To spare me the mental gymnastics is anyone able to tell me in real rough #'s what the cost would be per round to load 6.5 PRC w/143 grain ELDX? I understand that there are a lot more gains to be made other than cost savings, however I am just trying to figure out how long it will take to recoup the initial equipment investment. Thank you in advance for the information.
I think there is more detail that probably needs to be added:
- What brand brass?
- What powder?
- What primer?
And…
- What level of precision are you looking to achieve? - This could dictate the kind of gear you would need/want to purchase in order to achieve this result
Rough math, so depends on specific items, but…
- bullet .45
- brass 1.22
- primer .13
- powder .48 ( pound of powder divided by 56 grain average load = 125 loads at $60.00 per lb.)
$ 2.28 per round all new components.
Brass is the killer - so if you reload the same brass each time, cuts the cost in half per round.
Some folks think brass cost is an incremental cost reduction for each firing you get; but I think that is way to much figuring on something that is simple.
Good luck
Thank you very much. That is the information that I was looking for. I did some basic research and was able to pin down the bullet, and primer cost but I was not sure on the cost of the powder. Given this example if I assume that I can get 5 rounds out of each brass that would bring the cost down to $1.06 per round. Again I understand that there are a lot of assumptions being made but I am just looking for budget #'s at this point.
Thanks again.
Ooops bad math. $1.31 per round.
Because the cost of powder, the bullet, and primers have also jumped up, in addition to powder, your breakeven point for reloading, when you have to buy the reloading equipment, is much longer than it used to be in the past. I think it would be probably somewhere between 500 - 700 rounds. If you have a buddy, and just need the dies, and components, using once fired brass, the cost goes to $25 per box vs 40. In todays reloading market, it is difficult to shoot any large capacity round a lot and be economical. I would tell you to start looking at garage sales, classifieds, and asking around about reloading presses, etc. to get you started. My first press was 30 years old when I got it, and I still use it as much as my forester coax. Lot of people get into reloading, get bored, frustrated, and want to sell the stuff now sitting in a garage…just like golf clubs.
Pete, yeah I came in at 1.06 for reloads.
I use 7000 grains for 1lb of powder and just divide by the average load I intend to shoot, then divide the cost of the powder by that number of expected loads.
Here are my numbers for it with current pricing. I save a lot by reloading even if I take the time into account. Plus, there is NO better way to (1). Upgrade all your guns with better ammo and (2) Learn ballistics.
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Cost of 6.5 PRC reload per round.
Brass case $1.50 each. 10 reloads is a reasonable number. More if you anneal.
Then 15-20 reloads. So $0.15 a round.
LG rifle primer . $0.12
143 ELD match. $0.47.
H1000 powder 55 grains $0.48
7,028 grains per pound
TOTAL. $1.22
Cost of reloading equipment…negotiable .
Where would you look for used equipment for sale?
Facebook marketplace, offer up, and Craigslist is where I would look first. Oh snipers hide has a buy and sell forum too