Reloading?

[devobrodie]

I have never done reloading, but now that I am semi-retired I am considering it as an added hobby. I am trying to see if it makes any sense financially, I know it may depend on how much you shoot. For those that do it, how much should you expect to spend to get started, And how much does it cost to load rounds after the initial investment, say if you were to load a similar round as a decent factory round that costs around $50/box today, what would it cost to reload the same. Thanks for any advice or info.

 

[feddoc]

Powder at 70 grains a load = 100 or so rounds for $80 out of a 1lb can.

Primers are almost $.10= 1000 rounds for $100, so 100 for $10

Brass for a .300WM (Hornady) is about $ 126 for a box of 100

.308 Barnes 175g LRX is about $104 for 100.

So, a bit over $320 for 5 boxes of premium ammo, assuming you have no brass to reload.

 

[notdonhunting]

December of 2019, I started reloading. At first, I bought just a couple pounds of different powders and a couple of different boxes of primers and a couple of different boxes of projectiles. I was going to do some experimenting before I got too crazy and purchased any large amount of components for reloading. Now that was a mistake, at least if I had bought a large amount of supplies, I could have traded items that I did not like for items that I needed.
Since then I have slowly obtained a OK amount of powders, thanks to a generous monster muley member that sold me 5 pounds of powder for less than he paid for it, and have purchased other powders for more than I should have. Primers (I believe magnum large rifle is none existence) I grabed a couple thousand right before they went up and sense paid for a couple thousand more at higher price than they should be.
But with all of the overpriced and wasted time stopping at every gunshop I drive by, it is worth it.
About the most relaxing thing, I find time to do nowadays.
I don't have an answer for the price per load.

 

[BroadHead]

I started reloading almost 10 years ago. At the time, I started with the Hornady Lock-N-Load kit. It came with most everything except for dies and components (powder, primers, brass). The kit at the time was under $300, I want to say around $250 as I caught it on sale.

Around that time, it was a financially viable endeavor. Components were comically cheaper than they are now. All in all, the kit plus components, I would say my starting cost was close to $600 and my .308 loads were around $0.20-0.30 per round (depending on powder and primers used).

At this stage, for me it's no longer about saving money as I don't shoot in volume anyway. I reload for hunting primarily and mostly magnums these days. For context, I recently saw an 8lb jug of Reloder 26 powder for over $400.

If you shoot magnums often, that jug will not last very long. With that said, you nailed it. It's a hobby. Have fun with it and know you will take pride in harvesting an animal with a load that you put together yourself or can plink steel consistently at 1,000 yards+ because you were able to control the variables (bullet seating depth, case prep, precise powder measurement, brass annealing, etc)

 

[HikeHunt61]

For one rifle cartridge, minimum equipment (in my mind):

Loading press
Cartridge dies
Shell holder
Case trimming tool, w/ caliber guide
Powder measure
Powder throw of some sort
Reloading block
Powder funnel
Primer tray
Case chamfer tool
Caliper for case measuring
Primer pocket cleaning tool of some sort
Case cleaning tumbler (I can't imagine not cleaning the brass due to ability to inspect it easier after shooting and other reasons)
Some method for case lubing.
Various other little items needed with above.

(Let's assume you prime and de-prime with the press,you are OK with manual trimming and you don't care too much about case headspace or neck turning

I probably missed some minimum piece, but the above probably can be procured for $500- not high end stuff but definitely good enough.

Powder runs about $50 for 7000 grains. Let's assume pushing 50 grains into each cartridge. Thats 140 rounds for $50, about $0.35 each.

Bullets are all over the map, but let's assume about $1 per bullet.

Cases are all over the map, but let's assume $1.50 per case. Let's also assume you get 5 reloads per case before they become suspect. (You can get more or less depending on all sorts of factors)

Primers are "cheap" (tough to find right now tho).

So figure about $2 per round with reasonable quality components, and you can amortize your $500 investment over how many you do.

I will say this- I spend WAY more than that per round. Mostly because I reload to tune for my rifles which takes 100-200 loads of experimentation before I pick the best for whatever applications. I have 20 different powders, 40 different bullet types, and copious cases to allow for all that. Not to mention better equipment each time I find something that makes it more deterministic and easier at the range (like modern chronographs)

All in all though- I find it very relaxing to do, and I'm not even one of those long-range guys!

 

[willfrye027]

I think you end up spending more, and shooting more. Not including the equipment, I spend $1-1.20 per round with premium components for creedmoor sized stuff. Closer to $1.50 for magnums. I do load for my .223 with the cheapest stuff possible at .34 each but still make great ammo that I practice out to 700 yards with.

It’s a deep rabbit hole to fall into but most guys make it way too complicated. It’s a great feeling to have a cabinet full of all the components you need for years of shooting and hunting.

 

[hhunter23]

I’ve been reloading for 15 yrs or so. I think with the premium factory stuff nowadays, it’s pretty close to my reloads. Almost worth just buying ammo. But the satisfaction of getting a bullet to fly good is a warm fuzzy.

 

[SDBugler]

I have been reloading for about 30 years. Never considered it a way to save money but rather a way to improve accuracy and to load exactly what I want - the types of bullet I want to use and to get them to shoot accurately out of my guns. I also have three sons and so we all share the same supplies and equipment so I guess it probably saves cost but also provides more opportunities for customizing.

Probably the best reason recently is that I never have to hope that my local sporting goods store carries the ammo that I need - Just go downstairs and load up exactly what I need.

 

[devobrodie]

Thanks for all the info and advice! lots of good stuff, seems like it might be a fun thing to do and it would probably lead to shooting more which is a good thing

 

[devobrodie]

I started reloading almost 10 years ago. At the time, I started with the Hornady Lock-N-Load kit. It came with most everything except for dies and components (powder, primers, brass). The kit at the time was under $300, I want to say around $250 as I caught it on sale.

Around that time, it was a financially viable endeavor. Components were comically cheaper than they are now. All in all, the kit plus components, I would say my starting cost was close to $600 and my .308 loads were around $0.20-0.30 per round (depending on powder and primers used).

At this stage, for me it's no longer about saving money as I don't shoot in volume anyway. I reload for hunting primarily and mostly magnums these days. For context, I recently saw an 8lb jug of Reloder 26 powder for over $400.

If you shoot magnums often, that jug will not last very long. With that said, you nailed it. It's a hobby. Have fun with it and know you will take pride in harvesting an animal with a load that you put together yourself or can plink steel consistently at 1,000 yards+ because you were able to control the variables (bullet seating depth, case prep, precise powder measurement, brass annealing, etc)

Do you think a kit like that is a good place to start? I see they still are selling them

 

[BrianID]

Thanks for all the info and advice! lots of good stuff, seems like it might be a fun thing to do and it would probably lead to shooting more which is a good thing

The best advice I could give you is find a friend that loads ammunition. Spend a day or two with them loading ammunition to see if it is really something you would enjoy. It will also give you a good education in getting started if you can sit down at a bench and learn from someone else with experience.

Only get into reloading if it would be something you enjoy doing. It isn't going to save you any significant money. If you factor in your time as $$, you would be loosing money.

I wouldn't doubt I've spent $10,000 on equipment and components for loading ammunition in the last 10 years. I could have bought a lot of ammunition for that price and spent more time shooting instead of at the reloading bench.

The cost to reload ammunition is highly variable. For just the components (primer, brass, bullet and powder) you could load your hunting ammunition for about half the price of a $50 box of ammunition. However, that doesn't include your startup costs or burned up components figuring out a load for your gun. Just to get started into reloading, it will probably cost you at least $500 and possibly $1000+. You could wait for sales and buy $1000 of ammunition to shoot and save yourself the hassle of trying to build your own.

I really enjoy loading my own ammunition but also buy a lot of factory ammunition as well. For me it is therapeutic to sit a the reloading bench. I spent about 4 hours yesterday after getting off work loading up 45 colt, 357 mag and 460 S&W. If only factoring in the cost of components, I "saved" more than $100 in that 4 hours loading compared to factory ammunition. However, financially it would have been a wiser choice to spend an extra hour or two at work every week and just buy all the ammunition I want.

 

[BrianID]

Do you think a kit like that is a good place to start? I see they still are selling them

Hornady or RCBS kit would be a good place to start but I would highly recommend finding friends that loads ammunition. Spend some time with them at their bench and see what you really need and don't need.

 

[devobrodie]

Hornady or RCBS kit would be a good place to start but I would highly recommend finding friends that loads ammunition. Spend some time with them at their bench and see what you really need and don't need.

Great advice, I have a neighbor who does reload, as soon as he gets back in town I will see if he is up for some, I have been saving brass for a couple of years thinking I may start, I know he reloads in one of the rounds I have brass for so that is where I will start, thanks again,

 

[BroadHead]

Do you think a kit like that is a good place to start? I see they still are selling them

I went really far with that Hornady kit. With quality components, it can produce half-MOA loads all day (out to 600 yards for me anyway). Beyond that, it is a game of thousandths of an inch and significantly higher cost to generate consistent bullet performance (velocity, standard deviation, extreme spread).

The advice about getting with a friend who reloads is a nice luxury and I would definitely leverage it. Although rare, it's still possible to make catastrophic mistakes when reloading. Better to dramatically reduce those chances by asking questions and taking your time.

Plus, you have us as a sounding board as well

 

[littlebighorn]

Great advice, I have a neighbor who does reload, as soon as he gets back in town I will see if he is up for some, I have been saving brass for a couple of years thinking I may start, I know he reloads in one of the rounds I have brass for so that is where I will start, thanks again,

If you don't have someone to mentor you, reloading may have a pretty steep learning curve. Getting your neighbor to help was a suggestion I was about to make, but Brian beat me to it.
Reloading is also like anything else. You can go all out crazy with lots of steps and gadgets, or you can keep it simple. Working with your neighbor will help you decide for now how you want to approach it.
I've been reloading for over 50 years but I still learn new things all the time. The most satisfying thing about it for me is, I have customized tack driving loads for each of my (many) rifles. My loads always shoot more accurately than factory ammo. Also, with my stash of components, I will always have ammo, even when stores run out.
It is a rabbit hole I'm glad to be in.

 

[Joe2Kool]

From the responses, it seems reloading for centerfire rifles is more of a hobby than a money saving proposition. What about reloading for shotguns, specifically for skeet shooting? Any cost savings there? I typically buy in bricks of 10 boxes for about $10-12 a box.

 

[Mallardsx2]

From the responses, it seems reloading for centerfire rifles is more of a hobby than a money saving proposition. What about reloading for shotguns, specifically for skeet shooting? Any cost savings there? I typically buy in bricks of 10 boxes for about $10-12 a box.

Been reloading for 25 years.

I was reloading 410 shells for 2.10$ a box prior to covid….

I do make my own shot though so I don’t factor that into the cost. Shot costs are significant factor for most people.

I slowed down big time on shooting clays when the cost of clays skyrocketed to ridiculous prices.

I save a lot of money on pistol rounds by casting and powder coating bullets. I was actually reloading 9mm cheaper than you could buy .22lr for while there.

 

[BrianID]

From the responses, it seems reloading for centerfire rifles is more of a hobby than a money saving proposition. What about reloading for shotguns, specifically for skeet shooting? Any cost savings there? I typically buy in bricks of 10 boxes for about $10-12 a box.

I’ve been loading for my rifles and handguns for more than 20 years and haven’t thought it was worth my time loading for my shotguns. If I got back into doing a lot of waterfowl hunting and want to create custom TSS loads I would look at loading for my shotgun. If I shot 1000+ rounds per month for skeet I might get a Dillon shot shell reloading machine. That might set me back another $2000 to get set up.

If you factor in you time as being $$, you will not save any money loading your for your shotgun. Right now you should be able to find 12 gauge shells for $10/box without too much effort.

If you consider your time free and enjoy loading ammunition and shoot thousands of shot shells every year, you would theoretically save money if you buy the equipment and components for a good price.

Only get into loading ammunition if it something you enjoy doing.

 

[tailchasers]

$1500 should get you started for a couple of cartridges. I reload to pass winter time, hang out in my shop, drink whiskey, play with explosives, and still shoot chit no matter what the government does.

 

[Joe2Kool]

... drink whiskey, play with explosives...

Now that's funny!

 

[willfrye027]

Do you think a kit like that is a good place to start? I see they still are selling them

I’d echo the advice to learn from a mentor. I’ve taught several people to reload and helped them find good equipment, I’m guessing they will be happy to help.

The kits are fine but you end up with quite a few things you don’t need. Plus I prefer vintage/older tools and equipment.

Feel free to PM me. My overall philosophy is that accuracy comes from 1) good barrels 2) good bullets that your barrel likes 3) the right powder. All the super fancy expensive presses and scales are completely unnecessary for 99% of hunter/reloader.

Here’s my list of tools and some thoughts:

Press: any old press. Literally, any. Don’t overthink this one. Need the appropriate sized shell holder (s) also.

Scale: I like the older RCBS 505, better yet a 10-10. Accurate, repeatable, tunable/fixable. Plenty of precision. Rcbs Chargemaster is an option if you want automatic charge but they are not without issues.

Trickler: whatever you can find cheap

Powder thrower: very helpful piece of equipment; with some powders you can literally just dump powder straight into the case without weighing and make great ammo. Lee makes a cheap and very effective one.

Case priming: most presses have an arm to prime with. It works but usually slower. I use a frankford hand primer and it does speed up the process quite a bit. Not mandatory.

Loading blocks: cheap, or can drill holes in a piece of scrap wood.

Micrometer and hornady comparators: helpful but not mandatory. I’ve been using $20 Amazon micrometers for years. There are ways around using these.

Die set: can make excellent ammo with any die set..nothing wrong with cheaper RCBS.

Case lube: I prefer hornady one shot. The lube pads work well too but more annoying to clean cases later.

Case cleaning: I have a tumbler and almost never use it. I use a shop rag and isopropyl alcohol to get the lube off of loaded rounds. You don’t want that lube getting in your chamber.

Case debur and trimming: depending on the brass you buy and the specific cartridges you shoot, it may be necessary to debur case mouths and you might have to trim brass after several firings. Lots of options here but not needed for just starting out.

 

[Chesterwyo]

It can turn into a rabbit hole. Started with a lee hand press in my kitchen. And now have a room in my house dedicated to the endeavor.

 

[devobrodie]

I’d echo the advice to learn from a mentor. I’ve taught several people to reload and helped them find good equipment, I’m guessing they will be happy to help.

The kits are fine but you end up with quite a few things you don’t need. Plus I prefer vintage/older tools and equipment.

Feel free to PM me. My overall philosophy is that accuracy comes from 1) good barrels 2) good bullets that your barrel likes 3) the right powder. All the super fancy expensive presses and scales are completely unnecessary for 99% of hunter/reloader.

Here’s my list of tools and some thoughts:

Press: any old press. Literally, any. Don’t overthink this one. Need the appropriate sized shell holder (s) also.

Scale: I like the older RCBS 505, better yet a 10-10. Accurate, repeatable, tunable/fixable. Plenty of precision. Rcbs Chargemaster is an option if you want automatic charge but they are not without issues.

Trickler: whatever you can find cheap

Powder thrower: very helpful piece of equipment; with some powders you can literally just dump powder straight into the case without weighing and make great ammo. Lee makes a cheap and very effective one.

Case priming: most presses have an arm to prime with. It works but usually slower. I use a frankford hand primer and it does speed up the process quite a bit. Not mandatory.

Loading blocks: cheap, or can drill holes in a piece of scrap wood.

Micrometer and hornady comparators: helpful but not mandatory. I’ve been using $20 Amazon micrometers for years. There are ways around using these.

Die set: can make excellent ammo with any die set..nothing wrong with cheaper RCBS.

Case lube: I prefer hornady one shot. The lube pads work well too but more annoying to clean cases later.

Case cleaning: I have a tumbler and almost never use it. I use a shop rag and isopropyl alcohol to get the lube off of loaded rounds. You don’t want that lube getting in your chamber.

Case debur and trimming: depending on the brass you buy and the specific cartridges you shoot, it may be necessary to debur case mouths and you might have to trim brass after several firings. Lots of options here but not needed for just starting out.

Thanks! I may take you up on that after I get with my neighbor and try to learn a bit by watching him. Alway sticks better for me to see it done once

 

[Blank]

You said retired, implying an older age. Buy a thurty-thurty and a box of Core Loks and shoot a deer a year, until you die! Save all that extra money for sex, drugs, and rock and roll.

 

[notdonhunting]

You said retired, implying an older age. Buy a thurty-thurty and a box of Core Loks and shoot a deer a year, until you die! Save all that extra money for sex, drugs, and rock and roll.

And good food

 

[Bluehair]

Back on topic, I sorta feel like I can reload for about half price once you can get your hands on the brass. And I don’t include the costs of load development as I think that’s just an added bonus.

The situation with brass has REALLY changed over the last 20 years. You used to be able to get it for free from people who didn’t reload, and if you needed something special it was relatively easy to find. Now you can buy loaded ammo for the same price as brass.

And I agree with the other guys who pointed out that once you get some components on the shelf, you don’t need to worry about being able to find something to shoot. Independence is just as easy a way to rationalize as cost.

 

[ICMDEER]

Good topic and great answers. My dad taught me to handload in the 60's and I have never shot anything bigger than a rodent with factory ammo.

I have tons of brass and lots of powder, primers and bullets. I had a lot on hand before Covid, but still buy stuff. I haven't penciled it lately, but as has been said, you should save a lot of money if you reload and have the brass.

But still the greatest thing is satisfaction. Knowing you developed the load, made a good shot and harvested the critter with your own stuff is a big deal for me.

If you live in Wyoming, you have a lot of what I call "hunker down days." When it's cold and windy, it is great to go out and load ammo. Nice way to spend some time and save money.

 

[ktg]

Some components are still unavailable so it depends on what you want to load for. I looked for 2 years for some RL26. I got lucky a few months ago and got all that I wanted. I haven't seen it available again since.

 

[The_Whitetail_Kid]

You’ll end up spending more because it becomes an addiction!

 

[BroadHead]

If interested, the Hornady Lock N' Load kit is on sale here for $389. The price has risen slightly but the kit now includes a sonic cleaner so not a bad deal overall.

 

[Bwht4x4]

I too started reloading in the last 3 to 4 years. IMO I would not buy a reloading kit as it'll have stuff you'll never use and won't have certain things you'll need. If I was going to mainly load for a magnum rifle I probably wouldn't buy any reloading gear until I could source at least 2k or 3k magnum rifle primers and at least 16 lbs of whatever powder I needed. I've been hammering places for a couple of years and have done well finding large rifle primers and powder, but magnums are never available. I'm a big fan of most of the Redding reloading tools and components. Currently I have two really old and well made RCBS presses, but I'm looking to get into a high end turret press at some point in the near future.

 

[Homer]

If I couldn't find LR magnum primers I wouldn't hesitate to work up a load with regular LR primers....

 

[BroadHead]

If I couldn't find LR magnum primers I wouldn't hesitate to work up a load with regular LR primers....

Homer, I've had a lot of luck using regular LR primers with no tangible difference downrange (or in velocity/SD/ES). HOWEVER - I personally have had ignition issues with large stick powders, specifically N570 even with a compressed case. I tried Federal and CCI LR primers (same result) and this was during the summer.

Everything else, Retumbo/H1000 seemed fine. Just my experience. N570 is just ridiculously large anyway. The kernels are like grains of rice.

 

[Homer]

Homer, I've had a lot of luck using regular LR primers with no tangible difference downrange (or in velocity/SD/ES). HOWEVER - I personally have had ignition issues with large stick powders, specifically N570 even with a compressed case. I tried Federal and CCI LR primers (same result) and this was during the summer.

Everything else, Retumbo/H1000 seemed fine. Just my experience. N570 is just ridiculously large anyway. The kernels are like grains of rice.

Good to know.......I bet that rice is tough to meter...

 

[BroadHead]

Good to know.......I bet that rice is tough to meter...

Yeah, it's rough. It clogs the dispensing tube although I can sometimes mitigate that by tilting the unit forward a little bit to give the kernels a head start.

Also, each kernel is close to 1 grain, which for most people is fine, however my OCD prevents me from over/under shooting my target weight. So, yes, I've had to cut a kernel in half once or twice before.

N570 also builds carbon like no other powder I've used before. I'd ditch it in a heartbeat if my barrel didn't love it.