Reloading shotshell math!!!???

[mattintc]

I'm very curious and cant seem to get it right. Is spending almost 300 dollers for the first round of supplys including the press and hulls really worth it and then spending around 187 the second go around for 200 shells compared to buying shotgun shells at walmart for 8 bucks for 25 shots or 15-16 bucks at a sports store for 25 dollers for 7 1/2 shot. It is also 12 gauge too with winchester AA 2-3/4 hulls.

Any opinions or advice would be nice maybe im going about this the wrong way looking up prices on cabela's. Im looking to get a shotgun 12 gauge in the next month for both home protection and fun in my spare time with whatever kind of inanimate target i can conjur up.

[soundguy]

I looked at it this way when i got into metalic reloading.

it may not be saving me money in the short term.. but I get to shoot alot more for the same money.

In the long term, you can save. once you start being able to reuse components.. like cases.. etc.. and start cost averaging your total number of shots per unit cost. anytime you can get free expendables or reuseables.. like empty hulls at the range.. you are adding in free equity to your math.

occasionally you can reload some items way cheaper than buying new.. like.. for instance.. buying 416rigby box of 20rnds, from hornady, retail can be 120-150$... I can surely relaod that cheaper.. once I have brass.. then it's just powder primer and projectiles. At this point I have about 10 boxes of federal brass for it.. plenty of powder and primers.. so I just need to get a 40$ die set and projectiles.. then the cost per cartridge drops from an average of 6-7$ to ? 50 cents a cartridge? maybee? all depends on how many relaods I get.. and how long my shoulder holds up shooting that cannon..

[mattintc]

Originally Posted by soundguy

I looked at it this way when i got into metalic reloading.

it may not be saving me money in the short term.. but I get to shoot alot more for the same money.

In the long term, you can save. once you start being able to reuse components.. like cases.. etc.. and start cost averaging your total number of shots per unit cost. anytime you can get free expendables or reuseables.. like empty hulls at the range.. you are adding in free equity to your math.

occasionally you can reload some items way cheaper than buying new.. like.. for instance.. buying 416rigby box of 20rnds, from hornady, retail can be 120-150$... I can surely relaod that cheaper.. once I have brass.. then it's just powder primer and projectiles. At this point I have about 10 boxes of federal brass for it.. plenty of powder and primers.. so I just need to get a 40$ die set and projectiles.. then the cost per cartridge drops from an average of 6-7$ to ? 50 cents a cartridge? maybee? all depends on how many relaods I get.. and how long my shoulder holds up shooting that cannon..

Yeah and the fact of actually maing the shotgun ammo my self seems rather cool and i can have a massive amount and go crazy on shooting without worrying that im going to terrorize the crap out of my wallet. The math i was doing was like 3 bucks a shot for 25 shells at 8 bucks and then like 1.50 a shot for 200 shots of my own made. then i got into the 25 shot for 16 bucks and i got a weird number that i could not figure out and didnt make any sense. So i figured id ask someone on some forum about it.

[jack404]

G'day and welcome !

yes its seems a huge set up and cost initially but take a look

Setup costs say $550 inc enough fixings to make 250

and say you shoot 2000 a year ( 10 meets a year 200 in the weekend)



2000 = 80 boxes

80 x $15 = $1200

ok rollyour own

wads (250/Bag) $5.50 = $44 for 2000
25LB BAG STAR MAGNUM SHOT #7 1/2 $23.50 $47 for 3000
Powder (4lbs) $68.00 enough for 2500 or so
primers Standard ShotShell Primers $27.00 / 1000 $54 for 2000

so

$44
$47
$68
$54
____
$173

or $1000 savings , its a numbers game

if you shoot half that half that is your savings , if you shoot double that double is your savings

i tell folks to write off the setup and first 250 or so as practice and count from there

hull are not included in these figures , most folks grab em from ranges or friends

but at about $14/100 for brand spanking new ones subtract $280 per 2000 from your savings if you go that way but do save all them as second time around , they dont cost

[mattintc]

Originally Posted by jack404

G'day and welcome !

yes its seems a huge set up and cost initially but take a look

Setup costs say $550 inc enough fixings to make 250

and say you shoot 2000 a year ( 10 meets a year 200 in the weekend)



2000 = 80 boxes

80 x $15 = $1200

ok rollyour own

wads (250/Bag) $5.50 = $44 for 2000
25LB BAG STAR MAGNUM SHOT #7 1/2 $23.50 $47 for 3000
Powder (4lbs) $68.00 enough for 2500 or so
primers Standard ShotShell Primers $27.00 / 1000 $54 for 2000

so

$44
$47
$68
$54
____
$173

or $1000 savings , its a numbers game

if you shoot half that half that is your savings , if you shoot double that double is your savings

i tell folks to write off the setup and first 250 or so as practice and count from there

hull are not included in these figures , most folks grab em from ranges or friends

but at about $14/100 for brand spanking new ones subtract $280 per 2000 from your savings if you go that way but do save all them as second time around , they dont cost

thats what i like! is the crazy savings and making them my self. Thank you for that bit of math i thought i wasnt crazy. But am i incorrect when i divide 25 into 8 dollers for 3 dollers a shell at walmart or how do i go about that?

[jack404]

25 shells per box

box costs $15

then 15 divided by 25 gives you a per shell cost or $0:60 each retail cost

now compared to home made of about $0:14 or 10 cents if you recycle hulls and 6 cents if you scrounge lead and make your own shot ( VERY ROUGH FIGURES BUT ABOUT THAT )

but even if you buy local retails for everything pay top price shipping or botch 1/4 of all shells you make and have a per unit cost of $0:30 cents each thats still half price ammo ...

enjoy!!!

[mattintc]

Originally Posted by jack404

25 shells per box

box costs $15

then 15 divided by 25 gives you a per shell cost or $0:60 each retail cost

now compared to home made of about $0:14 or 10 cents if you recycle hulls and 6 cents if you scrounge lead and make your own shot ( VERY ROUGH FIGURES BUT ABOUT THAT )

but even if you buy local retails for everything pay top price shipping or botch 1/4 of all shells you make and have a per unit cost of $0:30 cents each thats still half price ammo ...

enjoy!!!

You are god! thank you so much for clearing that up for me!!! i think im going to try it once i get my shotgun and what not since i finnaly started my job and going to pick up a 200-400 doller shotty.

[jack404]

Not god just practiced

the club i belong too here has funded all there work from club reloading days

we knock out shells for members to buy cheap to use at the range and make enough to fund the buildings a bus , new sewer etc ..

give it a few thousand shells and you'll be doing the maths in your sleep

[mattintc]

Originally Posted by jack404

Not god just practiced

the club i belong too here has funded all there work from club reloading days

we knock out shells for members to buy cheap to use at the range and make enough to fund the buildings a bus , new sewer etc ..

give it a few thousand shells and you'll be doing the maths in your sleep

Well again i appreciate the help a lot. I was getting frustrated and angered cause i couldnt figure it out.

[jack404]

divide your dollar cost by unit number to get a unit cost

you'll be ok

have fun

[aa1911]

I'm not sure what ammo you're using at $15/box, Cabela's and everywhere has Federal top guns and Remington gun clubs for $60/case right now; I can't come close to matching that even using reclaimed shot.

When I started shotgun reloading about 15 years ago, it was roughly half price to load your own; now, it's almost not worth it (but I love to reload and suspect you have the same interest). I'm never giving up reloading but the cheapest I can get is $48/case with 7/8oz of reclaim. If I matched the factory loads at 1 1/8oz with nice round shot, I would be over $60 and would not have a new hull on top of that.

just food for thought, and I'm not discouraging reloading in any way (and I have not bought factory 12g ammo in a looooong time!)

[mattintc]

Originally Posted by aa1911

I'm not sure what ammo you're using at $15/box, Cabela's and everywhere has Federal top guns and Remington gun clubs for $60/case right now; I can't come close to matching that even using reclaimed shot.

When I started shotgun reloading about 15 years ago, it was roughly half price to load your own; now, it's almost not worth it (but I love to reload and suspect you have the same interest). I'm never giving up reloading but the cheapest I can get is $48/case with 7/8oz of reclaim. If I matched the factory loads at 1 1/8oz with nice round shot, I would be over $60 and would not have a new hull on top of that.

just food for thought, and I'm not discouraging reloading in any way (and I have not bought factory 12g ammo in a looooong time!)

Yes i was thinking of doing that because i know what im putting into my shotshells and what not and i can also do slugs and what not if i wanted for fun. It also is very cool to make my own shot shells in mass production of 200+

[Bigr Bang Thry]

Jack,
Maybe it's the "new" math, but... At 1 1/8 ounce loads, you only get 355 loads out of a bag of shot, so two bags won't be enough. Better buy six bags to load 2000 shells.

Can I ask where you're buying shot so cheap ? Everywhere I check, it's $32-36 a bag !

[jack404]

all prices came from the wideners catalouge and precision for the hulls

http://www.wideners.com/itemview.cfm?dir=278|321|339

[aa1911]

If anyone gets shot for $24.50 a bag let me know! they are all out of stock and I have a feeling shipping will pinch and bring it up to the going rate of $40-50.

I pay roughly $1/lb for reclaim so I've been using that for the last couple years instead. Still use #9's for the .410 though being that it's only 1/2 oz, want max pellets out there.

wads are the same; I went to buy $50 worth of bags of 500 online and shipping was going to be around $28!!! that's more than half what the order was, I just scrounge locally for the most part. If I order something from midway, I tack on a couple bags, keeps the shipping down.

Primers are another one where you get pinched bigtime with the hazmat fee and shipping. You need to order like 10k+ of them to make it worthwhile almost.

I buy most of my components on a military installation where there is no tax and it still busts my wallet down to nuthin'!

[myfriendis410]

Realistically shot is going to cost between $40 and $50 here in the states. You can find some regional deals (like reclaimed, redropped etc.) but likely will have to develop a source or pay a membership fee (like a club membership).

If you are loading 12 gauge for target, you won't save much if anything. If you are loading for something specialized like pheasant hunting you will definitely save over time. Where you will realize a savings is in the sub-gauge stuff like 28 and .410 gauge.

[jack404]

hey i just get the catalogue if they aint selling for that price , sorry

call the BBB as like i said wideners advertise it for that ( 25lb bag )

i dont buy shot , i do trade lead for shot

i am just quoting a US supplier

[aa1911]

I think $42 is what the skeet range on post charges for regular lead shot and no tax, and there's a local Sportco that I think sells 'em for $40 plus tax. Kinda sucks, not that long ago, I remember complaining when it broke $10/bag !!

[soundguy]

i havn't checked lately.. but do tire places still give away old lead weights. i can remember the old days when they would?