Beginners Guide to Reloading Costs (most cost effective rounds you have)

[Member 5605]

I haven't worked out the price of my 9mm and .38 Special loads, but I recently found cheap bullets for them online. I received my order of 1000 each of the below today (Jan. 6th) after placing the order on Dec. 26th.

Source: Z Cast Bulletz (www.jacobeagle.com)

9mm - 124gr LRN for $27.50 per 500

.358 - 158gr LRN or SWC for $29 per 500

Shipping for 2000 bullets was $13.45.

Per-bullet price after shipping is:

9mm - $.06845

.357 - $.07145

If anyone has a cheaper source for these bullets, please post it here!

T&B Bullets – T&B Bullets
Shipping is free
9mm $.06875/1000
$.0664/3000
158 RN: $.0690 /1000
$.0667/3000

 

[Wierzbowski]

Thank you, Dyjital!

T&B Bullets – T&B Bullets
Shipping is free
9mm $.06875/1000
$.0664/3000
158 RN: $.0690 /1000
$.0667/3000

 

[Tilos]

I haven't worked out the price of my 9mm and .38 Special loads, but I recently found cheap bullets for them online. I received my order of 1000 each of the below today (Jan. 6th) after placing the order on Dec. 26th.

Source: Z Cast Bulletz (www.jacobeagle.com)

9mm - 124gr LRN for $27.50 per 500

.358 - 158gr LRN or SWC for $29 per 500

Shipping for 2000 bullets was $13.45.

Per-bullet price after shipping is:

9mm - $.06845

.357 - $.07145

If anyone has a cheaper source for these bullets, please post it here!

Thanks for posting that link...good prices for sure
I have switched from traditional cast/lubed bullets to Hi Tek coated that sell for about the same as regular lubed/cast.
The big advantage of this for me is way less smoke and a much cleaner gun/loading dies, and I never touch any lead.
That, and coated are sold without a lube groove and can be fed thru a bullet feeding die during reloading.
Bullets like these: 9mm 115 Gr. RN - 500 Ct.

Watch the vids at the link you posted to see the amount of smoke you will get shooting those bullets.

 

[Wierzbowski]

Thanks for posting that link...good prices for sure
I have switched from traditional cast/lubed bullets to Hi Tek coated that sell for about the same as regular lubed/cast.
The big advantage of this for me is way less smoke and a much cleaner gun/loading dies, and I never touch any lead.
That, and coated are sold without a lube groove and can be fed thru a bullet feeding die during reloading.
Bullets like these: 9mm 115 Gr. RN - 500 Ct.

Watch the vids at the link you posted to see the amount of smoke you will get shooting those bullets.

Thanks for that! I had no idea such a thing existed. I'm just getting back into reloading and had been using lead cast bullets on the cheap. I will give the coated bullets a try.

Thanks again!

 

[dangerranger60]

I know this isn't the question but...

One of my sons just started reloading 45 Colt. He bought a reloading press kit, dies, and then ordered online 100 Bullets, 100 primers, and one pound of powder.
the primers and powder could not ship together so were shipped separately. This meant he paid two Hazmat fees.
The first 100 bullets cost him dearly!

Bullets $26 per 100 or .26 ea
Powder$27 per pound
Primers $4 per 100
Hazmat fees $25
Shipping $10
_____________________
$ 92 for that first 100!

He learned the hard way! Buy in bulk. and buy local to beat the Hazmat fees!

When I'm going to buy I hit up all my friends to see how many ways I can split the fees! Good Luck DR

 

[Member 5605]

I know this isn't the question but...

One of my sons just started reloading 45 Colt. He bought a reloading press kit, dies, and then ordered online 100 Bullets, 100 primers, and one pound of powder.
the primers and powder could not ship together so were shipped separately. This meant he paid two Hazmat fees.
The first 100 bullets cost him dearly!

Bullets $26 per 100 or .26 ea
Powder$27 per pound
Primers $4 per 100
Hazmat fees $25
Shipping $10
_____________________
$ 92 for that first 100!

He learned the hard way! Buy in bulk. and buy local to beat the Hazmat fees!

When I'm going to buy I hit up all my friends to see how many ways I can split the fees! Good Luck DR

It's a VERY valid point though. Thank you for sharing.

 

[DizzyJ]

Always buy bulk when purchasing powder, primers and bullets. It costs more up front, but will save you big time down the road.

And as mentioned, get a couple friends to go in on a big order. Will cut shipping and hazmat in 1/2 or 1/3.

Even better if you can buy with free hazmat or free shipping, or both (which actually does happen occasionally)

 

[Colts4me]

Here are a few sites to help in reloading.

The Reloading Authority - Graf & Sons

Set your sights on pistol reloading data | Hodgdon Reloading

Cast bullet reference on lead alloy's, min / max pressure, lube, shrinkage,

Cast Boolits

 

[GRMPS]

The range that I shoot at doesn't allow anything but jacketed brass ammo. So casting my own bullets would be a waste of time and money. I had given it some thought though.

I would assume these are indoor ranges? They don't allow steel due to the possibility of the steel jacket creating a spark and igniting the unburned powder lying on the ground
traditional lubing of bullets creates extra smoke, and in my opinion a sticky mess
If you powder coat or HiTek coat your bullets, you no longer require lube and eliminate any excess smoke.
The coating also adds color to your bullets. I coat in 8 different HiTek colors and over 20 powder coat color and combinations of those colors.

 

[DizzyJ]

I would assume these are indoor ranges? They don't allow steel due to the possibility of the steel jacket creating a spark and igniting the unburned powder lying on the ground
View attachment 427290View attachment 427291

Huh?

 

[GRMPS]

Every time you shoot, a small amount of powder is not burned and gets deposited on the range floor. Steel jacketed/core bullets striking a steel bullet trap can cause a spark and ---

NRA - IHMSA Handgun, Rifle, Air Pistol Silhouette Shooting. The Excitement Of Reactive Steel Targets At The Los Angeles Silhouette Club I a good site to learn about cast bullets and reloading

 

[GRMPS]

I know this isn't the question but...

One of my sons just started reloading 45 Colt. He bought a reloading press kit, dies, and then ordered online 100 Bullets, 100 primers, and one pound of powder.
the primers and powder could not ship together so were shipped separately. This meant he paid two Hazmat fees.
The first 100 bullets cost him dearly!

Bullets $26 per 100 or .26 ea
Powder$27 per pound
Primers $4 per 100
Hazmat fees $25
Shipping $10
_____________________
$ 92 for that first 100!

He learned the hard way! Buy in bulk. and buy locally to beat the Hazmat fees!

When I'm going to buy I hit up all my friends to see how many ways I can split the fees! Good Luck DR

Always buy powder/primers locally, wait for free shipping/hazmat and get some friends in on the order if ordering online

BiMart often has powder for $2 off (I just bought 5# a couple day ago for $104 (BE, Unique, TG, 4895, HS-6)
Sportsmans warehouse has powder & primers Speer .451 - 260grn $12.99 per 50, Unique $24 a pound, CCI large pistol primers $33 per 1000
If you buy from Cabelas Raise .com sells gift cards for 14% off face value (they often have S&B primers for $20)

If you cast your own
.452 dia 255grn
$1 per # lead 0.04 ea
$22 per # pwdr 0.02 ea
$30 - 1000 primer 0.04 ea
powdercoating 0.01 ea
Cost per round 0.11 per cartridge
$11 for 100 rounds

 

[Goosebrown]

Indoor ranges often don't allow cast bullets because they release more lead into the air than jacketed bullets. They don't like steel core because they damage the backstops. They don't like steel jacket because they can't tell with a magnet if a bullet is steel jacketed or steel cored

 

[GRMPS]

Some ranges no longer allow you to use your own ammunition like you mentioned, some people are dumb enough to use armor piercing/steel core bullets at an indoor range. No common sense or respect for others and they are out there with guns

They are not enlightened enough to accept the use of coated bullets (which have either a powder coating or HiTek coating polymer that totally encapsulates the lead and acts as a lube thus being no more toxic and less harmful to the bullet traps than jacketed bullets)

 

[damon32382]

Brand new to reloading on a Dillon XL750.
I really like the cost analysis on your list of rounds. Yep, I started reloading to save money. It's absolutely a major factor. I'd cringe paying the money I did for regular range ammo that was "ok" at best. Now that I can make a better round for up to half the cost of factory ammo makes me enjoy it that much more. I'm even calculating cost per round on future calibers I plan to reload.

 

[leadcounsel]

Reloading is SIX components.
Equipment (including purchasing, storing e.g. inventory holding costs and floor space), brass, powder, bullet, primer, and TIME.

For an ECONOMIC argument, reloaders like the OP always fail to include time value of money and opportunity costs. No ECONOMIC CALCULATION can be accurately made if you fail to include TIME.

Think of it. If you eliminate TIME from economic calculations, it would be FREE to walk to work, or walk across the state instead of a road trip. But that's not the case. TIME is a mandatory calculation for an ECONOMIC argument.

(Look, if you enjoy it for a hobby, like golfing, swimming, internet surfing, cooking, sewing, woodworking, reading, etc. that an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT calculus and not an ECONOMIC argument so don't confuse HOBBY with ECONOMICS)

They also forget that their reloading room is costing them X dollars per month at X dollars per square feet. Call it $200 more in rent or mortgage for the extra bedroom. That's $2400 more per year for the reloading room, over a house/apartment with smaller space... again, an ECONOMIC argument requires this calculation. Are you saving $2400 (or whatever) annually to justify the economic costs of reloading overhead?

What is your TIME worth? That is a mandatory component.

One further consideration is the "investment" factor, which can be viewed in many ways.

First, if you have a drastic imbalance of X components but not Y components, you have nothing useful. For instance, if you have 10,000 bullets but no primers, you have nothing.

Secondly, if you have 100,000 loaded rounds and fall on hard economic times, you have nothing of value to sell. Nobody wants to buy your reloads, and it's possibly illegal to even sell them. Certainly some risk/liability. They are probably worth less than component prices, which means your labor for 100,000 rounds is lost. Contrast that with the ammo hoarder who bought 100,000 rounds of factory ammo. He can likely relatively easily sell that same ammo for at, near, or even above retail prices.

So that's a couple of large economic arguments against reloading. Inventory imbalance leaves one with nothing useful, and reloads are actually worth less than their component individual value.

 

[jrd541280]

If your running 9's, 38's at 10 to 14 cents, you're doing good. Powder, primer, bullet, good as you're gonna get. 45's, 16 to 20 cents. Pick your choice of combo's, powder, primer and bullet for your favorite load. Find what you and your gun like and reload at will.

 

[bsa1917hunter]

Reloading is SIX components.
Equipment (including purchasing, storing e.g. inventory holding costs and floor space), brass, powder, bullet, primer, and TIME.

For an ECONOMIC argument, reloaders like the OP always fail to include time value of money and opportunity costs. No ECONOMIC CALCULATION can be accurately made if you fail to include TIME.

Think of it. If you eliminate TIME from economic calculations, it would be FREE to walk to work, or walk across the state instead of a road trip. But that's not the case. TIME is a mandatory calculation for an ECONOMIC argument.

(Look, if you enjoy it for a hobby, like golfing, swimming, internet surfing, cooking, sewing, woodworking, reading, etc. that an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT calculus and not an ECONOMIC argument so don't confuse HOBBY with ECONOMICS)

They also forget that their reloading room is costing them X dollars per month at X dollars per square feet. Call it $200 more in rent or mortgage for the extra bedroom. That's $2400 more per year for the reloading room, over a house/apartment with smaller space... again, an ECONOMIC argument requires this calculation. Are you saving $2400 (or whatever) annually to justify the economic costs of reloading overhead?

What is your TIME worth? That is a mandatory component.

Time should always be considered, but since it's most generally a hobby, I don't count it, as I enjoy it. I also enjoy the fact that my ammo is better than anything I can buy in the store. I can count on my ammo going bang everytime I pull the trigger. Most guys wouldn't be reloading, IF, they didn't enjoy it as a hobby. So time is a moot point most times. I'll also disagree about the cost of the reloading equipment, as my reloading has paid for that equipment from the first time I used said reloading equipment. There's many ways we can look at this and argue about it, if we wanted. A little history on myself: I got into reloading because I bought a 300WBY in the 90's and couldn't afford to buy factory ammo. My first purchase was 200 pieces of R-P nickel plated brass for the 300WBY, a couple pounds of powder, a thousand CCI 250's and some 180gr Nosler ballistic tips. Lets see what that would cost in todays prices and compare that to a box of loaded ammo. I'll substitute the 180gr ballistic tips for 200gr partitions, since that's what I shoot now. I also ONLY buy my Nosler bullets at SPS. Here goes:

1. 200gr Nosler partitions: $13.45/50 (bought those 2 years ago at that price)
2. CCI 250 primers: $3.00/100
3. Recently purchased new Weatherby brass $15.00/50. Divide that price by 10 for amount of loadings you will get out of it: $1.50/50= Total cost of brass to load. I'm a smart handloader, I'll search out the deals. Only buy when I can snag stuff cheap. If you are not doing that, you need to change and be smart about it.
4. Powder: IMR7828 @ $26.00/pound. Yes, I buy it when Bi-mart has it for $2.00 off....
According to the handloading cost calculator I use, the grand total for a box of 20 will cost me $12.82

Item	Quantity	Cost per Quantity
Powder (lb)	1	$ 26
Primers (count)	1000	$ 30
Bullets (count)	50	$ 13,45
Brass (count)	50	$ 15/10= $1.50
Load Specifics:	Quantity
Powder charge (grains)	84
Total (per 1000)	$
Total (per box of 50)	$
Total (per box of 20)	$ 12.82
Total (per round)	$

Now, the exciting part. The cost of those same loads at a retail outlet like midway:

Weatherby Select Plus Ammo 300 Weatherby Mag 200 Grain Nosler

Weatherby uses only the finest components, such as Norma brass, to assure that each load is as precise as a shooter's favorite handload. Premium...

www.midwayusa.com

^^^ This is the same exact thing I load^^^^^ Don't forget about the price of shipping. I don't think you'll find it locally. Add $10.62 for shipping (that is midway's "most economical method of shipment"). That puts that box of ammo at $64.68. The savings, just on one box of ammo is: $51.86

Now, dare I pull out my target again and show you guys what a box of 9.3x62mm would have cost. Heck yes, I believe so:


When I bought this rifle, the loading dies, bullets, and brass came with the rifle. However, I'll play along and use the cost of bullets and powder and primers and use that as a comparison to a box of factory ammo:

Cost of my 9.3x62mm handloads (using the cost calculator) is: $11.78/box of 20

Here's the same exact ammo at midway:

Nosler Safari Ammo 9.3x62mm Mauser 286 Grain Partition Box of 20

Nosler Safari ammunition was developed in partnership with Norma Precision as a versatile, dangerous game load for hunting African game. Designed to be...

www.midwayusa.com

That's $97.99 for a box of 20!!! Throw in shipping costs, remembering it's $10.62, that brings the grand total up to $108.61 for a box of 20. Remember that 10 shot group picture I posted. It would have cost me $54.30!!!!! No joke... You guys are more than welcome to do the math and I can list so many more cartridges I load for that are just like this one, plus some wildcats that you can't even buy in the stores. Some guys want to make you think it's not about saving money, but for me it is entirely about saving money, plus I like to shoot and I shoot a lot. I also save a lot by hand loading my own... Of course YMMV...

 

[jrd541280]

If your running 9's, 38's at 10 to 14 cents, you're doing good. Powder, primer, bullet, good as you're gonna get. 45's, 16 to 20 cents. Pick your choice of combo's, powder, primer, and find your favorite load. Find what you and your gun like and reload at will.

 

[DizzyJ]

I first got started reloading because 41magnum was $50 a box!

This was back in the late 80's/early 90s. I've loaded close to 2,000 rounds of that alone over the past 2 1/2 decades.

Look at the cost of a box of 338 Lapua.....