15.4 cents for a 38 spl.

P

Prof Young

New member
Have been reloading 38 spl this week. With a 125 gr plated HP and 4.6 gr of acc #2 and cci primer they come in at 15.4 cents a round. Looking at prices of off the shelf 38 spl I appear to be saving about 30 cents a shot.

This is why I reload!

Life is good
Prof Young
 
I get out for a smidge over .10 shooting dardas cast 158gn swc, using 700x (one of the most economical powders on earth), and.The s&b primers. Could get down to .08ish but I like a heavier bullet.

Reminds me that Matt dardas went out of business and makes me sad...
 
The real savings come when you can make the most expensive component yourself. My .38 Special loads cost me 6 cents each.

Don
 
I cast my own bullets, mostly from wheelweights and range scrap. I'm presently at less than 4 cents per round fr .38 special. About 5 cents for .45 ACP. (more powder)
 
they come in at 15.4 cents a round
Click to expand...

I use SnS coated lead bullets, 160 grain, 3.6 grains of Titegroup and Federal primers, and they come in at .10 a round and a whisker less when I'm loading 38 short colt and using 2.8 grains of powder
 
Prof Young said:
Have been reloading 38 spl this week. With a 125 gr plated HP and 4.6 gr of acc #2 and cci primer they come in at 15.4 cents a round. Looking at prices of off the shelf 38 spl I appear to be saving about 30 cents a shot.

This is why I reload!

Life is good
Prof Young
Click to expand...
I tell my wife this every time I write a check to Midway , Midsouth , Cabela's , Titan Reloading NOE Bullet Moulds..etc., etc., etc.,
I don't really think she believes I save more money than I spend on reloading stuff but she doesn't complain about my little hobby. Claims it keeps me off the streets , out of trouble and away from all my low life trouble making friends.
You would think that after 50 years of buying reloading stuff I would have two of everything....but they keep coming out with new and improved must have stuff every day....I can't seem to get ahead of the game !

Oh Yeah....I save soooooo much money reloading...right !
Gary
loading since 1967
 
Wait until you start reloading an expensive round, like .44 spl/mag. I'd have to go back and check for exact numbers, but I'm pretty sure it only costs me a bit over 17 cents per round to reload .44 spl. That's about $8/box of 50, or $17.50 per 100. Retail around here for a box of manufactured .44 spl is about $40-45. Online I think it's still something like .50 /rd.

Of course, the result is I shoot a lot more .44 spl/mag than before I started reloading 'em. Whatever, it's a lot more fun to touch off several dozen .44s when you aren't thinking about what you're spending.
 
I'm still using primers I got for $75/case. That's 0.015 per primer. And surplus and estate sale powders. Figure maybe 0.01 per round. I cast my own bullets - no cost other than the hobby of making my own. Lead is either range scrap (free) or wheel weights I've had so long there is no way to figure in cost. I've used the brass so long it's depreciated to zero. Gotta love the 38 Spl!

So, even high siding the cost at 0.035 (figure a penny for the bullet - just for grins), that's $3.50/hundred. Family gatherings are always a 'blast'. Everyone who wants to shoot, gets to.
 
You should be reloading for the tailored ammo for your firearm. Reloading isn't about saving money. It's about using the best possible ammo.
 
Rangerrich99 said:
Wait until you start reloading an expensive round, like .44 spl/mag. I'd have to go back and check for exact numbers, but I'm pretty sure it only costs me a bit over 17 cents per round to reload .44 spl. That's about $8/box of 50, or $17.50 per 100. Retail around here for a box of manufactured .44 spl is about $40-45. Online I think it's still something like .50 /rd.

Of course, the result is I shoot a lot more .44 spl/mag than before I started reloading 'em. Whatever, it's a lot more fun to touch off several dozen .44s when you aren't thinking about what you're spending.
Click to expand...
Try the savings on 45/70 325 gr hornady loads.....
1 box of lever revolution=32.99
1 box of reloaded using same bullet=15
 
"You should be reloading for the tailored ammo for your firearm. Reloading isn't about saving money. It's about using the best possible ammo."

Gee, my cast loads are tailored for not only my handguns but for my rifles as well. :D THat includes serious hunting loads and plinkers for the handguns. cast for rifles are for targets mostly. I have hunted deer with the 30-30 using cast bullets. :eek: They work just fine. :cool:
Paul B.
 
tlm225 said:
I cast my own bullets, mostly from wheelweights and range scrap.
Click to expand...
Where are you getting wheel weights? Around this neck 'o the woods all the dealerships and tire shops have gone away from using lead wheel weights.
 
Rancherrich . . . exactly!

Rancherrich: 44 mag is why I started reloading. IL used to have a handgun season for deer. So I got a 44 mag to join that season. Needed to practice. Well even back then off the shelf 44 mag were 80 cents a shot. That motivated me to learn to reload. My first system was the "Lee Classic" which has been referred to as the "wack-a-mole" of reloading. Anyway years later I reload for all my pistols and rifles save for 22. Don't reload for my scatter guns either.

Life is good.
Prof Young
 
.38 special, to me, is a cast bullet load.
Missouri Bullets: 125gn L-TCFP are $32 and coated are $36, or 6.4 and 7.2 cents/bullet. AA2 at $20/lb or 1.3 cents for 4.6 gn.
3 cents for primer, ~7 cents for bullet, and 1.3 cents for powder is 11.3cents/round.
You can get GREAT Zero jacketed bullets from Rosedist: .38 125gn JSP or $95.55/1000 (for orders of 2000 up) or 9.6 cents/bullet. From Powder Valley, they are $43.70/500 (for 2000) or 8.74 cents/bullet. And these are superbly consistent and accurate jacketed bullets.
Almsot as good, and a lot better than plated, you can go to Precision Delta for .38 130gn FMJ-FP for $190/2000 or 9.5 cents/bullet, but I'll go Zero every time.
Don't buy at LGS, buy in quantity and quality, and really consider something other than plated.
 
Where are you getting wheel weights? Around this neck 'o the woods all the dealerships and tire shops have gone away from using lead wheel weights.
Click to expand...

Scrap yards. A lot of them end up there. My local scrap yard buys them for 15 cents a pound and sells them for 40 cents. I test them with a pair of side cutter pliers to ensure I am getting lead and not zinc.

Don
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top