Jump to content
308AR.com Community
  • Visit Aero Precision
  • Visit Brownells
  • Visit EuroOptic
  • Visit Site
  • Visit Beachin Tactical
  • Visit Rainier Arms
  • Visit Ballistic Advantage
  • Visit Palmetto State Armory
  • Visit Cabelas
  • Visit Sportsmans Guide

Does Reloading Really Save Money


Joshua

Recommended Posts

Do you have anything or in need of all components and equipment? If that’s the case now is a bad time to start. There’s just nothing available. I found I don’t save any money. I shoot more for relatively the same cost. More time involved but more control over what I shoot. I only load rifle though, I still find handgun rounds are cheap enough for now

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9mm is now $320+ per 1000, and that is for steel case.  As @edgecrusher said, it depends on what you already have and what you need to start reloading.  If all you need is components, you might save a little money.  If you have to buy equipment, keep shopping for ammo deals.

www.ammoseek.com

Edited by Armed Eye Doc
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As pointed out it depends if you're starting from scratch as gear and components have jumped in price when you can find them.

I found I enjoy reloading( originally bought gear because of US ammo shortage back in 08) I think if you find reloading a chore then buy in bulk. 

One nice thing about reloading is that components can be used to make several calibers along with making different loads for a single caliber to suit the firearm and/or use. So even if you didn't save money this would be in itself a great perk.

As to saving money I'm going with yes. First off if you buy decent gear and look after it it has good resale value( at least up here) so I don't factor gear into my overall cost.

Even with 9mm I save money if using Lee Classic Turret( first press and a great starter press) it works out to approximately $C20CAN/HR the Dillion 550 works out to approximately $C45CAN/HR Note these prices are based on my cost for components I've stockpiled. 

https://x-reload.com/load-cost this is a cost calculator were you can punch in the various component cost and get a price to compare to store bought equivalent( if you can find what you want).

  

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

NO! You won't save money, but you WILL shoot more. I've been reloading for over 40 years and I've never saved any money but I have shot a lot more than I ever could have afforded if I had just bought loaded ammo. At one point, when I was real active in USPSA competition, I was reloading and shooting 8 to 10 thousand pistol rounds a year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As long as you shoot a good quantity of rounds you will save money (per round).

That's especially if you are looking for rounds that are accurate in your rifle.  You can find factory loads that your rifle likes but as likely as not these won't be the cheapest pos ammo you can find.

Of course, many people spoil their cost saving with unnecessary nick knack tools and too much experimentation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can buy .338 Lapua Magnum match-loaded  285gr ammo for about $120 a box.  OF TWENTY ROUNDS.   That's $6 per round.  I can load that for about $2.50 a round. Not long ago, I was loading that for $1.90 a round -but "these times" happened. 

Does it save money?  Definitely.  

For range-blasting ammo, I was buying PMC Bronze 5.56 55gr ammo for $250 shipped, case of 1k rounds, to my house, in 2012.  25 cents each, and it used to cost me about 27 cents to load one of those.  No-brainer.  Ship it to me cheaper than I can load it, and I don't have to work?  Done. 

What's that 1k case of PMC Bronze 55gr cost now?  About $600 (or north of that), if you can even find a full case to buy...

Reloading saves you money.  Period.  Especially for precision ammo.  Sometimes even on bulk ammo (considering today's prices). 

My $0.02...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would be buying equipment. I was also told before starting my rifle build that it was a bad time, and it's almost finished. I'm very patient, and I don't buy unless it fits my budget. As long as it saves money per round, the equipment eventually pays for itself. Plus being a little more independent is never bad. If only one could make their own primers, powder, and bullets.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Where you save money reloading is to reuse your brass.  It takes a little time to pick up, sort clean and check the brass every time you shoot.  I like that I can try to tune my loads to my rifle.  I am not as good at that as some of the guys here but I can tell the difference in my groups between my loads and cheap factory loads.  It takes time to reload.  If you start with the basics you will find out if you like it.  Be careful.  You may end up with a room full of reloading tools.  It may grow on you just like rifles do.   🙂🙂🙂

 

  Steve 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
On 12/26/2021 at 3:41 PM, Joshua said:

Wife bought me the Lee Precision Breech Lock Challenger Kit for Christmas. I think I want to start with 9mm to get the hang of it. A question for the experienced reloader: do 9mm cartridges need cleaned or trimmed? I see some doing it and some not.

I don’t load handgun but I would absolutely clean your case

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As the others said, definitely clean them, dirty cases can be really hard on the sizer die. In the tens of thousands of pistol rounds I've reloaded (38 Spec., 357, 44mag & Spec., 40 S&W, 45 ACP, 38 Super and 9 MM), I have never trimmed a pistol case. Since they are straightwall, they don't stretch like a shouldered rifle case does.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry to say.  Your hooked now.  I started with a 18 inch square table with a shelf on the bottom.  I lived in a 2 room apartment.  I now have a 8 foot work bench that has no extra space on it.  Took 50 years to get to this.  I still enjoy the time I spend reloading.  I tried loading 9 mm but I kept pinching the F out of my fingers.  9 mm and 380 are just to short for me to reload.  I can reload over 8 pistol and 8 or 9 rifle calibers.         Gives me something to do in my retirement.  Getting to old to get out and shoot much anymore.  Sad.  ☹️☹️☹️ 

 Steve 

P,S,  That is a good looking reloading bench.

Edited by Steve crawford
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...