reloading savings?

[Dozer31]

Hey ever one I was thinking about getting into reloading to save a few bucks and because it sounds fun. Just wondering how much ( ball park ) can a guy save reloading .270win and 9mm? Thanks for any info you can provide.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by Dozer31

Hey ever one I was thinking about getting into reloading to save a few bucks and because it sounds fun. Just wondering how much ( ball park ) can a guy save reloading .270win and 9mm? Thanks for any info you can provide.

Honestly? Nothing.

270 ammo is as cheap as it gets $19 box. Plus, you will shoot more. Trust me.

If savings is your motivation, don't bother. But if you like learning and experimenting to make accurate and custom ammo, have at er. It is an enjoyable aspect of the shooting sports.

[raab]

Originally Posted by sns2

Honestly? Nothing.

270 ammo is as cheap as it gets $19 box. Plus, you will shoot more. Trust me.

If savings is your motivation, don't bother. But if you like learning and experimenting to make accurate and custom ammo, have at er. It is an enjoyable aspect of the shooting sports.

This, you'll probably end up spending more because theres always another powder, primer, case, bullet combination that you haven't tried that may improve your accuracy. I got into it to save money but its like a bad addiction, and I always find myself wondering what if I just change this or that.

In saying that it really it depends how much you want to shoot if you'll save money. If you want to shoot a ton and buy cheap bullets then you could probably see some real savings. If your shooting < 100 rounds a year you can buy the ammo for less then what you'd invest in just the reloading setup.

[skidderman]

I've never spent so much as I do since I started reloading. Hundreds of dollars in powder, bullets, brass and hundreds in equipment. It's a hobby, an addiction and I love it. Even though factory ammo is great I use very little of it. Don't do it to save money or you will be deeply disappointed.

[elkhunter11]

I wouldn't get into reloading, just to save money.If you use cast bullets, you can load ammunition for the 9mm, for less than half of what you can buy it for.If you use FMJ bullets, you won't save nearly as much, and it will take a long time to offset the cost of your reloading gear.For the 270win, you won't save a lot, as compared to buying cheap factory loads, but you will have more options as to loads, and you will be able to develop specialized loads for your rifle.

[Dean2]

The guys are right in a way but there are significant savings by reloading. The 270 has cheap ammo available for it, but if you shoot premium loads, you can save quite a bit. A box of 270 loaded with Barnes bullets is $50. You can load it for $25.

Other calibres show huge savings, factory 460 Weatherby is $200 a box, I can load it for $45 with Barnes bullets and $20 a box with Hornady bullets.

If you shoot a lot of gophers, you can load 17FB, 22 Hornet etc. for the same price as 17 HMR rimfire, about $15/50. Factory costs $50 per 50. So you can shoot far more for the same price, which means you don't really save any money but you do get a great hobby and get to shoot way more. You will also make ammo that is tailored for your specific gun and will be far more accurate. Final benefit is you can buy and shoot guns that they don't make ammo for any more.

I highly recommend reloading for any serious shooter.

[oldgutpile]

I originally got into it to save money. Worked then, and works now.
Yes, it is an addiction, and you can spend as much as you can afford, but dont anybody tell me it isnt cheaper, when I pay 85.00 for a box of .358 norma, and can reload it for 30.00! Even the little 22-250, when I could buy a box for 15.00, it would only cost me 4.50 to reload.
Sure, if you want to try every different load and bullet combination out there, it can be bloody expensive. Honestly though, I have paid for my reloading set-up 100x over.

[elkhunter11]

You can certainly save money with certain cartridges, and certain loads, but the OP did specifically mention 270win, and 9mm, so I answered based on those chamberings. You can save money using cast bullets in the 9mm, and if you use premium bullets in the 270 win, but if you generally purchase cheaper loads of either, and don't want to use cast bullets, the savings are small.

[Dean2]

Elk

Agree absolutely. For 9mm, the bulk ammo and bulk reloads you can buy at the ranges is so inexpensive it would be hard to load it cheaper. I quit loading 12 Gauge skeet loads for the same reason, I can by factory for nearly the same price as making them.

With the 270, you can buy perfectly serviceable ammo at $20 a box, but you can load the same ammo for $10. Now at $10 a box savings it is going to take 50 boxes to cover the cost of the reloading set up so you are right there too that for the small savings it would take a long time to pay off the gear.

All that considered I still think anyone interested in reloading should hook up with someone who does and try it out. It is a GREAT addition to the shooting hobby for guys that like to shoot a fair bit.

[densa44]

The main reason is I shoot more. The last time I looked at factory ammo, I was shocked at the price.

I started with 12 ga. lead goose loads, now it is 20 ga. and .410 lead for upland, and for the .410 it is way cheaper.

I didn't take in to account freeloaders/children into my costs.

I've also bought way more guns.

It was too hard to stop at just one caliber.

Good luck, let us know if you save money. No fair showing targets with one ragged hole instead of the money that you save.

[Dozer31]

Thanks . Reloading is something I am looking into not just to save money but if it shaves off a few bucks in the long run than that is just a bonus. I have put two boxes of ammo through the .270 already at $23 a box and I only picked it up on Saturday . The 9mm is on its way so I guess I'll see how much I burn through with it.

[depopulator]

You can't compare premium hand loads with $19/box cheapo ammo - no comparison at all IME. For example, premium .308 Win ammo is closer to $40/box. I just finished reloading 280 rounds of 175 SMK .308 Win Match ammo. The brass is on 4th loading so that has paid for itself, so my costs include powder, bullets and primers at about $220. My time is free b/c I enjoy it. Compare that to $560 off the shelf for 280 rounds of .308 Match ammo, if you can find it, and(!!) if it shoots as well as my handloads (I doubt it).

[Dick284]

If you are good at sourcing components, a guy can easily reload for around 1/3 the cost if comparable factory fodder.

Add the benefit of tailoring a load to the specific firearm, and the value becomes more defined.

On the back side is if you try to factor in the initial set up costs, of the tooling, your break even point is by far a lot further off.

At the end of the day if you are trying to justify a new hobby/passion/obsession.... Don't try!

FWIW: every penny you save per round will just be offset by an increase in rounds fired... Which is a good thing.

[oldgutpile]

Using the OP's example for 270 win.

- primers $5/100 box of 20 = 1.00
- bullets (standard hornady 130 gr. aprox 35.00/100) box of 20= 7.00
- powder (assuming 35.00/lb; 55 gr load) box of 20= 6.00
Total 14.00

Is there anywhere (even Wallyworld) that can beat that price? And, yes with premium bullets and powders,....... it can be more.

[greylynx]

In addition to what is said in the above threads, I find reloading to be relaxing.

It puts you into another little world.

[jackrabbit000]

9mm is cheap at Cabela's. $13.99 for Blazer with aluminum casings. Never had a problem with them yet. You can't reload it for that price. AE is $15.99 but why pay $2.00/box more when I don't reload them.

[gophergitter]

Some people reload to shoot more, I shoot more so's i can reload more yes you can save money on individual lot's of ammo, but on the whole including equipment the payback is going to take a LONG time

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by jackrabbit000

9mm is cheap at Cabela's. $13.99 for Blazer with aluminum casings. Never had a problem with them yet. You can't reload it for that price. AE is $15.99 but why pay $2.00/box more when I don't reload them.

Try using range pick up brass...(thanks RCMP)= free
Primers are about $5/100= $2.50/50
Powder is average $33.00/lb.=7000gr/4.5gr=1550loads/lb.=$1.07/50
Bullets are $97.00/1000 for plated. $4.75/50
$55.00/1000 for cast. $2.75/50

Total per box of 50 for cast is= $6.32
Total per box of 50 for plated is= $8.32

That's easily half price!

Buy your powder and primers in bulk and the cost go to just under $6.00 and $8.00 respectively.

[jackrabbit000]

I added in the cost of labor to reload them. If you have a single stage, to me it's not worth it. But if you have a Hornady Lock n Load with all the auto feed options then it could be a different story. But these are not cheap to buy.

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by jackrabbit000

I added in the cost of labor to reload them. If you have a single stage, to me it's not worth it. But if you have a Hornady Lock n Load with all the auto feed options then it's a different story.

Labour.....

Then why do anything for yourself

[jackrabbit000]

Typo... I'm typing on a iPhone. lol

[AdanacDJM]

What would say is a reasonable price range to get set up loading 8mm, 7.5x55mm and say 303's. Not wanting to buy very top shelf but mid range equipment. Am I looking at $650 or $1000 to be up and loading?
Thanks
Dave

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by AdanacDJM

What would say is a reasonable price range to get set up loading 8mm, 7.5x55mm and say 303's. Not wanting to buy very top shelf but mid range equipment. Am I looking at $650 or $1000 to be up and loading?
Thanks
Dave

For $650, you can set yourself up with good gear. For $1000, you can include gear such as a Chargemaster, and a powered case prep center.

[gunluvr]

I just ran through about 300 rnds. of hand-loaded 223 in the last week, with which about 275 gophers no longer need to fear. Had I not loaded them myself for aprox. 40 cents/rnd. compared to $1 per rnd. for factory ammo, I likely would not have been out there every day having more fun than I've had all the miserable winter. By all means, get into handloading so that you can shoot as much as you want! The cost savings is only a small part of the advantage of hand-loading.