Reloading Math - yup its way lower cost

[leadcounsel]

Only two items I have to stock up, primers and powder. I have enough of the other items to last a life time. No juggling act here just have to be organized

So that occurred how? Did you inherit a room full of brass and bullets?

 

[jr leadslinger]

I picked up the brass some people feel is acceptable to leave in our forest. The lead is recycled from wheel weights and scrap yards 1/2 ton of lead makes a lot of booolits

 

[leadcounsel]

I picked up the brass some people feel is acceptable to leave in our forest. The lead is recycled from wheel weights and scrap yards 1/2 ton of lead makes a lot of booolits

Clean up and recycling is awesome!

 

[turbo_vanner]

Reloading time for me equals less netflix, thats it.

If some of you naysayers know how to make enough money watching netflix to buy match grade and frangible ammo, please let me know.

 

[po18guy]

I began relaoding in the 70s. About 1977 or 1978, I calculated the cost of relaoding a box (50, NOT 20 or 25!) of .357 Magnum cartridges. At that time it was $1.10/50. Price adjusted to 11-2019 it still comes out to only $4.53/50. Not bad. Not bad at all. Being a proto-prepper at the time (as was Dan Wesson - but that's another story), I still have some of those components left and can still cork up a box for $4.53.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I've cast and hand loaded since I was 16. The first round I started with was the 9mm with Lee's 358-140, 140gr SWC. I still use that mold, loading softball to +p+, comparable to but in my eyes superior to the various "boutique" woods or outdoorsman ammo that costs $1 per round or more.. for about $.03/ea or $3/100.

Redirect Notice

images.app.goo.gl

 

[CountryGent]

The time factor more than anything is what kept me away from reloading. I barely have time to shoot, let along reload. But more power to those that do.

 

[leadcounsel]

Reloading time for me equals less netflix, thats it.

If some of you naysayers know how to make enough money watching netflix to buy match grade and frangible ammo, please let me know.

Health problems can cost tens of thousands of dollars in a blink. And ruin quality of life. Heart disease and diabetes kill tens of thousands annually. If we're making purely economic arguments, which do you think is more cost effective. Sitting at a reloading bench to save pennies per round, or going for a nightly 2 hour walk or to the gym?

 

[DB is Here]

Let's stay on topic please.

 

[Xaevian]

The bigger the round, the bigger the savings. Can't help it some people just got little plinkers. Lol

 

[Certaindeaf]

Health problems can cost tens of thousands of dollars in a blink. And ruin quality of life. Heart disease and diabetes kill tens of thousands annually. If we're making purely economic arguments, which do you think is more cost effective. Sitting at a reloading bench to save pennies per round, or going for a nightly 2 hour walk or to the gym?

Where you'd get run over by a bus and then shivved. Don't forget that part.

 

[Kruel J]

Health problems can cost tens of thousands of dollars in a blink. And ruin quality of life. Heart disease and diabetes kill tens of thousands annually. If we're making purely economic arguments, which do you think is more cost effective. Sitting at a reloading bench to save pennies per round, or going for a nightly 2 hour walk or to the gym?

I don't put much thought into my own pennies, let alone have the time to care what others do with theirs.

 

[Kruel J]

Cost savings/round will be the LAST thing I consider once I get my reloading bench set up.

 

[turbo_vanner]

Health problems can cost tens of thousands of dollars in a blink. And ruin quality of life. Heart disease and diabetes kill tens of thousands annually. If we're making purely economic arguments, which do you think is more cost effective. Sitting at a reloading bench to save pennies per round, or going for a nightly 2 hour walk or to the gym?

I never said reloading cut into my workout time, just tv. I just watch less tv at night. Its that simple.

 

[Xaevian]

Cost savings/round will be the LAST thing I consider once I get my reloading bench set up.

This is so true. There is so much more to handloading than cost savings, at least for me.

 

[awshoot]

Well, my ammo is almost FREE.

I just purchased 2000 rounds of lake city steel core brass case 5.56 and 125 rounds of brass cased M80 .308 for ~$700 total shipped. Took me 3 minutes; or about 700 rounds per minute at 26 cents per round average.
...

What about the person who earns $30/hr? That person will earn $1.50 in 3 minutes. $90/hr=$4.50 in 3 minutes. $180 is only $9 in 3 minutes -- not so many people make this amount and we're only finally getting somewhat close to an on-sale clearance special price for a box of pistol ammo.

As others have mentioned, cost is only one reason to reload. It is why I started reloading when a student in graduate school -- it turned out shooting 200 rds/weekend for about $30-40 in commercial prices was beyond my means, but back then, I could make stuff myself for somewhere between $5 and $7/hundred and all I had to do was skip a couple Blockbuster VHS rentals.

Over the years my motivation for reloading changed -- now its accuracy, pride of craftsmanship, and getting loads that are customized to my desires, something for which there is not a mass market and thus not a willing seller (for example, I developed a load for my carry gun that shoots to the exact point of aim and spread as my commercial carry ammo so that I have to make no mental adjustments between practice and practical ammo).

 

[leadcounsel]

As others have mentioned, cost is only one reason to reload.

And I see cost (value, liability, time, value of finished product, overhead) as the very reason to NOT reload. For most calibers, the professionals can make it better and cheaper. They test, have quality control (including recalls with lot numbers), absorb all liability for kabooms and resulting damage or injuries, and have state of the art up to date equipment and training and cover all the overhead.

As I mentioned on page 2, there's no other product you can put 5 components together and destroy the economic value like reloaded bullets. Most people won't shoot someone else's reloads unless very trusted person. I've read more than a number of threads about reloaders kabooms which seem far more common and problematic than factory kabooms. I've read a number of threads about folks having to pull a lot of bullets to re-check due to errors or kabooms. Do you keep lot inventory numbers in case you have a QC error and need to retrace your errors and dispose of entire lots of bullets? I've read threads or seen people basically giving away boxes full of questionable reloads (moving, estate sales, etc.) that have less than scrap value (think of all the components and time wasted). At minimum, the powder is useless and it takes time to pull bullets. I recall one story on a gun forum where a neighbor passed away and he had a hoard of reloaded ammunition, representing an unknown significant amount of money in components and labor/time. Yet the owners struggled to give it away. The poster on that thread got mixed replies on whether to even bother with it as it would be a major undertaking to pull bullets for hours and hours just to capture components. The point is, reloaders might not even take free reloads...

I know if I fell on really hard times, I could make my mortgage and eat and survive if I were to sell my factory boxed ammo for around factory new prices, plus or minus, depending on when purchased (my Mosin ammo had tripled in value, my common store bought ammo from 2 decades ago is worth more today than what I paid even factoring inflation). As a store of value, new ammo isn't great but it isn't terrible. Reloaded ammo is worth almost nothing in economic terms, and it's value is entirely limited to the reloader or anyone willing
to risk shooting it.

And to liability. If I have a kaboom with factory ammo, the company that made it will be on the hook for the gun, magazine, all the ammo in the lot sold, and any economic or medical costs to the shooter and anyone injured. If a reloader kabooms, he's going to be out the cost of the gun, and on his own for any medical. Might even be sued if someone is hurt. And he'll have to re-inventory and QC all his ammo in that lot. These costs could be large.

As for kabooms, I pay pretty close attention online and while it's a "self-reporting" incident, I'd recon the reported embarrassing kabooms of reloaders vs. factory is probably 10 to 1. I'd venture that many reloaders won't admit it, whereas not the case with factory loads and most would be reported.

 

[Stomper]

I'm still trying to find a hobbie to dump cuz the wife won't let me start reloading till I do...


Thankfully, I know a guy I can probably trick into letting me use his equipment for beer or whiskey

That's easy, just give up yard work!


That "guy" you're referring too will do it for old candy corn found in couch cushions!

 

[Certaindeaf]

When the Grinch started reloading, his heart grew four sizes. Priceless.

 

[Kruel J]

When the Grinch started reloading, his heart grew four sizes. Priceless.

The Grinch doesn't reload, he spends his time trying to convince others it isn't economically viable.