Reloading Costs

[huntducks]

Well I went out in my reloading room and started to crunch the numbers.

I'm 62 and have been loading shotgun since I was 10 R&P since 12-13. I bought my first presses when I was about 17-18 so I have had years to collect a LARGE assortment of stuff both equiptment and componets that said here are some numbers for me keep in mind I have not bought a componet in 3 years, I selected 4 calibers to use I reload for about 15 different rifle calibers.

22-250 hunting rounds

BRASS= 1.2ea
Brass about 1/2 has been free range PU but I did buy some it was $12.00 for a 100 unfired
PRIMERS = 2.4ea
Fed. 215GM $24.00 -1000
POWDER=5.6ea
I shoot H-380 and bougth it in 8lbs which came out to $9.80 per LB.
BULLETS= 12ea
Nosler 50gr BT 250 - $28.00

TOTAL PER BOX 20 =$4.24

I load range and plinking suff for $3.20 per box


243 Hunting $4.58 per box
Range and plinking  $1.70 per box bought alot of bulk 2nd bullets cheap along w/surplus 4895


270 hunting $6.70 per box 130gr Nosler Part. bullets were from Nosler 2nd and over runs @ $9.95 per 50 (bought lots)

Range stuff $1.40 per box still using Data powder AA 3100 @ $24 per 8lb which was 1 milk jug that included shipping.


338 hunting
BRASS=20ea
PRIMERS=2.4ea
POWDER=15.8
RL-19
BULLETS=28ea
210gr NP 2nd @14.00 per 50
Ammo cost $13.24 per box

Range Stuff is running $8.58 per box
Using Hornadt 225gr SST that I got for $18.99 - 100

I think everyone can figure out what it would cost now to start reloading i'm glad I bought every close out and surplus powder I could afford.

As far as pistol I cast my own bullets and use to get free wheel weight still have more then I can shoot.

[hillbill]

hducks, as yu said yu were lucky to purchase so much powder and stuff when and as yu did.most of my stuff was purchased in the last 3 to 6 yrs.so im still shooting but at a little higher cost.i get a lot of enjoyment out of reloading but im not sure yu can put a value on that. keeps me off the street and out of trouble lol.either me or my son hasnt shot a deer or anything else i guess, in the last 10 yrs with a shell we didnt make. never thought about it but thats kinda cool.

[briannmilewis]

Here's a handy reloading calculator...

[Land_Owner]

Thanks Brian.  It will take a little getting used to, but it does present some interesting possibilities and the labels are a real plus.

I keep a spreadsheet called "INVENTORY" in which I document EVERYTHING reloading and shooting.  Every gun, bullet, powder, collet, press, die, case; how much it cost when it was purchased, its description, model number, serial number, Internet supplier's product number, Internet link to a photo; how many I have on hand; current "market price" for the equivalent (and usually the same) product; etc.

It is interesting how much I have invested in reloading, how much "stuff" I have accumulated, how far I have advanced, how much I have shot, and how long ago I amortized all of my reloading equipment and associated components.

I shoot more, reload more, and enjoy it more than I ever imagined.  It is a hobby for Life.  It does not take too may reloads in a single caliber to amortize them and the components required to make them when compared to "Market Price" for Factory rounds through the Distributor(s).

[briannmilewis]

Land_Owner: We all should be as dilligent as you with our record keeping. There is a lesson for us in the way you do it. Have you computerized this record keeping?

In the few short months I was reloading, I reloaded about 700 22 Hornet rounds at about $10/50 compared to $19-35/50 off-the-shelf. I spent $200 on reloading hardware and $144 on the original off-the-shelf ammo to get my starter brass. So all up, for 700 reloads and a total of 970 rounds shot, it cost me $484 for hardware, supplies and ammo. At $19/50 = 1273 rounds would break-even, and at $30/50 = 806 rounds would break-even. I would say that is very fast payback on my reloading hardware equipment.

Note that typically, there is not such a huge difference between shelf price and reloaded cost as with the 22 Hornet. Reloading the Hornet gives you that extra "wow, what a bargain" reloading factor.

[wreckhog]

Well I went out in my reloading room and started to crunch the numbers.

I'm 62 and have been loading shotgun since I was 10 R&P since 12-13. I bought my first presses when I was about 17-18 so I have had years to collect a LARGE assortment of stuff both equiptment and componets that said here are some numbers for me keep in mind I have not bought a componet in 3 years, I selected 4 calibers to use I reload for about 15 different rifle calibers.

22-250 hunting rounds

BRASS= 1.2ea
Brass about 1/2 has been free range PU but I did buy some it was $12.00 for a 100 unfired
PRIMERS = 2.4ea
Fed. 215GM $24.00 -1000
POWDER=5.6ea
I shoot H-380 and bougth it in 8lbs which came out to $9.80 per LB.
BULLETS= 12ea
Nosler 50gr BT 250 - $28.00

TOTAL PER BOX 20 =$4.24

I bought (backordered) 1000 rounds of Remington 22-250 at $10.99/box of 20, no tax, no shipping. Minus 10 cents per piece of brass (to be redeployed in reloading or sold ) and that is about $9/box for factory loads. Works for me.

I have 8lbs of Varget (35 grains per round) at $133, 2000 Varmint Nightmare bullets at $160, 2000 primers at $70. If I can sell 400 bullets and 400 primers locally for $43, and gently assign a cost of 2.5 cents per brass use,  I can reload 1600 rounds for $4.50/box. Roughtly half the cost.

These purchases were all in the last 2 months or currently available by the way.

[skb2706]

You know when you've been doing this awhile when you have accumulated those pesky "extra bullets" that used to get tossed into a standard box of 100....enough to load up a few batches of those. For those who haven't been doing this for long, some bullet makers would put 101 in a box as standard procedure.

Much like huntducks I haven't bought many components in the last 4 years and certainly not in the Obama administration.