What is the true savings of reloading?

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I would have to say that I am one of the few that save money. I would still shoot the same as I shoot now but at a lot higher price. With the new component prices I am loading 9mm for around $90 per 1,000. Store bought will cost you at least $160 per 1,000. I am loading 223 for around $95 per 1,000. Store bought will cost you at least $350 per 1,000. I bought a Lee Classic Turret press. The set up cost me $200. You can see by the difference in prices that it didn't take long for me to pay off the press. To me the enjoyment and relaxation I get from reloading is worth doing it even if I didn't save money.
Rusty
 
Redneck2 I know what your saying on the savings.

BUT-- in my case I have yet to realize the savings of buying a nice Hornady progressive and the best dies I thought were necessary. I still need to get some components and so far the wifey mad at the outlay (sucks for her :D).

My goal is to end up with 10K of .45, 5k 9mm and 5k .223 quality reloads from once fired brass, and own the machine and spare components- all for the same price I would have spent on stockpiling the same amount of new ammunition.

I KNOW this will happen, but load development consumption wasn't taken into account, and neither was an increase in my shooting. I feel both will be very enjoyable using stuff I rolled myself. :D

Once everything is paid for (especially if a cheaper single stage press was bought) a massive savings would be realized in short order. I just wish I got into this years ago and had already saved more than I'm paying now for equipment!

Justin
 
There use to be a link to a nice reloading calculator on this site. It computed how much you spent on equipment and the cost per round that you would spend. That program might just answer your questions. I am sure with all these great guys and gals on here that the link might just show back up...
 
The most expensive money-saving hobby I have found to date. I don't save money but do much more shooting for the same money and have gadgets to wish for. Life is good!
 
There is NO savings in this hobby. The more you save the more bullets, powder, primers and loading accessories you buy.

The only savings you will get out of this is you won't have to hire or go see a shrink...Just go to the loading room or where ever you reload and load a few [hundred] rounds and you'll feel relaxed and see the world in a better light...

If you are prudent or you have a lot of self control you might save a few dollars. Maybe...
 
The savings depends on how much you shoot and what calibers. You don't need an expensive setup and tons of time to reload if you budget your time and get the right equipment.
I started reloading with a Lee Pro-1000 progressive reloading press. It takes the 3-hole turrets like the turret press does. I also recently bought an older Lee 3-hole turret press for rifle that uses the same turrets.

A progressive has a learning curve but if I had it to do over again I would still get this press. Once I learned its quirks and kinks and how to set it up right I am making 300 rounds an hour of finished ammo ready to shoot. Each pull of the lever drops a finished round in the box. Not to say that a single-stage is a bad way to reload, it's just I wanted to load ammo and shoot it quickly. Single stages you need to run a lot of stuff through each step at a time. It's up to you, though.

I am right now loading 9mm, .45 acp, .38/.357, .44 magnum.
With components I bought this month and brass I collect at the range for free, I can load nearly anything for about $5 a box using lead hard-cast bullets. Add $2.50 a box for FMJ or plated bullets.

So for equivalent jacketed ammo,

9mm is about $6 a box. Versus, $7 a box for new. No real savings here. I don't load much 9mm anymore except +P ammo for the carbine using Rainier 124-gr plated JHPs, which a factory equivalent is over $10 a box.

.38/.357 or .45 are about $7.50 a box. Versus, $12 for .38 or $20 for .357 factory ammo.

.44 mag is about $8 a box. Versus about $30 a box of factory ammo.

A new Pro-1000 press setup for a single caliber comes from the factory for about $130.

A cheap caliber conversion would be a new set of dies and a shellplate and possibly a different size primer slide & punch, and a different size case feeder maybe.

You could change calibers for about $50. Add another $30 and you can just buy a second carrier assembly, which is what I did, I have one set up for large primers and one for small primers. Or buy another Pro-1000 and make it simple.

Figuring you load .45 acp at $7 a box savings, the first 1000 rounds you load pays for that press setup.

If you are loading a lot of revolver ammo, let's say .44 magnums, if I load 6 boxes of .44s I just paid for the press setup in savings alone.

Now you'll need more stuff. A powder check scale. A case tumbler is nice to have. But you can make ammo as good as factory plinking ammo for much much less.

Those who say you save no money, you just shoot more, are forgetting the entire point of shooting: To practice and be a better shooter.

The way I see it, if I have $300 a year to spend on ammo, would I rather buy 1500 rounds of factory ammo to shoot, or reload 4000 rounds of ammo to shoot. Sure the cost is the same but at the end of the year I am that much better of a shooter. You were going to spend the money anyway. Might as well get the most bang for the buck.
 
The old saying about reloading cost vs. factory ammo was, "You can shoot twice as much for 1/2 the price". Now it seems to me that cost is about 2/3 the price. Still it's a hobby and you can create ammo that shoots best in your rifle. You'll end up shooting a lot more, which is good, and also end up buying more tools, and stockpiling components. Then when you find you have too much of a particular caliber you'll find yourself adding a new pistol or rifle since you have so much of that ammo.
Years ago, I took 5 teenagers to the range. For curiosity I figured my cost for components at approx. $85 and later looked up the cost of factory at normal prices. $380 was what the factory ammo shot by the six of us would cost. Now the cost for 6 people shooting, well I don't want to know.
 
Not much mention here of the more-extreme examples.

My Ruger #1 in .416 Rigby has now fired about 2500 rounds. To buy that much commercial ammo (at $8.00 per round or more), and thus to develop an equal amount of skill in the use of the rifle, would have cost about TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS! Since I'm using my own cast bullets, the actual cost-per-round runs about 25 cents for full-power loads, and a good bit less for reduced loads. D'you think I'm "saving money"?

More importantly, I don't believe we "save" much money at all, except on a straight per-round basis. We just shoot a heck of a lot more. My current consumption runs between 5,000 and 10,000 rifle rounds per year, and I don't bother keeping track of the handgun load totals. There is no way in the world that I could/would attempt to justify paying for that much factory ammo, but handloading combined with bullet-casting makes it very feasible for me.
 
pquote]In the end, there really is not cost savings. Its a hobby.[/quote]

There is a huge cost savings if you shoot the same number of rounds even factoring in your time if you invest in quality equipment and buy in bulk. There is not a cost savings if you triple your shooting, at least for me. Either way their is a huge economic benefit to reloading aside from the pleasure it brings to some people.
 
My cost per round is less, but I've got quite a bit of money tied up in equipment that spends most of it's time in drawers in the garage or bolted to the workbench. I've also got several 1000 bullets that I may never get around to using, not to mention powders that I tried and didn't like as well as another.....

That said, I like reloading and wouldn't change a thing. Where else but my garage can I come up with 7.7Jap with 190gr cast bullets or .375Win with a single round ball?
 
I reload for several rifle calibers and three different pistols and have been for quite some time.
Truthfully I have never thought of reloading in terms of economy.
Reloading is an integral part of the shooting hobby and quality ammo is the result.
Prices of components increase daily so I guess we just have to "bite the bullet". (no pun intended)

Zeke
 
Some say you do not save money you just shoot more. Some say you do not save anything. Some say you save a bunch. All are true it just depends on your circumstances.
I shoot 38 super at varring rates per month but roughly 1k-2k per year I reload to save about 1/3-1/2 the money over factory loads.
I will also be shooting 50-90 sharps next year at a rate of perhaps 500 per year. At $80 per 20 shipped ($2000 per year) I will be loading these at roughly $135 counting price for new brass(50 peices) the first year since lead is free to me right now from the local tire shop.
this is how it works for me as I do not have alot of free time for shooting these days.

For the next person they might have alot of free time to shoot so they might shoot all they can meaning they reload to shoot more.

For some calibers the savings is so minimal say 223 for example last I checked I could only save about $28 per 1k so whats my time worth? certinaly not the $14 per hour its too pain steaking for 223 for me I would just assume go buy factory for that.

You must look to yourself for the real answer.
 
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9mm is about $6 a box. Versus, $7 a box for new.
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I don't know where you're getting 9mm for $7/50, locally it seems the cheapest stuff I see is about $11. There are deals to be had online of course, but ammo is heavy and shipping is not cheap.

Personally I reload 9mm by the thousands, and am saving myself right into the poorhouse!:neener:
 
The true saving is that reloading keeps you out of the beer joints at night. This makes for more peace in the family; divorces are expensive. Fewer DWIs, and you use less gasoline.

:D:D:D
 
the trick is being patient. in reloading, you often see deals that you don't see in loaded ammo. for instance, read http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=311563 about the "blemished bullets" sale at midwayusa.

When you pay $8.16/100 ct of hornady xtp 230g .451, add another 2.5 pennies for primers and powder, you're looking at about $5/box of 50 45acp that is an OUTSTANDING practice round to duplicate your SD ammo, unlike wally world white box, which feels nothing like a SD load.
 
For me, its being able to shoot twice as much of my reloaded ammo, for the same price as half the ammount of factory ammo. I used to shoot 100 rounds/month with factory ammo in 40 S&W, at $15/box. Now I shoot 200 rounds/month with my reloads, at $5.75/box.:D The money that I am actually saving over factory ammo, a good bit of it goes to more powder, primers, and bullets, because this a very fun and addictive hobby, educational and rewarding.:D I'm ok with this.

3000 Ranier's from Midway (40 S&W) = $225
4 lbs Unique = $58 at Sportsmans Warehouse
3 bricks of Primers = $60 at gun show

Grand total for 3000 rounds = $343
Factory ammo cost at 3000 rounds = $900:eek:
I'm saving a grip of money!:D

2000 125 Grain Rem SJHP's (357 mag) = $150
3 lbs Unique = $54, 1 lb containers
2 bricks of Primers = $40

Grand total for 2000 rounds = $244
Factory ammo cost at $20/box = $800.:eek:

My reloading press is basically printing money.:D I've also got better ammo that I can suit to my particular needs.
 
Ever notice saving always requires more spending? And people tend to ignore the value of their time.

At the income leve that I'm at, it's a hobby. If I were to pursue interests outside of work for income, and this was one of them, it would require a Dillon 1050 or greater to make it worth my while, seriously. I think it would for most of us also.

I'm saying this just to point out that people tend to value their free time at a considerably lower rate than even their employer does is all.

I like saving money too, but this is my hobby. I do have this hobby to save some money, but it namely keeps me having fun in the firearms hobby when I can't be plinking or hunting. Which, is most of the time.
 
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Just remember that good equipment doesn't depreciate all that much. You can get most of your money back out of it on eBay or craigslist.

I still say with some cartridges (like .45 Colt) you can save enough money to quickly pay for your equipment, and shoot twice as much, and still have some money left over.

Plus has anyone yet mentioned the satisfaction of shooting ammo that you built yourself? :)
 
Unlike most I do consider it a cost savings , especially if you are shooting target rifle and use match components. Buying , lets' say , Federal Gold Medal match in .223 factory loaded with the 69 Sierra MatchKing is like $25 for 20 rounds mail order! I simply would not own any centerfire rifles if it were not for reloading. And the reloading gives me better ammo anyway , the bullet is seated to optimum length for my rifle and the brass is fire formed to my chamber.

Shooting cheap bulk factory ammo is not a fair compairison against shooting reloaded ammo with match components. Even in my handgun shooting loading rounds using bullets like Hornady XTP saves me quite a bit over buying factory ammo loaded with the same bullet.

Once you have your brass the cost of the following reloads drops significantly since it is the one component that is re-usable.

And people tend to ignore the value of their time.
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This is one that always gets me?
Akin to the wife taking the time to make a good dinner? Next time tell her , "Honey ,don't waste your time doing that! Let's just go down to McDonalds and eat the high fat/sodium foods and save you valuable time for sitting in front of the tube."

I never regret the time spent reloading , or washing/waxing the car , or working out - my time is my free time. The only time I get paid for is at work. At home it is no difference if I am reloading or typing here.
 
Ever notice saving always requires more spending? And people tend to ignore the value of their time.
Click to expand...
I don't figure in the value of my time. Nobody is paying me to watch TV, be on the computer, go fishing or go shooting. I reload instead of watching TV or computer time, it doesn't take time away from shooting or fishing. How do you see it? Do you only figure your time for reloading and not any of your other hobbies or do you figure your time for all of your hobbies?
Rusty
 
"...more of a hobby than a cost savings..." Yep. It's not about saving money. It's about using the best possible ammo. It gives you ammo that is tailored for your firearm(be that match grade ammo or hunting ammo), eliminates the endless search for the best price for ammo and lets you shoot obsolete or difficult to find ammo.
Buying or selling anything on E-Bay financially supports people like the Brady Bunch who don't think you should be allowed to own ANY firearm. E-Bay is an evil Empire.
 
I can get 9mm blazer, 50 rounds per box for 7.50 at a store called Academy on the gulf coast so I don't even load for that round. I save a pretty considerable amount on the 223. Right now if you want to buy supposedly good factory ammo, it is around 400.00 for 55 gr fmj brass cased loads per thousand from Winchester or Federal. This does not include specialty stuff like tap or other stuff from suppliers. My price from Midway and such for 55gr fmj is about 120.00/2k or 60/k. I buy once fired cases for 55 to 60/k and primers either match or reg rem for 23/k. I can load about 275 rounds/lb of powder so that is around 80 bucks for the powder for a grand total of 220.00 dollars or so plus my time. Once I fire the cases they are free after that so remove 60 dollars from the equation. That is at least 200-250.00/k that I save on the first load and that is probably not the most updated prices for Win and Fed. I know that you can buy some of the other stuff for around 350/k like SandB and Pri Par and Ultramax but I do not consider these to be up to the quality and accuracy that I can make for my gun. Side bar, wolf is much cheaper but you have to clean alot more and not as accurate in my stuff. You also can not reload or I have not tried to anyways. I do not even want to get into what it would cost to buy vmax or nbt topped ammo because it is outragous but I can as well as anybody else here can get vmax and nbt's in the 250 count from midway or natchez I think a couple of times a year for 30-35.00/box. Not cheap but much cheaper to load yourself then give to a company that does it for you. If you want to pay a 1.00/round for Fed match go ahead. I can load it for just about as cheap as the fmj depending on bullet cost which I think is about 2-3x what a fmj cost but put out over 1000 rounds it is not that much. I can also load up exactly what I want in a round. I have some bullets from a company called swamp works that was formally JLK that makes 52gr vld hollow pt match bullets that have around a 300 or so bc. I want to use these in my 223 and 22-250 because I can generate much more speed out of them and they will carry as well a 69gr smk. They run a little more but for long range coyote work they will get there a lot faster and carry some steam with them. This is not for everybody but if I were to buy those loaded already, I do not think that I could afford them. Just my .02 cents. I do not save tremendous amounts of money because I choose to load some high end components but my reloading allows me to reload what I want without worrying about breaking my ever decreaseing bank account. By the way, after 15 yrs or so with a couple of single stage presses, the rcbs partner and then the rockchucker, I have moved up to the world of blue. For Christmas, I will be getting a brand spanking new Dillon xl 650 with 223 and 308 set up. Talk about an increase in speed. I have a new son and this will allow me to free up time to spend with him as well as load quality ammo at very reasonable prices. Now to get more components. Peace out, RG
 
On a price per round basis, reloading is less costly. Lot of guys shoot a box or two of large rifle cartridges a year. Not worth reloading for this type of shooting. But if you shoot several times a week and run thru several hundred rounds of large rifle cartridges doing this, it is a hell of a lot less costly to reload. Good hobby and always a challenge trying to get that perfect load (if one exists).
 
I currently load for 27 different calibers and some of those can't be purchased. Have you ever walked into a big box store and asked for a box of .45-120 Sharps ammunition, 9x25 Dillon, or 9x23 Winchester, etc.? For me, it's an enjoyable hobby. I hate television and the pablum it spews. My loading bench is my friend.

As for savings, I guess I would have to say that isn't even a factor most of the time, but since my wife and I are both shooting Cowboy Action now, there is considerable savings in the truck loads of ammunition we're going through. Also, she doesn't complain about all the time I spend at my bench anymore, as long as her guns have something to shoot all month long.........

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
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