Here is the cost of shooting a 600 nitro express with Woodleigh solids (I know from experience):

Holland & Holland factory loads: $1020 per box of 20 ($255 for 5 shots)
Westley Richards factory loads: $516 per box of 20 ($129 for 5 shots)
Safari Arms factory loads: $380 per box of 20
my own reloads: $148 per box of 20 (assuming I do not re-use the brass)

When I worked for Rigby as a regulator we called to try to work out a deal with Federal for a bulk deal on .470 ammo. The customer rep said "You can kill 20 elephants with every $140 box, how many elephants can you afford to shoot?"

I think his point was, when you're playing at this level in a "hobby" ($10,000 to $100,000+ per gun, $10,000 to $100,000+ per hunting trip) that $10 to $50 per shell, relatively speaking, isn't THAT out of line.

While I scrape together money to shoot cheap reloads in my production rifles I can't cry for you too much.

Take care,
Kyler

500Grains - H&H prices are ridiculous. For the 600 OK it is not all that bad if you reload which you have to anyway.

My turned brass:
Material .57 ea

Powder .64 ea ($16.00/lb - 25 rounds per lb)

Primer .02 ea

Bullet:
Material .25 ea

Total: $1.48ea or 25@ $37.00

Of course my time is free (to me anyway).

John

Fritz,

What would that work out to if someone had to pay for your time? (ie. consumer cost of turned brass and bullets)

More importantly, though, are you cranking out any of those wide meplat 540gr .475 bullets yet? I'm still itchin for some.

Cheers,
Canuck

This is where your hobby of handloading will actually payoff. Even @ $2 / shot, you could shoot alot more or save alot more depending on your appetite.

Sanity and self satisfaction in this life - priceless.

To me the cost of a project is important relative to the degree it affects the rest of my family and their needs. The absolute cost (in dollars and cents) is unimportant. True, I don't have unlimited funding but I do prioritize and I will spend every dollar budgeted for my interests on a single task step in a project and do that to complete a project even if the process takes several years.

In my experience interests such as boats, horses, big-bores (or shooting the more rare cartridges), cars, etc. are capital hungery.

A good example is the .500 Jeffery Raffle. If I were to be so fortunate as to win (HA! ) that would pretty much change my priorities for the next couple of years. There is no way I could own that gun without shooting it, reloading for it, and using it on game for which it was made to hunt. This would also neccesitate a big change in my wife's plans. But what an opportunity. No way I'd pass it up. It is that sort of thing that makes life interesting, exctiting and fun living.