reloading break even

[LarryFlew]

Couldn't pass up the 1000 with 3 turrets and sets of dies. Time will tell if it stays as my primary re-loader.

[LarryFlew]

Problem before even starting to reload. It appears my dog loves walnut shells and polish. Hoping he doesn't get sick overnight cause I am 100% certain my wife is not cleaning it up.

[JoeH]

Problem before even starting to reload. It appears my dog loves walnut shells and polish. Hoping he doesn't get sick overnight cause I am 100% certain my wife is not cleaning it up.

His insides have never been so clean.

[SIGP240]

Much useful and thought provoking feedback here. Goes without saying that with metals prices in their upward pitch, combined with price increases for supplies and components, your cost per round never goes down. Prevailing wage is going up, too. (Meaning you can make more working @ the job than yanking on the one-armed bandit in the reloading room) I think I am in an ok stance for a while, as I cast my own slugs from some 700# of lead and have components purchased before many of the price increases. To replace supplies means (new) added expense, however. I am not much for math, but I would say that a new, regular shooter can start saving money after about the fourth to fifth year. But let's be honest about what a HOBBY is, it is all about LOVE without regard to EXPENSE. It's kinda like having kids, then looking back and trying to be diplomatic about deciding if the time and money that was spent was worth it. When you account for the LOVE, the EXPENSE was worth it. I shoot a full wadcutter in my M-52 38 Midrange and Midway wants 32$/50. I figure I am into those for about 8$. But this is no dramatic savings when I allow for what I could have made at work, then buy factory ammo on the way to the range. Happy Hobby!

[TH3180]

Break even come on. I have been saving money since the 1st pull of the handle, just ask my wife.

[hydraulicman]

i've been over this with the wife. she'd rather i buy components and load em' myself. She knows i enjoy it plus she knows it's cheaper. I don't shoot as much as i'd like but it's still less per round.

[Northland 7.62]

Here is what I have come to the conclusion of; no, I do not save money by reloading, I just get to shoot a whole lot more for what I spend. My father already has a vast amout of dies and reloading equipment and allows me to use his stuff. I shoot Glocks, so therefore I shoot plated or jacketed bullets (yes I also have a couple LoneWolf barrells for the Glocks so I can shoot cast bullets). Anyways, here is what I have come to the conclusion of for cost wise per box and per round, as far as 9mm is concerned.

9mm Brass: N/A-Various brands due to the fact I pick it up at the range or get it for free from friends who do not reload.

1 LB of Unique Powder: $18.00

Berrys Bullets: $82.78 shipped for 1,000 bullets. 115 grain, plated FMJ

Box of Winchester Primers: $36.00 (little high, but about the going price)-purchased at the LGS

My time: N/A- I do this for a hobby, especially in the winter


So the grand total for my expenses is: $136.78. Divide that by 20 and I get a $6.83 per box (.13 per round).

[Seismic Sam]

Alright!! Enough of this break-even talk!! It's so dependant on ammo prices, component prices, and capital outlay for the equipment that you'd have to be a CPA to actually figure it out properly. And more importantly, does anyone REALLY want this little Goblin in the back of their mind whispering " are you actually saving money, are you actually saving money..." while you're reloading?? Nothing like taking a nice, relaxing hobby and adding an Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder to it to lessen the enjoyment of the hobby itself. This is like a fisherman trying to figure out if he's saving money with all his tackle and stuff over buying fish at Cub or Wally World!! Now is that a crock, or what??

I've NEVER kept track of the money I spent for reloading stuff, and pretty much assumed that I wasn't breaking even, but I was:

1. Able to load stuff like 10mm to its original smokin hot spec rather than shooting watered down factory crap.
2. Able to load more accurate ammo for my rifles.
3. Able to load better shooting loads for my DE 50 that were same FPS but more fun to shoot.
4. Able to get into weird stuff like 45 Super, 440 Corbon, 41AE, where there was little or NO factory ammo available.
The list goes on, and includes these days the ability to load ammo during ammo famines, and the ability to load even if Obama shuts down commercial ammo availability in his next term...

Oddly enough, soaring ammo prices have actually gotten to the point that you can actually MAKE money with calibers like 500 and 460 Smith, and some of the big new magum rifle calibers. I never though I would see that day come, but its here..

Oh, and funny story from Gunstop about this guy who really DID NOT want to know how much he was spending, and he would get all this stuff, and John-Boy would add it up, and then this guy would hand John-Boy a signed check and John-Boy would fill in the amount. He never wanted to hear the total, or see the receipts. One day I was there and John-Boy did mention the total, and the guy got just a little honked off and said "Well, you didn't have to say THAT..."

This exercise is PARTICULARLY futile for people getting into handloading, as they don't really know what press suits their needs, and also don't know about all the extras they are going to buy.

[LarryFlew]

Not to mention it's another total addiction that's fun, relaxing etc. hello my name is xxxx and i am a brass horder.

[engnerdan]

Not to mention it's another total addiction that's fun, relaxing etc. hello my name is xxxx and i am a brass horder.

The brass hording costs me more then the shooting and reloading. Every time I get a cool piece of brass or pile up several hundred of the same caliber I end up buying a gun to shoot it in.

[ex-LT]

Not to mention it's another total addiction that's fun, relaxing etc. hello my name is xxxx and i am a brass horder.

The brass hording costs me more then the shooting and reloading. Every time I get a cool piece of brass or pile up several hundred of the same caliber I end up buying a gun to shoot it in.

That just means you're doing it right.

[Seismic Sam]

Brass hoarding costs me nothing, and apart from some labor to clean and resize the cases, the worst I can do is cash out positive for the price of the brass, which is steadily increasing. IF, however, we encounter the Sum of All Fears on election day, and Obama gets to pursue his true agenda without having to worry about re-election, the price of reloading components could go through the roof. Think of it as a hedge fund that you can also use to keep the 99%'ers from looting your house...