Author Topic: How is Everyone Containing Costs? (Read 1404 times)

K.K · « **on:** June 03, 2008, 02:41:48 PM »

I got into handloading to shoot a lot for less money. As you all well-know, the prices of brass, lead, and just about everything else has gone through the roof. I mean, doubled, if not tripled! My question is, what are some tips that we can share to contain costs as much as possible to keep shooting! I scrounge the brass cans at the range, and pick through the indoor range at the club for spent lead. (we require lead bullets indoors at our club).. What are you all doin?

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #1 on:** June 03, 2008, 04:33:20 PM »

I've always kept a good back stock of powder, primers and bullets on hand. haven't seen the prices go down in the 25+ years I've been reloading. Always make a point of buying what is on sale that I use and yes, I pick up brass where ever I find it. Also buy in bulk if I can. DP.

corbanzo · « **Reply #2 on:** June 03, 2008, 09:36:57 PM »

Buy as much as you can at once, when you find it.

I had been looking for .454 casull brass for a while now, about the last six months... without trying to sell my teeth or liver for it. Finally found a range in virginia that had some, bought all he had, 500 cases. If he had 1000, since it was a good price, I think I would of bought it all. I know it is gonna be a while before I find somebody again with 500 454 cases for a good price.

Lead is getting pretty rediculous too... I think I might pick a week, work 20 extra hours that week, and spend all the money I make in those extra hours on bullets.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #3 on:** June 03, 2008, 11:43:34 PM »

Do like did. I had 5 back surgerys in the last yearand a half and its saved me a ton of money on loading supplys as i havent been able to shoot

mattmillerrx · « **Reply #4 on:** June 03, 2008, 11:53:45 PM »

I shoot the .22 a lot more now. I shoot everything more than I use too, I have the time now. I recently bought a lot of bullets from midway on one of there overrun sales. I couple of months back I went in a very small gun smith shop who had powder and primers on the shelf covered in dust--I think they were at least 4 yrs old but so where the prices and I bought everything he had that I could use. It has not been that long ago that I started reloading because ammo prices were too high and I was shooting a ton. I have also taken to the work a little overtime and spend it on ammo but I seem to keep buying more guns with that money so that is not working out so good. But mainly I am shooting the .22's and thinking of getting another one. I will shoot it to prepare for the matches I shoot working on all the basics and then pick up the gun I shoot in the match and fire it till I am satisfied that I will do well in the match.
And stop scrounging for the brass, that's what I do too and there is almost never any. I am picking up brass for guns I don't even have in hopes of either trading it for some I do have or using it when I get a gun for it.

LaOtto222 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 04, 2008, 01:53:08 AM »

I have been buying in bulk too. When I get a chance at a good bargain I buy lots of stuff. I have 500 virgin 223 brass and 221 brass just waiting for my current lots to go bad. I have recently formed 221 brass out of 223 brass. Lots of work, but does save a few bucks. 223 brass can still be had at $20/100. Mainly I did it because the 221 supply dried up for a while. I have bought 1000 Midway varmint nightmare 50 grain bullets. I can use them in all of my center fire .224 guns and they do not shoot too badly. They are the best bargain on jacketed bullets I have found, cheaper than Winchesters or Remington bullets. The only bullet I can get cheaper is a 55 grain full metal jacket bullet. I had about 600 of those given to me, so I do not need any of those. I do not shoot them much, because after they hit the ground, they want to take of into the wild blue where I have no control over where they go. I have pretty much not shot my bigger stuff like 444 Marlin and 30-30, saving what I have for hunting situations. I have enough supplies on hand to last a long time for those. I have cut way back on my 357 and 44 mag shooting. I do not have a range to go to to pick up brass, so I make what I have last as long as possible. I only neck size when ever possible and then anneal when needed to make 'em last. I do not run them hot either, that helps make them last longer. I am also shooting more rim fire than I used to, the 22 long rifles, 17 HMR and 22 WMR. Even tho the cost of them have gone up, they are still cheaper than I can load center fire ammo for. I now have a good supply of primers and powder, but when I get low, I am going to get a large order together and pay the Hazmat fee. I think MidSouth will ship primers and powder with 1 fee and their prices are considerably lower than I can buy locally. It will still save me money in the long run.

Val · « **Reply #6 on:** June 04, 2008, 03:56:21 AM »

I told my wife to buy less clothing, shoes and make up items.

Old Syko · « **Reply #7 on:** June 04, 2008, 06:02:12 AM »

Quote from: Val on June 04, 2008, 03:56:21 AM

I told my wife to buy less clothing, shoes and make up items.

Let us know how that works out for ya...................................If you're able.

Buy everything in bulk. If you can't swing for example 48# of powder at a time, find a friend or 2 who are willing to split an order. Pull down available from component salvage operations is an excellent choice also. Once fired L.C.5.56 brass is still about $60 per 1,000 and 45 acp is around $55 per 1,000 so I've stocked up. Bullet casting is helpful even at today's alloy prices. The key right now is as it has always been. Buy in bulk for the volume discounts.

I'm still using some powders I bought in the late '60s.

Tom W. · « **Reply #8 on:** June 04, 2008, 07:52:07 AM »

Quote from: Lloyd Smale on June 03, 2008, 11:43:34 PM

Do like did. I had 5 back surgerys in the last yearand a half and its saved me a ton of money on loading supplies as i haven't been able to shoot

I just had stomach surgery, and while I cannot yet pick up my rifles, I can still reload what I have sitting around, so that still didn't help the cost too much....

351 power · « **Reply #9 on:** June 04, 2008, 05:35:28 PM »

i like to find a good load and stick with it. some experimenting is fun but costly if you don't end up using the components. and i'm trying to not buy more rifles to save money for bullets for the guns i already have. it's hard though. and i reload more for the .223 than the others cause it's cheaper to feed. was thinking a .22 hornet would be cheap to feed too. oh, wait. that goes against my other idea

K.K · « **Reply #10 on:** June 05, 2008, 07:53:02 AM »

Yeah, I know what you mean. I began by trying all kinds of premium bullets, powders, O.A.L, and I stopped experimenting when my 3ooWSM game me a 15 shot, one ragged hole group, and one three shot cloverleaf. I only took a few hundred bucks worth of experimenting! I guess that I have to learn to leave well-enough alone, and comprimise on plinking ammo accuracy/cost.

charles p · « **Reply #11 on:** June 05, 2008, 11:17:24 AM »

My reloading supplier is adjacent to the post office. I already go to the post office six days a week so an occasional visit to the sporting goods store cost me zero in gasoline.

You could move to my town and save money the same way I do.

LHitchcox · « **Reply #12 on:** June 05, 2008, 02:28:03 PM »

First thing I did was to build a 10/22 target rifle. I shoot a lot more rimfire now than I used to. After a good rimfire session, I will run a few groups with the centerfire rifles.

Second thing I did was to buy up a lot of powder, bullets, and brass from a guy who got a huge batch of components from a divorcee who somehow wound up with her ex's gear. The guy who bought it priced it for 50% of the price in the 2007 Cabela's reloading catalog. Funny thing, that catalog was printed before things went crazy. I got the stuff I could use at 30%-40% of the current prices.

I got enough .224 bullets to last me a while and 950 new WW .223 cases and about 500 once fired .WW 223 cases. I got about 3000 .45 cal. cast bullets and about 1500 .358 cast and about 1500 9mm cast.

Overall, I feel pretty lucky.

Leon

GameHauler · « **Reply #13 on:** June 07, 2008, 03:54:17 AM »

Wash my tumbling media

warrior1 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 07, 2008, 04:37:53 AM »

watch for estate sales, garage sales. if i eyeball any kind of huning shooting item ,thatss the frist question i ask the owner, do you have any ammo,primers,powder,bulets or reloading supplies. last winter i picked up 5,000 small pistol primers from , about a thousand 358 cast wc and swc, and 300 jacketed 230 gr 45 cal bullets. believe it or not i actually got a pretty good buy some 44 special and 7mm08 brass at a recent gun show. keep lookin you'll turn up some buys.

as stated before , try put a group together to buy bulk,and save on shipping and hazmat fees.
another possible longshot, if you know any over the road truckers traveling thru towns with supply houses or manufacturers, maybe he'd pick up an order for you.

lastly,get on the mailing lists of midway,midsouth,grafs and wideners etc. they do have some good sales. good shootin dan

Hairtrigger · « **Reply #15 on:** June 07, 2008, 04:48:52 AM »

I looked at my stash yesterday, I have well over 10 years of primers if I continue to shoot at my current volume.
I refuse to buy powder second hand if the can has been opened.. bargain or not.
I keep enough on hand that I buy when I see great prices

dakotashooter2 · « **Reply #16 on:** June 09, 2008, 06:07:28 AM »

Quote

Wash my tumbling media

Salvage those grains of unburned powder!

PaulS · « **Reply #17 on:** June 10, 2008, 12:12:26 AM »

I try to line up my shots so I can hit two targets with each shot - I figure I am saving 50% on loads but spending twice as much for targets!
Actually I buy in bulk - especially powder and primers. That way I only pay the one haz-mat fee. I buy bullets where I can find my brands in bulk too. Why buy 100 at a time when you can buy 1000-5000 for a better price? Last I checked they almost never spoil before you shoot them. I buy my walnut and ground corn cob at the feed and grain for less than a third of what the shooter supply places charge. If I want to add some cleaning additive I make it. I make my gun oil from equal parts of Kerosine and ATF, case lube from ATF and Hilton's Hyperlube and use one of my favorite loads in each gun. Trying to find a Ruger revolver for the wife so costs may go up in the future but it will be nice having her shoot with me again.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #18 on:** June 10, 2008, 12:59:09 AM »

I try to keep enough supplys to be able to reload for at least a couple years if something becomes hard to get and in my case its quite a stock pile. The biggest savings a guy will find these days is by casting your own bullets if you can still find cheap lead and using surplus powders. Another way to save money is to load ammo using the fastest burning powders that will give you the velocity you want. Substituteing bullseye for uinque will cut the cost of your ammo by about 25 percent if you cast and dont count the cost of the bullets.

wgr · « **Reply #19 on:** June 11, 2008, 07:38:51 PM »

were can you still get surplus powder

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #20 on:** June 11, 2008, 10:38:49 PM »

http://www.patsreloading.com/patsrel/contact.htm

njanear · « **Reply #21 on:** June 14, 2008, 02:59:22 AM »

I try to impress everyone by saying that I am shooting Nosler bullets - but I make sure that I don't tell them they are 2nds that I picked up for good prices.

bigjeepman · « **Reply #22 on:** June 14, 2008, 08:17:21 AM »

I buy less rifles in different calibers than I used to. I guess that helps keep my costs down in new reloading components.

bjm

wolfeyes · « **Reply #23 on:** June 16, 2008, 04:30:34 PM »

All my brass is free.Just go out on BLM land and pick it up

.........jh

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #24 on:** June 18, 2008, 04:48:26 PM »

Sometimes things just work out. Shiptons had a parking lot sale today and had IMR powder, in the cans not plastic bottles, for $10.99 a pound. Only got 6 cans as I have alot of powder, but to good to pass on.

DP.