Reloading Question

[Cartman]

I started reloading for my 2 S&W500. I can load them for about $.75 per round versus paying $3.00 per round. After my first batch of reloads it paid for my Hornady single stage press and all the components. I had fun doing it, so then I bought 2 Dillon 550B presses. Now I can reload most any pistol caliber. I have not tried any rifle calibers yet, but it will not be long.

 

[No2sc2]

Reloading rifle is actually fun. You have to be really detailed or the slightest will knock the round of out spec!

 

[jpdriver]

I've been reloading for about 20yrs or more. Shotgun, pistol and rifle. The savings is definitely not what it use to be. Shot has doubled in price. Metallic cartridge projectiles like everything else has gone up too but there are still ways to save money to get the best bang for your buck. It's easier for me to spend a little here and there to buy components versus dropping a few hundred at once on bulk ammo. Buying projectiles when they're on sale and finding the best prices on powder and primers. The biggest piece of advice I can offer is to never buy reloading supplies from major outdoor retailers. Their prices are always higher than the specialty shops around town. I find it fun and relaxing to reload. I can taylor my loads to fit my needs. like lighter loads for target practice to stretch the powder to more accurate one hole groups @ 100yrds for hunting. Either way its a win win for me. The only down sides is that it's time consuming if you reload a lot, and god forbid if the house catches fire. They'd have to evacuate the neighborhood!

 

[Flashover16]

Actually modern smokeless powder is a propellant not an explosive.
it is a flammable solid, so much like gasoline except that it doesn't emit gaseous flammable vapors like gasoline does.
Gasoline emits flammable vapors at -45 degrees by the way!
as long as it is not contained then it simply burns itself away.
it does produce heat and smoke but no boom usually.
I have been in countless house fires with powders and finished ammo and no explosions.

 

[RamRoddoc]

Actually modern smokeless powder is a propellant not an explosive.
it is a flammable solid, so much like gasoline except that it doesn't emit gaseous flammable vapors like gasoline does.
Gasoline emits flammable vapors at -45 degrees by the way!
as long as it is not contained then it simply burns itself away.
it does produce heat and smoke but no boom usually.
I have been in countless house fires with powders and finished ammo and no explosions.

I really hope you are a fireman or have learned from your errors.........

Yep, even in the case and finished the round doesn't gather much velocity to really do any damage. It takes compressing it in a chamber/barrel in order to allow it to gain some speed through exiting the barrel.

You will save money even if you buy off the shelf components. You save more shopping around and snagging bargains. You save even more shooting lead cast bullets from GA arms or Missouri. And you save even more coin casting your own bullets.

Many will say some calibers are just not worth it and claim when you pay for brass, bullet, powder and primer the savings is not worth it. However, they fail to mention that the brass can be reloaded several or many times dependent on caliber and pressures involved.

Much of my brass I never paid for. I have picked up so much 9mm once fired brass at the ranges that I considered just leaving it there but old habits are hard to break. To me brass is free for the most part. 125 grain GA arms 9mm cast $0.06 ($60/1000ea.), about a pound of shelf powder $30 or less (8lb jug) at gun show or online at powder valley and primers 1000/$25. I can't add 9mm brass cost as I have never bought it unless it was already loaded, so brass is "FREE".

So about, give or take a couple of bucks $115 to shoot a thousand times...... $230 to shoot two thousand times and $575 to five thousand times. The brass can be loaded more than 5 times!

Even getting steel case crap ammo will run you close to $200 for a thousand but how about brass case? My Dillon Square Deal B press has paid for itself time and time again reloading a caliber that many will say it's not worth it. Well perhaps if you don't shoot much or very little at all.

If money is a concern and you want shoot a lot get into reloading or just shoot less.

 

[Flashover16]

MAN!
I tell ya, Let a guy be around 500-600 building fires and everyone wants to label them a Pyro- Maniac or Arsonist!!

 

[macdaman]

We've been reloading 9mm and 380ACP for a while now. My son has a MAC which eats up subsonic 9mm so cost definitely comes in to play. To a lesser degree, the same can be said for the 380. It's much like 22 in that it's hard to find and expensive when found.

I just bought a 300 Blackout Handi Rifle. The "cheap" plinking ammo is $1 a round! I've already ordered supplies to start reloading it. I'm forming my own brass out of 223 so we'll call that free (though I did have to buy a trim die and trimmer). I'm coming up with about $.35 a round to load subsonic 208gr Hornady A-Max rounds. By the time I go through my first 500 rounds, I would have paid for EVERYTHING including the gun with the cost savings of $.65 a round. (not that I would have bought the plinking ammo in the first place!)

 

[ReganR6]

We've been reloading 9mm and 380ACP for a while now. My son has a MAC which eats up subsonic 9mm so cost definitely comes in to play. To a lesser degree, the same can be said for the 380. It's much like 22 in that it's hard to find and expensive when found.

I just bought a 300 Blackout Handi Rifle. The "cheap" plinking ammo is $1 a round! I've already ordered supplies to start reloading it. I'm forming my own brass out of 223 so we'll call that free (though I did have to buy a trim die and trimmer). I'm coming up with about $.35 a round to load subsonic 208gr Hornady A-Max rounds. By the time I go through my first 500 rounds, I would have paid for EVERYTHING including the gun with the cost savings of $.65 a round. (not that I would have bought the plinking ammo in the first place!)

Well damn

 

[bsmith104]

OP, if you want to save money, we can work something out by buying in bulk and splitting the costs. I am getting into reloading soon as well.

 

[Trav]

What about 12 ga slug and shot loading?