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Cost comparison: reloads vs. bulk ammo

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24 June 2010, 20:58
dogcat
Cost comparison: reloads vs. bulk ammo
Have any of you experienced reloaders done a cost comparison of reloading .223 vs buying in bulk at 40 cents per round?

I just bought a couple of AR's and burn ammo at a frantic pace.

I am looking at a .243 or .308 next and the cost of that ammo is about 90 cents to a $1.10 per round.

What is the break even point on reloading .223?

THanks
25 June 2010, 00:45
Doubless
I am thinking somewhere around $.18-$.20/round if the brass doesn't cost you anything, about another ten cents per round if you have to buy brass...

Here is the estimation:

$.035 for the primer ($35.00/1000...)
$.10 for the brass (Mine is OF mil non-crimped)
$.08 for the projectile Varmint Nightmares)
$.07 for powder (I use 24 grains of TAC)
25 June 2010, 19:58
<Andrew cempa>
Depends on what you expect/desire from both-factory fodder and handloads.

Ex. I can pump out 556 55 grn FMJs/SPs (bullet-.07, brass, .05, primer .03, powder .06) total $.21, sunk cost of tooling (Horn LNL press, dies etc ~$400
So, decent ammo for plinking, better than $.40 if the tooling discounted, and in my exp., more accurate to boot.

Precision 556:

Horn 75 BTHP- .17, all else about the same, so, about $.31. Hornady 75 BTHP match ammo costs $31 per 20 last look ($1.55 per), savings of about $1.20 per-quickly recoups the cost of tooling, which basically lasts indefeintely and can be used for more than one caliber etc.

Best;
26 June 2010, 18:56
dogcat
Andrew,
Thanks for the insights.

I hope to get MOA accuracy for silhoette shooting at 300 yds. Factory ammo works but is expensive to shoot 200 to 400 rds each trip to the range.

I am not a reloader, yet but may be one very soon.