At what point does reloading payoff?

[rclouse79]

For me it paid off when I ended up with a round that shot better than the best factory round I could buy. I am sure I will never break even from a dollars stand point.

 

[MeatMissile]

How much is your time worth to clean, prep, and load? Most reloaders ignore labor costs in their cost evaluation?

Only a few reasons to reload:
-You enjoy reloading as a separate hobby
-You’re a true top level competitor
-You’re on a fixed income and unable to work.

I would also add that reloading is a good way to use whatever components you want, rather than what is available in factory ammo. It also allows you to tailor a load to your rifle (chamber specs, magazine constraints, etc.).

Reloading saves me no money. It costs me money in the money I had to get into it and the money that it cost to fine tune my setup.

But, I shoot A LOT more. For some reason, spending $1000 on equipment and more money here and there for components, doesn’t give me the sticker shock that $50 a box for 20 cartridges does. Whatever mental games that get you to practice is a good thing.

I enjoy reloading and working up loads. It’s a hobby for me. Just like how hunting isn’t a cost effective means to feed myself, yet I love to hunt. Same with curing my own salmon eggs for bait, or tying my own flies.

 

[5MilesBack]

I'm surprised that so many are saying that you'll never break even or get ahead. Perhaps during covid........who knows? But I'm so far ahead of what my costs have been versus what it would have cost me, that it's all been gravy for quite some time. The only reason I bought my G20 10mm ten years ago is because I reload. It's pennies on the dollar compared to factory loads. And I'm still loading rifle cartridges with components that I bought years ago for pennies of what it costs these days, or even before covid.

So, if you were starting from scratch right now..........who knows? But for guys like me......that have been doing it for awhile.......we're way past breaking even financially.

 

[jt4]

I just recently got into reloading, buying everything before the big panic. With the cost of ammo now, specifically what I’m shooting from just one rifle I’ll be past the break even point around 300 rounds in.


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[hodgeman]

Here is something I wrote up in 2018... prices are slightly different now, but you'll get the point.

From the economics of reloading...
I've written a few times on the economics of reloading rifle ammunition.
I just made 50 rounds of 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition for $28.72 per 20....about $10 less than the exact load in Hornady Precision Hunter ammunition. That's using all new components, including cases. It took me about an hour or so this morning at a relaxed pace.
Of course, cases can be reused again...several times, and when you spread the cost across 5 or 6 loads- the costs drop substantially.
If I spread the cost of the cases across 5 loads in the above example, the cost per 20 drops to $15.92...saving you $23 a box, or $1.15 each time you pull the trigger. For folks who like to shoot a lot- that adds up. Those aren't FMJ blaster grade economy loads either- those are full throttle hunting loads that deliver match accuracy and terminal performance.
A shooter could pretty easily see ROI on a very nice reloading set up in just 750 rounds (an entry level kit is even fewer). Those figures are for 6.5 Creedmoor, which is a fairly inexpensive cartridge to shoot. If you ran the numbers on something like a .300 Weatherby or a .338 Winchester Magnum- the ROI curve is even steeper, maybe in as few as 200 rounds. If you want to shoot something like a .375 Holland or a .33 Nosler...rolling your own is practically a requirement if you want to shoot it more than a handful of times a year.
The average hunter shoots their rifle less than 20 times a year. For a fairly serious hunter- firing your hunting rifle just a 100 times a year more, provides much needed practice and improves field performance considerably.
Below is a link to a very good resource for new and experienced reloaders alike...including a very good cost calculator. To spread the cost of cases (assuming you don't have once fired factory brass), simply divide their cost by the number of firings you anticipate to get out of them. Every cartridge is different, but 4-5 is a conservative number.

Reloading Cost Calculator

 

[FireDuck401]

Probably never because reloading tends to turn into more guns and more cartridges.

This.
Since I started reloading I’ve added several calibers.

I throughly enjoy the process, and the satisfaction associated with developing loads for various rifles.

 

[Jim2914]

I think it depends on what your shooting and how much you shoot.
if you are shooting a common rifle caliber and you don’t shoot much then no.
I hunt with a 30-06 I take it out check the sight in and go. I think I shot 30 rounds in the last 3 years. I have a brother that shoots a 270 WBY he shoots about the same but I reload for that since ammo is hard to find to find.

If you are going to shoot handguns then again how much do you shoot. Between my wife and I we shoot about 8000 38s a year so we reload.

 

[Gorp2007]

I got into it because I could save $1.50 a round for my 45/70. Broke even in the first year or so, but then I upgraded some equipment. Now I keep at it because I enjoy it as a hobby.

If you don't enjoy it for it's own sake, the cost savings isn't worth the time.

 

[Stalker69]

As others have said, if your doing it to try and save money. Don’t do it. If you like rolling your own or shooting bullets that you can’t get in factory loads, it’s fun. I like to do everything I can myself, and enjoy reloading. But now with the cost of everything, if you can even find it, it’s going to cost you $$$ either way.
I just bought powder, primers, and some hammer bullets, and I would HATE to see the actual cost of a “ box of shells” is going to cost me, I just don’t try and think about it. I like shooting at longer distances, but prefer to get close to animals while hunting, so I normally bow hunt.

 

[Ucsdryder]

It’s like saying “how long does it take to pay for golf clubs rather than renting them at the course”. The answer is, that has nothing to do with why you should buy your own golf clubs!

This year I’ve shot more than I shot in 20 years COMBINED. All because I now am reloading. It’s fun, it’s rewarding, and damn those little itty bitty groups feel good. I shot my antelope at 834 yards, and you couldn’t have made a better shot at 5 yards. Prior to this year 400 was a stretch. Now 400 feels like a layup.

 

[Longleaf]

I don’t know how much I’ve spend in reloading components but having 147 eldx that go 2850 is priceless right now.

On top of that I also actually have the ammo to go out and practice.

 

[sndmn11]

I started this year.
$150 press
$225 powder measure/scale auto charge
$60 hand primer
$50 die and shell holder
$100? Vibrator (we had one already, cost guess)
$75 Caliper/comparator/modified case

$660 fixed if my math is working today

$0.55 ttsx
$0.07 primer
$0.00 brass I saved over the years
$0.60 powder ($70lb @116 60gr charges)
$1.00 bought brass

$2.22 variable with new brass the first time around.

Let's say $55 per box of 20 factory, = $2.75

2.75x = $2.22x + 660
.53x = 660

X = 1245? Yikes!

3423.-- = 3423.--

I have greatly enjoyed it as a healthy way to pass time, it is REALLY nice to know I have ammo, I like using the bullets I want, and I believe I have a more precise round while I know it is faster.

 

[DangerRanger]

IME Doesn’t

 

[Desk Jockey]

Echoing others, I think the savings were marginal even before COVID. If you want to dial in loads, it’s a must.

two thoughts:

1) I am surprised there aren’t more “made to order options”. Like send me your recipe and I will make your bullets kind of thing for small batch operators. I guess maybe there is too much liability or something.

2) 3 pistol shooters I know just pooled their $ and bought a nice automated rig. It stayed in one guys shop and they share it and use their own components. With the right friends that is a cool way to use something that is going to see a lot of downtime.

 

[MidGAHunter]

$100? Vibrator (we had one already, cost guess)

Yall have a vibrator that pulls double duty as reloading gear? Sounds kinky man...

 

[T28w]

I started this year.
$150 press
$225 powder measure/scale auto charge
$60 hand primer
$50 die and shell holder
$100? Vibrator (we had one already, cost guess)
$75 Caliper/comparator/modified case

$660 fixed if my math is working today

$0.55 ttsx
$0.07 primer
$0.00 brass I saved over the years
$0.60 powder ($70lb @116 60gr charges)
$1.00 bought brass

$2.22 variable with new brass the first time around.

Let's say $55 per box of 20 factory, = $2.75

2.75x = $2.22x + 660
.53x = 660

X = 1245? Yikes!

3423.-- = 3423.--

I have greatly enjoyed it as a healthy way to pass time, it is REALLY nice to know I have ammo, I like using the bullets I want, and I believe I have a more precise round while I know it is faster.

I think it is way worse than your numbers show. Especially if you consider primer cost if you don’t have a stockpile stored up. I know I have way way more than $660 in my setup and it is not lavish by any means and waited for what I thought were good prices.

But I think it’s a good illustration that it’s a long long time and a lot of rounds to “save” any money. Let’s be real, it doesn’t save money but u do shoot more. Lol

 

[sndmn11]

I think it is way worse than your numbers show. Especially if you consider primer cost if you don’t have a stockpile stored up. I know I have way way more than $660 in my setup and it is not lavish by any means and waited for what I thought were good prices.

But I think it’s a good illustration that it’s a long long time and a lot of rounds to “save” any money. Let’s be real, it doesn’t save money but u do shoot more. Lol

Yep, I already came up with more tools like a trimmer, puller, I bought a universal seating die, etc.

I do think it probably pays off much quicker if you shoot a more economical bullet.

 

[hodgeman]

) 3 pistol shooters I know just pooled their $ and bought a nice automated rig. It stayed in one guys shop and they share it and use their own components. With the right friends that is a cool way to use something that is going to see a lot of downtime.

I let a half dozen guys use my gear. None of them are high volume shooters, but they enjoy putting together a few rounds for the range. I get to teach some folks skills that took me a long time to learn and my gear has been paid for in cost savings a long, long time ago.

It's pretty edifying when you drop a critter with a round you loaded.
And it's really edifying when one of your buddies drops a critter with a round you taught him how to load.

Even though this thread started out as a economic discussion, the rewards of reloading aren't entirely economic...that actually may be the least enjoyable part of it.

 

[T28w]

Yep, I already came up with more tools like a trimmer, puller, I bought a universal seating die, etc.

I do think it probably pays off much quicker if you shoot a more economical bullet.

But it’s the same I’m shooting also

 

[Firehawk]

For me, I realized it was paying off because I could afford to shoot more often. Once you are over the initial cost of the press, dies and a few miscellaneous tools, the rest of the costs are just what you would spend buying and shooting ammo anyway. Advantage is, you can tailor a load to your rifle, to your quarry, to your liking. And if you do a good job of stockpiling some powder and bullets/primers, then you aren't at the mercy of the inventory at the store any more.

But the biggest benefit to me is that I can shoot more often and that leads to being more accurate and knowing my rifles.