Is reloading cost effective?

[bballer182]

I have had the thought recently to get into reloading my rifle rounds. I shoot .223, 25-06, and .338 magnum. While the first two are cheap, a box of .338 mag with 20 rounds costs me nearly $50, which makes for expensive target practice and stockpiling. I have collected some brass from previous outings and will do so more regularly now. But I am just wondering is cost effective still to reload my rifle rounds? Such as will the press, dies, tumbler, etc ever pay for itself and eventually save me money? I would also like to reload .45 and .357 mag rounds for the pistols we have, and the same question applies to handgun ammo.

Its horrible. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I was one of the unlucky ones to get into it. You wouldn't like it. You should just ship me all your brass and save the trouble.

 

[Rainy Winchester]

Its horrible. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I was one of the unlucky ones to get into it. You wouldn't like it. You should just ship me all your brass and save the trouble.

Ok the s&h will be... $150 and you can have all my brass

 

[bballer182]

Ok the s&h will be... $150 and you can have all my brass

 

[SIG383]

All I can say is check Craigslist for reloading equipment!! I got a lot of my stuff on there and when others around me were upgrading their stuff. I have found several places locally that have primers, powder and bullets, which saves on shipping and hazmat fees for the primers and powder. If I had the extra cash to purchase powder and primers in bulk online where I could order a bunch under one hazmat fee I would, but buying locally helps the local economy out and also makes it where I don't have to buy and store a ton at a time... Even though right now, I think I will be buying as much supplies as my bank account allows me to.

 

[Rainy Winchester]

All I can say is check Craigslist for reloading equipment!! I got a lot of my stuff on there and when others around me were upgrading their stuff. I have found several places locally that have primers, powder and bullets, which saves on shipping and hazmat fees for the primers and powder. If I had the extra cash to purchase powder and primers in bulk online where I could order a bunch under one hazmat fee I would, but buying locally helps the local economy out and also makes it where I don't have to buy and store a ton at a time... Even though right now, I think I will be buying as much supplies as my bank account allows me to.

Oh yea I have been scouring craigslist checking out prices and whats out there. What kind of stores sell reloading pieces? Like gun shops or sporting good stores like cabelas? I'm down here between salem and portland so I probably have a few options.

 

[bballer182]

Yea your sporting goods stores are your best bets. Cabelas in store is actually not a bad choice either. They have good buying power and usually have good stock on all your goods, however, online cabelas usually is the upper crust of the most expensive. Gun shows are another good resource too!

 

[Rainy Winchester]

You know for how much I love hunting, shoting, and most things gun related i had never been to a gun show until December. Went to one at the expo center, and wow it was awesome and will be going to as any as I can from now on. Especially now if I start reloading.

 

[Horses are delicious]

Great question, asked by many, answered by even more!
Todays example...I replaced my POS Hornady 8mm dies with RCBS for the same price as a box of 20 Federal plain-jane. I have 200ish brass from either shooting factory or trading, primers are +/- $0.03 a bang, powder charge will run me +/- $0.03 and 50 Speer Hot-Cor will run me +/- $0.45, Barnes TSX +/- $.70. That's $0.50 to $0.75 per round vs. $1.60.
Add to this that I've only found one type of factory load that shoots better than my handloads but I don't want to take out a second mortgage to buy another box!

 

[coop44]

craigslist, yard sales, pawn shops, you can find some deals. Here and the other forums are good too. A single station, like a rock chucker are good for the larger rifle rounds. Actually I load everything from 40 S&W to 303 british on a rock chucker currently gearing up for 8x56r. The biggest savings are with the obsolete and magnum rifle rounds. Been thinking about a progressive, it's just not happening yet.

 

[Horses are delicious]

I'm not ashamed to say that I bought a Lee Challenger press when I started because it had to be affordable. I spent my money on good dies and components and have put A LOT of rounds together in the past four years. I still don't have many complaints about the press and some of Lees tools are arguably the best out there. I won't say that the press is world class but for the level at which I reload ( 50-100 pistol/month, 20-50 rifle/month) it has been just fine. I'm just waiting for the guy that bought a $600 RCBS setup and gave up on using it to offer it up at pennies on the dollar.
I can't see myself owning a progressive. I don't typically put more than 200 pistol rounds through in one sitting. Then again, I know where there is a dusty Dillon just waiting to be forgotten about.

 

[Rainy Winchester]

Great question, asked by many, answered by even more!
Todays example...I replaced my POS Hornady 8mm dies with RCBS for the same price as a box of 20 Federal plain-jane. I have 200ish brass from either shooting factory or trading, primers are +/- $0.03 a bang, powder charge will run me +/- $0.03 and 50 Speer Hot-Cor will run me +/- $0.45, Barnes TSX +/- $.70. That's $0.50 to $0.75 per round vs. $1.60.
Add to this that I've only found one type of factory load that shoots better than my handloads but I don't want to take out a second mortgage to buy another box!

That's how I feel every time I buy a box off 338. Like well there goes a tank of diesel for 20 rounds. And i have heard mixed reviews about hornadys dies, but really good things about redding and rcbs so I'll get those.

craigslist, yard sales, pawn shops, you can find some deals. Here and the other forums are good too. A single station, like a rock chucker are good for the larger rifle rounds. Actually I load everything from 40 S&W to 303 british on a rock chucker currently gearing up for 8x56r. The biggest savings are with the obsolete and magnum rifle rounds. Been thinking about a progressive, it's just not happening yet.

Yea i dont need anything fancy to start out with, something simple that i can learn to do rifle and pistol rounds on. I dont plan on doing 1000's of rounds right off the bat, so a simple rock chucker will sufice if i can find a deal on one.

I'm not ashamed to say that I bought a Lee Challenger press when I started because it had to be affordable. I spent my money on good dies and components and have put A LOT of rounds together in the past four years. I still don't have many complaints about the press and some of Lees tools are arguably the best out there. I won't say that the press is world class but for the level at which I reload ( 50-100 pistol/month, 20-50 rifle/month) it has been just fine. I'm just waiting for the guy that bought a $600 RCBS setup and gave up on using it to offer it up at pennies on the dollar.
I can't see myself owning a progressive. I don't typically put more than 200 pistol rounds through in one sitting. Then again, I know where there is a dusty Dillon just waiting to be forgotten about.

This is exactly how I feel and probably what I'll do, minus the lee press just cause of what I have read about Lee products. And you're probably going at the pace I will also, so a simpe press and good dies is what I'm aiing for. Dillon? Is that the big blue one? I think I saw a few of those at the gun show and they looked expensive.

 

[bballer182]

I don't have anything against the Rock Chucker, but why does everyone automatically say rock chucker? It could be because RCBS has done an awesome job at marketing... There are a few really nice single stages out there. I avoided the rock chucker and went with the Lyman Orange Crusher II. I was Also debating the Redding Big Boss II. The thing that sold me on the Lyman OC is the diameter of the ram and the massive cast iron angled "O" frame. The one thing I wish the Lyman OC had was the primer catch system of the Redding presses. I'm not a fan of the little catch bin in the OC. I think there might be an upgraded bigger version that one can buy. But now that I haven't been doing high volume reloading with it I don't care anymore.

 

[cooldave52000]

The one thing that no one is talking about is that your reloading supplies in very short supply right now

There are a few that still have primers and powder but you are going to pay for it big time

call around Bi mart has not restocked in weeks

First the guns then the ammo and now the reloading


So right now reloading is not going to save you any money

 

[Rainy Winchester]

I don't have anything against the Rock Chucker, but why does everyone automatically say rock chucker? It could be because RCBS has done an awesome job at marketing... There are a few really nice single stages out there. I avoided the rock chucker and went with the Lyman Orange Crusher II. I was Also debating the Redding Big Boss II. The thing that sold me on the Lyman OC is the diameter of the ram and the massive cast iron angled "O" frame. The one thing I wish the Lyman OC had was the primer catch system of the Redding presses. I'm not a fan of the little catch bin in the OC. I think there might be an upgraded bigger version that one can buy. But now that I haven't been doing high volume reloading with it I don't care anymore.

Well word of mouth is the best advertisement and that's how I heard about them. but now I have some new info and food for though and will look into them, thank you.

The one thing that no one is talking about is that your reloading supplies in very short supply right now

There are a few that still have primers and powder but you are going to pay for it big time

call around Bi mart has not restocked in weeks

First the guns then the ammo and now the reloading


So right now reloading is not going to save you any money

I don't doubt any of that. I haven't searched enough to know exactly how low supplies are out there, but I am in no big rush. And just like with .223 ammo I can wait until this all blows over and start getting plenty of what I need.

 

[deadshot2]

The one thing that no one is talking about is that your reloading supplies in very short supply right now

There are a few that still have primers and powder but you are going to pay for it big time

call around Bi mart has not restocked in weeks

First the guns then the ammo and now the reloading


So right now reloading is not going to save you any money

Unless one had the foresight to buy enough powder, primers, and bullets back in October. Took the UPS and USPS people three days to make all the deliveries.

Was even nicer that Powder Valley had a "Hazmat Paid" special that month.


FWIW, the days of just being able to run out and buy a "pound of powder and box of primers" has passed, probably for a very long time. When one has the chance to buy one of those items, put an extra bottle or box on the order.

 

[rdt]

Its all pretty much been said above but i cant resist. . .

Bottom line: It saves money if you shoot enough. I worked it out once for just 45 and anything less than shooting 200 rounds/month it was cheaper to buy bulk factory, and thats not figuring in the cost of my time.

Also, it costs time: If you have a very busy life, it will take time away from shooting. If you have disposable time in your life, you will not have any extra money in the bank at the end of the month because you will shoot more often and shoot more rounds and you will be an addict and you will scale up your purchases of equipment and components to match what you used to spend on factory ammo! muah ha ha ha ha!

Lee Dies are very good quality. You can find reports of a bad die getting through Lee's QC but the followup is always a quick and free replacement. The thing about Lee is that they have a commitment to innovation and to provide a good product at a reasonable price. Innovative products sometimes have design hiccups. They will often use a plastic part instead of potmetal or steel if it works just to shave dollars off the ticket price. Have people created 10s of thousands of rounds with these "inferior" designs? Yup. Would I use a total Lee setup for Benchrest? Probably not, but probably 99 out of 100 rounds created at home are either 45, 9, 38, or 223 and intended for plinking, not BR. I use a lee progressive, it requires tinkering but i produce at the same speed and equivalent quality for 1/2 the equipment cost. If you are the kind of guy who somewhat enjoys the challenge of understanding and successfully fixing older cars and really enjoys driving them youll be fine with the more complex Lee presses. If you are the kind of guy who has little patience for that sort of thing there are better options out there.

+1 on researching all the different press options, you will get an idea of what you are looking at. As mentioned above, the bigger the Ram, the better. Then buy used.

338 on a progressive seems contradictory to me. Im no expert, but I cant think of too many progressives that can physically handle the forces required for full-size action cartridges, much less fit. Most hand operated Progressives trade a slight degree of accuracy for a huge boost in production. The boost in production is intoxicating. Alot of guys have a burly single stage and a progressive.

But is sounds like you are looking for one press so i am going to recommend a turret press.

The cost of your equipment does even out pretty quick, plus the equipment is durable and doesnt depreciate very much, especially if you buy used. You dont sound like you'd get burned out on it and sell it but its not money down the drain.

You have to weigh gun show savings against the ticket price, just like sometimes online stuff is cheaper until you figure the shipping.

Group buys are the best way to buy components, in my experience. Though keeping an eye out for deals like the complimentary hazmat fee is a good idea. Also the classifieds, people get rid of all their guns in this or that caliber and liquidate at discount.

Components are more scarce than they were a month ago but they definitely exist and get restocked, +1 on what deadshot says about taking advantage of opportunites and doubling your orders. But BiMart is not price gouging, neither is midwayUSA, and even when they are out of something its merely backordered so put you name in and youll get it. Its not like someone blew up all the factories and they arent running at full capacity to meet increased demand. Hornady didnt run out of lead and copper, and Alliant didnt run out of whatever they make powder from. I assure you, there are truckloads of the stuff leaving the factories every day. There is just as much stuff as there was a month ago, maybe even more. It is definitely NOT about short supply, it is about TALL demand. IIRCC, there were rumors coming out of SHOTshow last summer about producers ramping up production in anticipation of an election buying frenzy. It seems reasonable to me to assume these businesses are not run by total idiots and they have been ramping up production. Dont panic, wait in line with the rest of us. There will be plenty of time for panic later if and when fundamental pysical realities of the supply lines change. If the stormtroopers are marching down the street you will go to battle with whatever you have, be it a baseball bat, a lorcin .25acp, or 10gazillion rounds of super-best BR ammo and 65 of your extensively trained best buddies. So relax prepare and stay aware.

 

[raindog]

Besides the cost of the components, there's the cost of the gear.

But you can get a Lee Loader for a single rifle for $40 and it only takes about 40 seconds to reload a round:

Reloading with a Lee Loader - YouTube

 

[deadshot2]

Just out of curiosity, since when does "cost effective" enter into anything most people do?

Is it "cost effective" to drive a 1-Ton Diesel pickup to work every day unless you're a logger or construction worker? Does it make sense to drive a Suburban or other SUV that can seat 7 or more, and be all alone while commuting 30 miles?

Is it "cost effective" to buy a $5,000 target rifle capable of hitting a golf ball at a mile----and then only shoot at 100 yard targets?

Sometimes we just do things because we want to, not because they're "cost effective". Some of us just want to be exactly like our Government

 

[Rainy Winchester]

Its all pretty much been said above but i cant resist. . .

Bottom line: It saves money if you shoot enough. I worked it out once for just 45 and anything less than shooting 200 rounds/month it was cheaper to buy bulk factory, and thats not figuring in the cost of my time.

Also, it costs time: If you have a very busy life, it will take time away from shooting. If you have disposable time in your life, you will not have any extra money in the bank at the end of the month because you will shoot more often and shoot more rounds and you will be an addict and you will scale up your purchases of equipment and components to match what you used to spend on factory ammo! muah ha ha ha ha!

Lee Dies are very good quality. You can find reports of a bad die getting through Lee's QC but the followup is always a quick and free replacement. The thing about Lee is that they have a commitment to innovation and to provide a good product at a reasonable price. Innovative products sometimes have design hiccups. They will often use a plastic part instead of potmetal or steel if it works just to shave dollars off the ticket price. Have people created 10s of thousands of rounds with these "inferior" designs? Yup. Would I use a total Lee setup for Benchrest? Probably not, but probably 99 out of 100 rounds created at home are either 45, 9, 38, or 223 and intended for plinking, not BR. I use a lee progressive, it requires tinkering but i produce at the same speed and equivalent quality for 1/2 the equipment cost. If you are the kind of guy who somewhat enjoys the challenge of understanding and successfully fixing older cars and really enjoys driving them youll be fine with the more complex Lee presses. If you are the kind of guy who has little patience for that sort of thing there are better options out there.

+1 on researching all the different press options, you will get an idea of what you are looking at. As mentioned above, the bigger the Ram, the better. Then buy used.

338 on a progressive seems contradictory to me. Im no expert, but I cant think of too many progressives that can physically handle the forces required for full-size action cartridges, much less fit. Most hand operated Progressives trade a slight degree of accuracy for a huge boost in production. The boost in production is intoxicating. Alot of guys have a burly single stage and a progressive.

But is sounds like you are looking for one press so i am going to recommend a turret press.

The cost of your equipment does even out pretty quick, plus the equipment is durable and doesnt depreciate very much, especially if you buy used. You dont sound like you'd get burned out on it and sell it but its not money down the drain.

You have to weigh gun show savings against the ticket price, just like sometimes online stuff is cheaper until you figure the shipping.

Group buys are the best way to buy components, in my experience. Though keeping an eye out for deals like the complimentary hazmat fee is a good idea. Also the classifieds, people get rid of all their guns in this or that caliber and liquidate at discount.

Components are more scarce than they were a month ago but they definitely exist and get restocked, +1 on what deadshot says about taking advantage of opportunites and doubling your orders. But BiMart is not price gouging, neither is midwayUSA, and even when they are out of something its merely backordered so put you name in and youll get it. Its not like someone blew up all the factories and they arent running at full capacity to meet increased demand. Hornady didnt run out of lead and copper, and Alliant didnt run out of whatever they make powder from. I assure you, there are truckloads of the stuff leaving the factories every day. There is just as much stuff as there was a month ago, maybe even more. It is definitely NOT about short supply, it is about TALL demand. IIRCC, there were rumors coming out of SHOTshow last summer about producers ramping up production in anticipation of an election buying frenzy. It seems reasonable to me to assume these businesses are not run by total idiots and they have been ramping up production. Dont panic, wait in line with the rest of us. There will be plenty of time for panic later if and when fundamental pysical realities of the supply lines change. If the stormtroopers are marching down the street you will go to battle with whatever you have, be it a baseball bat, a lorcin .25acp, or 10gazillion rounds of super-best BR ammo and 65 of your extensively trained best buddies. So relax prepare and stay aware.

Wow that is a lot of good thinking material. Thank you. I haven't looked into turrett presses, dont know anything about the other than I have seen some called that.

Just out of curiosity, since when does "cost effective" enter into anything most people do?

Is it "cost effective" to drive a 1-Ton Diesel pickup to work every day unless you're a logger or construction worker? Does it make sense to drive a Suburban or other SUV that can seat 7 or more, and be all alone while commuting 30 miles?

Is it "cost effective" to buy a $5,000 target rifle capable of hitting a golf ball at a mile----and then only shoot at 100 yard targets?

Sometimes we just do things because we want to, not because they're "cost effective". Some of us just want to be exactly like our Government

It's a 3/4 ton diesel and I work on a farm and tow things Also I like the sound of my turbo.

Bug mostly I started this thread because I asked my mom about reloading. She used to sit and help my grandpa reload for hours at a time when she was younger. So I thought she might know a thing or two. And she said he got out of it years before he passed, so 80's or early 90's, because it cost near the same to buy factory rounds as it was to reload. So I was unsure of the cost comparrison now-a-days.

 

[Rainy Winchester]

Besides the cost of the components, there's the cost of the gear.

But you can get a Lee Loader for a single rifle for $40 and it only takes about 40 seconds to reload a round:

Reloading with a Lee Loader - YouTube

Hey we have a few of those hammers, never did know what it was for. Thats very impressive, but I think a press is more my style.