Savings realized with reloading

[wapit_eater]

With the cost of .233 skyrocketing, I'm curious what the re-loaders are paying per cartridge to reload?

I will be shooting .233 with a 16" barrel & a 40 SW.

Mostly plinking

-Tom

[Irving]

Mostly plinking

-Tom

With some lethal force self defense every once in a while?

[wapit_eater]

if the situation presents itself...DEFIANTLY

[currahee]

Well, to reload 500rnds of .223 with FMJ, it costs me about $100 per 500rnds.

$35 for powder(almost 2lbs of TAC @ $17 a lb)
$50 for 500 Hornady 55grn FMJ
$15 for 500 SR primers
Brass I dont pay for- go to your nearest range and pick some up for free-If its left there it will be factory once fired usualy- reloaders pick up thier brass when done mostly.
A couple-few hours of work and *poof* 500rnds of ready to fire .223 for half the price of what you can buy if you can find it instock.

[theGinsue]

I have a simple Excel (2003) Spreadsheet (23K) that helps to identify the "Per Cartridge Cost" as well as a "Cost of a box of 20" and "Cost of a box of 50". You have to know how much you spent bullets, brass (even of it's $0.00), primers and powder.

If anyone is interested in it, just PM me your eMail addy and I'll forward it on to you.

[gnihcraes]

Sounds about right, I calculated my recent reloading costs at $246.00 per 1000. That is high because of the purchase of once fired brass. Next time will be less $70 for the brass.

kc.

[a77ssii]

If you want to save more $$ reload steel. I've been doing it for about 2 years now and probably around 4K rounds down range with no problems at all. Inspect all cases before reloading, typically after the 3rd or 4th reload they get a hairline crack in the neck. I live 10 minutes by ATV from the Harris Park shooting area so I have an unlimited supply, I use one of those telescopic magnets with a 5gal bucket. There's been times I've left with 2000+ pcs.

[jerrymrc]

I am still able to get 55 and 62Gr bullets for $80 per K. Far cry from the IMI bullets @ $40 per K but I still have some of those left. I am still loading at $105 per K of .223

Once that stash runs out the next 5000 will be about $150 per K. I am still @ $170 per K for .308

If you shop smart right now buying once fired brass the first K of .223 should be $205 or so. re use the brass once and the next batch is $155 so the cost for 2000 rds of .223 would be $180 per K. Finding the load your gun likes that is better than what you could buy at three times the price= Priceless.

I have reloaded some steel cased (wolf) just to see and they size just as easy as brass.

[wapit_eater]

How many times can brass be reloaded?

How many times can steel be reloaded?

[a77ssii]

That's the kicker Wapiti. You can BUY .223 brass and reload many, many times. I honestly haven't counted but I know I'm beyond 5 reloads on most brass. Whereas you can typically pick up all the steel you can carry for free and reload typically a max of 4 times (sometimes 3). They size the same and crimp the same but the biggest difference I've found is every time I reload brass I have to trim but I've never trimmed a steel case even on the 4th reload so there is a time savings on the steel. But you do need to keep them dry or you'll end up with a box of rust. At this stage of the game for me the steel outnumbers the brass in .223 probably 5 to 1 at my bench simply because I can jump on the quad, run back to the range and come home with about 2000+ rnds which will net me about 1000rnds reloadable after sorting out damaged and berdan primed ones. All for about .75 in gas. Plus what is not reloadable heads to the dump rather than creating the trash dump in the forest.