The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Just wondering...

If one doesn't have a technical interest in the activity, and no need to craft ammunition that is of a special nature that can't be found commercially, or a higher quality, consistency etc, how much does one have to be getting through for it to be a money saving exercise? I know it's probably calibre dependent, but for the most commonly used ones...?

I don,t save any money hand loading ammunition. Its more accurate but my main reason for hand loading is because its a fascinating subject and I love doing it. The only reason I shoot is to provide me with empty cases to hand load.

Tbh one of the reasons I got into fullbore shooting following on from prone smallbore was reloading, being of a technical persuasion it interested me. I now find the actual processes quite medative and relaxing.

Alan

I hate it.... if I could afford it, I'd only shoot factory ammo....!!

I don't mind pistol calibres so much, chuck the cases in the tumber for an hour or two, then feed them through my Lee progessive and completed rounds fall out, but I find rifle calibres a real ball-ache... clean, resize, trim, clean again, then load, seat and crimp....


Maybe "hate" is too strong a word, but reloading not something I look forward to...

I load 6.5x47, among others:
Case (Lapua) £1 currently getting around 20 reloads, so 5p
Bullet (Scenar 123gn) 29p
Powder (RS50) 19p
Primer (Russian) 2.5p

Total 55.5p a pop

I don't know if factory ammo is available in the UK.

Pete

Handloading for saving money is the wrong motivation and will lead to bother in due course.

If handloading is a chore to you then the likelyhood of errors are increased and possible harm to you and even worse innocent bystanders.

If you do not find handloading a rewarding pastime in itself which will enable you to make ammunition tailored to your gun, help you have a greater understanding of your firearm(s) and ballistics, allow you to experiment with and try out different components and give you a rewarding way of enjoying your firearms whilst not at the range then do your self and everyone else a favour and stick to factory ammunition.

Handloading also allows you to enter the wonderful world of cast bullet shooting. Casting along with hand loading also enables you shoot guns chambered for ammunition that is no longer available.

Money saving is a false motivation, I doubt anyone has saved any money handloading but it certainly allows you to shoot more but only if you relish the process of itself for its own sake.

it causes confusion when the FEO tries to add up how many rounds you have fired during the year, do you need any other reason?

TRG-22 wrote:Just wondering...

If one doesn't have a technical interest in the activity, and no need to craft ammunition that is of a special nature that can't be found commercially, or a higher quality, consistency etc, how much does one have to be getting through for it to be a money saving exercise? I know it's probably calibre dependent, but for the most commonly used ones...?

To answer the question you asked:

Let's say a 308 factory round costs £1 and 'Pete' has worked out that a reload costs 55p - but let's round that up to 60p (20 reloads per case is a bit much!)

So, by reloading, you will save 40p per round.

Now, a reloading kit - press, dies etc. can be bought for about £400 so, before that is 'paid for' you will need to reload 1000 rounds.

Of course, you could complicate it a bit - by selling off your once-fired factory brass............

dromia wrote:<Stuff which all makes perfect sense.>

Thanks.

And I know just where you're coming from. I like marmalade. I make my own (sometimes), not to save money, but because I can make it how I prefer it - less sweet and more bitter than the stuff you can buy.

I don't make all that I eat, because I find the process of making it an utter b***s-ache. Thank god I lke thick cut or cutting thin strips of peel would drive me insane.

But the fact that because I don't use "enough" sugar it doesn't set fully, and that the b-a of prep means I sometimes cut corners by not cutting the peel enough doesn't mean I end up with jars of something that will harm me or others.

Unless people screwing up their face saying "(*£^$^'#@ me that's bitter" counts as "harm"

TRG-22 wrote:

dromia wrote:<Stuff which all makes perfect sense.>

Thanks.

And I know just where you're coming from. I like marmalade. I make my own (sometimes), not to save money, but because I can make it how I prefer it - less sweet and more bitter than the stuff you can buy.

I don't make all that I eat, because I find the process of making it an utter b***s-ache. Thank god I lke thick cut or cutting thin strips of peel would drive me insane.

But the fact that because I don't use "enough" sugar it doesn't set fully, and that the b-a of prep means I sometimes cut corners by not cutting the peel enough doesn't mean I end up with jars of something that will harm me or others.

Unless people screwing up their face saying "(*£^$^'#@ me that's bitter" counts as "harm"

Obviously you have neither the mind set or imagination required to be a safe handloader so you should stick to factory ammunition.

Such a cavalier attitude to safety indicates that anything do with firearms isn't for you.