Want to start reloading

[Dunning Kruger]

Never done any reloading myself, but they discontinued the ammo i use in my bear gun so im going to start loading for that. Just ordered the bullets i want to use. Already have a supply of once fired brass. Luckily my dad rolls his own so hes got everything else ill need apparently (powders, equipment, and of course knowledge being the important one, as im clueless) besides primers, dies, shell holder. Should be interesting. Need to figure out the right recipe for these bullets for my 16.5" 20 twist .444 marlin.

 

[Don Fischer]

I started reloading in 1967 when I bought my first centerfire rifle, a .30-06. I started reloading shotgun and pistols in 1970 when I bought my first shotgun and centerfire pistols. I bought most of the reloading equipment that I still use today in the '70s and '80s.

Most of my rifles, pistols, and shotguns have rarely, if ever, shot factory shells. I have pistols chambered in 9 mm, .38 spl/.357, .44 spl/mag, and .45 acp. I almost exclusively shoot my cast bullets in them. My major source of lead I dig out of the range, and the smelting cost is offset by selling the copper jackets, so my pistol bullet costs are essentially zero, unless I add a gas check to the magnum bullets which add $0.02 per bullet.
Pistol primers are $30/1000 or $0.03 ea
Powder for my standard pistols is Clays Universal at $150/8#. At an average of 5 grains/cartridge is $0.013/shell.
So my reloads for my 9 mm, .38 spl, .44 spl, and .45 acp pistols is $0.03 + 0.013 = $0.043 ea x 50/box = $2.15/box.
The additional powder for my .357 and .44 magnums is $0.05 and $0.06 + the $0.02 gas check makes them $0.07 and $0.08 ea x 50/box = .357 mag @ $3.50/box and .44 mag @ $4/box.

Several years ago I bought a Weatherby Vanguard rifle in .223. To start reloading it I only had to buy a set of RCBS dies for $35. Like most of my other reloading, I buy my components in lots of 1,000 and powder in 8# kegs.
So to load for my .223 my costs are:
Bullet, Rem 55 grain FMJBT Blems @ $119/1000 = $0.12 ea
Primer, Federal 205 SR @ $30/1000 = 0.03
Powder, Hodgen CFE 223 @ $161/8#, 27.4 gr/shot = 0.08
Case, range pickups = 0.00
Total cost/round to reload = $0.23 ea compared to Hornady 55 gr FMJBT factory loads @ $1.20 ea IF YOU CAN FIND THEM!

So factory rounds cost $0.97 each more than my reloads.

Divide the $35 cost of my RCBS .223 dies by $0.97 and it only takes 36 reloads to break even on the cost of my extra reloading equipment for this cartridge.

Over my shotgun shooting career, I've shot somewhere in the vicinity of 300,000 shells at Trap and Skeet. Figure a 40 year average of $5/box of 25 shells(12, 20, 28, and .410):
300,000/25 x $5 = $60,000
I have four Hornady 366 progressive shotshell reloaders that I bought in the '80s for less than $200 each. Even at today's cost of over $500 each, my shotshell reloaders more than paid for themselves many years ago.

Our range sells 12 and 20 gauge shotshells for $6/box of 25
My costs to reload 12 or 20 gauge shotshells are:
Shell or hull, range pickups (I have thousands of once fired AAs) = $0.00
Primer, Fiocchi 616 @ $25/1000= 0.025
Powder, 700X @ $133/8# 15.2gr/shell = 0.036
Wad, Claybuster @ $89/5000 = 0.0178
Shot, I've made my own since the '80s, lead from range scrap,
the cost of smelting is offset by selling the bullet copper jackets = 0.00
Total cost/shotshell to reload = $0.079 round up to $0.08 ea x 25/box = $2/box

Our range sells Redropped shot for $30/25# bag
So for redropped shot, $30/25# x 16 ounces/# / 1 oz/shell = $0.075 or $0.08 + 0.08 (for primer, powder, wad) = $0.16 ea x 25 = $4.00/box A savings of $2/box

Our range sells 28 ga and .410 shotshells for $9.50/box of 25
These shells use less powder and shot than 12 and 20 ga shells, so they actually cost about the same to reload, so I am still reloading them for $2/box someone buying shot could reload them for $4/box for a savings of $5.50 from the cost of factory shells.

Long reply, but the only way that reloading would not save me money would be to quit shooting.

That's great! 300,000 shotgun shells at trap and skeet alone. 25 rds per box is 12,000 box's. I think they are 25 to the box time's What $5 a box is about $60,000 just on ammo! Sorry I seldom ever buy shotgun shells either. That's 12,000 box's at $9.50 a box is $114,000 just for shells. Then because the guy is saving so much money reloading he probably has several more gun's just for trap and a few for skeet. Who knows he may even hunt. Money saved on ammo reloading get' blown away shooting more, what the heck, it's less expensive than factory! And for this guy it probably is!

That was great seeing it broke down like that! I did a breakdown on loading 38's with cast bullet's years ago and found out I was shooting 38 less expensive than 22's. But I was also shooting a lot more 38's than 22 then. These day's I load cast bullet's in 308, 38 spec, 32 long, 9mm and 32ACP. Was using cast in 30-06 also. Cast bullet's don't cost me a thing these days. Have about a ton of ingot's stored. Used to get wheel weight's free and where ever I shotI had a bucket, screen and shovel along to recover all bullet's from the back stop. Little concerned about that these days as the closest place to shoot I shoot into a gravel pile and it destroys the bullet's, seldom recover many! But the man is right! If your shooting anywhere near the volume of ammo he is, it less expensive to reload. BTW, your time doing it is worth nothing unless your writing if off on your tax's!

1966 or 67 is about the time I started reloading also. Ramstien AFB in Germany had a great shooting range and complete set up for reloading. All we had to buy was primer's, powder and bullet's and reloaded the factory stuff we bought at the rod and gun club! Rotated back to Kalispell AFS in Lakeside, Mont in 1973 and damned if I didn't have to go out and buy all the tools. That's where I stared casting for handgun's! Sure was inexpensive. Thinking about my first reloading tools. I think it was $9! Lee load all! Laugh, the thing worked!

There is a super by product in reloading. I am a much better shot today than I would have been had I not started reloading. I also have gone through a lot more gun's than I would have! Actually I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from reloading. Get even semi serious and you will become a better shooter through no fault of your own!

 

[Don Fischer]

This thread just reminded me of a column Gene Hill wrote years ago on how much a round of skeet cost. By the time he got done that first round had cost him something like $65,000! One of the funniest articles I ever read!

 

[44hunter45]

Ok. Saving money handloading. Shoot only two gun's One something like a 38 spec and maybe a 308, I use a 308! Now get a Lee loader for each Break into someone house and steal a bunch of primer's and powder and get a mold for 30 cal and 38 cal bullet's. Collect free lead anywhere you can, steal it if need be! I have a load for my 30-06 that use's a 180gr cast bullet with 13.0 grs Red Dot and my primer's are really really old which means didn't cost much! Come to think of it, my can of Red Dot is probably from the 1950's, metal 12# can I got from a close friend when he passed. He got it from his dad when he passed! I have about 30k primer's, mostly Herter primer's, when did they go under? Then you'll be saving money if you use old military case's! And don't buy anymore stupid toy's designed to make money for the guy selling them! Know why people that own company's making tools and supply's save money on reloading They don't pay for tools and supply's! But the fact is if i had it to do over again, I'd still reload!

Yeah - this is pretty much how I started.

 

[tjones]

Also as plus once you get enough stuff you can post pics of it all on various forums just to flex.

 

[buffybr]

Also as plus once you get enough stuff you can post pics of it all on various forums just to flex.

Not quite as much as Shrapnel has, but it gets me by...

 

[Don Fischer]

Not quite as much as Shrapnel has, but it gets me by...

All I can say is WOW! You must not mow lawns for a living!

 

[shrapnel]

Not quite as much as Shrapnel has, but it gets me by...

Wow! Nice flex.

 

[buffybr]

Wow! Nice flex.

Flex???

 

[Bullshot]

Thanks for doing that, I didn’t want to take the time. If you think you could afford to shoot factory ammo at the rate I shoot at just one prairie dog shoot, you could probably buy the truck cheaper than the amount of ammunition I have in there.

The guns aren't cheap either, so you need a bunch cooling while you are warming the other barrel up...

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“America... F*#% yeah!”

 

[OldSnort]

I used to reload to save money back when I was raising a family, now I am 72 and I do it just because I love to do it. My dad taught me how to reload when I was 12 and I've been doing it eversince

 

[OldSnort]

This thread just reminded me of a column Gene Hill wrote years ago on how much a round of skeet cost. By the time he got done that first round had cost him something like $65,000! One of the funniest articles I ever read!

It's the same with moose hunting, I have gotten the price of moose meat down to about $103.75 a pound

 

[ImBillT]

Mistake number one in the first post is paying retail for Nosler brass. It used to be mostly Norma, but now they make a lot of it themselves. It’s good brass, but really hard to justify the price(it was always more expensive than Norma).

If saving money by reloading is an important component to the equation, then range pickups, or new Winchester are your two best options. I love Norma and RWS for accuracy purposes, but if you want the benefits of premium brass, and a low price per firing, I’d look to Lapua or Peterson to be longest lasting with standard loading practices and max loads.

 

[EastTNHunter]

I don’t know about anyone else, but I don’t load for accuracy, I load for economy. Today’s factory ammunition has never been better. Most guns and ammunition you buy in a store will shoot better than the buyer can shoot.

If you don’t shoot a lot, just buy the ammo and enjoy your time not reloading, otherwise you may end up like this...

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Now, that’s just rubbing it in

 

[Mako]

I don’t know about anyone else, but I don’t load for accuracy, I load for economy. Today’s factory ammunition has never been better. Most guns and ammunition you buy in a store will shoot better than the buyer can shoot.

If you don’t shoot a lot, just buy the ammo and enjoy your time not reloading, otherwise you may end up like this...

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Sweet baby Jesus! Man-cave heaven right there!

 

[Foggy Mountain]

I personally load to get the most from a gun. I mess with all kinds loads, recipes, seating depths, primers, etc until I get the best from the gun. Now once that happens it’s all easily repeatable. Throughout the Obama shortage, this one, etc I don’t have issues. Everything I need and than some for every gun I’ve got is here. Both great reasons. Economy isn’t even a thought