• Help Support TNDeer:

At what point do you stop reloading?

Hardwoodmaterials

Hardwoodmaterials

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2011
Messages
2,789
Location
Hohenwald,Tn
I was out of town yesterday and stopped in at a gun shop. The place I stopped had a nice spread of reloading stuff like boxes of H4350, Varget, H4831 about any brand and type powder and bullet you could ask for. Nothing had price tags on it so I asked about the Varget and a couple other powders and the price was over $35 a pound with tax! Everything on the shelves was on the expensive side! At what price point do you just throw in the towel and buy loaded ammo if your a hunter and not a competition shooter? I figured up the cost of reloading a box of my hunting ammo with powder, primer and bullet and it was $27 a box without the cost of brass added in. If I added in new brass it would be $40 a box! If the prices don't come down I think I will just box up my reloading equipment as I run out of powder/bullets and just buy factory ammo.
 
$.40/bullet (.308 NAB seconds @ $20/50)
$.25/powder charge (122 charges of 57gr @ $30/lb)
$.04/ primer ($35/1k)
$.10/ casing ($30/50 divided by 6 total uses, which is VERY conservative)
$.79/ loaded round total x 20 rounds = $15.80/ box of loaded ammo

This is assuming a .30-06 load of 57gr I4350 using 165 NAB seconds, CCI 200s, and brass that is not on sale. When I buy stuff on sale ($18 or less for NABs, $15 for brass, $30 for primers, etc) and stock up, get more loadings per case, etc, this cost continues to go down...

Smaller calibers or less premium components (such as Hornady SP bullets, donor range brass, etc) will be cheaper, larger calibers or more premium components (such as Barnes bullets, Lapua brass, etc) more expensive.
 
markwondi":2orgzlaj said:
I think your cost projections are a little off.

Are you considering a box to be 20 rounds?
Click to expand...


Yes 20 rounds. I was just wondering at what price point the average hunter here would throw in the towel and go to using factory ammo. It wasn't really a math question but I will show my break down on it anyway! :lol: I was using the prices of everything I use that was on the shelf at that store. A box of premium bullets there(Barnes or AB's) with taxes was about $45 a box! A pound of powder $35, I didn't ask about primers but I figure around $5 a 100 there.

So bullets at roughly $1
Powder about 30 cents ( I get about 115 a lb)
Primer about 5
Lets call brass free!

So it would end up at roughly $1.35 a round or $27 a box!
 
i don't reload for pistol anymore, i can buy it cheaper..

i reload for my rifles because i enjoy it, plus things like killing an elk with the load you worked up for your rifle, just makes it even that much more special..
 
I reload for the satisfaction of knowing exactly what is going into my gun, making my gun as accurate as possible and because there is a sense of enjoyment and pride when I kill something with ammo I loaded. Plus there is a huge money savings for most of what I load for as well. I have had more failure to fire, ruptured primers and unknown quality, not to mention worse accuracy out if factory ammo than I have my reloads. Also, if the components are going up, I bet the loaded factory ammo is as well..
 
Reloading is something that I do, and I get more satisfaction out of it than trail cams or other things that people feel are "part of the hunt." I just enjoy the action of doing it, not to mention the satisfaction that has been mentioned by everyone else.

As hunter0925 has already said, if components are going up, then ammo is also going up. If you buy factory loaded ammo using premium components then you will also pay a premium there. You can't compare Remington green box or Federal blue box ammo with custom tailored ammo that uses your choice of quality components.

But, if you shop around and buy stuff when it's on sale, then you won't have to worry about the crazy prices mentioned in your post. Last time I bought powder (Reloder 26), I bought two pounds from a dealer that I know for around $28-30/lb, and that was not a "sale." If you pay regular Cabelas or Bass Pro prices for components then you are going to get hurt. Try some different dealers before you pay the prices that you mentioned.
 
when buying powder 3-4 of us at work will go in together and split the hazmat charges and buy in bulk when Powder Valley or the like is running a sale,,they can ship 48 lbs on one order,,
 
Unless it's my 260 I dont factor in brass cost, because 270 and 223 is dirt cheap to free. I dont reload enough of anything else to count
 
I don't shoot enough anymore to justify reloading but I did at one time so I keep my reloading equipment and just load a box or so a year for each caliber. Have thought about selling out but might as well keep everything.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I reload because:
1) I like to know what I'm loading in my gun. (It never fails that once a month someone comes to me at the range to borrow my stainless SML cleaning rod/ramrod to drive a bullet out of their AR barrel where they shot a squib load) This is dangerous and can cause loss of limbs, digits, eyes, life, etc.
2) I don't have a steady rest to shoot off in the field. So, if you add my wavering to the group size of the ammo I'm shooting, I might be lucky to hold a 6 inch group at 200 yards. But, If my gun shoots less than MOA, it gives me an advantage.
3) It sure is rewarding to find that pet load with the projectile of your choice.
4) I have no choice with my SML's. They are hand loaded every single shot. :D
5) Projectiles and powder can be shared among different calibers so in a SHTF situation, I'm covered.
 
I reload because when the Dems eventually take over they can control ammo easier than they can confiscate guns. That's the paranoid side. The other is like tying flies.... it's an art form that you control with a form of satisfaction that you did it yourself much like your earlier ancestors.
 
I buy some ammo like .223 for my AR and .22's and some pistol rounds cause it's too cheap not to. There are some pretty good match grade ammo that you can buy cheap too. But when every round counts, you need the quality control of loading yourself. Why would you give up a great deer lease for something closer to home and a few bucks cheaper?
 
I don't reload as much as I used too. I will still load my big calibers, 44mag, 45-70, 444, 338-06, etc. There is still considerable savings on those. I mostly hunt with 30-06 and have a bunch of it stockpiled.
 
We cant argue that premium factory ammo is very accurate, if you dont shoot much it's the way to go.
My most accurate rifle a,Rem 280 is still fed Federal premium 140's and is my go to rifle if Im hunting long fields where a 500 yd shot is expected.
On the flip side my winchester 7x57 is fed nothing but handloads, for a lightweight factory barrel it will only shoot tuned loads.
My 243 is bad to the bone accurate with handloads, it loves some 85 grs gamekings.
My new Tikka 7-08 with 150 eld-x handloads is becoming my favorie load.
Shoot straight and enjoy.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
Reloading is my hobby. I also fish, hunt, used to bowl, used to read a lot, still have a very green thumb. I have a fair selection of calibers and really like the pursuit of accuracy.

As for money. Hmm. Factory ammo for some calibers (7mm08, 300 WinMag, 22-250, 280) is quite expensive. And if you want a premium bullet the pre-loaded ammo gets to be something you need to plan for in the budget.

I used to think reloading a pistol round was not worth the effort. Then I stumbled across a Dillon from a member and time to create a single round dropped to near zero. It was amazing. Component prices need to be carefully shopped but remember, strike while the iron is hot.

GRAF's haz mat fee is currently at 10 bucks and for the moment, no sales tax. Powder Valley is another. BrassmanBrass sells .224 bullets at one of the lowest prices around with no tax and cheap shipping. If you can buddy up the savings mount up.

More importantly. Events have shown ammunition & components can be unobtainable. The shortages of 2008 and 2012 can be repeated with a single election. Don't get caught short.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top