Calculating Cost per Round

[Idaho Lefty]

MAGA, bring back those, mean Tweets and CHEAP Gas !
PS ;,.. the "Good ole' Days",. ARE,.. GONE !
"Buck up" ( get used to it ! ) and just, "Deal" with,.. IT !
Step ONE,. STOP,.. Hoarding Chit and some of this, reloading "stuff" will,.. come down, in Price !!

 

[Idaho Lefty]

Watching, my 12 year old, grandson shoot, a nice Mule Deer Buck, with, HIS,. Reloaded ammo,.. PRICELESS !
Using my, PRE- Covid, cheapish, Berger Bullets, lol !

 

[memtb]

For myself. I don't count the cost of brass, which I bought in bulk in 1982 'ish. Using my older primers and powder from several years ago, and bullets at today's cost…..my present cost is about $1.70 each. It's no wonder that I don't shoot much! memtb

 

[lancetkenyon]

No WAY you will get 40-50 reloads on a piece of brass. Realistically, 8-15 if you got SRP brass.

 

[QuietTexan]

No WAY you will get 40-50 reloads on a piece of brass. Realistically, 8-15 if you got SRP brass.

I'm not saying you'll get than many on a 300WM, but 20+ is very possible with a well cut chamber, correctly set sizing dies, and not running max loads. I started my last 6.5 CM barrel with 101 Lapua cases fully expecting to be done with the barrel before the cases.

The best way to get more speed is buy a bigger chambering up front - if you do that there's no reason to beat on the brass like it's a rented mule. I'd personally rather slow down my 300 RUM than try to scratch every FPS from a 300WM and deal with case issues.

 

[BrianID]

If you don't enjoy loading your own ammunition, then it isn't worth your time. If you shoot often and enjoy doing craft work with your hands I would recommend you load your own ammunition. If you don't enjoy craft work with your hands OR don't shoot more than once a month it is not worth your time or money to load your own ammunition. Work extra hours at your current job or pick up a side job and you could buy quality ammunition instead of spending time and money that loading your ammunition requires.

The time I spend loading my own ammunition makes even the cost of 338 Lapua rounds not worth it. That is even considering I bought many of my primers for $0.03 each and powder for less than $20/pound. I also bought 300 Lapua brass at an amazing deal of about $0.75 each a few years ago.

I'm shooting my 338 Lapua with 300 gr Berger's for less than $1.20/round. I figure I'm loading quality 223 for less $0.20/round and 9mm for as little as $0.10/round.

With current prices I would probably be around $2.00/round for my 338 Lapua. I can buy 338 Lapua rounds for about $5.00 each. If you factor buying supplies, preparing brass, etc it probably has costs me 4 hours of time to load 100 Lapua rounds. Add time with the cost of all the other loading equipment I've bought and I'm well over $5 per round. I've only been shooting about 200-300 Lapua rounds a year. If you value your time at $10/hour then you could save money loading your own ammunition.

Don't waste your time with loading your own unless you want to shoot a cartridge or bullet that you can't buy very easily or enjoy loading your own. If you want ammunition for times of shortage it makes more sense to just buy a bunch of ammunition. I could have bought a lot of ammunition for the thousands $$ I've spent on components and supplies. If I worked 1/4 the hours I've spent loading ammunition just the last 5 years and spent that $$ on ammunition I would have been far better off with my ammunition supplies.

However, I enjoy loading my own ammunition. Loading your own will have a positive side effect of getting you to shoot more and become a better and more knowable shooter.

 

[Ol' Red]

I'm not saying you'll get than many on a 300WM, but 20+ is very possible with a well cut chamber, correctly set sizing dies, and not running max loads. I started my last 6.5 CM barrel with 101 Lapua cases fully expecting to be done with the barrel before the cases.

The best way to get more speed is buy a bigger chambering up front - if you do that there's no reason to beat on the brass like it's a rented mule. I'd personally rather slow down my 300 RUM than try to scratch every FPS from a 300WM and deal with case issues.

I just threw away some .300 Win Mag brass that had 23 and 24 loadings. Primer pockets were getting loose on some, so they all went to the recycle box.

 

[ml williford]

Just wanted to comment on this post from a wana-be reloader.
1. Sorry, but the cost of equipment has to be factored in.
2. I own and shoot 7 different rifles, 243, 223, 25-06, 30-06, 308, 300wm, 270 and building a 264 mag. I do not learn well by reading instructions and watching utube videos. Hands on learning. Can't find reloading class in Houston area (nearest big city) haven't found anyone that reloads willing to teach/show me that lives within reasonable driving distance. SO that is why I buy my handloads from someone and do not go to help him and God I wish I could. I would do it in a heart beat. Sorry for rant.

 

[Ol' Red]

Just wanted to comment on this post from a wana-be reloader.
1. Sorry, but the cost of equipment has to be factored in.
2. I own and shoot 7 different rifles, 243, 223, 25-06, 30-06, 308, 300wm, 270 and building a 264 mag. I do not learn well by reading instructions and watching utube videos. Hands on learning. Can't find reloading class in Houston area (nearest big city) haven't found anyone that reloads willing to teach/show me that lives within reasonable driving distance. SO that is why I buy my handloads from someone and do not go to help him and God I wish I could. I would do it in a heart beat. Sorry for rant.

Try to find some used equipment and one set of dies for a rifle. If you were closer I would be happy to help you get started. There is no end to the learning. I don't figure the cost of equipment any more than I figure the cost of old truck into my fuel mileage. Or the cost of bowling if you have your ball and shoes. It's a hobby that I love. When it gets to where I don't enjoy reloading, they will probably be throwing dirt on casket.

 

[QuietTexan]

Hands on learning. Can't find reloading class in Houston area (nearest big city) haven't found anyone that reloads willing to teach/show me that lives within reasonable driving distance.

You ever heard of the TX Precision matches at CCC in Navasota?

I'll be down there this summer, can't do the April match and looks like nothing in May, but June-July-August I'm trying to be there.

Events Archive

TX Precision Matches Texas Precision Rifle Matches

txprecisionmatches.com

You bring the components, I'll bring the tools, we can set up shop at the Best Western

 

[cornshank]

If you factor in the fact that you are reloading custom ammo. To buy custom loaded ammo is much more that just a box of average off the shelf ammo. Reloading still save you about 1/2 the cost to buy the equivalent ammo. I don't know what it cost me per round but I know its tripled in price since i started 30 years ago. But reloading is still the BEST and MOST bang for your buck !!!

Hey , I had a friend who always had me load ( custom ammo for hunting) ,until one year when I handed him 3 boxes of custom ammo ,and said , ( this bunch I had my 6 year old grandson help me with , and he forgot to put enough powder in two rounds , but don't know what two ?)
Now he loads his own .

 

[lancetkenyon]

I'm not saying you'll get than many on a 300WM, but 20+ is very possible with a well cut chamber, correctly set sizing dies, and not running max loads. I started my last 6.5 CM barrel with 101 Lapua cases fully expecting to be done with the barrel before the cases.

The best way to get more speed is buy a bigger chambering up front - if you do that there's no reason to beat on the brass like it's a rented mule. I'd personally rather slow down my 300 RUM than try to scratch every FPS from a 300WM and deal with case issues.

This is totally correct. But the OP stated 40-50 reloads. Unless you are running that Alpha OCD brass and loading light.

You guys getting 20+ reloads, my hat is off to you to reign back the HP on cases to get that kind of brass life. To me, brass is a longer use consumable. If I get 5-8 on magnum stuff, and 10+ on anything else, I am ecstatic.

 

[memtb]

I get 10+ with my .375 AI with " pretty warm" loads. I had a couple of case separations @ 10 firings. I now throw it away after the 10th firing!

If I were to anneal my brass….maybe I'd get more. But, the few that I had fail, was just above the web……so, annealing likely wouldn't help anything! memtb

 

[Idaho Lefty]

@ ml williford,..
Bring a Pen and a Legal Pad and Write down, step by step instructions ( the details and Tips ) of, what the Quiet Texan teaches you from, case prep and Priming Brass, to seating, the Bullet. IF, I write things down, I remember,.. better !
That's what, I had to do with, learning some Tech chit, long ago ( Til' you use it,.. DAILY ! ).
My 12 year old grandson loads his own, .243 Win ammo and uses it, on Steel Plates and got his First Deer with, his OWN, Reload !
It's NOT,.. "Rocket Science" ! You CAN do, THIS ! The more you Reload, the easier it is to remember how to, do it !
Buy, a Hornady Reloading Book so that,.. you're not in the Dark to begin with.
Good luck and have Fun ! Quiet Texan is, a GREAT, guy !