# need a honest answer on reloading. can you save money ?



## trappermrd (Jun 28, 2007)

guys i shoot a AR15 223 and a bolt 243 cal. i buy black hills gold 52 GR match hp for 23.00 a box IN THE 223 CAL ( 50 shells ). QUESTION..... can i really save money buy reloading ? i shoot about 500 rounds a year. what is the true cost to reload a box of 223 ? how many shells would i need to make to break even on cost ? every one i talk to gives me a differnt answer. thanks. marty


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## MossyMO (Feb 12, 2004)

trappermrd
Answer to your question is NO. But I still suggest you do it if you are shooting 500 .223 rounds a year. The reason is for accuracy and confidence. 
Next I will tell you that if you do shoot that many rounds from one caliber, I feel confident in assuming there are other calibers you shoot. After realizing the accuracy you can obtain you will want to reload for them also. 
Reloading equipment and supplies are not inexpensive; but I feel you will shoot more often and become a better shooter from it, I would suggest to start reloading in my opinion.


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## darkgael (Feb 10, 2006)

As you noted, you are going to get different answers. 
Here's the other side - in addition to better loads - loads that you can tailor to your gun and use - you absolutely can save money compared to buying retail.
Just check the components and do the math. And buy in bulk - 8lbs of powder - enough for four years, 5K primers, bullets in lots of 1000.
Look at your .223 loads - you pay $23 for 50 rounds now. You can reload that 50 - .223 with a 52gr. Sierra Match King bullet for $14-$16. Powder will cost about 7-8 cents per load, primers are .04, bullets are the rest. If you buy or use cheaper bullets, the cost goes down. Buy'em in bulk, the cost goes down. If you buy powder in bulk, the cost goes down. If you buy primers in bulk - the only way to do it - the cost goes down. (I just now checked these prices at Midway.)
The assumption is that you can find the components locally and avoid shipping. (powder = $20-$23 a pound, bullets bought 500 to 1000 at a time, primers 5000 at a time).
Even with the cost of shipping and HazMat charges, you'd be ahead - if you buy in bulk. I assume that you have brass.
Reloading equipment - you can buy sets for about $100+/-; amortize that over the rest of your life. 
The hidden cost of reloading is time - do you have the time to do it?
Pete


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I just checked Powder Valley, and an 8lb keg of H335 is $117.50 with 7000 gr per pound and 26 gr max load with a 50 gr bullet that works out to a .05 a load. Primers were $25 per thousand. If you buy 2000 bullets ( 55 gr soft point) at a time you can get them down to .07, and if you buy just a thousand they will run you .078 per bullet. Of course you will have t add shipping to all of this.

That adds up to .05 + .025 + .078 for .153 per round X 50 which does not give you match, but it does give you very good ammo for $7.65 a box. Even if you add 10% for shipping that comes to $8.42

Match bullets will cost you .0138 per bullet, and that's for the 75 gr for rifles with fast twist. Currently Powder Valley does't have the 52 gr on hand.


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## darkgael (Feb 10, 2006)

Plainsman: ".0138 per bullet" (0.138???). Is that the Hornady Amax bullet? That is a good price for a match bullet. I must go see.
Pete


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## trappermrd (Jun 28, 2007)

thanks for the help. it looks like should get into reloading. i would save about $7.00 for every 50 shells i would make. thanks. marty


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## whitehorse (Jan 28, 2008)

I used to pay about 14 bucks for a box of 20. I finally had enough, go into reloading, and cut it down over 60%, and group over twice as well. I was surprised how easy it was. I bought the cheapest reloader I could (lee aniversary kit) and a tumbler, and a few more accessories... after a couple hundred bucks I had about everything I needed cept keepin up with powder, brass, bullets etc. Gander had a sale, 20% off all reloading bullets, and I had a certificate in the male for 20$ off my next purchase of 100... basically I bough a TON of bullets... keep your eyes open for stuff like that, and it makes it even cheaper...

As stated before, time is a big factor, but I bought that single stage reloader, so I do all the bullets at one time to make it consistant... that means my 300 rounds of brass all get resized/deprimed/tumbled etc. in the same day... this gets pretty old, but I had really nice results... I went from shootin baseball sized targets at about 250 to shooting quarter sized. This is because I have better bullets, and because when you reload, you want to shoot all the time, making you a better shot.

long answer to a short question... but yes, if you don't count your time you put in, and find it fun like me, it will save you some coin... buy in bulk and on sale as stated... and enjoy


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

darkgael said:


> Plainsman: ".0138 per bullet" (0.138???). Is that the Hornady Amax bullet? That is a good price for a match bullet. I must go see.
> Pete


Nope, that is a hollowpoint match. The A-Max will run you .158 per bullet.

http://www.powdervalleyinc.com/

I was just looking at Blackhills Ammo, the good red box ammo with 50 gr V-Max are $36 per box.


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## cwoparson (Aug 23, 2007)

I'm sure glad you posted that link to powder valley. I've been looking for 158 grain SWCHP to make my own FBI loads for a snubby 38 special. $22 for a box of 300 is a good price and according to the info they are 95% lead with 5% antimony. Should be plenty hard enough to keep leading from becoming a factor. I'm not sure I could even cast my own at that price.


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

If your like me you will save no money by reloading. The per round cost is lower and they perform better but If I have ammo I shoot it.


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## Savage260 (Oct 21, 2007)

reloading has definately cost me more money. I have purchased 3 more rifles, all my reloading equipment, about 20lbs of powder, thousands of bullets and primers, and a safe. Not to mention way more cleaning supplies. This is all because I am testing loads, and have not decided on one or two loads for each rifle. I have shot more in the last 4 months since I have been reloading than I have in the 29 years before. I really enjoy it, so it is well worth the money. I will probably make up the costs years from now, but I really don't care!


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## MossyMO (Feb 12, 2004)

laite319
You said the same as I with much more inspiration than I was able to offer; congrats !!!

If you shoot, reload. The cost will be justified with your results.


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## People (Jan 17, 2005)

laite319 very well stated. My cost per shot is down from factory ammo but I also am shooting way more than I would with factory ammo. It is amazing you will think 1inch groups was good then when you reload I am not happy with anything over 1/2inch. I keep trying to get it down to one small ragged hole.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

cwoparson said:


> I'm sure glad you posted that link to powder valley. I've been looking for 158 grain SWCHP to make my own FBI loads for a snubby 38 special. $22 for a box of 300 is a good price and according to the info they are 95% lead with 5% antimony. Should be plenty hard enough to keep leading from becoming a factor. I'm not sure I could even cast my own at that price.


I'm happy you found that useful. Some of these sites can save you a lot of money. Here are a few of my favorites. I have to get an order of to Brownells today. I was switching my 8 3/8 inch Smith and Wesson 44 mag from open sights to a scope and the front screw is so worn it would not come out. In the end it was so messed up I had to drill it out all the way through the topstrap with a 5/64 bit. Now I need a new screw and a tap to clean out the threads. The darn screw remover would not grasp and back it out. Oh well, I needed a Wilderness Instructors belt, some recoil buffers for my 1911, a half dozen 30 round clips for me AR, and a half dozen other items too.

http://www.wholesalehunter.com/
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/
http://www.midwayusa.com/
http://www.natchezss.com/
http://www.grafs.com/
http://www.swfa.com/default.aspx
http://www.brownells.com/


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## cwoparson (Aug 23, 2007)

Might take a look at these kits made just for your type of problem. Need one myself for a 10/22. I sure hate aluminum receivers.

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ ... -48+SCREWS


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

cwoparson said:


> Might take a look at these kits made just for your type of problem. Need one myself for a 10/22. I sure hate aluminum receivers.


If I had not already ordered I might have added that. I talked with tech support, and should be OK. I drilled .078 and the tap I think he said is .084. It looks like I have just enough to clean the original threads. I would have tapped it out larger to use the new model 629 screw, but then I couldn't use the scope mount that I already have.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

The factory 243s are gonna cost you around $1 a pop now (and going up). You can load them for about 1/2 that figuring on using the case 5-6 times. I'm looking at loading cast bullets for plinking which will drop that down to about .30 a pop.


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## darkgael (Feb 10, 2006)

" I'm looking at loading cast bullets for plinking which will drop that down to about .30 a pop."
If you cast your own, then it's just the cost of powder and a primer. (Well...you do need to have equipment.)
Pete


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