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Reloading Secrets

kamikazetsunamiskamikazetsunamis Member Posts: 435 ✭✭✭
edited February 2008 in Ask the Experts
What are the secrets to reloading cheaply?

My friends and I shoot a few hundred rounds of .45acp, .40S&W, and 9mm per week. Everyone tells us reloading is cost efficent, but when we run the numbers on a per bullet scale the savings do not look so great. I found the cost of gunpoweder to be the largest expense.

How can we find larger savings in reloading our own ammo?

Thank You
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Comments

  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hello Buy in large quantity a 8-20 pound Can of powder is cheaper then 8-20 one pound cans. Same with primers 5000-10000 at a time. also casting your own bullets from free wheel weights.

    EDIT hello there are 7000 grains of powder to a pound so lets say for the ease in math if you load a light target load of 3.5 grains with a 230 grain lead bullet in 45ACP then you get 2000 loads to a pound or 7 Grains of Unique and a 185 grain bullet this is 1000 rounds per pound. the side benefit of buying big quantities of powder primers and bullets is then when you work up a load that shoot well you can keep this same load for a long time . when you change LOT number of supplies then some times you need to change your load slightly to get those same good groups .
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  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,669 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Reloading is indeed cheaper. It is also a hobby that lasts a lifetime adding pride and enjoyment.. So even if you shoot 250,000 rounds over your life spending all that money on equipment and break even it is a big plus to me.

    lets look at the numbers. 290 bucks invested on NEW equipment will get you set up. It is not amortized, it is value added.

    empty cases free or 100.00 a thousand once fired.
    Primer 2.1 cents each
    Powder 17.50 a pound 5 grains used 1.25 cents per round.
    Bullet free wheel weights scrounged lead 2 cents for lube.

    so I see under a dime a round to shoot a 45. Seems cheap enough to me.
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  • WorkingzombieWorkingzombie Member Posts: 235 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Using lead bullets, I can shoot a box of .45 ACP for 2/3's what it costs me to buy the white box brand at Wally mart.And that's before the recent increase in ammo costs.
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  • flyingtorpedoflyingtorpedo Member Posts: 1,301 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Welcome to the forums!
    Perry shooter hit the nail on the head. Listen to him, his screen name alone should tell you something. Buy in the biggest bulk you can afford-. If stored properly the components will most likely out-last you. And they are not going to get any cheaper either. Also, shop around for the cheapest components. Check out the auction side of GB as well. Here is a neat calculator.
    http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp
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  • sandwarriorsandwarrior Member Posts: 5,453 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    kamikazetsunamis,

    Welcome to the forum!

    First I would have to say to get your equipment second hand if you can wait that long.

    Second, buy surplus powder and surplus bullets in bulk whenever possible. Sometimes you will see a run of thousands of extra bullets in one caliber or another. It may cost hundreds to get many thousands but if you boil it down to price per bullet it's pretty cheap. Eventually you will shoot them.

    -good luck
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  • kamikazetsunamiskamikazetsunamis Member Posts: 435 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks for all the help.

    A few more questions.

    Any suggestions on online stores with the best deals?

    Also, any ideas on how many rounds can be expected with one pound of powder. .45 .40 and 9.

    Thanks
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  • flyingtorpedoflyingtorpedo Member Posts: 1,301 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I really like http://www.wideners.com/, they generally have good prices and are very nice people. http://www.midwayusa.com/ has a much larger inventory but they are higher. I have to pay sales tax on them too. [xx(]

    Also this will get locked at 10 or so replies and no one will be able to reply. If you start this up in the reloading forum it will not get locked and more reloaders my see it.
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  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,669 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Midsouth shooters supply has a entire package for 89 bucks Lee part number 90030. Every thing you need to load except bullets, primers, powder and cases.
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  • ZinderblocZinderbloc Member Posts: 925 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    No way is powder the most expensive component in a .45 ACP reload. The bullet is far more expensive. Even the cheapest cast lead bullets run about 6 cents each.

    Powder? If a pound of Bullseye is $22 and you load 5 gr. of Bullseye you will get 1,200+ loads from a pound.

    Yeah, 1200 rounds per pound. Consider that before you go buy a "8-20" pound can of powder to save a couple bucks per pound.
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  • dfletcherdfletcher Member Posts: 8,179 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've been doing it for about 35 years. Reloading is a very expensive way to save money.
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