# reloading?



## hideit (Oct 3, 2007)

how much do you save by reloading your own ammo?
i am tired of leaving brass on the range's floor


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## benzuncle (Aug 29, 2007)

www.handloads.com has a cost calculator; the link is at the bottom of this post. It's pretty nifty. Check with places like midway.com, etc. for prices on brass, bullets, primers and powder. If you are going to use your brass over the cost savings are decent. Powder and primer costs are very small unless you have to pay the hazmat fee for shipping them; try to find them locally and save that $20 charge.

Having gotten that all out, you still need a system for loading. Start doing the research while you are collecting your brass. Dillon, Hornady, Lee, RCBS and Lyman are some of the popular ones. Each has their fans. For many, reloading began as a way to save money. But that's pretty much bunk. As I was warned when I started: You won't save money, you'll shoot more! :smt068 But most will be quick to add that it's a great hobby. And your ammo will defiinitely be cheaper than store bought stuff and you'll have the added satisfaction of being proud of producing your own loads. I'm sure others with far more experience will be chiming in here shortly. Good luck; let us know what happens.

Here's that link: http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

Well you can save a lot. I know that for a fact as I saved enough in 3yrs to pay for my frist set up plus the ammo. Now that was just shooting .45's,.38/.357's, and .44spl/.44mags. These are not the most expensive but shooting on a regular bases is expensive. It will cost you about the price of a good handgun to get started, but after that you start saving. Prices on reloading supplies has gone up 35% since the frist of the year but range ammo has gone up 45% so I am still ahead of the game. 
Here's a webb page that can help you figure cost. http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp
Right now it is costing me $5.60 per 50rds of .45ACP. Good luck.:smt033


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## TOF (Sep 7, 2006)

The Haz Mat charge disappears rather quickly when you order from a source that does not charge sales tax.

Internet sources are less expensive than most local retail outlets and if in a different state don't charge tax.

Bullets and primers can be shipped together so buy in moderate quantity and save.

You don't burn gas getting it either.

:smt1099


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## mvslay (May 6, 2007)

To me reloading does save money, but only because I don't have the time to shoot as much as I'd like. Either way reloading is an extremely enjoyable hobby for the avid shooter. I reload both rifle and pistol. I just got my dillon 650 up and running (there again just not enough time in the day). It is a dream to run (and easy to set up). I'd recommend the dillon press to anyone (especially high volume pistol shooters). Howver, if budget is a major factor I'd start out with a good single stage press. The press itself is cheap and most of the cost associated with measuring, prep equipment, and dies can transfer over to a progressive press later.

If you have access to a friend who reloads and good mechanical apptitude I would not hesitate to jump into a good progressive reloading press. Budget would be the only reason to go for a single stage for a pistol shooter IMHO.

I shop for my primers and powder local. I try to hit gun shows as much as possible.


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## hideit (Oct 3, 2007)

thanks for the link.
i used to reload 45acp but i am considering a revolver so I don't have to chase the brass either being outdoors or indoors
i am thinking that it will be either 45long colt or 44 mag/special
i am leaning towards the 44mag/special
thoughts?


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## gmaske (Jan 7, 2008)

hideit said:


> thanks for the link.
> i used to reload 45acp but i am considering a revolver so I don't have to chase the brass either being outdoors or indoors
> i am thinking that it will be either 45long colt or 44 mag/special
> i am leaning towards the 44mag/special
> thoughts?


I'm thinking on having "BRASS WHORE" stiched on to the seat of a pair of jeans. :smt033 I was shooting a 357 when I first got in to reloading and it sure is nice to swing the cylinder out and tuck the shells back in the box were they started. I'm now shooting 45ACP and spend a great deal of time bent over looking for them suckers. It does have a silver lining as I almost always walk away with a bunch more brass then I showed up with.
I hit the Jackpot last week when some guy must have gone through 200 rounds of 38 Specials. I finally got tired of picking them up and just walked away. I have enough now to last YEARS!:smt023


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## mccoy (Dec 31, 2007)

Also,
you might think of it (reloading) in terms of *autonomy*.

What if widespread social disordeer hits our countries?

Ammo will probably be then unavailable or very costly due to soaring demand.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

mccoy said:


> Also,
> you might think of it (reloading) in terms of *autonomy*.
> What if widespread social disordeer hits our countries?
> Ammo will probably be then unavailable or very costly due to soaring demand.


If we are hit with widespread social disorder, it would be better to have stored away all the already-loaded ammunition that will fit the space into which you would otherwise put your reloading equipment.
It would be just as hard, and maybe harder, to restock your powder and primers as it would be to restock loaded cartridges. You might as well have the cartridges, loaded and ready to use.
And then there's the time factor.
And the hazard, too. Primers are high explosives, and have to be very carefully stored, while already-loaded ammunition is protective of its primers and requires less-careful storage. Cans of powder, especially of double-base powders, are a fire hazard, but loaded cartridges are not.
I could go on and on...


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## gmaske (Jan 7, 2008)

:smt082


Steve M1911A1 said:


> If we are hit with widespread social disorder, it would be better to have stored away all the already-loaded ammunition that will fit the space into which you would otherwise put your reloading equipment.
> It would be just as hard, and maybe harder, to restock your powder and primers as it would be to restock loaded cartridges. You might as well have the cartridges, loaded and ready to use.
> And then there's the time factor.
> And the hazard, too. Primers are high explosives, and have to be very carefully stored, while already-loaded ammunition is protective of its primers and requires less-careful storage. Cans of powder, especially of double-base powders, are a fire hazard, but loaded cartridges are not.
> I could go on and on...


Oh, You're just to dang lazy to make your own and need an excuse! :anim_lol:......:smt083...Besides every time I buy a box it just seems to go down the tubes! My gun leaks really bad and it seems the more ammo I buy the more it leaks:smt017


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

It's not that I'm too dang lazy to reload for all my .45s; it's that my wife now shoots .38 Special, and there just isn't room on my reloading bench for another Dillon 550.
And don't tell me about how easy it is to switch calibers on a Dillon. That's what I'm too lazy to do!
Shooting is just such a pain in the butt: no sooner do I get a couple hundred reloads ready, than I somehow quickly end up with the same number of empties gaping their mouths at me and pleading to be refilled.
You're right—it must be a leak somewhere.


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## mccoy (Dec 31, 2007)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> If we are hit with widespread social disorder, it would be better to have stored away all the already-loaded ammunition that will fit the space into which you would otherwise put your reloading equipment.
> It would be just as hard, and maybe harder, to restock your powder and primers as it would be to restock loaded cartridges. You might as well have the cartridges, loaded and ready to use.
> And then there's the time factor.
> And the hazard, too. Primers are high explosives, and have to be very carefully stored, while already-loaded ammunition is protective of its primers and requires less-careful storage. Cans of powder, especially of double-base powders, are a fire hazard, but loaded cartridges are not.
> I could go on and on...


Steve, your objections are sensible. I might retort though that factory ammunition will go off the shelves pretty soon, whereas with a couple of gallons of powder and a few boxes of primers we can stock up a helluva lot ammo. Also, bullets are not dangerous, we may keep in unlimited supplies.

So, I might agree that, if social disorders occur, we stock up on powder and primers and work hard at reloading day and night.

We can keep a reasonable supply of powder+primers to reload spent ammo, you never know how long the disorder is going to last.

Price of crude just hit the 120 US$+

presently, I hope i'm wrong but I'm not being optimistic at all


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## Clyde (Jul 13, 2006)

I'm with benzuncle

Reloading allows you to shoot more......:smt033
And you will start buying in bulk. :watching:


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## TOF (Sep 7, 2006)

On the social disorder issue: I operate on the premise that if the 2 or 3 thousand rounds I have loaded and on the shelf don't yield a fresh supply of arms and ammunition I am either a very bad shot, unlucky or dead.

Most likely the latter. :numbchuck:

:smt1099


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## mtlmgc (May 3, 2008)

you may not save a lot on the cost of practice ammo for a 9mm but for larger calibers it's definitely cheaper, the big savings come when you load personal defense loads like Golddots, Hornady XTP, or Corbons. My favorite recipe for 45LC is 230 gr Golddot on top of 11.5 gr Unique with a CCI 350 primer.


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## mccoy (Dec 31, 2007)

TOF said:


> On the social disorder issue: I operate on the premise that if the 2 or 3 thousand rounds I have loaded and on the shelf don't yield a fresh supply of arms and ammunition I am either a very bad shot, unlucky or dead.
> 
> Most likely the latter. :numbchuck:
> 
> :smt1099


Ah, yes, I didn't consider the availability of fresh supplies...:mrgreen:


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## 220combat (Oct 26, 2007)

TOF said:


> On the social disorder issue: I operate on the premise that if the 2 or 3 thousand rounds I have loaded and on the shelf don't yield a fresh supply of arms and ammunition I am either a very bad shot, unlucky or dead.
> 
> :smt1099


I agree, if I can't get by when the end times come, with the 3500+ rounds I have sitting here, I have no use trying to survive after that.


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## DevilsJohnson (Oct 21, 2007)

I save a fortune reloading. I can load 1400 rounds 9mm for what I can buy 1000. Start talking about 45's it's a lot bigger savings. I like to wait for sales and just order the crap out of stuff. My friend and I loaded a ton of 45's and are getting ready to do 9mm and 40's. WE usually will load a lot just so we don't have to do it for a while. So to have a couple/few thousand rounds loaded and stashed away is not all that uncommon. Add in that you can hand pick components you can have a much better round than what you find in a Walmart gun counter :smt082 

I shoot a lot, there's no way I could shoot like I do and buy every round. i'd of had to sell everything I own to give to the ammo man.

"Hey..Ammo Man..can you hook me up? I'll pay you Tuesday..I swear! No! I don't have a problem..I can quit any time I want..I just don't want to is all"..heh


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## Rhino (Jul 12, 2008)

Wow, I'm paying $12/50 rounds of .223.


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## billt (Aug 19, 2007)

hideit said:


> how much do you save by reloading your own ammo?
> i am tired of leaving brass on the range's floor





















With the rising cost of ammunition over the last couple of years, many shooters are considering the alternative of reloading to help cut costs. A lot has been written about how much, if any, money is actually saved when everything is taken into account. This is a cost breakdown for the 2,350 rounds of .223 I finished loading a few months back. A fellow on another forum, who was interested in reloading for his AR-15's had asked me. The brass I used was mixed headstamp. CCI, Remington, Winchester, Lake City, S&B, and a few others I'm forgetting. This brass was obtained from on line sources on the web. I processed it all the same. First I resized and deprimed all of it with a RCBS Small Base Sizing Die. Then I processed all of the primer pockets on my Dillon 600 Super Swage, because some of them were military with crimped primer pockets. I then trimmed all of them to uniform length on my Giraud Powered Case Trimmer. After that they went into the tumbler for several hours and received a polish with ground corn cob and Dillon Rapid Polish added to the media. The final step was to run it through my Dillon and crimp with a Lee Factory Crimp Die. They turned out very good. My total investment in this batch of .223 was:

Brass---------$20.00 total. (It was free, but I paid the shipping).

Powder-------$65.00 for 8 pounds of AA 2230C. (25.0 Gr. per load X 2,350 = 58,750 Gr. 58,750 divided by 7,000 Grains per pound = 8.39 pounds of powder total.)

Primers-------$59.38 for 2,350 primers @ $25.00 per thousand.

Bullets-------$172.21 (2,350 Winchester 55 Gr. FMJBT from Midway)

Boxes--------$52.00 for 100 boxes and trays from Midway. (Actually $26.00 because I used only 47.)

Grand Total = $342.59










By comparison the 1,000 rounds of Remington UMC FMJ in .223 pictured above cost me $371.00 delivered from Natchez, (9 months ago). Reloading can be extremely cost effective but you must find good sources, and buy in bulk. Here are 2 very good sources for brass, bullets, and powder. If you are willing to do a little Internet hunting, brass can be found quite inexpensively. It may require cleaning, and primer crimp removal, but tools to do that can be purchased cheaply, and the amount of time added to the operation as a whole isn't much.

www.gibrass.com

www.patsreloading.com

Now let's make some adjustments, then do the math to find out just how much, if anything, I really saved. Before we do that we need to make one critical adjustment. The $371.00 I paid for the 1,000 rounds of Remington UMC is LONG GONE. Rising fuel prices along with non ferrous metal prices have driven that number to new heights. Especially when you include shipping. If you buy locally, whatever you save in shipping you'll eat in sales tax. So it's pretty much tit for tat. The Glendale, Arizona Cabela's 2 miles from me as of last week, charges $10.00 a box of twenty for Remington UMC .223. Let's roll with that figure. Cabela's is a very large retailer, and while others might stock ammo a little cheaper, Cabela's most always has it in stock which is important because you can't very well buy what a store doesn't have when you need it. So, using Cabela's $10.00 a box of twenty price for Remington UMC 55 Gr. FMJ .223 ammo that comes to:

$500.00 per 1,000 plus 8.1% Arizona sales tax. That's $540.50 per thousand. $540.50 X 2.35 = $1,270.17 for 2,350 rounds.

So as I type this it would cost me $1,270.17 to walk out of Cabela's with the same 2,350 rounds of .223 that cost me a grand total of $342.59.

Now let's do the math.

$1,270.17 - $342.59 = $927.58 Savings over what it would cost me right now to buy the exact same thing 2.5 miles from my home from one of the biggest shooting and hunting retailers in the country.

Now let's talk time.

Resize and deprime all 2,350 cases....... 9 hours. (That's only 4.3 cases a minute, but I'm 55, and not the fastest guy when I reload.)

I tumbled all 2,350 cases over 2 nights while I slept. Adding the time to install plus remove 3 loads, (I use a Dillon FL-2000).......2 hours. Again I'm slow.

Run all 2,350 rounds through my Dillon Progressive.......Approx. 300 rounds per hour. Yeah, I know they say 500 to 600 rounds per hour, but that's not very realistic. You have to include refilling powder measures and primer tubes, plus taking a break once and a while. 2,350 Divided By 300 R.P.H. = 7.83 hours. But let's be generous and call it 9 hours.

My wife has nimble fingers and she enjoys boxing and labeling them for me, but I'll toss in another 3 hours for that as well to keep things on the up and up. So, the grand total in time invested runs:

9 Hours (Resize and deprime)

2 Hours (Putting in and removing from tumbler)

9 Hours (Yanking the handle on the Dillon)

3 Hours (Labeling & Boxing)
.................................................. ...........

23 HOURS TOTAL

$927.58 Savings Divided By 23 Total Hours = $40.33 PER HOUR.

$40.33 per hour is a damn good wage, let alone getting it for doing something you enjoy in the comfort of your own home.

So in conclusion I would say reloading is still worth it, but you must buy your components wisely, and use good equipment. As for "earning" $40.33 per hour doing it. Let's just call that icing on the cake. That cake will get more and more "frosted", as ammo prices just keep getting more and more expensive. And rest assured THEY WILL! Bill T.


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## DevilsJohnson (Oct 21, 2007)

TOF said:


> On the social disorder issue: I operate on the premise that if the 2 or 3 thousand rounds I have loaded and on the shelf don't yield a fresh supply of arms and ammunition I am either a very bad shot, unlucky or dead.
> 
> Most likely the latter. :numbchuck:
> 
> :smt1099


Haahahhaaaa..Heard that!

Reloading can save you a little money but as stated this will just put huge piles of ammo in your hands and you will say "Hey! I got a huge pile of ammo. I can reload more when I need it!" and you will go through that huge pile and make more.:smt033

I make a lot when I go to load. I will spend a day on a caliber. So I can have literally thousands of rounds around at a time. I bought two kegs of powder at the last gun show. I but the hell out of primers and slugs whenever I happen on a good price. sure..I shoot a lot more than I would if I had to buy all that already made ammo but I try and keep a pretty good stockpile around for..well..for any reason one might want a lot of ammo. That and I am lazy..So I load and load and load so I don't have to for a while. I usually wont have to buy brass as there is an out door range not too far that I will head to and pick up the HUGE piles of brass that people leave lying around. I have enough 9mm and 40 brass that I should not need any for years and not have to use the same pieces all that many times. 45 brass I actually has to get a little but I look around a lot and get it when I see a good price. There are some people on eBay and gunbroker that sell once fired pretty cheap.


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