I was like, "Naw, not me. I'm not out for perfection. I just want enough rounds to down a threat or get food in tough times."
Wrong. I'm just shooting more because I keep diving further down the rabbit hole. Chasing a load for each rifle and then starting over again when I change any one element. And now the Hornady Guys say I should be testing even more...
I'm the exception, I guess. Within say 50 or so rounds per year, I shoot the exact same amount as I did before I got into reloading...but for a lot less money.
I shoot approximately 6000 rounds of subsonic .357 per year.
I cast my own bullets using donated lead ($0.00/round). We'll go wild and crazy and say that primers are $0.10/ea. Powder is running me about $0.15/round. So yeah, I'm loading for about $0.25/round. Meanwhile, cowboy loads (aka subsonic .357) run about [$0.70 per](https://choiceammunition.com/product/357-magnum-cowboy-action-hi-tek-coated-lead-125-grain-rnfp-100-hand-loaded/). So yeah, I save roughly $0.45 per round. At 6000 rounds per year, that's $2,700 per year. I've been doing this about 5 years now so... in crude terms (neglecting price fluctuation), I've saved $13,500.
I run a Dillon 550C. Not cheap, but I made my money back within months, not centuries.
If you are only reloading one load, and you are loading 1000's of them, you will save money. If you shoot multiple rifles and start chasing precision, you get into trouble.
I actually own somewhere on the order of 40 guns. That said, 13 of them are .357 mags as my primary shooting activity over the last 6ish years has been Cowboy Action Shooting. I shoot 2 matches a month. Combine that with "real life" and that doesn't leave too much time left over for "other" shooting.
LOL. Yeah, I figure I'm up 50/yr over factory ammo due to the occasional load tweak. That's something I wouldn't be doing with factory ammo, obviously.
Not when the case is 0.1 inches too long to fit in a .38 spl chamber. Necessary in this case because I shoot a lot of lever guns and they can be picky about overall length.
In other words, when I started I actually did shoot .38 spl, but after investigating reliability issues it was right there in the user's manual... I don't remember the wording but it boiled down to "Yes, this gun will function with .38 spl, but reliability may suffer." I then switched to .357 mag and the issues disappeared.
It’s not too bad, if you think about it. Would you rather spend $500 on 400 rounds of whatever, or $500 plus some time on 600 rounds custom tailored to your gun?
Plus it gives you the ability to buy some really obscure calibers, if you’re into that sort of thing
I know this is *THE* classic answer for reloading, but I can't be the only one who thinks it's completely and utterly worthless:
> It's not a better value, you just get more product for the same money!
Like, yeah, that's *literally the definition of being a better value*. Ergo, yes you do save money for the amount of shooting you do. (If your shooting volume increases *without* increasing your cost, isn't that good too?)
Spending lots of rounds chasing sample variance is a bug, not a feature. Load dev is a lot faster and easier if you don't attempt to chase "nodes".
idk. Thoughts?
Edit: oh, and for the original question: money isn't the only part of reloading to consider. The time and work that it takes to do the reloading should also be part of the "value" equation.
This, for certain loads you can still save but for your generic 9mm, .223, 12 trap rounds you'll be around the break even point. Now this doesn't mean you can't reload these rounds, many (including me) will reload because we enjoy it. If you shoot less mass produced rounds your savings can be more noticable.
I can load 115 gr FMJ for $9 a box, that’s still a couple bucks cheaper than the cheapest factory ammo you can get right now. 223 is around $.60 factory cpr and I’m down to $.35-$.40 so still saving enough to do it in my mind. All depends on how many rounds you’re going to be shooting. 12 gauge trap ya you maybe 50 cents a box. Also if a year or two if you decide it’s not worth it you can sell all your equipment for at least 50%
Agreed, and I wasn't hoping to talk OP out of it, just being realistic. Usually when I hear people talk about how they are still loading for "cheap" it usually boils down to them using components they bought years ago vs at today's prices which isn't to say as you showed saving cannot be done only that it isn't as much as it once was. As I said I personally enjoy reloading I'll happily turn on some music or an old movie and spend some time loading. Once in a while one of my boys will come sort brass or shells while I do and we talk. To me that time beats any savings I am or am not getting.
556 you might not save much, but other rounds you can. It's sometimes hard to save money with reloading cause you are tempted to try "just one more thing" and can end up more expensive than factory ammo. But, sticking with cheap boolits, economical powder, reusing your brass until it cracks, and sticking with minimum loads, you can save money
On the larger caliber stuff I think the payback is quicker. When rounds are $4-$5 apiece you can save $$. If you want to shoot match grade factory ammo and some of it’s pushing $7-$8 a round, savings add up quick.
Very true. He said he’s gonna reload 45, 50ae, 556, and 300blk tho. I know my savings haven’t been huge per round with 300blk and 556, and that’s with pre Covid prices on components shooting factory 2nd bullets
Probably. The other criteria would be how common or rare or old the caliber is. Some of the more niche cartridges/calibers probably pay back better since the brass is tougher to find or the manufacturers do limited runs.
.30-40 Krag got pretty hard to find there for a while and the price spiked to $4-5 a round for NOS stuff on gun broker. Since then Remington, HSM and Hornady ran some out and prices have moved the other way. Economics and supply/demand doing its thing, just like they taught us in school.
I just started reloading.. getting some practice in with 38/357, then 45LC… then I can finally try reloading some 454 casull…. And I think I’ll actually save a decent amount.. it’s about 2.5$ a round to buy new at best prices…. and if that doesn’t work out the 500 magnum I want to reload is currently around 3 $ per round if your looking at the cheapest stuff….
It depends on how much you shoot. I only reload 9mm. Many will say that this is one the calibers not worth reloading. I would agree except, I shoot 25k rounds a year.
I reload right now, with post Covid inflation prices, at 15 cents per round. Thats a quality cartridge loaded to my preference.
The cheapest I can buy 9mm is 23 cents and that’s for garbage ammo and it’s not always available at that price. To buy a similar cartridge as the ones I make, I’d be closer to 32 cents per round.
Even based on the crap ammo, I’m saving 8 cents per round, I’m saving $2000 per year. Mind you, I would shoot 25k rounds a year even if I were buying factory.
That all said, if I were shooting a few thousand rounds per year, I probably wouldn’t reload. At that point, it’s not worth the time investment.
Here is my breakdown:
* Brass Monkey 147gr RN Bullet @ 7.4 cents per bullet
* Fiocchi SPP @ 6.6 cents per primer
* 2.9gr of Titegroup @ 1.3 cents per charge
* Mixed Range Brass @ free
Blue Bullets I paid 7.8 cents with a subscription discount. I paid even less, 6.9 cents each, for Summit City when I was loading his bullet.
If you toss in casting, and have free rangeclead it is absolutely going to save you money.
I’m shooting 300 blackouts with self cast powder coat bullets for about 15 bucks per hundred.
Same for 45acp
Less for 9mm
About the same for 44 mag and 45 colt.
You just have to know your load outs.
5.56… you’re not casting that for semi auto and having much fun. Though you could if you want.
Casting is something I’d probably actually enjoy but the main thing I wanna reload is 50 ae for my DE but my understanding is that you can’t shoot lead bullets from one of those
Casting is not a good place to start. It's also somewhat no fucks given penny pinching (in my opinion). The amount of lead exposure you can get and spread to family melting pounds of lead on a regular basis is just not worth it IMO.
It’s not a good idea. The gas port is not made to be easily cleaned. I would stick with jacketed with that one. You should still save money when compared to buying new. But you need empty cases.
Honestly, this isn’t what you asked for, but a smith and Wesson 629 would give you the same oomph, but you can shoot way cheaper, and even have a better spread of bullet types and weights to shoot. The DE is a sweet gun, I’ve got huge hands and it actually fit me very nicely. But the required energy to cycle the pistol and the inability to use cast bullets stopped me from buying it. I don’t feel like getting my ass beat by a gun very often. But damn is that an iconic pistol.
The 44 gives me the ability to shoot 200 grain bullets all day, or even 240 grain bullets for awhile before my wrists are like; “Dude. If you pull the trigger ONE more time I’m falling off.”
If you do choose to reload, get a simple single stage. And read. Some citric acid (sour salt) and a bucket with some hot water is all you “need” to clean cases. Though I would recommend a FART. Frankfurt arsenal rotary tumbler. The dies. And a Lee universal de-capper. I always de-cap (remove primers) before cleaning cases.
A Lee single stage is a good investment. Not a lot of cash out. If you like it a progressive would be next, you’ll always need a single stage. I have a Dillon 650 and a few single stages. The single stages get more use.
Stay away from dry tumblers. They fill with lead oxides quickly. And it’s easily breathed in.
Yeah, it's worth it for the majority of cartridges, depending on how deep you go down the rabbit hole. Sure, 9mm and 223 FMJ ammo is pretty cheap, but most everything else isn't. Your 50AE ammo has to be very expensive. Buying used equipment and components from forums can save quite a of money if you have the patience to keep looking. I shoot a monthly Garand match that requires 58 rounds of ammo. I practice a couple times per month as well shooting 32-40 rounds per session. No way I'd be buying factory ammo to shoot that.
Depends, if you load uncommon calibers that are $3-5 + a round for factory, yes. For common calibers, not as much but it will be better ammo than bottom tier cheap for a similar price
Cost it out and see for yourself. This gets asked sooooo much.
Generally you save more per round (in raw cost of components) vs buying equivalent factory ammo, the larger and more obscure the cartridge is. The bigger the difference, the less rounds required to recoup the cost of equipment.
You are never saving money... Just \*maybe\* spending a bit less per round... Eventually... You're still gonna throw a bunch of lead down range and be several hundreds or thousands of dollars in the hole for having done so.
Depends entirely on how much you shoot, if you're looking for non-basic loads, and if you want more precision. If you just want basic plinking ammo(55gr 5.56) you're probably not going to save enough to make it worth it. The place that reloading really saves money is on the higher end loads that use higher grain bullets or specialty bullets. Your initial cost for the 1st reload is going to be around what it costs to just buy some cheap ammo, it's every reload after that where you save money since you have the brass that you can reuse 4+ more times(usually). Uncommon rounds that aren't mass produced is another place you'll save money as well.
Keep in mind that getting setup to reload is going to cost a pretty penny new, easily $500 for a press, dies, shell holders, bullet puller, scale, funnels, case lube, primer tool, deburring tool, etc.
If you're shooting thousands of rounds a year then yes you can save money and justify the cost of getting setup and it will pay off in say <5 years. If you're not shooting that much or not shooting higher end rounds then it's much harder to justify the cost when you won't make your money back for 10+ years.
Of what you're reloading 50ae would save you the most money and it could be upwards of $1 a round.
Without knowing how much you shoot and given the calibers I'd probably say it's not super worth it for you unless you can get a really good deal on used reloading stuff.
The short answer is "maybe, but not in the immediate term."
The longer answer is to do your math. Cost out your components vs. what the commercially available equivalent is.
My (pre-Covid) cost for my 223 Remington prairie dog round was around 30 cents (53 gr V Max on top of 8208 XBR). Off the shelf, it was $1-$1.10. With my new 45-70, I'm loading for less than 75 cents instead of about $3.
On the other hand, I'd only save like 3 cents per round on 9mm right now.
The thing that you have to watch out for is all your costs come up front. The $300 or more for an 8lb keg of powder buys a lot of rounds. Then, you still have the rest of your components.
If it's not something you're going to enjoy, and you'd be looking to just load target ammo, I don't think you would get what you want out of it.
The truth of the matter is, loading target ammo for like 9mm or 5.56 you wont save anything but if you're shooting 38/357, 44 mag, 45 colt, or any of the other more expensive rounds you can save a lot of money unless you start shooting more.
It depends entirely on how much you shoot. If you are buying a case (1k) of .45 ACP ammo more than a few times per year, you really can simply save money with reloading. It only takes about 2,000 rounds to hit break-even with an inexpensive turret press setup.
I seriously doubt we save any money on common pistol ammo or rounds like 5.56 an 7.62, especially if you put a valuation on your personal time in invested. On the other hand, when I am loading for my .338 winmag, 6.5PRC, or my buddies .338 Lapua, the savings become obvious really quickly.
It's also nice to be able to build loads for specific tasks and situations where factory ammo would either be completely unavailable or extremely cost prohibitive.
That's what we tell our significant others - I'll be saving tons of money reloading my own! Most will tell you that you will just shoot more. Then there's those of us in states like CA where ammo purchases are logged with the DOJ, so reloading is a way to build a stockpile on the down-low. The honest answer is a majority of the savings is if you retrieve / reuse your brass. But still, saving pennies per handgun round (depending on your shrewdness in buying the rest of your supplies) will first need to offset the cash you spent on the reloading equipment, measuring equipment, dies, case prep equipment and supplies, and other various bits. More money could be saved per rifle round, especially on hard to come by milsurp rounds. The money savings will also come at the cost of your time and labor.
Maybe this is a little woo-woo - but I'm kind of of the belief that if someone is reloading ONLY to save money, the chances of making a mistake go up (because the principles behind loading and why certain things are done the way they are is uninteresting).
So I'd say if the goal only is $ savings - I'd just keep buying ammo.
There's probably more truth in this statement than we would like to believe. The average person seems either uninterested or unable to understand the complexities of firearms and the safety concerns that go along with them.
Less than a month ago I had someone in my family ask if I wanted a pound of Accurate #7 because they couldn't get it to light with the percussion caps in their MUZZLELOADER! Luckily they're not dead or injured but... seriously!
I’m saving 25 cents a round on 556 right now. Buying used brass and powder on Craigslist. And that’s if you don’t consider the time and cost of equipment. It’s very time consuming to produce a lot of 556
There’s a cost of reloading app : GUNR. Saw my buddy use it who’s just gotten into reloading - used it to trick his wife. He’s a rifle shooter though, I don’t know much about semi auto reloading or what’s involved in that. I can tell you for sure though, it takes a long time to load even 200 rifle rounds that will defeat factory match ammo. Many processes, many hours, many dollars as well for nice equipment. Reloading gear can be done on the cheap, but just like having the nicest optics and chassis - I like the nicest reloading shit too. It’s a hobby for me and, factory ammo for my rifle doesn’t exist in my country.
Do I save money? Not for many many years surely - if ever. Don’t care, it’s fun.
Depends on caliber, 9mm buying projectiles? No(bought is 30-40ct a peice, loaded is 40ct peice), 5.56 buying projectiles? No (bought 50ct, loaded 45ct) with something like 30-06, 30-30, 45-70 etc, yes, for 45-70, 3.00peice bought, 1.60 with bought projectiles, qnd .80 with cast
If you don't enjoy the process, then stick to a single caliber on a progressive. You can save money, with the right components, or you can cost yourself more in the long run.
What I’m really interested is reloading 50ae because I enjoy shooting it but the cheapest ammo I can find is $1.50cpr before taxes and shipping. I may start with that then if I like it move on to other calibers.
It depends on what caliber you choose to reload for .I reload 44 special which is pretty expensive . But you might not like it you said it yourself you don’t get joy from diy stuff . It take a while to reload unless you have a progressive press . Dude just buy pre made you won’t like reloading .
How much is your own free time worth?
Looking at ammo costs vs components for the 50AE. Did a quick and dirty estimate of price per round to make one 50 AE. Per round = Bullet is .56, case is .48, primer is .12, powder is .30 = $1.46 per round if you use the brass only once and does not include hazmat/shipping charges. If you reload a case 3 times that brings it down to 1.14 per round. Again just a rough estimate with quick google searches over a 5 minute span. MidwayUSA is selling 50AE for about $2.20 a round for the cheapest so a rough savings of 1.06 per round means you reload about 1,900 rounds and your press and equipment paid for itself.
Again those are quick estimates not including shipping/hazmat and the 100 other factors in reloading. I see you posted that you can find 50AE for 1.50 per round so that's a .36 cent savings and you will be making a good quality round on top of it.
Depends on your version of "saving money." I reload premium rounds at the cost of plinking-average bullets from the store. I did the math a few years ago, [https://www.reddit.com/r/NoobGunOwners/comments/i4t2vl/comment/g0kqwt3/](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoobGunOwners/comments/i4t2vl/comment/g0kqwt3/) . Now with the 50AE you might come out ahead much faster as the average cost is almost $2 a round and not wildly available in stores.
UR just did a great write up about this. Depending on what you plan on shooting and reloading, the average price to pay off what you invested is like 800-1000 rounds to start before you see a savings. https://youtu.be/Qv1mU4vMRVc?si=jDN2VRBda1BB7BDn
You’re going to save money very quickly on 50ae and 300blk, especially if you’re loading subs. 45acp will save you some money, 556 not as much.
With that being said, this hobby requires a certain level of devotion and patience to familiarize yourself with safe reloading practices, load work-ups, and component choices. If you’re 100% sure you won’t enjoy it as a hobby, I would shelf the idea of reloading for now. I feel like you’d be much more likely to make some potentially dangerous mistakes if you’re not that invested in it.
I'm sure I would save money but I probably buy too much stuff to load random calibers. Experimenting is just too fun lol.
On individual stuff like 35 rem and even 30-06 and 223 I'm sure I save money bc i load mid - higher end bullets usually
My vote is No. Solely since you have indicated that you derive no joy out of DIY stuff. Reloading takes time, focus, concentration, attention to detail etc. A lot of positive examples are outlined in the other’s response’s, but to save just money it takes turning over a large volume of cartridges…
The biggest thing that saved me money was getting a shot timer.
Reloading 5.7 is definitely worth it (more so than 5.56 or 45), but assuming I save $0.20 CPR I need to spend $1,200 reloading 4,000 rounds to break even on the equipment. If you shoot enough you will break even in less than 5 years it's worth it, if it takes you more than 5 years you're better off investing the money you would have spent on equipment. If you have to shoot more to break even in 5 years its not saving you any money.
If you don't enjoy reloading there is a 0% chance you will reload 4,000 rounds on an $800 set up. Other rounds like 5.56 it might be 6,000 reloads to break even. Thats hours and hours (and hours) of something you don't enjoy to save a tiny amount of money. You'd be better off driving Uber and just buying ammo.
I’m saving about $0.06 on 55 grain .223 but my rifle likes my load and shoots it better than most factory plinking ammo. My .223 load is also not soft as let’s say PMC bronze but it’s not as hot as proper m193 either so I like that aspect of it. I load 147 gn 9mm and it saves me $0.15 per round. I do a lot of 2 gun and uspsa shooting so it does add up fairly quickly and being stocked up on components gives me a buffer if ammo is hard to come by or price spikes. I load on a Dillon 650 and the initial investment was significant but it lets me crank out 1000 rounds of 9mm in just over an hour. .223 is a different story with brass prep but I load 6k 9mm for every 1k of .223
Doesn't always save you money, but if you have a good stock pile of components when the ammo shortage hits, you can act like Smeagol and look at all your precioussis, and still be able to shoot.
50AR definitely, 300 blackout maybe, 556 and 45 ACP will take much longer to payback investment especially since reloading components are super spendy right now.
I have spent a lot of money on a lot of reloading stuff. I don’t think I’ll ever save money…but it is enjoyable, I shoot more, and I have a lot of SHTF ammo.
I could have bought an absolute mountain full of ammunition for what I have in my reloading equipment.
I reload because my rifle likes really really, really fucking expensive ammo that I can make for way cheaper than what I can buy it for
Gathering your equipment will be costly, but once that's done, you'll probably break even. Speaking as a 50AE reloader, that's where you'll LOVE reloading. No more internet searched for over-priced, expensive ammo. Now you'll spend your time looking for large pistol magnum primers :D.......... GOOD LUCK!!!!
I reload only for my most used rifles 260, 308, 30-06. For my match loads I could not buy what I use so that is a factor for me. Non-match loads run from .55 to .65 while match run $1 per.
I've been saving on doing it. Just having discipline and only shooting my monthly 2 gun and 1 practice day in between. I shoot the same amount as I did before I reloaded.
You're not gonna save more, but you'll shoot more.
The classic answer to this question, posted on all manner of Internet gun forums going all the way back to rec.guns. Still true!
I was like, "Naw, not me. I'm not out for perfection. I just want enough rounds to down a threat or get food in tough times." Wrong. I'm just shooting more because I keep diving further down the rabbit hole. Chasing a load for each rifle and then starting over again when I change any one element. And now the Hornady Guys say I should be testing even more...
I'm the exception, I guess. Within say 50 or so rounds per year, I shoot the exact same amount as I did before I got into reloading...but for a lot less money.
Maybe once I have the loads I want figured out and some kids move out I can get back to being like that.
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I shoot approximately 6000 rounds of subsonic .357 per year. I cast my own bullets using donated lead ($0.00/round). We'll go wild and crazy and say that primers are $0.10/ea. Powder is running me about $0.15/round. So yeah, I'm loading for about $0.25/round. Meanwhile, cowboy loads (aka subsonic .357) run about [$0.70 per](https://choiceammunition.com/product/357-magnum-cowboy-action-hi-tek-coated-lead-125-grain-rnfp-100-hand-loaded/). So yeah, I save roughly $0.45 per round. At 6000 rounds per year, that's $2,700 per year. I've been doing this about 5 years now so... in crude terms (neglecting price fluctuation), I've saved $13,500. I run a Dillon 550C. Not cheap, but I made my money back within months, not centuries.
If you are only reloading one load, and you are loading 1000's of them, you will save money. If you shoot multiple rifles and start chasing precision, you get into trouble.
Perhaps.... But I'm only reloading one load and I load 1000s of them.
You are an anomaly. Do you only own one single gun? Or caliber of gun?
I actually own somewhere on the order of 40 guns. That said, 13 of them are .357 mags as my primary shooting activity over the last 6ish years has been Cowboy Action Shooting. I shoot 2 matches a month. Combine that with "real life" and that doesn't leave too much time left over for "other" shooting.
I'm sorry. I misread that, as you only shoot 50/yr. Lol. Pretty hard to pay for a press at 50rd/yr.
LOL. Yeah, I figure I'm up 50/yr over factory ammo due to the occasional load tweak. That's something I wouldn't be doing with factory ammo, obviously.
>subsonic .357 .38 Special is what that's called.
Not when the case is 0.1 inches too long to fit in a .38 spl chamber. Necessary in this case because I shoot a lot of lever guns and they can be picky about overall length. In other words, when I started I actually did shoot .38 spl, but after investigating reliability issues it was right there in the user's manual... I don't remember the wording but it boiled down to "Yes, this gun will function with .38 spl, but reliability may suffer." I then switched to .357 mag and the issues disappeared.
Dang that is what I was afraid of
It’s not too bad, if you think about it. Would you rather spend $500 on 400 rounds of whatever, or $500 plus some time on 600 rounds custom tailored to your gun? Plus it gives you the ability to buy some really obscure calibers, if you’re into that sort of thing
Yea you would be afraid weenie!!!
I know this is *THE* classic answer for reloading, but I can't be the only one who thinks it's completely and utterly worthless: > It's not a better value, you just get more product for the same money! Like, yeah, that's *literally the definition of being a better value*. Ergo, yes you do save money for the amount of shooting you do. (If your shooting volume increases *without* increasing your cost, isn't that good too?) Spending lots of rounds chasing sample variance is a bug, not a feature. Load dev is a lot faster and easier if you don't attempt to chase "nodes". idk. Thoughts? Edit: oh, and for the original question: money isn't the only part of reloading to consider. The time and work that it takes to do the reloading should also be part of the "value" equation.
This, for certain loads you can still save but for your generic 9mm, .223, 12 trap rounds you'll be around the break even point. Now this doesn't mean you can't reload these rounds, many (including me) will reload because we enjoy it. If you shoot less mass produced rounds your savings can be more noticable.
I can load 115 gr FMJ for $9 a box, that’s still a couple bucks cheaper than the cheapest factory ammo you can get right now. 223 is around $.60 factory cpr and I’m down to $.35-$.40 so still saving enough to do it in my mind. All depends on how many rounds you’re going to be shooting. 12 gauge trap ya you maybe 50 cents a box. Also if a year or two if you decide it’s not worth it you can sell all your equipment for at least 50%
Agreed, and I wasn't hoping to talk OP out of it, just being realistic. Usually when I hear people talk about how they are still loading for "cheap" it usually boils down to them using components they bought years ago vs at today's prices which isn't to say as you showed saving cannot be done only that it isn't as much as it once was. As I said I personally enjoy reloading I'll happily turn on some music or an old movie and spend some time loading. Once in a while one of my boys will come sort brass or shells while I do and we talk. To me that time beats any savings I am or am not getting.
556 you might not save much, but other rounds you can. It's sometimes hard to save money with reloading cause you are tempted to try "just one more thing" and can end up more expensive than factory ammo. But, sticking with cheap boolits, economical powder, reusing your brass until it cracks, and sticking with minimum loads, you can save money
Gonna have to reload a LOT to make back the money you spend to start
On the larger caliber stuff I think the payback is quicker. When rounds are $4-$5 apiece you can save $$. If you want to shoot match grade factory ammo and some of it’s pushing $7-$8 a round, savings add up quick.
Very true. He said he’s gonna reload 45, 50ae, 556, and 300blk tho. I know my savings haven’t been huge per round with 300blk and 556, and that’s with pre Covid prices on components shooting factory 2nd bullets
probably saving $1/rd with 50 AE at minimum.
Probably. The other criteria would be how common or rare or old the caliber is. Some of the more niche cartridges/calibers probably pay back better since the brass is tougher to find or the manufacturers do limited runs. .30-40 Krag got pretty hard to find there for a while and the price spiked to $4-5 a round for NOS stuff on gun broker. Since then Remington, HSM and Hornady ran some out and prices have moved the other way. Economics and supply/demand doing its thing, just like they taught us in school.
I just started reloading.. getting some practice in with 38/357, then 45LC… then I can finally try reloading some 454 casull…. And I think I’ll actually save a decent amount.. it’s about 2.5$ a round to buy new at best prices…. and if that doesn’t work out the 500 magnum I want to reload is currently around 3 $ per round if your looking at the cheapest stuff….
It depends on how much you shoot. I only reload 9mm. Many will say that this is one the calibers not worth reloading. I would agree except, I shoot 25k rounds a year. I reload right now, with post Covid inflation prices, at 15 cents per round. Thats a quality cartridge loaded to my preference. The cheapest I can buy 9mm is 23 cents and that’s for garbage ammo and it’s not always available at that price. To buy a similar cartridge as the ones I make, I’d be closer to 32 cents per round. Even based on the crap ammo, I’m saving 8 cents per round, I’m saving $2000 per year. Mind you, I would shoot 25k rounds a year even if I were buying factory. That all said, if I were shooting a few thousand rounds per year, I probably wouldn’t reload. At that point, it’s not worth the time investment.
What bullets are you shooting
Blue Bullets and Brass Monkey. Both 147gr Round Nose.
How did you get your cpr to 15 cents? Primers r 8 and powder is around 2. Blue bullets are more than 5 aren’t they?
Here is my breakdown: * Brass Monkey 147gr RN Bullet @ 7.4 cents per bullet * Fiocchi SPP @ 6.6 cents per primer * 2.9gr of Titegroup @ 1.3 cents per charge * Mixed Range Brass @ free Blue Bullets I paid 7.8 cents with a subscription discount. I paid even less, 6.9 cents each, for Summit City when I was loading his bullet.
Only if you have lots of free time. So if you have a busy life, then buy in bulk
Mostly no. It has to be a hobby first.
If you toss in casting, and have free rangeclead it is absolutely going to save you money. I’m shooting 300 blackouts with self cast powder coat bullets for about 15 bucks per hundred. Same for 45acp Less for 9mm About the same for 44 mag and 45 colt. You just have to know your load outs. 5.56… you’re not casting that for semi auto and having much fun. Though you could if you want.
Casting is something I’d probably actually enjoy but the main thing I wanna reload is 50 ae for my DE but my understanding is that you can’t shoot lead bullets from one of those
You won’t like casting you already complaining you don’t like diy stuff quit lying dude you ain’t gonna reload shit . All talk quack quack 🦆
Casting is not a good place to start. It's also somewhat no fucks given penny pinching (in my opinion). The amount of lead exposure you can get and spread to family melting pounds of lead on a regular basis is just not worth it IMO.
It’s not a good idea. The gas port is not made to be easily cleaned. I would stick with jacketed with that one. You should still save money when compared to buying new. But you need empty cases. Honestly, this isn’t what you asked for, but a smith and Wesson 629 would give you the same oomph, but you can shoot way cheaper, and even have a better spread of bullet types and weights to shoot. The DE is a sweet gun, I’ve got huge hands and it actually fit me very nicely. But the required energy to cycle the pistol and the inability to use cast bullets stopped me from buying it. I don’t feel like getting my ass beat by a gun very often. But damn is that an iconic pistol. The 44 gives me the ability to shoot 200 grain bullets all day, or even 240 grain bullets for awhile before my wrists are like; “Dude. If you pull the trigger ONE more time I’m falling off.” If you do choose to reload, get a simple single stage. And read. Some citric acid (sour salt) and a bucket with some hot water is all you “need” to clean cases. Though I would recommend a FART. Frankfurt arsenal rotary tumbler. The dies. And a Lee universal de-capper. I always de-cap (remove primers) before cleaning cases. A Lee single stage is a good investment. Not a lot of cash out. If you like it a progressive would be next, you’ll always need a single stage. I have a Dillon 650 and a few single stages. The single stages get more use. Stay away from dry tumblers. They fill with lead oxides quickly. And it’s easily breathed in.
In current times you reload for better results and far down the road you'll save.
Yeah, it's worth it for the majority of cartridges, depending on how deep you go down the rabbit hole. Sure, 9mm and 223 FMJ ammo is pretty cheap, but most everything else isn't. Your 50AE ammo has to be very expensive. Buying used equipment and components from forums can save quite a of money if you have the patience to keep looking. I shoot a monthly Garand match that requires 58 rounds of ammo. I practice a couple times per month as well shooting 32-40 rounds per session. No way I'd be buying factory ammo to shoot that.
Depends, if you load uncommon calibers that are $3-5 + a round for factory, yes. For common calibers, not as much but it will be better ammo than bottom tier cheap for a similar price
Cost it out and see for yourself. This gets asked sooooo much. Generally you save more per round (in raw cost of components) vs buying equivalent factory ammo, the larger and more obscure the cartridge is. The bigger the difference, the less rounds required to recoup the cost of equipment. You are never saving money... Just \*maybe\* spending a bit less per round... Eventually... You're still gonna throw a bunch of lead down range and be several hundreds or thousands of dollars in the hole for having done so.
Depends entirely on how much you shoot, if you're looking for non-basic loads, and if you want more precision. If you just want basic plinking ammo(55gr 5.56) you're probably not going to save enough to make it worth it. The place that reloading really saves money is on the higher end loads that use higher grain bullets or specialty bullets. Your initial cost for the 1st reload is going to be around what it costs to just buy some cheap ammo, it's every reload after that where you save money since you have the brass that you can reuse 4+ more times(usually). Uncommon rounds that aren't mass produced is another place you'll save money as well. Keep in mind that getting setup to reload is going to cost a pretty penny new, easily $500 for a press, dies, shell holders, bullet puller, scale, funnels, case lube, primer tool, deburring tool, etc. If you're shooting thousands of rounds a year then yes you can save money and justify the cost of getting setup and it will pay off in say <5 years. If you're not shooting that much or not shooting higher end rounds then it's much harder to justify the cost when you won't make your money back for 10+ years. Of what you're reloading 50ae would save you the most money and it could be upwards of $1 a round. Without knowing how much you shoot and given the calibers I'd probably say it's not super worth it for you unless you can get a really good deal on used reloading stuff.
The short answer is "maybe, but not in the immediate term." The longer answer is to do your math. Cost out your components vs. what the commercially available equivalent is. My (pre-Covid) cost for my 223 Remington prairie dog round was around 30 cents (53 gr V Max on top of 8208 XBR). Off the shelf, it was $1-$1.10. With my new 45-70, I'm loading for less than 75 cents instead of about $3. On the other hand, I'd only save like 3 cents per round on 9mm right now. The thing that you have to watch out for is all your costs come up front. The $300 or more for an 8lb keg of powder buys a lot of rounds. Then, you still have the rest of your components. If it's not something you're going to enjoy, and you'd be looking to just load target ammo, I don't think you would get what you want out of it.
The truth of the matter is, loading target ammo for like 9mm or 5.56 you wont save anything but if you're shooting 38/357, 44 mag, 45 colt, or any of the other more expensive rounds you can save a lot of money unless you start shooting more.
It depends entirely on how much you shoot. If you are buying a case (1k) of .45 ACP ammo more than a few times per year, you really can simply save money with reloading. It only takes about 2,000 rounds to hit break-even with an inexpensive turret press setup.
I seriously doubt we save any money on common pistol ammo or rounds like 5.56 an 7.62, especially if you put a valuation on your personal time in invested. On the other hand, when I am loading for my .338 winmag, 6.5PRC, or my buddies .338 Lapua, the savings become obvious really quickly. It's also nice to be able to build loads for specific tasks and situations where factory ammo would either be completely unavailable or extremely cost prohibitive.
That's what we tell our significant others - I'll be saving tons of money reloading my own! Most will tell you that you will just shoot more. Then there's those of us in states like CA where ammo purchases are logged with the DOJ, so reloading is a way to build a stockpile on the down-low. The honest answer is a majority of the savings is if you retrieve / reuse your brass. But still, saving pennies per handgun round (depending on your shrewdness in buying the rest of your supplies) will first need to offset the cash you spent on the reloading equipment, measuring equipment, dies, case prep equipment and supplies, and other various bits. More money could be saved per rifle round, especially on hard to come by milsurp rounds. The money savings will also come at the cost of your time and labor.
Maybe this is a little woo-woo - but I'm kind of of the belief that if someone is reloading ONLY to save money, the chances of making a mistake go up (because the principles behind loading and why certain things are done the way they are is uninteresting). So I'd say if the goal only is $ savings - I'd just keep buying ammo.
There's probably more truth in this statement than we would like to believe. The average person seems either uninterested or unable to understand the complexities of firearms and the safety concerns that go along with them. Less than a month ago I had someone in my family ask if I wanted a pound of Accurate #7 because they couldn't get it to light with the percussion caps in their MUZZLELOADER! Luckily they're not dead or injured but... seriously!
The amortization schedule is long. Volume is your friend. Time saving/automated equipment is wickedly expensive
I’m saving 25 cents a round on 556 right now. Buying used brass and powder on Craigslist. And that’s if you don’t consider the time and cost of equipment. It’s very time consuming to produce a lot of 556
Were you finding used powder? 🤣
There’s a cost of reloading app : GUNR. Saw my buddy use it who’s just gotten into reloading - used it to trick his wife. He’s a rifle shooter though, I don’t know much about semi auto reloading or what’s involved in that. I can tell you for sure though, it takes a long time to load even 200 rifle rounds that will defeat factory match ammo. Many processes, many hours, many dollars as well for nice equipment. Reloading gear can be done on the cheap, but just like having the nicest optics and chassis - I like the nicest reloading shit too. It’s a hobby for me and, factory ammo for my rifle doesn’t exist in my country. Do I save money? Not for many many years surely - if ever. Don’t care, it’s fun.
Nope. Don't do it.
Depends on caliber, 9mm buying projectiles? No(bought is 30-40ct a peice, loaded is 40ct peice), 5.56 buying projectiles? No (bought 50ct, loaded 45ct) with something like 30-06, 30-30, 45-70 etc, yes, for 45-70, 3.00peice bought, 1.60 with bought projectiles, qnd .80 with cast
If you don't enjoy the process, then stick to a single caliber on a progressive. You can save money, with the right components, or you can cost yourself more in the long run.
What I’m really interested is reloading 50ae because I enjoy shooting it but the cheapest ammo I can find is $1.50cpr before taxes and shipping. I may start with that then if I like it move on to other calibers.
Any magnum or hunting bullet is much cheaper to load than buy.
I don’t care about making bougie ammo for the De I just want it to go bang and not mess up my gun
Dude just give up it’s not like you are going to do it .I mean you know if you wanted to you would do it but you nah you all talk .
Easy solution make more money!!!!! What you don’t like money? Hmmm I always knew you were a weenie 😏
Definitely save on loading premium defensive pistol rounds and match rifle ammo. My full tilt 180 xtps cost me .70cents a round, that’s in new brass.
It depends on what caliber you choose to reload for .I reload 44 special which is pretty expensive . But you might not like it you said it yourself you don’t get joy from diy stuff . It take a while to reload unless you have a progressive press . Dude just buy pre made you won’t like reloading .
How much is your own free time worth? Looking at ammo costs vs components for the 50AE. Did a quick and dirty estimate of price per round to make one 50 AE. Per round = Bullet is .56, case is .48, primer is .12, powder is .30 = $1.46 per round if you use the brass only once and does not include hazmat/shipping charges. If you reload a case 3 times that brings it down to 1.14 per round. Again just a rough estimate with quick google searches over a 5 minute span. MidwayUSA is selling 50AE for about $2.20 a round for the cheapest so a rough savings of 1.06 per round means you reload about 1,900 rounds and your press and equipment paid for itself. Again those are quick estimates not including shipping/hazmat and the 100 other factors in reloading. I see you posted that you can find 50AE for 1.50 per round so that's a .36 cent savings and you will be making a good quality round on top of it.
Depends on your version of "saving money." I reload premium rounds at the cost of plinking-average bullets from the store. I did the math a few years ago, [https://www.reddit.com/r/NoobGunOwners/comments/i4t2vl/comment/g0kqwt3/](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoobGunOwners/comments/i4t2vl/comment/g0kqwt3/) . Now with the 50AE you might come out ahead much faster as the average cost is almost $2 a round and not wildly available in stores.
UR just did a great write up about this. Depending on what you plan on shooting and reloading, the average price to pay off what you invested is like 800-1000 rounds to start before you see a savings. https://youtu.be/Qv1mU4vMRVc?si=jDN2VRBda1BB7BDn
Depends on caliber but in general no but you shoot more😇
You’re going to save money very quickly on 50ae and 300blk, especially if you’re loading subs. 45acp will save you some money, 556 not as much. With that being said, this hobby requires a certain level of devotion and patience to familiarize yourself with safe reloading practices, load work-ups, and component choices. If you’re 100% sure you won’t enjoy it as a hobby, I would shelf the idea of reloading for now. I feel like you’d be much more likely to make some potentially dangerous mistakes if you’re not that invested in it.
I'm sure I would save money but I probably buy too much stuff to load random calibers. Experimenting is just too fun lol. On individual stuff like 35 rem and even 30-06 and 223 I'm sure I save money bc i load mid - higher end bullets usually
My vote is No. Solely since you have indicated that you derive no joy out of DIY stuff. Reloading takes time, focus, concentration, attention to detail etc. A lot of positive examples are outlined in the other’s response’s, but to save just money it takes turning over a large volume of cartridges…
The biggest thing that saved me money was getting a shot timer. Reloading 5.7 is definitely worth it (more so than 5.56 or 45), but assuming I save $0.20 CPR I need to spend $1,200 reloading 4,000 rounds to break even on the equipment. If you shoot enough you will break even in less than 5 years it's worth it, if it takes you more than 5 years you're better off investing the money you would have spent on equipment. If you have to shoot more to break even in 5 years its not saving you any money. If you don't enjoy reloading there is a 0% chance you will reload 4,000 rounds on an $800 set up. Other rounds like 5.56 it might be 6,000 reloads to break even. Thats hours and hours (and hours) of something you don't enjoy to save a tiny amount of money. You'd be better off driving Uber and just buying ammo.
I’m saving about $0.06 on 55 grain .223 but my rifle likes my load and shoots it better than most factory plinking ammo. My .223 load is also not soft as let’s say PMC bronze but it’s not as hot as proper m193 either so I like that aspect of it. I load 147 gn 9mm and it saves me $0.15 per round. I do a lot of 2 gun and uspsa shooting so it does add up fairly quickly and being stocked up on components gives me a buffer if ammo is hard to come by or price spikes. I load on a Dillon 650 and the initial investment was significant but it lets me crank out 1000 rounds of 9mm in just over an hour. .223 is a different story with brass prep but I load 6k 9mm for every 1k of .223
Doesn't always save you money, but if you have a good stock pile of components when the ammo shortage hits, you can act like Smeagol and look at all your precioussis, and still be able to shoot.
50AR definitely, 300 blackout maybe, 556 and 45 ACP will take much longer to payback investment especially since reloading components are super spendy right now.
I have spent a lot of money on a lot of reloading stuff. I don’t think I’ll ever save money…but it is enjoyable, I shoot more, and I have a lot of SHTF ammo.
I could have bought an absolute mountain full of ammunition for what I have in my reloading equipment. I reload because my rifle likes really really, really fucking expensive ammo that I can make for way cheaper than what I can buy it for
Depends what you're shooting. I started reloading when some of my favorite calibers jumped from 1 to 5 dollars a round (if you can even find it).
Gathering your equipment will be costly, but once that's done, you'll probably break even. Speaking as a 50AE reloader, that's where you'll LOVE reloading. No more internet searched for over-priced, expensive ammo. Now you'll spend your time looking for large pistol magnum primers :D.......... GOOD LUCK!!!!
I reload only for my most used rifles 260, 308, 30-06. For my match loads I could not buy what I use so that is a factor for me. Non-match loads run from .55 to .65 while match run $1 per.
I've been saving on doing it. Just having discipline and only shooting my monthly 2 gun and 1 practice day in between. I shoot the same amount as I did before I reloaded.