Has reloading saved you money (casting excluded please)

[HOWARD J]

I don't save any money on reloading today. I don't shoot enuf.
36 years ago when I started I saved a lot.
We were shooting about 1000 rifle & pistol rds. per week. 600 rds of shotshells per week. Reloading saved a lot of $$$$$$$$$$$.
The kids are not far away but don't have much time for shooting.
They all have a CCW & many choices of handguns.

 

[codefour]

It has cost me a lot more money to reload. If I look at the total cost of investment in equipment and components, I have probably spent around $1400 to $1500 on equipment alone and I am still buying.

When I purchased factory ammo, I ususally shot 200-300 rounds on a range day once a month at most. Now, I shoot almost once a week, if not more and fire 800-1500 rounds a month.

Then my OCD started to kick in. 1,000 rounds of .40 S&W and .45 ACP on hand was not enough. So i stock piled components etc. So no, I did not save more money. In fact, my other hobbies have been put on hold since I started reloading over a year ago.

My dad and I reload together, which is cool ofrthe father son time. I am trying to get my brothers interested in it as well. So over all, it was well worth and wish I had started reloading 15 to 20 years ago.

OK, enough ranting, that OCD thing again.........

 

[Dapperdan]

Save anywhere from 25-75%, depending on caliber. I load 9MM, 38, 357, 44 Spl., 45 acp, 223 and 243. All plated or FMJ in the handguns and premium rifle bullets. Been loading a looong time, powder was $2.95 when I began. Yup, I'm an old man! Best part is, you produce quality, accurate ammo at prices that rival bulk junk. Most cost efficient caliber I load is 44 Spl. Factory box runs $40 for lead loads, I can load plated 240 gr. bullets for about $10.

 

[Cmeboston]

I have 30-06 down to .50 Cents a round and 30-30 down to .34 cents. Accuracy on them both could improve but I am still playing with different powders, witch can get costly. I got most of my tooling( press, primer press, lube pad etc. From m father for zip, but I still had to stockpile bullets, primers and the like. Do I save money ? Absolutely, but I shoot 100 rounds a week. I did not get into for the savings, I like the hobby.


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[Hondo 60]

I voted yes, but truth be told, I shoot a whole lot more.
So while I may not have extra money in my pocket, I'd be in the poor house if I bought all the ammo I shoot.

 

[Sunray]

"...so at $1500 no I don't think I've saved..." Give it 6 months. Takes about that long depending on how much you shoot and what bullet you're using. Mind you, figuring it out would require keeping track of the number of rounds you load in that 6 months. Too much like work. So is making a spreadsheet.
Reloading isn't about saving money. It's about using the best possible ammo.

 

[Romeo 33 Delta]

Smaug said it. My cousin from Illinois was just up this last week and, of course, we had to hit the range. He was shooting his .45ACP and .45LC (my reloads of his old brass) and I estimate that at a minimum it's 1/3 less than at any retail outlet. For my part, I haven't saved a dime reloading .... but I get to shoot 7,000+ rounds per year in some calibers that haven't seen a retail shelf in 100+ years. Reloading ... next to shooting, it's the best hobby I can think of!

 

[1SOW]

Let's look at it another way and reverse engineer your question

I load 9mm 125gr JHP ammunition tuned to my pistol for my uses @ about $5 per box of 50.

If I bought the same commercial ammunition (or closest available to the same load) that works perfectly in my pistol for my uses, it would cost at least $15-$20 per box of 50, or $10-$15/box more than my reloads.

If I bought 115gr FMJ Win White box at Wal-Mart which goes bang but doesn't run perfectly in my pistol for my uses, I would still save over $5/box of 50.

This is factual. You may use this data to answer the question as you see fit. I didn't make a poll choice.
P.S. My $180 worth of reloading equipment was paid for in less than 3 months @ 200 rds/week avg compared to the Win White Box costs.

 

[Nushif]

I clicked no. But here's my caveat.
Since I started reloading ... for the same money, instead of shooting one or two boxes every few weeks I get to shoot several every weekend.
Has it saved me money? Nope. But it easily lets me shoot four time more than before.

 

[Pete D.]

$

Spend less...shoot the same. Spend more shoot more.
I have gone over this "does it save me money" idea many times.
Yes, it does.
The savings are more obvious with certain cartridges.
500 S&W, for example.....factory lead bullet loads run approx. $40-50 per 20 rounds. I can load as good or better - buying the bullets - for half that.
.416 Rigby - factory loads run $90 to $120 per 20 cartridges. I can load my own for about 1/3 that cost.
.45 ACP - I do cast my own here and a box of 50 will cost me only for powder and primers about $3 a box.
Using factory bullets...loading Remington match JSWC the cost is at $12.50 a box - factory loads are at least double that. Buying LSWCs the cost per 50 is about $8.
Shotshells - as cheaply as Gun Club hulls are to be had at Walmart, about 25 cents a shell +/-, mine cost me only twelve cents a shell. BUT....to be fair, I make my own shot and have access to free lead alloy. The cost of lead shot being what it is, the machine, a Littleton, has already paid for itself. And, at this point, I am shooting about 5k shells a year. If I had to buy the shot, would I save as much....no, loading would not be worth the time and energy.
Pete

 

[Leaky Waders]

I voted yes...the main thing I reload is 45 long colt, 45-70, 28 gauge shotgun shells, 22-250 and 257 weatherby.

I also have dies for and have dabbled in 223, 30-06, 270, 45 acp, 45 schofield, and 38 super, and 38/357.

I use a single stage press and enjoy reloading - it's a relaxing hobby...i liken it to fly tying.

Reloading will teach you alot about your bullet selection and ballistics. It will also make you tend to be a better shot if you develop loads that shoot well in your gun. But, if you're shooting a very common round, and don't care about real accuracy eg you're just plinking away with 556 milsurp and are happy, and you find it a chore, then it might not be for you.

Also, from my experience, reloading automatically puts you into a new fraternity. At the range, you can tell the reloader by how they handle their brass and packaging. Other reloaders seem happy to chat about their projects and show a genuine interest in your efforts - it's neat.

 

[1911Tuner]

Reloader's Math:

Lemme see. I can reload this stuff for less than half what I can buy it for. That means I can shoot four times as much for the same cost!

Then our boy discovers cast lead bullets:

Lemme see. I can buy these cast bullets for less than half the cost of jacketed bullets. That means I can shoot four times as many for the same cost!

Then, as the downward spiral into madness continues...he starts casting his own bullets.

Lemme see. I can cast these bullets for a fourth the cost of buying them. That means I can shoot ten times as many for the same cost! This just keeps gettin' better!

A year later, as the repo man is about to pull off with his pickup truck, our friend runs out waving frantically...and asks if he can at least have the wheelweights.

Save money by reloading? Are you kiddin' me?

 

[x_wrench]

i voted NO, because while the price per round has gone down, i shoot much, much more.

 

[Rollis R. Karvellis]

The main reason I, had a basement built instead of a slab for the house was for a shop area. And about half of it is gun, and reloading. So it probably will never even out. But it was worth it.

 

[LeonCarr]

Save money, no.

Shoot three or four times as much using ammunition more accurate and cleaner burning than factory, yes.

I have been loading since the late 80s and it not only works to produce superior ammunition for less money, it is also a great way to kick back and unwind after work.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[lono]

I save $10 per 50 of 45 ACP and $6 per 50 of 9MM.

 

[Jimfern]

If we don't put a value on our time, I think it works out OK. By the same token, spending time doing this keeps us (at least me) out of trouble.

 

[Redneck with a 40]

I figure I'm saving about $230/1000 rounds of 40S&W ammo, factory runs about $350/1000, I can load 1000 rounds for about $120. In reality, I'm shooting twice as many rounds/year as before, so it pretty much washes out.

For my .308 rounds, the savings is HUGE. Factory 168 HPBT match rounds run about $1.25/round. I'm loading 168's in once fired brass for 50 cents/round and I shoot about 500 rounds/year out of it. I'm saving some money on this one.

.223 washes out too, because the money I save in those rounds, goes down the barrel in a much higher round count, lol. My 580 series Mini-14 is by far the most enjoyable rifle I have to shoot.

So I guess my final answer is.....not really, lol.

 

[RustyFN]

Reloader's Math:

Lemme see. I can reload this stuff for less than half what I can buy it for. That means I can shoot four times as much for the same cost!

Then our boy discovers cast lead bullets:

Lemme see. I can buy these cast bullets for less than half the cost of jacketed bullets. That means I can shoot four times as many for the same cost!

Then, as the downward spiral into madness continues...he starts casting his own bullets.

Lemme see. I can cast these bullets for a fourth the cost of buying them. That means I can shoot ten times as many for the same cost! This just keeps gettin' better!

A year later, as the repo man is about to pull off with his pickup truck, our friend runs out waving frantically...and asks if he can at least have the wheelweights.

Save money by reloading? Are you kiddin' me?

That is very true. Some people spend money foolishly and then some spend smart. Some people shoot 200 rounds a month and buy a Dillon 1050 because somebody told them they needed it. Other people buy what meets their needs. I have around $700 invested in equipment over the last five years. I can load any pistol caliber I shoot with my cast bullets for $25 per 1,000 and load them at a rate of 200 per hour. With around $720 invested in powder and primers I can load 30,000 rounds. If 30,000 rounds for $720 isn't saving money then I don't know what is.

 

[buck460XVR]

I voted no. I may save money per shot, but because it has become a hobby and a passion, I shoot much more. Years ago, the cost of ammo was incentive enough to stop shooting after X amount of rounds. Now it isn't. Years ago, the cost of ammo was incentive to not buy another gun in another caliber......not any more.

 

[Redneck with a 40]

I just recently bought a ruger 9mm sr9-c, I've done the math on loading 9mm and its probably not worth it too me. I can get 1000 rounds of 9mm shipped for $200. It'll cost me about $120 to load 1000 rounds using plated bullets, plus it takes me an hour to load 50 rounds, so 20 hours for 1000 rounds. Is 80 bucks worth 20 hours of my time? Probably not.

With my current round count, my $65 lee 4 hole turret press suits my needs fine, I just have to set aside x amount of time to load x number of rounds and do it.

 

[GLOOB]

Reloader's Math:

Lemme see. I can reload this stuff for less than half what I can buy it for. That means I can shoot four times as much for the same cost!
........

Save money by reloading? Are you kiddin' me?

If you want to save money, buy a Lee Loader and only shoot what you make. You might come out ahead even if the components cost more than boxed ammo.

 

[VancMike]

I started reloading years ago because I purchased....at a bargain price....a Win Mdl 71. Even 40 years ago, .348 ammo was expensive and in only one load. Probably amortized half the cost of the reloading kit (Hornady single-stage) with that cartridge alone. Then paid it off when I sold the rifle and loaded ammo to the next happy owner.

Without boring you with my spread sheet (yes, I made one), I'm about even on standard .223 Rem., 30-06 & 30-30. I've saved money to some extent (up to half-price) on the "usual" cartridges: 35, 40, 45 gr. .223 varmint loads; .38 Spl.; .357 Mag.; 45 Colt; medium power 45-70 and .280 Rem cartridges.

But most especially I've saved with "non-standard" cartridges: 7.65 Nagant, .243 Win-40 gr. varmint loads, .44 Spl., heavy 45-70, and most recently, .222 Rem.

I figured out that I could have bought another reloading kit with savings on the several thousand .22 Hornet loads built through the years. The .22 Hornet is ridiculously cheap to load; stupidly expensive to buy at retail. And in the meantime, I got to shoot a lot of sage rats as well.

Significant savings are gained by using mostly Lee dies, which for me, have performed as well as the RCBS, Lyman and Redding dies I've owned.

Left unanswered is the question: "So Mike, would you have owned all those firearms in all those calibers if you hadn't reloaded for all those years?"

To which I would have answered: "Now that's a stupid question....."

 

[FROGO207]

I also did not vote The short answer is yes and no.
Well if you calculate what it costs for a box of factory equivalent ammo for say 500S&W, 300 WSM, or 33 Winchester (If you could get it). A resounding YES, not to mention making more accurate/custom ammo than factory high line offerings.

On the other hand if you want to go and blast a couple K of Russian mil-surp/Wolf steel without any accuracy--NO WAY. I found 100 7.62X39 Wolf/Tula cost less than 100 soft point Core Loct projectiles for reloading the same with functioning rounds.:banghead: I will be able to put food on the table stay safe if/when we have any problems that are prolonged in nature. Being able to take care of ones self in an emergency.............PRICELESS.

 

[jcwit]

Well I suppose so.

Cases Free "range Pick Ups.
Powder--Mostly but not all surplus pull down purchases in 8 lb, jugs 4 jugs at a time
Cost $8.50 to $8.75 per lb, hasmet encl.
Primers--Purchased years ago for $50.00 a brick of 5,000
Bullets that I do not cast--Surplus $ .05 each, Match King $ .11 each

Tooling to reload, have no idea, acquired over the last 50 years, mostly p/u at gun showes of from the close out tables at Sinclare and Gun Shops or given to me by older shooting friends who no longer needed them. Cost very minimal.

First reloading set was given to me by a supplier I purchased other products from and he had no use for as it was discontued from his line and had been a salesmans sample. It encluden a press, dies, scale, powder measure, case prep tools ect., ect.

Ya, its saved me money, lots of it. Even more now as I now cast my own bullets.