How to find a less expensive practice round?

Lance hit it right there. If you're saving money handloading you've either been doing it long enough to have all the stuff and you're retired, or you aren't placing any value on your time. Personally, my time is very valuable. And when I figure that cost into the cost of handloading I end up buying cases of ammo to practice with. After I figured that out I had a couple of PRS gun barrels spun up chambered for factory ammo. I usually shoot handloads in matches, but having something to practice with that doesn't take time out of my day to feed is actually cheaper.
 
On the topic of cost savings, an 'understudy' rifle is another way to go. I ran the numbers a few years ago, acquired a Tikka t3 in .223, set it up exactly like my main hunting rifle. Found a couple of factory loads that shoot 1/2moa and stocked up. With this rifle I was able to shoot out to 600yd, and really start learning about wind. In 2 years, the rifle paid for itself in ammo savings alone! I got a great education, and did a lot of cheap shooting along the way!
 
Seems cheapest to just find .308 Win 147gr FMJ ammo (TulAmmo) for about $0.30 per round using wikiarms.com or gun.deals and practice with that. It's not fancy or great, but it goes bang and sends a bullet downrange at about 1.5 to 2 MOA.
https://carolinamunitions.com/tulam...-308-win-7-62-nato-150-gr-fmj-500-rounds.html

But out of curiosity, I thought, "What is the cheapest a guy/gal could get started reloading a .308 Win?" Turns out, you can get all the 'stuff' you need for about $313. That'll get you the equipment and supplies to get going and have you loading ammo. That's not too bad. If SumTingWong (the OP) is looking at spending $2 per round right now, the cost to get started in reloading would be the same as buying 160 rounds (8 boxes of ammo @ 20 rounds per box.)

And once he has recouped his initial investment, he will be money ahead every time he pulls the trigger on a reload he created. But the bigger reason SumTingWong might want to consider taking up reloading is the politics of California. From this point forward, every time he wants to buy a factory round, he has to go through a dealer, pay an 'eligibility check' of $1 (for now...you know this will go up!) and then pass a background check. He can't just mail order ammo to his home.

Here are my numbers and URLs. Am I missing something?
Getting started - from scratch - to reload .308 Win:
1. LEE Reloading "Kit" (press, primer tool, scale, powder thrower, etc.)
(SEE ATTACHED PICTURE) = $145
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/121744/lee-challenger-breech-lock-single-stage-press-kit
2. .308 Win two-die set (LEE RGB dies) = $20
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/738184/lee-rgb-2-die-set
3. Winchester Large Rifle Primers (LRP) #8 ½ – 1000 = $29
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2900120227/winchester-large-rifle-primers-8-1-2
4. Varget (Hodgdon) Powder – 1 lb container = $30
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1009281345/hodgdon-varget-smokeless-gun-powder
5. Hazmat shipping charges for primer/powder = $28
6. Brass – Starline .308 LRP (50 pieces) = $23
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1021318514/starline-brass-308-winchester
7. Bullets – Speer Hot-Core 150gr Spitzer ($0.18 per bullet) – box of 100 = $18 https://www.midwayusa.com/product/5...ber-308-diameter-150-grain-spitzer-box-of-100
8. Digital caliper/micrometer = $20
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/297498/national-metallic-digital-caliper-6-stainless-steel
9. Reloading data? FREE from powder and/or bullet manufacturer website (or come here and ask people, ha!)
upload_2019-7-18_17-40-25.png
 
Seems cheapest to just find .308 Win 147gr FMJ ammo (TulAmmo) for about $0.30 per round using wikiarms.com or gun.deals and practice with that. It's not fancy or great, but it goes bang and sends a bullet downrange at about 1.5 to 2 MOA.
https://carolinamunitions.com/tulam...-308-win-7-62-nato-150-gr-fmj-500-rounds.html

But out of curiosity, I thought, "What is the cheapest a guy/gal could get started reloading a .308 Win?" Turns out, you can get all the 'stuff' you need for about $313. That'll get you the equipment and supplies to get going and have you loading ammo. That's not too bad. If SumTingWong (the OP) is looking at spending $2 per round right now, the cost to get started in reloading would be the same as buying 160 rounds (8 boxes of ammo @ 20 rounds per box.)

And once he has recouped his initial investment, he will be money ahead every time he pulls the trigger on a reload he created. But the bigger reason SumTingWong might want to consider taking up reloading is the politics of California. From this point forward, every time he wants to buy a factory round, he has to go through a dealer, pay an 'eligibility check' of $1 (for now...you know this will go up!) and then pass a background check. He can't just mail order ammo to his home.

Here are my numbers and URLs. Am I missing something?
Getting started - from scratch - to reload .308 Win:
1. LEE Reloading "Kit" (press, primer tool, scale, powder thrower, etc.)
(SEE ATTACHED PICTURE) = $145
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/121744/lee-challenger-breech-lock-single-stage-press-kit
2. .308 Win two-die set (LEE RGB dies) = $20
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/738184/lee-rgb-2-die-set
3. Winchester Large Rifle Primers (LRP) #8 ½ – 1000 = $29
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2900120227/winchester-large-rifle-primers-8-1-2
4. Varget (Hodgdon) Powder – 1 lb container = $30
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1009281345/hodgdon-varget-smokeless-gun-powder
5. Hazmat shipping charges for primer/powder = $28
6. Brass – Starline .308 LRP (50 pieces) = $23
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1021318514/starline-brass-308-winchester
7. Bullets – Speer Hot-Core 150gr Spitzer ($0.18 per bullet) – box of 100 = $18 https://www.midwayusa.com/product/5...ber-308-diameter-150-grain-spitzer-box-of-100
8. Digital caliper/micrometer = $20
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/297498/national-metallic-digital-caliper-6-stainless-steel
9. Reloading data? FREE from powder and/or bullet manufacturer website (or come here and ask people, ha!)
View attachment 142009

Dang, well covered Sir, in the first year you get your investmemt back and with better accuracy. And you are right, that $1 background check will go up and soon, very soon. I think the hard part was passing it through legislation and not that it was hard at all, but now that its there, watch out, it'll go up just like their taxes.
 
This may sound crazy but it isn't. If you are wishing to;
1. Work on wind call ability
2. Work on form
3. Stay " inexpensive" for the amount of practice

You may think of an old rem 40x rimfire with some Eley red or black box ammo. 200 yd wind calls on a 2 inch target is remarkably similar to 1k shooting with large bore. You can take it to 300 meters if you wish.

You won't burn out the barrel and you can catch your defects and work on them.
In the bubble you will see your rounds going down range. Great training tool for both new and seasoned shooters.
 
I run across federal gold medal match ammo for $20 a box all the time. If that don't shoot good for you nothing will
 
According to Federal's website, the smallest Gold Medal they make is 168, which is an issue in my particular 308, as the twist is 1:12. I've been told by reps at both Nosler and Barnes, that 150 is the heaviest they would recommend.
I'd prefer not to shoot steel case ammo, like the Tula, as a friend who's been doing this for years told me the case does not usually expand as much as brass, causing carbon issues.

My friend's uncle is getting out of hunting (age issues) and is selling all his reloading stuff, and about 200 rifles. I'm gonna go take a look, and see if it's worth picking up some of the items.

There are two main reasons I wanted to find less expensive ammo. First, I've been away from shooting for 20 years, and need time in the seat, for practicing general shooting posture. Secondly, and I'm not sure if it's true or not, I wanted to put some more ammo through this new rifle, as I've heard accuracy increases with use, to a point. What that point is, I'm not sure, but right now I've only got 40 bullets through it.
 
Round count doesn't necessarily increase accuracy....but should smooth out and increase velocity after 80-140 rounds depending on the barrel.

Shots 2/3/4 @ 100 yards during sight in of a brand new rifle after bore sighting
 
Practice time with your primary hunting rifle is a great thing, so I get it.

In regards to the steel cased ammo, you should have no worries there. It won't harm your gun unless you put 6,000 rounds of it through there. Lucky Gunner (https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-vs-steel-cased-ammo/) did a 'torture' test to see if the steel cases 'wore out' the chamber faster than brass (no.) And to see if the 'bi-metal' bullets wore out the rifling faster than 'regular' bullets (yes...at 6,000 rounds vs. 10,000 for the copper bullets, ha!)

Hopefully your friend's Uncle has all the stuff you need to get started reloading because that really is a great way to go. And the younger you are when you start, the more you'll save over your lifetime. And for you, needing to shoot mono-metal bullets (California), it opens up the chance to use Hammer bullets, since they are a 'reload-only' option right now. They have a reputation of being quite accurate and on-game performance is also supposed to be quite good. If you reload, the bullet world is your oyster! It's fun. You can tailor loads to your gun and twist (and state laws.)

If you opt to not reload nor do steel cased stuff for practice, you can find brass cased ammo for about $0.55 to $0.50 a round (usually for 147 grain FMJ stuff) if you buy 500 rounds at a time.
 
According to Federal's website, the smallest Gold Medal they make is 168, which is an issue in my particular 308, as the twist is 1:12. I've been told by reps at both Nosler and Barnes, that 150 is the heaviest they would recommend.

I have a .308 with a 1:12 twist. I think you are correct in that 150gr is about as heavy as you want to go in a monolithic, but with lead based bullets my 308 shoots everything up to 180's really well.

Here is a twist rate calculator if you are so inclined;

https://bergerbullets.com/twist-rate-calculator/
 
I have a .308 with a 1:12 twist. I think you are correct in that 150gr is about as heavy as you want to go in a monolithic, but with lead based bullets my 308 shoots everything up to 180's really well.

Here is a twist rate calculator if you are so inclined;

https://bergerbullets.com/twist-rate-calculator/

Thanks for that!
And, ya know I didn't even think of it until now, but I won't always be hunting in this socialist state. So, I may as well open my bullet repertoire to include lead ammo!
I'm gonna get some quality lead ammo, and use that for practice now.
I just need to buy it online, then have the "Underground Railroad" bring it safely through the Neutral Zone, and Checkpoint Charlie, so I can pay my local FFL for transfer and background check!

Boy, I wish everything was that easy.
 
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I have a .308 with a 1:12 twist. I think you are correct in that 150gr is about as heavy as you want to go in a monolithic, but with lead based bullets my 308 shoots everything up to 180's really well.

Here is a twist rate calculator if you are so inclined;

https://bergerbullets.com/twist-rate-calculator/

Hand Skills got it right, with cup and core bullets you can go higher than the 150gr monolithic's, so the 168gr and 180gr should work just fine.
 
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