Reloading Today vs Purchasing

First topic message reminder :

After a 9 year hiatus, I'm going to start shooting again. Ammo looks like it went up in price about 2.5x since 2013. Can anyone share their experience or a web article on reloading target/standard loads vs purchasing? Any insight would be appreciated.

Dcforman wrote:My pricing....

New Starline brass is $0.20 each. Average use is maybe 8 times before being lost or split. Maybe more. Let's say $0.025 per load.

Paid $0.10 a primer for my last batch purchased earlier this year. 

Picked up 8# of WST for $210. My standard load is 3.7 grains. So $0.014 per round.

I use Zero 185 LHPSWC, about $0.10 each.

So total is $0.239 per round. Basically $12 for a box of 50. Still far cheaper than purchasing accurate factory ammo. But more importantly, it's tuned to my gun, is accurate, and soft. 

Hopefully, this is a starting point. Obviously doesnt include the cost of equipment. 

Dave

Hi Dave, thanks for the economic run down. Will consider reloading again. Starlike brass is quite high these days though, ~200 per 1k.

Dcforman wrote:As a reference, in terms of factory ammo... the two named most regularly for Bullseye are ASYM and Atlanta Arms, both 185 JHP running around 775 FPS. ASYM runs $38 for 50, and Atlanta $46 for 50. So... I just bought a Star Reloader (which I love) for about $1000 all in (completely refurbished). Saving an average of $30 per 50, I need to load about 1650 rounds to recoup that investment. Not really that much.

But again, the primary benefit is the ability to tune the load. Cost savings (though important) is secondary.

Dave

EDIT: Chris posted as I wrote this. Though I haven't mentioned it, your time is valuable. I agree with what he says. Because I leave everything set up, I can crank out 50 rounds in maybe 8-10 minutes before I go to the range. Having a press dedicated to 45 definitely helps.

That’s nuts… Atlanta Arms March grade ~$50. When I was buying in 2013, it was about 15 a box.

Dcforman wrote:As a reference, in terms of factory ammo... the two named most regularly for Bullseye are ASYM and Atlanta Arms, both 185 JHP running around 775 FPS. ASYM runs $38 for 50, and Atlanta $46 for 50. So... I just bought a Star Reloader (which I love) for about $1000 all in (completely refurbished). Saving an average of $30 per 50, I need to load about 1650 rounds to recoup that investment. Not really that much.

But again, the primary benefit is the ability to tune the load. Cost savings (though important) is secondary.

Dave

EDIT: Chris posted as I wrote this. Though I haven't mentioned it, your time is valuable. I agree with what he says. Because I leave everything set up, I can crank out 50 rounds in maybe 8-10 minutes before I go to the range. Having a press dedicated to 45 definitely helps.

I'll chime in with this opinion, and expand on Dave's post.  Unless you have unlimited budget or have someone else paying for your ammo, there is no alternative to reloading........, unless you are fine with dry firing until blue in the face.  One of my good friends divides shooters (wonna be) on HMs and HMRs.  I confess, I'm in latter category, although I equally love shooting and reloading.  I'm just better (as of now) in reloading.  Thus, before you start figuring out all aspects of reloading, look in the mirror and answer to yourself what is important, and what you want to do.  If shooting is your thing - invest in getting dry firing aid, like SCATT System, and spend time honing your trigger pulling skills, while relying on others to provide you with ammo.  If you want to shoot more live ammo, there is no alternative to reloading, and that will force you to excel in building and testing your ammo.  Ultimately, you will come to realization that cost of either route will equalize over the time, especially taking to account the fact that your own time has value. 

My 2 cents.
AP

Orionsic wrote:

Dcforman wrote:As a reference, in terms of factory ammo... the two named most regularly for Bullseye are ASYM and Atlanta Arms, both 185 JHP running around 775 FPS. ASYM runs $38 for 50, and Atlanta $46 for 50. So... I just bought a Star Reloader (which I love) for about $1000 all in (completely refurbished). Saving an average of $30 per 50, I need to load about 1650 rounds to recoup that investment. Not really that much.

But again, the primary benefit is the ability to tune the load. Cost savings (though important) is secondary.

Dave

EDIT: Chris posted as I wrote this. Though I haven't mentioned it, your time is valuable. I agree with what he says. Because I leave everything set up, I can crank out 50 rounds in maybe 8-10 minutes before I go to the range. Having a press dedicated to 45 definitely helps.

That’s nuts… Atlanta Arms March grade ~$50. When I was buying in 2013, it was about 15 a box.

Hypothetically what would you charge someone per box if you were loading? I know of few hobbies that are not expensive. If you truly want to go down the load tuning route too don't forget the cost of a machine rest.

"That’s nuts… Atlanta Arms March grade ~$50. When I was buying in 2013, it was about 15 a box."

So, AFAIK, Atlanta Arms is not currently available on the open market - at any price! ASYM has stopped producing and trading - such a pity - IMHO it was the best. Zero match red box is available, but not easy to find, market price is currently about $50/box. But it does seem to vary quite a bit from batch to batch. Still more than good enough for everyone except the very top, top shooters.

Can you produce ammo that is as good or better than the very best factory stuff? I have not been able to achieve that reliably, but, as mentioned by AP above, I am certainly not a HMR!

Atlanta Arms has the 45 ACP 185 gr Elite ammo in stock. $46.00 / 50 or $822.00 /1000 ($41.10 /50)

45 ACP | 185GR JHP | Elite Ammo (atlantaarms.com)

Primers with hazmat/shipping ~ 125.00 / 1000 12.5 cents/round
Powder with hazmat + shipping~ 60.00 / lb 1750 loads per LB at 4 grains about 3.5 cents/round
250 Nosler 185 gr HP at ~110.00 44 cents / round

Without brass cost to reload is about 60 cents per round / $30.00 / 50
I've seen 45 ACP brass in the $30-$40 / 100 price range lately (Starline is out of stock, it would be ~24 cents per round) ~30 cents per round total with new brass about $45.00 / 50

Loader Monkey will make match 45 but it’s near $50 per box.  He loads the same load as Atlantic or ASYM did (N310).  He will load 180 Brazos or 185 JHP. 

https://www.facebook.com/loadermonkey/

shanneba wrote:Atlanta Arms has the 45 ACP 185 gr Elite ammo in stock. $46.00 / 50 or $822.00 /1000 ($41.10 /50)

45 ACP | 185GR JHP | Elite Ammo (atlantaarms.com)

Primers with hazmat/shipping ~ 125.00 / 1000 12.5 cents/round
Powder with hazmat + shipping~ 60.00 / lb 1750 loads per LB at 4 grains about 3.5 cents/round
250 Nosler 185 gr HP at ~110.00 44 cents / round

Without brass cost to reload is about 60 cents per round / $30.00 / 50
I've seen 45 ACP brass in the $30-$40 / 100 price range lately (Starline is out of stock, it would be ~24 cents per round) ~30 cents per round total with new brass about $45.00 / 50

But your using those Sunday go to meetings bullets;)

dannyd93140 wrote:Depends on what your going to shoot.  

Primers have quadrupled from 2013, powder as at least doubled depending on what you load. 

9 mm is cheaper to buy if you can use store purchased.

Would you (or somebody else) have an advice for factory 9mm that is more or less suitable for BE/EIC (price and precision-wise)?

UnGe wrote:

Would you (or somebody else) have an advice for factory 9mm that is more or less suitable for BE/EIC (price and precision-wise)?

Eley (killoughshootingsports) is offering a 9mm "minor" ammunition in 115, 124 and 147 gr FMJ bullet weights.
Price is $22.30 /50

MINOR 9MM Ammo | Bulk 9mm Ammo (killoughshootingsports.com)

The 147 gr is about 880 fps, about 12% lower velocity/recoil compared to Fed Factory 147 gr at 1000 fps

I'm in the midst of beginning reloading now. The way I see it is I can buy a case of 45 200gr swc for about 850-900 shipped to my door. Buying all the necessary reloading equipment and 1000 rounds worth of brass, primers, 200gr swc projectiles, and BE Powder to make a my my own ammo is about $1000ish. Reloading my own puts me into the black after about 2000ish rounds and saving at least $.50 a round thereafter

MaddMaxx1979 wrote:I'm in the midst of beginning reloading now. The way I see it is I can buy a case of 45 200gr swc for about 850-900 shipped to my door. Buying all the necessary reloading equipment and 1000 rounds worth of brass, primers, 200gr swc projectiles, and BE Powder to make a my my own ammo is about $1000ish. Reloading my own puts me into the black after about 2000ish rounds and saving at least $.50 a round thereafter

Reloader's are only in the black on their targets.  In 35 years I have never saved any money because I just shoot more.  

That being said welcome to the Club.

It depends on how seriously you take the sport and your training needs. For nearly all unsupported bullseye pistol shooters it means reloading. If you don't have the time to reload and can't invest in equipment and components, the sport probably isn't for you. Even when I had a very demanding job, I found time to reload, but it was my only recreation besides family trips. The closest match was 150 miles that I tried to make once a month. Of course back then tv channels were few and there was no internet to waste my time.

Orionsic wrote:After a 9 year hiatus, I'm going to start shooting again. Ammo looks like it went up in price about 2.5x since 2013. Can anyone share their experience or a web article on reloading target/standard loads vs purchasing? Any insight would be appreciated.

Considering the current state of supply & demand.

Actually I'm completely serious when I'd say get ammo anyway you can. Factory loads, find dies & components, build up to, maybe, better times. Factory ammo for shooting now, & for a source of brass for later.

Dies are out there, 100's of sets available. Maybe not the best prices, but not hard to find a reasonably priced set. Ebay has a few pages of them listed. The reloading section at Gunbroker has several. Midsouth, Natchez, & Grafs have some.

More bullets have been showing up lately. Powder & primers will be the last to settle down, but I'm seeing prices fall. The really high priced stuff is not being grabbed up as quick, it stays for sale for a long time. Price adjustments being made.

I see a flicker of light coming through.

Reloading for cost savings? Maybe not advantageous now, but it will be. And, reloading is as much about having alternatives & offers more independence IMO, as well.

For me reloading is the only option for 45acp and 38 special because in CA I have not seen any bullseye style loads for sale at any price and mail order is not really an option anymore.  As for time if your process are organized you can reload a lot of ammo in a reasonable amount of time.