Reloading cost vs factory ammo cost
Has anyone calculated this for their rifle? I found a cool calculator in excel. (second link down in xls format)
http://www.google.com/search?client=...UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
I did 4 reloads for my 7mm-08 winny brass with smk's. I got around 66 cents per round reloading versus around 80 cents for the cheapest factory ammo I could find. This gives me 130 bucks savings over 600 rounds (around 25%).
I guess I was just curious what numbers other people were getting? Honestly, I was expecting more. I suppose what is not taken into account is the satisfaction of the accuracy benefits gained with reloading, and of course the fun in experimenting !! :)
Re: Reloading cost vs factory ammo cost
You won't save any money. Just shoot more, working up new loads and buy more reloading gadgets, supplies and calibers to reload. I've been keeping track of equipment and supply cost since I started reloading 18 months ago. I've reloaded a total of 1,950 rounds for 5 calibers (.204, .243. .260, .308 and .338-06). Average cost is finally down to $0.98 per round. A good hobby for those who are perfectionist by nature. LOL.
Re: Reloading cost vs factory ammo cost
I used to shoot up about $100 worth of ammo a year when I shot factory ammo. Now that I reload, I probably shoot up about $500 worth a year. So in my estimation, reloading is about 5x more expensive than shooting factory ammo.
Re: Reloading cost vs factory ammo cost
Not sure where it is posted...some time ago...about factory ammo, reloading ammo.....versus how much you shoot.
At this point, I am at the stage that I never buy factory ammo. Reload 100% of what I shoot (22 rimfire would be the exception).
But, I have actually slowed down on the volume of what I shoot. So, I am at the quality over quantity stage.
What reloading cost should ALSO relate....is the cost of good glass. This seems to be my constant struggle now. Just cannot afford $800 to $1200 glass on the rifles that I prefer to shoot.
So....my plan is....sell off everything that I planned to build with....and buy good glass. So, in a week or so, expect to see a list of firearms being parted out (they don't seem to sell as complete firearms...so...will tear them down and piece them out).
Re: Reloading cost vs factory ammo cost
First two weeks of shooting Savage .308.... Federal Powerpoint 150 gr sp.
$11 box of 20 rounds. Shot very well for cheapest factory ammo I could find.
1 inch @ 100 yards . Started to reload after collecting fired cases. 50 to 60 rounds every range session, twice or 3 times a month. Careful reloading plus Lots of range time equals lots of practice equals better groups. And the cost is not a factor since I now can shoot more rounds with more accuracy than I ever would have with factory ammo. Saving a little $$ is nice but it was not my main goal .....
Re: Reloading cost vs factory ammo cost
Other than .22 rimfire and an occasional bunch of 5.56 NATO surplus for plinking, I haven't bought a box of factory rifle ammunition in over 40 years. I think the last box of Winchester ammo I bought was 20 rounds of .264 Win 140grain back in 1966 before a mule deer hunt in Utah.
Accuracy and consistency have always been the motivating factors for me. When I first started shooting for real back in the 60's, there was so much cheap surplus military ammunition around that trying to save money by reloading was out of the question. Reloading was strictly for benchresters, target shooters, and the rest of us obsessive gun nuts.
Once you begin to reload, you start a whole new sport. Reloading becomes an activity and mental discipline that is related to, but separate from the actual shooting. I know a lot of good shooters who can't reload worth squat and vise versa.
The initial investment in necessary tools can be modest. Then comes the investment in components. Brass, primers, bullets, and powder and manuals. Once you find the "Wonder Load" for you rifle, you want to have alot of that same powder lot number. Do not expect to run down to your local WalMart and get a 1lb can of 4895 that will be the same as the one you bought 6 months ago. That's why they make 8lb cans.
Other than that and a few years of frustration and confusion, You're good to go!
uj
Re: Reloading cost vs factory ammo cost
All true. My wife's opinion is that reloading is my main hobby and I just shoot to empty the cases......somewhat caustic, but acute observation.
Elkbane
If you really want to see the savings, do the calcs on .300 WSM. You can pay off dies in about 40 rounds.....
Re: Reloading cost vs factory ammo cost
Yep, 300WSM is very expensive in the factory offerings! After a few years you recoup the costs of your investment for any reloading equipment you buy making it more cost effective. I use a similar excell calculator and I think my cost for 300WSM premium hunting bullet ammo is down to around 15 bucks a box of 20.
Re: Reloading cost vs factory ammo cost
It all depends on the cartridge, cost of your equipment, cost of the components you use and how much your time is worth.
When I was a kid and loaded 38 specials for my dad using a lee loader and bullets he cast from scrap lead, he saved a LOT.
I save a considerable amount over factory ammo when I load 375 H&H - even with premium bullets.
When I load 223 using SMKs on a Dillon press instead of mowing my grass, It costs more than buying Black Hills.
Of course you can't even begin to measure how much you "save" when you load for non-factory rounds or configurations (where are you going to find 30-30 loaded with 168 gr SMKs? The last factory box of 303 Savage I saw was PRICEY, and I have never seen a box of 375-06AI on the shelves at Wal-Mart)
Re: Reloading cost vs factory ammo cost
+1 to Eric, it all depends what you are loading for. I got into reloading for my big magnum... then is just kinda carried over into everything else. I always think of my supplies as a sunk cost, I buy them when I can and hopefully when everything is on sale (or in stock anymore...) and when if comes time to cook some more up I don't think of the cost since I had already purchased everything. To each their own, reloading appeases my touch of OCD and makes me enjoy shooting even more. If you factor in the time it takes and what your time is worth in conjunction with the materials cost it takes years to really break even, but it allows us to tailor to our own needs.
-HcP
Re: Reloading cost vs factory ammo cost
I think the biggest advantage to reloading is quality of the ammo your produce. I bet your .66 each rounds are better than most if not all factory ammo out there regardless of price. And even better is you can tune that load for your firearm to squeeze the most out of it. Something you can't do with factory ammo.
For me reloading wasn't a cost saving measure because I still spend the same amount on shooting. I just get to shoot better ammo as well as more of it when compared to factory ammo. I load my 223 for less than .30 each. These are with SMK's that shot .3's with regularity.
Dolomite