9mm and 5.56mm - Whats your cost per round?

[cyphur]

Before anyone says it - I know the math to calculate cost per round based on cost of components.

What I would like is a sample of what costs you are all achieving in your reloading, and what kind of quantity do you buy your components in to achieve it?

Thanks in advance!

[Jusme]

I too am interested in this info, I don't reload, but have been looking into getting started. I have done some limited searches for components, power, equipment etc, and I'm curious to know how long/ rounds produced to see the pay off.

[Greybeard]

Buddy I trust loads some .223 for me now and then. I buy the components and he puts em together. Last batch worked out to .57 per round. IIRC, we used once-fired Lake Cities brass and Winchester 64 grain soft tips. The 1000 before that used the same bullet and new brass from Cabellas. Including primers and powder, cost somewhere considerably over $600.

[tk1700]

No experience with 5.56, but just loaded 500 9 mm today.

Red Dot powder by the pound, Winchester primers by the 1000 and Berry bullets by the 1000. My cost per round is less than $.15.

[Charles L. Cotton]

https://www.texasfirearmscoalition.com/ ... -reloading. The In the Crosshairs segment deals with real world reloading costs v. factory ammo for three pistol calibers, including 9mm. I haven't reloaded .223 in years.

Chas.

[Bitter Clinger]

No experience with 5.56, but just loaded 500 9 mm today.

Red Dot powder by the pound, Winchester primers by the 1000 and Berry bullets by the 1000. My cost per round is less than $.15.

Am I correct that this is for material costs only, exclusive of labor and any equipment costs (e.g., depreciation)?

THANKS!

[LSUTiger]

I only shoot brass and don't reload, not worth it for me for cost savings, maybe handloads for long range precision only, YMMV

9mm

115 grain, in bulk 1000rds at a time, 22-23 cents per round shipped to my door

5.56
55 gr federal xm193, in bulk 1000rds at a time, 38 cents per round shipped to my door

62gr m855 40-43 cents, in bulk 1000rds

.223 rem perfecta 32cents each tax included.

[cyphur]

I only shoot brass and don't reload, not worth it for me for cost savings, maybe handloads for long range precision only, YMMV

9mm

115 grain, in bulk 1000rds at a time, 22-23 cents per round shipped to my door

5.56
55 gr federal xm193, in bulk 1000rds at a time, 38 cents per round shipped to my door

62gr m855 40-43 cents, in bulk 1000rds

.223 rem perfecta 32cents each tax included.

This is what I've seen in research, that 9mm and .223 plinking rounds are not worth it to reload.

If I wanted to load 75/77gr rounds, or wanted to load something hot or soft maybe. I know 75/77 gr loads command a premium these days, and with 1k 69gr SMKs sitting around I may load those just because.

[tk1700]

No experience with 5.56, but just loaded 500 9 mm today.

Red Dot powder by the pound, Winchester primers by the 1000 and Berry bullets by the 1000. My cost per round is less than $.15.

Am I correct that this is for material costs only, exclusive of labor and any equipment costs (e.g., depreciation)?

THANKS!

You are correct materials only. Most powder I buy is $30-40 per pound and can get 1700-2000 rounds per pound. My primer costs are $30-32 per 1000 and plated Berrys bullets are $90-100 per 1000. If I see a good deal on sale I will pick it up but those are my normal expenses. Have 100's of cases picked over the years at zero cost.

I started reloading 25 years ago and just write off the cost of the equipment as the cost of a hobby. I started with a basic beginners kit from Lee that was relatively inexpensive and still use most of it. Some will argue that the savings on loading 9mm isn't worth the effort, but I enjoy doing it so as long as I can buy the materials cheaper than loaded ammo I will keep reloading it.

[cyphur]

It's not all about money - I reload for the savings, sure, but the larger issue for me is that I can make my own even if ammo is unavailable commercially.

Good point, never can be too safe these days.

[Jusme]

This is what I've seen in research, that 9mm and .223 plinking rounds are not worth it to reload.

It's not all about money - I reload for the savings, sure, but the larger issue for me is that I can make my own even if ammo is unavailable commercially.

This is one of the main reasons I've been looking into reloading, more for the skill set, and not relying on other sources for something that may become too precious to buy. I was just wondering if there really was an actual savings involved, but it appears that it will be pretty much a wash, until ammo is no longer commercially available.Thanks for the replies, now it's just a matter of convincing SWMBO that I need to spend a few hundred dollars to load $75 worth of bullets. Wish me luck. I don't think that even with CORE mathematics , that the argument will be an easy sale.

[Charles L. Cotton]

I don't know why you folks seem to believe that the savings from reloading is not significant. It's huge! The comparisons below are using actual price for Winchester White Box ammo from Wal-Mart at the lowest possible price, i.e. largest quantity. Component prices are directly from the vendors listed. This TPC Podcast episode aired on April 5th, so prices for both commercial ammo and components could have changed. If so, then both will likely trend in the same direction.

If one doesn't shoot much, then reloading will not make financial sense as it would take too long to recoup the cost of the equipment. However, as you can see it won't take long if you shoot even a few thousand rounds a year. I never include brass in my calculations because it is so easy to get on the range and used brass is dirt cheap if you have to buy it. The only time I buy new brass is if I have a special use in mine like self-defense ammo. (I haven't loaded my own self-defense ammo in years.)

Chas.

Real-world comparison of factory to reloaded ammo:
a. 45ACP 1,000 rounds:

• i. Components:
  • 1. 230 Gr. FMJ – Precision Delta $124/1,000
    2. 230 Gr. Coated cast bullets – BayouBullets.net $100.50/1,000 rds;
    3. Primers – Winchester Large Pistol – PowderValley.net $28/1,000 rds;
    4. Powder – Winchester 231 - $19.90/lb - $15/1,000 rds.
  ii. Cost Comparison excluding brass:
  • 1. Factory Winchester White Box - $379.70/1,000 rds;
    2. Home-loaded ammo:
    • a. Using jacketed bullets - $167/1,000 rds;
      b. Using coated cast bullets - $143.5/1,000 rds;
    3. That’s a savings of $212.70 for jacketed bullets and $236.2 for cast;
    4. If using new brass, add $164.50, but why?

b. 40 S&W 1,000 rounds:

• i. Components:
  • 1. 165 Gr. FMJ – Precision Delta - $115/1,000 rds;
    2. 165 Gr. Coated cast bullets – BayouBullets.net - $85/1,000 rds
    3. Primers Winchester Small Pistol – PowderValley.net $28/1,000
    4. Powder – Winchester 231 - $19.90/lb - $15/1,000 rds;
  ii. Cost Comparison excluding brass:
  • 1. Factory Winchester White Box - $279.85/1,000 rds;
    2. Home-loaded ammo:
    • a. Using jacketed bullets - $158/1,000 rds.
      b. Using coated cast bullets - $128
    3. That’s a savings of $121.85 for jacketed bullets and $151.85 for cast;
    4. If using new brass, add $154.50

c. 9mm Luger 1,000 rounds:

• i. Components:
  • 1. 115 Gr. FMJ – Precision Delta - $83/1,000 rds;
    2. 115 Gr. Coated cast bullets – BayouBullets.net - $63.25/1,000 rds;
    3. Primers Winchester Small Pistol – PowderValley.net $28/1,000
    4. Powder – Winchester 231 - $19.90/lb - $15/1,000 rds;
  ii. Cost Comparison excluding brass:
  • 1. Factory Winchester White Box - $238.85’
    2. Home-loaded ammo:
    • a. Using jacketed bullets - $126/1,000;
      b. Using coated cast bullets - $106.25/1,000;
    3. That’s a savings of $112.85 for jacketed bullets and $132.60 for cast;
    4. If using new brass, add $130.50