How cost effective is reloading?

[papajohn1964]

Darn the cost! It is a manly thing to do! Why does it have to be cost effective to feel the powder grains trickle into the measure, lick the lead from your fingers, grip the primers with your teeth!

Anygunanywhere

I am not a man so are you saying thats the wo-manly thing to do?

Absolutely. Pardon my not noticing the feminine nature of your handle.

Whatever fluffs your skirt, ma'am.

Equality, right to vote, all that and more.

Anygunanywhere

Nice save!

[Jumping Frog]

I cast my own bullets from free lead I recovered, so I'm reloading .45acp for less than $50/1,000 rounds.

As Andy notes, the biggest savings comes when you dive in and start casting your own bullets.

For example, I currently reload my 9mm for $2.55 per hundred and .45 ACP for $2.83 per hundred using my cast bullets.

If I purchased lead bullets, say for the 9mm, Missouri Bullet Co (my preferred source) is selling 9mm for $5.90 per hundred bullets. So my cost using purchased bullets jumps from $2.55 per hundred to $8.45 per hundred.

Don't get me wrong $8.45 per hundred is still a heck of a lot cheaper than buying commercial ammo at $20.00 per hundred.

[Richardc]

This has been talked about severl times on this forum. I use Lee presses and dies, they are inexpensive and are of good quality. dont go buying a big expensive Dillon or Horniday from the get go. it cost me about $5.50 per 50 for my .45 buying my bullets. Im just getting into casting my own and will greatly reduse costs as was stated befor.

[olafpfj]

For pistols it saves me a little. For my WWII battle rifles its the only way I can afford to shoot them.

303 British is about $1.20 per vs $0.45 reloaded.
30-06 for my garand $1.25 per vs $0.43 reloaded

[Salty1]

When I pass away the person who gets my Dillon will save a fortune on ammo costs, even though I got a great deal on the used Dillon and all the caliber dies. Reloading is not only about cost savings, it is the joy of loading your own and tweaking the loads to be perfect for the respective firearm your shooting. I also consider a chronograph as part of the reloading equipment. Reloading is meditation for men, a great way to clear the brain of daily stress and end up with something that is useful..... plus it ends up cheaper than hitting the pub for Budwieser and does not come with a hangover....

[AndyC]

Reloading is meditation for men

I can hear toe-tapping already

[Jumping Frog]

Reloading is not only about cost savings, it is the joy of loading your own and tweaking the loads to be perfect for the respective firearm your shooting. I also consider a chronograph as part of the reloading equipment. Reloading is meditation for men, a great way to clear the brain of daily stress and end up with something that is useful..... plus it ends up cheaper than hitting the pub for Budwieser and does not come with a hangover....

I enjoy making the ammo almost as much as I enjoy shooting it.

If someone tries reloading and doesn't enjoy the activity, they will rarely stick with it just for the cost savings. Most people who get really involved with reloading first intrinsic enjoyment in the activity itself.

[Napier]

And when the inevitable Armapocalypse hits, you will be very popular guys trading bullets for beers.

[powerboatr]

wally world this morning Winchester 100 round BOX of range ammo 24 I am a bit peeved
but i like the reload it force me to stay on target so to speak

but i going to start watching my wally world a bit closer

the dudet behind the counter said i must have seen a box of 45acp for 42........i said NO...but i have been known to be wrong....once

i think the stickers on the shelf were placed wrong ..since we are not allowed behind the counter i can never be sure now

thanks folks for the sticker shock

[OldCurlyWolf]

Myself and a couple of buddies are pondering the thought of getting into reloading. We each shoot about 200 round of 9mm per month. Assuming we buy can buy 100 rounds at Wally World for about $20 is it really worth the investment?

What about the worst case scenario? There is an economic/political/governmental breakdown(not that far fetched) and you can't buy ammunition anywhere.

[SRO1911]

I have taught quite a few reloaders and helped many of them get cranked up. When I started loading myself I had just bought a .375 H&H magnum - a genuine cannon.
Went home from the gun show grinning to split - then I looked at ammo prices.
I ordered 3 boxes of the cheapest ammo I could find and a brand new weaver K4 scope - the ammo cost more thna the scope. The rifle had come with a set of dies - I bought a book and figured out what else I needed to roll my own. 150 dollars worth of good used tools and supplies later I was in business
My set up paid for itself in a few trips to the range.


One very important consideration - if you get a single stage press - all you absolutely have to have to add another caliber is another set of dies and sometimes a shell holder.
dillions are upgradable and can do multiple calibers but require a bit more to change.

[papajohn1964]

I know I will get 100 different answers for every 100 post but what would be the best press we could get into for around $400 with 9mm dies and still be easily upgradable?

I don't see anything for sale on here so where is a good place to buy it from? Google turns up hundreds of websites with prices varying from $100 to $thousands.

Like I said we all have 9mm but there are also some .38's, 357,s and others that we may want to reload in the future. I have never believed in buying the cheapest I like to buy as much as I can afford and if that means saving up for a couple of months then I don't mind doing that.

[AndyC]

Dillon 550 RB progressive or a Hornady Lock n Load Progressive

[RHenriksen]

Dillon 550 RB progressive or a Hornady Lock n Load Progressive

And you can fit just one die into the Hornady and use it as a single stage.

[Salty1]

although I am not a big Craigslist fan you can get good deals on re-loading equipment there, you just have to keep checking and one will pop up. Many people think it would be cool to reload, they buy all the equipemnt, play with it for a month or two and pack it away. That is where you will get your best deals.