Sportsmans can just ship their stock to an out of state store. I think there might be some smoking deals on 15+ mags on the 30th.

 

[Certaindeaf]

It's probably the same as it ever was on a ratio basis, not on a nominal dollar basis. It's anywhere from fifty to four times cheaper to reload these days, compared to factory loads.

 

[Flt Simulation]

I only load .45 ACP


The following components were bought 8 months ago, before the latest ammo shortage.

Bullets: Precision Delta 230gr FMJ RN

Powder: Winchester 231

Primers: Winchester small pistol

Brass: Range pick up (free)


Cost: .18 cents per cartridge ($18 per box of 100)

 

[45_auto]

In the end I still saved three times what the pistol ammo would have cost to buy, and you only saved double what the rifle ammo would have cost to buy. Round for round I will save more, and will have more ammo for my money vs factory ammo if I reload for pistols vs. rifles.

Ok, hopefully I can simplify it for you.

Fill out these 3 simple lines for me:

Line 1 - Savings per round on pistol ammo = ______ (You should see about a 20 cent savings per round based on your post #6: "For me, .38 spcl reloads are roughly $0.06 each.")

Line 2 - Savings per round on rifle ammo = ______ (You claim $1 per round savings in post #7: "I'm paying about $1 each to reload premium rifle ammo who's equivalent can be purchased for approximately $2 round from the factory")

Line 3 - Compare Line 1 to Line 2. Round for round, will you save more reloading for pistols on Line 1 or will I save more reloading for rifles on Line 2? _______

(If you can't follow the above, try this: Sit one of your reloaded rifle rounds next to a dollar bill. Sit one of your reloaded pistol rounds next to two dimes. Put the dollar in one box labeled "Rifle Savings per round", and the two dimes in another box labeled "Pistol Savings per round". Without looking at the labels, see which box has the most money in it. The box with the most money will determine whether you save more per round on rifle or pistol ammo.)

 

[dragon813gt]

If you happen to have a Cabelas near by, you can order online and have shipped to local store and not have to pay haz mat fees on powder and primers. Also no shipping costs that way. I have one close by and thats the way it works here in Maine.

You are one lucky person if that's the case. HazMat still applies in PA for ship to store orders. Which I completely understand because the items are shipped like they would be shipped to your home. They aren't coming in by a tractor trailer like a stock order.

As far as cost. I stopped figuring it out. I know I'm saving money. I don't care how much because I enjoy reloading and I create higher quality ammo than the factory can. Now if I could just stop buying MP Molds I wouldn't be spending anymore money on tooling.


Brought to you by TapaTalk

 

[SuperNaut]

As others have stated, decoupling your supply from market supply is where the real value of reloading lies.

And it is fun. Fun = Priceless.

 

[wackemanstackem]

Lets not forget its gona cost you 500 bucks min before you even pull the handle and proly closer to 1000 for everthing you need from start to finish ,by that I meen when you buy your first reloading setup from press to finished bullet.Powder ,bullets ,primers ,calipers ,dies,more dies,tumblers, scales ,books ,brass just to name a few.Its not about saving money I wish it was .But it is a great hobby ,wouldnt have it any other way.