Reloading - Is it still really worth it?

[cavin_and]

Reloading may not be so economical but I do it for the same reasons that I custom build my rifles. Pride in doing it myself and maximizing performance! My son prefers to buy Federal Vortex because of time and equipment investments, but he also loves for me to work up a load for the rifles I built for him.

 

[chav0_12]

For me, I haven't bought primers or anything at the "ridiculous" prices. I've paid at the most $80/1k and I wasn't happy with myself, but they were small pistol primers and I was out of 9mm. I was able to later find some for $40/1k so I have 2k now. Everything else, besides LP Magnums, I have at least 1k of and I wasn't hurting. For me, reloading will always be worth it because I have brass, I have powders, I can buy bullets and, I currently have primers for everything I shoot, the ability to make the ammo I want when I want it is always going to be worth it for me. I shoot some stuff that's harder to find on shelves, stuff they haven't been making in the last year or two, so if I want to shoot my guns I have to be able to make my ammo too. I'd rather look for brass and bullets than go scouring stores for a specific brand of ammo that I need to shoot in my gun. I like being able to buy components a little at a time, it's like building an ammo savings account, I don't have to spend $300 at a time to have 100 rounds of ammo. Rather I buy a couple hundred bullets for $150, then later I buy a couple pounds of powder for $70, then again later I can buy primers for $60/1k. Now I have enough components to make more than 100 rounds and I only spend $270. Idk how you guy are doing math that say it's not worth it financially, but after the first loads I don't count my brass as an expense anymore. I certainly don't count my time, because it's part of the hobby. I don't count my time when I'm shooting the ammo so why would I count it when I'm loading it? Again, the equipment isn't an expense I include because it's part of the hobby, I'd have to say the guns are too expensive too. I might as well quit shooting if that was the case and that's not going to happen.

 

[tonyf3]

I've settled on the usefulness of the rifle and its capability to help decide what to do.

I won't load my 243 anymore. I have found factory ammo can produce 3-4" at 300yards and that about the limit I'd want my kids shooting anyways at an animal.

My custom rifles get handloaded ammo.
I was unable to gather all the components for a 300PRC this year so I used factory Hornady 225ELDMs on elk. Groups at 100yrd were great, but weren't leaving my comfortable past 500 yards. Factory ammo worked fine, i shot my elk and it was under 300yrds. But there are a lot of years where getting that close just isnt' an option and 600 yards plus with consistent 15+mph winds is normal so trusting my ammo is critical.

I pulled 8 of those PRC rounds. The powder charges where 6/10th of a grain different and using the same comparator i was getting a .004 difference in measurement of the seating depth.

 

[misterc01]

I never started with the idea of saving money. I started to get reliable consistent long-range rounds. RIght now, where I am and where I buy from. my costs have not gone up much, just the standard "where can I find primers" issue. Recently one local shop had primers that normally sell for about $49-$50 per thousand, now they want $115. Needless to say, I do NOT buy anything else from them, and probably nothing at all once things get close to normal.

 

[lancetkenyon]

People don't honestly get into reloading to save money. I tell new people asking about getting into reloading it WILL NOT save you money.

But, it WILL get you shooting top end components and 95% of the time, greatly improve accuracy. Also allows the use of components that are not available from commercially made ammunition.

 

[greenejc]

I feel better now….I think.

Think about it this way: I probably have 500 to 1,000 rounds loaded for everything I shoot because I have time to load and don't get to expend everything I do load. That's beside the sized, primed brass waiting to be loaded and the unsized, once fired brass waiting to be sized, primed and loaded. I really need to go shooting. Really really need to go shooting.

 

[NDAR15MAN]

Our local rifle range had about 850 members in 2019. 2020 we had 700 members , numbers will come out in 30 days for 2021. I know it will be way down. Are sign in book that shooters sign when they shoot is off 75% per day. Only people that are shooting shoot 5 times with their pistol and 5 times with their rifles. They are at the range 10 minutes. Just enough to confirm there gun is 1/2 way close to the bullseye. I am afraid we will see a huge membership price jump in January, less members more money to keep it operational. I don't see very many people going into reloading from scratch. Just to expensive and to hard to find components. The ammo manufacturers have killed the goose that laid the golden egg I think. If you are not defending yourself or property or shooting a animal to eat defend or shooting a animal that you are trapping for the fur I am see folks shooting each gun they own 5 times a year to make sure it's sighted in. Just my opinion. MD

 

[sig2009]

People don't honestly get into reloading to save money. I tell new people asking about getting into reloading it WILL NOT save you money.

But, it WILL get you shooting top end components and 95% of the time, greatly improve accuracy. Also allows the use of components that are not available from commercially made ammunition.

Saves me money. I guess you haven't seen the price of factory ammo. The only time it doesn't pay to reload is with shotgun. Factory is cheaper to buy than reloading with the price of cold shot.

 

[NDAR15MAN]

Our local rifle range had about 850 members in 2019. 2020 we had 700 members , numbers will come out in 30 days for 2021. I know it will be way down. Are sign in book that shooters sign when they shoot is off 75% per day. Only people that are shooting shoot 5 times with their pistol and 5 times with their rifles. They are at the range 10 minutes. Just enough to confirm there gun is 1/2 way close to the bullseye. I am afraid we will see a huge membership price jump in January, less members more money to keep it operational. I don't see very many people going into reloading from scratch. Just to expensive and to hard to find components. The ammo manufacturers have killed the goose that laid the golden egg I think. If you are not defending yourself and or property or shooting a animal to eat or shooting a animal that you are trapping for the fur I am see folks shooting each gun they own 5 times a year to make sure it's sighted in. Just my opinion. MD

 

[chav0_12]

Saves me money. I guess you haven't seen the price of factory ammo. The only time it doesn't pay to reload is with shotgun. Factory is cheaper to buy than reloading with the price of cold shot.

Yeah, that's tough. I want to start shooting bismuth at waterfowl and tungsten at turkeys. Seems like I might be able to squeak out some savings. Haha. Isn't that how it all starts?

 

[Panhandle Pete]

First of all I am not trying induce depression or deter people from starting to jump into the world of hand loading. I just am trying or shed some light on the real costs of this wonderful hobby I finally picked up a couple of years ago. For the competition shooter or the individual looking for consistent top notch accuracy out of their rifle, it will always make sense regardless of the costs. However, with the current cost of components, it is shocking to add up the cost of a hand loaded cartridge.
I just ran a quick component estimate for a round of 7RM using the cost of recent component purchases. I am approaching $3.00 per round in raw materials without factoring in the equipment/tool expense or time commitment. I realize that the cost of premium factory ammo is often times more expensive, but the wow factor of current reloading cost has me looking at the amount of times I visit the range and how many rounds of what rifle I will be firing.
In the end it reinforces the buy cheap and stack deep approach to reloading. Panic buying due to the FOMO syndrome is not a smart move.
I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season.

When I was younger I started reloading to save money, now I have 50 plus die sets, thousands of pieces of brass, bullets and primers. I would say I enjoy reloading and it is economical on a per piece basis but expensive on an inventory and equipment basis. I like to be able to shoot small groups and have proper bullet selection for the game being hunted and reloading helps insure that process.

 

[spladi]

I bet you're happy you don't live in Australia.
A box of ammo here runs $115-$150 per 20 rounds for the 300RUM, $115 or so for the 300WM and it just goes up from there.
Brass costs are $75-$125 per 50 just on Remington alone. Norma brass is $200 per 50. Lapua runs $365 per 100.
Bullets are $110 per 50 on average, have paid more and less.
I do not add up my costs on reloading, I just know it is cheaper than $115 per 20.

Cheers.

WOW....who is making all that money off of the components ? Tax's, import fees ??

 

[Mike Matteson]

I started a long time ago. First to save some money and get to what I wanted to shoot. It was over 50 miles one way to get ammo or components to load and shoot. A box of 20 centerfire was about $4.50. Back then it was about 1/2 cent for primers, 1lbs powder was $2.00, and bullets were about $2.00 per hundred. So it has changed. The Up and Down, of supply has been a problem over the years. The process of reloading has step up greatly over the years. To the better too. If you are getting into reloading for the cheap doesn't really doesn't work anymore. The development of a load for your rifle, pistol, or shotgun, there only one way and that's is to reload. Each firearm are somewhat different. To me it's a labor of love, and working toward getting that single hole at 100yds with a group of 5. I don't believe you can achieve that with over the counter ammo.
If you get stupid and pay for item that are over priced. Theirs another day to get the components. I waited for 11 months to get rifle case for a rifle that I am having built. That life, and been there and done that. If you are paying way over that the real price should be, and that's STUPID. People were paying $2.00 per round of 5.56 ammo this time last year. Now it's about $0.60 per round and coming down. Not all have lower there prices, and some are still trying to take people to the cleaners. Bottom line is ammo is coming down.

 

[skipglo]

Without throwing away the brass...id say it's still being extremely conservative due to the price of primers......if you can find them

Even at current prices you'd be hard pressed to pay more than 15 cents for a primer that used to be 4 cents.....primers don't even factor in unless they are 50 cal. Those cost me 50 cents each before the crash!