24hourcampfire.com
24hourcampfire.com
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Hop To
Page 1 of 2 1 2
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,059
leomort Offline OP
Campfire Regular
OP Offline
Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,059
How do you guys keep your handgun hand loading cost down and still afford to shoot a lot?

I've been trying to stock up on reloading supplies as my budget allows....my credit card can definitely vouch for that!

I'm reloading for 1911 45acp

How do you manage to salvage your brass from you semi-autoes?

I seem to do a decent job of recovering my brass at outdoor ranges, maybe losing 10% of my brass.

However, when I'm shooting at indoor ranges, I have terrible time recovering my brass. The shooting booths are small and brass always seems to take bad bounce where I can't recover.

I only got to shoot IDPA one time this year with my 1911, and wasn't able to recover my brass there either.

Is losing brass just the price you pay for shooting a semi auto?

I'm buying once-fired 45acp brass to help keep my costs down.

For bullets, I'm thinking of buying Berry's bullet or hard cast lead bullets like rimrock. Seems I can get almost 2x bullets for same price as fmj.


Any tips the veteran hand loaders can give to help push my costs down?

I'm serious thinking of switching to shooting my 357 mag revolver. At least I won't lose my brass!


BP-B2

Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,069
Campfire Kahuna
Offline
Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69,069
All my shooting is on public land. I spread a tarp on the ground to catch it. It takes a pretty big tarp as some will fly a long way. You can also hang a tarp over the side of a pickup and extend out on the ground.


“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
― George Orwell

It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 7,469
O
Campfire Tracker
Offline
Campfire Tracker
O
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 7,469
Buy in bulk. I try to buy brass 5K to 10K at a time. If your buying ACP brass for the first time from someone buy only a small batch to see how many small primer brass are in it.

If you lose it you lose it. It's part of the game.

Dink

Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 7,866
Campfire Outfitter
Offline
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 7,866
Perhaps you could construct a cheap brass 'deflector shield' that would keep your brass in your immediate area. Simple cardboard type of deal.

Like RC, I shoot on public land and use a big tarp--works sweet.

I would also look at coated bullets over plated. The ones I buy are considerably cheaper than Barry's.


It ain't what you don't know that makes you an idiot...it's what you know for certain, that just ain't so...

Most people don't want to believe the truth~they want the truth to be what they believe.

Stupidity has no average...
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 21,914
H
Campfire Ranger
Offline
Campfire Ranger
H
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 21,914
The single thing that keeps costs down for me with volume shooting has been access to free bullet metal and casting.

45 auto, 9mm, 40 Smith and 38 Special brass can be had once fired in 500 lots for around the price of a brick of 22s. Still very reasonable.

If I had to buy bullets theres no way I would shoot as much or have as much loaded as I do.

IC B2

Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,698
W
Campfire Tracker
Offline
Campfire Tracker
W
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,698
Dry fire


I like to do my hunting BEFORE I pull the trigger!
There is only one kind of dead, but there are many different kinds of wounded.
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 28,285
Campfire Ranger
Offline
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 28,285
"I'm serious thinking of switching to shooting my 357 mag revolver. At least I won't lose my brass!"

That's basically what I've done most of my life, shoot revolvers. I have so much .38 Special brass stashed away that I honestly will not be able to shoot it up in my remaining life. It doesn't help that the stuff lasts and lasts and lasts.

I never have warmed up to semi-autos all that much and never shoot them out in the field except for .22's of course. When shooting them I go to a public range with a cement pad, shoot whatever I brought with me while letting the brass find every interdimensional portal it can, and then just hope I don't lose more than 10 or 12 out of that batch. Losing brass is just the price you pay.

Also, 9mm and .45 are the only calibers where I still shoot range pick up brass. Fortunately a lot of folks leave their once fired factory brass lying around, or will give it away if asked. If going for accuracy I have my known lots of brass but for general blasting mixed headstamps of unknown vintage is the order of the day.

But you already seem to have most of the economy tips down. Powder and primers are going to cost pretty much the same per shot so shooting cast bullets is the only other area besides cheap brass where there is much room to save money.


Gunnery, gunnery, gunnery.
Hit the target, all else is twaddle!
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 7,913
R
RJM Offline
Campfire Outfitter
Offline
Campfire Outfitter
R
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 7,913
...loose brass...I usually come home with more brass than I left the house with. Most of the places I shoot people don't reload and there is brass for the picking everywhere. Check the trash cans and brass buckets...

Powder...it is harder now than it used to be but once you find a powder you like buy it in 8# jugs...it is a lot less than buying by the pound...same with primers...lots of times you can buy cases of 5K for less than buying a thousand at a time.

Bullets...wait for the sales at Berry's, Xtreme or Ranier...then stock up. Hardcast is fine too...sometimes you can find a local caster and eliminate shipping costs..

Bob


If you can not deal with reality, reality will deal with you....
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 28
B
Campfire Greenhorn
Offline
Campfire Greenhorn
B
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 28
Shoot 22s.
I have several purchased brass catchers that slip on the hand, they are about 80% efficient, once you get used to them they are not distracting. I have seen pictures of standing brass catchers, usually made from PVC tubing with some sort of light mesh in a rigid frame for a basket. Using a mesh or fabric keeps the brass from bouncing out.

Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 274
U
Campfire Member
Offline
Campfire Member
U
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 274
Yep, losing brass is just part and parcel of shooting a bottom-loader. But aside from that, the biggest cost saving you will find pertains to the bullet itself. I cast my own, and find I can reload the .45 ACP cartridge for about $.06 per round. Like Jim in Idaho, I much prefer to shoot revolvers and not deal with the losing brass situation.

Don


NRA Certified Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor
IC B3

Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,059
leomort Offline OP
Campfire Regular
OP Offline
Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,059
Thank you to all who have responded.

I buy my primers in bulk of 5K, cheaper that way. Helps spread out haz mat & shipping fee. Even with that included in price, I can still beat the price of brick & mortar stores around here.

Powder, I try to buy that locally, usually in 8lb when/where I can find it. Fortunately the 45acp is meager on powder consumption.

Buy once fire 45acp for about 10 cent/piece and get free shipping.

Bullets are Hornady 230gr fmj-rn that cost $88/500.

Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 67,559
Campfire Kahuna
Offline
Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 67,559
I don't reload semi auto calibers. I do load for revolvers.


Sam......

Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 274
U
Campfire Member
Offline
Campfire Member
U
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 274
Originally Posted by leomort
Buy once fire 45acp for about 10 cent/piece and get free shipping.

Bullets are Hornady 230gr fmj-rn that cost $88/500.


First, you are paying twice what you should for once-fired .45 ACP brass. I just last week bought 1,000 for 5 cents each and got free shipping. Second, casting your own bullets drives the cost of bullets down to less than $14/500. As you can see, the real savings is in the cost of bullets.

Don


NRA Certified Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 16,000
R
Campfire Ranger
Offline
Campfire Ranger
R
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 16,000
i reload for a number of different calibers, and hate to loose brass. Thus, even tho i am a member of an indoor shooting range, only revolvers there due to their brass pick up policies. In past years knowing where people like to shoot in the desert, it has been easy to scrounge the popular calibers, like 9mm, 40, and 45acp.
buy primers in bulk, powder in bulk, and free brass. Casting lead is not difficult, and it drives down cost say on 9mm to 3bucks a box or less.
I was thinking this tho this weekend in cabella's. some time ago i was thinking of reloading 9mm with new brass, primers powder and purchased bullets. The price of the componets was more than just buying a case of that herter's 9mm ammo cabella's had for ten bucks a box. Reloadable brass too.
When you start messing with the big bores, casting and rolling your own is the only way to go. I gag when i see the price of 41magnum, 44magnum, 45colt in the stores. Those low pressure rounds like 45colt, you can shoot the brass forever i think.
A guy i know use to fly F4's during the vietnam period. He acquired a couple of five gallon buckets of 38special at the a.f. ranges at the time. Still using those casings today.

Last edited by RoninPhx; 09/22/16.

THE BIRTH PLACE OF GERONIMO
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,059
leomort Offline OP
Campfire Regular
OP Offline
Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,059
USSR1991, once-fired 45acp for 5cents plus free shipping! That's great. Do you get all large primer brass with your? cleaned at all?

The place I get mine are all larger primer brass and wet cleaned, but would welcome cheaper brass if it was large primer brass.


RonInPhx, Yes, I'm not too found of indoor ranges due to the brass lost from semi auto pistols.


I'll probably be buying my hard cast bullets due to the need of buying casting equipment, molds, etc. At least even buying hard cast lead bullets is about half the cost of fmj-rn.

Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,082
S
Campfire Tracker
Offline
Campfire Tracker
S
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,082
I'd look around for another range. The range that I go to has so much 9mm and 45 and 40 brass in the brass bucket or lying around that I've pretty much stopped bringing it home. I'll swap out the brass bucket with an empty one if there is enough 38 or 357 or 45colt brass in it to make it worth my while but otherwise, pfft. My range may be a lot different than most of yours though. There is a shooting "school" that uses our range and also a lot of millionaires who wouldn't even think of reloading.


Stupidity is expensive
If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 274
U
Campfire Member
Offline
Campfire Member
U
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 274
Originally Posted by leomort
USSR1991, once-fired 45acp for 5cents plus free shipping! That's great. Do you get all large primer brass with your? cleaned at all?


Yep, all large primer. And there was only 2 nickel plated cases out of 1000. While they were clean, I ran them thru my wet tumbler to get them super clean.

Don


NRA Certified Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 21,317
Campfire Ranger
Offline
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 21,317
[Linked Image]

You need to cast your own if you want to drop your costs. You can get lead ingots for $1/lb and 1000 bullets will cost you $28.50. The lee 200gr swc tl is a good accurate bullet and you can cast them fast with the six cavity mold.

Last time I bought once fired 45 acp brass I paid $100 for 2000 cases shipped. Check the castoolits website classified section. Lots of guys selling brass and lead and good prices.

If your sick and tired of loosing brass, make up a brass catcher that attaches to a camera tripod and take it to the range.

If you really want to cut your shooting costs, shoot a 38 special. You'll burn 1/2 the powder and nearly 1/2 the lead. Lee's 125 gr rf or the 120 gr tc for the 9mm are both great bullets in the 38. And 38 special brass is really cheap.

Last edited by 458 Lott; 09/23/16.
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,059
leomort Offline OP
Campfire Regular
OP Offline
Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,059
Most of the brass I find at the ranges I go are 9mm and some 40S&W.

At least one nice thing about shooting a 45acp, it's easy to pick out your brass from the 9mm's smile

Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 16,000
R
Campfire Ranger
Offline
Campfire Ranger
R
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 16,000
i just bought, haven't used yet, that mitech 130 grain mold cut for no grease groove. I intend using it on several, maybe 9mm, certainly .38special/357 and mayble a few others.
Using a lee mold and casting gets your cost way down. At one time for me it was around 1.50/box, scrounged brass, free lead, cost was primers/powder.


THE BIRTH PLACE OF GERONIMO
Page 1 of 2 1 2

Moderated by  RickBin 

Link Copied to Clipboard
YB23

Who's Online Now
155 members (160user, 35, 257 mag, 10Glocks, 2UP, 300_savage, 15 invisible), 1,856 guests, and 837 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Forum Statistics
Forums81
Topics1,187,728
Posts18,400,778
Members73,822
Most Online11,491
Jul 7th, 2023


 







Fish & Game Departments | Solunar Tables | Mission Statement | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA
Hunting | Fishing | Camping | Backpacking | Reloading | Campfire Forums | Gear Shop
Copyright © 2000-2024 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5
(Release build 20201027)
Responsive Width:

PHP: 7.3.33 Page Time: 0.116s Queries: 15 (0.003s) Memory: 0.8988 MB (Peak: 1.0537 MB) Data Comp: Zlib Server Time: 2024-03-29 10:08:05 UTC
Valid HTML 5 and Valid CSS