Ok I'm not new to shooting, but I'm thinking about getting into reloading. I just purchased a ria .45 1911 and I will be reloading primarily for this at first then move over to .243, 30-30, and 35rem as I get the hang of it, if I choose to reload. Here is my question. Is reloading economically beneficial for factory rounds? I saw in a shooting catalog, .45 ammo for $8.47 a box. Then I looked online and found some 45 slugs made by the same company for $10 per hundred, which leaves me with just $7 to by primers, powder, and cases. I'm wondering if it is not cheaper just to shoot factory loads. what do you all think?

.45 Auto and 9mm and a few other 'military surplus' rounds are tough to reload for, if you want to save money, no doubt about it. About the only way you can is to cast your own bullets or get them very cheap.

Coyote...

Like Mike pointed out, with these cartridges it is cheaper to just shoot the bulk ammo. Even reloading the 45 ACP with home cast bullets it would be hard to beat these prices when you consider the cost of brass.

I don't shoot indoors and I don't use any brass catcher so my brass loss rate is extremely high. I've used just about every trick I can think of and I still loose about half my brass. Based on this loss rate my new brass costs about 11¢ each and used brass about 8¢.

Using the home cast bullets at no cost along with bulk powder, primers, and brass a box of 50 rounds is still going to cost me about $14. The comparison with the bulk ammo you are looking at should also consider shipping charges, which can be significant. These figures would not consider any type of depreciation per round of ammo for the investment in the reloading tools.

I consider reloading an activity within itself. It extends my shooting and hunting activities throughout the year and on many days when time or conditions do not permit a trip to field or range there is always something to do at the bench. One benefit of reloading is the ability to control the components used in matching the ammo to the firearm. I don't own a firearm that doesn't shoot my stuff better than the factory stuff.

Michael

That sounds odd to me. I used to load 9mm for $65/1000 and I do load .45 for about $85/1000. There is no way to beat that with commercial prices, and btw that is with FMJ bullets.

I did have a lot of 9mm brass, but even so, once fired 9mm brass is $16/1000 at Powder Valley. Even if you loose every peice of brass thats still $81 loaded, and you still can't beat that. I don't know if the difference is worth your time, but you can save on 9mm. In my cases I wanted loads I couldn't buy.

With .45 it is even easier. Not only is the brass easier to pick up and lasts forever, but the gap gets larger. I currently spend $70/1000 for FMJ bullets, $13 for primers and maybe $7 for powder, for a total of $90. Once fired brass can be had for $35/1000 at hqbrass.com. Even at $125/1000 assuming you loose all your brass, you are still cheaper then any bulk ammo.

I imagine those number get a lot less if you use locally cast bullets so I really can not see how people say you can not save money on them. You may not save a lot, but if you shoot a lot, it does add up.

That sounds odd to me. I used to load 9mm for $65/1000 and I do load .45 for about $85/1000. There is no way to beat that with commercial prices, and btw that is with FMJ bullets.

I did have a lot of 9mm brass, but even so, once fired 9mm brass is $16/1000 at Powder Valley. Even if you loose every peice of brass thats still $81 loaded, and you still can't beat that. I don't know if the difference is worth your time, but you can save on 9mm. In my cases I wanted loads I couldn't buy.

With .45 it is even easier. Not only is the brass easier to pick up and lasts forever, but the gap gets larger. I currently spend $70/1000 for FMJ bullets, $13 for primers and maybe $7 for powder, for a total of $90. Once fired brass can be had for $35/1000 at hqbrass.com. Even at $125/1000 assuming you loose all your brass, you are still cheaper then any bulk ammo.

I imagine those number get a lot less if you use locally cast bullets so I really can not see how people say you can not save money on them. You may not save a lot, but if you shoot a lot, it does add up.
In my humbleopinion,if you are only interested in saving money,loading your own ammunition will be a big disappointment.
I've been doing it since 1949,and so far,I have'nt saved a dime.
I have done a heckofa lot more shooting then I could with store bought stuff,though.
If I charged the burden rate used on my old job against my handloaded ammunition,I would be loosing money,not saving any.
But,for some reason,I enjoy doing it. If you are interested in what makes these things 'tick',you will get more enjoyment from your shooting.
Frank

I've picked up a lifetime supply of used 9mm brass fro free at my range. I don't even bother picking it up any more. Don't often see .45 in the bin, though. I got used .45 brass for $40/K on ebay, incl shipping.

Catalogs are not the best place to get components - call around to your local shops. I buy cast bullets for $20/K in 9mm, and $28/K for .45. So, my reloads are <$4 per box/50 into brass that's already paid for.

Everyone that sees my gunroom and reloading setup always asks "How much do you save reloading?"

I point to the rows and stacks of boxed bullets and say "Not much!"

Reloading has given me the opportunity to explore the various load combinations that can be adjusted for the maximum attainable in a certain rifle, either velocity or accuracy. Today, my goal is accuracy, so the loads are assembled accordingly.

Target work gets one combination, hunting loads get another. In the rare instance they are the same, I'm that much happier.

If I sat down a figured out the cost of components on hand and the costs invested in equipment, I'd say my ammo probably cost about $4 a round!! :D

For me personally reloading has nothing to do with money. I have found over the years no two guns shoot the same. You can take two guns, same make and model and same caliber and run the exact same ammo through both and get two different shot groups. Thats why I like working up loads for each gun because you can get the best accuracy that way. And your bullet selection is greater, you can choose the bullet you need, set the speed and energy you want for the game your hunting, and then fine tune it for the gun your shooting. If I save a buck great, if not oh well I know when I pull that trigger that bullets gonna hit where I want and do the job I want it to do. And if it dont I only have myself to blame. I guess what it boils down to is this, if your wanting to reload just to save money, you'll probly be disapointed. But thats just my opinion.

9mm once fired brass $7/1000 at e-reloading.com. with some good prices for Valiant cast bullets.

to todd and others, please remember that i'm shooting a 45acp so links to cheap 9mm brass just isnt useful, now if you have some 45 links please post them, thanks

I make once-fired brass with UMC .45 ACP 230gr. Then I reload them with:

Hornady 185gr. SWC - $0.02
CCI LPP - $0.02
5.0 gr. Varget - $0.01

Putting it all back together costs me a nickel each. Buying the same load commercially (Federal Gold Match) costs fifty cents. I have not run into bulk .45ACP for less than a dime a copy, so I'm convinced I'm saving a few pennies on each round. You can fire straight wall cases many times, especially with powderpuff charges like I use, if you inspect carefully.

Now, for the true but often overlooked economics of reloading... I have about $900 invested in reloading tools. My time is worth something (I wish my employer thought it was worth what I think it is worth). If I was just loading .45ACP and saving only pennies on each round, I would have been lots better off spending all that reloading money on bulk ammo. The only chance for recovering the time investment and tool investment comes from reloading rifle rounds or magnum pistol rounds that are pushing a dollar a throw out of the commercial box. Plus, you get the benefit of being able to work up the most accurate round you can for each of your guns.

I think other people will probably tell you too, that you don't save money, you just shoot more.

You will save more on loading for your rifles than your pistol, also you can load ammo suited to your firearm and your needs.

to todd and others, please remember that i'm shooting a 45acp so links to cheap 9mm brass just isnt useful, not if you have some 45 links please post them, thanks

As I said above, http://hqbrass.com , $35/1000 SHIPPED. That is the lowest I have ever seen. Though I guess between my last post and this one someone got all their 10k rounds they had on hand and now their page says "more soon". Hey in the meanwhile you could get 9mm for $5/1000 plus shipping :)

Loch

I'll give my 2 cents.....

I gave up reloading my 357 Magnum and 40 S&W hand gun ammo. I just didn't see any sense in it when I could buy it so cheap. The hand gun stuff was just a superfluous adder to the reason I got into hand loading in the first place.

I load for 45-70, 7mm Rem Mag, 300 Win Mag, and 30-30. With the exception of the 30-30 I find it highly economical to reload. Some of the premium ammo is around $40 a box. You do the math..... that's about $2 every time you pull the trigger. Reloading the big boys has saved me a ton of money and allowed me to shoot a lot more than I otherwise would if I had to buy factory ammo. The added benefit is the improved accuracy and flexibility you can get with custom loads. I have one heavy load for my 45-70 and two loads each for my 7mm and 300 (one light bullet and one heavy bullet). If I want a light load for my 45-70 I buy the Federal 300 grain Sierra Pro Hunter. I have not been able to make a better load with a 300 grain HP bullet.

If you shop on eBay you can get some really good deals on components. It's tough to get a good deal on powder with all the restrictions and HazMat fees but it's still a lot less expensive than buying factory ammo.

Cost issues aside, I got into reloading because of what it is, not how much money I could save. It's a great hobby and I show everyone who takes an interest in it what it's about.

Good luck.

coyote_243
If you reload and cast bullets it's very cheap!! Hows about $2 for 50 rounds of 45 ACP! If you buy bullets it's still only about $ 3 for 50! Some will say no way but you can figure out your cost with the calculater on this site. just plug in the numbers!

I started reloading for shotgun, rifle and handgun in 1960 and consider it a great hobby and like to recycle cases. In addition, I have some oddball rifle calibers and reform brass to have something to shoot.

In the final analysis I cannot say how much money I saved (if any), but I have had a great time being independant regarding my ammo supplies. All the best...
Gil

Ok I'm not new to shooting, but I'm thinking about getting into reloading. I just purchased a ria .45 1911 and I will be reloading primarily for this at first then move over to .243, 30-30, and 35rem as I get the hang of it, if I choose to reload. Here is my question. Is reloading economically beneficial for factory rounds? I saw in a shooting catalog, .45 ammo for $8.47 a box. Then I looked online and found some 45 slugs made by the same company for $10 per hundred, which leaves me with just $7 to by primers, powder, and cases. I'm wondering if it is not cheaper just to shoot factory loads. what do you all think?

There has been a lot of good info on this post (some websites I intend to check out) :-) . I often hear or read about this topic and it seems that nobody seems to comment on the reason why I started reloading 9mm and 45 ACP. If you are going to compare costs between bulk ammo and reloading FMJ ammo then you won't see much of a difference. However, if you compare the cost of a box of Hollowpoint ammo there is no comparison. I can load a box of HP ammo for about a $1 more than I can load FMJ (about $9/box).

If you buy a box of "cheap" 45 acp hollowpoint you are gonna pay $20+! I like to practice with what I intend to use in the gun, be it killin targets or protecting myself/family/property. FMJ ammo is great for target practice, but not real practical for self defense in most cases. Compare those costs and see if reloading will save you money.

If you intend to reload for rifles, then you can save a lot of money per round, especially if you intend to use the premium bullets. Check the price of a box of 30.06 with Nosler ballistic tips; I can save about $10/box when reloading and have a round tailored to my specific rifle. You can't figure in your time as a cost value while reloading. How much do you save when you go fishing, compared to buying the fish at the grocery store? Put it in that perspective and I bet you are dug deep in the "red" on that one!

Reloading rigs (decent and worth the effort) can range anywhere from $150 for one chambering to literally thousands. It all depends on your needs and what you want to accomplish. Single Lee handloaders can be had for about $25, but I just can't see it when you can buy a whole kit for about $110 (single stage). Lee reloading equipment works great for me, I know others don't like it and some love it. It is all a matter of personal taste and experience. You will have to decide if it is worth it to you.

Good Luck

Hornady 185gr. SWC - $0.02
CCI LPP - $0.02
5.0 gr. Varget - $0.01



Your using Varget in 45 ACP loads?!?!?! :confused: :confused: