My father reiterated the cost effectiveness in reloading to me again this weekend. I had wanted to buy a 30-30 since it has so many calibers to choose from in stores and because the ammunition is reasonably priced. I can purchase winchester or remingron ammo here for $11 a box, so basically 55 cents per round. I can definitely live with that.

However what is the cost of a round if I'm reloading. I'd love to be able to fire 200 rounds in a day rather than 100 or 40 for that matter.

Let me know if you guys have a moment.
Thanks,
Rinaldo

Ranaldo,

My approximate 30-30 costs:

Brass: assume $.00
Bullet(Remington 150 gr)= 7 cents
Primer = 2 cents
30 gr H322=10 cents

So, about 19 cents apiece. These are approximate costs and will fluctuate based on your costs.

These prices are based on $35 per 500 bullets, $22 per pound of powder and about $20 per 1000 primers. You can no doubt do better than this if you shop around.

I can generally get 8 or so reloads out of one brass so you do have to figure that cost at some point.

Of course you have sunk costs that you will invest in upfront for your equipment, but it will likely last forever. I am still using most of my equipment that I bought in 1975.

So you are looking at $3.80 per box.

None of this considers the satisfaction you will get from rolling your own. It is a lot of fun.

Hope this helps....

There is not a lot of difference in costs if you factor in the fact that you can shoot a lot more ammo down range for the same price.

If you get a Lee Anniversery reloading set and a set of Lee dies for your calibre it cost around a hundred dollars. you have to buy powder, bullets, primers and cases if you don't have some already. You also have to have a small bench or make or buy one and have to have a small dedicated dry space for this hobby.

Most of us who reload do not do so for the savings in money alone. Many of us reloaders started years ago reloading to obtain better accuracy than factory ammo offered. Many of us were target shooters whom simply could not afford to compete if we had to buy ammo. Factory hunting ammo was not near as good as it is today. If you were a varmit hunter you could not afford to spend a day in the squirrel fields running 200 to 400 rounds a day downrange.

Like any dedicated hobby you will find it takes time and funnels more money than you were told it would.

If you want to shoot a bunch and think you would enjoy spending time making your own bullets it is very rewarding.

I would suggest if your Dad is a reloader you spend some time doing that with him and see if it is your piece of cake. If so get into it.

Thanks guys, I really got what I wanted out of this. My father doesn't reload he typically shot what he needed to pre season to sight in and then he'd fire about 300 rounds a year at deer. and at the end of the season he'd take his shells to a nice old gunsmith that would reload them for him and return them all nice and new to him at a fraction or the store price.

So reloading myself will be a long learning lesson but I look forward to it.

I'll let you gentlemen know what I come up with.

Can tell the wife the truth: reloaded ammo costes between 1/5 and 1/10th the price of factory ammo (excluding cheap mil. surp. ammo). While that is true and you can proove it on paer, the other side of this is that you won't save a nickle...you'll just shoot 5 or 10X as much.

If you really get to the point where you are shooting 200rnds per outing, then you'll benefit by reloading, for a number of reasons:

When you shoot that much, you're probably gonna want to try different loads.
$100 of ammo per outing is noticeable. At least I'm still poor enough to bend over to pick up a $100 bill.
Unless you doing action shooting, you'll be striving for accuracy, and loading your own will become part of the fun.

ribbonstone speaks the truth.

Reloading is a great hobby, it allows a lower cost per shot, but it encourages more shooting and an expanding hobby.

In the long run, I am certain that I do not "save" money by reloading. But I know I have a lot more fun!

300 deer. WOW! If you get a Lee loader and the fixins all it will cost is your time.

Are some calibers that I've proably not gotten back the pice of dies as they are shot so seldom..is OK, they are subsidized by the other (more used) calibers.

Just buy good basic equipment, as strong and as simple as possible, nothing to go worng and easy to keep in working order...will still be using it 20-40 years from now. Spare the frills, bells, and whistles and use the $ for componets.