I have never re-loaded before and was wondering what the cost savings would be by re-loading myself . I currently pay $104.00 for 20 rounds for my Weatherby 416 with 350 grain Barnes X bullets. Using all new components, what would it cost me to produce 20 of same? I thank you in advance for your assistance.

Well Mau Mau... maybe at that point... there is a savings in reloading.....

any caliber below that, any reloader's response will probably be on the subject of savings...

once you discover the disneyland of componets available and allow yourself to taylor loads to your individual needs... YOU will be spending tons MORE...

Because it is so darn rewarding and fun... the next thing you know.. is that you blow a $100.00 on reload componets and shoot and shoot and shoot and you are out of them again...

Reloading for most of us, is like starting a drug habit.... It is never going to be cheap...But it is addicting!

I haven't bought any factory ammo in the last 7 years or more....unless it was rim fire ammo....

But good luck with it...

cheers
seafire

I can't tell you anything about loading for your caliber.

What I can tell you is that I got into it to save money . I can load my own .270 rounds for about 10 dollars a box, compared to 24 or so off the shelf. BUT!!!, just like anyone else will tell you here, it's addicting, and you always have to have new stuff.

When I started out, I ended up forking over around 600 bucks for everything I thought I needed (actually bought things I now know I didn't need ). My shopping list for components/tools for my next online order/trip to the store has a total of around 200 bucks(so far).

Long story short, I haven't saved a dime, and I doubt I ever will. You see, b/c there's always more stuff to buy and try, and b/c it is cheaper to produce ammo, I therefore shoot more now, and I therefore spend even more money.

It's well worth it IMO. It's fun just to do it, it's fun to work up new loads, and it's fun to go to the range and shoot them up. If you decide to start loading, I don't think you'll regret it.

Wild ass guess on my part, assuming you have brass to start with:

Primer .02
powder .30/round
bullet wide range of possibilities there, call it .50 each. Could be a lot more if you want.

Not including dies, press and other essectial reloading equipment, around $16 per box of 20 rounds. But that's just a guess since I buy my components in bulk and usually get sticker shock when I buy a new load.

Mau Mau;


Why price reloading with "all new components"? The saving comes from re-using the brass, especially Rigby brass at two dollars per case. Weatherby .416s aren't much cheaper. In my .416 Rigby, a Ruger #1, some of my cases have now been fired dozens of times each.

I have just developed a routine for successfully casting softpoint bullets for the .416, and yesterday tested them against jugs of water. A 365-grain RCBS 416-350 design
at 2100 fps impact speed expanded to over .800" and retained 242 grains of its weight. That is just about what I expect from my Nosler Partitions when they hit heavy going....66% weight retention. That bullet penetrated six jugs, and a somewhat harder version penetrated all eight of the jugs I had lined up.

Cost? My Rigby loads for that cast bullet at 2300 fps cost 1.6 cents for primers, 9.0 cents for powder, and NOTHING for the bullet except a 2-cent gascheck. About thirteen cents per round!

These cast softpoints will likely be useable for any North American game save the big bears, which I won't recommend until I get a chance to test the bullets on critters. I won't be surprised to find they'll suffice for the bruins as well, but my own peace of mind would probably require a good X-bullet for such animals. I may have a chance at an elk in Alberta this fall, and just might use these new softpoints for the job.

For the figures you mention, the cost of ONE BOX of factory loads would go a long way to equipping you for casting, and plain old used wheelweights are about all you need for bullet alloy.

There is absolutely no need to spend the large amount of money for .416 bullets intended for heavy game, just to fire them at paper.

http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com

is the best and most-active cast bullet site on the Web, I believe, and you'd be very welcome to stop by and "look around". My posts about the softpoints are on the "Cast Boolits" forum there, if you're interested. Also do a search on "416" for other topics on the caliber.

It will depend how fine accuracy you want to get;getting below(near) .5MOA with a hunting rifle,the price is yours ,one time ,two times the price of your rifle?(depending the price of your rifle)...

I don't load .416 Weatherby, but I do load .416 Rigby.

If you figure 5 firings of a $2 case (which is well within reason unless you're pushing near max) and 120 grains of IMR 4831 (not a loading recommendation!!!!), and Federal 215M primers (at $22/k) then a round costs 80 cents exclusive of the bullet.

Seems to me that the 350 grain Barnes Xs (which I use too), are about $40/50. So total is about $1.60 per round over time.

I hunt with new or once fired brass ... then it goes into the practice pile.

Now ... that's a savings of $70+ a box. So with three boxes of shells you've paid for the equipment to load your caliber. Four to 5 boxes if you go to the really good stuff like an electronic balance.

You can save more by going to a cheaper practice bullet like the 350 gr Speer hot core. Which ia actually fine for most NA game.

Good luck!

Reloading for a Weatherby you'll probably save a good bit of money, especially if you already have the brass, but that's about where the saving will probably end.

When I started I had 3 rifles and not a great deal of time for shooting. I really grew to like the hobby as most of us do. Today I reload for 13 rifles, and the prices for components eat me up alive. I save absolutely nothing because I shoot so much more. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

MAU MAU
Look at it this way, you could be "in the business" for the price of 4 boxes of factory fodder. A RCBS kit is the way to go.

Buckshot,
That's a pretty good way to look at it. Don't we all manage to find a "good reason" (aka, excuse) to do something or get something new? We will always find a way to justify what we want, and can sometimes get pretty darn creative.

You hear a lot of guys say they don't save much money because they shoot more. So comparing apples to apples, you save quite abit over factory ammo, especially in big bores or "non standard" rounds (Weatherby, Dakota, Rigby, etc.)You can easily get out the door for $20 a box. Get yourself a kit like the RCBS Rockchucker Supreme & you are off to start "saving" money.

I cannot imagine life before reloading. Take the plunge, you'll never regret it.

Just be sure and do the research and do it right. Get several reloading manuals and read, read, read.

Don't depend on the internet and heresay. In some cases, that could be dangerous.

Good luck, Rojelio

quote:

Originally posted by MAU MAU:
I have never re-loaded before and was wondering what the cost savings would be by re-loading myself . I currently pay $104.00 for 20 rounds for my Weatherby 416 with 350 grain Barnes X bullets. Using all new components, what would it cost me to produce 20 of same? I thank you in advance for your assistance.

Well, if you are paying $104.00 for 20 rounds of .416 Weatherby and shoot a lot, you can save money by reloading. The most expensive component of a round of ammo is the cartridge case, which non-reloaders generally toss out after firing a shot.

Your initial cost to set up to reload will be a pretty significant investment, but you can do it for no more than four or five boxes of that .416 Weatherby ammo, IF you purchase judiciously! Get as much stuff as you can off of an auction site like e-bay. I bought a practically brand-new RCBS Rockchucker press off of e-bay last year for $50.00. In addition to the press, you'll need a powder scale, which you can probably get off e-bay as well for under half the price of a new one from a dealer. Then you'll need a set of dies for .416 Weatherby, which you MAY have to pay retaail for, since it is not all that common a caliber. Then you'll need a shellholder for your press, a case trimmer with a .416" pilot, some primers, a pound of powder, and a box of whatever type of .416" bullets you want to use.

If you buy as much of thios stuff as you can from e-bay auctions, and only buy at rtetail; those items you can't find cheaper, you should be able to load your first box of ammo for under $300.00.

The very first item you should purchase is a good reloading manual that has .416 Weatherby loading data in it, so you can select the right powder and bullets for your first box of reloads - I am assuming you have saved all your once-fired brass??

quote:

Originally posted by El Deguello:
Well, if you are paying $104.00 for 20 rounds of .416 Weatherby and shoot a lot, you can save money by reloading.

Maybe I'm just a sissy, but I can imagine calibers I would shoot a lot more than a .416 Wby - even if per round the Wby might save me more $$$...

Anyway, do get into reloading. It is a great way of learning and shooting more. You'll expand your horizon as a shooter, and you'll soon stop worrying about whether your reloading endeavour actually saved you any money.
- mike

mau mau, you won't save money but you'll be able to shoot a lot more for the same price. Once you become set up reloading lots of things can now be done that factory loads just don't. Like load that .416 with cast bullets and shoot for pennies or maybe nickles each. Loading will also allow you to become more knoledgable about your rifle ect. ect. ect. get involved and have fun!!!!

I got started in reloading to save money but right away discovered you actually burn a hole in your pocket. About $300 in reloading equipment plus all the components, but in the long run it kinda does pay off if you shoot thousands rounds a year. With the smaller calibers you will save about 1/3 to 1/2 from factory loads, and in most cases, find a more accurate bullet. But with your big caliber, it should save u alot cuz $104 for 20 rounds is darn alot when I can load 200 22-250 shells for 45-55 bucks using the same brass. If you are going to shoot alot then it probably will be worth it in the long run. But like everyone says, you actually shoot alot more. Since I started reloading I found myself shooting 2 to 3 times more than usual.

Per individual round you will save a lot of money period, but like a lot have said you generally tend to shoot a lot more.
You would only have to load a few boxes of 416WBY for the equipment to pay for itsels and it should last for years.

As far as buying so much that you are not saving I personally see that as disciplne.
Rarely do I shoot factory loads only a couple boxes in the last ten years or so and that is just to get the brass or shooting cheap mil surplus in a 7.62x54.

Reloading isn't all about saving money, although in some cases it does that quite well. I reload to have fun finding a real good shooting load for a rifle and learning along the way.

MAU MAU

Reloading is alot cheaper once you get the brass,which alot of people will give you that dont shoot enough to reload.

Ill give you a simple examle of what I use.
I but the bullets in bulk 500-1000 at a time.


.270 winchester 100 rounds loaded in a couple of hours.

primers $1.59
bullets $8.00
powder 12.00
cases free!
for 100 rounds that is $21.90 plus tax.

The load I shoot is the remington 130 grain core lokt and or the 130 grain winchester power point,with imr 4350 powder.

The powder is actually 14.90 per pound but for a 100 rounds I only use about $12.00 worth. Keep in mind if you do have to buy the cases you only have to buy them on occasion.
I shoot alot. If I bought the ultra premium bullets I could not shoot near as cheap as I do.

I have never killed a deer elk bear moose or
antelope with anything other than a reload
that I have assembled.Lead bullets are still good for anything that you choose to shoot.


Hey when a box of shells cost $15.00-20.00
per box of 20 for my .270 win
Then I guess my reloads at $4.38 per box is much cheaper.
I cant think of any reason where a reload
could cost more than factory.
Regardless of what you load for.

MAU MAU,

FIRST LET ME SAY STICK WITH BARNES X YOU WON'T BE SORRY THEY ARE THE BEST!!!!!

I started reloading 10 years ago. My motivation was the same as yours, I had just gotten my first "big" rifle a 300 win mag and even shitty PMC was $26 a box of 20 rounds.

I saved money initally but then I shoot so much more as I got in to reloading more callibers that now I don't save any money but I shoot all my rifles a lot more than most hunters I know.

Also by being consistent and methodical you can get ammo that is more reliable and far more accurate than anything made in any factory at any price!!!!!!!!!!! (as long as you have a rifle that can appreciate good ammo)
All of the rifles I have picked up in the last few years have never even had factory ammo through them, when I get a new calliber I get the dies and components with it.

GOOD LUCK

Maumau,
I'll keep this focused on cents per shot.

okay, first off, your 416 is about 10 bucks a shot from factory ammo

reloading it you have (commerial powder)
35 cents in powder
80 cents in bullet
2 cents in primer
20 cents in case life
Or, $1.37 per round.

Loading the 500 jeffe is about the same, 38 cents in powder and 94 cents in bullet, but close enough

Switching to cast bullets and surplus powder.

18 cents in powder surplus
18 cents in bullet cast
2 cents in primer
20 cents in case life
Or, 58 cents per round.

You SHOULD not run cast over 2100 with a gas check, unless you have worked out the hardness, alloy, and lube with your bullet maker.

I suggest "heavy for caliber" bullets, to have recoil be close to jacketed bullets, to train with.

try wayne D at http://www.customcastbullets.com

jeffe

I started reloading to save money. I saved money, and shot a lot more! Then I discovered that by reloading, I could optimize the performance of my guns, and produce ammunition that was just not available any other way, so I started buying more and more equipment; loading dies for my ever-increasing, ever more weird collection of calibers & etc., bullet moulds, casting furnaces, lead hardness testers, better (fancier) powder scales, more different powder measures, case trimmers, mnicrometers, calipers, bullet sizing dies, sizer/lubricators, additional presses, and, well, you get the idea!

So all the money I'd saved. plus many more hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, have subsequently been squandered on this fascinating pursuit - I call it a hobby, but I've probably invested more time and money in this shooting/reloading activity over the past 50 years than in any other pursuit ever!

You can save about 50% on most loads. For example .30-06 barnes tsx Federal = $27 on cabela's. My cost to reload $11.50. Some cartridges, like the .223 you won't save much because you can buy reloads from the store (ie Black Hills). For 12 gauge target loads, you can buy cheapo factory for about the same as you can reload them with better cases. Or, another way to look at it is, you can shoot a premium bullet like an accubond or triple shock, hopefully taylored to your gun, for about the price of coreloct or powerpoint factory.

Like everyone says, most of the time the savings will be more than spent because you will shoot more, and you use a lot of components just testing your loads. But, I like to shoot. I am guessing you do too.

You won't save a dime by reloading... You WILL spend the money either way...you're just gonna be able to shot ALOT more for the same amount you would have spent anyhow....
Don't listent ot anyone who tells you how much you will save...its no different than your wife telling you how much she "saved" on the pair of shoes she just bought on sale.

I started reloading for my .308 because I wanted to try different bullets and save money. My buddy gave me an old RCBS Jr. and a few other items to get started. After about 500 rounds I said the hell with a single stage and put in an order for a Dillon 550 and all of the toys. Worth every penny. I am almost to the point now to were I am "forced" to go shooting to justify my relaoding habit!

I was going to give you a quick reply with the costs of the components. But then I looked around in my reloading room and mentally tallied up the cost of all the presses, dies, powder, bullets, primers, special tools, etc.
If you are talking about just the ammo used for annual hunting trips, go buy the best ammo at retail and call it cheap. I reload because I like having control over my ammo. I shoot around 5000 rounds a year at a minimum of centerfire ammo. For me at least, reloading is NOT cheaper - it is more fun. I get to think about hunting during the off seasons and dull winter months while I am reloading. How can I put a price on that????

Might I suggest doing what I did many moons ago when I got interested in reloading.

Let it be known locally that you are interested in reloading. Let it be known a lot. When I did that many years ago I got a few invites over to folks homes to see what it was all about, and actually was allowed to use the equipment to load some stuff for my own use.

That way I got used to certain tools, and certain ways of doing things. And all the while I was learning I was buying used stuff. mostly the same as I was learning on.

It would be far easier today with ebay and other places than it was back in the 60s.

I suspect that you could find enough good stuff at reasonable prices to start reloading for your caliber for well under $150.00 plus the cost of components (and you have been saving all of your brass from those factory rounds haven't you?)

Your savings are about exactly the same as going to the store and buying steak at the grocery store for $4.99 a pound versus the cost of hunting. There is no savings--it costs and costs and costs you more. And then the better you get the more you spend on better reloading stuff and better guns and then you wind up divorced and that really costs.
You don't save you just make smaller holes.

I Thank you for your suggestions, ideas and encouragement. I am off to Chirisa, Zimbabwe in two weeks, but upon my return, I will definetly delve into the bottomless pit that you all obviously enjoy so much. Again, Thank you for your assistance.

Several have said it all, if you shoot only a box occasionaly, don't reload. However you will miss all the enjoyment of developming superior loads for your particular piece. Only you can determine that. I never buy a factory round.

I disagree with all of you about not saving money. Since I started to reload I stopped doing stupid things that cost alot more. Now instead of going out to dinner with the wife. buying expensive cars,home improvements. I sit in the basement and reload. Wait I do sound like a addict. And I do have a shoot this next weekend.Why am on the computer I should be downstairs making more bullets. you can never have enough ammo.

MauMau: 1st...good luck on your hunt, 2nd, do what I do. Hav ethe good fortune to have a friend that has the best and most incredible assortment of reloading equuipment available to man & us ethat equipment. Knowing that not all of us have the good fortune to have a good friend like that, the calculations we came up with are as follows: 1-box .270Win Hornady ~$28.00 + tax, or ~$1.40/round. The reloading cost came out to ~.55. Now that does not factor in the original cost of the equipment,but, if you amortize over several 1000 rounds you develop + the accuracy gained + satisfaction of harvesting an animal with you own load = priceless.

TAZ

No cost savings, you'll spend even more, but shoot alot more. You'll end up buying more guns as well, because you'll get curious about paticular chamberings, or God forbid, buy a set of dies on sale, and thus justify buying a gun to shoot said chambering.

Nope, no savings at all, but well worth it

On one hand it is definitely cheaper to load your own but on the other is cost more because you will shoot a lot more. The best part of loading is getting the best out of your rifle and with all the extra shooting you get the best out of yourself. Once you get past the setup cost you it the only way to go.