How cost effective is reloading?

crossada

crossada

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I have been tinkering with the idea of getting reloading equipment which is quite an investment up front by most accounts i have read.

Right now the only round i have that i would be interested in reloading is the 45 Colt. I have had good luck finding boxes of it which i understand is one of the harder rounds to find but considering the price i couldn't buy that much anyways. It is expensive enough to me that i can't enjoy shooting my Vaquero like i would want to. Kinda jealous of the bulk packs of 9mm i seen on the shelf yesterday to be honest.

A box of 50 Ultramax 45 Colt is costing me $33.00 + tax. My question is if i had all the reloading supplies and equipment what would 50 rounds cost me then roughly?

Trying to see if shelling out several hundred dollars would be worth it to me to start reloading. If it made it as cheap as .22 i would probably buy that 44 Mag Super Blackhawk i've always wanted:D
 
You need to reload if you shoot that caliber. I can't crunch the numbers for you, but reloading makes a big difference with large bore calibers like the .45 Colt. You can get a complete Lee turret press set up for $300 or less, which is all you need for loading handgun ammo. Add maybe another $100 for enough lead bullets, powder and primers for 500-1000 cartridges (just a guess there). A 50 round box of .45 Colt costs like $35. So if you shelled out $400 for your equipment and supplies, you'll be in the black by your 13th box of ammo or so.

Note that you can get into reloading for much cheaper than $400. I started out with a hand press and loaded hundreds of .38, .357, and .44 with it. The end result is the same; it just takes longer. The Lee Classic Loader is less than $40. The hand press kit is $60. Both contain everything you need but powder, bullets, and primers.
 
A lot has been said & written, but i think it mostly boils down to: You are most likely to benefit if A. You shoot 1 or more scarce, expensive calibers, and or B. You shoot a LOT.
 
Haven't reloaded in years, but it used to save me a fair amount of money loading 44 mag.
I set myself up with a Rock Chucker.

Best of all, it let me customize the load to exactly what I wanted.

Recommended.
 
as Knarfeng commented an RCBS Rock Chucker is an excellent single stage reloader for someone that is an occasional shooter....if you are a competative shooter, you need a progressive press like a Dillon 550... you can amortize the cost of the cartridge "brass" over many loadings with a revolver (I reloaded a piece of .357 brass 75 times) and possibly find a source for once fired brass .... projectile costs depend on amount of lead and whether a polymer coated, wax lubed, or are metal jacketed or plated... it is possible to cast your own, but carries a health risk... primers are coming down in price, but still in the $25-30 per thousand range, powder around $20-25 per pound (7000grains per pound)...equipment is available on the used market, and many times you can find one complete setup with dies.... for a pistol you need a 3 die set with carbide sizing die (if you shoot an autoloader you want a Lee sizing die), powder measure, powder scale, primer flipper, probably a hand primer seater if you use the Rock Chucker.... for your caliber, I would check with the local "cowboy action" shooters.... for autoloaders, the IDPA/USPSA shooters usually move up as they get addicted.... I have a 1050 and two 550's...
 
It's important to factor in the cost of your time. If you buy a single-stage press (cheap) you'll spend an hour to reload perhaps 40 cartridges. If you're planning to hit the range this weekend and shoot 150 rounds, you'll be sitting in your garage tumbling cases and pulling that lever for three nights during the week.

If you want to go faster, you need a more expensive machine. That might get you up to 600 rounds an hour, but you'll spend perhaps five hundred dollars on the machine, plus accessories.

So, if you bought a cheap single-stage press, scavenge your brass, and only buy bullets, powder, and primers, you might get materials cost down to $15/50 (depends on what you buy; some people cast their own bullets)… but you also have to factor in the cost of an hour or so of time spent peering closely at the top of your workbench.

This, coupled with the start-up cost (press, bench space, case tumbler, lube, dies…), means reloading only makes sense if:

• You really can't afford to buy new: i.e., your time is worth very little compared to the dollars in your pocket. This is why pretty much nobody reloads 9mm; the cost saving is minimal.

• You're loading a cartridge that's hard to find.

• You're working up your own loads, for power or accuracy reasons; or

• You're shooting so damn much (thousands of rounds a month) that it makes sense for you to go buy a big progressive Dillon and buy components in bulk, because you'll save on that capital expenditure in short order.

I own a cheap single-stage press; I don't use it, because saving 15 cents per round of .45 is not currently worth my time. If I ever take up competitive shooting, and burn through 1,000 rounds a month — or if I lose my job — then I'll start working through my stash of brass.
 
I think you would save money on the 45Colt ammo. Buy a single stage press and learn how to do it before you run out and buy a progressive machine.
 
holygoat said:
If you buy a single-stage press (cheap) you'll spend an hour to reload perhaps 40 cartridges.
Click to expand...

I disagree, I load on a Lee Turret press, and can do 50 rounds in 10 minutes or less. If I had to switch the dies for each step, add 5 minutes maybe.

The case prep I do well ahead of time, and have 500 or more primed cases ready to load.

If you cast your own bullets you will save even more, but reloading is the only way to go, for all but a select few calibers.
 
+1 for a RCBS press, I'm not sure of how much I save but I do know that I can load various combinations normally with accuracy being my primary interest. I have found that different guns respond to particular styles, weights, and manufacture of bullets. Handloading is not something I consider work any more than sitting at my bench and tying flies, it is something I really enjoy. I also enjoy the satisfaction of a good shot group at the range or a clean kill in the woods.
 
shunsui said:
I think you would save money on the 45Colt ammo. Buy a single stage press and learn how to do it before you run out and buy a progressive machine.
Click to expand...

That's exactly how I started because I bought a pistol in 45 LC. I went real basic using a Lee Hand Press. Got me to learn the basics slowly and thoroughly.

I now use a progressive but still like using my single stage RCBS when I'm not in a hurry.

This may also help:

http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp
 
I got a single stage LEE and can do a batch of 30.06 for around 30 cents a round. A box of 20 is $25 or $30. So, after about $150 all including suppies I'll come out ahead in 150 to 200 rounds
 
The other way to add savings to your reloading is watch price of your materials, powder, lead, primers, brass etc. Buy low, sales special and in as much bulk as you can afford when those super deals that are too good to believe fall in your lap.
 
You may also find that you'll shoot more and ammo will be readily available to you. Be sure to stock up on components, i.e primers and powder. Supplies are much easier to get now than say a year ago.
 
I am going to politely disagree with the single stage guys. I have a Dillon progressive and its plenty fast but some of these single stage guys are claiming fairly comparable times. IF you reload, take your time, throw an occasional charge on the scale, etc. It is your life and hands fingers etc. at stake. I did the standard progression. Lee Loader, single stage, then the Dillon. Totally worth the money. Rat, if you can do 300 rounds in an hour on your setup you are either a) not counting alot of setup time or b) you are the MAN!
 
pedropcola said:
Rat, if you can do 300 rounds in an hour on your setup you are either a) not counting alot of setup time or b) you are the MAN!
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That is starting with a bucket of cleaned, sized, primed brass ready to go. Also, that is once I have the load dialed in. I do the brass ahead of time, since that is the most time intensive part, a couple hundred rifle or 500 pistol at a time.
If you count cleaning and sizing the brass, then it will take way longer.
I load rifle slower, on a single stage rock chucker.
 
Stay away from progressive presses when you start and learn on a single stage press. I've been reloading for a lot of years and have used them all. I now own two progressive presses and use them only for handgun ammo because I shoot a lot ot it. However, I long ago learned to size and prime my brass first on a single stage press! I do not/will not use any progressive with the primer feed/insert step activated. I have yet to see ANY progressive that will not, eventually, goof up in the primer area. It takes just one grain of powder in the wrong place and whoops, the primer mechanism malfunctions necessitating a partial strip down and cleaning. Try sizing and priming outboard, then your progressive will really pump them out.

Outboard priming on a single stage press also forces me to handle and check each cartridge case as I process each one. By doing so, I catch cracked or dented brass, oversized primer pockets, wrong caliber, i.e. 357 versus 38, 41 mag versus 44, and ensure correct primer seating. In short, I get a much better and more consistent quality ammo with no shutdowns due to progressive press primer problems.

One other comment. No matter how knowledgable and skilled you become with reloading, ALWAYS check your loading manual and verify powder type, charge, and bullet weight for that charge before touching the press and powder measure! I know most of my pet loads by heart but I still take out the book and double check. I started that 50 plus years ago and have never wavered. Haven't had any overcharged rounds either.....
 
Thanks for all the replies, it has been very helpful.

I'm going to look into getting a single stage press. I think i will get this 30 minute dvd that was at the store on reloading with step by step instructions too.
 
I used to load a LOT of 357 and 44 mag.... now I am just getting back into it and reload 44 special and soon will do the 44 mag again.

Once my dies are set for a specific load/bullet etc, I leave it set.... I hate to jack around and change it.

I can load about 100 rounds in an hour with not much worries.... save a pile of money and have some reliable, accurate, hand taylored ammo!

Go for it but take the time to learn and keep an eye on your powder... I load 50 or 100 cases full of the powder, then take a glamce over them all (in a shell block) to make sure none have been double charged by mistake, before seating the bullets.

P.S. I think you could save on 9mm and 45ACP too... IF you buy bullets in bulk and if you don't mind diggin the brass outta the grass. I'm too lazy for reloading the auto cartridges! :-)
 
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