Reloading Cost / 100

[garyb]

Assuming that brass is reused and there is no cost for brass:
Powder: 1 pound = 7000grains. Assumption 6 grains powder per 40cal round = 1166.7 rounds of powder in a 1 pound can. At approx. $30 / lb powder / 1166.7 = $0.0257 or 2 1/2 cents a round for powder

Primers: Approx $32 / 1000 = $0.032 or 3.2 cents per round

Bullets: $258 / 2000 = $0.129 or 12.9 cents per round

.129 + .0257 +.032 = $0.1867each or $18.67 per 100 rounds (+ brass).

Don't know if anyone ever took the time to figure out how much it costs them to reload 100 rounds, but this is the last estimate I came up with for my 40's.

[muggsy]

You forgot to include your time. When I retired I was making about $25 per hour.

[garyb]

For a hobby? Really? I'm not selling the stuff for a business or profit. I'm retired too but I'd never figure my time into the cost of anything I enjoy (ie, hobbies). I've spent the last month in the woods hunting, but would never factor the value of my time based on my prior wages, into the venison I harvest. I enjoy hunting and venison.

[Bawanna]

Time is priceless, your just talking about wages which is never enough and always more than it should be.

[rahmann62]

I just had a friend reload some 9mm for me. He charged me his cost, $15.50/100. I supplied the brass.

[garyb]

Sounds about right, comparing to my numbers for the 40/100. Plus you can fine tune custom loads to get just what you want. Fun stuff.

[ZardozCZ]

Time is priceless, your just talking about wages which is never enough and always more than it should be.

Depends on which line on the paycheck your name is on.

Time is a river that flows to it end, then the real journey begins.

[yqtszhj]

That's about what I figured recently. It was a tad more to reload .45 but it tells me I was about right.

I'm always saving my brass but haven't started reloading yet. I'm waiting for someone to offer me 1000 .45 rounds for free :) then I'll get the powder, Primers, and reloading equipment.

[RevRay]

You forgot to include your time. When I retired I was making about $25 per hour.

Muggs, that's not fair ... it's a labor of love.

[b4uqzme]

we figured the price of our gear - including the boat and the house we dock at - and came up with about $2,324.00 per pound for Lake Erie walleye. Any takers?

[Harrylee]

Reloading for me was always too save some money and in the process you will find some loads that are more accurate than others. Thru the years I used buy my bullets, everything I have I can shoot lead in. So after last couple of years sending so many rounds down range(8000 the year before and don't know this year) I thought it was a good time to get into casting. I made some deals with some garages and get their wheel weights and melt them down and doing it ever since. RevRay said it in a nutshell it is a labor of love, the amount of time it takes is a enormous amount of time but at the end I did the whole process and saved. Paying a little more for powder and primers around here but I can put a box of 50 45 Acp for $3.50 that’s $7.00 per hundred. And for all that work I can go shooting all the time. There are so many things we can not count our time for, in a dollar amount. So for the souls that put there time and effort into reloading I tip my hat to all of you. Just cast 1200 45's and have 1200 loaded, need to do some 38's and 9mm next. I refuse to pay $30 + dollars for a box of range ammo. So call me hard headed or thrifty this is my way of doing and dealing with the ammo shortage and gouging
:amflag:

[yqtszhj]

I would love to do What HarryLee is talking about. Time to cast, reload, and most of all more range time.

Can anyone give Mr. Time a call and get me about 6 more hours added to the day? I need about 4 more hours for myself and I'll give the wife 2. Too much to do, too little time. I'm going to try and fix that next year. Too far along in 2013 to stop this year.

[muggsy]

Time is priceless, your just talking about wages which is never enough and always more than it should be.

I came to and equitable arrangement with every employer that I ever worked for. They always paid me twice what they thought I was worth and half of what I thought I was worth. It seemed to work out. :)

[muggsy]

Reloading for me was always too save some money and in the process you will find some loads that are more accurate than others. Thru the years I used buy my bullets, everything I have I can shoot lead in. So after last couple of years sending so many rounds down range(8000 the year before and don't know this year) I thought it was a good time to get into casting. I made some deals with some garages and get their wheel weights and melt them down and doing it ever since. RevRay said it in a nutshell it is a labor of love, the amount of time it takes is a enormous amount of time but at the end I did the whole process and saved. Paying a little more for powder and primers around here but I can put a box of 50 45 Acp for $3.50 that’s $7.00 per hundred. And for all that work I can go shooting all the time. There are so many things we can not count our time for, in a dollar amount. So for the souls that put there time and effort into reloading I tip my hat to all of you. Just cast 1200 45's and have 1200 loaded, need to do some 38's and 9mm next. I refuse to pay $30 + dollars for a box of range ammo. So call me hard headed or thrifty this is my way of doing and dealing with the ammo shortage and gouging
:amflag:

Harry, no one ever saves when they reload. You do shoot more, but you spend like a sailor on shore leave. Gary also didn't mention the cost of his reloading equipment. It reminds the of the business man who lost money on every business deal, but made up for the loss in volume. :) I'm only kidding with you guys again. I have a very warped sense of humor. I never knock a man for enjoying what he does. Remember, I too, am a reloader.

[garyb]

b4ugzme,
I love walleye fishing. Best eating fish on the planet. I'm in. Same type of scenario for deer hunting and the cost of a pound of venison. But the meat is the icing on the cake. It's the fun of the hunt or the fish. You're making memories that will last forever. (That's why I'm sitting behind this computer this morning...haha. I feel like I'm cheating today, but I could not wake up at 3:30 to go out in the cold again this morning. Felt good to sleep in and recharge my batteries for an evening hunt. Can only go so many days in a row before a rest is in order. You simply can not put a price for your time on something you really enjoy. That's one of the things life is all about. )

[garyb]

I agree with you Harry Lee. And Muggsy too...it is obviously necessary to buy the equipment for the same reason you bought your car...to get somewhere. In reloading, the equipment allows you to get to the range more. You can shoot twice as much, without the worry of where you will find your next box of ammo to shoot up. Most guys are sitting on their ammo supply now...not going to the range, because they have a limited supply that costs a lot and they don't want to deplete it. That's not going to keep your skills up. Reloading takes the shackles off you. You can go shoot because you invested in the gear to get you out. Don't wait Yqtszhj...it don't take much time to get started reloading. You won't regret getting started in this hobby for a lot of reasons.

Then I went into a deep, dark depression....Unfortunately, eventually reloading components will dry up like the ammo is drying up...that's what our government wants of its' people. Bawanna is right....go muzzleloading and do it now, because that will dry up too. You can still get the stuff so stock up now.

[garyb]

That's about what I figured recently. It was a tad more to reload .45 but it tells me I was about right.

I'm always saving my brass but haven't started reloading yet. I'm waiting for someone to offer me 1000 .45 rounds for free :) then I'll get the powder, Primers, and reloading equipment.

Look under the reloading supply thread and you'll find your brass. Not FREE, but the prices are not bad considering you can reuse these things over and over until they show problems. Damn near free when you consider whatever the price is, you can divide that by 10 for the number of times you will reload them. Nike says, Just Do It! Get started and enjoy the process of making your own custom loads for about 1/2 the price of boxed ammo.

[garyb]

For 380 auto, the reload cost is less than 14.49 cents per round or $14.49 box of 100 vs boxed 380 ammo at approx. $40/100. Not to mention that you could be shooting crappy boxed ammo at that higher price. That is 176% more to buy loaded ammo for the 380. That alone, is a good reason to reload for the 380auto....not to mention that you can make your own custom loads for the range. We all realize that 380 ammo is definitely over priced, so it is a good cal to reload.
(Reload 380 break down per round: primer 3.2 cents; Berry Bullet 10 cents; powder 1.29 cents).

[mr surveyor]

I chose my dies for a reason ... .357 mag, .44 mag, .45 acp ....

[garyb]

I chose my dies for a reason ... .357 mag, .44 mag, .45 acp ....

Have you ever done a cost comparison of reloads vs purchased range ammo in those cals? Just curious.

[mr surveyor]

Have you ever done a cost comparison of reloads vs purchased range ammo in those cals? Just curious.


uuuhhh.... yes

That IS the reason I chose to reload those calibers. I can afford to reload them cheaper than I can buy factory 9mm. Factory range fodder for .44 mag, when/if you can find it, runs around $30 per box (fifty). I bought dies the week I traded for a Ruger SRH last February and have never personally bought a box of factory ammo. Depending on the projectile, I can load them for $14-20 per box. Same goes for .357 .... in the past three years I've bought two boxes of factory ammo, and a pretty good bit of my shooting is with my favorite SP101. Lots of .357 rounds downrange since I started reloading ... again, depending on the projectiles I spend between $8 per box and $15 per box. Just started loading .45 acp this year, and at last count I think I'm around $12-14 per box (using cast Bayou Bullets).

I don't reload 9mm as the 50% +/- "savings" just isn't there for me as a very small volume loader. But since I can load up the big boy rounds at half price (or even less), at or near the cost of factory 9mm, I'll take the others in a heart beat.

I will say the my .30-30 Win loads aren't significantly cheaper than basic factory loads, but the results have been pretty amazing so far. Well worth the "new hobby".



JD

Oh, I bet I'm not the only one that's made a special range trip just to empty some brass so as to have some on hand for a new load project :D

[garyb]

Seems to me that they cost about the same as the 40. Stands to reason. I have not started reloading rifle yet, as we only shoot shotgun or muzzleloader in my hunting area. But I can see where shooting loads for brass applies. I still have some 40 test rounds to shoot off for the brass now that I have the load I was looking for.

[getsome]

If I were only loading to save money I wouldn't do it as I figure I save a few bucks a box but I probably enjoy loading as much or more than shooting... Now if I was lucky enough to be able to shoot in my back yard it would be different but having to load up all the guns and ammo then drive to the range and wait for a lane and hope you don't get next to someone dangerous or obnoxious like the gangsta wanna be holding it sideways and blasting away to show off to his baby mama....Then spending 20-30 bucks for a couple hours in a hot poorly ventilated range while still fun is somewhat tiring to me at my age....

Now sitting down to size and reprime brass while watching TV is fun and relaxing to me and truth be known, I sometimes find reloading more enjoyable than the hassle of trips to the range.....

[b4uqzme]

b4ugzme,
I love walleye fishing. Best eating fish on the planet. I'm in. Same type of scenario for deer hunting and the cost of a pound of venison. But the meat is the icing on the cake. It's the fun of the hunt or the fish. You're making memories that will last forever. (That's why I'm sitting behind this computer this morning...haha. I feel like I'm cheating today, but I could not wake up at 3:30 to go out in the cold again this morning. Felt good to sleep in and recharge my batteries for an evening hunt. Can only go so many days in a row before a rest is in order. You simply can not put a price for your time on something you really enjoy. That's one of the things life is all about. )

Zactly

[Harrylee]

Yes but once invested you have this for life I still have my first socket set I bought when I first started driving thinking I should have tools and if you get good ones they will be there for along time. I don’t what to pay a mechanic $90 an hour for what I can do nor do I what to spend $ 30+ a box for what I can produce and enjoy it at the same time. I will never give up the tools I have gotten thru the years, when I need them they will be there. There is nothing wrong with being a sailor on shore leave and their is nothing wrong on enjoying to shoot alot from what I can see :)

[garyb]

If I were only loading to save money I wouldn't do it as I figure I save a few bucks a box but I probably enjoy loading as much or more than shooting... Now if I was lucky enough to be able to shoot in my back yard it would be different but having to load up all the guns and ammo then drive to the range and wait for a lane and hope you don't get next to someone dangerous or obnoxious like the gangsta wanna be holding it sideways and blasting away to show off to his baby mama....Then spending 20-30 bucks for a couple hours in a hot poorly ventilated range while still fun is somewhat tiring to me at my age....

Now sitting down to size and reprime brass while watching TV is fun and relaxing to me and truth be known, I sometimes find reloading more enjoyable than the hassle of trips to the range.....

I hear ya getsome. There was a time in my life when I moved from beautiful upstate NY to Florida for 10 years (to build my career) when hunting and shooting sucked. I was used to going in my back yard which bordered 550 acres of State Forest or to my sportsman club range which was just 2 minutes from my home. In Florida, I had to drive 2 hours every other weekend to shoot with a muzzleloading club. It was fun, but it was not like grabbing a gun and going out your own door to shoot. I eventually moved back to upstate NY and am lucky to have 1000 acres behind my house to shoot and hunt; and it borders the same 550 acres of State Forest, with the sportsman club only 5 minutes away - where we have a 50 yard gun range; indoor archery range and a club house with beer on tap. We also own another 2500 acres of managed hunting property; with a 200 yard gun range; 14 target 3D archery range; 3 bass ponds; and miles of ATV and hiking trails.

I make this point, not so much to brag, but to express that I know how tough it is for some guys that don't have convenient access to shooting or hunting locations. The shooting sports, hunting and gun ownership is slowly dying off in our country; due to land development, anti gun politicians with screwy gun laws, and crazy people shooting innocent folks. I fear for my great grand children's future, that they may never know the freedoms we had with hunting and the shooting sports.

I will add that reloading gives one the sense of removing the chains tied to buying boxed ammo. Reloading is a relaxing hobby. Reloaders are free to make their own ammo the way they want it made and then go out and shoot it up. It is fun stuff and if you have been waiting to try reloading....give it a try.

[muggsy]

Yes but once invested you have this for life I still have my first socket set I bought when I first started driving thinking I should have tools and if you get good ones they will be there for along time. I don’t what to pay a mechanic $90 an hour for what I can do nor do I what to spend $ 30+ a box for what I can produce and enjoy it at the same time. I will never give up the tools I have gotten thru the years, when I need them they will be there. There is nothing wrong with being a sailor on shore leave and their is nothing wrong on enjoying to shoot alot from what I can see :)

At one time in my life I was a sailor on shore leave and I can state for a fact that it was an exceedingly pleasurable experience. :)

[garyb]

Yes but once invested you have this for life I still have my first socket set I bought when I first started driving thinking I should have tools and if you get good ones they will be there for along time. I don’t what to pay a mechanic $90 an hour for what I can do nor do I what to spend $ 30+ a box for what I can produce and enjoy it at the same time. I will never give up the tools I have gotten thru the years, when I need them they will be there. There is nothing wrong with being a sailor on shore leave and their is nothing wrong on enjoying to shoot alot from what I can see :)

I agree. Still got all my original tools and keep adding. Hope to pass my reloading equipment and supplies down in the family someday. Great investments. But for now, I'll enjoy, care for and take advantage of them.

[Buckshotshorty]

There is a certain sense of satisfaction to be derived from fabricating your own loads and then shooting them at a range......that my friend is priceless!

[mr surveyor]

for what it's worth, I took up home brewing (beer) in 1995. At first I was thinking I could make really nice ales much cheaper than the moderately priced retail products. That proved to be true almost immediately, and with proper care and ingredients, I could match some pretty fine imports. Could I produce my own for the same or less cost per serving than budmillercoors? Not really, but pretty close. I could produce a much superior product than the typical megabrew swill though ... at least considering the comparison of real, true beer (pre-Prohibition) to the rice/corn swill forced on us today. For the last 5 years or so of life changing events, I can no longer dedicate the amount of time necessary to brew my own ... and I do miss my IPA, Brown, Summer Wheat, Porter, etc., and may return to it some day. There's a whole lot of satisfaction and rewards for taking something through all the processing stages. Reloading is much the same to me, although it can be broken into very short time expenditures with no losses. Until component prices totally sky rocket, and availability becomes zero for the reloader (yes we're pretty close to that now), both range fodder and quality hunting and target rounds can be produced cheaper than most factory offerings in either category. Whether cheaper or not, it's almost impossible to put a price on the personal satisfaction of such important hobbies. ;)

JD

[Deano]

I work as an anesthesiologist by day, and a football official by night. I can't count the number of times I've given up a high paying surgery case to a colleague in order to make it to my football game on time. I figure I've lost thousands over the years, but it's a passion, and you can't measure that in dollars and cents. Do what you love, forget the calculation of cost.

[downtownv]

Assuming that brass is reused and there is no cost for brass:
Powder: 1 pound = 7000grains. Assumption 6 grains powder per 40cal round = 1166.7 rounds of powder in a 1 pound can. At approx. $30 / lb powder / 1166.7 = $0.0257 or 2 1/2 cents a round for powder

Primers: Approx $32 / 1000 = $0.032 or 3.2 cents per round

Bullets: $258 / 2000 = $0.129 or 12.9 cents per round

.129 + .0257 +.032 = $0.1867each or $18.67 per 100 rounds (+ brass).

Don't know if anyone ever took the time to figure out how much it costs them to reload 100 rounds, but this is the last estimate I came up with for my 40's.

Here, stop burning brain cells!:typing:

Save this it's the best!:cheer2:

http://handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp

[garyb]

for what it's worth, I took up home brewing (beer) in 1995. At first I was thinking I could make really nice ales much cheaper than the moderately priced retail products. That proved to be true almost immediately, and with proper care and ingredients, I could match some pretty fine imports. Could I produce my own for the same or less cost per serving than budmillercoors? Not really, but pretty close. I could produce a much superior product than the typical megabrew swill though ... at least considering the comparison of real, true beer (pre-Prohibition) to the rice/corn swill forced on us today. For the last 5 years or so of life changing events, I can no longer dedicate the amount of time necessary to brew my own ... and I do miss my IPA, Brown, Summer Wheat, Porter, etc., and may return to it some day. There's a whole lot of satisfaction and rewards for taking something through all the processing stages. Reloading is much the same to me, although it can be broken into very short time expenditures with no losses. Until component prices totally sky rocket, and availability becomes zero for the reloader (yes we're pretty close to that now), both range fodder and quality hunting and target rounds can be produced cheaper than most factory offerings in either category. Whether cheaper or not, it's almost impossible to put a price on the personal satisfaction of such important hobbies. ;)

JD

WOW... so did my dad and I. We had Quafalogy sessions where we taste tested various brews we made with friends and family.....got trashed in the end. We enjoyed brewing our own for many years. Lots of good beer. I'm glad you brought that up. It made me revisit the good days. My dad still brews his own. Nothing better than a good home brew. AS good as micro breweries. Thanks for sharing that.

[garyb]

Here, stop burning brain cells!:typing:

Save this it's the best!:cheer2:

http://handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp

Cool. Thanks for sharing. I will try this out. Thanks. Brain cells are limited....haha..

[garyb]

http://handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp (http://handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp)

Bawanna,
Can you please make this site a sticky in the reloading section. Good site for reloaders. Thanks.