Interested in reloading but...

[Freezn]

Hi guys, I've been playing around with the notion of getting into reloading my own ammo. I'm still trying to determine if there is a benefit at this point or if I'd actually be saving any money. I would mostly be reloading 9mm and .40 S&W. From what I can tell I may only be saving .10-.12 cents per round, so maybe $10 for every 100 rounds. Is this what most of you are seeing? I know it greatly depends on if you reuse your brass, and what not, but I'm just trying to understand if purchasing the equipment and investing the time will pay off. I shoot maybe 100 rounds a month at the range, but would like to go more often.

[TNMTBik3r]

You have the upfront cost of the equipment which can be very cheap (Lee) or several hundred dollars for a more durable brand or progressive setup.

I no longer reload .40s&w but here is my 9mm price:
Brass = free. I don't count it as it is range pickup and can be reloaded multiple times.
Primer = 3 cents
Powder = 2 cents or less
Bullet = 5 cents - purchased lead bullets. Plated is slightly more.

My 9mm loads cost me 10 cents per round. Cheap brass cased ammo at any store around here is 25-30 cents per round. So I shoot 2-3 times more for the same price va buying ammo.

It all comes down to how much you will shoot. Only 1200 rounds a year is still potential for $150 or so in savings OR shooting more often.

[Jonnin]

The answer is that it depends lol. 

 

I can get 1000 projectiles that I use for 70 bucks.  (cheap hard cast lead)

I can get the brass for 9mm free off the range floor.

A pound of powder loads many, many boxes of these for what, 35, 40 bucks now?  If the 9mm load takes 7 grains 1 pound makes 1000.  Lets just call that good enough to talk about.

1000 primers costs like 40 bucks. 

 

So 1000 rounds totals out to be, for 9mm made by a cheapskate like me about $150.   1000 rounds is 20 boxes of 50.   That is $7.50 / box.   The rock bottom steel cased junk ammo is like 11/box, maybe 12 with taxes.   So in comparison:

 

I saved roughly 5 dollars a box to get brass cased, consistent and accurate ammo vs steel cased inconsistent ammo. 

It takes me 15 min or less to make 50 on my turret press.

 

If I bought top shelf copper jacketed projectiles, bought brass, and bought top shelf primers, etc, my savings would go down of course.

 

The above is for 9mm which is one of the least expensive ammos in the world. 

I save over 10 bucks a box on 380s.

I save over 20 bucks a box on 44 mags or 45 LC.  

I save tons on rifle ammo (not 223, its like 9mm and more work to make it).

Etc.   9 isn't really the big savings.  But the difference in quality (accuracy) from my own made vs the cheapest I can buy is HUGE. 

Edited October 25, 2015 by Jonnin

[runco]

For 20+ years I did not reload due the ROI perspective.  3-5 days after Sandyhook, I threw that out the window.  I want to learn and have the know how to reload if I wanted to shoot.  Reflecting, very glad that I did.  If you are asinine about the ROI (return on investment), then don't bother unless you shoot in the 1,000s often.  However, if you want to learn the trade for performance or maybe someday it may be the only way to have ammo, then I would say step in, and learn all you can.

[RED333]

Reloading will not save you one red cent, actually it will probably cost you more. But in the end you will be able to shoot a lot more and with higher quality ammunition than if you had spent the same amount on ammunition alone instead of reloading equipment and supplies.

 

But in the end being able to say you are self sufficient is priceless. That was the most satisfying thing for me, especially when you could not find any ammunition or it was super expensive.

This about a 1000 times.

[BigK]

Reasons I reload (already said by the other guys, I know, but worth repeating):

 

1. Independence/self-sufficiency...you can't put a price on the self-confidence and pride you get from making something yourself

2. Insulation from political and economic fluctuations in the ammo market...unless you reload you're always a Sandy Hook or lead ban away from not having ammo to shoot

3. Special loads for improved accuracy, training reloads, extreme budget loads, etc...customized loads cost a fortune at retail

4. Saves trips/hassle to find ammo when you want to go shoot...I hate going to Walmart to buy ammo almost as bad as I hate paying twice the price at a gun shop

5. Cost per round for practice ammo is undeniably lower...you may shoot twice as much, but you still spend less per round than you do on factory ammo

[gregintenn]

Theoretically, you can save money reloading, but no one ever has. :hat:

[Caster]

You have to love it. If it's not fun, relaxing and enjoyable then start shopping for your next bulk purchase.

I actually enjoy loading more than shooting.

[Dolomite_supafly]

The most enjoyable part for me is testing. When you find the magic combination that YOU made it is pretty very satisfying. Also getting some knowledge along the way.

[DWARREN123]

I reload, not for the savings but to be able to make ammo that I want. You can save some if you go with the cheapest components.

[Jonnin]

About those hot powders mentioned... it might save you money but you get better consistency / accuracy etc with the bulky powders too, usually.   If 1/2 a grain is the difference between too weak and too strong,  you need an expensive scale to use it and even there the small errors in the device make your ammo inconsistent.   If the difference between not working and too hot is 3+ grains, a $20 scale will do it safely and you can be off by 1/2 a gain and still put all the shots in a single touching hole @ 15-25 yards.  

 

My emergency end of the world powders are the hot ones -- 10 pounds is a lifetime supply.  The stuff I use is not the most bulky available but its about 3/4 of the way in that direction. 

 

So now you have 2 reasons to lean toward bulk ... safer, and more consistent results. 

[Patton]

I do not regret getting into reloading, but I do wish sometimes I would have approached it differently. There is no point in loading several different calibers. I say pick one auto handgun caliber, one revolver caliber, and one rifle caliber at the most. Sometimes I even wish that I would have just bought a Lee Classic Loader in 38 and 9mm and been done with it. I bought a 9mm Classic Loader after my single stage press and realized I would have been content with it producing 500 rounds a year. I find myself being able to justify shooting more. I do not save money; I just shoot more. I am ok with shooting more.

[CommsNBombs]

Reloading is definitely and art form as much as it is a hobby - and being such, you should enjoy doing it. You detach yourself from the fluctuation of the socioeconomic sphere that is US Domestic Policy. So no matter how many 1st graders get mowed down, you won't suffer from liberal backlash.

Also, like Dolo mentioned you can hand craft your loads to meet specific needs - cheapo target ammo, super subsonics, 155gr 9mm, super accurate steel-core hippy-killers? You have it.

The wife and I shoot in immense volume - 7-10K a year, we are able to shoot more because we reload, but we do save theoretical money - 1K 115gr brass cased 9mm from Academy is 240 after tax - I can load 1K 9mm for right under $95 using bulk Win SPPs and coated lead bullets.

You will end up shooting a lot more which is not a bad thing.

Now for beginning I would stick with 1 or 2 calibers as you have identified and as you gain proficiency and enjoyment, you can get into progressive presses and wildcat rounds.

I currently load for 9mm, 45ACP, 10mm, 44Mag, 5.56 and I will be getting into 357 SIG and perhaps even 45GAP and 308 sooner or later, yes its a PITA starting off but build up slowly and surely and you will come away with great ammo that costs less vs Walmart, you will shoot more thus gaining more skill and have fun doing it.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

[BigPhil]

I say go for it.  If I was to do it again, I probably would have bought a nicer press in the beginning, but it has served me well for thousands of rounds.  Lee 4 hole turret, bought the kit but dont use the scale or hand primer.  Bought a digital scale right off the bat to load match grade .223.  Then over time you add parts, like an rcbs hand primer and a lyman 55 powder measure.

 

I feel like I do save money and its been well worth it over the years.  Everyone here has touched on the benefits (precision loads, weak target loads, experimentation).

 

I just loaded 1000 rounds of .223 for .22 cents a round. I've got 1100 cases of .45, just need to find the bullets.  I just recently acquired a .40 and wanted to load it.  I just bought the dies, bullets, primers to reload 250 rounds cheaper than i could have bought 250 rounds of loaded ammo.  I did have the powder on hand, but at 4.5 - 5.0 gr, it's not a significant cost.  Also, I had an extra turret from when i loaded 6.8 SPC.  Oh, reloading allows you to be an early adopter of cartridges when no commercial ammo is available.

 

YMMV

[Ray Z]

I do trade time for money, but my reloads are cleaner, more accurate, more consistent, and without muzzle flash. The last time I had to buy a box of new ammo not only my gun but my hands were filthy. Besides, as far as I'm concerned, that's part of the sport.

[Dolomite_supafly]

Hey Phil, if you still have the Lee primer tool I will buy it.

[Wardor]

It takes shooting a lot of rounds of ammo to pay for itself, and if you start the habit of shooting a lot more ammo, it never will save you money.

 

For 9mm, my cost using JHP (bought in bulk) is 16.5c a round.  That is cheaper than most bargain, bulk ammo and way cheaper than any sort of mainstream ammo.  Also, it takes me about 90 minutes to load up 1000 rounds, but the costs to get started on a machine that can produce ammo at that rate is fairly high (just go blue, it's worth it).  If you are going to be loading on a single stage press, it's going to take you an hour per 75-100 for quite awhile and maybe you can work up to 150-200/hr (which would be smoking fast).  It comes down to how much are you willing to invest?  How much will you shoot?  Are you going to shoot more?  Can you afford to buy in bulk (I buy powder 20-40# at a time, 15-20k primers and 3-8k projectiles at a time)?

[Caster]

It also depends heavily on what you're reloading. It's dang difficult to make 9mm pay for itself ( strictly from a money standpoint).

...but say you wanna paper patch a cast lead bullet to jacketed velocity like I will be working in this winter. Well, you can't just run out and buy that.

Maybe you wanna shoot something weird, obscure or rare. Buying factory ammo for a Weatherby will bankrupt you. Maybe you wanna shoot the pistol your grandpa brought back from the war? Where the hell do you find ammo for a Borchardt-Luger? Handloading a .30 Luger is pretty easy and not all that expensive.

[gregintenn]

I do not regret getting into reloading, but I do wish sometimes I would have approached it differently. There is no point in loading several different calibers. I say pick one auto handgun caliber, one revolver caliber, and one rifle caliber at the most. Sometimes I even wish that I would have just bought a Lee Classic Loader in 38 and 9mm and been done with it. I bought a 9mm Classic Loader after my single stage press and realized I would have been content with it producing 500 rounds a year. I find myself being able to justify shooting more. I do not save money; I just shoot more. I am ok with shooting more.

Why would you suggest only reloading for three calibers? Having several hard to find calibers is THE reason I got into reloading.

 

Variety is the spice of life.

[Wardor]

Why would you suggest only reloading for three calibers? Having several hard to find calibers is THE reason I got into reloading.

 

Variety is the spice of life.

Personally, I think it depends on your reloading and shooting styles.  I used to have a bunch of different calibers, but that become a lot of work and really I didn't get that much more joy out of certain calibers than the other.  Also, I tend to do almost all of my loading my progressive, so unless I shoot enough for it to ever pay for itself, then I don't reload for it (except for a few hunting rounds, which I do very small batches on a single stage).  I have downsized my progressive reloading to 9, 40, 45, 223 and 308.  I am setup on my single stage to do 45/70, 458 socom, 270 Winchester.  I am considering getting out of the 45 reloading business as I just do not shoot enough of it to really want to reload it anymore (just costs more to make a 0.05 bigger hole in paper for me and I don't reload my defense rounds).  I like my 1911s and I have quite a bit of plinking ammo stored up and as little as I shoot it, I don't really need to reload anymore.

[Patton]

Why would you suggest only reloading for three calibers? Having several hard to find calibers is THE reason I got into reloading.

Variety is the spice of life.

Well, it is just more cost effective to buy in bulk. If you are going to load and shoot tens of thousands of .45, 9mm, and 40/10mm then buy the dies and shell holders for each, stock the best powders for each, and spend time sorting the brass. You waist money buying projectiles a hundred at a time. You should buy them by the thousands for cost effectiveness. If you are casting you are really saving, and saving more by having only one mold.

Most of my auto handguns are all Glock and shooting one is very much like shooting another so I just stick with one caliber even though I have multiple die sets. I could live without my .380 dies and without my 9mm dies, and just load .40/10mm and .38/357. Now rifle may be a different story. Dies are cheaper and you reall do save compared to buying manufactured ammo. Edited October 27, 2015 by Patton

[Jonnin]

Nod, that makes sense Patton but its really projectiles.   Powder will do many, many calibers in a broad range per type.   Primers, the same.   4 types of powders and 4 types of primers probably covers over 75% of the entire range of everything ever made, though perhaps not the "best" for every case.    You do sometimes get a deal buying many calibers from 1 source at once -- midway for example often has deals that tap the total purchase value instead of buying all the same thing.   Just have to watch for a different type of deal to score on that.    Most of my pistol I can get from the same place as hardcast lead and its more or less priced by the pound, not the shape it arrives in.    Even so, I eat more losses on the projectiles than anything else, esp some of the less popular rifles.  

[deafdogdief]

I shoot more now that I reload. Loading is done on my single stage press and it's kind of ridiculous to see how easy and fast 50 rounds churns out and you didn't pay retail for it...and again, that's just on a single stage.

[Patton]

Jonnin, I do not plan to buy any more projectiles but rather make my own. I pretty much try to load with universal powders like Power Pistol which is a wonderful powder for 10mm and even 38 spl. Fortunately, Power Pistol has been one of those that has stayed available. The cost of dies are a one time type deal. If i had a progressive or turret press with plates it may make changing calibers more of an aggrevation. I do not even bother with gauges; I just drop them in a barrel since I have extras. Another aggravation is having to adjust the powder dispenser when jumping between calibers. I normally load one caliber for several months straight and only swap out after a couple of thousand rounds which lately has been 6-12 months.

[Omega]

I don't know that I agree with that. My turret makes changing calibers a breeze, the dies stay set between loading sessions unless I use a different OAL. I have multiple powder drops which I would have to set anyway depending on if I am loading with different charge or powder but one set it drops through the die.