Breaking Even?

3946 Views 125 Replies 38 Participants Last post by RetiredRod, 12 d ago

TearlessTom

Discussion Starter · 2 mo ago

I have recently added .45 ACP to my collection of firearms and had forgotten how much I really enjoy shooting the 1911. I have also recently retired so I have a little more time on my hands so I was considering the possibilities of reloading. If I venture into reloading I will probable load .45 ACP and 300 Blackout rounds.

I have had a minimal of experience many years ago with my father as a teenager. I know I have a lot of studying and catching up to do.

I know the economy has been rough on all of us and reloading cost has gone up as well.

So My question is: Roughly, At current cost of basic or what you would think needed reloading equipment and supplies. Approximately how many rounds would be needed to be loaded to break even on the cost of equipment and supplies? I known prices vary a lot. I'm just trying to get a rough idea of feasibility?
Thanks.

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longarm

· #2 · 2 mo ago

You are not going to break even at all. Unless you are a competitor. Bidenomics and the Scamdemic have pretty well ruined that for a few years.

The point to reloading is:

The relaxation/enjoyment
the precision/quality of your work
shooting what you have made and
collecting, cleaning it all and doing it again.

So far, the only "profit" I see on the horizon was: the prices I saw on PMC 223rem last week were almost low enough that it was cheaper to buy their ammo, pull the bullet, dump the powder and rebuild them from there: component-wise it would save a nickel per case (the cost of new brass+primer+bullet)

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Michael W Cuber

· #3 · 2 mo ago

I can break even by loading four boxes of .340 Weatherby—about the same price as an RCBS Partner Press start up kit!

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TearlessTom

Discussion Starter · #4 · 2 mo ago

Michael W Cuber said:
I can break even by loading four boxes of .340 Weatherby—about the same price as an RCBS Partner Press start up kit!

LOL Yeah...No I'm not shooting one of those... $89 - $139. a box.

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DubfromGa

· #5 · 2 mo ago

TearlessTom said:
I have recently added .45 ACP to my collection of firearms and had forgotten how much I really enjoy shooting the 1911. I have also recently retired so I have a little more time on my hands so I was considering the possibilities of reloading. If I venture into reloading I will probable load .45 ACP and 300 Blackout rounds.

I have had a minimal of experience many years ago with my father as a teenager. I know I have a lot of studying and catching up to do.

I know the economy has been rough on all of us and reloading cost has gone up as well.

So My question is: Roughly, At current cost of basic or what you would think needed reloading equipment and supplies. Approximately how many rounds would be needed to be loaded to break even on the cost of equipment and supplies? I known prices vary a lot. I'm just trying to get a rough idea of feasibility?
Thanks.

Congrats on retirement.

I am five-ish years from doing so as well. Hoping to really shoot more often then.

Great job on adding the .45 1911, too.

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scubadad

· #6 · 2 mo ago

Just throwing out some rough numbers. Primers with shipping and hazmat last time I bought were 112/1000. Plated bullets 130/1000 shipped. Powder around 50per pound shipping/hazmat.

You wont use the whole pound of powder for 1k rounds so say 35 on powder. So 270ish to make 1k. From sg ammo I can get 1k 45 shipped for around 475. So if you have brass you can save 200/1000. All of these are rough numbers. If you can score free shipping on some then your cost will go down. Hope this helps.

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ratwhacker

· #7 · 2 mo ago

I used to say, you don't save any money, you just get to shoot 3 or 4 times more for the same amount of money you'd spend on factory ammunition. Times and prices have whittled that down a LOT, though. (I used to work in a gunshop and got my powder and primers "at cost", and I cast my own bullets back then, too). I was loading 9mm for less than a nickel a round. Just any one component costs more than that, now.

Still, there's some satisfaction in making better ammo than you can buy (MAYBE), but it's awfully tough to pencil out any savings right now. component prices have eaten into the savings once available to the reloader.

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RetiredRod

· #8 · 2 mo ago

If you're seriously trying to get a cost/benefit analysis on handloading for 45acp, don't forget to factor in the ancillary costs. In addition to the equipment itself (press, dies, etc.) you will need (well, want) a workbench, brass tumblers for cleaning brass (including media and polish), storage boxes for completed ammo. That type of stuff might add an additional 25% to your equipment costs.

I've been reloading my own ammo for many years. Initially it was to "save money", but it soon became the pleasure and challenge of handcrafting ammo for my specific wants, having it when I want it. There are many benefits to handloading vs buying factory other than cost savings. This is not any type of "break-even" number, but if you're only going to shoot 100 rounds a month reloading may not be for you. But it you're a 100 round per week shooter, then reloading is definitely the way to go.

Plus, if you get into reloading, you get to hang out with all these great folks who post in this sub-forum.

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Kamerer

· #9 · 2 mo ago

ratwhacker said:
... I was loading 9mm for less than a nickel a round. Just any one component costs more than that, now.
...

In the mid-90s when I started reloading, I was loading .45acp target loads for 4.2 cents/round (185gr quality cast bullets delivered, WST powder). My .38 rounds were I think under 3 cents a round. That was components only, not factoring the 550B, tumbler, dies, etc.

Now mainly I reload to make match quality MK 262 rounds, which are otherwise ridiculously priced for .223 ($1.50/round even in volume). 77 SMKs and Varget aren't cheap, but still worth the savings vs. commercial, and for accuracy.

ratwhacker

· #10 · 2 mo ago

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I was getting primers for $10/1000, powder was $10lb., a buddy gave me wheelweights, so the bullets were free, and I had enough cases to hold me into eternity. I think I actually had 9mm ammo down to about $4/100 at one point. I was loading on a DIllon 550, which I won at a pistol match, all I paid for, there were the extra tool heads for whatever cartridges other than .45 I was loading (and I already had the dies from my single-stage days).
Those were the golden days of handloading, I suppose. It was/is fun. I really like making a bunch of plinking loads for the pistols I like shooting most.

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scubadad

· #11 · 2 mo ago

I wish I had more time to cast again. Still have all the gear and a few hundred pounds of wheel weights. Maybe when I retire.......

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scubadad

· #12 · 2 mo ago

ratwhacker said:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I was getting primers for $10/1000, powder was $10lb., a buddy gave me wheelweights, so the bullets were free, and I had enough cases to hold me into eternity. I think I actually had 9mm ammo down to about $4/100 at one point. I was loading on a DIllon 550, which I won at a pistol match, all I paid for, there were the extra tool heads for whatever cartridges other than .45 I was loading (and I already had the dies from my single-stage days).
Those were the golden days of handloading, I suppose. It was/is fun. I really like making a bunch of plinking loads for the pistols I like shooting most.

Back in the day I started reloading with my brothers. Splitting the cost 3 ways made for some really cheap ammo. The range fee of $4 an hour was more expensive. Ah the good old days.

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Colt191145

· #13 · 2 mo ago

Kamerer said:
Now mainly I reload to make match quality MK 262 rounds, which are otherwise ridiculously priced for .223 ($1.50/round even in volume). 77 SMKs and Varget aren't cheap, but still worth the savings vs. commercial, and for accuracy.

Are you getting 2750fps with varget and 77gr smks? I use ramshot tac for my mk262 clone.

pete177

· #14 · 2 mo ago

$200 lee turret press, $40 die set. I can make a box of 50 45acp for $13 using pick up brass and bought bullets or for $14.50 if I buy brass and only use it once. Store bought is $35 to $40. I just made 250 45 acp and 38 super. Took about 3 hours. That $350 worth of store bought ammo. It cost me $117. So I saved $236. I might use that in 2 range sessions. My 10 y/o likes to shoot. So in one lot I saved almost what I spent on equipment. Primers are starting to come back down so the economics is getting better. 5.56 costs me about $19.50 a box of 50 because it takes 4 times the powder and the bullets are pricier. Either way your saving money almost immediately. Anyone that says differently doesn't know what they're talking about.

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Nitro.45

· #15 · 2 mo ago

Let’s establish a few things first. 1) That we are only comparing the cost of reloaded to store bought. 2) That we don’t use “you will shoot more if you reload”, as a factor just to show spending. 3) That you do not intend to buy a $15K Camdex.
Yes, you absolutely WILL reload better quality ammunition than store bought for a lesser price. As mentioned earlier, in crappy buying times like this, it doesn’t take long to save a bunch of money if you load large rifle rounds and stuff like 357, 44 mag and of course 45 ACP.Where you would struggle to get a ROI is in the case of 9mm and 223 when they are at their bargain price. You can save some, but that’s a long road. Now the fun part….how much ya wanna invest in equipment?? Sometimes it’s better to think of this as a great hobby. It can kinda work like an ATM in reverse!😆

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markwell

· #16 · 2 mo ago

Started seriously reloading in volume in the '70s and aside from the savings in dollars, the biggest advantage to reloading has been having a continuous and affordable supply of ammo thru the recurring "shortages". Once i got my head out of the sand and started paying attention, stocking up on components (mainly powder and primers) in volume became the norm and has seen us thru the tough times since the Clinton years. Other than some odd-ball needs, our inventory consolidation program has insured that we can keep shooting despite what ever the Deep State throws at us. So far this has worked out and we are now waiting to see when and how high prices and availability will settle in before the next round of panic sets in. My answer is yes to getting started in reloading; but go slow and have a plan for the future not just tomorrow.

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flechero

· #17 · 2 mo ago

Good points above.

TearlessTom said:
Roughly, At current cost of basic or what you would think needed reloading equipment and supplies. Approximately how many rounds would be needed to be loaded to break even on the cost of equipment and supplies? I known prices vary a lot. I'm just trying to get a rough idea of feasibility?
Thanks.

I tracked it pretty closely when I started and I was past break even between in 4 months. IIRC between 4k and 5k rounds (that was to break even on a Dillon 550 set up and accessories to load 45acp) You can go single stage for less or an investment.

I took the [then] current delivered price of a case (1k) of ammo on line that I had been shooting as my comparison price, to give me an honest number. At the time is was like 35 cents a round and my cost per round was 15 cents-ish. (with purchased projectiles) 20 cents X ~4800 rounds paid for (in savings) my press, dies, scale, gauge and other accessories to that date.

Primers are still high- adding and extra 4-6 cents per round to the cost. Still a good deal (IMO) to load- you'll need to shop more carefully now and then buy in bulk later when prices come down.

The other side of the equation is that you can tailor make ammo to your guns and prevent ammo outages/shortages if you plan accordingly. I have not had to slow down my shooting in the past 3 years and am still loading 45acp at 9-15 cents per round depending on the projectile. My 9mm and 38 Super ammo is still far less than that.

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GuitarmanNick

· #18 · 2 mo ago

I reload .45 ACP for slightly less than half of the factory ammo cost using FMJ projectiles. Also load .38 special, 9mm, 9x18 Mak, 7.62x25 Tokarev, .223 Rem, 7.62x54R and 7.62x39.
The only caliber that cost more than factory to load is 7.62x39, but my loads are more accurate in my SKS than anything made in a factory.
After several years of reloading, I think I have finally passed the "break even" point.
My only advice is to buy good equipment and take advantage of anything affordable that will save you time and effort in the loading process.
Reloading is a great hobby, and over time, can save you a little money.

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Chance-dg

· #19 · 2 mo ago

I loaded for my rifles for years, started with a Lee Challenger package and ended up replacing everything but the press and dies. I started to upgrade a few years ago and have more than paid for my loading gear. 38 Super ammunition is scarce as hen's teeth and I can load 200 of them in a short afternoon and have a lot better ammunition besides. I have a couple friends that stocked up on 9mm factory ammunition when it was $7 a box of 50 and bought a huge amount. Inaccurate bulk 115g FMJ, their handloads are so accurate compared to that ammunition it has made a believer out of them. and was worth the price to get their own loading gear.

How many rounds to break even? Depending on your age and the volume you shoot, you may never break even. But you have the ability to make top shelf ammunition at will and can tailor yours to suit your needs and have a great hobby as well.

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riposte191145

· #20 · 2 mo ago

I got a good friend interested in hand-loading back in the 70's. After about 2 years he said to me: "My wife and I figured it out and we can't afford to save any more money on hand-loads"

I don't think I've ever heard of anybody who broke even - but I do know a lot of folks who shot a lot more for the same money

When I started (1964) I could load .30 Carbine and a few years later .45 auto for 1.5 cents per round - but I cast my own bullets for both. Brass was essentially free. The most expensive part (then as now) was the primer.

Riposte

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