# Cost of Cartridges.



## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

:smt017 Someone asked me what it cost for a box of cartridges the other day on the forum so here it is. Now this is what it cost me at the prices I pay for my supplies. Your price may vary up or down. 
Using the on line calculator at this link here's what I came up with. http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp
One round=$.118, 50rds=$5.91, and 1,000rds=$118.20.
I don't buy new shells. I buy once fired at [email protected],000rds. That was figured in the above figures. I use brass untill it splits or I lose it and at some point it cost you nothing. So here's the figures without the brass.
One round=$.07, 50rds=$3.56, and a 1,000=$71.25.:smt023 
This was based on a .45cal load using a 185gr lswc and 5.3grs of powder plus Winchester LP primers and range brass.


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## Texasdoc (Jan 8, 2007)

that sound good and all but you have not figured in your time to load ,with the wife discount at Wal-mart I get Blazer brass 230 gr 45 ACP for 7.04 Tax included so its worth it to me to buy it as I would spend about 2 hours loading 500 rds .
so it costs me 14.8 Cents per round and I have the brass to see off at the end of the day to some of the reloaders at the range.

so what is your time to order supplys and load the rounds worth ????


Doc


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

I don't understand your question so I'll answer it this way. My time to get supplies or to reload the ammo is no more or less than anybody else. New shell cost about $14.89 a hundred where I buy at. I still have some from the first day I bought all my stuff. I don't figure the time wasted as if I wasn't doing this I would be watching the idiot box.


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## bompa (Oct 26, 2006)

I don't understand the people that question the cost of ones time reloading..
Most people who reload do it as a part of the hobby of shooting and like doing it..If you find reloading a pain then you shouldn't do it..Buy your ammo..
I find reloading something that I can do when a trip to the range is not possible and still be doing something gun related..Can't be shooting and cleaning all the time..
I have never sat down and figured out what it cost me per round and perhaps I never will..Have been reloading for over forty years,just about all my guns have never seen a round of factory ammo..Years ago I cast all of the bullets that I used in both rifle and pistol but I no longer have a place to do that anymore I must buy bullets..Do have a few left over from those times,mostly rifle bullets but they won't go to waste..Paper and steel don't need those fancy jacketed bullets..
Just keep shooting and have fun..


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

Well that's the same for me Bompa as I am disabled now and can't work anymore. It gives me something to do. That was my main reason for trying it out in the first place. Found out that I enjoy doing it. I like to tailor my loads to my guns and the way I shoot them. I reload at my own pace and I found I enjoy it almost as much as shooting.


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## leam (Sep 15, 2006)

For me reloading is nearly medatative. I work up the primed brass in a couple hours and then let it sit until I need the odd hundred or so. My single stage takes good care of me and I can crank out enough for that night at the range in less than an hour.

Some years ago the wife and I thought about how we spent our time and decided to get rid of the idiot box. One of the best things we've ever done! It really makes more time for what's important, like talking, reading, and reloading. 

ciao!

leam


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## martial_field (Oct 16, 2006)

Another advantage of reloading is that u can tailor the round to your individual tastes. Type of bullet, type and amount of powder, type of primers, type of brass, amount of crimp, varying the power factor etc. Many of the veteran reloaders I know trust their reloads more than they do factory but this applies only if you know what you are doing. Reloading becomes an integral part of the whole shooting hobby for many people. When you see someone at the range with numerous targets and a chronograph, you know he's testing his reloads.


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## Revolver (Aug 26, 2006)

I've found that I can get brass for free from the range. People will take a box of brand new factory ammunition, and fire it and then try to throw the brass away. The most popular pistol brass are 9mm Luger, .38spl, .357Mag, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP. They try to get rid of the stuff(.38spl is what I primarily reload for pistol, 5.56mm for rifle) and I say "Hold on there a minute. Mind if I take that off your hands?" and they usually are glad to give it to me like it's trash.

There are tons of .38spl and 5.56 brass I see freshly fired from the factory box for me to have for free. So I don't buy it. If I were a benchrest shooter or something I could reason spending the money on factory new brass but otherwise no. I realize that this isn't an option for everyone but it may be something to consider.

Unrelated question...

Any of you guys buy bullets online? Who sells the cheapest .357 caliber stuff? I'm perfectly content with non-jacketed bullets. They want to much for the stuff around here. I want cheap plinking stuff. I've already got JHP's. Preferably in the 140's gr.


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

I am lucky as I buy all my supplies local. I would like to cast my own which would cut the cost by about another third or more. Doc says no way with my lungs all wore out. I have no idea who sells the best or cheapest on the net. Good luck in finding someone.


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## 2400 (Feb 4, 2006)

Texasdoc said:


> that sound good and all but you have not figured in your time to load ,with the wife discount at Wal-mart I get Blazer brass 230 gr 45 ACP for 7.04 Tax included so its worth it to me to buy it as I would spend about 2 hours loading 500 rds .
> so it costs me 14.8 Cents per round and I have the brass to see off at the end of the day to some of the reloaders at the range.
> 
> so what is your time to order supplys and load the rounds worth ????
> ...


My wife and I would rather spend our time reloading than staring slack jawed at the TV or making the 80 mile round trip to blow $30 at the movies. We both enjoy shooting, loading and teaching shooters (new and experienced).

I don't worry about wasting time making an order list for supplies or going to a store to buy them. It's an enjoyable part of my hobby, so to me it's priceless.

Since you're figuring the cost of time, what does it cost to go to Wally World, play video games or watch TV for hours?


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## leam (Sep 15, 2006)

Revolver said:


> Unrelated question...
> 
> Any of you guys buy bullets online? Who sells the cheapest .357 caliber stuff? I'm perfectly content with non-jacketed bullets. They want to much for the stuff around here. I want cheap plinking stuff. I've already got JHP's. Preferably in the 140's gr.


Well, after a totally poor experience with National Bullet Co. I found local places that have Valient (sp?). Probably $20-$25 for 500. Supposedly Cabela's does shipping not based on weight, which would be a killer. Check this out: http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ...&parentType=index&indexId=cat20843&hasJS=true

But honestly, if you can find a local source you'll be much better off; Shipping on lead will raise the price a lot, I'd guess.

ciao!

leam


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## james (Aug 23, 2006)

*cost of loading*

I cast and reload 20 or more calibers. I enjoy making things for myself. All my stuff has been picked up since 1960 at shows or mostly from midway. The only bullets I load were boughten years ago. 30/30-06-Win338-243win. all handgun I cast. I shoot 45 colt, and 45 acp the most. Last year I shot a little over 5000 rounds through handguns. Last year, 06 I took a spike bull elk in a control hunt with the 338. A lot of satisfction with a load you made up. I've shown quite a few people how to cast and reload. Over half droped it after a short time. Others stuck to rolling their own. Like the man said it beats watching the tube or setting on a bar stool.
James:numbchuck: :smt1099


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## bangbang (Jan 18, 2007)

Revolver said:


> I've found that I can get brass for free from the range. People will take a box of brand new factory ammunition, and fire it and then try to throw the brass away.


My range does not allow us to keep any cartridges that are not ours to begin with. I guess they like to either reload it themselves, or sell it to others to reload.

If it was possible to take other people's casings, I bet there would be a few members who went in there regularly to "clean house".

I have decided that I am now going to keep all my spent casings, and sell them on eBay once I get 200 or so saved up. $10 is $10 right?

Does it really increase the value of a casing if the primer is removed and the casing is already polished? Would a reloader pay extra for this level of service? I would not be trimming any of the casings...just removing the old primer core and polishing them up a little...

I mean, a spent casing right out of the gun is worth about as much as one that has been prepped right...or not?


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

Trying to make a buck by selling cases is a hard deal. You would have to sell by volume to make anything worth wild at it. I have bought 1,000 cases one time and it was $47.00 shipping and all. So you can see theres not much to be made unless you go big time.


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## 2400 (Feb 4, 2006)

bangbang said:


> I have decided that I am now going to keep all my spent casings, and sell them on eBay once I get 200 or so saved up. $10 is $10 right?


How much they're worth depends on what caliber, nickle or brass and if there is any demand.


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## bangbang (Jan 18, 2007)

Baldy said:


> Trying to make a buck by selling cases is a hard deal. You would have to sell by volume to make anything worth wild at it. I have bought 1,000 cases one time and it was $47.00 shipping and all. So you can see theres not much to be made unless you go big time.


Yes, but that equates to a $4 rebate for each 100 bullets you buy if you are the seller of those casings.

I'll take it!

I think 9mm shells are not worth $47/1000...but still, the trouble it takes to collect them can easily be overcome by selling them to someone...

Either way, I am going to start saving my casings...although I do NOT plan on reloading them...


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

You should really try reloading your own. It's part of the hobby of shooting. You may fine it relaxing even. There's nothing like finding the sweet spot of your gun. Reloading lets do that. Good luck.


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## bangbang (Jan 18, 2007)

Baldy said:


> You should really try reloading your own. It's part of the hobby of shooting. You may fine it relaxing even. There's nothing like finding the sweet spot of your gun. Reloading lets do that. Good luck.


I have read many a horror story about reloading problems.

I may get into it one day soon...I live in an apartment...but we are moving in March...hopefully to a house with a garage.

If that happens, I will experiment with a CHEAP setup. What is the best book to get to learn more? Also, are DVDs worth it?

The one thing that discouraged me the most was cutting the casings to size. I do not like the meticulous detail that this will entail. How often you find the need to cut the casings? Is the cutting needed mainly from high heat expansion? What percentage of casings need to be cut?

It may be better for me to buy pre-polished and cut casings...this will likley add a tiny amount to the cost, but save hours upon hours in loading time.

How many times do you re-use casings for standard pressure loads?


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

*Bad Info..*

You are getting some bad information on reloading. Buy a couple of books on reloading and read up on it. I have Lymans third edition and the ABCs of handloading. You can get load info off the manufactures web sites. I load for .38/.357,.44/44mag and .45acp. You don't have to cut hand gun caliber to size only bottle neck rifle cases. I shoot mine till they split or I loose them.
Cheap on a press is not always the best way to go as they can be a real pain to get them to run right. If your going to do pistols I would look at a turret or progressive. You can start out on a single stage but if you shoot much at all, that will get old in a hurry.
Take your time and go slow and you will do just fine. This is not rocket science but you do have to think safty at all times while reloading. Good luck and ask about anything you want to know. I sure don't know it all but I know some very smart people who have been at it a long while.:watching:


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## 2400 (Feb 4, 2006)

bangbang said:


> 1)If that happens, I will experiment with a CHEAP setup.
> 
> 2)What is the best book to get to learn more? Also, are DVDs worth it?
> 
> ...


1) There are several threads here on loading that will answer some of your questions. Cheap is not always the best way to do anything.

2) Speer, Sierra, Nosler, Lyman are all good books along with the ABC's of reloading. Buy at least 2 and start reading. I've never seen a DVD on loading so I have no idea if they're worth buying or not.

3) Depending on what caliber you're planning to load you may not have to do any trimming at all.

4) You would probably be better off buying new brass.

5) How many time you can reload brass depends on what caliber it is in addition to pressure.


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## bangbang (Jan 18, 2007)

Baldy said:


> You don't have to cut hand gun caliber to size only bottle neck rifle cases. I shoot mine till they split or I loose them.


Thanks...that makes me feel better...I would not want to deal with sazing casings.

As for discarding them when they split...is that not dangerous? Do you keep track of how many times you reload each cartridge? If so, on average, how many reloads do you get per cartridge? I know that pressure will dictate how often you re-use...but let's assume 9mm or 45 ACP...


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

No I do not keep track of how many times I load my brass. I use range brass that other people don't want. I take them home and run through the tumbler and inspect them. If I find any faults I pitch them out. I started loading about 1yr ago and I am still using some of that brass. If a cartridge splits that is loaded I take back apart. I crimp the end of the shell to mark it and throw it in the kerosene bucket. I reclaim the bullet and powder.


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## bangbang (Jan 18, 2007)

Baldy said:


> No I do not keep track of how many times I load my brass. I use range brass that other people don't want. I take them home and run through the tumbler and inspect them. If I find any faults I pitch them out. I started loading about 1yr ago and I am still using some of that brass. If a cartridge splits that is loaded I take back apart. I crimp the end of the shell to mark it and throw it in the kerosene bucket. I reclaim the bullet and powder.


Oh, so the splitting usually happens prior to firing...after crimping maybe?


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## Revolver (Aug 26, 2006)

bangbang said:


> Oh, so the splitting usually happens prior to firing...after crimping maybe?


The signs of splitting occur after they've been fired. It's not dangerous if you inspect the cartridges and recognize signs of splitting. The number of times brass can be fired isn't an exact number nor is it dependent solely on the pressure of the loads.

Get a good reloading book. It will show you what to look for with used brass. It will explain it better than most of us can.


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## RustyFN (Dec 27, 2006)

I don't understand why you would figure your reloading time. Reloading is a hobby just like any other. It's like saying that you can buy fish cheaper at the market after you figure in the time it took to catch them. Here is what it cost me to reload 9mm.
One pound of powder $19, it will load about 1700 rounds.
Berry's or Ranier plated bullets $52 per 1000.
Primers $20 per 1000
Brass is free. I save mine and turn into a brass whore when I go to the range. Nobody picks up brass at our outdoor range so after an IDPA match there is a lot of once fired brass.
That comes out to about $8 per 100 or $80 per 1000. I think even WWB at Wallys would be close to $150 per 1000.
Rusty


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## bangbang (Jan 18, 2007)

I have more time than I do money. For me, reloading time is negligible. I am not a consultant who can charge $50/hr. So reloading does not take me away from a revenue source. 

For me, reloading would save money at the expense of time, and as mentioned, I have more time than I do money right now.

Once I win the lottery, I may have more money than time, and when that happens, I may still reload just for the fun of it. I would have the ABSOLUTE best equipment, and a scale that measures out to the .0001 gram.

Although, I would never think twice about buying factory ammo in major bulk. I mean like 10,000 rounds at a time.

Heck, if I won the lottery, I may even buy an indoor range...and just take ammo off the shelf as needed...hehe.


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## 2400 (Feb 4, 2006)

bangbang said:


> I would have the ABSOLUTE best equipment, and a scale that measures out to the .0001 gram.


In reloading bullets, powder and case weight are measured in grains, there are 7000 grains in a pound.


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## bangbang (Jan 18, 2007)

*Once Fired is a GREAT deal...*

I'll be buying once fired brass myself when I decide to start reloading.

As it stands, I will continue to buy factory WWB boxes from Walmart...but one day, I think they will have to increase the price.

When that gets to be too expensive, or I get over 2000 casings, I may start reloading.

I have found processed once fired brass online for $40/1000 shipped. I have found it even cheaper at other sites, but it is not processed.

ALso, eBay is a great place to buy once fired brass for like $40 per 3000 casings...actual price will vary.

I think the price difference in buying 2000 bullets woth of supplies is not that much less than buying 10000 at a time. it willb e cheaper, but not more than a penny per round...maybe two if you find the great deals...


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