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First batch of reloads - the most expensive ammo I've ever owned!

paulleve

paulleve

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Today I finished my first batch of reloads, and between components and all the necessary gear, I'm into these for about $20 per round! On the plus side, I finally got to try out all the equipment I picked up over the last 8 months and really like almost all of it. I need to crank out another 50+ rounds tomorrow to get that cost down to under $10 per round though... 😜

IMG_4265.jpg
 
paulleve said:
into these for about $20 per round
Click to expand...
wat?
:)

dude, got to learn how to make a hardware depreciation worksheet. taxes are coming. :)
as i sell now reloading gizmos - i kinda think i gonna depreciate all my dillon hardware, as it is now a part of the manufacturing process. all legit.
 
yeah...initial start up costs do make you wonder. i was looking at my reloading area the other day, adding up all the equipment i've accumulated in 50 years of reloading. easy getting close to 7-8 thousand dollars. a lot of it little bits and bobs you could do without. and i've been given a ton of stuff and bought a lot used. reloading takes on a life of it's own. i don't think i'd take it up today unless i was shooting something i couldn't get readily or i needed to taylor a load to a gun. when i started, it was to keep shooting costs down. i don't think that can be done now.
 
In my opinion in most cases for anybody shooting volume they'll recover most of their costs in a year or two at the most. Exponentially faster if you like shooting 38, 357, 44 mag, 45LC, 454, 460, 500 etc. All of that ammo is so rapey that reloading is the only smart way to shoot it really ..
 
walter62 said:
Depends on the caliber. There isn't much to be made on 9 or 223 but for the larger calibers,
there's $ to be made.
Click to expand...
you generally cannot buy a 1/2 or 1/4 MOA stock match factory .223 ammo for your specific rifle, you'll need to make it if you want it.
no matter to talk about the cost of something what does not really exist. :)

as of 9mm - if you get an unlimited supply of used brass - it is still good thing - especially with folks making their own bullets.
but the idea of crawling and picking up all the 9mm brass as well - damn, no way. not yet. :)
 
paulleve said:
Today I finished my first batch of reloads, and between components and all the necessary gear, I'm into these for about $20 per round! On the plus side, I finally got to try out all the equipment I picked up over the last 8 months and really like almost all of it. I need to crank out another 50+ rounds tomorrow to get that cost down to under $10 per round though... 😜

View attachment 720103
Click to expand...
What are you using for bullets powder primer?
 
DW357 said:
What are you using for bullets powder primer?
Click to expand...

These are very basic loads: Hornady 55 grain FMJ-BT on H335 with CCI SRPs. I was given 1000 casings from an AR traning, so I figured I'd use these to try out all the equipment and make some cheap rounds before progressing to the heavier bullets and larger calibers. It's been a good learning experience dealing with brass that was a little beat up and required crimp removal. I've got some nice once fired brass in both .223 and 6.5 I'll eventually be working up to once I get in a little more practice on the cheap stuff.

I like shooting at 300-400 yards, so my ultimate goal is to make loads that are accurate out to those distances. When it comes to money, there's not not much to be saved making 55 grain generic rounds when I can buy factory ammo for $.05-$.10 more. Heavier match grade ammo that runs $1-$3 per round is where I plan to make up the cost and hopefully gain in accuracy.
 
paulleve said:
Today I finished my first batch of reloads, and between components and all the necessary gear, I'm into these for about $20 per round! On the plus side, I finally got to try out all the equipment I picked up over the last 8 months and really like almost all of it. I need to crank out another 50+ rounds tomorrow to get that cost down to under $10 per round though... 😜

View attachment 720103
Click to expand...
"I bought a car last week for $50k. I drove 100 miles so its cost me $500 a mile" [thinking]
 
walter62 said:
Depends on the caliber. There isn't much to be made on 9 or 223 but for the larger calibers,
there's $ to be made.
Click to expand...
9 mm is still "load two cases of ammo get one free" as far as I know..... that rule generally applies for most of the common stuff in Centerfire handgun although if you go 38 spl + like I said you'll get better payoff.

9mm would have to go to like $100 / 1000 to make it not worth reloading and that's basically never happening..... opting out of 9 mm might have been a great idea in the 90s or something but even during Obamascares I was enjoying that extra thousand rounds of ammo.... 🤣

If I still had my 550 id still be loading it now...

paul73 said:
a quick price check on 9mm right now is not really too inviting to begin reload it. a 15.4c in brass. meh.

View attachment 720130
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It's likely still load 2 cases get one free. And youll usually make better ammo to boot, so that's worth something imo.....

The real ball puncher is loading bulk rifle, like 223/556. You don't recover well unless you burn many thousands of rounds.
 
paulleve said:
These are very basic loads: Hornady 55 grain FMJ-BT on H335 with CCI SRPs. I was given 1000 casings from an AR traning, so I figured I'd use these to try out all the equipment and make some cheap rounds before progressing to the heavier bullets and larger calibers. It's been a good learning experience dealing with brass that was a little beat up and required crimp removal. I've got some nice once fired brass in both .223 and 6.5 I'll eventually be working up to once I get in a little more practice on the cheap stuff.

I like shooting at 300-400 yards, so my ultimate goal is to make loads that are accurate out to those distances. When it comes to money, there's not not much to be saved making 55 grain generic rounds when I can buy factory ammo for $.05-$.10 more. Heavier match grade ammo that runs $1-$3 per round is where I plan to make up the cost and hopefully gain in accuracy.
Click to expand...
Nice. I only shoot inside of 120 yards at my club so the 55s are plenty good. But I do have some loaded with 68 and 75 gr BTHPs over TAC and R16.

I’ve got a large flat rate USPS box almost completely full of 223 brass. I’ll be shipping it out to be processed soon. Though I’m in no rush to get it since I don’t need to reload 223 lol. Got a bunch.
 
paulleve said:
Today I finished my first batch of reloads, and between components and all the necessary gear, I'm into these for about $20 per round! On the plus side, I finally got to try out all the equipment I picked up over the last 8 months and really like almost all of it. I need to crank out another 50+ rounds tomorrow to get that cost down to under $10 per round though... 😜

View attachment 720103
Click to expand...
Do your self a favor . Buy your reloads off yourself.
Component cost plus a small percent. When you run low on components you have cash on hand to restock .
 
I first started home-loading in 2015 and I was only doing .45acp and 9mm. Within a year I expanded to .380, 9x18mm, .38, .45 Colt and .30 carbine. I wouldn't say I saved any money in general because I just ended up shooting more often. ;)
.308Win is the last round I added to the roster and I'm glad I finally got over my fear of loading bottleneck cartridges.
 
45collector said:
I first started home-loading in 2015 and I was only doing .45acp and 9mm. Within a year I expanded to .380, 9x18mm, .38, .45 Colt and .30 carbine. I wouldn't say I saved any money in general because I just ended up shooting more often. ;)
.308Win is the last round I added to the roster and I'm glad I finally got over my fear of loading bottleneck cartridges.
Click to expand...
Another good thing about reloading is you can make what ever you want.
If your limitted to 100 yards tou can shoot reduced loads to conserve powder.
I load some really reduced loads in the larger rifle calls with 120 gn cast and jacketed bullets. With 10-18 grains of powder
 
paulleve said:
Today I finished my first batch of reloads, and between components and all the necessary gear, I'm into these for about $20 per round! On the plus side, I finally got to try out all the equipment I picked up over the last 8 months and really like almost all of it. I need to crank out another 50+ rounds tomorrow to get that cost down to under $10 per round though... 😜

View attachment 720103
Click to expand...
Look past the "up front cost" . Just write it off as an investment to your future shooting independence and precision . Guys get so wrapped up around "saving money" claims but bottom line is that reloading allows you to shoot whenever you want, and shoot as much ammo as you want , regardless of ammo costs or availability.
 
paul73 said:
you generally cannot buy a 1/2 or 1/4 MOA stock match factory .223 ammo for your specific rifle, you'll need to make it if you want it.
no matter to talk about the cost of something what does not really exist. :)

as of 9mm - if you get an unlimited supply of used brass - it is still good thing - especially with folks making their own bullets.
but the idea of crawling and picking up all the 9mm brass as well - damn, no way. not yet. :)
Click to expand...
75 gr Hornady Match is pretty damn close out of my LWRC tho...
 
OK, boys, here's a quick range report on the ammo I finally got to shoot today. I hit the 100 just for a quick zero of the scope I mounted to my trusty Savage XP this morning. I didn't shoot the usual 3-5 rounds groups because I wasn't expecting much from this generic first time 55 grain ammo. I fired a couple of two round groups just to get the scope on, and didn't really look at them until I got home. One pair was .6" apart and the other .5. Now I wished I had spent a little more time on paper!

My goal was to try some long range, and I shot at 300, 400, and 440 yards, working down to the 2MOA gongs at each. (That's 6" at 300, 8" at 400, and a 10" square at 1/4 mile.) I also checked functioning through an AR and that worked out as well. Looks like it's time to work up another 50-100 with similar specs.

IMG_4272.JPG
 

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