ORIGINAL: mossy33oak
After all of your initial costs are taken care of, just components alone you can load a box of shells for about $12.
Wow, what your paying Mossy and what I'm paying are really different. I figured this a month or so ago for me. I calculated $6.00 per box.
I did not figure Brass cost - maybe that is part of the difference.
I know Mossy uses Premium bullets, and I use standard hunting bullets, so my Bullet cost is .12-.15 per reload, Mossy is probably .30 per reload. Still that is only @$3.00 per box.
I also calculated for a middle of the line powder usage. Mossy has that big 300 RUM, which would use more than an average amount. I think I calculated about 55-60 grains per reload.
Doesn't change the answer to the posters question though. When you start reloading, you'll end up shooting more, you'll most likely never recover your fixed investment to have reloading be cheaper.
The only way it becomes cheaper is when you calculate - I didn't go to the bar and drink beer that night, so I spent $150.00 less at the bar, and it cost me $25.00 at the reloading bench, so reloading saved me $125.00 that day. But that is just twisted!! [8D]