Is it still cheaper to reload shotgun shells ? Been years since ive done much shotgunning . Price of a bag of shot is much more than what I remember it being .

If you value your time at all, NO for common low cost ammo.

If you load anything that is premium or not common it saves a lot. I load 2 1/2" 12 & 16 ga shells for older sxs's with Lead for targets and upland, Bismuth for waterfowl and I save a lot. I also load predator hunting round NP BB's/F in 12 and 16ga and Bismuth BB's for Non-tox areas, my guns aren't steel safe. Here I saves as such ammo is literally unavailable.

Kinda figured that was it .

Thanks for your time

Chris

For the most part, 12 and 20 Gauge, No. 16 Gauge, maybe. 28 and 410 gauge, definitely.

I always wanted a 28 gauge. Thought it would pretty neat .

Be careful- they’re addicting! Great little guns, and so much fun to shoot!

Indeed...

Last year I sold my 3-barrel set of SKB skeet guns in .410, 28 and 20 ga... The one I kinda miss the most was that 28.. What a fun round to use on skeet!

As mentioned, reloading is not cost effective for the 12 ga and 20 ga in their common loadings. This is even more true if you have to buy the equipment and do not buy components in the minimum of case/keg sizes. It really helps if you can buy shot by the pallet rather than bag too.

The "economics" work out if one compares the cost of reloads to top end target loads though that skews things a little as the economy loads do 90% of what is needed for over 99% of shooters as is shown on trap, skeet, and sporting clays ranges every day throughout the country. The overwhelming number of misses are the result of the shooter rather than ammo or even gun in spite of what the shooter says.

Reloading does "pay" for the smaller bores such as the 28 and 410 as even the "cheapies" run about triple of what you can reload them for. It can also pay if you load specialty rounds that can be hard to find such as 7/8 oz loads for the 12 ga or 3/4 oz for the 20 ga. I shoot these a lot and it not only saves on the pocketbook but also the shoulder. I'm still loading the 12 ga for a little over $2 a box due to buying components in very large quantities long ago and my machines were paid for decades ago so it is still economical for me to reload 12 and 20 ga. If I were starting from scratch- no way.

Pays depending on how you value your time. I guess if you enjoy it, it could save you a few dollars. But think about how many times you are handling the shells, how much time you spend at the bench reloading. No thank you. To easy to just buy cheaper in Bulk for me.

When it comes to target shot shells, load between 12-15K a year and the fun pastime of reloading shot shells quickly becomes old. Not unusual for 3 or 4 of us to buy and split 100 flats of 12 gauge. Then some clubs also give us a break and allow us to go in with them on quantity purchases. The reloader has sat idle for some time now.

The days of $12.50 bags of hi antimony shot are gone. Cheaper to buy pre-rolled now. That being said I'm holding on to my Mec 9000 and 55 gallons of AAs just in case.
Cheers

Last time I ordered shells I bought a pallet of 100 flats. sold 30 flats the rest I kept. I need to order again soon.

Same here.. Bought a half-pallet of shot about 12 years ago and still have quite a bit left - and it was $10.65/25#... I probably have 4,000 cases left, 2+ full cases of wads, plus primers and powder enough to use up most of it..

Reloading the 12 doesn't take long, since I have and use a MEC 9000H.. Over 1,000 rounds/hour if one gets to it..

1000 rounds and hour isn't even a weeks worth of practice ammo. Now add 300 to 500 each weekend for tournaments. I rather just buy. But I get it some enjoy loading.

What erich and all said. If you need some short chambered stuff or low pressure stuff, and you shoot a fair bit, you’ll save some money vs buying flat after flat of say RST’s at $15-18/box shiipped. But also divide that savings by hours you can afford to spare to tinker and do it (reload) of course. Otherwise, these days, just buy factory. When cost to reload is around $4 - $4.50/box, vs good factory common loads run $5-6/box these days, you have to shoot a ton, and have the free time, to make reloading worth it. Or you just like doing it.

Or, spend some of the time reloading rather than chatting on the Internet. it's all time management and prioritizing. I keep a reloader set up all the time and punch out whatever I can when I can. I filled a flat this morning when I fed and then let the dogs out and will do another one to two flats tonight during the same activity. -45 minutes/500 rounds/day, 3500 rounds a week, 182,000+ rounds over 52 weeks should be able to keep even MCH in shells over the course of a year. 😏

+10 Woods has hit it on the nose but there are other points to reloading as well .My old Ithaca Flues in 10 ga with Damascus barrels needs black powder, I cut down 3.5" Federal hulls to 2 7/8" use black, card and fiber wads and roll crimp. You can't buy those at whatevermart. My 1902 made M97 Winchester has a 2 5/8" chamber and a .694" full choke ,yup I cut hulls down and load them the same as they did back then. Then there are the 2 2 9/16" 16 gauges I've help their owners out on. When you load your own you have the versatility of shells loaded to any time frame you want to experience. I know that is not important to some but it is to me. Magnum _Bob

Battue shoots a lot more shells than me. As do most guys that compete. I would like to find time to shoot as much as those guys do.

I have had 2, but let them both go. But they are fun, light to carry and hugely more effective than the .410. On my long range wishlist, is a Sandusky Model 37 in 28. around $1200 now for their cheapest one, I think

Yep bought in quantity the standard target loads for a standard gauge is cheaper to buy from the factory. I don't shoot enough to make it worth while. Shipping and shot cost have gone way up. If you shoot a bunch a year then perhaps with careful purchases then reloading might be cheaper. I have found it cheaper to buy when they are on sale in quantity.

Hard to fit that in when you have to get on top of 25% of the worlds mountains and dive in most of its oceans while doing so with its exotic women. I’m not feeling too sorry for you, however one out of those three makes me more than a little envious 😀

Dan has a really nice course, when you can pull yourself away. 👍

I know I want to go shoot it with you. He is always fun too. Word to the wise WOMAN are trouble, but hell imagine how boring life would be without trouble.

Some astute thinkers say trouble is absolutely necessary for growth and boredom becomes a problem when our lives have too much certainty.

Nice to know you are still growing and they keep you from getting bored. 😀

I enjoy loading my own 12 gauge hunting and wild pigeon and pest loads. When I shoot some informal trap I use Winchester AA factory loads. I have lots of hulls and do my reloading in the winter months

It's all fun and games until they fall in Love. I bet you never seen a guy my size run so fast?

There are certain ones that one should not let get away....

I never said I was smart! I have let a few of those go.

It's a wash