Cost Per Round

[Bulldawg165]

Alright, I've been thinking about getting into reloading for 40 cal and have been looking all over and can't find exact figures for the cost per round when you reload it on your own. I know that this can vary significantly, but all I'm going to be reloading for (at least starting out) is practice ammo. Approximately how much would it cost to make a 1,000 round batch of 180 grain 1,000 ft/s ammo? I will probably start out making lighter loads than that but eventually I want to work up to this speed because that's what my defense ammo is. I only need it to be accurate out to about 25 yards max and I will be shooting it out of my glock 23 so it can't be all-lead (or so I've heard).

Sorry if this has been covered before but the search function wasn't working and I couldn't find it in the first 5-6 pages. Thanks so much for the help guys and enjoy your labor day weekend!

 

[Cruisers460]

fill in the blanks and you have the cost.

http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp

 

[Bulldawg165]

fill in the blanks and you have the cost.

http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp

I've never reloaded before so I don't know how much powder 1,000 40 cal rounds takes. I suppose I could look up the cost of everything else though. Thanks!

 

[Cruisers460]

7000 grains of powder in a pound. usually around $20 for a pound. primers are around $30 per thousand. Bullet costs vary greatly. You can learn to cast them for pennies or just buy them. A quick look shows extreme 165 gr for $110 per thousand. Plugging those numbers with a 4gr powder charge will give you a cost of $151. per thousand. Buy a couple of reloading books and determine which bullet and powder combos you want to shoot. You can then use the cost calculator to figure an exact cost.

 

[Chuckdog]

Your brass is the most expensive component. Loading target ammo, using brass you already own, you can count on a good 50%+ savings over lower quality wallyworld ammo. Powder choice can effect your cost and usage dramatically. I load for better quality, so I don't do math on my loads.

Jacketed bullets, $150.00/K Primers, $25/K powder lets say around $50.00 to $60.00. I'm guessing on the powder? So many variables.

Around $23.50/100, $11.75/box of 50? If you use a high yield powder it may be less. If you use cast or plated bullets that will lower your cost even more.

Personally, I prefer a powder that half fills or better my case.

 

[Bulldawg165]

Your brass is the most expensive component. Loading target ammo, using brass you already own, you can count on a good 50%+ savings over lower quality wallyworld ammo. Powder choice can effect your cost and usage dramatically. I load for better quality, so I don't do math on my loads.

Jacketed bullets, $150.00/K Primers, $25/K powder lets say around $50.00 to $60.00. I'm guessing on the powder? So many variables.

Around $23.50/100, $11.75/box of 50? If you use a high yield powder it may be less. If you use cast or plated bullets that will lower your cost even more.

Personally, I prefer a powder that half fills or better my case.

Wow $150 for 1,000 bullets? I thought it'd be a lot cheaper than that. $23.75/100 isn't that much cheaper than the federal champion value packs at wally world.

 

[Going Postal]

That is the same calculator that I recommend to people.

Using that calculator and the prices I last paid for Berry's .40 caliber bullets, Titegroup powder, and Wolf primers I came up with the cost being $8.27 for a box of 50 and $165.46 for 1000 rounds. I don't know where you can find any .40 S&W ammo for eight and a quarter a box. I haven't bought any .40 caliber ammo at retail for so long that I don't really know the prices. More than anything, it is not the price that matters, you are creating a load that is accurate in your weapon and it is also fun and relaxing to reload your own ammo.

But do keep in mind the amount I mentioned above is with me providing the brass. As chuckdog mentioned, brass is the most expensive part of reloading purchases.

 

[Chuckdog]

Wow $150 for 1,000 bullets? I thought it'd be a lot cheaper than that. $23.75/100 isn't that much cheaper than the federal champion value packs at wally world.

You can buy less expensive projectiles and save a lot. I was comparing similar bullets to what's found at wallyworld. Plus you watch for sales. Handloaders are notorious scroungers. I shoot cast lead in all my target pistols. They are super accurate, and you can pick them up for a lot less than jacketed. You can cast your own and save a pile over wallyworld. Not to forget, you also have hand crafted ammo that's tailored to your preference, not what's on sale or in stock.

A year or so back I bought new Winchester .355" 115 hp's and fmj's along with .357" 158 gr hp bullets from a shop that was closing its doors for about half price. I had to find me a new pistol to shoot those 9's through.

Better quality ammo for less money = Win, Win!

 

[Clarke123]

I bought a Lone Wolf .40 barrel for my G23 and use it exclusively for lead projectiles.
It's as accurate as the factory .40 barrel that shoots only jacketed projectiles.
BTW: As a bonus, keeping barrels for exclusive use for Lead vs Jacketed tends to save a bunch of cleaning time!
This is because Lead and Jacketed shot in the same barrel tends to yield the biggest amount of fouling debris.

 

[Flashover16]

reloading the 9MM and the 40 cal is not a great savings!
simply it can be had in factory ammo at ridiculously low prices as comapred to other pistol calibers.
if you figure buying the equipment and supplies then its going to take while depending on how much you actually shoot to recoup the expense.
figure that as a newbie you are going to make a few mistakes, hopefully none that casue damage to you or your weapon!
if you do then add that expense into the figures!
IF you decide to cast your own projectiles add that cost and danger into the equation as well.
I reload 9MM range ammo for about 6.25 per box of 50, the 45 acp runs about 8.50-8.75, the 38 super the same 6.25 per box, the 38 Spl at about 7.40-7.50 per box, the 40 cal is in the same about 8.50 per box range.
many of these calibers save big time reloading the 9MM & 40 not so much!
alot depends on where you get the supplies, how much you buy at one time and the components that you pick out.
as pointed out this does NOT include brass, but 9MM and 40 cal brass can be found anywhere people shoot.