RE: Cost effectiveness of reloading????
You are right about most of this, reloading can be more of an expense if all you do is shoot a couple boxes a year. If you are somebody that shoots alot, then, reloading makes alt of sense. Some guys I now will say that by reloading you can get the exact bullet that you want to hunt with. Sometimes that is a comination of bullet, weight, powder...etc that isn't avail in the factory load.
For me, I shoot about one time a month, someties more. 60 rounds of .338 Lapua Ammo will run just shy of $300 by the time I buy it, pay the tax, and drive to a store that carries it. I reload it for about 20 a box, so I save $240 a month just on that. MY press and dies, and all my powders for the things i reload are paid for already in savings. SO, t just depends, on what you are reloading, and how much you are shooting it. But the possibility to save a ton is there.