Is it worth reloading for 223/5.56

[1006]

I load on a Dillon650. I started reloading on a Dillon Square Deal B 29 years ago, then had a Dillon 550, eventually had to have two 650’s. Back then, I was shooting 1000/month, all pistol, mainly 40S&W.

I always figured it cost me 1/2 the price of store bought ammo. Plus: I could load them light, or heavy based on use.

These days, rifle cartridges have taken over my bench. I reload rifles for specific guns. My primary target gun performs best with my ammo. Almost all calibers are very expensive if not handloaded, but some are impossible to find.

When considering 223, if you want 68 to 77 grain ammo, handloading is about 1/2 the cost. I generally hand load 55-77grain, only because I already have the equipment.

If you have a 5 day a week job and a family, handloading will need to be done in your limited spare time. If you are shooting cheap store bought ammo that works well for you, I would keep buying it.

 

[kuduman]

I got tired of trimming brass by hand, swaging the brass one at a time. Now I do everything on the press in volume, I don’t have to handle any brass during the whole prepping or loading process. What lubing issues????? I spray liquid lanolin and 99% alcohol mixture on about 150 pieces of brass at a time and dump them in the case feeder and rock on. No issues what’s so ever. I prepped 1500 on Sunday using this method and not one single issue. I load on a Super 1050 so it swages the brass on the press. If I had to prep and load brass one at a time on a single stage or Dillon 550, I wouldn’t think about doing it.

Absolutely... you have to have a 1050 (or higher) with all the accoutrements to make it time-efficient. And what is that? $3000? It'll take the original poster many years to break even. But yeah, that's the way to go if you do an awful lot of one particular caliber. One of my competition buddies has two 1050s, because he tired of changing calibers.

 

[Cartman]

Absolutely... you have to have a 1050 (or higher) with all the accoutrements to make it time-efficient. And what is that? $3000? It'll take the original poster many years to break even. But yeah, that's the way to go if you do an awful lot of one particular caliber. One of my competition buddies has two 1050s, because he tired of changing calibers.

I have a Super 1050 and a 1100 they are both dedicated to load one caliber only. Then I have 2 other Dillons that I will do caliber change overs on.

 

[Control for Smilers]

Absolutely... you have to have a 1050 (or higher) with all the accoutrements to make it time-efficient. And what is that? $3000? It'll take the original poster many years to break even. But yeah, that's the way to go if you do an awful lot of one particular caliber. One of my competition buddies has two 1050s, because he tired of changing calibers.

damn, me and my 650 are ****ting the bed. please tell me what else I am doing wrong in my life!

edit... /s

 

[palmettomoon]

Loading rifle rounds are only worth it cost wise for premium hunting, precision match and obsolete cartridges. For run and gun type stuff, buy in bulk, unless you need to tune your rounds for a comp gun.

Same is pretty much true for pistol rounds.

OP, you received a lot of good information from the members posting and these two guys put it in the least amount of words (in my experience).

The prices of components will follow ammunition prices, generally (although at times it seems to be upside-down). The ONLY way you can produce bog standard ball ammunition cheaper than a factory that's been running full tilt since the 40's or 60's, is if you bought your primers when they were $124/5,000 and projectiles when they were a seven cents apiece in bulk AND you are processing your brass and loading using progressive presses and multifunction tools (expensive).

If you aren't in a discipline that requires tuned loads or you aren't aiming for extreme control over components and quality, I'd skip it and lay in a supply of ammunition while it's relatively inexpensive and available.

 

[Seacap]

Get a r
RCBS rock crusher single stage for your first press, youll probably have it the rest of your life..stock up on reloading supply’s when available,, even if your not pressing them out at half price, you wil have better quality ammo..and maybe the market won’t have any for sale, find a place to get your supplys for cash, and stay under the radar…lots of different kind of dies, some cheep some not, get a good reloading book and follow it! Tons of people on this site to talk to for questions

 

[BHPSteel]

I have a couple of reasons I reload, and even then, they're not GREAT reasons.

• I want to churn out subsonic 9mm, 38sp (yeah, I know it's subsonic anyway, but I have a rifle application) and 300BLK that will stay subsonic and shoot reliably in all my guns of those calibers.
• I want to make good quality range ammo for my collection of milsurp rifles.
• I want to develop my skills so I can optionally stash away components so I can build ammo to spec if it becomes scarce.
• I enjoy pretending I'm an engineer.

None of those will stop me picking up 1000 rounds of 124gr 9mm Blazer brass or a big old box of 220gr 300BLK ammo if I see it at a good price.

 

[Construct More Pylons]

Easily. Primers are 70/k, hornady bulk bullets, h335 by the keg, and your under factory ammo that you can QC and reload when ever you need ammo. Next time 5.56 hits that super high 60-80 cent mark, youll be glad you have components to reload. You'll be out shooting, your friends will be in line at Academy for their 2 box limit.

 

[Reloadhby]

Hunting ammo yes its worth loading, otherwise I would buy bulk for just shooting

 

[TrueGrit]

Can't find .223ai ammo loaded with a 62gr ttsx at a 2.260 OL. For volume shooting he'll no, for custom deer hunting - target ammo yes to handloading.