cost effective reloading

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  • R81

    Active Member
    Jun 30, 2006
    336
    As a general rule, is it cheaper to load lighter bullets and use more powder or load heavier bullets and use less powder? It seems difficult to answer due to variations in prices. But is there a general consensus on this subject? Thanks.
     

    R81

    Active Member
    Jun 30, 2006
    336
    I was just loading some 147g 9mm. It got me to thinking about 115 grain bullets and which was cheaper to reload.
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    Prices of powder and price of bullets have gone all over the place. Have to do the calculations yourself for what your looking to do at the time at the caliber.
    Cast or powder coated/epoxy coated bullets are often cheaper than Copper washed or FMJ
    Casting your own and powder coating is cheaper in the LONG run, and I"m talking after thousands of bullets to recoup the cost of equipment.
    You never of course recoup your time until YEARS pass buy and thousands and thousands of bullets.
     

    tdt91

    I will miss you my friend
    Apr 24, 2009
    10,810
    Abingdon
    For plinking bullets, I don't think it matters. Either way there won't be enough of a difference to matter.
     
    I just ran some basic numbers...
    115gr vs 147gr is a $.01 difference from RMR bullets. Using Titegroup, a pound will load ~2000rds of 147gr and ~1500rds of 115gr. So the difference there would be close to $.01 per round as well.
    To me, the prices of primers tripling over the past 2yrs is a much bigger financial concern with reloading than the half cent to 1 cent difference per live round. Just prior to Covid, primers were plentiful and sold for $30-$35 per 1000. Now they're typically fetching $100/1000.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    I just ran some basic numbers...
    115gr vs 147gr is a $.01 difference from RMR bullets. Using Titegroup, a pound will load ~2000rds of 147gr and ~1500rds of 115gr. So the difference there would be close to $.01 per round as well.
    To me, the prices of primers tripling over the past 2yrs is a much bigger financial concern with reloading than the half cent to 1 cent difference per live round. Just prior to Covid, primers were plentiful and sold for $30-$35 per 1000. Now they're typically fetching $100/1000.

    That’s pretty much what I came up with. Often you are only talking 1, maybe 2 cents per loaded round difference depending on the current price. Now, if you are trying to stretch something further, in Maryland is legally easier to store an unlimited number of bullets vs how much powder you can store. And sometimes there is no price difference. I can sometimes find 124gr 9mm for the exact same price as 115gr. But you are still at maybe a 1cpr difference for the powder saved.
     

    sgt23preston

    USMC LLA. NRA Life Member
    May 19, 2011
    3,994
    Perry Hall
    To be honest with you, reloading takes a ton of your time...

    I have loaded 9mm, 38 Specials & 45ACP...

    I had a Dillon 550...

    I probably spent $1500 (at least) on Reloading Equipment...

    Back then, the price of bullets & primers didn't enter into my cost equations at all...

    When I realized how many hours to took to make 500 rounds, it was beyond the spare time I had available...

    Think about it: Cleaning the brass, thoroughly inspecting each piece of brass, sorting 45's by primer size, going to York Pa to buy primers & powder & inspecting each round in a Go/No Go chamber gage, etc...

    The ammo was VERY VERY accurate, but the time required to reload wasn't available to me...

    I gave it up & sold all my stuff long ago...

    Good luck...

    Let me add that I reloaded about 9000 total rounds in 3 years before selling my stuff...





     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,812
    To be honest with you, reloading takes a ton of your time...

    I have loaded 9mm, 38 Specials & 45ACP...

    I had a Dillon 550...

    I probably spent $1500 (at least) on Reloading Equipment...

    Back then, the price of bullets & primers didn't enter into my cost equations at all...

    When I realized how many hours to took to make 500 rounds, it was beyond the spare time I had available...

    Think about it: Cleaning the brass, thoroughly inspecting each piece of brass, sorting 45's by primer size, going to York Pa to buy primers & powder & inspecting each round in a Go/No Go chamber gage, etc...

    The ammo was VERY VERY accurate, but the time required to reload wasn't available to me...

    I gave it up & sold all my stuff long ago...

    Good luck...






    This is why reloading is a hobby and not a means to cut cost. It was never intended to be a cheap means to an end.
     

    Uncle Duke

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 2, 2013
    11,665
    Not Far Enough from the City
    To be honest with you, reloading takes a ton of your time...

    I have loaded 9mm, 38 Specials & 45ACP...

    I had a Dillon 550...

    I probably spent $1500 (at least) on Reloading Equipment...

    Back then, the price of bullets & primers didn't enter into my cost equations at all...

    When I realized how many hours to took to make 500 rounds, it was beyond the spare time I had available...

    Think about it: Cleaning the brass, thoroughly inspecting each piece of brass, sorting 45's by primer size, going to York Pa to buy primers & powder & inspecting each round in a Go/No Go chamber gage, etc...

    The ammo was VERY VERY accurate, but the time required to reload wasn't available to me...

    I gave it up & sold all my stuff long ago...

    Good luck...






    This is why reloading is a hobby and not a means to cut cost. It was never intended to be a cheap means to an end.

    Yep. If the time required isn't available, or isn't enjoyable? And if the cartridges loaded are amongst those least conducive to comparative cost savings? One can certainly argue it's best to simply buy 9mm or 45acp or 5.56, in less crazy times.

    Me, I shoot some less mainstream stuff, and enjoy the reloading hobby. But it most certainly isn't for everybody.
     

    Johnconlee

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 8, 2019
    1,149
    Mechanicsville
    I can’t see loading 9mm 115gr fmj. It’s pretty easy to stock up at a decent price. I have everything here to load 357 mag and 44 mag. I haven’t loaded any rounds yet since I’m still using factory ammo and don’t have much hobby time these days. If I start seeing 357, 38, 44 mag and 44 special available at good prices it might be years before I load any rounds.
     

    Uncle Duke

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 2, 2013
    11,665
    Not Far Enough from the City
    OP, powder and bullets both can be a "3 or more times the cost" proposition, and within the very same cartridge.

    Take .357 Mag as but one of a thousand examples. Might be loading a swaged lead bullet, and a few grains of Bullseye. Or you might be shooting XTP'S at 4 times the cost, and 4-5 times the volume and cost of a slower magnum powder.

    Like with many things, your answer is...."it depends."
     

    R81

    Active Member
    Jun 30, 2006
    336
    Yes, I was hoping for an answer of "As a general rule, it is cheaper to......"
    But I suspect you are right Uncle Duke, "it all depends."
     

    guzma393

    Active Member
    Jan 15, 2020
    736
    Severn, MD
    +1 that it all depends. As for me, 300 blackout will always be cost effective to reload. Subs and other speciality loads are also cost effective to reload too.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,877
    I'll throw a further twist , If :

    The load in question is one of the handful of very popular, widely available loads

    And you are satisfied with the quality and specs of said generic loads

    There is minimal economic incentive to load your own .

    But for less common , or inherently expensive calibers , it makes significant savings . Likewise , if you seek a particular bullet weight , velocity , accuracy , etc not represented by the standard generic load for that caliber , then reloading is your answer .
     

    Blacksmith101

    Grumpy Old Man
    Jun 22, 2012
    22,154
    If you don't figure the cost of your time reloading can result in small cost savings depending on components selected.

    Reloading provides more savings and availability for more unusual calibers.

    Reloading can produce more accurate ammo than you can buy.

    Reloading can provide specialty loads that are not commercially available.

    Reloading can allow you to keep shooting or more shooting in times of shortage.

    Reloading will be vital if TEOTWAWKI happens.
     

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