Why reload?

[Viking350]

I used to reload years ago, but fell out of it. I have shot on and off for years, sometimes more frequently than others. I seem to be in a frequent cycle lately, shooting several times a month on average with my son. Having just put together my first AR (not really much of a project as I bought a complete lower and a complete upper, but I digress) I anticipate shooting more and more 223/5.56. I was messing around this morning checking component prices. Bullets look like around $85 per 1k, primers around $26. The variable I'm not sure about is powder. With the Wolf at less than $200 per case, how much can I realistically expect to save on a case by reloading?

[arcangel]

For powder I use H-Varget, 26.0 grains of it. Locally here for 1 lbs of it runs around $40.00. Has burned very clean and accurate at 100y so far.

[xcatm]

It all depends how how much you're going to shoot of the caliber you're loading. Right now I can't buy 38spl for anywhere near what I can load it for, 9mm not so much...

I used to reload years ago, but fell out of it. I have shot on and off for years, sometimes more frequently than others. I seem to be in a frequent cycle lately, shooting several times a month on average with my son. Having just put together my first AR (not really much of a project as I bought a complete lower and a complete upper, but I digress) I anticipate shooting more and more 223/5.56. I was messing around this morning checking component prices. Bullets look like around $85 per 1k, primers around $26. The variable I'm not sure about is powder. With the Wolf at less than $200 per case, how much can I realistically expect to save on a case by reloading?

[Viking350]

For powder I use H-Varget, 26.0 grains of it. Locally here for 1 lbs of it runs around $40.00. Has burned very clean and accurate at 100y so far.

How many rounds of 223 can you load with a pound of powder?

[Viking350]

It all depends how how much you're going to shoot of the caliber you're loading. Right now I can't buy 38spl for anywhere near what I can load it for, 9mm not so much...

When we go shooting, we usually shoot 100 to 200 rounds of 223 and a similar quantity of 9mm or 45 acp and an enormous amount of 22lr. We go shooting about twice a month on average. What do you figure it costs you to reload 100 rounds of 38 spl?

[xcatm]

From the supplies I've kept in inventory it costs me about $6 per 100 in 38 Spl. Prices have gone up on supplies, but locally 38 is going for about $25 a box so I have a ways to go before rolling my own isn't an option. Plus rolling my own is just plain fun.

When we go shooting, we usually shoot 100 to 200 rounds of 223 and a similar quantity of 9mm or 45 acp and an enormous amount of 22lr. We go shooting about twice a month on average. What do you figure it costs you to reload 100 rounds of 38 spl?

[arcangel]

Dunno exactly how many rounds yet I've just started and only reloaded 150 rounds of 5.56/.223. Im loading with a Lee hand press so its slow going for me. But its pretty cool size for a pack loading kit.

[Viking350]

From the supplies I've kept in inventory it costs me about $6 per 100 in 38 Spl. Prices have gone up on supplies, but locally 38 is going for about $25 a box so I have a ways to go before rolling my own isn't an option. Plus rolling my own is just plain fun.

Are you sure about that cost? That works out to 6 cents per round to pay for the bullet, powder and primer.

[xcatm]

I have bullets, powder, and primers in supply from 80's & 90's when I worked in a gun shop. Current prices are much higher, but still less than buying any factory 38 rounds that I can find. My numbers might be a little off, but current prices for components are much higher than what I paid when I stocked up.

Are you sure about that cost? That works out to 6 cents per round to pay for the bullet, powder and primer.

[O.S.O.K.]

A pound of propellant converts to 7000 grains. Assuming 28 grains per load, you can get about 250 rounds per pound.

If you are happy with Wolf or similar rusky ammo and that's what you're compairing to, then you may as well just shoot the wolf.

Handloads with brass cases and decent quality bullets are comparible to bulk comercial ammo and can be tuned to your rifle for best accuracy. That is the real comparison - as both of these are heads and shoulders above the wolf for accuracy, etc.

Not every caliber is going to be a huge cost savings to reload. And the spread has decreased as component prices have gone up disproportionate to the loaded ammo - due primarily to the shortages caused by the last bam bam rush on ammo and components.

[Viking350]

A pound of propellant converts to 7000 grains. Assuming 28 grains per load, you can get about 250 rounds per pound.

If you are happy with Wolf or similar rusky ammo and that's what you're compairing to, then you may as well just shoot the wolf.

Handloads with brass cases and decent quality bullets are comparible to bulk comercial ammo and can be tuned to your rifle for best accuracy. That is the real comparison - as both of these are heads and shoulders above the wolf for accuracy, etc.

Not every caliber is going to be a huge cost savings to reload. And the spread has decreased as component prices have gone up disproportionate to the loaded ammo - due primarily to the shortages caused by the last bam bam rush on ammo and components.

Thanks for that conversion OS. The primary reason I would reload, if I do, is to cut costs. It makes sense that the retail price of popular cartridges would be lower and narrow the spread to hand loaded costs. Accuracy isn't a tremendous issue. I'm not shooting in matches and I doubt that my skills exceed the capabilities of the Wolf ammo. I'm just trying to discern if I can save enough on the calibers I shoot to warrant the costs of reloading equipment and the investment of my time.

[O.S.O.K.]

Yeah, makes sense.

The real savings are on calibers like 44 Mag, 45 Colt and the like. Non-milsurp caliber rifle rounds are a good deal for handloading too.

[Helen Keller]

I reload everything except .22LR and 12ga



My standard 25-06 round I shoot would cost as much as a .50bmg IF I didnt reload.


The $$$ you save is astounding. 10-30 minutes 2-3 times a week and you have a bit of ammo. WInter time I crank out a crazy amount of ammo.

[Schuetzenman]

How many rounds of 223 can you load with a pound of powder?

Ok this is a good one to start my answer with. As OSOK said, 7000 grains to the pound. Most powders I'm using average around 25 to 26 grains per pound. Splitting the diff you're good for about 270+ rounds. Primers, go to Widener's Reloading for Wolf Small Magnum Rifle primers. I use these to reload most of my average ammo with but they can produce fine target grade accuracy with high end bullets and powder like Sierra Match Kings and Vihtavuori powders.

http://patsreloading.com/patsrel/prices.aspx here's the cheapest web resource for surplus military powder. WC844 is what I reload my 62 gr. SS109's with. Pat's has 8Lb. jugs for $85 but there is a hazmat fee so the best way to get it is to buy a 4 jug case of it to spread out that $25 buck haz fee. I use 25.5 grs. with the Wolf Small Mag rifle primers. Weidner's has wolf prmers for $16.00 / M see link. http://www.wideners.com/itemview.cfm?dir=278|284|737 The same issue of the hazmat fee looms over primers too, so you best buy at least 1 case if not 2 cases of 5,000 primers each.

BTW here's some math for you. 32 lbs. of powder will load over 8,780 rounds if you don't spill much. The case of powder will run you $365 if there is a hazmat fee. In days gone by Pat would ship a full case of jugs and pay the hazmat himself, don't know if that's still his policy. If there is a hazmat you'd have your powder for $11.41 per pound. Using the 25.5 gr. load of WC844 you're looking at just over 4 cents per round for powder.

Widener's has the primers for $15.50 / M if you buy them by the case, so that's $155 per case with hazmat that gets you 3.6 cents per primer, (shipping not factored in). Ordering 2 cases get you to 3.335 pennys per primer. Once fired cases can be had from 15 cents a case down to 8 cents a case. Look around using search engines you will find them. A case (.223) can be reloaded 10 times easily. As you noticed bullets are $85 to $95 / M. So doing the math we have: 4+3.6+ 8.5+8= 24.1 cents per round. Your ammo should be a lot better than Wolf which is total bottm of the barrel for accuracy ammo. It does go bang but makes a pattern vs. group.

[hogmister]

i reload for accuracy in my bolt guns. the savings are an added bonus on those rounds. 5.56, 38spl, and .45acp don't concern me as much on accuracy (although the difference is notable without much fooling around with loads). but available bullet choices really makes up my mind. prices for factory Hornady TAP ammo for instance, are really high and can be handloaded at a fraction of the cost.