Cost of reloading

[Big pig]

Thanks, guys. Not a shooter, but I burn 150-200 rounds a year
Mostly pigs, but also ‘yotes, does, or practice/checking POI.
Sale price on Fed. Fusion is less than $1/round.
Accuracy and performance will be hard to beat at short range (less than 300).

My nephews .257 mag is a whole another matter!

[Artos]

I wouldn't get into it unless you are an accuracy nut

[Billy Bad Bass]

If you consider cost of equipment, labor and components you would have to shoot a lot more than 200 rounds a year to even think about breaking even.

If you are looking for a hobby, want to wring the most accuracy out of a round, compete in a shooting sport or just like a room full of reloading stuff....go for it!

[BLACKFINTURKEY]

Definitely cheaper per round or at least you break even depending on caliber but the accuracy improvement is what sold me. I started reloading when I bought a 260 Remington and now pretty much reload for all my rifles.

[1shot]

Just like anything else. You can do it for cost savings and you don't need to get fancy but you can. I think of it like this I'm getting match quality ammo that fits my rifle for under $15 per 20.

[kck]

Just know that there is a lot of stuff that you'll have to pay for per round before you get to the point of saving you money. And it's a bunch of rounds before that happens on the dollar side BUT there is a sense of a job well done and the satisfaction that goes with it that only you can know how much that's worth to you.

[tommy1005]

I'm not sure mine is cheaper per round, but I buy $100 per 100 Hammer Hunter bullets for my 6.5. If I were to use Hornady bullets I would come out on top, but have better Alpha Munitions brass with small primers, and be a touch more accurate than the factory Hornady loads. That said, I want my rounds to be extremely accurate so that if I do my part I know 100% that the bullet will hit where I want it to, no matter the range.

The hard part about that is making sure I do my part.

[RangerRick2012]

Just like anything else. You can do it for cost savings and you don't need to get fancy but you can. I think of it like this I'm getting match quality ammo that fits my rifle for under $15 per 20.

^^^ This.

Also, I reload because I know what I am loading and how that round is supposed to behave. I know how long the round has sat on the shelf and what level of quality the components are going into each and every round.

I favour bow hunting over gun hunting but when I do pick up that rifle and take game with one of my hand loads, it adds just one more layer of satisfaction to the entire experience.

I have a brother who got into reloading just to pump out rounds as quickly as possible. I'm not like that. I take my time and make it more of the overall experience.

As mentioned in other posts above, if you shop around, you can find great prices on components and equipment. RCBS over manufactured all of their equipment, and it lasts. Most of my equipment is used, the only new items I purchased were an RCBS digital powder scale and digital micrometer. My RCBS press was manufactured in 1969 and has plenty of patina on it. It works great.

I still have the old Pacific shot shell reloading press my dad used to reload the paper hulls when we were growing up. A lot of nostalgic memories there.

If you can find a mom-and-pop store to buy powder, primers and projectiles, you can get pretty good prices - if lowest cost is your priority.

Above all, I would just suggest get into reloading to understand the process and enjoy doing just that much more as part of shooting. Perhaps even get your kids into it with you. Getting my son involved in reloading has provided moments we spend just the two of us together.

[double bogey]

It's a hobby. Spend a little, load some rifle ammo, shoot, look at the results, modify and load some more. Load for and shoot that handgun you never shoot enough.

[lordvader]

There's a one time cost for the equipment, but components can vary in price depending on where purchased and brand. Unless you specifically want to shoot a lot, or load a specific bullet, sometimes it is cheaper to just buy the ammo. I purchased 243, and 270 fed blue box for $11.97 per box at Walmart. The price has since gone up but Walmart occasionally has good deals on ammo. I do reload both rifle and pistol ammo, but I will buy factory ammo when I find it to cheap to pass up.

[KyleW]

You will save more on odd calibers than you will calibers everyone has.
I personally pay around half the amount to reload my 25-06 as the factory ammo I was using.

[retrieverman]

Very roughly, figuring 4 cents per primer, 30 cents for a bullet, and at 30 dollars a pound for powder and roughly 57 grains per shot, 25 cents for powder, about 59 cents per round. .. Of course you can beat that by shopping around..

Spot on.

If someone tells you there’s no savings to reloading, it’s because they’re not doing it right. You should be able to replicate “premium” 270 ammo for about a fourth of what factory ammo cost.

[double bogey]

It's hard to compete with 9mm. its fairly cheap.You would have to load a lot. I do have everything to load it though. And prep for rifle brass has me buying more 5.56 than I load. I do load some for precision, but it takes too much effort to load rifle for plinking, even on the 650xl. It is a dream to kick out .45 auto in mass quantities on a nice progressive. Each pull of the handle, 1 more round. Very cheap to do .45's. .04 for primer, .03 for powder, .03 for bullet.


Another upside, is to keep components in stock, and don't be caught without ammo during shortages. You need to be stocked, some reloading components were hard to get and expensive during the last administration.

[Balcones_Walker]

As others have stated, get into it for accuracy, not for money. By the time you've dialed in the bullet/powder/neck bushing/primer that is ideal for your gun, you'll get a few hundred rounds through the barrel with marginal savings that will never hope to recoup all those combinations you didn't settle on.

If you're primarily worried about savings, you're better off buying 7.62 and 5.56 surplus ammo in bulk.

[Killer]

You save almost half the cost of store bought ammo, plus it is more accurate!