Reloading Math - yup its way lower cost

[HaveGun]

A year ago, reloading was not economically viable when 9mm was $.15 a round at Walmart and stacked deep. Today, there is no 9mm at Walmart due to them refusing to sell it, and the LGS has been out for 3 months.

But I didn't get into reloading for 9mm. I got into it to create match ammo for .45-70 Govt. blackpowder loads. Try finding those at your friendly Local Gun Shop. Then .45 Colt bear loads using bullets I cast myself. Then 10mm and .40 S&W, which I shot in GSSF matches.

Whatever arguments there were for or against reloading have now been stood on their head with bare shelves and prices/availability of everything going nuts.

 

[awshoot]

In defense of reloading:

1) I reload during time nobody is paying me. I don't expect to get paid for posting here and so my time spent here is worth zero dollars. Same is true with the time I spend on reloading. I fundamentally do not buy the notion that time is a valid factor in reloading cost. It's something I do in my unpaid free time like many other things.

2) I can get a big mac for five or six bucks, thus it is stupid to buy a T-Bone at the butcher and cook it at home myself. Yeah -- nope. I posted the following near the early part of this thread and the fact is that custom ammo is not even remotely priced like Winchester White Box or Tula or whatever:

...I did a search and this place has some prices for custom load development (not a recommendation, just what came up in my search). It takes 5-12 weeks depending on package (lowest is $300 most expensive is $1600) -- you have to send them your rifle and pay shipping both ways.

Development costs: Tuning Packages - Prices/Details
Ammo price: Custom Hand Loaded Rifle Ammunition-Not Generic

EDIT: Those links have died, here are their custom ammo packages: Tuning Packages - Prices/Details

 

[leadcounsel]

Interesting non-economic points and personal attacks being made. I'm now convinced it's more economical.

 

[Kruel J]

Interesting non-economic points and personal attacks being made. I'm now convinced it's more economical.

Ever consider it might be you and your approach?

 

[leadcounsel]

Ever consider it might be you and your approach?

You mean, like presenting economics in a discussion about economics? Guilty as charged. lol. The amount of personal attacks against me for doing so, personally attacks that go largely ignored, is staggering. Crucified for daring to challenge reloading costs, then hit with circular logic, off topic comparisons, very creative math, and personal attacks galore...

 

[Kruel J]

You mean, like presenting economics in a discussion about economics? Guilty as charged. lol. The amount of personal attacks against me for doing so, personally attacks that go largely ignored, is staggering. Crucified for daring to challenge reloading costs, then hit with circular logic, off topic comparisons, very creative math, and personal attacks galore...

You've received more negative comments towards your posts in general than MOST. I've even posted this message before yet it continues.


Again, is it everyone else or maybe, just maybe is it YOU?

 

[leadcounsel]

You've received more negative comments towards your posts in general than MOST. I've even posted this message before yet it continues.


Again, is it everyone else or maybe, just maybe is it YOU?

Sure bud. It's me. Posts 270 (I don't believe I ever wrote that on this forum so it's been wrongly attributed to this discussion), and 271 simply prove my point. All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

As I said, all the non-economics arguments, blame, and name calling in an echo chamber of why reloading is more cost effective has been very persuasive. Maybe the rules should require everyone agree with the original poster of a thread and no actual dissenting views allowed? Dunno.

 

[Kruel J]

Sure bud. It's me. Posts 270 (I don't believe I ever wrote that on this forum so it's been wrongly attributed to this discussion), and 271 simply prove my point. All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

As I said, all the non-economics arguments, blame, and name calling in an echo chamber of why reloading is more cost effective has been very pursuasive.

That's pretty much what I thought you would say. Enjoy the view from your high horse.

 

[Helocat]

@Kruel J honestly man we that actually reload, understand. I am loading ammo and I am shooting no different than this time last yr. For new reloaders looking to get started, I am here to help them along as others helped and continue to help me learn. (always learning)

To the argumentive naysayers, well. Bye, Felicia.

 

[9th company]

Why do you continually thread crap about your incessant whine about the time people spend reloading? You made your point, move on! How many boards do you do this on? (one, two, three, ...) Can you let people here have a discussion without your never ending "people attack me", well why do you think they attack you then? Can you fathom why?

If I spent forty hours coming up with a spreadsheet on the costs associated with reloading (as there already are online) you would always say, "time spent". Well, yes. We don't make "north of $300/hr" as you remind us, and we may not have extra hours to work. But did you read my post about "what do you do with all of your brass after you fired it"?

 

[Kruel J]

Why do you continually thread crap about your incessant whine about the time people spend reloading? You made your point, move on! How many boards do you do this on? (one, two, three, ...) Can you let people here have a discussion without your never ending "people attack me", well why do you think they attack you then? Can you fathom why?

If I spent forty hours coming up with a spreadsheet on the costs associated with reloading (as there already are online) you would always say, "time spent". Well, yes. We don't make "north of $300/hr" as you remind us, and we may not have extra hours to work. But did you read my post about "what do you do with all of your brass after you fired it"?

Well said.

 

[CLT65]

Hey guys, there's this nifty little feature on this forum, called "Ignore". When you put another member here on your ignore list, any and all content they produce is hidden from you. I know some people think it's lazy or cheating somehow to use "ignore", but I have found it helpful.

Once I've determined that someone contributes nothing of value and is simply here to cause trouble, toot their own horn, or simply has no societal filter, I add them to my ignore list. I think I only have four or five people on that list, but it sure helps with my blood pressure when on the forum. These are the "bad actors", people who are always arguing and causing trouble.

"But, but , but, why does nobody ever reply to anything I write any more??" <crickets...>

 

[9th company]

If I have 1k of rounds, I fire them, I have almost of 1k (little less cause I never find it) of brass to reload. What do I do?

I get some primers online from Powder Valley, buy some rounds at the gun show, get some powder locally and I can reload with a single stage!

You know, I'm drowning in 9mm brass here and I am set with enough bullets, powder and primers to tide me over. I know the manufacturing process and improve slowly over the years. I reload 10, test fire, adjust, reload 20, test fire, and with successively larger batches with verification, come out with some decent rounds.

You know, I've bought reloaded ammo before. My deceased father used to reload, he used an old Lyman C press. Things have gone a long way. I got him an upgrade before he died. But he reloaded great, have some of his rounds. Remember my Dad when I fire them. Older people seem to reload better, among many things, ever notice that?

 

[awshoot]

...
When challenged on economics, free primers and brass along with time having no value, "higher quality" ammo, and "hobby" are the economic arguments being made. Those aren't legit economic arguments, but that tampers with the reloader fantasy that they are.
...

I disagree with a couple items. Custom ammo is very expensive to have made, so why is it an invalid consideration when calculating the value of reloads customized to one's firearms? As for time, the premise of the thread is that reloading costs less than commercial ammo. Leaving time out of the equation, it is clearly true. Bringing it back into the equation though, time value is dependent to some degree on the circumstances of the person reloading -- if that person is forgoing paid work to reload, it makes sense to me to count the value of the time. If that person is using time that would be unpaid no matter what they're doing, it's just time and it costs nothing. One could argue that the person could get a second or third job I guess, but then that ignores the physical and emotional toll it takes for a person to work every waking hour without doing anything personally gratifying or at least different. How much is quality of life worth? If we factor that into the equation, working a 3rd job to pay for commercial ammo becomes much less economic, provided the person who reloads likes doing it.

 

[Kruel J]

There have been MANY posts with specific examples of how it is more affordable. And I don't think anyone here thinks or expects to be a millionaire or even make money off it.

This isn't a courtroom, and nobody here is on trial so frankly you are owed NOTHING in terms of explanations. They were provided, you choose to ignore and argue.

 

[homeuser6]

the vast majority of my shooting is .41 mag. not counting the brass, i'm making rounds for less than a quarter. if i amortize the brass, it's probably a quarter even. this is without casting. i'm retired. the gravel pit is two miles away,so i get in a lot of shooting. i have not seen a $12.50 box of .41 since 1970 and i thought that was steep.

 

[Helocat]

Hey guys, there's this nifty little feature on this forum, called "Ignore". When you put another member here on your ignore list, any and all content they produce is hidden from you. I know some people think it's lazy or cheating somehow to use "ignore", but I have found it helpful.

Once I've determined that someone contributes nothing of value and is simply here to cause trouble, toot their own horn, or simply has no societal filter, I add them to my ignore list. I think I only have four or five people on that list, but it sure helps with my blood pressure when on the forum. These are the "bad actors", people who are always arguing and causing trouble.

"But, but , but, why does nobody ever reply to anything I write any more??" <crickets...>

Man I completely forgot about that feature! Time to make my first ignore user.

 

[homeuser6]

the only thing more economical than loading your own 41 mag is arguing on the internet.

 

[Helocat]

Man I completely forgot about that feature! Time to make my first ignore user.

@CLT65 easy @ hit refresh an it really is "bye Felicia"!

back to the main topic. I set a new record on low cost 9mm. My bulk purchase of 115gr FJM projectiles puts them at 0.055 each. 0.024 primer and 0.02 in powder I am at 9.5 cents per loaded 9mm round!

That is $4.75 a box of 50 at a time the same commercial made (115 FMJ) are selling for $25 per box. I am liking that over 5x in cost savings.

I have been able to get this low with hard cast Blue Bullets but never with FMJ.

 

[awshoot]

... 0.024 primer a...

How do you get that price? I'm stuck at 3.5 to 4c.