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Help me out here. You already have the basic gear & you still shoot higher priced, crappy factory ammo in your service guns? Makes no sense man. For the cost of dies & alittle time, you can shoot twice as much or save twice as much.  This message has been edited. Last edited by: fredj338, IF YOU AREN'T HANDLOADING, YOU AREN'T SHOOTING ENOUGH! NRA Instruc: Basic Pistol & Met Reloading | |||
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Here cheapest Russian factory 9x19 costs about €0.175 (17.5 Euro cents) a piece, the cheapest European (Czech to be precise) 19 cents and domestic (Lapua) over 40 cents. For training loads I get down to about 10.3 cents (with assorted scavenged brass 0 cents, Slovakian plastic coated bullets 6 cents, Czech primers 2.5 cents and Vihtavuori powder 1.8 cents). For competition I still use scavenged, but only once fired single brand brass (Magtech or Lapua military), copper plated bullets and high quality primers, cost about 12.8 cents. The types of HV ammo that work properly in my Mosquito cost about 8 cents, so basically I don't have to train with .22 for cost reasons, if I get time to reload my own training ammo. Training with the time available and factory ammo would be just too expensive, not to mention that my reloads are much better for recoil and between the cheapest and most expensive factory ammo in accuracy. | |||
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Interesting. Thanks for contributing. What copper plated bullets and high-quality primers are available to you? And which VV powder do you like for 9x19? "When I held that gun in my hand, I felt a surge of power...like God must feel... when he's holding a gun!" H. Simpson. | |||
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I prefer domestic Archipelago Bullets manufactured double striked total copper plated bullets, with the .356" 124gr 17 degree TC having the best accuracy out of my X5A barrel. However, they just recently closed the factory and it is being moved to the buyer of the swaging and casting equipment in Sweden. I have also used similar German Haendler & Natermann bullets, which are in addition coated with a very thin polymer layer. However, the "surplus" lot I got appeared to have much more thickness and base geometry variations. I have also been contemplating testing of Rainier Ballistics bullets, which I believe are of similar manufacture. Since they don't have a distributor in Finland, I would have to order at least 35.000, so I would like to get a sample of say 100 from somewhere first. Most interested in the 124gr TC or HP (provided the hole is under 3mm deep). For primers the best working for my gun and loading equipment are Federal #100 and Magtech PR-SP
310 all the way (up to 145 gr bullets) | |||
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I have been handloading for over 50 years. For me, saving money has nothing to do with it. It's a zen thing. I've been rolling 10mm and .45 ACP this weekend. Just outside the loading room is a primitive pistol range. That and ham radio are my excuses for living in the sticks. YMMV | |||
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http://10xshooters.com/calcula..._Cost_Calculator.htm Figured at the largest cal I load in handgun. Primers $35.00 1K with tax at Cabela's I cast and Lead cost me $0.80-$1.00 a pound to my door! And get 33 bullets from a pound so $30.00 1K Powder 5-5.5gr $22.00 with tax for 7000grains It says $0.982 for a box of 50 | |||
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I started reloading in the mid-70s when I was still shooting Bulleye. I just couldn't afford the cost of the factory shells, the best ones, for 45 and 38. I started reloading rifles in the late 70s and bought my first Dillon 550 in 1987. What I found was that I could load a more accurate round than the factory cartridges. Then I got into cast bullet loading and continued that till the present time. A few years ago, I got into Trap and found that the escalating cost of a flat (250 rounds) of shells was killing me since I shot 300 or more rounds most every day. Plus skeet and other clays games. I started with a MEC shotshell reloader (didn't everybody?), then progressed to a Dillon 900. I loaded all the shells I needed for the 2008 Grand American in about six and a half hours. Boy, is it fast. Then I bought a Spolar Hydraulic-$3000 bucks, but it is fast-one shell every 3 1/2 seconds (they claim), but I load a bit slower. I loaded all the shells I needed for the 2009 Grand American in just about six hours. I don't know if I am really saving money, especially with the cost of the machines, but I do know I load a shotshell that is equal to any Premium factory shell and better than the cheaper ones. I have some forty flats loaded now and just got another 1400 hulls to load this week. Not sure I will go to the Grand this year, but I am ready if I decide to do so. I love loading on these two machines. Bob | |||
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Straightshooter - I'm thinking of reloading for trap and/or skeet in the future. Do you reload the hulls? If so, how many times for shooting clay? Strictly on a materials basis (not including time and equipment) how much do you estimate that you save on a 25 round box of 12ga? "When I held that gun in my hand, I felt a surge of power...like God must feel... when he's holding a gun!" H. Simpson. | |||
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I have been reloading for about a month now. Like you, I too started saving brass first. It has been about three years that since I started collecting brass. Needless to say, I have buckets full to work with. NRA Life Member | |||
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I found you don't save much over game loads, but a couple $ a box for higher end target loads. The only SG stuff I reload are for CAS. You can load an equiv AA light load for about 2/3 of factory. IF YOU AREN'T HANDLOADING, YOU AREN'T SHOOTING ENOUGH! NRA Instruc: Basic Pistol & Met Reloading | |||
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I just got into reloading a couple of months ago to make shooting my .40 S&W P229 affordable. I cast my own bullets (lead can be obtained free or for very low cost...I get mine free) and scrounge brass from the range (my own plus others) so my only cost is primer, powder, and occasionally replacing the case cleaning media. I figure .40S&W is costing me about 8 cents a round right now...not much more than .22 LR :-) The best I was able to do buying ammo was about 36 cents a round, so I am saving 28 cents per. My reloading gear should be paid off after the first couple thousand rounds. | |||
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I've been reloading for about a year now and the savings are tremendous! I started reloading .308 Win but now I reload mostly .30-06 Springfield and .45 ACP. I calculated the cost for .45 ACP last night and here is what I got: -.452 diameter 230 gr lead round $0.117 per round. -Large Pistol Primer 0.029 per round (because I didn't buy it in bulk >.<  -HP-38 Pistol powder $0.015 worth per round. After 6% sales tax, it comes to $0.17 per round. I already have 500 pieces of brass that I got from a friend and some I picked up cheap. | |||
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Would someone update how much they can reload 9, 38, and 357 per round? With and without cost of brass included? "Army of sheep led by a wolf will always defeat army of wolves led by a sheep." | |||
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Look on page 1 of this thread. Prices haven't changed. Just loaded up 10 Boxes of .44mag. target loads for around the same price--$6.75 per box +- a few cents. Eric NRA Certified Chief Range Safety Officer NRA Certified Pistol Instructor DNR Certified Firearms Instructor NRA Life Member | |||
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Fred's about right for the AA light loads. It all really depends on if you can find a reasonable source for shot. Back when Wal-Mart was selling 100 rounds for $11.97, I couldn't touch that. I'm in the $14/100 range. Now that they are $21.97/100, I've fired up the old Mec again. You cannot reload those cheap Wal-Mart Universals easily. You need a good supply of AA hulls. They seem to last forever on light loads. Demand not that events should happen as you wish; but wish them to happen as they do happen, and you will go on well. -Epictetus | |||
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I'm loading .38special now for around 11 cents a round. That's $5.50 a box. WWB .38 special is aound $20.00 at Walmart. I can shoot two, three, or four times the amount for the same price depending on where and how much components you buy. It can be time consuming, but for me it enhances the hobby imeasurably. | |||
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I never figure brass cost as I either have it from fired factory ammo or amortized once fired bought is less than 1/2c/rd over 10 firings. You can reload all of those for pretty much the same cost, depending on vel level you are looking for. PRimers are the same, powder can actually be the same & 38/357 bullets are identrical, 9mm a bit cheaper. So 10c/rd for 9mm, maybe 11c/rd for 38/357mag, no brass cost figured into that. I haven't bought brass in decades. IF YOU AREN'T HANDLOADING, YOU AREN'T SHOOTING ENOUGH! NRA Instruc: Basic Pistol & Met Reloading | |||
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Unless prices have risen significantly, I believe some of these posters a yr and a half ago were understating powder costs. I saw one of them putting powder cost for 5.56 at 4.xx cents a piece...bs. Average powder charge for that cartridge is 25grains, giving you 280 rounds per lb. Even if you bought bulk of 8lb jug, that would be $90 delivered. Umm..no. I see Powdervalley has AA2230 for $122 PLUS shipping and hazmat, putting it close to $155, about 60% higher than claimed. For 5.56/.223, realistic costs would be about 7 cents for powder, 3 cents for primer, 7 cents for bullet head and an amortorized 2 cents for brass if you reload/shoot it 7 times giving you a cost of 19 cents per 5.56/.223 compared to 39 cents a piece delivered for buying it outright. Bigger savings and less work would be for 38spl and 357 magnum. For 38spl I can reload for about 9 cents a piece compared to buying it in store for 31 cents a piece with sales tax. 357mag even more savings at 13 cents a piece for jacketed "warm" loaded rounds vs 40 cents a piece including tax for factory. | |||
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Just wanted to thank everyone. Somehow with work and stuff, I completely forgot that I even asked this question on this forum. Now I need to figure out what press to get. I have read all the stickies on this and other forums so I do have some basic concept of what brands to look at. Thanks again. "Army of sheep led by a wolf will always defeat army of wolves led by a sheep." | |||
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Hornady LNL Rick O’Leary Founder/President FFL-CLASS 3/SOT Dealer www.HoosierArmory.com 317-417-2006C FFL# 4-35-04370 'Like' us on Facebook www.facebook.com/hoosierarmory CHEAP-FAST-GOOD 'pick any two' | |||
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