Considering I can get 50 rounds of basic 10mm Remington UMC 180gr FMJ loads for $25.50, how does one actually save money by reloading when each component (brass, power, primers, bullets) go for about $15 per 100?
Because its called reloading:D you would’nt save any money if you had to buy brass all the time so you try to pick up your M-T’s and load them again. No some run into the problem of shooting more rounds…
You have to buy in bulk or shoot less common calibers for it to work out well in your favor. Plus, you re-use the brass.
Based off your price, 500 rounds of 10mm would be 250$.
Lets say you buy the above ammo and reload it:
500 pieces of brass $0, you already have it.
500 bullets (you can do better than this) $100
500 Primers about $10
1lb of powder (more than enough for 500) $20
Then you have about $130 plus your time in the second loading.
If you buy powder by the eight pound jug, primers by the 5000 count case, and bulk bullets you can save even more. Shop around and look at various prices. Most people reload so they can shoot more for the same money.
$25.50 per 50 = 51 cents each.
You should be able to load a similiar round for about 30 cents or so each.
Powder about $18/lb; 7,000 grains per pound, about 7.5-ish or so grains per round, depending on what powder you use, = about .02 each
Primers at Sportsmans Warehouse are about $28 per 1,000 = about .028 each
Montana Gold has 40/180 FMJ’s for $272 per 2,500 delivered, = about .108 each
Your biggest expense is brass, but its reloadable several times…
Starline sells new 10mm brass for $136/1000 = about .14 each
So now you’re at about 29.6 cents each, but the cost goes down a little each time you reload as long as you find your brass.
Here’s a reload calculator: http://www.classifiercalc.com/misc_calcs/rc.php
You probably won’t save any $$ because you’ll shoot more…
Been reloading for ten years and I’ve yet to pay for any brass except for match brass. That is where the savings come from.
Thanks for the replys. Few more questions.
- How do you feel about Once-Fired Brass?
- How do you feel about buying pre-primed cases?
- Some companies sell ammo labeled “Factory Reload”. What exactly is a “Factory Reload”?
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Depends on the supplier. Some once fired brass isn’t really once fired and is total crap. I have had good luck buying brass from Powder Valley.
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If you are reloading it is a complete waste of time if you are using a good press like a Dillon.
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Factory reloads are loaded to factory spec using used brass. Again some sources are better than others. Atlanta Arms and Ammo makes some of the best factory reloads you can get your hands on for a reasonable price. Black Hill makes factory reloads as well. Really good stuff but not reasonably priced IMHO.
[QUOTE=rubberneck;270190]
- If you are reloading it is a complete waste of time if you are using a good press like a Dillon.
QUOTE]
I agree that some are better designed than others, but I seriously doubt there is a press on the market that is a complete waste of time. Some of us don’t need a dillion that shoots out hundreds of rounds an hour. Is that what you mean by a waste of time? Just because others takes longer (single stage)? Or do you mean, without a dillion you can’t create shootable rounds? I’d like to know the reloading companies, if any, that are a complete waste of time.
How do you save money?
Easy -one 45 ACP cartridge can go for 40-50 cents. My reloads cost 15 cents each. That’s a considerable savings.
The original poster asked about pre-primed brass not presses. My response was that using pre-primed brass was a waste of time using a (any) good press like a Dillon. I’d like to point out that was not an all inclusive list of good presses. If you feel that there are other presses of comparable quality to Dillon feel free to weigh in on your own personal experiences. I have a policy of not commenting on any product that I have never personally used and see no need to change that approach now.
Maybe my comments might have been clearer if I said that pre-primed brass is a complete waste of time with any quality progressive press as you don’t really save any time, and the brass will have to be de-primed and resized in order to be used again. At that point you have added a whole new level of logistical problems by having to keep the primed cases separated from cleaned cases that need to be de-primed.
I will say this it does however make some sense to use pre-primed brass if all you have to work with is a single stage press or if you care more about turning out national match quality reloads than if you are looking to pump out good quality practice/match ammo.
You do not “save” money by reloading. What reloading allows (for me) is that I can shoot more than I could before.
Don’t forget to take into account the cost of the reloading equipment. You should amortize that over the number of rounds you reload. (Sorry, I’m a finance geek :D) So your first reloads will cost you a bunch then the cost goes down as you use it more. Make sense?
Once you take into account all the costs I have a hard time justifying it for shooting common calibers. Plus my time is very valuable ;).
Time is valuable, but I enjoy tinkering with equipment and trying different loads…besides, cheaper ammo means more rounds down range.
As far as reloading equipment goes, I gave my dad a Dillon 650 for Christmas while I was in the 'box and he doesn’t have a problem sharing it with my reloading buddy and I. If you can find a way to economize like that it can certainly be worth the time.
I’ve yet to save money reloading, because I just end up shooting more. My 550 has paid for itself 2 times over in 6000 rounds of just 45acp. To make it economical you have to get into good habits of picking up your brass and keeping an eye out for good deals on once-shot brass. I saved all my 45 brass for 2 years before I start reloading, so by the time I started, I already had several thousand pieces.
Right now, my time is valuable, but when i can sit down and churn out $250 worth of 45acp in less than 3 hours, it’s worth it to save $100-150 that I can be spending on my kid or on more ammo components.
My brass is free for 40 S&W and 9 mm because I pick it up at the range and I go shooting with buddies that don’t reload. 
Ya gotta love non-reloaders if you’re a reloader!
My bullets are free! (.40’s, 9’s, .223’s and .308’s) How?
Here’s how I do it.
I encourage people to get a Cabelas Club Visa card. It’s a credit card of course but I use it like a debit card for everything like groceries, gas etc. With the card you earn 1% back on what you use the card for (2% if you use it for Cabelas’ items). Then, I always pay it off! You can access your Cabelas’ account online (Just like any bank these days) and pay it at anytime. (I just transfer money via internet from bank to Cabelas’).
How much?
Depends on how much you use your card for; I earn about $25 to $30 bucks a month.
The points (cash amount) appears once a month. I use the points to buy mostly bullets for reloading. You could use them for other great stuff too! Save them points up for a few months and buy reloading tools and stuff. Last month, after saving up for 3 months I had about & $90. I ordered 500 .40’s ($60) and then an M&P 15rd mag ($40). Add some state tax. (This only applies to states that have a Cabelas store). Anyway, I only spent $13 for these 2 items.
Sounds too good to be true. But I’ve been doing for about 2 years now and have never paid a fee or interest because I always pay it off.
Free brass, free bullets . . . doesn’t get any better than that. 
Unless, you buy powder and primers if you go to the store. If powder or primers are shipped it’s like a $20 hazmat fee, each. So I don’t have it shipped. My Cabelas is 100 mile round trip so I always ship. But now I have a friend at work that lives by Cabelas so he picked up my last order for me. (You can have it shipped to the store and avoid shipping charges)
By the way here is a cool reloading calculator. (you can google “reloading calculator” to get more sites like this).
http://10xshooters.com/calculators/Handgun_Reloading_Cost_Calculator.htm
Common calibers are where you’ll REALLY pay for the equipment. I think I figured that 4 thousand rounds of .45acp paid for my set up. My gear was paid for 7 years ago probably.
Loading .223 is as close to printing money as you can legally get.
Your cost per round goes down significantly. As far as saving money… that depends on how you look at it.
If you shoot twice as much, but your ammo costs you 1/2 the price of factory ammo, then I suppose you could say you’re not saving money.
Depends on how much you shoot. It is a no brainer if you shoot much and particularly a large calibre pistol or rifle calibre.
45 brass is generally good for 10+ reloads. Makes for cheap ammo if you shop around.
I have never bought a box of 10mm shells in my life. And I shoot more 10mm than anything. I can load it to its 40 short and weak level or to what it was designed for level.
Heh, exactly. I shoot a lot of 9 (now up to 2000rnds/month, after the reloader was purchased).
My rough estimates where that it cost be $20/100rnds at Walmart for WWB, and I could reload for $10/100rnds. My equipment was about $1000 (Dillon 650), so the break even point would be 10,000 rounds loaded. I hit that much, much earlier than I thought I would. Also ended up getting dies for 38/357, and .223.