Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading Cost of reloading CF vs buying RF

I think the increased cost of RF ammo has made reloading for small caliber handguns (and rifles) cheaper than purchasing RF ammo.

Reloading for the Hornet has always been pretty price comptetitive with rimfire, especially if comparing to WMR ammo. And I was just doing some quick numbers for the 327 mags which my g-kids are shooting My reloads are costing me around 7 to 8 cents a round.

I scrounged about 100 lbs of lead for practically nothing, and purchased tin and antimony from Rotometals to add to the mix. I get 2000 rds from a can of powder. So I am figuring about 3 cents per primer, 2 cents for powder, and maybe 2 cents each for bullets.

So, I am feeling pretty good about keeping the kids supplied with quality CF ammo for the cost of 22 lr. Just don't be raining on my parade with discussion of mould purchases, lube sizer and dies, reloading tools and replacing lost brass.

7-8 cents per round definitely is cheap. Before the last Obama shortage "good" .22 rounds were 6 cents each but nowadays 9 cents for the cheaper bulk ammo is about normal. The lead you got is really saving you a lot of money and the durable goods - moulds, dies and such - just keep getting cheaper the more you use them.

Many years ago a gunsmith gave me a water damaged box of 500 Speer 9mm RN swaged bullets. The bullets were fine but the box was falling apart. That was when primers were about $12/100 so it was a while ago. I loaded them in .38 Special cases where they were definitely minute of soda can out to 25 yards. With 3.0 gr. Bullseye, 1.2 cent primers, free lead and brass that basically lasts forever I figure those .38 rounds cost me under 3 cents each, that was certainly the cheapest I've ever loaded centerfire ammo.

You mean $12 per thousand, right?

Oops - good catch. Yes, $12/thousand.

With a lee six cavity mold, casting good cast bullets doesn't take that long. Even if you have to pay $1/lb for lead alloy you can put together 38 sp or 9mm loads for $6-7/100 and 44 sp & 45 acp is just about $10/100

I have more money than time.

Pass the rimfire.




Dave

Back when I was casting, I could load 9mm LRN for about a nickel apiece (a friend of mine owned an alignment shop, I got wheelweights for free). I shot the 9mms in preference to .22s at that time. I bought and tried a bunch of different 9s, from an old Radom to various CZs and clones, Hi-Powers and clones, S&Ws, Glocks, and had a ball doing it. Even a .38 Super with a 9mm barrel, I messed with a whole bunch of them. Shooting them was cheap, fun, and informative. I learned a lot about pistols. It was great.

I still have more time than money (heck I have more kids than money) and progressive loading 9mm goes pretty quick at ~500-600 rounds per hour, so I've been shooting that instead of 22 rimfire pistols. My Buckmark and Mark I used to see 1,000+ rounds per month pre-Obummer, but have maybe fired 1,000 total between them in the last 8 years. My 9mm loading cost is almost all just powder and primers, since I cast my own, and re-melt the fired bullets, so 5-6 cents per round, or even less when using a buddy's shotgun powder he didn't want anymore.

The Hornet is a good RF substitute too as the OP mentions, although I admit I mostly shoot 223 instead. Not quite the cost savings there but plenty of fun.

Yep, the G-son and I just came in from a session down at the dingers. He put fifty rounds through the S-seven and I put fifty through the 657 mountain gun. I am liking these cheap bullets.

'Flave, I am guessing I have about ten more grandkids than you, and quite possibly a lot less disposable cash. And I have found casting bullets to be quite rewarding.

Back during the shortage, I could cast and load .45's as cheap or cheaper than I could find .22's around here, WHEN I could find them.
I've not shot much since the election, what I have has mostly been rifles, but now I have a good .38 for the next shortage (even cheaper and easier on the lead pot). I'd love to have a good hornet set up for cast for the same reason.
No more than I get to shoot anymore, a good .38 and a good Hornet (suppressed) would nearly end my .22 consumption.
That said, one of the newer .22/45's with a suppressor may renew my rimfire interest........

Use to scrounge lead wheel weights scrap lead etc. and loaded my 38/357 ammo for cheap. Just finally got sick and tired of sitting at the reloading bench. I'll still load up a box or two of deer ammo mainly because I have a bunch of supplies but pretty tired of the reloading game . Of course then I bought bulk unique from the lgs for $2 lb if you supplied your own coffee can, otherwise you got it in a paper sack. Not o cheap today. Ymmv