Viability of Reloading in 2024

[ABlaster]

I know that I could spend the morning on the computer and answer this question myself, but I’m betting someone on here has done the math already.

What is the cost of reloading handgun ammo these days compared to buying factory practice stuff?

I predicted Trump losing in 2020 and bought big. 100,000 primers and 40lbs of powder. Since I shoot about 15-25k rounds a year in practice and matches, the stocks are getting low and I’m looking at having to buy stuff.

What’s it looking like out there now?

 

[Bodhi]

I’ll relay some wisdom that was once relayed to me …. No one ever saved money reloading. But you shoot a lot each year so maybe it makes sense to reload some of that. Does it defray some of the costs? Probably. But you’d have to track that spending and the current street price of your ammo to really tell.

For me, reloading is a hobby…a labor of love. I only reload for my revolvers and rifles anymore. I‘d rather spend my time shooting than reloading for certain chamberings like 9mm, 40, 223 (but will load some specific loads), shotgun, 45ACP, etc. Same goes for bullet casting. Did it like crazy when I was younger, then life took over and I had to weight the time against the activity….today there is no shortage of cast bullets you can buy on the interweb and I’d rather load and shoot than cast, load and shoot. For me, it’s the time. Can’t buy that. YMMV.

 

[ABlaster]

Yes, I've heard that you don't save money, you just shoot more, and for me that's certainly the case. But when I started reloading, a box of lead .40 was $34/1000 and a sleeve of 5,000 primers was $55. Powder was about $17 per pound of Titegroup. My agency shot .40 so I had a never-ending supply of free brass (although it had to be de-glocked). Even though factory ammo was between $9-$11 a box of 50, it was still a massive savings.

I actually hate reloading, and I even bought a Dillon 650XL 20 years ago to minimize the amount of time I had to spend doing it! I'm still a dinosaur shooting Limited division in USPSA, and factory .40 kind of sucks for match use so I'm still a bit tied to buying components to get the time/pressure curve I want.

I'm just wondering what the numbers are looking like now.

 

[Boogan1]

I just did this exercise the other day because people were bitching about how much things cost now like powder, primers, etc. I shoot Cowboy Action and use .38 specials. At current pricing of $90/k primers, $50 per pound powder, $70/k bullets it still comes out to $21.00 per hundred to load if you have your own brass. I buy used brass all the time for $5/100 so add that if you have to buy brass. Just a quick look shows 38 special lead bullet ammo at about $45/100 so I am reloading it for less than half price and have the exact load I want. 12 gauge shotgun shells didn't used to make much sense to reload because you were only saving pennies over what you could buy them for. I also figured these up and with the cheapest ammo at walmart now over $10 a box even at current component prices I can reload for under $7 and have the exact load I want. So yes, you can currently save money reloading. To save even more I would sign up at every legit online distributor you can find so you get notices when they run specials on free hazmat or free shipping. These can save you a bunch of money also.

 

[ChrisC]

considering everything involved in reloading, loading 9 minor is my last resort if factory ammo are not available. Reloading is still a viable option for other cartridges though.

 

[ABlaster]

I was wondering about 9mm. That was almost always a "I'll pay the little extra not to have to reload it" kind of round for me. I'm not much of a rifle guy so I've never gotten into reloading it; I just buy it factory.

With the fall from grace of .40 in the LE community, I've seen some really great deals on factory .40, but factory .40 is so snappy it's not all that great for match use. I can get close to the same velocity out of a .40 with about half the felt recoil by reloading it.

 

[Boogan1]

I was wondering about 9mm. That was almost always a "I'll pay the little extra not to have to reload it" kind of round for me. I'm not much of a rifle guy so I've never gotten into reloading it; I just buy it factory.

With the fall from grace of .40 in the LE community, I've seen some really great deals on factory .40, but factory .40 is so snappy it's not all that great for match use. I can get close to the same velocity out of a .40 with about half the felt recoil by reloading it.

And there in lies the practicality of reloading, that you can load exactly the round you want. I guess you have to determine what that is worth to you.

 

[ChrisC]

I was wondering about 9mm. That was almost always a "I'll pay the little extra not to have to reload it" kind of round for me. I'm not much of a rifle guy so I've never gotten into reloading it; I just buy it factory.

With the fall from grace of .40 in the LE community, I've seen some really great deals on factory .40, but factory .40 is so snappy it's not all that great for match use. I can get close to the same velocity out of a .40 with about half the felt recoil by reloading it.

if you don’t have the reloading equipments for reloading yet, I would not start for a 9mm. What I’ve notice is, if factory 9mm are not available, primers are soon to follow.

 

[boatbum101]

Haven't priced anything handgun related this year . Stocked up like the OP & still well set . Rifle however is a different story & prices are thru the roof . Powder now 50 - 60 a lb , primers 110 a K , jacketed bullets 30 cal around 30 cents a piece on up . Brass if you can find it is 50 - 60 cents each for common CF cartridges . I'd imagine for action pistol game deals will be coated / plated bullets , Ginex / Servicos primers , Accurate / Ramshot & suprisingly Vihtavouri powders & brass good old Starline direct . Zero bullets from Roze if you shoot swaged lead or jacketed .

 

[ABlaster]

I have a Dillon 650XL.

 

[boatbum101]

I have a Dillon 650XL.

& I got 2 1050's , one for 45acp & one for 38 Spl HBWC . 2700 is an old vice . If you haven't shot the Brazos coated bullets try them . They're Bullseye / 2700 / Bianchi accurate @ 50yds & cheap .

 

[ABlaster]

I tried the 1050, but actually didn’t care for it. It had fewer hiccups than the 650 but clearing the hiccups seemed to take much longer. I was really responding to the post above yours that asked if I had bought any reloading equipment yet.

I keep a 550 set up for large pistol applications, but it doesn’t see much use. Most of what I shoot is .40 for competition, followed by .38/.357 for fun since I’m going through a revolver phase. Occasionally I break out the .45 Colt or the .44 stuff, but it’s rare.

I will try the Brazos stuff! Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[ducks]

Reloading ‘worth’ is directly proportional to how esoteric and or demanding your needs.

If 115 Blazer 9mm does what you need, it is kinda silly to start reloading at todays prices.

On the other end, if you want a practice load for your 375 H&H before your safari next fall, reloading is a no brainer.

 

[ABlaster]

Between shooting .40 in USPSA and the crazy price of .38, I will probably keep reloading for now. I had a friend pay $45 for 50 rounds of 130 grain FMJ in .38 special this week.