I made a spread sheet which calculates your savings per round based on the store bought ammo, powder cost, carriage cost, projectile costs and primer costs. Once you have the brass you can place a zero cost because the are reusable and shows additional savings.
Load Savings Calculator
- Thread starter Harrys
- Start date
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Seabee
Old Timer
When I started reloadiing in the 70's, a box of factory loaded 270 was about $10 and I could load them for $5. Shooting money down a barrel is just that. Simple.
j8064
Garrett Co Hooligan #1
I appreciate the OP's work and him sharing his spreadsheet. Most of us who have been reloading for 30+ years already have similar versions. My Excel file has a tab by caliber - and a lot of tabs. No need to share it. Same Excel formulas.
Loading your own ammo can be (but not always) a savings. That depends on the cartridge, it's availability, price point etc. For example:
- I can reload 7.62x39 ammo. But shooting steel case Tula/Wolf in my SKS's and AK's is much cheaper- for now.
- Common pistol calibers like 9mm, 40 etc. reloading cost is a wash.
- For accuracy calibers like 6.5 Creedmoor, 243 Win, 270 Win, 303B etc. I can load rounds more accurate than factory for much less than the price of factory ammo.
- My 223/556 reloads are always cheaper and shoot better than factory ammo in my guns.
- Then there are the "obsolete" calibers like 7.7J, 6.5J, 6.5 Carcano etc. when reloading is almost an economical must.
- Add to that: BP cartridges. To shoot BP rifles like Sharps, Springfields Rolling Blocks, etc. -> Rolling your own is the only way to go.
Loading your own can be less $ or more...
It just depends...
.
Loading your own ammo can be (but not always) a savings. That depends on the cartridge, it's availability, price point etc. For example:
- I can reload 7.62x39 ammo. But shooting steel case Tula/Wolf in my SKS's and AK's is much cheaper- for now.
- Common pistol calibers like 9mm, 40 etc. reloading cost is a wash.
- For accuracy calibers like 6.5 Creedmoor, 243 Win, 270 Win, 303B etc. I can load rounds more accurate than factory for much less than the price of factory ammo.
- My 223/556 reloads are always cheaper and shoot better than factory ammo in my guns.
- Then there are the "obsolete" calibers like 7.7J, 6.5J, 6.5 Carcano etc. when reloading is almost an economical must.
- Add to that: BP cartridges. To shoot BP rifles like Sharps, Springfields Rolling Blocks, etc. -> Rolling your own is the only way to go.
Loading your own can be less $ or more...
It just depends...
.
- Feb 4, 2013
- 28,175
I have not kept track of costs for a LONG time.
I enjoy reloading. I prefer my loads for my uses.
I buy components in bulk when I find a good price, so hard to keep track of actual costs.
But I started reloading in college when I got my 1911. At the time, using Bullseye and casting bullets using scrap linotype, I was shooting .45 ACP for about 1.4 cents per round. And 1 cent of that was the primer. BTW, at that time, CCI MiniMags were 2 cents per round.
I enjoy reloading. I prefer my loads for my uses.
I buy components in bulk when I find a good price, so hard to keep track of actual costs.
But I started reloading in college when I got my 1911. At the time, using Bullseye and casting bullets using scrap linotype, I was shooting .45 ACP for about 1.4 cents per round. And 1 cent of that was the primer. BTW, at that time, CCI MiniMags were 2 cents per round.
Yes have been reloading for many years too. Started off in the 70s reloading shotgun shells. Then started 30-06, APC45, 30-30 and 6.72. I was loading match APC45 for our pistol team. Back then there was only balance scales and always need to be checked for accuracy. I thing today with a good digital scale loads are more accurate and tunable. Today I typically load 30-30, 45-70, 50 Cal. S&W and 40 Cal. S&W. Atypical box of 50 Cal S&W runs between 45 and 60 bucks for 20. I typically save well over a buck per round when reloading per round.
I don't see time or equipment amortization in that spreadsheet. Even if your job doesn't do OT, you could be doing SOMETHING else, like spending time with your family or spouse, or working a side job or whatever. Equipment is also not free, and requires some degree of maintenance (even if it's just lube, and let's be real, stuff does break and need to be replaced out of warranty).
I'm realistic about why I reload: I want to know exactly what I'm putting in my rounds while producing them at a semi-reasonable cost per round. Right now, 9mm actually makes my time more-or-less worth it, because I am assuming a 20 year amortization cycle and about 15 hours to reload 7k rounds. But when prices drop back down, even 24cpr Syntech 150gr is technically going to save me money.
Precision 223 and 308 makes slightly more sense, but even then, if FGMM-level performance is good enough, it probably isn't usually worthwhile given how long making batches takes.
I'm realistic about why I reload: I want to know exactly what I'm putting in my rounds while producing them at a semi-reasonable cost per round. Right now, 9mm actually makes my time more-or-less worth it, because I am assuming a 20 year amortization cycle and about 15 hours to reload 7k rounds. But when prices drop back down, even 24cpr Syntech 150gr is technically going to save me money.
Precision 223 and 308 makes slightly more sense, but even then, if FGMM-level performance is good enough, it probably isn't usually worthwhile given how long making batches takes.
Park ranger
Ultimate Member
- Dec 6, 2015
- 2,327
I often cheat the system by buying new brass and loading from there. Wolf 223 brass was the deal of the century at 15 cents delivered. Now it’s just fill and seat a match bullet.
Rockzilla
Ultimate Member
Loading a long, long time, 12ga./ paperhulls, 38spl 148WC, 45acp, 30.06, pretty much downhill from there. 22Hornet / 17 Remington out to 50BMG..
Here's another spreadsheet they abound on the net..everywhere all kinds
https://ballisticxlr.com/2019/01/06/freebie-reloadingxlr-an-excel-based-reloading-spreadsheet/
-Rock
Here's another spreadsheet they abound on the net..everywhere all kinds
https://ballisticxlr.com/2019/01/06/freebie-reloadingxlr-an-excel-based-reloading-spreadsheet/
-Rock
LGood48
Ultimate Member
Yet another spreadsheet! Includes worksheets for labels (both large and small), payback on equipment costs, energy calculator.
Not really sure where I came across this one, but includes everything I need.
Not really sure where I came across this one, but includes everything I need.
ShatteredCitizn
Member
Simple.. so for pistol caliber (9mm, 45)
, I can just plug in the fields as appropriate?
, I can just plug in the fields as appropriate?
LGood48
Ultimate Member
If you're referring to my above post, yup. I have actually used "SAVE AS" and have a seperate spreadsheet for each caliber I reload. Change any component and you just need to enter only the different data.
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