A box of Federal Premium .470 rounds cost over $200. Can quality custom ammo for that caliber be purchased at a better price?

Don't know about price, but I have had good results with
these guys:

www.superiorammo.com

Wes

here's the cost analysis

say it costs 450 to go from nothing to reloading with your high dollar dies

say that it then costs you 2 bucks a round to make them bullets, power primer(this assumes amortization, rather than expense of brass)

if it costs 11 bucks a round, then your equation is

11x=450+2x solve for x...
(11x-2x)=450
9x=450
x=50

So, at 50 rounds, assuming a HIGH reloading per cost, you are exactly the same price for paying for rounds.

Past 50, you "save" 9 bucks a round

jeffe

Definately reload. Also if you want to shoot cheap plinking loads, then cast bullets are very cheap. I'm shooting 500gn cast in my 470 at 2150.

How about $145 per box for solids?

http://www.safariarms.com/

If I could not reload I would simply get a Ruger Stainless 308 and take radio controlled helicopters for an interest.

Mike

An excellent way to look at it, Jeffe! How long does it take to hand load a box of 20? And if I decided to start reloading, where would you suggest I start looking for the tools necessary to do so? Are some systems more automated and multitasking than others? From my shotgun relading days of years ago, I recall that some reloaders are MUCH faster than the single step operations of others....

Vic,
For my money, starting with the rcbs supreme master reloading kit, a good pair of calipers, and an RCBS benchmounted APS primer, along with a lyman 55 powder thrower is prefect... I didn't buy the supreme kit, as that,s new, but i did buy that press.

Timewise? hmm, good question... As I do this partly to relax, I don't really put my time on it, but i can load about 50-80 rounds an hour, depending.

I don't suggest a progressive, unless you've got an ammomaster progressive (which is no longer made) these big bores will require a single stage. A fella here has THREE ammo masters on his bench, which means he can set his dies, resize, neck expand, and set/crimp bullets rapidly. I think two of these supremes would do the same on big bores, as I like to resize/neck then tumble, then prime/load them.

thanks for the compliment, but it's really just a standard business calculation of varible costs compared to fixed+variable.

jeffe

Vic,

With large rounds like the .470NE, you are probably confined to using a singe-stage press, which is quite good enough considering how few .470NE rounds are needed at any one time.

A turret press might make your reloading a bit quicker, as you can index the turret changing from one die to the next, but again, you are not loading large numbers of rounds.

Redding, RCBS, and others make presses which will handle the Nitro Express cases. CH4D makes the most economical custom dies that I know of, and I am very happy with the ones they made for me (in .470 Capstick).

You owe it to yourself to get a loading manual, such as those produced by Hodgdon, A-Square, Swift, et al. They have chapters on reloading with about as much information as you'll need.

George

I took up reloading just shooting 45 Colt and 45-70, now I am branching out to more exotic cartridges because I can afford it where I once could not. Jeffeoso had it right, you can shoot a lot more for your dollar and you can shoot the load you want.

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Timewise? hmm, good question... As I do this partly to relax, I don't really put my time on it, but i can load about 50-80 rounds an hour, depending.

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I am reminded that Chinese caligraphers placed a great deal of emphasis on grinding the ink. It was a very medative sort of thing.

I'll third the reload recommendations!! I started reloading 9 or 10 years ago to save money for my 9mm (kit was a gift). Now, shooting the Rigby only hurts the shoulder instead of both the shoulder and wallet!

Try Midway
http://www.midwayusa.com/
I get most of my stuff from them, and if you have a C&R FFL, you can get dealer prices.

I have the CH4D dies and they work fine. you could always check the local gun shops to see if they have any trade in presses? The better way to go might be to get a starter kit that will come with the scale and other goodies. I like the Lee hand prime tool. They used to me made cheaply, but the convienence is worth the disposable price. I've heard that the new ones are made of real metal now though. They might not have a shell holder for 470NE, but the 50-70 will work if they have one. I've used Fed 215 primers and RL-15 with a 5gn tuft of dacron on top with my loads. There are others here with way more big Bore loading experience, but this has worked fine for me.