.308 ammo too expensive

No, reload is not the only way to go.

Component prices are up, they are hard to fine.

To get a good setup (vs a cheap combo) is going to cost something around $500 when all is said and done.

Spread that out over the number of shots and its going to take a lot of time to recoup.

I am not saying not to, it fun, it saves some money in the long run, but its not an automatic slam dunk.

The best bang for the buck is a small caliber rifle when you get a LOT of rounds for a lb of powder. 223 or the like.
 
I totally disagree with RC20. If you're going to shoot your rifle a lot reloading is a better option than purchasing ammo off the shelf for $30 plus dollars for 20 rounds. Finding components is difficult right now but not impossible and the drought/shortage won't last forever. The initial investment will cost a few hundred dollars but will, in the end, prove to be cost effective if, and again I say if you intend shoot often. If you're only gonna hunt with it a box of 20 rounds will last you 20 years.
 
Well OP, you went and bought a gun with a more "specialized" twist when all you really only needed or wanted a plain ol' shooter and ya did it in the middle of an ammo crunch. You have 3, maybe 4 options: One is to reload as already stated. It doesn't take $ 500 worth of gear (more like $100 to start), it can be done by anybody with access to any kind of table but on the flip side some folk don't like it and components are just as hard to right now as ammo. Another option is to just deal with it and fork over your hard earned cash for ammo. A third is to park the gun and wait for a better day to get into centerfire shooting. The forth is to sell it and get something else but that doesn't really solve anything for you since ALL ammo is expensive and hard to get right now.

A classic case of leapin before you look.
 
TOC (total cost of ownership) is as applicable to a rifle purchase as it is to an automobile or major capital outlay on a large business.

That being said, you need to determine if shooting for you will be an occasional Saturday afternoon range trip or something you're "buying" into where a further outlay of monies will be the norm.

If it is the latter, then reloading is the way to go, no doubt about it. Right now, as was stated, reloading components are in just as short of supply as loaded ammunition. Those of us that have been through panics past were ready for it (or should have been) and so continue to enjoy the sport with little to know impact (at least not for me anyway). But supplies will once again become available (as will loaded ammo) and the reloading hobby will be easier to jump into than it is right now.

Good luck on what ever your decision might be. I hope you decided to keep your Model 10. I've a Model 10 FCP HS-Precision and enjoy the heck out of it. :)
 
Getting into reloading is not possible for everyone and can represent a significant investment, but one point that hasn't been mentioned here is that the cost to get in is not a reoccurring cost and is not necessarily re-occurring.

What I mean is: once you have the ability to load one cartridge (.308 in this case), adding the capability to reload others (9mm, .45, 30-06, 44mag comes at a very small incremental cost. So it may be possible to see the payback much sooner than if only using it for .308.
 
Thanks for all the valuable suggestions. I have decided to keep the rifle. Reloading makes a lot of sense, specially since I could reload for all other calibers I use.
 
WalMart is selling Remington .308, 180 grains, at $21 a box, right now. $17 a box here for same in 150 grain. Cabela's has Remington .308 at $23 a box. Wolf .308 is still $20 a box. You can pay up to $35 for premium stuff, or panic prices for anything, but don't fret, just don't pay it. Keep your brass and find a buddy who reloads, buy some dies if you have to, and stay friends. Get with another buddy and split the gas to visit a store with decent prices. Call first, it goes fast. Be patient, it's getting re-stocked and the panic is cooling.
 
the going rate around here in a few LGS is about $1 a round for 7.62X63 NATO, although there are a few LGS stores currently gouging their customers at twice that.

These same stores are also trying to sell Russian surplus 7.62X54R 440 round case for $199, I just went to a different LGS and bought it for $89, They also had 1K round cases of 7.62 NATO for $999 a little higher than the recent past, but demand can justify that. Not an extra 100%, that is gouging IMO.
 
Reload!!

Looks like you're just about on board for reloading. Start by buying or borrowing a couple of books, e.g. ABCs of reloading, Lyman, Speer, Hornady, Lee, etc. Just be aware that many kits also come with a book.

You can make top quality ammo rivaling the best commercial offerings for half the cost (or more).

Mike
 
First off, don't get into a European milsurp caliber because of cheap ammo. If you do,. eventually you will be sorry.

If you get into them because you like the rifles, fine. But be warned, the days of cheap milsurp ammo are just about over. The only ones that are going to be cheap for a little longer are those produced in former communist nations.

The UN has been pushing for some time now to ban the civilian sale of European milsurp ammo, and they are pretty successful. Many nations are now simply burning excess ammo, rather than selling it on the civilian market.

Also, many of the milsurp calibers are now obsolete, and no military ammo is even being made for them (.303 Brit, 8mm Mauser, .30-06, etc), so all there is is all there is, and when its gone, there won't be any more.

Now, all of these rounds are still made as civilian ammo, but it is at sporting rifle ammo prices (as it is sporting rifle ammo), and niche rounds (not mainstream) are more expensive yet.

I do cringe when I hear of someone buying a case of 1,000 7.62 NATO for nearly $1k dollars. It's outrageous. On the other hand, gas isn't $0.70 a gallon for premium anymore, either...
 
Anomalous Pricing

If you haven't notices even 223 is going for $1 per shot these days. More than 30-06. The 308 and 223 being military favorites are in very short supply right now. That's hwy price si crazy. Now if you are buying target ammo with the 168bt then yes $40 a box is proabably about right in todays market. Hunting ammo is still around $20. Reloading will get your costs down but it's an added chore. You can also just save and sell brass to offset your ammo costs. The case is worth about 25 to 50 percent of a load and can be sold to recoup some of your costs or saved for when you do reload and want to save 1/2 your costs. The only thing that seems to still be found at a reasonalble price is steel cased 7.62x39 that pops up with some regularity and these disappears. You never see 223 in my area. Nor can you find 9mm. Changing your gun is not going to change the ammo shortage. Finding and buying ammo in bulk so you never get caught with your pants down is about the only way to avoid paying $40 a box for ammo. Reloads cost about the same but the quality is way better than old corroded surplus and you can assemble the best bullets into ammunition for less than "cheap" factory hunting loads.
 
Just get used to the idea that if you expect to shoot centerfire factory ammunition, it'll cost money no matter what it is or where you find it.
If you expect to shoot a LOT, it'll be even more expensive.

Reloading is the best way to go about it, but even there it'll still cost money.

Denis
 
Only one thing to do, and that's sell your rifle to me for $600 or so. :D

On a serious note, another vote for reloading here. Depending on caliber and how hot you load, you can get 3-4 shots per brass case. Primers and powder are tough to come by, but that's just the times we live in, and times change. Saving money, plus the ability to custom-load ammunition that YOUR rifle likes, will be satisfying both in the short term and the long term.
 
Are you really only getting 3-4 shots per case? The .308 is not that high pressured of a round, and many that I know are getting at least 5 loading from each case.
 
No kidding. Glad I bought components in depth for this cartridge.

That said, I've loaded up all the bulk Hornady 148 grain FMJ bullets I had. I may need to get on a backorder list somewhere.
 
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