G&A Editorial

[HopetonBrown]

Assuming a slow rate on the 550: 32 hours. Using his price difference between Blazer and reload cost without buying brass, I got paid $40/hour to reload.

Even here in the Bay Area, Blazer Brass 9mm wasn't $220 a case a month ago.

[45dotACP]

I could get S&B 124gr locally for 179.99 before this nonsense.

I still reload because .45auto per thousand is spendier...as is .38 special/.357 mag And finding cheap 200gr SWC ammo in .45 is not easy. Neither is cheap 230gr ammo that's just above major.

That said, my initial reason for reloading was a .41 mag. That paid for itself and almost any other reloading gear I ever bought and will buy within a few hundred rounds and reloading has been a hobby ever since.

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[mmc45414]

I very much remember there being no .22 available after Sandy Hook for literally years though.

I started reloading 9mm in that era because you couldn't find 22LR, and when you did it was at least $40 (sometimes $50). I decided that was close enough to what I could load 9mm I might back burner my 22s. That started me on a slippery slope and now most all I shoot is 9mm.

I really wish I had the skill, equipment and time to reload. I am sure I would enjoy it.

It really is fun, I really do enjoy it. Tinkering with cool tools in my basement, sometimes I think if it cost the same I might still do it

That said, there is no way that time investment pencils for me in any way, shape or form, currently.

9mm brings out the controversy, because the prices are so close. The math works out a little better than buy two, get one free, but you are not going to get rich from saving money reloading 9mm. But I backed into it from another direction. When I used to almost exclusively shoot 45ACP loading readily available cast lead bullets (H&G68, natch..) in 45 was a huge savings, everybody did it. And I will always enjoy shooting 38 and 357, and those savings are significant also. So if I have the gear for 45 and 38 (and the occasional 357 and 44mag), hell I might as well use the equipment to save $50 on every case now that I am shooting mostly 9mm.

I am also working on a 69gn or 75gn boat tail load, and I am pretty sure I have the reloading costs work(ed) out to be equivalent to buying cheap 55gn ball. And I plan to soon experiment with 147gn bullets, and then the comparison will not be with the cheapest 115gn ball.

As far as the supply chain aspect of it, I just laid in 10k primers, that was $310. Enough powder to load ~15k was about $140 when I bought it. Then bring in bullets as they are used up, in 2k-4k batches. As scarce as things are there are still (I looked yesterday) some bullets to buy.

[mmc45414]

Powder and primers weren't available for about 2 years either.

I think Hodgdon also had a factory fire or something at the same time.

[OlongJohnson]

Fortunately, it will be awhile before I need to load 9mm, and I picked up cases of .22LR when good stuff was $0.04/rd.

But like others, the higher-cost stuff pencils out for me. Once you get away from bottom-of-the-barrel loads in .38SPL and .357, the price shoots up dramatically. Then again, wadcutters are some of the cheapest loads to put together yourself, but it's tough to buy them for less than $0.30/rd.

I've seen significant enough differences in accuracy with service pistol ammo that it's worth investigating different loads using bullets that only come loaded in expensive stuff.

And rifle stuff, too. I have a K or so of 175gr Sierras that cost $0.20 ea.; I have never seen FGMM for less than about $0.95/rd shipped. Similar story with .223. And that 6.8 I picked up for $0.35/rd when PSA blew it out with a rebate won't last forever. Plus, as was also mentioned, best accuracy from many rifles will be obtained with ammo tuned for them.

Then there are those upland bird hunters who Goldilocks their way into a 16ga. They pretty much have to reload. (Thankfully, not me!)

[mtnbkr]

But like others, the higher-cost stuff pencils out for me. Once you get away from bottom-of-the-barrel loads in .38SPL and .357, the price shoots up dramatically. Then again, wadcutters are some of the cheapest loads to put together yourself, but it's tough to buy them for less than $0.30/rd.

And rifle stuff, too. I have a K or so of 175gr Sierras that cost $0.20 ea.; I have never seen FGMM for less than about $0.95/rd shipped. Similar story with .223. And that 6.8 I picked up for $0.35/rd when PSA blew it out with a rebate won't last forever. Plus, as was also mentioned, best accuracy from many rifles will be obtained with ammo tuned for them.

Between 32swl, 32-20, 44 anything, 45Colt, 45AR, and 35Whelen, I'd go broke trying to shoot without reloading.

The last box of 35Whelen I found on the shelf was nearly $50/20!

Chris

[Hambo]

Even here in the Bay Area, Blazer Brass 9mm wasn't $220 a case a month ago.

Then reloading doesn't work out for you. Frankly, even if it was always financially better to reload, there are a lot of people who should never assemble a round. And it's totally OK to live one's life without loading ammo.

Between 32swl, 32-20, 44 anything, 45Colt, 45AR, and 35Whelen, I'd go broke trying to shoot without reloading.

The last box of 35Whelen I found on the shelf was nearly $50/20!

Chris

For me, it's .338 Win Mag that saves the most. I got a ridiculous deal on once fired brass, then found another guy selling bullets he no longer needed.

[Velo Dog]

Even during the Coronapocalypse, luckygunner.com had flugaloo 9mm for 15 cents per round.

https://www.luckygunner.com/9mm-mixe...und-loose-pack

May you live in interesting times.

[awp_101]

Even during the Coronapocalypse, luckygunner.com had flugaloo 9mm for 15 cents per round.

https://www.luckygunner.com/9mm-mixe...und-loose-pack

May you live in interesting times.

Party pack!

[Borderland]

I started reloading 9mm in that era because you couldn't find 22LR, and when you did it was at least $40 (sometimes $50). I decided that was close enough to what I could load 9mm I might back burner my 22s. That started me on a slippery slope and now most all I shoot is 9mm.


It really is fun, I really do enjoy it. Tinkering with cool tools in my basement, sometimes I think if it cost the same I might still do it


9mm brings out the controversy, because the prices are so close. The math works out a little better than buy two, get one free, but you are not going to get rich from saving money reloading 9mm. But I backed into it from another direction. When I used to almost exclusively shoot 45ACP loading readily available cast lead bullets (H&G68, natch..) in 45 was a huge savings, everybody did it. And I will always enjoy shooting 38 and 357, and those savings are significant also. So if I have the gear for 45 and 38 (and the occasional 357 and 44mag), hell I might as well use the equipment to save $50 on every case now that I am shooting mostly 9mm.

I am also working on a 69gn or 75gn boat tail load, and I am pretty sure I have the reloading costs work(ed) out to be equivalent to buying cheap 55gn ball. And I plan to soon experiment with 147gn bullets, and then the comparison will not be with the cheapest 115gn ball.

As far as the supply chain aspect of it, I just laid in 10k primers, that was $310. Enough powder to load ~15k was about $140 when I bought it. Then bring in bullets as they are used up, in 2k-4k batches. As scarce as things are there are still (I looked yesterday) some bullets to buy.

I placed an order for some 230 gr. (45 acp) with Bayou Bullets about two weeks ago and the owner was freaking out. He said his normal turn around from order to shipping was 3 days. He told me 2-3 weeks. He said a lot of people wouldn't wait that long but I placed the order anyway. I got an email today saying the bullets had shipped so he came thru. Good bunch of people there with strong customer service. My normal supplier couldn't give me a time frame so I looked elsewhere. I don't see bullets as being a problem. They'll catch up.