Actual Cost Difference?

[BearGuy]

How much money per round, if any, would I save in your opinion. I shoot a 6cm with the 108 eldm. Can get them around $1.50-$1.80 depending on sales and shipping. I would want to reload with the most minimal set up as possible to start. Is it even worth it?

 

[jfk69]

Worth it depends on your goals. If you’re only reloading for one cartridge and happy with the factory ammo you’re buying, not likely. JMO.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

If you have the brass, you're probably looking at around 90-95 cents a round with todays prices. A little more depending on the powder/primers you want to use.

 

[TxLite]

If you don’t currently have reloading equipment it’s going to take you a long time to recoup any cost.

What you will gain is better availability, custom loads for your specific rifle, and more consistency

 

[sndmn11]

The value in reloading is in ammunition availability. I don't know anyone who uses factory ammunition that buys it by the hundreds or thousands. The reloaders I know all are set on components to shoot through a few barrels.

From a financial perspective, I think it saves a little money in the long run, but has a high initial investment.

 

[waspocrew]

Agreed with the others - likely not to see a huge cost benefit, however, you can tailor loads to your particular rifle.

Personally, for my 6 CM, factory ammo shoots so well that I tend to just grab a box and go shoot.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Another thing to consider if you do decide on reloading is just buying a bunch of factory ammo and shooting it for the brass if you don't have much or any. If you buy just brass and the components, your first set will be close to $1.50 a round anyway. This is what I did for a new caliber, a 6.5 Grendel that I had no brass for.

 

[Taudisio]

I shoot a LOT more since I started reloading. At the end of the day, with my time invested, I’m definitely losing money. But I enjoy it, it’s relaxing, and I’m getting custom tuned ammo for my rifle. I’m not sad about shooting more either.

A pound of powder is 7000gr for about $60. My creedmoor load is 42gr, so $.36 per shot in powder alone. Add in your bullet, roughly $.45, and a primer at $.09 you would be at $.90 per shot. Not including your brass, tools, and time.

 

[JFK]

No real cost saving unless you are doing very high volume. Biggest things for me are better quality ammo, being able shoot a larger variety of bullets and not being at the mercy of what a store has in stock. I need more, I go to the shop and load some. If you don’t enjoy the loading process, which even sometimes I do not, you might just be better off buying a case or three of your favorite factory ammo.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I was lucky, I bought all my equipment nearly 40 years ago and still have a lot of components I bought (luckily) before the price jumps in the mid to late teens this last decade. Reloading can be what you want it to be. I enjoy it, one of my favorite hobbies. But it may not be for everyone.

 

[BearGuy]

Sounds like we’ll push the reloading hobby down the road a bit. Nice to have factory ammo that shoots so well. Thanks everyone!

 

[Taudisio]

Sounds like we’ll push the reloading hobby down the road a bit. Nice to have factory ammo that shoots so well. Thanks everyone!

I think a smart plan is picking up a press, saving your brass, and collecting recommended tools along the way. Then when you’re ready, scoop up the die you need, primers, and powder. Any decent press will last your lifetime and even get handed down. Same with dies.

You can often find both at garage/estate sales. We damn near gave away 6 presses after my grandpa passed. I think my dad sold 3 of them for $20 a piece and gave the rest away. The dies were just given away. Nobody else in the family needed them. I had previously bought my own stuff.

 

[steelheadmike]

I weighed a lot of this earlier this year and decided to take the plunge. I shoot 7-08 and most of the factory options available were . I currently load ammo that I cannot buy and it has completely changed what my rifle can do.

Cost-wise, I was looking at $40-50 per 20 rd box for ammo that I’d actually hunt with. Now, I’m around $1 per round for rounds that perform better than anything I could buy.

Plus, reloading has been a great outlet for my anal-retentive, perfectionist to a fault brain.

I used to tie a lot of flies. And, like flytying, there’s an enjoyment to the process that is totally separate from fishing or shooting.


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[NRA4LIFE]

I think a smart plan is picking up a press, saving your brass, and collecting recommended tools along the way. Then when you’re ready, scoop up the die you need, primers, and powder. Any decent press will last your lifetime and even get handed down. Same with dies.

You can often find both at garage/estate sales. We damn near gave away 6 presses after my grandpa passed. I think my dad sold 3 of them for $20 a piece and gave the rest away. The dies were just given away. Nobody else in the family needed them. I had previously bought my own stuff.

This. Presses and dies will last forever. OK, I have replaced some decapping pins that broke but I have resolved that.

 

[Natebonebusta]

Back when hunting ammo was scarce during one of the Ammogeddon events, reloading allowed me to continue shooting, and be able to continue hunting when the store shelves were empty. I picked up my reloading equipment in the early 2000’s, so it was certainly cheaper then.

It’s nice to tailor a load to a given rifle. I laid out my cost per round on a couple of loads minus the brass.

 

[Steve300xcw]

You wont save much with something like a creedmoor. Other rounds....you can save a bunch

 

[glennjones]

I shoot a LOT more since I started reloading. At the end of the day, with my time invested, I’m definitely losing money. But I enjoy it, it’s relaxing, and I’m getting custom tuned ammo for my rifle. I’m not sad about shooting more either.

A pound of powder is 7000gr for about $60. My creedmoor load is 42gr, so $.36 per shot in powder alone. Add in your bullet, roughly $.45, and a primer at $.09 you would be at $.90 per shot. Not including your brass, tools, and time.

I second this. I may save a little on a pure price per round but I shoot more so I'm definitely not saving money. I also can load subsonic and reduced power loads which I use quite a bit. If I was starting over I'd definitely start reloading sooner as I enjoy tinkering.

 

[KY_coop]

Loading eldm for a friend in 308 and we are around $1 a round. The box ammo he was shooting was usually $35+. Saves a good amount of money in my opinion. But only worth it if your gonna shoot alot.

 

[effinalders]

Some people find that they don't enjoy reloading as its own hobby and it probably isn't worth it for them because of the initial set up price and the time involved.

I really like it and though I spend quite a bit less per round, I have spent way more money overall. I used to shoot a few boxes per year. I'll probably end up at around 6k rounds this year between pistol and rifle. But the spending doesn't just stop with the bullets, primers, and powder. I've slowly made some equipment upgrades to my reloading setup. There is always something that can make it faster, more efficient, more precise, etc. I also have more guns now. I was sitting on a pile of 10mm brass...well, I guess I should get a 10mm woods gun. Then 45acp brass...everybody needs a 1911.

All that to say that you should get into reloading if you want to treat it as its own hobby, or if you want to shoot a lot (or both!). But not for the sole reason of trying to make shooting less expensive without either of the two criteria above.

 

[156821]

Don’t start reloading to save money. You won’t. Start reloading for the flexibility of different rounds. Also the ability to shoot more. When you get into it your understanding will deepen. It’s a wonderful thing.