Actual Cost Difference?

[NorthIdahoDude]

You will pay less per round to reload if you are frugal. But you will not save a dime, you will just shoot more, get obsessed with pursuing different loads, and then shoot even more, and ultimately spend more than you otherwise would have. But for me, I'm cool with all that.

 

[Vern400]

36-cent bullet, 36 cent powder, 10 cent primer.
Some people think you can find the perfect load. I think of it as eliminating the loads that don't shoot real good. I can't afford factory ammo that shoots real good in my rifle. Once I find something that works, they don't offer it, change the formulation, or I can't get it.

I shoot more so I don't save any money. In fact I spend more money. But I am distinctly a better shot now.

Being able to go out on a breezy day and bang steel at 500 and get 5-in groups is nice. And on a calm day fairly frequently I can get below 3 in 5 shots. It's so much fun it'll almost make you pee.

My prices are for match ammunition. If I want to go past 600 yards or use premium hunting bullets, the price goes up.

 

[wind gypsy]

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.

You know me. I do.

But I reload too. Which goes to show, its not worth it in every case if you've got adequate economical factory ammo.

Others already hit on it but with factory ammo, you're subject to availability issues and good lot / bad lot variance.

 

[sndmn11]

You know me. I do.

But I reload too. Which goes to show, its not worth it in every case if you've got adequate economical factory ammo.

Others already hit on it but with factory ammo, you're subject to availability issues and good lot / bad lot variance.

Is your factory ammunition due to finding it cheap, the performance cannot be beat by your hand loads, or volume of shooting that cartridge vs time to load?

 

[wind gypsy]

Is your factory ammunition due to finding it cheap, the performance cannot be beat by your hand loads, or volume of shooting that cartridge vs time to load?

It's a value of time thing. I've bought a bunch of cases of 6 and 6.5 creed ammo for $1.10 to $1.35 per round that shoots good enough that I don't see enough benefit to loading my own for range time or even matches occasionally.

Similar with 223, have bought a bunch of ADI for cheap that generally shoots well enough. Now that I'm set up to load on a progressive i can churn it out a bit faster and the handload vs factory performance gap is larger on the 223s vs the creedmoor stuff so I kind of doubt I'll buy much more 223.

 

[S.Clancy]

I reload so that I always have what I want available to me.

As far as costs, I think you can pay it off pretty quick as long as you keep it simple:

A press (mine was given to me but you can find some stupid cheap, or free, if you look)
Dies (mine were 50$, I bought them using Cabelas pts)
Scale (bought used here for 100$)
calipers 30$ from amazon
Trimming unit (I bought a Frankford Arsenal on sale for 130-150$)
Bullet puller (25$)
Funnel, small primer/large primer for press, etc (25$)

That's literally my entire setup, ~$300-$350 minus the press. My average savings is 1$ or slightly more a round (depending on brass life). So that's 300-350 rounds to pay it off, not that much. I've reloaded over 700 rounds since January.

 

[Luked]

I dont pertain reloading to cost savings at all personally.
I look at it as more of I can do what I want for the gun(s) i have.

 

[TaperPin]

Those of us who enjoy fiddling with things have come up with extensive spreadsheets to prove to our significant others we’re actually saving money with our hoards of components, dies and the latest gizmos, if it’s a real savings it isn’t much with popular cartridges, while others with expensive factory ammo options pencil out quicker. 300 Wby is often $100 per box and 340 Wby can be $140, if you can find it. Other cartridges just aren’t available if you don’t make your own.

It’s a lot like changing your own oil - as discretionary income goes up, the motivation to reload can go down.

 

[RockAndSage]

Initially I got into it as a kid, reloading pistol, when my time was plentiful and components were cheap. Once my time became expensive, reloading has become far less desirable for volume. At this point, tuning a load to a given rifle is interesting enough to do it, and ensuring I can keep any of my guns fed during ammo shortages is the other primary reason. The last two cycles I've used stocks of components I've had on hand for a decade or more to keep shooting when the store and online shelves were empty, and replenished those stocks not too long ago, after components and ammo became available again.

 

[Jeff_Gibbons]

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.

As a reloader, this is spot on.

 

[Laelkhunter]

Factory loads for my .340 Weatherby are $140 for a box of 20. I can reload 20 for $49.00 (using once fired brass) with the same 225 TTSX bullet, R19 powder, and Fed 215M primers. Bullet $1.00, powder .82, primer .60 with components I have on hand now. I save about $90 a box of 20 by reloading. If I had to go buy components at today's prices, no telling how much more it would cost, I haven't priced them lately.

 

[Hydra6]

As a PRS competitor, I reload a lot to get exactly the performance I need and for cartridges that are not available from traditional sources - 6 Dasher and 25x47.

I load 223 in bulk on a Dillon 550 or 650 so that I can get better projectiles - 69 SMK/77 SMK or similar - at 55FMJ pricing.

I load 9mm because I have the progressive presses.

I am retired so no big deal with time involved with prepping brass etc. - wife wants me out of house anyway!

If did not have 40 years worth of reloading gear in hand already - I would just buy 223, 9mm, etc.; hunt with factory ammo; and find a custom reloader for Dasher

 

[huntsd]

I’ve been reloading for a year now. Its made me a better shooter in 2 ways. 1 i shoot more and 2 I have more consistent/ repeatable ammo.

If you are looking for pure cost savings relaoding isn’t the ticket. If you are looking to squeeze the most performance out of your rifle and avoid factory ammo inconsistency from box to box then I’d go recommend it.