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Reloading Cost vs Purchasing Cost

Spikes Tactical

Spikes Tactical

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Jan 11, 2010
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Location
Greer, South Carolina
SWMBO bought me a membership to the local gun range and now I have been shooting a ton more. So here is the question:

Is it more practical to just purchase factory ammo or to reload your own. I have always wanted to get into reloading as a hobby.

Winchester White Box 380 ACP ammo is roughly $35.00 per 100 @ Walmart

Reloading components are:
Rem 95gr bullets (100) are $17.29
Winchester Small Primers (1000) are $29.99
Reclaimed Brass is free
1lb of Bullseye is $14.99

EDITED: So I found a site that performs the math for me. Cost per 100 is $20.32.

Thanks

JP
 
Keep in mind the initial cost of the equipment, you are saving @ $15.00 a box by reloading..............but you will spend @ $350-$400 to get set up properly.

So.................................you will have to reload @ 2300+ rounds before you actually save the $15.00 a box. Not to mention your time................

Reloading is one of those things you do because you want to and allows you more versatility to make your own custom loads, cost is a minor part of the entire picture in my opinion.

FDXX75
 
FDXX75 -

Thanks, I was leaving the inital cost of equipment out because like any other hobby it would cost money to get started. I was just thinking price of ammo vs price of reloading.

The time and initial cost would be for hobby.

JP
 
FULLDRAWXX75 said:
Keep in mind the initial cost of the equipment, you are saving @ $15.00 a box by reloading..............but you will spend @ $350-$400 to get set up properly.

So.................................you will have to reload @ 2300+ rounds before you actually save the $15.00 a box. Not to mention your time................

Reloading is one of those things you do because you want to and allows you more versatility to make your own custom loads, cost is a minor part of the entire picture in my opinion.

FDXX75
Click to expand...

X2
 
Do it! I just started a few months ago and love it! I started small with a lee hand loader and i have made some good loads for cheap pretty quick. I'm not saving much money (because i shoot a lot more) but the process is very satisfying. I wish i would have started years ago.

If you do start reloading do some reading and follow the directions. Attention to detail is critical in my opinion.
Have fun and stay safe,
 
Always cheaper to reload.but any saveings are usally spent back on new things to try like bullets or powder.
 
It's ONLY cheaper to reload if you shoot the same amount per year.

With reloading that NEVER happens, you will shoot more than you ever did and keep on trying different combinations of bullets, bass, powers and primers. That's where the fun is and also why your shooting bills keep raising every year.
 
Cost is to be determined by you.
If you choose to save money by hand-loading then some other aspect of your life loses the time that is spent by your hand-loading. Only so many hours in a day a hand-loading eats the clock.
 
I load 22 hornet,22-250,243,270,308,357,44 magnum,45acp,45colt and love every minute of it.If do not get some enjoyment watching your handloads preform in the field then handloading might not be for you.
 
Longhunter and I burn up a LOT of ammo in semi-obsolete calibers; .30-40 (IMHO the finest full power rifle caliber ever devised), .38-55, .45 Colt and a lot of others. For the Krag, the only way you'll get the best accuracy out of 'er now is rolling your own; no more factory roundnose .30-40 and my Krag has always shot them better.
 
doing the math i'll have to shoot something like 80 boxes worth of 308 reloads to justify my reloading equipment purchase.

guess i should get at it.
 
No disrespect for the earlier poster, but no way are you required to spend that much on equipment. Sure, it you want a multi-stage press or one from one of the more expensive brands, but Lee makes some equipment that is more than adequate for hunting and plinking rounds, at a great dollar savings compared to others.

I bought a Lee Aniversary Kit 15 years ago for $75 and I've loaded thousands of quality, accurate loads with it. They are on sale now at Midway for under $100. All you "need" after that is the caliber-specific die set and a trim guage. You should have everything you need for less than $150.

Just take your time, read as much as you can find on the subject, and stay within published load data.
 
jakeway said:
No disrespect for the earlier poster, but no way are you required to spend that much on equipment. Sure, it you want a multi-stage press or one from one of the more expensive brands, but Lee makes some equipment that is more than adequate for hunting and plinking rounds, at a great dollar savings compared to others.

I bought a Lee Aniversary Kit 15 years ago for $75 and I've loaded thousands of quality, accurate loads with it. They are on sale now at Midway for under $100. All you "need" after that is the caliber-specific die set and a trim guage. You should have everything you need for less than $150.

Just take your time, read as much as you can find on the subject, and stay within published load data.
Click to expand...
My bad I figure it costs about $10 per 20 rounds to reload. A box of hornady match costs about $25. This saves $15 per 20 shots. Now I've blown about $650 on reloading stuff (no you don't need everything I got). Thats about 43 boxes to save enough to pay for the equipment. half what I was thinking, NOT 80.

Going for precision 308 loads.
 
You can save even more if/when you move to smaller/rarer cartridges.

My 260 REM costs less to load than the 308 (depending on bullets or powder) and a lot less than my 270. (40 gr powder per shot, rather than 55 grs, means more rounds per pound of powder.) And the 260 factory ammo, when you can find it, is up to $35 per box just for standard bullets.

When I buy a new caliber, all I need is dies and trim guage, so it only takes about 3.5 boxes to pay for the dies, and then I'm saving up to 50% per box.
 
Thanks to everyone for comments.

I actually took a beginners reloading class at the Lebanon Gun Shop. It was very informative and we actually reloaded 10 rounds on a single stage press.

After taking the class I think I might just start reloading now.

JP
 
JayP said:
Thanks to everyone for comments.

I actually took a beginners reloading class at the Lebanon Gun Shop. It was very informative and we actually reloaded 10 rounds on a single stage press.

After taking the class I think I might just start reloading now.

JP
Click to expand...
:cool: and Good Luck if you do.
 

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