I just signed my son up for a youth trap leage. Now, I can buy 4 boxes (100 rounds) from wal-mart for $23.00. Is it worth it to reload? How much does it cost to reload a box?

Thanks,
wnyhunter

If I where you, I would have my son shoot in the trap league for a month or so, and by then you will have a good idea of how much your son likes it. You can get set up with a Lee Loader II for about $40-50, a bag of once fired hulls (which I am sure you will have plenty of once you have shot a few boxes) for about $10 or so and then you will need wads and primers, powder and shot. I would say to get properly set up to load a couple of hundred shells you will be invested about $150-$200. That is the equivalent of 600-800 shells bought at Wallmart at the $23 per 100 your quoted. Loading shotshells is not hard, imho it is easier to do than loading metallic cartridges. If you are going to be loading a lot, and you know that you are going to be in it for the long haul then investing in an MEC loader would be well worth it. But the Lee would allow you to get started with a minimal investment, and it loads shells just fine, but not as fast as a MEC loader will.

+1
While you can find low cost target loads easy enough the makers cut corners on the components particularly the lead to keep prices low.As such you wont save much with target loads but you will have much better ammo for a little less green.

For me it is a little more then a 1/3 of the cost. I have had a lee load all, and let me tell you that they suck. Buy a RCBS mini grand press, They run about 120 bucks. Check them out on midwayusa.

You don't save a ton of money but a little . The big difference is quality of the ammo , you can load a quality shell for about the same price as you would pay for a cheap factory round . Mec makes a good press I have the 9000G model myself in 12 & 20 gauge .

Here you can pick up a used mec at a gun show for 30-40 bucks. Look for a 600 jr.

biggest problem I have is buying shot. Price went from $13 per 25lb bag to $50 since I started loading. It has since dropped to $30.

Shooting steel shot, I can buy old factory loads at $5 per box. My reloads are better, but cost me $8 per box.