Reloading- break even point?

[sticky]

I believe there is a whole kit in the classifieds that has never been used.

Thanks.  I had seen the ad before, and would love to have all that equipment, but that whole set is a little out of my price range.  Gun Broker has a few similar sets for auction.  I'm sure I will be able to find a good deal in time.

[Hilltop123]

You can save money by reloading, but it all comes down to dollars and cents. If you are not getting your components( powder, shot, bullets, primers, wads)  at the best price, you may be a longtime in breaking even. Take target shotgun loads for example, lets say you buy your shot at the local dept. store, here in this area it is Bi-Mart, a 25 pound bag of shot is over 35 bucks, hell pushing 40, I can remember when reclaimed was $15. With shot at these prices you maybe better off buying target loads when they come on sale, at $4.99 a box. There are cost per round calculators on the web, they are handy. But if your paying $25 for a pound of powder at one store, when you can get it for $22 at another, when it comes to reloading your just shooting yourself in the foot. Find a buddy that reloads and buy in bulk, some great buys can be made in bulk. There's some old timey tricks to getting  the most bang for your buck. But in this day and age of " this gun writer says it the way to go" world we sometime end up short changing ourselves and our wallets. 

[44 Flattop]

I have priced a few kits and think I am going to buy an RCBS single stage press. My gunsmith says you can't go wrong with the rock chucker kit. It's a bit more than Lee or Hornady, but I don't mind paying a little more for better gear.   

EXCELLENT choice! 

I've used the same RCBS Rockchucker for nearly 40 years now with zero problems.  Don't go cheap, get the best. 

Reloading won't let you shoot cheaper.  It will allow you to shoot MUCH MORE for the same money.  For instance I cast my own bullets and have never bought factory .44 mag ammunition.  But I have seen it up around $30 for 50 rounds.  I can handload 50 rounds for $2.63.  I get a whole lot more shooting' than the average bear....

44

[Alchase]

And the biggest reason to reload?

You get to buy new toys and have a new fun hobby that benefits your hunting and shooting skills. And you learn a ton about ballistics.

[LongRange300RUM]

The main reason i reload is because you get a more accurate and cleaner burning round. You get to choose all your own components and just for the fact I have fun doing it. Depending on what your reloading will depend on how fast it will pay for itself. I reload 300RUM 300Win 270Win and 25.06. I cost me about 75 cents to a dollar a round for those calibers (not including brass) So i guess i save about 50 to 75 percent by hand loading. But the biggest plus is the increased accuracy.

[Jekemi]

I've attached a spreadsheet to keep track of costs and comparisons. Feel free to modify it as you need. I've only been reloading for about 10 months. I've enjoyed every minute of it; especially enjoyed getting new equipment and trying out new loads, recipies, and loading new caliber's. It's a great hobby and something you can really sink your teeth into. I started out very simply and I'm gradually upgrading my equipment.

[sticky]

I like that setup you have.  When I finally buy my press and other gear, I am going to have to find a place to work.  I don't have a basement or enclosed garage to locate my reloading area.  I am thinking about building a corner table, anchored to the wall/floor, with some shelves below.  Don't quite have plans designed as of yet.

[grundy53]

I built my own. It was pretty cheap and easy. It's good and sturdy.

[halfpipe88]

Trying to quantify the break even point of reloading is like trying to find out how much meat you would have to shoot while hunting to break even...why?  It's the experience!  I love doing anything I can with my firearms so the cost of buying everything to reload was like buying a firearm to start hunting, a necessity to fuel the passion!

[300rum]

As far as 9mm goes, I reload for about $55/thousand.  .45 is about $70/thousand.  I have loaded 9k rounds so far this winter.  I shoot competitively and and that should pretty much get me through the season.  I have componets to double that except for the brass so I will shoot my brass twice this year.

The trick is to get free brass if you can find range pick up stuff, it lasts forever if you aren't shooting at high pressures.  You can also usually trade for brass so you don't have to put money "out of pocket".  I have brass where the headstamp is literally worn down to where you barley can read it (.45). 

I can find 9mm moly coated bullets for about $35/thousand and .45 for $40.50/thousand.

I can buy Titegroup for $13/pound on sale.  When it is on sale I will buy at least 8 pounds.  I like Titegroup for moly coated bullets but don't try it for lead(smoke).  Titegroup is about a dollar less than Clays, Titegroup is about the cheapest powder pistol that I can find.

I found a smoking deal on primers on Craigslist and bought 20k large/small primers at once.  I bought other stuff too but figure that I paid about $20/thousand where if you buy them in a store you are talking $30/thousand.

So, if you can get free brass you are way ahead.  For regular priced primers you can reasonable load 9mm for $65/thousand.  Find a good buy and buy in bulk.     

 

[Jekemi]

Sticky: it's a starter setup. I'm making changes all the time. Here's a few tips based on my own experience:
1. Lee dies are OK but get the Hornady locking rings and toss the Lee rings.
2. invest in a good digital scale. I bought a cheap one and it sucks. You can get a good one for under $100.
3. spend a little more on a powder measure. Hornady, Redding, and RCBS all have great ones. Ball powders work best in powder measures. Most powder measures cut the powder as its dispensed.
4. save up and get a good chronograph to check your muzzle velocity. It really helps in defining over all ballistic characteristics.
5. I'm building a new bench out of a solid core door. It will be 80 inches long and 30 inches deep. This will give me the stability I'm looking for. I'm also adding a couple of shelves above the bench to store powder, primers, etc. I want to have as little on the bench as possible. Keep the equipment on the bench and the consumables on the shelves.
that's my 2 cents worth. Have fun.

[Schwag173]

I don't have a basement or enclosed garage to locate my reloading area.  I am thinking about building a corner table, anchored to the wall/floor, with some shelves below.  Don't quite have plans designed as of yet.

It doesn't necessarily have to be bolted down as long as it's heavy and won't jiggle.  My reloading bench is an old wooden office desk that I modified.  I cut 4 layers of 3/4" plywood to fit the desktop, glued them together, squared and sanded the edges, then bolted the plywood 'top' onto the desk.  My progressive and single-stage presses were then bolted on top.  The whole setup (including all the lead bullets, dies and misc in the drawers ) make the desk heavy enough that it doesn't jiggle enough to matter during reloading.  Yet, I can still move it around when needed.

[Rgrady35]

http://www.oncefiredbrass.net/  I just got some brass there, got it in 2 days, looks good. Cheap enough.

[Rgrady35]

Mixed bag, I ordered 200 7mm Mag mostly R P and F C.

[Jekemi]

Sticky: there is a great article in this months February Handloader Magazine. Page 270 "From the Furgal Reloader." A complete breakdown  of the costs and break even point for reloading. Good article to read. BTW, my reloading bench is bolted down to an old dresser that I was going to get rid of. The top drawers serve as storage for various reloading parts and components and gun cleaning supplies. I'll take the old bench off and attach the new, longer stronger bench. Should be really nice. One other thing. Get yourself a good stool or office chair with a sturdy back. I'm using a bar stool and its pretty uncomfortable after a couple of hours.