For those of you casting your own bullets, what is your total cost per round of handgun calibers and what caliber/ performance level is that cost based upon?
If you could break it down by cost for each component I would appreciate it.
Thanks!
What are your ammo costs?
Forum rules
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.
Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.
Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
-
bluesman423
- Levergunner 2.0
- Posts: 112
- Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2007 6:26 pm
- Location: NE Oklahoma
-
Catshooter
- Levergunner 3.0
- Posts: 996
- Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2008 9:19 pm
- Location: South East South Dakota
Re: What are your ammo costs?
Well, let's see. Let's just do the 45 Colt.
Primer - 1.3 cents
Brass - .5 cents
Powder- 2.0 cents
Bullet - free.
Lube - .2 cents
Total is 4 cents.
Now how I got there.
The primers cost me $13.50 per thousand. The brass was $50 per thousand once fired at the gun show and I've figured ten reloads per case. Of course I'll really average closer to 25. Powder is nine grains of Universal Clays that was $108 for an eight pound keg. Lead I've scrounged. Lube was $1 a stick. All these prices are old because I bought the components years ago 'cause I'm the sorta guy who likes to be stocked up. The shortages of the last three years affected me not at all.
Of course the equipment costs are not figured in. They can be high, or they can be very low. I'm probably somewhere in the middle.
Hope this answers what you were looking for.
Cat
Primer - 1.3 cents
Brass - .5 cents
Powder- 2.0 cents
Bullet - free.
Lube - .2 cents
Total is 4 cents.
Now how I got there.
The primers cost me $13.50 per thousand. The brass was $50 per thousand once fired at the gun show and I've figured ten reloads per case. Of course I'll really average closer to 25. Powder is nine grains of Universal Clays that was $108 for an eight pound keg. Lead I've scrounged. Lube was $1 a stick. All these prices are old because I bought the components years ago 'cause I'm the sorta guy who likes to be stocked up. The shortages of the last three years affected me not at all.
Of course the equipment costs are not figured in. They can be high, or they can be very low. I'm probably somewhere in the middle.
Hope this answers what you were looking for.
Cat
Re: What are your ammo costs?
That is the reason I did not reply before, all my stuff was stocked up years ago; and does not apply to today's prices.
Re: What are your ammo costs?
Here's an estimate I prepared in Oct 2010 for .40S&W (45C cast reloads also about 1/2 the price of factory ammo)
.40 S&W (less sales tax)
brass (Rem from Cabelas per 500 $139.99 0.28
primers (from McBride's) $39.95 0.04
powder (RedDot from McBride's) $23.50 0.02
lead (2.32/# rotometals 10/24/10) 20 # $46.40 0.06
total cost 0.39
compare (Fed from Cabelas) 0.85
rimrock
.40 S&W (less sales tax)
brass (Rem from Cabelas per 500 $139.99 0.28
primers (from McBride's) $39.95 0.04
powder (RedDot from McBride's) $23.50 0.02
lead (2.32/# rotometals 10/24/10) 20 # $46.40 0.06
total cost 0.39
compare (Fed from Cabelas) 0.85
rimrock
Re: What are your ammo costs?
Same here.Mescalero wrote:That is the reason I did not reply before, all my stuff was stocked up years ago; and does not apply to today's prices.
Rob
Proud to be Christian American and not ashamed of being white.
May your rifle always shoot straight, your mag never run dry, you always have one more round than you have adversaries, and your good mate always be there to watch your back.
Because I can!
Never grow a wishbone where a backbone ought to be.
May your rifle always shoot straight, your mag never run dry, you always have one more round than you have adversaries, and your good mate always be there to watch your back.
Because I can!
Never grow a wishbone where a backbone ought to be.
Re: What are your ammo costs?
.40 S&W:
brass free, there is more brass than gravel in some places
primers, $.04 ea,
powder, $.025 ea
bullets cast from range scrap, free
total cost, $3.25 per box of 50
I can load .45ACP, .38Spl, 9mm, and .44Mag for the same price, all using range pickup brass.
If I had to buy new brass, say for .44Spl and allowing for 5 reloads each, I would add about $3.00 per box to the cost.
I picked up a .500S&W rifle the other day and noticed that ammo was nearly $50 for 20 rounds. At $2.50 per shot, I wouldn't be shooting it much without handloading and bullet casting.
Jack
brass free, there is more brass than gravel in some places
primers, $.04 ea,
powder, $.025 ea
bullets cast from range scrap, free
total cost, $3.25 per box of 50
I can load .45ACP, .38Spl, 9mm, and .44Mag for the same price, all using range pickup brass.
If I had to buy new brass, say for .44Spl and allowing for 5 reloads each, I would add about $3.00 per box to the cost.
I picked up a .500S&W rifle the other day and noticed that ammo was nearly $50 for 20 rounds. At $2.50 per shot, I wouldn't be shooting it much without handloading and bullet casting.
Jack
Re: What are your ammo costs?
I always figured about $3.00-$4.00 per box of 50 handgun ammo. I don't count the cost of brass or lead.
NRA Life Member
-
adirondakjack
- Senior Levergunner
- Posts: 1925
- Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2007 7:09 pm
- Location: Upstate NY
- Contact:
Re: What are your ammo costs?
TODAY, if I went and bought stuff, here's the run down.
Primers at $33/1000 is $.033/ea
Powder at $20/lb, figure a 5 grain load is $.014/ea
Brass at $.20/ea, figure $.01 per use
Bullet, 200 grains lead $.021/ea
Lube, $.005/ea
Total is $.083/ea.
$4.15 per box of 50. That's figuring a .45 colt or ACP load.
For a little hotter load and the reduction in case life as well as more powder used, still yer talking about $6/box of 50
Making rounds that do what you want em to do, accurate and POA in YOUR GUNS, priceless.
Primers at $33/1000 is $.033/ea
Powder at $20/lb, figure a 5 grain load is $.014/ea
Brass at $.20/ea, figure $.01 per use
Bullet, 200 grains lead $.021/ea
Lube, $.005/ea
Total is $.083/ea.
$4.15 per box of 50. That's figuring a .45 colt or ACP load.
For a little hotter load and the reduction in case life as well as more powder used, still yer talking about $6/box of 50
Making rounds that do what you want em to do, accurate and POA in YOUR GUNS, priceless.
Certified gun nut