How much does it cost?

[BemidjiDweller]

For 9mm, I bought some Montana gold 95gr HPs for $115 I think, $25 bucks for primers and $20 bucks for powder. $160 bucks total for 1000rds of good quality ammo. Could definitely go a lot cheaper if you bought regular FMJs or lead.

 

[RustyFN]

Seems like its not really worth it to reload 9mm. I get 1000 rounds of pmc for $189 locally. Reloading 45acp would definitely be worth it though.

Depends. I can load 124 grain jacketed at todays prices for $125 if I buy in bulk. With my own cast lead bullets I can load 1,000 for $40. What makes it worth reloading for me is I end up with a lot better ammo than I can buy.

 

[mstreddy]

For those that don't save much on 9mm, you can really pile on the $ savings when you load something other than the standard 115 FMJ box ammo. For example, I've been loading some 147gr Speer TMJ (plated) subsonics for around $5.20/50 and $104/1K. I don't think you can find Subsonic loads for anywhere near that price point. Most 147 gr boxes I see are in the $15-20/50 range.
Ok, on the 115grs, if I go FMJ or plated I can load 1K for $114. That's WAY less than $10/50. Actually it's $5.70.

In 45 ACP, the savings are substantially more when compared to box/case prices.
And as many have mentioned, loading lead will reduce the costs even more.

And yes, it does take time, but I don't factor that in, as this is another part of the hobby.

 

[jcwit]

Yes, you can cast bullets for almost nothing, normally, until you start talking 10,000 rds or so per year. Then you have to go buy the lead at scrap yards, and you have 3c apiece or so in 9mm, maybe 5c in 230 gr .45's. I'd never bother to buy commercial cast, swaged or jacketed bullets for practice. I shoot too much for that. 10,000 bullets, which is just 1/2 year's practice for me, quickly pay for a Star Progressive sizer-luber, a pair of 6 cavity lee Molds, and a used, propane fired plumber's furnace. such a setup will let you turn out over 800 finished bullets an hour. Get the big progressive Lee press for $200 or so on Ebay, and get the bullet feeder accesory for it, and it will load 800 rds an hour. So you can have 400 bullets an hour, at a savings of 15-20c per shot, for commercial reloads, depending upon caliber.

Number of years ago when my health was better, and gas wasn't $4.00 a gallon I shot more than 10,000 rounds a year. Did I ever buy lead from any source? NOPE!

I now have over 2 tons of lead smelted into ingots, all free, non for sale.

Lead is out there, it can be found. I know!

 

[dragon813gt]

Yes, you can cast bullets for almost nothing, normally, until you start talking 10,000 rds or so per year. Then you have to go buy the lead at scrap yards

Maybe for you, but not for me and many others. You're only talking 165#s for 10k of 115 grain bullets. That's not a lot of lead. My smelting sessions are usually in batches around 1k #s. So those 10k rounds are only 16% of one smelting session. Which I do a few times a year.

And I also see no need to add in tooling or my time. I reload during time when I don't have an opportunity to make money working. So my time is free. And the tools paid for themselves a long time ago.




Brought to you by TapaTalk.

 

[jcwit]

And I also see no need to add in tooling or my time. I reload during time when I don't have an opportunity to make money working.

This is a concept that many are unable to comprehend!

 

[RustyFN]

Did I ever buy lead from any source? NOPE!

I now have over 2 tons of lead smelted into ingots, all free, non for sale.

Lead is out there, it can be found. I know!

That's my experience also. I have around 1,600 pounds of WW's around half in ingots. I still have two tire shops that I can pick up free WW's when I want to.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

You can try this calculator.http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp

That's the calculator I used to work up the prices in Post #2.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

You guys aren't factoring two costs...labor and equipment.

I use a Hand Press. It's the cheapest way to reload and still do so in a 'sane' manner. It still cost about $140 all told including scale, dies, caliper, molds etc. I've long since recovered my equipment costs after thousands loaded.

We aren't factoring in equipment because the OP said not to. Also, most reloaders consider reloading a hobby so factoring in "labor costs" doesn't fit in. (at least with me it doesn't)

 

[jcwit]

You guys aren't factoring two costs...labor and equipment.

I use a Hand Press. It's the cheapest way to reload and still do so in a 'sane' manner. It still cost about $140 all told including scale, dies, caliper, molds etc. I've long since recovered my equipment costs after thousands loaded.

Do you factor in your time while eating dinner, or how about while you're sleeping? Do you factor in your driving time going to and from work as part of your work day which is lowering your pay oer hour? How bout the driving time going to and from the range?

 

[Magnum Shooter]

I just made a healthy BM, it cost me about $20, when I factored in TP magazine, water, and my time.

 

[shinyroks]

I can load 1000 45 ACP for about $150 with 200/230 ball or cheaper hps such as Berry's. Good hollow points bump the price up to .30/rnd. Where I find the actual savings is my willingness to invest in casting. Actual cost comes out to about $40/1000. If Time is considered I figure in the $80/1000 range. Easily justifies the cost of the molds and pot, got lucky on a lubrisizer, but often just liquid alox them.

 

[cfullgraf]

You guys aren't factoring two costs...labor and equipment.

Time and capital cost are probably the largest subject of discussion when talking about the cost of reloaded ammunition.

Many folks consider reloading as a hobby and therefore the time and capital costs invested are entertainment costs and do not affect the monetary value of the ammunition.

Other folks cannot get past the financial aspects and frequently pass on reloading as such.

Neither is right or wrong, just what each individual considers to include.

I am in the first group. If i wasn't "wasting" time reloading, I'd be vegitating on the couch in front of the TV or spending endless hours surfing the 'net.

 

[45Frank]

ArchAngelCD

We aren't factoring in equipment because the OP said not to. Also, most reloaders consider reloading a hobby so factoring in "labor costs" doesn't fit in. (at least with me it doesn't)

Nicely said, I do think it's a hobby to most and you either like it or not. If you do you will be loading the next 25 or more years and yes most of the equipment will last they long. I still use parts of my Lee Anniversary beginners kit I bought in 1990 or so. If you don't like it you will sell your equipment at a very small loss, reloading equipment seems to keep it's value.

 

[dickttx]

I spent over 50 years charging for my time, minute by minute, but I never considered time spent reloading, shooting, fishing, etc, as chargable time. In fact I always considered that time as necessary to allow me to perform my chargable time.

 

[Hondo 60]

Sounds like it's time to post the reloading calculator again.

I didn't create it, but I like it!

www.jbabcock.net/guns/calc.xls

 

[clone]

About $100 per 9mm 115gr FMJ and $150 for 45acp 230gr FMJ.