RE: Basic Reloading Costs
Tom,
Your premise is correct. You CAN save money by handloading...quite a bit, in fact. Many people will say that they've never saved anything by handloading - because they increased how often/ how many rounds they shoot, thus absorbing any savings that they might have realised. But, assuming that you don't do this.... handloading can save alot. For example, all I load for is 8mm Mauser...which normally runs $17 - $18 per box....and that's NOT with premium bullets. (Milsurp ammo can be had very cheaply - but it does not come with bullets suitable for hunting - so let's forget about it, for the moment.) I handload my own 8mm ammo, for between roughly $6.00 - $11.00 per box. The reason for the cost range has to do with the brass - the first time I use it, I count the total cost of the brass, in my calculations (so the first loads with new brass run about $11.00/ 20). Thereafter, I am reusing the brass - so I don't count the cost of it anymore (so the cost drops to around $6.00/ 20). $6.00 is 1/3 of the price (approximately) of the commercial Mauser ammo. So, you can easily see what I mean about saving $$......
Of course, I am not including the costs of my handloading equipment, in the calculated cost of my ammo. The equipment is a long-term investment. At a savings of $7 to $12 per 20 rounds, though, my equipment costs were amortized by the time I loaded 250 rounds, by any reckoning. So, I have passed this mark by - and the equipment no longer figures into it.
This example only takes into account MY numbers...and it does not consider the extra equipment costs for loading multiple cartridges (requiring a different set of dies for each one). Also, as my hunting needs don't require it, I do not use "premium bullets" (like the Nosler Partition). Using these bullets will increase costs, in some cases, quite a bit. (Some of the premium bullets on the market sell for $40 per 50 - I use ordinary softpoints, which I get for about $13 per hundred.) Also, you can spend huge amounts of money on equipment, if you prefer, (as opposed to my basic, low-volume setup). Obviously, spending $500 - $700 on a full complement of the "finest" equipment, as well as a bench and other items...will increase the overall costs dramatically. But, these are things which are under your control.
In summary, you definitely CAN save money by handloading, if you don't go nuts with the equipment or components you buy. Handloading is also very rewarding and fun. It sort of becomes a hobby, in and of itself. A small warning though, it can get under your skin - I always end up reloading my empty cases the day after I make a trip to the range...because I can't stand for them to be empty any longer. I am always on the lookout for deals on additional brass, as well, eventhough I don't really need it. If I get more brass, I just end up keeping more loaded cartridges in store. Then it takes longer to use them, so I want to get MORE brass..... so I can reload more often.....(you see what I mean ?)
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