Fair price for reloading?

Baylor243 said:

The government pays $500 for a hammer...is that the same thing?

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NOPE! The government paid $500 for a $20 hammer. $500 for hammer load developement, you get more than $500 worth...my opinion.

blazinta said:

I have been reloading for a couple buddies that recently had custom rifles built. They are paying for all of the components themselves and I basically just have my time in it. I also will take the rifles out and shoot them when doing load development. I'm not trying to make a bunch of money off them but they have insisted on paying and I would like to know if anyone has done something similar and what you charged/how you came up with your price. Appreciate any insight.

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I guess it depends on what caliber your loading for. I have been reloaded for friends and family for a while. They used to give me like $10-$20. When they seen me order all the primes, brass, powder last time they about flipped. I think I dropped about $600. One of my friends gave me $20 for 2 boxes of 26 Nosler. I didn't say anything so that's on me. When he asked how much does it normally cost? I told him you bought a gun before checking on the price of Ammo for that caliber. So we looked it Up. It varies but we have seen up to $140 per box of 20 on custom loads. So I asked him would you do it for $10 a box? He kinda frowned. Moral of the story is don't let your friend and family take advantage of you. I payed for the range fee. I made dope cards for them to help them out. That all cost money. It's a hour drive for me to the 1,000yd shooting range. They now give me $50 -$60 a box for mags and $20-40 per box for something like 243-308 powder case capacity.I'm not making any profit. I figured it out once and I'm barely breaking even. Maybe a little more, but not much. They are starting to reload for themself's now. Some of them really like to shoot. I couldn't keep up. I'll leave it at that. Best of luck.

bamban said:

I think the city and county have their twist in their local codes

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Some state do. Mex-ilfornia does, and not over 20lbs. Others require some type of container that 1 hour fire stop. The funny thing about the is 1" nominal thickness is about 3/4". I have built a few powder boxes. I wall the boxes off with a fire board that 1/8 thick. The board is 1 hour rated too. So I build the box with wood line of exterior line the box with the added materials. I will forward a drawing on the box if it will down load. I will hold about 20lbs of powder.

I've been helping out friends with rifle set up, load development and custom ammunition for years. Up until 2 years ago, I had a range on the property that I could use so there was really no fuel costs or travel associated with load work. It was simpler then. Now, I'm about 20 minutes from my 100 yard range (still not bad) but there is fuel and extra time for me to consider with these trips.

I have them supply all reloading components and I generally already have the tooling to do the loading. I have to charge, or it's costing me money. I do really enjoy it but when you allow yourself to be taken advantage of, it doesn't feel good.

For those who believe in squeezing the best out of a rifle system and ammunition, you know how much time can be involved to do it right. I would certainly not expect a friend to take on something with a time commitment similar to this for me and do it for absolutely nothing.

So, complete load development and providing them with 50 or so rounds of perfect ammunition has been running $300-$350. This has typically included bedding scope rails and mounting optics. I think that's very fair.

It is a shame that it is the world we live in. My dad and I share reloads with each other that is it. We do have a couple of young guys that come over use the equipment but bring there own supplies.

blazinta said:

I have been reloading for a couple buddies that recently had custom rifles built. They are paying for all of the components themselves and I basically just have my time in it. I also will take the rifles out and shoot them when doing load development. I'm not trying to make a bunch of money off them but they have insisted on paying and I would like to know if anyone has done something similar and what you charged/how you came up with your price. Appreciate any insight.

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If you reload for someone and there is a problem or injury you are liable.

What Brian 11 said. I don't know about a FFl, but if you charge money or take in trade, there is probably liability if anything goes wrong - even if it was not your ammo, it would be implicated.
Check with a lawyer but maybe set up a Sub-S Company would limit your
liability exposure. Plus some liability insurance. Another possibility is to let your friends use your press and his components to load his own.
I did have a friend who loaded for a close friend ammo for his African hunts. Only did it for one friend, one shell at a time, and the friend would only have
Bob load for him.
I have bought some reoads and take a few apart to examine and weigh charge, etc. Too much variation and I take the whole lot apart.

blazinta said:

I have been reloading for a couple buddies that recently had custom rifles built. They are paying for all of the components themselves and I basically just have my time in it. I also will take the rifles out and shoot them when doing load development. I'm not trying to make a bunch of money off them but they have insisted on paying and I would like to know if anyone has done something similar and what you charged/how you came up with your price. Appreciate any insight.

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Just keep in mind that you are liable if there is a problem of damage or injury.

I do have a friend who was reloading for another friends .38spl. The guy loading was loading for his .357. Well, you can guess where this is going. It blew the top strap right off the revolver. Either a double .38 load or a .357 load - probably never know. Luckly no injuries.

I tell them to buy the components and bring them over and I will show them how to do basic reloading.

blazinta said:

I have been reloading for a couple buddies that recently had custom rifles built. They are paying for all of the components themselves and I basically just have my time in it. I also will take the rifles out and shoot them when doing load development. I'm not trying to make a bunch of money off them but they have insisted on paying and I would like to know if anyone has done something similar and what you charged/how you came up with your price. Appreciate any insight.

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Have friends that purchase their own supplies. Then i help them reload their own ammunition on my equipment! What they shoot is what they have made!

I load for my 74yo FIL. It's horrible you have to second guess helping friends out. Seems there are quite a few threads about kabooms with reloads and then there was that YouTube guy, Kentucky ballistic, that famously shot some reloads and almost killed himself while filming.

I will invite certain friends over to use my equipment so that they can load their own ammo. For some good friends I might even borrow their rifles and do some development for them if I know they don't have time.

There is absolutely no way in hell I'm shooting anyone else's reloads. I have zero faith in Billy Bob down the street.

If the horse ain't dead yet, I think he will be real soon…. Maybe I'm thinking about this just a little differently though, and no doubt age and stage of life is part of this conversation. I've got a job that takes more time and attention than I would like it to, but it pays **** good. Taking care of life's other responsibilities leaves me a lot less time than I would like to reload (which I enjoy doing), shoot (which I enjoy doing MORE), hunt, fish, or catch up with buddies over a beer. I think a lot of guys on here are probably in a similar spot.
I've been asked by several guys that I considered friends to do load development for them. They offered to pay, but my time is worth way more than would be reasonable to charge for it. Don't mean that as any kind of brag, just that time is at a premium and you have to look at opportunity cost. What's a day spent shooting prairie dogs or fishing with your kid worth? Instead I've invited them over, with an offer to teach them what I know and help them get started loading. Even offered to provide the beer, and maybe a steak dinner. The ones that have taken me up on it are the ones worth counting as friends, and the time in the reloading room drinking a little and shooting the **** is worth a whole lot more than what the ones that didn't take me up on it would pay.

I have taught many to reload ammo. I always emphasize safety, care, and well-researched components. I no longer load for anybody except my close family. I try to help my students understand all the basics, load development, etc. and never allow any maximum loadings. Help others learn to safely reload, but don't take on the liability of loading for others!