I am disabled but I do shoot a lot and I started reloading not just because of the money but to have something to do, and I have to say that it has changed my life, the joy to find new loads and to make cartridge even with my own casting is fantastic so the quality of my life has been amazing and ofcourse I have also made a lot of new and great friends inside the shooting and reloading community.
Exactly! It's a great hobby...I actually find I enjoy the reloading more than the shooting aspect of the hobby. I was a photographer in the navy for 5 years and I enjoyed the processing aspect of photography instead of taking pictures. I like the technical stuff.
That's great to hear. I wish I had an interest long, long ago. Hearing guys that paid 30 cents for good primers makes me wish I had just bought primers air-sealedd them) and lots of pulldown powders pre-2020 as well as the old spam can Russian ammo from way back.
I decided to start reloading to spend more time with my father. He's been a pistol reloader for 30+ years, never did a bit of rifle loads. Now I wanted to do .223, and he and I are now learning something together. Every second counts. And my last one, it's a skill. A skill I hope to pass on to my children someday, and that's what truly matters to me.
My son and I shoot 270 WSM and were having trouble with ammo availability and the cost was getting ridiculous. We had a lot of brass so we bought a RCBS REBEL single stage set up. Our reloads on our first try were about a 1/3 the cost of factory ammo and much more consistent and accurate. Now we reload 300 WSM and 243 WIN. Some of the reloading components are a little hard to get but we shoot more and enjoy shooting our own loads. ( We have been reloading for about 7 months). Enjoy your videos they are very helpful
Little hard to get. Primers are next to impossible unless your getting extremely bent on GunBroker. Even now most major retailers are selling a brick of large rifle for 80 to 90 bucks lol
In the UK we also have difficulty buying ammunition. We have to go in person to a gun shop to buy, no mail order for ammunition. And as shooting is less common, there are not as many shops as you guys have. And their stocks are often far more limited. So home loading is quite attractive. And we can mail order components (though the hazmat shipping can be expensive). And for me, it's a major part of the hobby. Have prob loaded in excess of 100k rounds over the decades. All on a single stage press. have also been casting my own bullets from range scrap for the last decade. That really brings the costs down.
Also in the UK,started reloading about 2 yrs ago. It's fun and relaxing and I always have ammo to shoot, given the shortages we are experiencing it's a big plus.
Also pretty much the only way to load accurate target loads tailored to your firearm. Hand loading is pretty much essential in the UK unless you are a hunter that doesn't get through many rounds.
I started on a Lee challenger breech lock anniversary kit. Was 159$ on Amazon. I use the lee pace setter dies and I bought 6 sets of them for the calibers I reload. I bought a second powder measure and a digital scale and a powder trickler. 3 reloading trays. And a lube pad with case lube. My total cost to get all that was under 500$. I loaded 1500 rounds of .30-06 1000 rounds of 9mm 2500 rounds of .300 blackout and 3000 rounds of .45. and 10,000 rounds of .223. I think I have saved enough to buy my equipment twice over.
The savings are much higher over here in Europe, where ammo is up to 100€ per 20 shot premium hunting. A simular load with a new brass every time will be 30€ per 20 shot. Thus 70€ savings per 20 shot... you make the equipment back really fast.
That‘s crazy. I‘m in europe but don’t shoot hunting ammo, so the factory stuff isn’t nearly as expensive. Except my 45-70 Hornady FTX - way cheaper reloaded. They‘re about 80 bucks a box of 20
Interesting, I looked on reloading 222Rem 3.6g FMJ and it makes little sense. Primer, powder and bullet make 90€/100 rounds (100€ more for brass). Norma 3.6g FMJ Jaktmatch is 140€/100 rounds. The money could be made with the Oryx bullet because buying over the counter they are 375€/100 rounds, reloaded 130€/100 rounds (100€ more if brass). But who needs them in bigger quantities... Best to keep buying what I need 🤭😂.
I have been reloading for a little over 50 years, a long time ago it quit being about money. This video was great for me because it reminded me of why I started reloading and how much I have enjoyed it over the years, thank you.
Just today I ordered two boxes of Aguila 124g 9mm for $14/50 and there are other brands for $15/50, $16/50 and up. On sale, not always that cheap. I do reload but don't bother with 9mm. Reloading is cost effective for most cartridges as you pointed out. I handload 220 Swift, 260 Rem and others that cost $2 to $3 per round to buy and I can load them for less than $1 each, especially when you find supplies on sale. And as others have said, handloading is fun and a great hobby on it's own.
Yeah I would never set out to reload common cheaper rounds like 9mm or 223 to save money. However if you already have a setup for different rounds you already reload then all you need is some dies, bullets, and powder/primers if you dont already have what you need. Like I reload because I have some stuff that is not really made anymore and a 28 nosler and wby stuff. So, also started doing 9mm because I already had most of the stuff needed and the rounds to break even is super low.
I'm a reloader and have been for about 30 years.... I buy my components on sale and in bulk I buy factory seconds from Nosler. It's MUCH CHEAPER to hand load anything bigger than 38 special, Or BIGGER than 223. (Those can be done for cheap, but, not worth the time for me).
Come on now, 9mm 124gr can be had all day long for 26¢ per round. The veracity of your claims are called into question if you can’t even get 9mm ammo cost correct with just a One minute google search.
Currently, SGammo also sells white box Winchester 9mm (115 grain) for $260/1000 (free ship). So if you are looking at economics only, reloading for common calibers does not seem to make sense for most people including me.
Then there's also the reduced cost ratio, adding a new caliber. The press, scale etc you buy once. Then to add a caliber you add the dies lock rings plate. It's a few boxes of ammo to break even adding a caliber.
im pretty sure the short answer is you are basically reloading match grade ammo for the price of regular ammo. the exceptions are going to be the hard to find rounds where the answer is yes
Not only is handloaded ammo going to be higher quality, but you can also make combinations that are not offered. They may not load factory ammo with a specific bullet you want or it may not shoot well out of your gun, but you can reload it to. Also you can load it to velocities that you will just never get from factory ammo to squeeze all the performance out of a round. You can usually get 100-200 fps more over factory.
@@Nick-sx6jm that’s the thing I really like. Often with factory ammo I have to chose between a load that is accurate and one that has the projectile I actually want. With hand loads you can often avoid that dichotomy.
I started on a RCBS Rock Chucker single stage press that was given to me by an uncle. I think it was important to understand each process 1 step at a time. Started reloading .45 ACP and then moved into .223/5.56. I eventually purchased a Dillon 550B second hand. Living in AZ is convenient as they will refurbish a press free of charge. I slowly added convenience parts to my press to achieve higher yields per hour on the press. Obviously you can spend a lot of money in press upgrades and die sets. I found the Dillon 550B the most versatile press as you can reload almost everything on this one press with just the change of a shell plate and tool head. I have saved the most money on reloading sub-sonic 300 Blkout rounds. Primers are coming back into stores but they were the hardest thing to find the last couple years. Reloading is my therapy between my lead therapy sessions! Happy Reloading!
I started reloading for 300blk, broke even a long time ago. Started to upgrade all my reloading equipment, started real cheap with a lee press. I enjoy the fact I can make ammo to my specs, ie cheap plinking gets the min powder load or I could spend a ton of time ensuring consistency between rounds. I know the ammo will be more consistent than I am with my shooting “can’t shoot the difference” but it is fun knowing how to.
I started loading my own in the late 70's while in the Air Force. A friend got me started on his equipment. I bought the dies to load for the 44 Mag Ruger SBH I bought. Some of the things he did I didn't think of as safe. I then bought my own press and accessories. RCBS Rock chucker press and a Lyman D5 scale. And a Lyman 45th edition book. Over the years I have added other things to make things easier and safer. I still think that for most loaders a set of dies, a press, a powder scale and a good manual or three are an ok place to start. If you are keeping the brass from store bought ammo you fired in your gun you can load it several times before you need to worry about case length or trimming. Buying new brass can get you the same results. If you are picking up brass at the range or buying once fired, sorting and doing some measuring is a good idea. Starting out with the bare minimum will let you learn enough that you can then decide if you like it enough to buy some of the more expensive things that gets recommended. I have tried a vibratory case cleaner and didn't take long to decide it was not for me, to dusty and noisy. Oon cleaning cases I have found it doesn't make much difference in how the ammo performs, just how it looks. On the cases after I fire them I wipe them off, lube with Lee's lube. I like the Lee because it works very well and can be washed off with water. A bit of Dawn dish soap in boiling water, slosh around for a few minutes, rinse till the soap is gone, let dry. Once dry, finish the loading process. I have used several trimming methods. Again I have found Lee's system works for me. It may be a bit slower but it can change it's setting and ruin cases. I have found you don't need to trim every time. I have piles of things I have bought and don't use or don't use often. When I started out and for many years after, learning was trial and error. Not like today where at the click of a button and you get questions answered. Most of the things I learned in the early years was from magazines or hanging around the gun stores. What I talk about is for the majority of shooters. Those who want to get more into loading for precision shooting, adding all the expensive equipment can be worth getting. Same for those who push the limits of a cartridges performance or velocity. Wild ats require more equipment also. For a lot of loaders that only shoot a few hundred rounds a month then the basics will be fine. At one time with the 44 Mag I had a Lyman 310 tool and dies and a set of Lee dippers a bullet mould and a lead pot on the stove top.. I would cast bullets from wheel weights I collected from several tire shops, lube with a cake cutter. I spent a few hours every evening loading these bullets with the 310 tool. Some of the most accurate loads I have shot were these 310 tool loads. With a good solid rest for my back and bracing across my knees would get one ragged hole 6 shot groups at 50 yards. By one hole I mean one hole. Often less than 1/2" groups. At one range I was shooting at about 250 yards up the hillside was fenceline. Some hung a car flywheel on the fence. Stand upright and shooting off hand it was easy to clang that 6 for 6. All this is to say you don't need hundreds of thousands to get started loading. A bit of shopping around and you can get started very cheap. A press, dies and a powder scale can be enough. Beyond that is up to you. Oh, and always use good data from a reliable source.
The trick with the vibratory tumblers is a good polishing liquid to add to your media and the really big trick is throwing in a dryer sheet! Like the scented dryer sheets. They collect all the dust and eliminate the static electricity that keeps the dust stuck to everything. A shooting buddy taught me that and it completely changed my opinion on vibratory tumblers. I bought one and almost sold it because it seemed too slow and dirty. But the combo of dryer sheets and a quality polishing liquid added to either corn cob or walnut media makes it really good! Maybe give it another go.
I started reloading out of necessity over 45 years ago. I had purchased a second-hand Ruger Blackhawk in .41 Magnum and literally couldn't find the ammunition anywhere. I bought a second-hand RCBS press at a garage sale, ordered some dies, supplies and a manual and taught myself how to reload. Since then, over the decades I've added more equipment as I got into competition shooting and loaded to support that hobby, then decided that an even cheaper way to support my habit was to cast my own bullets for target and plinking uses. Along the way I've added dies for ammunition that is virtually obsolete (in my case, .303 British as well as .308 Marlin Express for one of my favorite hog rifles) and can't be found anywhere. Given the tens of thousands (maybe hundreds of thousands?) of rounds I've loaded over that time, I'm pretty sure that I've gotten my money's worth, but the added knowledge I've gained along the way on ballistics, accuracy, marksmanship and even metallurgy, combined with the sheer enjoyment and satisfaction of "rolling your own", well -- the experience has been priceless.
I used the calculator with one added factor. Reusing brass. Say six times. I divide new brass price by six (or more if it lasts longer) and that is where you see an added savings.
Is that a particular brand or just in general. All last year I was catching online sales and paying $220-$235. It's gone up recently to $235-$259. That's 1krd cases of Magtech, S&B, Norma,Igman,Grindhard. I've purchased about 21cases over the past 2yrs from places like SGAMMO, Bereli ammo, Velocity Ammo.
Up until around 2006, ammo prices were pretty stable and I didn't Reload. You could buy Blazer Aluminum cased 9mm for $3.86 a box & .45 ACP for $8.99 a box at Academy, Blazer Brass .40 S&W for$7.89 a box at Walmart, and 5.56 from Palmetto State for under $300.00 per 1,000 (shipped). Since I didn't reload, I wasn't worried about brass. I had my CHL and my Wife ended up getting her CHL also. So we were going through (easily) 500 rounds a week for practice and I also shot Competition with a little group once a month and I'd go through another 200-300 rounds (so a minimum of 2,000 rounds a week). Then I got word that ammo Prices were about to skyrocket, so I started picking up any brass that was left at the range that I would keep to reload or trade to other People on Reloading Forums. I ended up trading or buying a LOT of bullets/reloading equipment/ammo/etc from those guys before Prices went through the roof. I also bought as much ammo as I could afford before Prices took off, both in store at Academy and Walmart, and also online. I don't shoot much anymore and have more brass than I could ever use but I still go down and pick up brass every couple of weeks. My Son told me here a while back that a Friend of his was complaining how hard it was to find a certain Caliber of Ammunition due to the "shortage". I asked him "What Shortage?" I told him "I don't have any trouble at all "Finding It", I just walk out to the Reloading Room and there it is", LOL!
I load for about 14 different cartridges. I just started casting bullets about 4 years ago. My operation has spread from just a spare bedroom in the back of the house out to a 24’x14’ shop. The shop is where I cast and prep brass. The “recreation” room is where I load. My reloading has pretty much paid for itself many years ago, but I keep investing in new technology and gadgets. It’s no longer a hobby. It’s a lifestyle. 🤣
@@TexasSheepdawg21 Pretty much the same with me. It used to be that the Weatherby and WSM Calibers were where I saved the most money reloading but these days it seems like almost everything is at least $1.50-$2.00 per round for Factory. About 15 years ago, a Friend of my youngest Son bought a house that had 32'x16' building on it. It was a pier and beam wood frame building with 26 gauge steel sides and roof. The Guy's Fiance wanted a swimming pool and the guy told my Son he could have it for free, he just had to get it moved. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough room to move the entire building all at once, so I had to take it apart, Piece by Piece, and move it. I labeled absolutely everything as to where it went and then when I had it all at my house, I put it back together again. The only things we couldn't reuse were the sheetrock on the walls and the insulation. I added hurricane ties and brackets and used 1/2" plywood in place of the sheetrock, plus put a 16'x32' loafing shed on the backside (planning to enclose it and pour concrete floors). All in all so far, I only have about $3,200.00 in the building (not including my labor, of course).
@@rodneyferguson446 I’ve put about $17K in my little shop since I got it in 2021. It’s insulated, with wood siding. AC & Heat plus lots of electrical work for running fridge, TV, microwave or Air fryer. The casting area has an industrial vent hood to the outside and at that bench there are two dedicated HD recepticals each on their own circuit breaker. 20Amp with 10/2WG wires. They are for the lead furnace pots. On the opposite wall is my case prep bench where all my polishing tumbling goes on. It’s a nice comfy shop to spend a day in. If I want to take a break there’s a small couch to chill on to watch Netflix You Tube whatever/or a dvd. The incoming electric is 240VAC with 100Amp main breaker.
@@TexasSheepdawg21 I don't have the vent hood although I do Need one. Right now, I open a window and put a box fan there blowing the lead fumes out the window when I cast (it works but not all that well). I have as/heat but not the Fridge/tv/microwave/etc although my Wife has told me I should put all of those out there (I wonder what she was trying to infer?). I used to operate my FFL01 out of this building so I've got a 240 V plug that I planned on running an air compressor off of for a sandblasting Cabinet and possibly a Powdercoating setup. I have the Cabinet, just haven't took the time to get the compressor. So needless to say, while you can get away with the "Bare Bones" Minimum when it comes to reloading, Those like you and I know that you can also get invested pretty deep. Is the amount I've spent ever going to break even with just having purchased Factory Ammo? "No Way, Jose'!" But My Wife and I are Retired, we don't Travel, and everything we own is paid for, so to have somewhere to go to just relax and get away for a Day (and I've spent thousands of hours/Days out there) has been worth it TO ME.......and My Wife, LOL!
If you shoot a rare or older cartridge, reloading is the only way to go. Example: I bought a Rossi R92 in .454 Casull. A box of loaded ammunition (20 rounds) is between $45 to $70 a box! I bought the die set, crimp die, and 200 Starline cases for $181. I already have bullets, powder, and primers. I can make 20 rounds for $20-$25 for 50 rounds! I have been at this for 55 years and reload for 28 cartridges. Reloading can save you a lot, but the benefit is you can shoot more, you learn ballistics, and shoot better.
I definitely save when it comes to 338Lapua and 300hamr. Those two rounds, I believe, make the rest a savings as the savings there offsets the cost of the equipment. However, the fact that it's also an enjoyable hobby for me makes it a definite value.
I have been reloading since I retired. Enjoy the hobby, probably am saving money, never wanted to know. Also have been making/modifying my own reloading equipment to suit my self. Would send pics if I knew how.
Great video , thanks for your work on this. I started reloading for 2 reasons, 1- load development for bolt action rifles and 2- ammo was difficult to get back then. So right now I try to stock up on components and buy factory ammo to shoot because its available and not too pricey for 1000 round cases. Now I will be prepared for the next shortage with reloading supplies and equipment. Your videos helped me ALOT, thank you for that. You have done a great job of showing how its done.
Got into reloading out of necessity and love it. Too many oddball calibers with no options off the shelf. 32WinSp, 38-55, 32-40, 45-90, 303Savage to name a few. Cost was just a part of the necessity.
Thank you so much for doing this video. Many at my gun club tell me that I'm not saving money. They just don't know any better. I took some screen shots of your test results and now I show them data. Outstanding!
When the alternative is not being able to buy ammo because it has been discontinued, you reload. I have a .375 Win., and haven't seen factory loads for years now, but I have the components on the shelf to make my own, and hang the cost.
I have been reloading for about 50 years. I use mostly RCBS tools, and I like them a lot. The place where you will save the most is with high quality hunting bullets and high end bullets like Weatherby which can cost over $100 for a box of 20 and cost the same to reload as .300 Win Mag or 7MM Rem Mag. I shot competition for many years so I saved many thousands of dollars. The best thing is the accuracy, it's impossible to find a great shooting bullet for every rifle without reloading. I have many specialty bullets that are not available anymore. I am using equipment that is around 40 years old (keep them clean and oiled). I taught my sons to reload, now I am reloading with my grandchildren. I used to reload for about 40 cartridges, it became too much so I sold a lot of my guns, used the money to upgrade my arsenal and now only reload about 10 cartridges.
I could write a book about my reloading experiences. This is a great video for shooters contemplating reloading. I've been reloading since the late 70s. I was given 3 boxes of reloading equipment by a woman that I helped move. Her ex husband had left it 10 years earlier after they divorced. He took his rifles and pistols but not the reloading gear. Most of the box contained brass, about 20 lbs of Dupont and Hercules powders (I still have some of that), dies, a rock chucker press, books, cartridge boxes, primers, I was already loading shotshells so this was a tremendous start for metalic loading. I sorted out gear I probably wouldn't use and traded for more gear I could use. Loading common ammo is a great place to start but loading the expensive and less popular ammo is cost effective. I load 32ACP which is very cost effective. 3000 rounds from a lb of powder! Finding brass is tough. Range brass is scarce for that and many of the imported cases with 7.65 head stamps are Berdan primed or have a smaller rim than cases marked 32acp. The benefit of loading .32 is many guns in that caliber were designed around a 60hp bullet. Target ammo in the USA is mostly 72 grain bullets which creates a magazine issue in many of those small guns. Dropping the bullet a little deeper corrects the jamming on those guns. People frustrated by their jamming .32s are eager to part with them. Reloading is addictive. I spend more time reloading than shooting. I'm invested in bulk components heavily. I still have some primers that I bought under 3¢ a piece. I measure my brass supply in barrels rather than pieces or lbs. I also cast lead bullets for a few of my pistols and rifles. Some nagging issues with reloading today: A lot of very common commercial brass I find at the range has crimped primers. Everything from .380, 9mm, 38sp, 357mag, 40S&W, and .45acp have about a 50% rate of crimped primers now on the once fired factory brass. One brand seems to be using glue or something too as I've punched primer flats out leaving the ring of the primer inside the casing. I'm guess the crimps might be because of the popularity of pistol caliber carbines. Before I start the second page of the book, Thank You Gavin for the great channel. I look forward to every video.
Currently Only reload 9mm, I reload 147gr, not shooting as many competitions lately, but savings and difference between 147gr vs 115gr is more significant
Yes, but if I spent the time reloading, working. I could just buy as much ammo as I wanted. But, yes. I reload 10mm, 308, 45, 357, 40, 303, 44. Mainly for fun.
I agree if we are doing down and dirty we should add in time but then again I think that there is more to it. We all spend some time scratching our behinds and I enjoy loading more than that. Also, the ammo you can make, especially nowadays, is better than what you can buy. I don't think I'll ever recoup the cost of my AutoDod in any spreadsheet but it gives me pleasure and great ammo!
Great presentation. Being retired every day is a holiday for me,, the only limit on my time is I won't live forever. I also cast my own bullets mostly for pistol shooting and I have a bullet trap to recycle my lead with a recovery rate of about 99%. This makes reloading super in inexpensive for me with my highest cost being primers.
Great vid! I started in '83 with a RL450. We "guys in my unit" pooled are money and saved a lot. Run my shooting life on a RL550 for rifle and a RL750 for handgun. I also learned that I saved more and shot then when I spent the money at the bar talking about shooting!
I started reloading in 2014 with an LNL AP. It's more than paid for itself. I just enjoy reloading. I dont chase super small groups, just an accuracy standard for rifle ammo. For pistol ammo, I'm just trying to rip out as many as I can for the lowest price as fast as I can load primer tubes and keep powder in the measure.
I get most of my reloading components from American Reloading. With free shipping I get 9mm bullets for about 5.5 cents a round and primers for 7 cents a round. With powder I’m getting about 1.5 cents a round. The total reloading costs is about 14 cents a round. That said, after getting into reloading, I’m definitely not saving money. I shoot and hoard magnitudes more ammo than from before I got into reloading. 😄
Great video. 40 years ago I bought a Lee loader press. I reloaded 38 special and 270. My brother worked for the parent company of RCBS and got me a great deal on an Auto-5 progressive Reloader. I sold the Lee press 30 years ago and never loaded a single shell on the new Reloader. I made it a goal to reload this year on the Reloader. I have been gather supplies and I hope to get started in the next little bit. Your information is helping continue in moving forward. I think most of my reloading with be for the 6.5 Creedmoor, 270 win, REM 7 mag, 223, 38 special and the 9mm. I have a few powders, but not sure which cartridge would be the easiest to get started with? Thanks for sharing.
Two weeks ago I tracked my costs on a spreadsheet for my equipment and local costs vs local ammo cost. Central/Eastern Montana. Three pistol and four rifle cartridges. I am saving great on reloading everyone without considering brass cost. When I consider brass case costs, I will still be saving on all but one caliber. The .30-06 will have no cost advantage being equal to factory cartridge cost. However, there is still the accuracy benefit. Lucky for me I probably have enough .30-06 brass to carry beyond my shooting ability, it is my least consumed caliber. I reload for .223/.556, .22-250, 9mm, .30-30, .30-06, .44 Rem Mag, .45 ACP. All on a single stage RC Supreme. Enjoy your channel. I have been thinking about a turret press, keeping the dies set for my pistol rounds would be great. My tools are far from new, but still work like new. I belive in taking good care my tools.
I reloaded .44 Mag, .38/.357, .30-30 , .30-06 and 7MM Mag. in the 70's & 80's. I thought I saved money back. Reloaded is RCBS Rockchucker. I still have it. Just started to dig it out of storage a couple weeks ago. I'm looking at getting a progressive reloading setup with my brothers and the Hornady set up is at the top of the list. I will forward this clip to them. Thanks for your efforts.
22:32 You forgot an important factor. Having ammo when you want it vs not. And weathering spells where prices are insane. A lee turret press and stocking components when you can find them is a great asset. And you aren't sitting on a huge investment.
Just calculated my 224 Valkyrie PRS precision rounds last week. Using: Starline Brass / Berger LRHT 85.5 / Hodgdon BL-C(2) / Fed. 205’s. I find it cost just over 50% the cost of factory loads per round at ~.80¢ (minus the cost of brass)
I've found if you shoot 308,7mm-08,243,260 or 6.5CM, if you buy small rifle primer brass, it saves in a few ways. 1 case lasts longer, in my opinion. 2 The cost of small rifle primers compared to large rifle primers is significant. 3 primer pockets seem to last longer, and overall, case life seems to be longer. At least in my 260Rem, the case gets more uses.
It can save you money, but not the way it used to. H4350 is $65 at my local Sportsmans and Primers were $8-11. And if I buy online then Hazmat charges kill any price savings. I still reload cause I like doing it but its a rough time to be a shooter !
I think brass should be included as a partial cost. Full cost / number of expected uses. Say like 10 reloads per brass. I would be interested in how this would affect the calculation and what does values would be from your experience for the different calibers
And depending on the brass you can go even further. A lot of the issues end up in the neck of the brass after a while. So, let's say you get 10 reloads for a .223, well, the issue being in the neck means that most of the time you can then cut the brass down to be reused for .300 blackout then spreading the cost of the brass over 20 reloads.
@@Irish_Wristwatch101 it certainly makes it more complicated. Like investing in a annealing setup. Gie much more life do you get out of it and what's the break even for that. So many rabbit holes :D
@@thorwaldjohanson2526 There it depends on what you are reloading for .300 Blackout too. Subsonic .300 Blackout generally goes for $1-1.20 a round on the cheap end (outside of sales) while you can reload the same thing for about $0.35-0.40 a round. Just doing 100 rounds will save you anywhere from $60-85. Then you start getting into defensive and hunting rounds and the savings do add up but you'll likely shoot more.
I bought my first Hornady progressive press after watching your earliest videos when you were starting. I’ve never looked back! Investment… Absolutely. Return on my investment? Exponentially! And it can’t be measured in dollars alone. Thanks for your commitment to offering valuable content for interest viewers!
There are frequently sales on factory 9mm where if you buy 500 or 1000 you can get them for 24 cents per round. You can’t reload them that cheap anymore. The primer and bullet alone generally cost about that much. I stopped reloading 9mm for this reason.
I started reloading for a 44 magnum when I moved back to the states decades ago. I was in my late 20s and on a tight budget. I bought a single stage press and also a mold and acquired a lubri-sizer for cast bullets. Pretty soon I was pumping thousands of rounds for my 44 magnum, everything ranging from 45 ACP equivalent loads to full powered loads and I was shooting the way most people shot 22. That was my start to reloading and since then I literally went decades between store-bought center fired ammunition. i finally did store bought with 2 cartridges you started with: 9mm and 5.56. Those cartridges, because of the military connection and volume lower costs per round, I did buy those calibers but mostly 9mm for practice ammo. For a time I found that I could not really load 9mm for cheaper than I could buy it, so I bought it. Now it is a little different. The price of 9mm has jumped considerably so I load for it. 5.56 is a different story: I can load plinking fodder for cheaper than I can buy it, the fmj stuff. Precision ammunition, it is no question: reloading is the only way to go. Any kind of off the beaten path ammo, it makes sense to reload. Now I feed 30-06, 7.5x55 Swiss, 45 colt, 38 Special, 6.5 grendel, precision 9mm subsonic for a tax stamped suppressed SBR, plus several others. In those instances, your best option is reloading without question.
I have components from years back when they were less expensive. I have a Lee Pro 1000 in 9mm, but I don't load in volume so I tend to use my single stage presses more. I do use the progressive for several other calibers. The Lee press is just a bit too Jerky for me. I can't get it to be smooth and tend to slow way down whenever I have it engaged. Stay safe everyone!
powder is more than 50 a lb in most places even from your lgs my store went up from 39 to 56 a lb h335 39 to 52 cfe pistol also if you are reloading relatively clean brass, just a bucket is all you need
9mm isn't worth it, You can find range ammo for less than what is listed here, but the others are worth it, especially if you have several cartridge types. Another potential benefit is using certain components in more than one cartridge. 223 and 308 often use the same powders. 7.62x39 and 308 use the same primers...ext. I think one of the biggest factors is if the person has any interest in the process. If not, I don't think it's worth all the time, but if so, it would be worth it even if you break even. You can easily get more consistent ammo if you handload carefully. Great video. I love this stuff.
Started out reloading my hunting ammo 338 win mag and have now ventured into 40, 9, 10, and 556/223. It's enjoyable reloading for me, plus it gives me something to do during long nights during winter months in Alaska when I don't want to shoot at 20 below zero.
I got into reloading for my 338 win mag, then got into 40, 9, 10, 45, and 340WBY and since i have a crippling habit of getting rifles in obscure calibers all of them now. And Alaska winters are cold and the higher the latitude the higher the price.
I started reloading decades ago for a caliber that didn't have factory ammunition available. At that time I could load precision ammunition for less than half the cost of similar factory loaded ammo, and I could pretty much make whatever I wanted to shoot work in any rifle. At today's prices and with today's supply issues, I'm not sure if I'd start reloading. Granted my great state requires FFL transfers and background checks for ammunition, but I'll leave that out of the discussion for now. I've grown picky enough where I'll never be able to stop reloading, I'm spoiled, and for as long as I've been doing it the cost of dies, tools, etc has long washed away and I've definitely saved thousands if not tens of thousands over what comparable ammunition would've cost me during this time. So yeah, it can definitely be more cost effective. But like all hobbies it can also be a money pit depending on how deep you want to go. Are you buying Lee die sets, or SACs? What quality of scale? Do you neck turn? Anneal? There's so many variables and equipment that can range from 50 to 500+ the cost can really add up. I keep it simple with good dies and can load ammunition that shoots better than I can for every rifle I own. To each their own though! Would I start reloading today to save money? No. Aside from my aforementioned state issues I'd buy new ammunition and then sell the brass and just stick to what ammunition I can reliably source lol
With casting, I can reload 9mm for 11 or 12 cents a round. It was a steep learning curve, but I learned and do everything in bulk. I used to shoot a 50 round box a month. Now I’m shooting 200 a week, for just slightly more than a box. I haven’t bought a box of ammo is several years and love playing with all the variables.
I began reloading over 60 years ago in my uncles basement. Dad wouldn't let me reload at home because he thought I'd burn the place down. I reload for well over a dozen cartridges including a wildcat. There is no way I have not recovered my equipment costs over the years even though I have, not surprisingly, upgraded a lot of equipment. (Started with Herter's because they said they were the best. Chuckle, chuckle.) I can reload 9mm, but don't simply because of how little I shoot handguns. The rifles are different and if into multiple calibers, it is difficult to consider not reloading. The 5.56 is an area where I reload a little, but the time required isn't hardly worth it for the amount I shoot. The wildcat -- no way I could enjoy the 22BR without reloading, so I'm pretty much locked into reloading. Thanks for your analysis and for all your other videos. Very informative.
308 and 44 are what made me want to start getting into reloading and now 300blk. It's wild how fast some of it does pay off. Kind of curious how long it takes to do any of it since it's new to me too. I don't find 9 or 223 worth it personally just because of the absurdly low cost. Makes tons of sense for big stuff.
Thanks for breaking this down; I'd largely come to the conclusion hat saving money reloading was largely a no-go for me. Granted, with a Forster Coax for 'precision' rounds (280 AI, 300 PRC, etc) and a Dillon 650 (new in 2019) for pistol and .300BLK subs, I started... Pricy... but I now have hope from the fiscal perspective, as well.
I had been desirous of reloading since I was a teenager. Finally bought a kit in 2019. Bought it with gift cards and did a price match. I only spent $12 out of pocket. Bought a set of 38/357 dies on clearance for $20. Got a tumbler at a pawn shop for $40. Got the kit up and running spring of 2020 right before things got stupid. I've definitely got my initial investment back and more. Downside is that whenever I buy a new firearm that isn't a caliber that I already own, I end up needing to figure the cost of dies when budgeting for it.
I have been reloading now for 35 years now. Because I was reloading a lot of 9mm at the time started off with the Dillon Square Deal press. Then when I got my first center fire rifle in 308 bought a single stage RCBS press. Then sold my Square Deal for a Dillon RL550B that I still have all theses years later. I have 2 RL550’s and a XL750 I bought 4 years ago and a Single Stage Redding Boss press. I can loaded pistol ammo 9mm,38/357mag., 44mag, 45acp, 454. Rifle 223,7.62x39mm, 22-250,260Remington, 6.5CM, 308,30-06,300WM,300NM,338LM My newest reloading press is 4 years old to 34 years old for my RL550B.
Two factors matter, volume and calibre. I save money on reloading 9mm alone, despite also reloading for other calibres. Why? Because I shoot a $hit load of it. If you shoot low volumes than the calibre must be relatively expensive to buy for you to save a significant amount of money, which isn't the case for 9mm. The whole "you don't save money because you shoot more" doesn't make sense. That's a choice, not a financial reality.
I am saving at least 50% cost per round on reloading the specialty stuff like .44 mag, S&W500, 45-70, and 6.5 Creedmoor. I really like Berry's .44mag, 45-70, and .500 bullets for shooting at the range. ELD Match and Barnes Match Burners are my favorite for 6.5 Creedmoor. For basic handgun range ammo like 9mm and .40S&W, I don't think I could beat the prices on Herter's at Bass Pro when my time is factored in. I probably spent about $3000 for a full reloading setup with a RCBS Rebel press, a Chargemaster Supreme, all the reloading dies for 4 different sizes of ammo, all the measuring equipment, and all the tumbling stuff for stainless media, and a dehydrator. Your videos helped me in deciding what to buy!
I started reloading when I retired, using borrowed equipment. My primary reason was to load 300 Savage. Huge cost savings to be had! I have since returned the borrowed equipment and bought all new with a single stage press. Cost savings are not as much a factor now, I reload because I enjoy the process a lot, and feel I produce better than factory ammo. Currently loading 300 Savage, .5.56, 9mm, 38 spl, .357 mag., 45 auto.
This really depends on 1. the calibers you’re loading for 2. type of ammo (plinking vs match/hunting) 3. volume you load (what equipment you need and how much time) If you‘re loading 50rds of expensive ammo that you can load for $1.50 vs $3 a round, all you need is a single stage press and a beam scale and some basic equipment and you’ll break even asap and not require too much time loading. If you’re trying to load >1k 9mm for $0.22 vs $0.26 there’s a lot of expensive equipment and work hours going into that and i might just not be worth it (unless you enjoy doing it)
I loaded my first round on my cousins press back in the 70’s. I couldn’t afford a press until the mid 80’s. I started with reloading for my Model 70 270 Winchester, then my Dad’s Model 70 243 Winchester. Back then a box of 20 Winchester 270’s would cost around $10. A box of 20 Winchester 243’s around $9. A box of 100 Sierra Gamekings would cost me around $12 for 6mm and $15 for 277’s. A primer was only a penny apiece if I was only buying 100 at a time and far less if buying in bulk. Powder was around $10 a pound. I bought friends Herters single stage press with a Lyman scale. I purchased 243 & 270 RCBS dies. My press, scale, chamfer tool and other extras cost me $100. The accuracy of my loaded ammunition verses factory was factory around MOA, my loads could punch a primer out of a 12 gauge shot shell at 100 yards. That became the determining factor for me to reload. Cost became secondary.I now own 2 Dillon progressive’s the RL550B and the newer XL750. I now have 2 digital powder measures. One I purchased after watching your review, a Chargemaster Supreme. I now have a case feeder, a bullet feeder, a Lyman dry tumbler that is my second dry tumbler, a Frankford Arsenal wet tumble, a brass dryer and currently load over a dozen different calibers and growing. I have firearms I have never shot a factory round through because of the cost of their ammunition. I enjoy your channel and keep up the good work Gavin.
I've always told people that , on rifle ammo, they shud compute what 2000 rds of factory costs vs 2000 rds of components, brass cost is nearly irrelevent, as it is a decreasing cost with each reuse, you can buy 100rds of brass and get 2000 loads out of it. Tooling costs are pretty much moot, you can resell it, depending on how long you keep it, maybe for more than what you bought it for, and you can assign whatevr value you want to how much fun you had because of it. Was there a discipline you got into and liked? Did it enable you to meet a bunch of good people and make some new friends? Did you buy a gun that you liked, and would not have bought, if you couldn't reload for it? Because I could reload, I shot the bullet I wanted for hunting and couldn't buy in a factory round, bought guns chambered in "obsolete" cartridges and shot them, from 22 cal to .410cal, shot Coors Schuetzenfest, some silos, some benchrest, some service rifle, turkey shoots, decent amount of clay pigeons. And met some really good people, went to various places I probably wouldn't have otherwise, even did some hunting I may not have done otherwise..
I recouped my investment of $1,000 at 200 rounds shooting 338 Remington Ultra Magnum. In 2020 the cost per round including shipping from Midway USA was a little over $7.00 per round shooting 300 grain Nosler Accubond. My reloads with a 300 grain Berger Elite Hunter, Nosler Brass, Federal 215 Large Rifle Magnum primers, and H1000 are roughly $2.00 a round. I use a Rockchucker, RCBS Chargermaster Lite, Redding Bushing Dies, and Frankford Arsenal Wet tumbler all of which I got from watching this channel haha. Once you realize how much you are saving you end up just shooting more or buying fancier equipment which I have since done but I got into reloading for the precision benefit. BTW, turned my rifle from a 1 MOA gun to .25-.3 MOA gun depending on how well I am shooting that day.
Trying to figure out return on investment for reloading has +100 variables that you can look at the numbers in any number of ways and get wildly different results. IT is not something that is a one time buy everything you will ever need and be done situation. Equipment changes, calibers change, components change and on it goes. As a reloader for over 25yrs I still buy new gear, components and have things that I no longer use. If you are someone who is intently focused on a cost per round it is NOT for you. The point of reloading is to make ammo that can be changed at any time to suit your needs as they evolve. You can save money by getting in on sales for components during different market fluctuations or even other reloaders who are getting out of it. I will never give up reloading because on any given day I can make any round for any caliber I own exactly how I want it without ever leaving home.
My daddy has reloaded for years, and got me into doing it. His synopsis is that no, you don't save money. You can just shoot more for about the same cost as buying factory ammo and shooting less. Also, factoring in keeping brass; no matter how hard I try, I still only retain about 90% of my brass after each range day. I reload 10MM, 300blk, and 6.5 Grendel. I carry 10MM pistols every day, so I reload for that. 300 I run for duty, so it makes sense to reload so I can train. 6.5 is my hunting rifle, so I tinker with custom loads for that. Haven't gotten into my 9MM, .308, other calibers, and I definitely haven't touched shotgun ammo yet.
Could not afford to shoot some rounds without reloading. 327 Federal, 32 H&R, 32 S&W long, etc. Plus get to shoot a 38 Short Colt because I have most of the components already.
In my country with the cost of ammo I save around $1 a round for my 308 hunting load. 223 isn’t really worth reloading from a cost perspective, but you still get the other benefits which more than increase that value.
I have an old .32 SW long revolver and a box of semi wad cutters is around $50. I have handloaded for that caliber yet but I bought some bullets and a die from midway. All I need now is powder and primers and im ready to go. It wont take me long at all to recoup with that caliber
I started off back in the 80s loading up my 300 H&H at $51. A box of 20 was a no-brainer. I moved up to a gallon 750 with extendable tool heads for each caliber I use two different tool heads one for processing and one for loading, yes it can cost a lot of money for me. It was worth it because I loaded a lot of ammo starting off with the rocker or a single stage. I recommend that for a lot of people asked me about reloading learn the process before you move up. I still use my trucker today. It’s a good price, remember I bought it back in the 80s I also buy bulk my bullets I buy bulk thousand round more at a time buying a box here in a box there you can save money but you do better in bulk. Initial cost is a bit expensive, but it pays off at the end and watching your channel cost me more money all the new gadgets improvements on my 750. It helps thank you for that. Oh by the way I live in Tacoma Washington. I love to come and see your set up. Who knows Madeline something new keep up the good work.
Very helpful video. Your calculator is very handy. I'm reloading MK 262 clones for $0.64 each at today's prices, so I'm saving right at 50% per load. I included tax and shipping on my components too. As for 9mm, and 5.56 fmj you can buy factory cheaper than you can reload when you factor in time the way i see it.
I began reloading in the late 1970's and never had the thought that it would be cheaper although it was less expensive. My goal was accuracy and soon proved it to myself that I could hand load much cheaper than buying premium ammunition, and in most cases much more accurate. I see folks who buy the generic plinking ammo saying they save money-I guess they do in both ammo and targets because they don't seem to hit them so often-mostly making expensive noise. My first cartridge was 45ACP and since then have added a dozen more in both pistol and rifle. The last factory ammo I bought was for 30-06 because they didn't have cases for sale and the accuracy of that Winchester ammo was poor to be nice about it. Most of my firearms have never seen factory ammo. The last set of dies I bought was for 45 Colt. The Lee 4 die set was cheaper than a box of 50 round factory ammo. Costs of reloading components has gone up a lot but so has factory ammunition so the savings are still there and premium ammo even more so.
I’ve been reloading since 2004. Over the years when I didn’t have time to reload was when I bought bullets on sale or add to powder I favored. Buying a brick of 22 Long Rifle from time to time added to my storehouse.all of this was preCovid . I’m grateful to the man that to the time to teach me to reload. Now he’s unable to reload or go to the range. Take the time to teach someone to reload,the Safety precautions and storage techniques.
I think you hit the nail right on the head. I originally got into this to save money, though now I just love the hobby overall and the ability to customize my rounds. I originally got into it for 44 mag and 500 mag (so it paid for itself in short order)... now I even reload 380ACP, 9mm, & 45ACP. If you pick your spots on component purchases, you will always "save" money over time... though, we all know you really just shoot more for the same money ;-)
Once you start down the rabit hole of reloading you usually spend a lot more on certain things to make the experience better. You can't really account for those price differences but once you get into a process and figure it out you shoot a lot more which makes it cost more while saving more so it's a trade off. But worth it for the long run
I started reloading because I wasn't able to purchase any 204 and 22-250 ammo a few years ago. So now I get a guaranteed ammo supply with a bit more accuracy and I save a few dollars. I also load 243 now. Great video so thanks for you effort and time.
Great video. DITTO on Midsouth. One of my suppliers. You have to weigh in two things, the addiction, and evermore precision if you chase small groups. The benefit i reload for is accuracy, the choice of bullets, and savings especially if you buy components in quanities. Thanks for these videos.
I never reloaded 9MM till recently. 9MM ammo used to be as low as $10 a box. 45 ACP was $16 a box. .38 wad cutters at the indoor range were $2 a box. Today I reload for everything I shoot.
Around me you literally can’t buy small or large rifle primers from any of the American manufacturers. They have started importing primers from some Indian manufacturer.
This level of market drag across the industry is suspect. I have heard that the government doesn't need to ban the gun, they just need to manipulate and regulate the ammo out of the price range of the common man.
I just use a Lee hand press. $73 brand new on line. I can churn out a box of 50 rounds in about an hour give or take. That is plenty fast for me as I usually shoot-a-box-load-a-box, so usually I'm sitting at net-zero ammo usage when all is said and done. You can also find substantial open-box savings on reloading components in those small town fudd gun shops. You know, the ones that have been there since 1970, and they have nothing but M1s and lever guns on the rack and more than half his inventory is used. As opposed to the 'tacticool' shops that only sell polymer guns in variation A, B, or C, not a single used gun or piece of wood in the entire store, not even the furniture is made of wood.... Anyway, the one I go to has a bargain bin of stuff he probably bought when the kids bring in grandpa's hunting rifle to sell after he dies. I've found boxes of bullets with one or 2 missing for like $8 (last year, not 25 years ago), boxes of primers, open jars of powder, etc, all super cheap.
I would say for some calibers it would be a must due to availability and or variety prime example 708 300 rum another good one would be 338 winmag. Another one that shines is 300 blk ammoAnother reason I would say to reload is some of your ammunition for your older surplus rifles is either drying up or is exorbitant prime example M2 ball last time I pressed the 20 count box at the store was like 42 bucks
I am disabled but I do shoot a lot and I started reloading not just because of the money but to have something to do, and I have to say that it has changed my life, the joy to find new loads and to make cartridge even with my own casting is fantastic so the quality of my life has been amazing and ofcourse I have also made a lot of new and great friends inside the shooting and reloading community.
Exactly! It's a great hobby...I actually find I enjoy the reloading more than the shooting aspect of the hobby. I was a photographer in the navy for 5 years and I enjoyed the processing aspect of photography instead of taking pictures. I like the technical stuff.
Eggzackly Correctamundo citizen Grasshopper
That's great to hear. I wish I had an interest long, long ago. Hearing guys that paid 30 cents for good primers makes me wish I had just bought primers air-sealedd them) and lots of pulldown powders pre-2020 as well as the old spam can Russian ammo from way back.
Another way that reloading saves money is that in my home state, I have to pay for an FFL transfer whenever I buy ammo. Screw that.
Shush if they realise that they have missed a revenue stream. They will bring in more bs taxes and anti 2A tariffs 😂😂😂
???where do you live. That is nuts.
You must live in Commiefornia.. I know, I used to live there
That sounds like NY state
Move.
I decided to start reloading to spend more time with my father. He's been a pistol reloader for 30+ years, never did a bit of rifle loads. Now I wanted to do .223, and he and I are now learning something together. Every second counts. And my last one, it's a skill. A skill I hope to pass on to my children someday, and that's what truly matters to me.
Watch a video on how to use an instant indicator. Really helps to understand reloading rifle rounds
76highboy has some good ones
My son and I shoot 270 WSM and were having trouble with ammo availability and the cost was getting ridiculous. We had a lot of brass so we bought a RCBS REBEL single stage set up. Our reloads on our first try were about a 1/3 the cost of factory ammo and much more consistent and accurate. Now we reload 300 WSM and 243 WIN. Some of the reloading components are a little hard to get but we shoot more and enjoy shooting our own loads. ( We have been reloading for about 7 months). Enjoy your videos they are very helpful
Little hard to get. Primers are next to impossible unless your getting extremely bent on GunBroker. Even now most major retailers are selling a brick of large rifle for 80 to 90 bucks lol
In the UK we also have difficulty buying ammunition. We have to go in person to a gun shop to buy, no mail order for ammunition. And as shooting is less common, there are not as many shops as you guys have. And their stocks are often far more limited.
So home loading is quite attractive. And we can mail order components (though the hazmat shipping can be expensive).
And for me, it's a major part of the hobby. Have prob loaded in excess of 100k rounds over the decades. All on a single stage press. have also been casting my own bullets from range scrap for the last decade. That really brings the costs down.
Also in the UK,started reloading about 2 yrs ago. It's fun and relaxing and I always have ammo to shoot, given the shortages we are experiencing it's a big plus.
Also pretty much the only way to load accurate target loads tailored to your firearm. Hand loading is pretty much essential in the UK unless you are a hunter that doesn't get through many rounds.
I started on a Lee challenger breech lock anniversary kit. Was 159$ on Amazon. I use the lee pace setter dies and I bought 6 sets of them for the calibers I reload. I bought a second powder measure and a digital scale and a powder trickler. 3 reloading trays. And a lube pad with case lube. My total cost to get all that was under 500$. I loaded 1500 rounds of .30-06 1000 rounds of 9mm 2500 rounds of .300 blackout and 3000 rounds of .45. and 10,000 rounds of .223. I think I have saved enough to buy my equipment twice over.
The savings are much higher over here in Europe, where ammo is up to 100€ per 20 shot premium hunting. A simular load with a new brass every time will be 30€ per 20 shot. Thus 70€ savings per 20 shot... you make the equipment back really fast.
That‘s crazy. I‘m in europe but don’t shoot hunting ammo, so the factory stuff isn’t nearly as expensive. Except my 45-70 Hornady FTX - way cheaper reloaded. They‘re about 80 bucks a box of 20
Interesting, I looked on reloading 222Rem 3.6g FMJ and it makes little sense. Primer, powder and bullet make 90€/100 rounds (100€ more for brass). Norma 3.6g FMJ Jaktmatch is 140€/100 rounds.
The money could be made with the Oryx bullet because buying over the counter they are 375€/100 rounds, reloaded 130€/100 rounds (100€ more if brass). But who needs them in bigger quantities...
Best to keep buying what I need 🤭😂.
The same thing happens in South America, the values are exorbitant and the only way to shoot is to reload.
You can save money, but you won’t save money.
😂
I have been reloading for a little over 50 years, a long time ago it quit being about money. This video
was great for me because it reminded me of why I started reloading and how much I have enjoyed it over the years, thank you.
Just today I ordered two boxes of Aguila 124g 9mm for $14/50 and there are other brands for $15/50, $16/50 and up. On sale, not always that cheap. I do reload but don't bother with 9mm. Reloading is cost effective for most cartridges as you pointed out. I handload 220 Swift, 260 Rem and others that cost $2 to $3 per round to buy and I can load them for less than $1 each, especially when you find supplies on sale. And as others have said, handloading is fun and a great hobby on it's own.
Yeah I would never set out to reload common cheaper rounds like 9mm or 223 to save money. However if you already have a setup for different rounds you already reload then all you need is some dies, bullets, and powder/primers if you dont already have what you need. Like I reload because I have some stuff that is not really made anymore and a 28 nosler and wby stuff. So, also started doing 9mm because I already had most of the stuff needed and the rounds to break even is super low.
Thats. .28 per round....that's 15000 rounds to break even with used brass....
I'm a reloader and have been for about 30 years.... I buy my components on sale and in bulk I buy factory seconds from Nosler. It's MUCH CHEAPER to hand load anything bigger than 38 special, Or BIGGER than 223. (Those can be done for cheap, but, not worth the time for me).
Nobody is paying $24 for 9mm. PSA has cheap 9mm at $259/k on the regular.
exactly, cost effectiveness for reloading doesn't make sense anymore unless you are shooting magnums
If you cast your own bullets, it's pretty cost effective for 9mm. I was reloading 9mm with cast bullets for about 8 cents a round.
I was thinking the same thing. If you buy in bulk 9mm is about the same as what he’s reloading for
Come on now, 9mm 124gr can be had all day long for 26¢ per round. The veracity of your claims are called into question if you can’t even get 9mm ammo cost correct with just a One minute google search.
Currently, SGammo also sells white box Winchester 9mm (115 grain) for $260/1000 (free ship). So if you are looking at economics only, reloading for common calibers does not seem to make sense for most people including me.
If you want to chase the bug holes, this is a must!
Then there's also the reduced cost ratio, adding a new caliber.
The press, scale etc you buy once. Then to add a caliber you add the dies lock rings plate. It's a few boxes of ammo to break even adding a caliber.
im pretty sure the short answer is you are basically reloading match grade ammo for the price of regular ammo. the exceptions are going to be the hard to find rounds where the answer is yes
Agreed. People always compare prices of whatever the cheapest factory load on the shelf, rarely of factory ammo that is equivalent
Agreed, working out
Coming to make this exact comment and seeing it was already made.
Not only is handloaded ammo going to be higher quality, but you can also make combinations that are not offered. They may not load factory ammo with a specific bullet you want or it may not shoot well out of your gun, but you can reload it to. Also you can load it to velocities that you will just never get from factory ammo to squeeze all the performance out of a round. You can usually get 100-200 fps more over factory.
@@Nick-sx6jm that’s the thing I really like. Often with factory ammo I have to chose between a load that is accurate and one that has the projectile I actually want. With hand loads you can often avoid that dichotomy.
I started on a RCBS Rock Chucker single stage press that was given to me by an uncle. I think it was important to understand each process 1 step at a time. Started reloading .45 ACP and then moved into .223/5.56. I eventually purchased a Dillon 550B second hand. Living in AZ is convenient as they will refurbish a press free of charge. I slowly added convenience parts to my press to achieve higher yields per hour on the press. Obviously you can spend a lot of money in press upgrades and die sets. I found the Dillon 550B the most versatile press as you can reload almost everything on this one press with just the change of a shell plate and tool head.
I have saved the most money on reloading sub-sonic 300 Blkout rounds. Primers are coming back into stores but they were the hardest thing to find the last couple years.
Reloading is my therapy between my lead therapy sessions!
Happy Reloading!
I started reloading for 300blk, broke even a long time ago. Started to upgrade all my reloading equipment, started real cheap with a lee press. I enjoy the fact I can make ammo to my specs, ie cheap plinking gets the min powder load or I could spend a ton of time ensuring consistency between rounds. I know the ammo will be more consistent than I am with my shooting “can’t shoot the difference” but it is fun knowing how to.
I started loading my own in the late 70's while in the Air Force. A friend got me started on his equipment. I bought the dies to load for the 44 Mag Ruger SBH I bought. Some of the things he did I didn't think of as safe. I then bought my own press and accessories. RCBS Rock chucker press and a Lyman D5 scale. And a Lyman 45th edition book.
Over the years I have added other things to make things easier and safer. I still think that for most loaders a set of dies, a press, a powder scale and a good manual or three are an ok place to start. If you are keeping the brass from store bought ammo you fired in your gun you can load it several times before you need to worry about case length or trimming. Buying new brass can get you the same results. If you are picking up brass at the range or buying once fired, sorting and doing some measuring is a good idea.
Starting out with the bare minimum will let you learn enough that you can then decide if you like it enough to buy some of the more expensive things that gets recommended.
I have tried a vibratory case cleaner and didn't take long to decide it was not for me, to dusty and noisy. Oon cleaning cases I have found it doesn't make much difference in how the ammo performs, just how it looks. On the cases after I fire them I wipe them off, lube with Lee's lube. I like the Lee because it works very well and can be washed off with water. A bit of Dawn dish soap in boiling water, slosh around for a few minutes, rinse till the soap is gone, let dry. Once dry, finish the loading process.
I have used several trimming methods. Again I have found Lee's system works for me. It may be a bit slower but it can change it's setting and ruin cases. I have found you don't need to trim every time.
I have piles of things I have bought and don't use or don't use often.
When I started out and for many years after, learning was trial and error. Not like today where at the click of a button and you get questions answered. Most of the things I learned in the early years was from magazines or hanging around the gun stores.
What I talk about is for the majority of shooters. Those who want to get more into loading for precision shooting, adding all the expensive equipment can be worth getting. Same for those who push the limits of a cartridges performance or velocity. Wild ats require more equipment also.
For a lot of loaders that only shoot a few hundred rounds a month then the basics will be fine. At one time with the 44 Mag I had a Lyman 310 tool and dies and a set of Lee dippers a bullet mould and a lead pot on the stove top.. I would cast bullets from wheel weights I collected from several tire shops, lube with a cake cutter. I spent a few hours every evening loading these bullets with the 310 tool. Some of the most accurate loads I have shot were these 310 tool loads.
With a good solid rest for my back and bracing across my knees would get one ragged hole 6 shot groups at 50 yards. By one hole I mean one hole. Often less than 1/2" groups. At one range I was shooting at about 250 yards up the hillside was fenceline. Some hung a car flywheel on the fence. Stand upright and shooting off hand it was easy to clang that 6 for 6.
All this is to say you don't need hundreds of thousands to get started loading. A bit of shopping around and you can get started very cheap. A press, dies and a powder scale can be enough. Beyond that is up to you. Oh, and always use good data from a reliable source.
The trick with the vibratory tumblers is a good polishing liquid to add to your media and the really big trick is throwing in a dryer sheet! Like the scented dryer sheets. They collect all the dust and eliminate the static electricity that keeps the dust stuck to everything. A shooting buddy taught me that and it completely changed my opinion on vibratory tumblers. I bought one and almost sold it because it seemed too slow and dirty.
But the combo of dryer sheets and a quality polishing liquid added to either corn cob or walnut media makes it really good! Maybe give it another go.
@@ShootingUtahAgreed, and get your media from a sand blasting supplier. Far cheaper than from a gun store.
44 MAG, 45-70, match grade 6.5 CM and 308 have helped me break even. Especially during 2022 and 2023 with 44 MAG and 300 BLK prices for factory ammo
I started reloading out of necessity over 45 years ago. I had purchased a second-hand Ruger Blackhawk in .41 Magnum and literally couldn't find the ammunition anywhere. I bought a second-hand RCBS press at a garage sale, ordered some dies, supplies and a manual and taught myself how to reload. Since then, over the decades I've added more equipment as I got into competition shooting and loaded to support that hobby, then decided that an even cheaper way to support my habit was to cast my own bullets for target and plinking uses. Along the way I've added dies for ammunition that is virtually obsolete (in my case, .303 British as well as .308 Marlin Express for one of my favorite hog rifles) and can't be found anywhere. Given the tens of thousands (maybe hundreds of thousands?) of rounds I've loaded over that time, I'm pretty sure that I've gotten my money's worth, but the added knowledge I've gained along the way on ballistics, accuracy, marksmanship and even metallurgy, combined with the sheer enjoyment and satisfaction of "rolling your own", well -- the experience has been priceless.
You can save money but there is also a fun factor involved too. I find reloading to be very relaxing and fun.
It's good therapy
One of the best you have done Gavin, in a while. True to the core with this one.
I used the calculator with one added factor. Reusing brass. Say six times. I divide new brass price by six (or more if it lasts longer) and that is where you see an added savings.
I also check shipping/ hazmat costs vs buying at a big box store.
I usually can buy a 1000 rd of 9 at around $300. I dont think im going to break even reloading it but why not do it anyway.
Is that a particular brand or just in general. All last year I was catching online sales and paying $220-$235. It's gone up recently to $235-$259. That's 1krd cases of Magtech, S&B, Norma,Igman,Grindhard. I've purchased about 21cases over the past 2yrs from places like SGAMMO, Bereli ammo, Velocity Ammo.
@@carlosdaniels9515 yeah same basic range ammo
Oh. It’s expensive. I’ve been doing it since 1984.
Up until around 2006, ammo prices were pretty stable and I didn't Reload. You could buy Blazer Aluminum cased 9mm for $3.86 a box & .45 ACP for $8.99 a box at Academy, Blazer Brass .40 S&W for$7.89 a box at Walmart, and 5.56 from Palmetto State for under $300.00 per 1,000 (shipped). Since I didn't reload, I wasn't worried about brass. I had my CHL and my Wife ended up getting her CHL also. So we were going through (easily) 500 rounds a week for practice and I also shot Competition with a little group once a month and I'd go through another 200-300 rounds (so a minimum of 2,000 rounds a week). Then I got word that ammo Prices were about to skyrocket, so I started picking up any brass that was left at the range that I would keep to reload or trade to other People on Reloading Forums. I ended up trading or buying a LOT of bullets/reloading equipment/ammo/etc from those guys before Prices went through the roof. I also bought as much ammo as I could afford before Prices took off, both in store at Academy and Walmart, and also online. I don't shoot much anymore and have more brass than I could ever use but I still go down and pick up brass every couple of weeks.
My Son told me here a while back that a Friend of his was complaining how hard it was to find a certain Caliber of Ammunition due to the "shortage". I asked him "What Shortage?" I told him "I don't have any trouble at all "Finding It", I just walk out to the Reloading Room and there it is", LOL!
I load for about 14 different cartridges. I just started casting bullets about 4 years ago. My operation has spread from just a spare bedroom in the back of the house out to a 24’x14’ shop. The shop is where I cast and prep brass. The “recreation” room is where I load. My reloading has pretty much paid for itself many years ago, but I keep investing in new technology and gadgets. It’s no longer a hobby. It’s a lifestyle. 🤣
@@TexasSheepdawg21
Pretty much the same with me. It used to be that the Weatherby and WSM Calibers were where I saved the most money reloading but these days it seems like almost everything is at least $1.50-$2.00 per round for Factory.
About 15 years ago, a Friend of my youngest Son bought a house that had 32'x16' building on it. It was a pier and beam wood frame building with 26 gauge steel sides and roof. The Guy's Fiance wanted a swimming pool and the guy told my Son he could have it for free, he just had to get it moved. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough room to move the entire building all at once, so I had to take it apart, Piece by Piece, and move it. I labeled absolutely everything as to where it went and then when I had it all at my house, I put it back together again. The only things we couldn't reuse were the sheetrock on the walls and the insulation. I added hurricane ties and brackets and used 1/2" plywood in place of the sheetrock, plus put a 16'x32' loafing shed on the backside (planning to enclose it and pour concrete floors). All in all so far, I only have about $3,200.00 in the building (not including my labor, of course).
@@rodneyferguson446 I’ve put about $17K in my little shop since I got it in 2021. It’s insulated, with wood siding. AC & Heat plus lots of electrical work for running fridge, TV, microwave or Air fryer. The casting area has an industrial vent hood to the outside and at that bench there are two dedicated HD recepticals each on their own circuit breaker. 20Amp with 10/2WG wires. They are for the lead furnace pots. On the opposite wall is my case prep bench where all my polishing tumbling goes on. It’s a nice comfy shop to spend a day in. If I want to take a break there’s a small couch to chill on to watch Netflix You Tube whatever/or a dvd. The incoming electric is 240VAC with 100Amp main breaker.
@@TexasSheepdawg21 I don't have the vent hood although I do Need one. Right now, I open a window and put a box fan there blowing the lead fumes out the window when I cast (it works but not all that well). I have as/heat but not the Fridge/tv/microwave/etc although my Wife has told me I should put all of those out there (I wonder what she was trying to infer?). I used to operate my FFL01 out of this building so I've got a 240 V plug that I planned on running an air compressor off of for a sandblasting Cabinet and possibly a Powdercoating setup. I have the Cabinet, just haven't took the time to get the compressor.
So needless to say, while you can get away with the "Bare Bones" Minimum when it comes to reloading, Those like you and I know that you can also get invested pretty deep. Is the amount I've spent ever going to break even with just having purchased Factory Ammo? "No Way, Jose'!" But My Wife and I are Retired, we don't Travel, and everything we own is paid for, so to have somewhere to go to just relax and get away for a Day (and I've spent thousands of hours/Days out there) has been worth it TO ME.......and My Wife, LOL!
If you shoot a rare or older cartridge, reloading is the only way to go. Example: I bought a Rossi R92 in .454 Casull. A box of loaded ammunition (20 rounds) is between $45 to $70 a box! I bought the die set, crimp die, and 200 Starline cases for $181. I already have bullets, powder, and primers. I can make 20 rounds for $20-$25 for 50 rounds! I have been at this for 55 years and reload for 28 cartridges. Reloading can save you a lot, but the benefit is you can shoot more, you learn ballistics, and shoot better.
I definitely save when it comes to 338Lapua and 300hamr. Those two rounds, I believe, make the rest a savings as the savings there offsets the cost of the equipment. However, the fact that it's also an enjoyable hobby for me makes it a definite value.
I'm reloading 300 Norma Magnum. Savings are $4 a pop. I have supplies for 1000rds. Then there's all the other calibers as well. :)
Gavin very strong presentation. Reloaders definitely have the edge. Huge savings more shooting more accuracy more control. Self-reliant. So many wins
I have been reloading since I retired. Enjoy the hobby, probably am saving money, never wanted to know. Also have been making/modifying my own reloading equipment to suit my self. Would send pics if I knew how.
Great video , thanks for your work on this. I started reloading for 2 reasons, 1- load development for bolt action rifles and 2- ammo was difficult to get back then.
So right now I try to stock up on components and buy factory ammo to shoot because its available and not too pricey for 1000 round cases.
Now I will be prepared for the next shortage with reloading supplies and equipment.
Your videos helped me ALOT, thank you for that. You have done a great job of showing how its done.
I have been reloading for 5 years and I still learn tips from this channel
Got into reloading out of necessity and love it. Too many oddball calibers with no options off the shelf. 32WinSp, 38-55, 32-40, 45-90, 303Savage to name a few. Cost was just a part of the necessity.
Thank you so much for doing this video. Many at my gun club tell me that I'm not saving money. They just don't know any better. I took some screen shots of your test results and now I show them data. Outstanding!
Good video, that's actually honest compared to some of the others I've seen.
Don't forget about antiquated cartridges, ie 30-40 Krag
Yes! Keeps the dust off old rifles for sure
When the alternative is not being able to buy ammo because it has been discontinued, you reload. I have a .375 Win., and haven't seen factory loads for years now, but I have the components on the shelf to make my own, and hang the cost.
Cowboy Action...45 Colt and 38 Colt reloading is a MUST!
I have been reloading for about 50 years. I use mostly RCBS tools, and I like them a lot. The place where you will save the most is with high quality hunting bullets and high end bullets like Weatherby which can cost over $100 for a box of 20 and cost the same to reload as .300 Win Mag or 7MM Rem Mag. I shot competition for many years so I saved many thousands of dollars. The best thing is the accuracy, it's impossible to find a great shooting bullet for every rifle without reloading. I have many specialty bullets that are not available anymore. I am using equipment that is around 40 years old (keep them clean and oiled). I taught my sons to reload, now I am reloading with my grandchildren. I used to reload for about 40 cartridges, it became too much so I sold a lot of my guns, used the money to upgrade my arsenal and now only reload about 10 cartridges.
I could write a book about my reloading experiences. This is a great video for shooters contemplating reloading. I've been reloading since the late 70s. I was given 3 boxes of reloading equipment by a woman that I helped move. Her ex husband had left it 10 years earlier after they divorced. He took his rifles and pistols but not the reloading gear. Most of the box contained brass, about 20 lbs of Dupont and Hercules powders (I still have some of that), dies, a rock chucker press, books, cartridge boxes, primers, I was already loading shotshells so this was a tremendous start for metalic loading. I sorted out gear I probably wouldn't use and traded for more gear I could use. Loading common ammo is a great place to start but loading the expensive and less popular ammo is cost effective. I load 32ACP which is very cost effective. 3000 rounds from a lb of powder! Finding brass is tough. Range brass is scarce for that and many of the imported cases with 7.65 head stamps are Berdan primed or have a smaller rim than cases marked 32acp. The benefit of loading .32 is many guns in that caliber were designed around a 60hp bullet. Target ammo in the USA is mostly 72 grain bullets which creates a magazine issue in many of those small guns. Dropping the bullet a little deeper corrects the jamming on those guns. People frustrated by their jamming .32s are eager to part with them. Reloading is addictive. I spend more time reloading than shooting. I'm invested in bulk components heavily. I still have some primers that I bought under 3¢ a piece. I measure my brass supply in barrels rather than pieces or lbs. I also cast lead bullets for a few of my pistols and rifles. Some nagging issues with reloading today: A lot of very common commercial brass I find at the range has crimped primers. Everything from .380, 9mm, 38sp, 357mag, 40S&W, and .45acp have about a 50% rate of crimped primers now on the once fired factory brass. One brand seems to be using glue or something too as I've punched primer flats out leaving the ring of the primer inside the casing. I'm guess the crimps might be because of the popularity of pistol caliber carbines. Before I start the second page of the book, Thank You Gavin for the great channel. I look forward to every video.
Currently Only reload 9mm, I reload 147gr, not shooting as many competitions lately, but savings and difference between 147gr vs 115gr is more significant
I agree, same! Plus you use less powder with the heavy bullets. I load them mostly for suppressed shooting but i like the lower recoil too
Yes, but if I spent the time reloading, working. I could just buy as much ammo as I wanted. But, yes. I reload 10mm, 308, 45, 357, 40, 303, 44. Mainly for fun.
THIS!
THANK YOUfor using your noggin
Do you spend all your time working?
I agree if we are doing down and dirty we should add in time but then again I think that there is more to it. We all spend some time scratching our behinds and I enjoy loading more than that. Also, the ammo you can make, especially nowadays, is better than what you can buy. I don't think I'll ever recoup the cost of my AutoDod in any spreadsheet but it gives me pleasure and great ammo!
@@byronchristie5253 yeah, I hear ya. I load some pretty impressive 10mm and 357 that’ll have you pulling your socks back up.
That’s all fine and dandy until you go to the store one day and you can’t buy ammo
Great presentation. Being retired every day is a holiday for me,, the only limit on my time is I won't live forever. I also cast my own bullets mostly for pistol shooting and I have a bullet trap to recycle my lead with a recovery rate of about 99%. This makes reloading super in inexpensive for me with my highest cost being primers.
That is success! Saving 💰
Great vid! I started in '83 with a RL450. We "guys in my unit" pooled are money and saved a lot. Run my shooting life on a RL550 for rifle and a RL750 for handgun. I also learned that I saved more and shot then when I spent the money at the bar talking about shooting!
I've done the math on reloading military surplus rounds. The savings are phenomenal
I started reloading in 2014 with an LNL AP. It's more than paid for itself. I just enjoy reloading. I dont chase super small groups, just an accuracy standard for rifle ammo. For pistol ammo, I'm just trying to rip out as many as I can for the lowest price as fast as I can load primer tubes and keep powder in the measure.
I get most of my reloading components from American Reloading. With free shipping I get 9mm bullets for about 5.5 cents a round and primers for 7 cents a round. With powder I’m getting about 1.5 cents a round. The total reloading costs is about 14 cents a round. That said, after getting into reloading, I’m definitely not saving money. I shoot and hoard magnitudes more ammo than from before I got into reloading. 😄
Great video. 40 years ago I bought a Lee loader press. I reloaded 38 special and 270. My brother worked for the parent company of RCBS and got me a great deal on an Auto-5 progressive Reloader. I sold the Lee press 30 years ago and never loaded a single shell on the new Reloader. I made it a goal to reload this year on the Reloader. I have been gather supplies and I hope to get started in the next little bit. Your information is helping continue in moving forward. I think most of my reloading with be for the 6.5 Creedmoor, 270 win, REM 7 mag, 223, 38 special and the 9mm. I have a few powders, but not sure which cartridge would be the easiest to get started with? Thanks for sharing.
Two weeks ago I tracked my costs on a spreadsheet for my equipment and local costs vs local ammo cost. Central/Eastern Montana. Three pistol and four rifle cartridges. I am saving great on reloading everyone without considering brass cost. When I consider brass case costs, I will still be saving on all but one caliber. The .30-06 will have no cost advantage being equal to factory cartridge cost. However, there is still the accuracy benefit. Lucky for me I probably have enough .30-06 brass to carry beyond my shooting ability, it is my least consumed caliber. I reload for .223/.556, .22-250, 9mm, .30-30, .30-06, .44 Rem Mag, .45 ACP.
All on a single stage RC Supreme. Enjoy your channel. I have been thinking about a turret press, keeping the dies set for my pistol rounds would be great. My tools are far from new, but still work like new. I belive in taking good care my tools.
I reloaded .44 Mag, .38/.357, .30-30 , .30-06 and 7MM Mag. in the 70's & 80's. I thought I saved money back. Reloaded is RCBS Rockchucker. I still have it. Just started to dig it out of storage a couple weeks ago. I'm looking at getting a progressive reloading setup with my brothers and the Hornady set up is at the top of the list. I will forward this clip to them. Thanks for your efforts.
22:32 You forgot an important factor.
Having ammo when you want it vs not. And weathering spells where prices are insane.
A lee turret press and stocking components when you can find them is a great asset.
And you aren't sitting on a huge investment.
Just calculated my 224 Valkyrie PRS precision rounds last week. Using: Starline Brass / Berger LRHT 85.5 / Hodgdon BL-C(2) / Fed. 205’s. I find it cost just over 50% the cost of factory loads per round at ~.80¢ (minus the cost of brass)
I've found if you shoot 308,7mm-08,243,260 or 6.5CM, if you buy small rifle primer brass, it saves in a few ways. 1 case lasts longer, in my opinion. 2 The cost of small rifle primers compared to large rifle primers is significant. 3 primer pockets seem to last longer, and overall, case life seems to be longer. At least in my 260Rem, the case gets more uses.
Yep CCI 200 is like a unicorn these days, while CCI 450 is available.
It can save you money, but not the way it used to. H4350 is $65 at my local Sportsmans and Primers were $8-11.
And if I buy online then Hazmat charges kill any price savings. I still reload cause I like doing it but its a rough time to be a shooter !
I think brass should be included as a partial cost. Full cost / number of expected uses. Say like 10 reloads per brass. I would be interested in how this would affect the calculation and what does values would be from your experience for the different calibers
And depending on the brass you can go even further. A lot of the issues end up in the neck of the brass after a while. So, let's say you get 10 reloads for a .223, well, the issue being in the neck means that most of the time you can then cut the brass down to be reused for .300 blackout then spreading the cost of the brass over 20 reloads.
@@Irish_Wristwatch101 it certainly makes it more complicated. Like investing in a annealing setup. Gie much more life do you get out of it and what's the break even for that. So many rabbit holes :D
@@thorwaldjohanson2526 There it depends on what you are reloading for .300 Blackout too. Subsonic .300 Blackout generally goes for $1-1.20 a round on the cheap end (outside of sales) while you can reload the same thing for about $0.35-0.40 a round. Just doing 100 rounds will save you anywhere from $60-85. Then you start getting into defensive and hunting rounds and the savings do add up but you'll likely shoot more.
I bought my first Hornady progressive press after watching your earliest videos when you were starting.
I’ve never looked back! Investment… Absolutely. Return on my investment? Exponentially! And it can’t be measured in dollars alone.
Thanks for your commitment to offering valuable content for interest viewers!
There are frequently sales on factory 9mm where if you buy 500 or 1000 you can get them for 24 cents per round. You can’t reload them that cheap anymore. The primer and bullet alone generally cost about that much. I stopped reloading 9mm for this reason.
I started reloading for a 44 magnum when I moved back to the states decades ago. I was in my late 20s and on a tight budget. I bought a single stage press and also a mold and acquired a lubri-sizer for cast bullets. Pretty soon I was pumping thousands of rounds for my 44 magnum, everything ranging from 45 ACP equivalent loads to full powered loads and I was shooting the way most people shot 22.
That was my start to reloading and since then I literally went decades between store-bought center fired ammunition. i finally did store bought with 2 cartridges you started with: 9mm and 5.56. Those cartridges, because of the military connection and volume lower costs per round, I did buy those calibers but mostly 9mm for practice ammo. For a time I found that I could not really load 9mm for cheaper than I could buy it, so I bought it. Now it is a little different. The price of 9mm has jumped considerably so I load for it. 5.56 is a different story: I can load plinking fodder for cheaper than I can buy it, the fmj stuff. Precision ammunition, it is no question: reloading is the only way to go.
Any kind of off the beaten path ammo, it makes sense to reload. Now I feed 30-06, 7.5x55 Swiss, 45 colt, 38 Special, 6.5 grendel, precision 9mm subsonic for a tax stamped suppressed SBR, plus several others. In those instances, your best option is reloading without question.
I have components from years back when they were less expensive. I have a Lee Pro 1000 in 9mm, but I don't load in volume so I tend to use my single stage presses more. I do use the progressive for several other calibers. The Lee press is just a bit too Jerky for me. I can't get it to be smooth and tend to slow way down whenever I have it engaged.
Stay safe everyone!
Magnum cartridges are something you didn't cover. My 338 lap and 300 norma mag are way cheaper to reload than buy.
Good point!
powder is more than 50 a lb in most places even from your lgs my store went up from 39 to 56 a lb h335 39 to 52 cfe pistol also if you are reloading relatively clean brass, just a bucket is all you need
You can find it cheaper online.
@@thelittledetailscr7231 what about hazmat fees?
9mm isn't worth it, You can find range ammo for less than what is listed here, but the others are worth it, especially if you have several cartridge types. Another potential benefit is using certain components in more than one cartridge. 223 and 308 often use the same powders. 7.62x39 and 308 use the same primers...ext. I think one of the biggest factors is if the person has any interest in the process. If not, I don't think it's worth all the time, but if so, it would be worth it even if you break even. You can easily get more consistent ammo if you handload carefully.
Great video. I love this stuff.
Started out reloading my hunting ammo 338 win mag and have now ventured into 40, 9, 10, and 556/223. It's enjoyable reloading for me, plus it gives me something to do during long nights during winter months in Alaska when I don't want to shoot at 20 below zero.
I got into reloading for my 338 win mag, then got into 40, 9, 10, 45, and 340WBY and since i have a crippling habit of getting rifles in obscure calibers all of them now. And Alaska winters are cold and the higher the latitude the higher the price.
I started reloading decades ago for a caliber that didn't have factory ammunition available. At that time I could load precision ammunition for less than half the cost of similar factory loaded ammo, and I could pretty much make whatever I wanted to shoot work in any rifle.
At today's prices and with today's supply issues, I'm not sure if I'd start reloading. Granted my great state requires FFL transfers and background checks for ammunition, but I'll leave that out of the discussion for now. I've grown picky enough where I'll never be able to stop reloading, I'm spoiled, and for as long as I've been doing it the cost of dies, tools, etc has long washed away and I've definitely saved thousands if not tens of thousands over what comparable ammunition would've cost me during this time. So yeah, it can definitely be more cost effective. But like all hobbies it can also be a money pit depending on how deep you want to go.
Are you buying Lee die sets, or SACs? What quality of scale? Do you neck turn? Anneal? There's so many variables and equipment that can range from 50 to 500+ the cost can really add up. I keep it simple with good dies and can load ammunition that shoots better than I can for every rifle I own. To each their own though!
Would I start reloading today to save money? No. Aside from my aforementioned state issues I'd buy new ammunition and then sell the brass and just stick to what ammunition I can reliably source lol
More than cost for me is availability what is a cartridge worth to you when it can’t be purchased?
With casting, I can reload 9mm for 11 or 12 cents a round. It was a steep learning curve, but I learned and do everything in bulk. I used to shoot a 50 round box a month. Now I’m shooting 200 a week, for just slightly more than a box. I haven’t bought a box of ammo is several years and love playing with all the variables.
I began reloading over 60 years ago in my uncles basement. Dad wouldn't let me reload at home because he thought I'd burn the place down. I reload for well over a dozen cartridges including a wildcat. There is no way I have not recovered my equipment costs over the years even though I have, not surprisingly, upgraded a lot of equipment. (Started with Herter's because they said they were the best. Chuckle, chuckle.) I can reload 9mm, but don't simply because of how little I shoot handguns. The rifles are different and if into multiple calibers, it is difficult to consider not reloading. The 5.56 is an area where I reload a little, but the time required isn't hardly worth it for the amount I shoot. The wildcat -- no way I could enjoy the 22BR without reloading, so I'm pretty much locked into reloading.
Thanks for your analysis and for all your other videos. Very informative.
I used to reload 9mm, now, you can get CCI Blazer 9mm fmj a penny cheaper than reloading. Reloading you can set the charge for best preformance.
308 and 44 are what made me want to start getting into reloading and now 300blk. It's wild how fast some of it does pay off. Kind of curious how long it takes to do any of it since it's new to me too. I don't find 9 or 223 worth it personally just because of the absurdly low cost. Makes tons of sense for big stuff.
Thanks for breaking this down; I'd largely come to the conclusion hat saving money reloading was largely a no-go for me.
Granted, with a Forster Coax for 'precision' rounds (280 AI, 300 PRC, etc) and a Dillon 650 (new in 2019) for pistol and .300BLK subs, I started... Pricy... but I now have hope from the fiscal perspective, as well.
It's worse than any drug or alcohol habit when it comes to fiscal means. Although the outcome is different 😅.
This is true. I'm getting to the point i can't stand to see a brass case empty.
Right now in Canada average 6.5 Creedmoor is about 2-2.50$ a round even at 1000 rounds it makes sense to reload your own
I had been desirous of reloading since I was a teenager. Finally bought a kit in 2019. Bought it with gift cards and did a price match. I only spent $12 out of pocket. Bought a set of 38/357 dies on clearance for $20. Got a tumbler at a pawn shop for $40. Got the kit up and running spring of 2020 right before things got stupid. I've definitely got my initial investment back and more. Downside is that whenever I buy a new firearm that isn't a caliber that I already own, I end up needing to figure the cost of dies when budgeting for it.
I have been reloading now for 35 years now. Because I was reloading a lot of 9mm at the time started off with the Dillon Square Deal press. Then when I got my first center fire rifle in 308 bought a single stage RCBS press. Then sold my Square Deal for a Dillon RL550B that I still have all theses years later. I have 2 RL550’s and a XL750 I bought 4 years ago and a Single Stage Redding Boss press. I can loaded pistol ammo 9mm,38/357mag., 44mag, 45acp, 454. Rifle 223,7.62x39mm, 22-250,260Remington, 6.5CM, 308,30-06,300WM,300NM,338LM
My newest reloading press is 4 years old to 34 years old for my RL550B.
Two factors matter, volume and calibre. I save money on reloading 9mm alone, despite also reloading for other calibres. Why? Because I shoot a $hit load of it. If you shoot low volumes than the calibre must be relatively expensive to buy for you to save a significant amount of money, which isn't the case for 9mm. The whole "you don't save money because you shoot more" doesn't make sense. That's a choice, not a financial reality.
You also have ways to still significantly improve the cost of 9mm down to near 15 cents by casting and coating your own projectiles.
I am saving at least 50% cost per round on reloading the specialty stuff like .44 mag, S&W500, 45-70, and 6.5 Creedmoor. I really like Berry's .44mag, 45-70, and .500 bullets for shooting at the range. ELD Match and Barnes Match Burners are my favorite for 6.5 Creedmoor. For basic handgun range ammo like 9mm and .40S&W, I don't think I could beat the prices on Herter's at Bass Pro when my time is factored in. I probably spent about $3000 for a full reloading setup with a RCBS Rebel press, a Chargemaster Supreme, all the reloading dies for 4 different sizes of ammo, all the measuring equipment, and all the tumbling stuff for stainless media, and a dehydrator. Your videos helped me in deciding what to buy!
I started reloading when I retired, using borrowed equipment. My primary reason was to load 300 Savage. Huge cost savings to be had! I have since returned the borrowed equipment and bought all new with a single stage press. Cost savings are not as much a factor now, I reload because I enjoy the process a lot, and feel I produce better than factory ammo. Currently loading 300 Savage, .5.56, 9mm, 38 spl, .357 mag., 45 auto.
This really depends on 1. the calibers you’re loading for 2. type of ammo (plinking vs match/hunting) 3. volume you load (what equipment you need and how much time)
If you‘re loading 50rds of expensive ammo that you can load for $1.50 vs $3 a round, all you need is a single stage press and a beam scale and some basic equipment and you’ll break even asap and not require too much time loading.
If you’re trying to load >1k 9mm for $0.22 vs $0.26 there’s a lot of expensive equipment and work hours going into that and i might just not be worth it (unless you enjoy doing it)
I loaded my first round on my cousins press back in the 70’s. I couldn’t afford a press until the mid 80’s. I started with reloading for my Model 70 270 Winchester, then my Dad’s Model 70 243 Winchester. Back then a box of 20 Winchester 270’s would cost around $10. A box of 20 Winchester 243’s around $9. A box of 100 Sierra Gamekings would cost me around $12 for 6mm and $15 for 277’s. A primer was only a penny apiece if I was only buying 100 at a time and far less if buying in bulk. Powder was around $10 a pound. I bought friends Herters single stage press with a Lyman scale. I purchased 243 & 270 RCBS dies. My press, scale, chamfer tool and other extras cost me $100. The accuracy of my loaded ammunition verses factory was factory around MOA, my loads could punch a primer out of a 12 gauge shot shell at 100 yards. That became the determining factor for me to reload. Cost became secondary.I now own 2 Dillon progressive’s the RL550B and the newer XL750. I now have 2 digital powder measures. One I purchased after watching your review, a Chargemaster Supreme. I now have a case feeder, a bullet feeder, a Lyman dry tumbler that is my second dry tumbler, a Frankford Arsenal wet tumble, a brass dryer and currently load over a dozen different calibers and growing. I have firearms I have never shot a factory round through because of the cost of their ammunition. I enjoy your channel and keep up the good work Gavin.
I've always told people that , on rifle ammo, they shud compute what 2000 rds of factory costs vs 2000 rds of components, brass cost is nearly irrelevent, as it is a decreasing cost with each reuse, you can buy 100rds of brass and get 2000 loads out of it. Tooling costs are pretty much moot, you can resell it, depending on how long you keep it, maybe for more than what you bought it for, and you can assign whatevr value you want to how much fun you had because of it. Was there a discipline you got into and liked? Did it enable you to meet a bunch of good people and make some new friends? Did you buy a gun that you liked, and would not have bought, if you couldn't reload for it? Because I could reload, I shot the bullet I wanted for hunting and couldn't buy in a factory round, bought guns chambered in "obsolete" cartridges and shot them, from 22 cal to .410cal, shot Coors Schuetzenfest, some silos, some benchrest, some service rifle, turkey shoots, decent amount of clay pigeons. And met some really good people, went to various places I probably wouldn't have otherwise, even did some hunting I may not have done otherwise..
I recouped my investment of $1,000 at 200 rounds shooting 338 Remington Ultra Magnum. In 2020 the cost per round including shipping from Midway USA was a little over $7.00 per round shooting 300 grain Nosler Accubond. My reloads with a 300 grain Berger Elite Hunter, Nosler Brass, Federal 215 Large Rifle Magnum primers, and H1000 are roughly $2.00 a round. I use a Rockchucker, RCBS Chargermaster Lite, Redding Bushing Dies, and Frankford Arsenal Wet tumbler all of which I got from watching this channel haha. Once you realize how much you are saving you end up just shooting more or buying fancier equipment which I have since done but I got into reloading for the precision benefit. BTW, turned my rifle from a 1 MOA gun to .25-.3 MOA gun depending on how well I am shooting that day.
Trying to figure out return on investment for reloading has +100 variables that you can look at the numbers in any number of ways and get wildly different results. IT is not something that is a one time buy everything you will ever need and be done situation. Equipment changes, calibers change, components change and on it goes. As a reloader for over 25yrs I still buy new gear, components and have things that I no longer use. If you are someone who is intently focused on a cost per round it is NOT for you. The point of reloading is to make ammo that can be changed at any time to suit your needs as they evolve. You can save money by getting in on sales for components during different market fluctuations or even other reloaders who are getting out of it. I will never give up reloading because on any given day I can make any round for any caliber I own exactly how I want it without ever leaving home.
My daddy has reloaded for years, and got me into doing it. His synopsis is that no, you don't save money. You can just shoot more for about the same cost as buying factory ammo and shooting less.
Also, factoring in keeping brass; no matter how hard I try, I still only retain about 90% of my brass after each range day. I reload 10MM, 300blk, and 6.5 Grendel. I carry 10MM pistols every day, so I reload for that. 300 I run for duty, so it makes sense to reload so I can train. 6.5 is my hunting rifle, so I tinker with custom loads for that. Haven't gotten into my 9MM, .308, other calibers, and I definitely haven't touched shotgun ammo yet.
Could not afford to shoot some rounds without reloading. 327 Federal, 32 H&R, 32 S&W long, etc. Plus get to shoot a 38 Short Colt because I have most of the components already.
In my country with the cost of ammo I save around $1 a round for my 308 hunting load. 223 isn’t really worth reloading from a cost perspective, but you still get the other benefits which more than increase that value.
I have an old .32 SW long revolver and a box of semi wad cutters is around $50. I have handloaded for that caliber yet but I bought some bullets and a die from midway. All I need now is powder and primers and im ready to go. It wont take me long at all to recoup with that caliber
I started off back in the 80s loading up my 300 H&H at $51. A box of 20 was a no-brainer. I moved up to a gallon 750 with extendable tool heads for each caliber I use two different tool heads one for processing and one for loading, yes it can cost a lot of money for me. It was worth it because I loaded a lot of ammo starting off with the rocker or a single stage. I recommend that for a lot of people asked me about reloading learn the process before you move up. I still use my trucker today. It’s a good price, remember I bought it back in the 80s I also buy bulk my bullets I buy bulk thousand round more at a time buying a box here in a box there you can save money but you do better in bulk. Initial cost is a bit expensive, but it pays off at the end and watching your channel cost me more money all the new gadgets improvements on my 750. It helps thank you for that. Oh by the way I live in Tacoma Washington. I love to come and see your set up. Who knows Madeline something new keep up the good work.
Very helpful video. Your calculator is very handy. I'm reloading MK 262 clones for $0.64 each at today's prices, so I'm saving right at 50% per load. I included tax and shipping on my components too. As for 9mm, and 5.56 fmj you can buy factory cheaper than you can reload when you factor in time the way i see it.
I began reloading in the late 1970's and never had the thought that it would be cheaper although it was less expensive. My goal was accuracy and soon proved it to myself that I could hand load much cheaper than buying premium ammunition, and in most cases much more accurate. I see folks who buy the generic plinking ammo saying they save money-I guess they do in both ammo and targets because they don't seem to hit them so often-mostly making expensive noise. My first cartridge was 45ACP and since then have added a dozen more in both pistol and rifle. The last factory ammo I bought was for 30-06 because they didn't have cases for sale and the accuracy of that Winchester ammo was poor to be nice about it. Most of my firearms have never seen factory ammo. The last set of dies I bought was for 45 Colt. The Lee 4 die set was cheaper than a box of 50 round factory ammo. Costs of reloading components has gone up a lot but so has factory ammunition so the savings are still there and premium ammo even more so.
I’ve been reloading since 2004. Over the years when I didn’t have time to reload was when I bought bullets on sale or add to powder I favored. Buying a brick of 22 Long Rifle from time to time added to my storehouse.all of this was preCovid . I’m grateful to the man that to the time to teach me to reload. Now he’s unable to reload or go to the range. Take the time to teach someone to reload,the Safety precautions and storage techniques.
I think you hit the nail right on the head. I originally got into this to save money, though now I just love the hobby overall and the ability to customize my rounds. I originally got into it for 44 mag and 500 mag (so it paid for itself in short order)... now I even reload 380ACP, 9mm, & 45ACP. If you pick your spots on component purchases, you will always "save" money over time... though, we all know you really just shoot more for the same money ;-)
I always bought the best equipment so saved nothing on reloading over the years.
I mostly did it for "fun", as you mentioned in the video.
I think if you went with a lee press it would change things
Go to a gun show and buy your gear used. You can get complete reload and set up for a couple hundred bucks....
Once you start down the rabit hole of reloading you usually spend a lot more on certain things to make the experience better. You can't really account for those price differences but once you get into a process and figure it out you shoot a lot more which makes it cost more while saving more so it's a trade off. But worth it for the long run
I started reloading because I wasn't able to purchase any 204 and 22-250 ammo a few years ago. So now I get a guaranteed ammo supply with a bit more accuracy and I save a few dollars. I also load 243 now. Great video so thanks for you effort and time.
Your presentation is a much needed help for my decision I’m going to make before shopping for bulk ammo.
Great video. DITTO on Midsouth. One of my suppliers. You have to weigh in two things, the addiction, and evermore precision if you chase small groups.
The benefit i reload for is accuracy, the choice of bullets, and savings especially if you buy components in quanities.
Thanks for these videos.
Thanks Gavin you've really helped me out as a new reloader it can be overwhelming
Any powder, primers,brass and so on is worth more than gold right now
I never reloaded 9MM till recently. 9MM ammo used to be as low as $10 a box. 45 ACP was $16 a box. .38 wad cutters at the indoor range were $2 a box. Today I reload for everything I shoot.
All my lgs still want $90 for 100 primers, I picked the wrong decade to want to start reloading.
@@bdkj3e that's cheap today. I was paying 200$ 2 years ago
Around me you literally can’t buy small or large rifle primers from any of the American manufacturers. They have started importing primers from some Indian manufacturer.
This level of market drag across the industry is suspect. I have heard that the government doesn't need to ban the gun, they just need to manipulate and regulate the ammo out of the price range of the common man.
I just use a Lee hand press. $73 brand new on line. I can churn out a box of 50 rounds in about an hour give or take. That is plenty fast for me as I usually shoot-a-box-load-a-box, so usually I'm sitting at net-zero ammo usage when all is said and done. You can also find substantial open-box savings on reloading components in those small town fudd gun shops. You know, the ones that have been there since 1970, and they have nothing but M1s and lever guns on the rack and more than half his inventory is used. As opposed to the 'tacticool' shops that only sell polymer guns in variation A, B, or C, not a single used gun or piece of wood in the entire store, not even the furniture is made of wood....
Anyway, the one I go to has a bargain bin of stuff he probably bought when the kids bring in grandpa's hunting rifle to sell after he dies. I've found boxes of bullets with one or 2 missing for like $8 (last year, not 25 years ago), boxes of primers, open jars of powder, etc, all super cheap.
I would say for some calibers it would be a must due to availability and or variety prime example 708 300 rum another good one would be 338 winmag. Another one that shines is 300 blk ammoAnother reason I would say to reload is some of your ammunition for your older surplus rifles is either drying up or is exorbitant prime example M2 ball last time I pressed the 20 count box at the store was like 42 bucks