Cost of Reloading

[splicer]

  Im considering getting into reloading. As a teen my dad did it for shotshells and saved alot.I had 3 brothers and we shot alot.
  My question is how much do you save over factory ammo? I plan on doing it for a .223 and have noticed its one of the cheaper rounds to buy factory ammo for. I figured it would be fun too.Is it worth it to invest in the tools needed or is it better to buy in bulk?
 
    it would be primarily for varmint/predator hunting and basic target shooting with a bolt gun,not gonna be poppin off a lot of rounds at a time.

[Skunk]

splicer,

As the old cliché goes: Some people reload to shoot, while some shoot to reload. Reloading itself is a great hobby and a very satisfying activity. If you are going to shoot a lot, then I'd say get the minimum amount of equipment needed to reload and have some fun. However, I've found that I don't really save money by reloading because I end up shooting 10 times more often than if I had to buy the factory rounds. But, I'll be more than happy to settle for that.

If you are only going to shoot once in awhile, you'd probably spend less money by just buying up a few boxes of factory rounds. But then you'll be missing out on the fun factor. From a reloader's point of view, I can't help but suggest you get involved with reloading. It's also a tradition that can be passed down to your kids.

[stimpylu32]

Splicer

The amount you will save $-00000 , now if you want to be able to shoot more for the same $$s and be able to taylor your loads to what you are shooting thats another story .

Depending on the amount you shoot and the price of getting started it could take some time to just break even only shooting a few hundred rounds a year , that being said , its a great Hobby in itself but don't plan to see a great big savings in the short term .

stimpy

PS -- I have just about as much fun loading as I do shooting . 

[splicer]

  I can see where your coming from,I love to flyfish and I started tying my own.Its almost as much fun as the fishing and I get a kick out of catching them on my own flies.
   Whats an estimate on how much it takes to get started? I think Im gonna go for it. I dont have any frinds that do it so I dont have a clue as to what I need or what kind of gear to get. im a big rookie!

[moosie]

If you are only shooting .223, do not plan to shoot a lot. and are not a fanatic about accuracy, you will probably come out ahead by bying FMJ bulk bullets.  There is no question that reloading will produce cheaper and more accurate bullets, but you will find that because you think of them as cheaper, you will shoot a lot more of them.  Given the cost of a good manual, a scale, primer seater, bullets, primers,  powder, and press of some kind, I expect it will be quite a while before you actually recoup your expenses for these items even if you only stick to the cheapest of the presses and dies.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a way to consume a lot of time (reading and actually reloading) and want a rewarding hobby, there is nothing to equal reloading your own.  If you are not careful, it can nearly consume you as you find the need to buy more equipment (lots of options out there),  more guns, etc.  I speak from over 30 years of experience here; I started with a Lee hand loader with powder scoop for my .357--now I have 28 guns of various calibers and I do not even want to try to figure out how much I have invested in equipment, powder, bullets, and primers.
Moosie

[Cheesehead]

My brother, nephew and myself shot over 500 rifle rounds at steel targets today. That would be cost prohibitive if I did not reload. You may not save money as compared to not shooting, but the shooting you can do is amazing.

Cheese