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how is reloading FMJ any cheaper than factory-bought ammo?

buschmasterbuschmaster Member Posts: 14,229 ✭✭✭
edited October 2019 in General Discussion
reloading components cost:

FMJ bullets:
Speer, 13c
Hornady, 22c

JHP bullets:
Speer Gold Dot, 20c
Hornady XTP, 22c

brass:
Sig Sauer (new), 27c
Starline (new), 17c
once fired (brand?), 14c

add it up, and not counting primers and gunpowder,

Speer FMJ in Starline brass for 30c
Speer GD in Starline brass for 37c

but you can get American Eagle FMJ anywhere for 28c. Speer Lawman FMJ costs 24c and their Gold Dot is about 80c.

so you might save 50% reloading JHP, but how do you reload FMJ any cheaper than factory? or what am I missing
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Comments

  • mark christianmark christian Member Posts: 24,443 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Reloading as a cost cutting measure runs through cycles. Right now ammo prices are at the low ebb, so not many people are reloading to economize. That can quickly change. The forum archives are now essentially sealed, but not so long ago there were plenty of threads complaining about the high prices of factory ammo, as well as shortages of various calibers. Reloading in those circumstances pays off.

    I know shooters whose handloads have always cost more than factory ammo. That's because people have a variety of reasons for reloading, and many are not based on cost savings:

    1) You get the load you want and not what the factory wants to give you.

    2) Time spent reloading in the basement, the garage or- if you are lucky, a dedicate gun room, is time away from the wife and kids.

    3) If you live in a state which freezes solid every winter, reloading is a good way to pass the time until the Spring thaw.

    There are dozens more.
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  • buschmasterbuschmaster Member Posts: 14,229 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    ok that makes sense.
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  • WarbirdsWarbirds Member Posts: 16,937 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I tune my load to my gun.

    Also- I just enjoy reloading.

    Cost savings is a factor but not a driver in the equation.

    Oh and one day, you?re gonna want the ability to roll your own when the dems come after the ammo.
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  • navc130navc130 Member Posts: 1,264 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Reloading for me meant picking up range brass and usually using lead bullets for handguns. Loading for defense and hunting is another matter, usually small quantities. There is a case for defense and hunting to use factory ammo which is highly reliable. Reloads are subject to human error.
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  • buschmasterbuschmaster Member Posts: 14,229 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    between tuning your ammo to your gun, and tuning your recoil springs to your ammo, I bet you can chase your tail around in circles a few times!
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  • MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 14,163 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I basically quit reloading 4-5 years ago when ammo prices began to de-escalate.
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  • shootuadealshootuadeal Member Posts: 5,301 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The simplest answer is you are figuring new brass for each loading, 9mm brass can be loaded at least 10 times so instead of 17 cents per loading in should be around 1.7 cents based on ten loadings.(target loads for 9mm can actually be loaded more than 10 easily)

    You can also figure normally 3.5 cents for primer and about 2c for powder.

    Still alot cheaper than buying most of the time.
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  • 11b6r11b6r Member Posts: 16,584 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Right now, 9mm Para is dirt cheap. Now think back a few years when you could not get it. At all. I can reload it- if I need to.

    I do reload 38 Spec. wadcutter- casting my own from wheel weights. Figure my cost at about 3.5? per round.
    I do reload .357 Magnum. Because I deer hunt with a VERY long barreled revolver- and I cannot buy 200 grain .357 ammo.
    I do reload for the Winchester my Uncle Bill left me. Because .348 Winchester is $4 per round.
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  • Smitty500magSmitty500mag Member Posts: 13,623 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you buy plenty of powder and other supplies when it's cheap it'll always be cheaper to reload any caliber. I won't need to buy any more components for the rest of my life.

    The gun grabbers in the government can outlaw ammo or require a background check or what ever they want but as far as I'm concerned they can just kiss my * because I'll always have ammo.
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  • TerantTerant Member Posts: 80 ✭
    edited November -1
    9mm
    FMJ from RMR 8.1c
    primer 2.8c from Powder Valley
    brass--more cases at indoor range that I could shoot in a lifetime--free
    powder 8lbs $135 from powder Valley
    (135 divided by 8 =$16.875; 7000 g per pound, 4g per round = 1750 = about 1c per rd)
    brass free
    FMJ 8,1c
    primer 2.8c
    powder 1.0c
    total 11.9c
    that's 12c per round and my time(I'm retired)-that's reliable 9mm for 12c per round

    45acp for about 18c a round
    A country with uncontrolled borders is not a country, but an uncontrolled region.
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  • fatcat458fatcat458 Member Posts: 436 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    l reload because its FUN. l reload because l want ammo the factories don't offer.. l reload for accuracy... l can usually make ammo that's more accurate than factory. Rapid fire/multiple rounds shooting has no appeal to me. l don't own an AR or ANY bottom feeder :shock:
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  • yoshmysteryoshmyster Member Posts: 22,059 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I don't know about cost savings but here in California it's a way to skirt the * background check to buy ammo. Since components don't require a background check and a fee (yet). I'm sure newbies will be loading grams instead of grains and blowing up guns. BOLO for that on the news.
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  • HessianHessian Member Posts: 248 ✭
    edited November -1
    I watch for sales and when one hits I buy bulk.

    Another reason for reloading is the people who shoot for accuracy. Once you get to the point where you are good enough, making each round consistently the same can make a difference. Factory ammo isn't as consistent as you'd think. If you have an accurate scale you can check for yourself. There can be differences in weight in the same box and even more in different lots.

    Some firearms favor a particular bullet or velocity. Polygonal rifling works much better with some loads than others. The same with land and groove rifling, as does progressive rifling.

    You can try different ammo and manufactures until you find a winner, which can get way expensive or you can load small batches with different velocities and bullet weights until you find a winner.

    Shooting for accuracy may seem like a waste of time for some people, but it can be fun. And has the added advantage of increasing the range you can reliably hit a target. Little differences in point of impact or differences in velocity are magnified at long ranges. IMO it is nice to have the ability to hit what you are aiming at, at a hundred yards, with a pistol.

    It is surprising how accurate my P-7 is with the right load, especially for a combat pistol. My High Power prefers something different (slower) and is a target pistol.

    A bigger question may be how many rounds do you have to load to justify the price of the reloading equipment.
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  • Sam06Sam06 Member Posts: 21,244 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Warbirds wrote:
    I tune my load to my gun.

    Also- I just enjoy reloading.

    Cost savings is a factor but not a driver in the equation.

    Oh and one day, you?re gonna want the ability to roll your own when the dems come after the ammo.

    +1

    I would also add if you enjoy shooting 44 mags or 41 mags you just about have to reload.

    I also enjoy shooting long range and the ammo I reload is specific to each gun and it costs less than super expensive ammo. I got a bunch of Federal Gold Match ammo 175gr a while back from Ricci. I shot it against my handloads tuned to my Accuracy International AW in 308 and my hand loads out shot the Federal at 400yds on paper.
    RLTW

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  • buschmasterbuschmaster Member Posts: 14,229 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    okay I don't think I'm going to reload because:

    - I don't practice much
    - I don't want to reload brass 10 times
    - I would enjoy creating my own loadings but I can't spend too much money on a hobby
    - I don't care about accuracy because I'm never going to shoot anything past 50 yards
    - loading a whole bunch of FMJ to stack 'em deep does not appear to be cost effective

    I'll just wait for sales and stock up when the opportunity comes around.

    thanks for the input.
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