I am disabled but I do shoot a lot and I started reloading not just because of the money but to have something to do, and I have to say that it has changed my life, the joy to find new loads and to make cartridge even with my own casting is fantastic so the quality of my life has been amazing and ofcourse I have also made a lot of new and great friends inside the shooting and reloading community.

Another way that reloading saves money is that in my home state, I have to pay for an FFL transfer whenever I buy ammo. Screw that.

I decided to start reloading to spend more time with my father. He's been a pistol reloader for 30+ years, never did a bit of rifle loads. Now I wanted to do .223, and he and I are now learning something together. Every second counts. And my last one, it's a skill. A skill I hope to pass on to my children someday, and that's what truly matters to me.

I have been reloading for a little over 50 years, a long time ago it quit being about money. This video was great for me because it reminded me of why I started reloading and how much I have enjoyed it over the years, thank you.

My son and I shoot 270 WSM and were having trouble with ammo availability and the cost was getting ridiculous. We had a lot of brass so we bought a RCBS REBEL single stage set up. Our reloads on our first try were about a 1/3 the cost of factory ammo and much more consistent and accurate. Now we reload 300 WSM and 243 WIN. Some of the reloading components are a little hard to get but we shoot more and enjoy shooting our own loads. ( We have been reloading for about 7 months). Enjoy your videos they are very helpful

If you want to chase the bug holes, this is a must!

You can save money, but you won’t save money.

im pretty sure the short answer is you are basically reloading match grade ammo for the price of regular ammo. the exceptions are going to be the hard to find rounds where the answer is yes

The savings are much higher over here in Europe, where ammo is up to 100€ per 20 shot premium hunting. A simular load with a new brass every time will be 30€ per 20 shot. Thus 70€ savings per 20 shot... you make the equipment back really fast.

You can save money but there is also a fun factor involved too. I find reloading to be very relaxing and fun.

I started on a Lee challenger breech lock anniversary kit. Was 159$ on Amazon. I use the lee pace setter dies and I bought 6 sets of them for the calibers I reload. I bought a second powder measure and a digital scale and a powder trickler. 3 reloading trays. And a lube pad with case lube. My total cost to get all that was under 500$. I loaded 1500 rounds of .30-06 1000 rounds of 9mm 2500 rounds of .300 blackout and 3000 rounds of .45. and 10,000 rounds of .223. I think I have saved enough to buy my equipment twice over.

Oh. It’s expensive. I’ve been doing it since 1984.

Just today I ordered two boxes of Aguila 124g 9mm for $14/50 and there are other brands for $15/50, $16/50 and up. On sale, not always that cheap. I do reload but don't bother with 9mm. Reloading is cost effective for most cartridges as you pointed out. I handload 220 Swift, 260 Rem and others that cost $2 to $3 per round to buy and I can load them for less than $1 each, especially when you find supplies on sale. And as others have said, handloading is fun and a great hobby on it's own.

Nobody is paying $24 for 9mm. PSA has cheap 9mm at $259/k on the regular.

Any powder, primers,brass and so on is worth more than gold right now

I started reloading for 300blk, broke even a long time ago. Started to upgrade all my reloading equipment, started real cheap with a lee press. I enjoy the fact I can make ammo to my specs, ie cheap plinking gets the min powder load or I could spend a ton of time ensuring consistency between rounds. I know the ammo will be more consistent than I am with my shooting “can’t shoot the difference” but it is fun knowing how to.

I started on a RCBS Rock Chucker single stage press that was given to me by an uncle. I think it was important to understand each process 1 step at a time. Started reloading .45 ACP and then moved into .223/5.56. I eventually purchased a Dillon 550B second hand. Living in AZ is convenient as they will refurbish a press free of charge. I slowly added convenience parts to my press to achieve higher yields per hour on the press. Obviously you can spend a lot of money in press upgrades and die sets. I found the Dillon 550B the most versatile press as you can reload almost everything on this one press with just the change of a shell plate and tool head. I have saved the most money on reloading sub-sonic 300 Blkout rounds. Primers are coming back into stores but they were the hardest thing to find the last couple years. Reloading is my therapy between my lead therapy sessions! Happy Reloading!

One of the best you have done Gavin, in a while. True to the core with this one.

44 MAG, 45-70, match grade 6.5 CM and 308 have helped me break even. Especially during 2022 and 2023 with 44 MAG and 300 BLK prices for factory ammo

I used the calculator with one added factor. Reusing brass. Say six times. I divide new brass price by six (or more if it lasts longer) and that is where you see an added savings.

Good video, that's actually honest compared to some of the others I've seen.

Then there's also the reduced cost ratio, adding a new caliber. The press, scale etc you buy once. Then to add a caliber you add the dies lock rings plate. It's a few boxes of ammo to break even adding a caliber.

Just started buying my supplies. Very excited to get started!! Thanks!

I started loading my own in the late 70's while in the Air Force. A friend got me started on his equipment. I bought the dies to load for the 44 Mag Ruger SBH I bought. Some of the things he did I didn't think of as safe. I then bought my own press and accessories. RCBS Rock chucker press and a Lyman D5 scale. And a Lyman 45th edition book. Over the years I have added other things to make things easier and safer. I still think that for most loaders a set of dies, a press, a powder scale and a good manual or three are an ok place to start. If you are keeping the brass from store bought ammo you fired in your gun you can load it several times before you need to worry about case length or trimming. Buying new brass can get you the same results. If you are picking up brass at the range or buying once fired, sorting and doing some measuring is a good idea. Starting out with the bare minimum will let you learn enough that you can then decide if you like it enough to buy some of the more expensive things that gets recommended. I have tried a vibratory case cleaner and didn't take long to decide it was not for me, to dusty and noisy. Oon cleaning cases I have found it doesn't make much difference in how the ammo performs, just how it looks. On the cases after I fire them I wipe them off, lube with Lee's lube. I like the Lee because it works very well and can be washed off with water. A bit of Dawn dish soap in boiling water, slosh around for a few minutes, rinse till the soap is gone, let dry. Once dry, finish the loading process. I have used several trimming methods. Again I have found Lee's system works for me. It may be a bit slower but it can change it's setting and ruin cases. I have found you don't need to trim every time. I have piles of things I have bought and don't use or don't use often. When I started out and for many years after, learning was trial and error. Not like today where at the click of a button and you get questions answered. Most of the things I learned in the early years was from magazines or hanging around the gun stores. What I talk about is for the majority of shooters. Those who want to get more into loading for precision shooting, adding all the expensive equipment can be worth getting. Same for those who push the limits of a cartridges performance or velocity. Wild ats require more equipment also. For a lot of loaders that only shoot a few hundred rounds a month then the basics will be fine. At one time with the 44 Mag I had a Lyman 310 tool and dies and a set of Lee dippers a bullet mould and a lead pot on the stove top.. I would cast bullets from wheel weights I collected from several tire shops, lube with a cake cutter. I spent a few hours every evening loading these bullets with the 310 tool. Some of the most accurate loads I have shot were these 310 tool loads. With a good solid rest for my back and bracing across my knees would get one ragged hole 6 shot groups at 50 yards. By one hole I mean one hole. Often less than 1/2" groups. At one range I was shooting at about 250 yards up the hillside was fenceline. Some hung a car flywheel on the fence. Stand upright and shooting off hand it was easy to clang that 6 for 6. All this is to say you don't need hundreds of thousands to get started loading. A bit of shopping around and you can get started very cheap. A press, dies and a powder scale can be enough. Beyond that is up to you. Oh, and always use good data from a reliable source.

I started reloading out of necessity over 45 years ago. I had purchased a second-hand Ruger Blackhawk in .41 Magnum and literally couldn't find the ammunition anywhere. I bought a second-hand RCBS press at a garage sale, ordered some dies, supplies and a manual and taught myself how to reload. Since then, over the decades I've added more equipment as I got into competition shooting and loaded to support that hobby, then decided that an even cheaper way to support my habit was to cast my own bullets for target and plinking uses. Along the way I've added dies for ammunition that is virtually obsolete (in my case, .303 British as well as .308 Marlin Express for one of my favorite hog rifles) and can't be found anywhere. Given the tens of thousands (maybe hundreds of thousands?) of rounds I've loaded over that time, I'm pretty sure that I've gotten my money's worth, but the added knowledge I've gained along the way on ballistics, accuracy, marksmanship and even metallurgy, combined with the sheer enjoyment and satisfaction of "rolling your own", well -- the experience has been priceless.

I have been reloading for 5 years and I still learn tips from this channel

Excellent information. Thank you.

Cowboy Action...45 Colt and 38 Colt reloading is a MUST!

Thanks Gavin you've really helped me out as a new reloader it can be overwhelming

Yes, but if I spent the time reloading, working. I could just buy as much ammo as I wanted. But, yes. I reload 10mm, 308, 45, 357, 40, 303, 44. Mainly for fun.

Your presentation is a much needed help for my decision I’m going to make before shopping for bulk ammo.

Great video , thanks for your work on this. I started reloading for 2 reasons, 1- load development for bolt action rifles and 2- ammo was difficult to get back then. So right now I try to stock up on components and buy factory ammo to shoot because its available and not too pricey for 1000 round cases. Now I will be prepared for the next shortage with reloading supplies and equipment. Your videos helped me ALOT, thank you for that. You have done a great job of showing how its done.

I think if you went with a lee press it would change things

I usually can buy a 1000 rd of 9 at around $300. I dont think im going to break even reloading it but why not do it anyway.

It's worse than any drug or alcohol habit when it comes to fiscal means. Although the outcome is different 😅.

If you shoot a rare or older cartridge, reloading is the only way to go. Example: I bought a Rossi R92 in .454 Casull. A box of loaded ammunition (20 rounds) is between $45 to $70 a box! I bought the die set, crimp die, and 200 Starline cases for $181. I already have bullets, powder, and primers. I can make 20 rounds for $20-$25 for 50 rounds! I have been at this for 55 years and reload for 28 cartridges. Reloading can save you a lot, but the benefit is you can shoot more, you learn ballistics, and shoot better.

I've done the math on reloading military surplus rounds. The savings are phenomenal

This is a great video! Not sure if I will ever save enough to come out ahead. For me it's the process I love it and my ammo works better than anything I can buy. I watch every vide you put out.

Very helpful. I'm looking it all over!

Gavin very strong presentation. Reloaders definitely have the edge. Huge savings more shooting more accuracy more control. Self-reliant. So many wins

Great comparison good job Gavin

In the UK we also have difficulty buying ammunition. We have to go in person to a gun shop to buy, no mail order for ammunition. And as shooting is less common, there are not as many shops as you guys have. And their stocks are often far more limited. So home loading is quite attractive. And we can mail order components (though the hazmat shipping can be expensive). And for me, it's a major part of the hobby. Have prob loaded in excess of 100k rounds over the decades. All on a single stage press. have also been casting my own bullets from range scrap for the last decade. That really brings the costs down.

Great stuff. Thank you.

I definitely save when it comes to 338Lapua and 300hamr. Those two rounds, I believe, make the rest a savings as the savings there offsets the cost of the equipment. However, the fact that it's also an enjoyable hobby for me makes it a definite value.

Yet again another fascinating vid. I have got back into reloading since I have retired. I have the Lyman Brass Smith setup. Why did I get back into reloading - It's just fun

Got into reloading out of necessity and love it. Too many oddball calibers with no options off the shelf. 32WinSp, 38-55, 32-40, 45-90, 303Savage to name a few. Cost was just a part of the necessity.

Thank you so much professor! You rock!

I love it when people say…. “ I’m getting into reloading to save money!” 😂

Thanks, Gavin 👍

thank you for info on this

When the alternative is not being able to buy ammo because it has been discontinued, you reload. I have a .375 Win., and haven't seen factory loads for years now, but I have the components on the shelf to make my own, and hang the cost.

I have been reloading since I retired. Enjoy the hobby, probably am saving money, never wanted to know. Also have been making/modifying my own reloading equipment to suit my self. Would send pics if I knew how.

Best video covering this topic.

Don't forget about antiquated cartridges, ie 30-40 Krag

I started over 20 years ago when primers were a penny a piece. Saved magnitudes over purchased.

I bought my first Hornady progressive press after watching your earliest videos when you were starting. I’ve never looked back! Investment… Absolutely. Return on my investment? Exponentially! And it can’t be measured in dollars alone. Thanks for your commitment to offering valuable content for interest viewers!

great vid!

Once you start down the rabit hole of reloading you usually spend a lot more on certain things to make the experience better. You can't really account for those price differences but once you get into a process and figure it out you shoot a lot more which makes it cost more while saving more so it's a trade off. But worth it for the long run

I started reloading in 2014 with an LNL AP. It's more than paid for itself. I just enjoy reloading. I dont chase super small groups, just an accuracy standard for rifle ammo. For pistol ammo, I'm just trying to rip out as many as I can for the lowest price as fast as I can load primer tubes and keep powder in the measure.

very helpful

Great video. 40 years ago I bought a Lee loader press. I reloaded 38 special and 270. My brother worked for the parent company of RCBS and got me a great deal on an Auto-5 progressive Reloader. I sold the Lee press 30 years ago and never loaded a single shell on the new Reloader. I made it a goal to reload this year on the Reloader. I have been gather supplies and I hope to get started in the next little bit. Your information is helping continue in moving forward. I think most of my reloading with be for the 6.5 Creedmoor, 270 win, REM 7 mag, 223, 38 special and the 9mm. I have a few powders, but not sure which cartridge would be the easiest to get started with? Thanks for sharing.

The number one reason is to be able to shoot when you can't find factory ammo. Components can be stocked up on when they become available and then you are set when the ammo shelves are empty.

good info I hadn't though about pricing in years I've been reloading since 1966 when it was really cheap to reload

Over the past 15 or so years I’ve definitely broken even Gavin. Btw- love the channel and content

Currently Only reload 9mm, I reload 147gr, not shooting as many competitions lately, but savings and difference between 147gr vs 115gr is more significant

Two factors matter, volume and calibre. I save money on reloading 9mm alone, despite also reloading for other calibres. Why? Because I shoot a $hit load of it. If you shoot low volumes than the calibre must be relatively expensive to buy for you to save a significant amount of money, which isn't the case for 9mm. The whole "you don't save money because you shoot more" doesn't make sense. That's a choice, not a financial reality.

Great vid! I started in '83 with a RL450. We "guys in my unit" pooled are money and saved a lot. Run my shooting life on a RL550 for rifle and a RL750 for handgun. I also learned that I saved more and shot then when I spent the money at the bar talking about shooting!

Never view reloading as a way to save money. To me, it’s a fun hobby that coincides with my shooting hobby.

I always bought the best equipment so saved nothing on reloading over the years. I mostly did it for "fun", as you mentioned in the video.

Great video. DITTO on Midsouth. One of my suppliers. You have to weigh in two things, the addiction, and evermore precision if you chase small groups. The benefit i reload for is accuracy, the choice of bullets, and savings especially if you buy components in quanities. Thanks for these videos.

Reloading is therapy. Talk about all the people you hate and problems you have while reloading. Get into a groove. And work out all your problems

Great video on costs, this should help those contemplating reloading make an informed decision. I started reloading shotshells when I was 11 as I quickly realized that if I could build my own ammo for half price, I could shoot twice as much! I still have my MEC 600 jr. in 20 gauge and have added another for 12 gauge. I have 3 metallic presses as well. Have I saved money? Well, with the investment I have in my gear, not on your scale but maybe a bit overboard compared to most folks, no savings but have been able to create rounds with accuracy not available on the market so there is value in that for me. I enjoy the whole process of it from researching different loads to time at the press and at the range. I have worked up many loads over the years that shoot sub 1/2 moa in my rifles and that gives me great satisfaction. Thanks for the informative video!

My first reloading press was the lee breechlock press for 45 bucks brand new. Worked great, it just took extra time to setup the dies for each step.

Great presentation. Being retired every day is a holiday for me,, the only limit on my time is I won't live forever. I also cast my own bullets mostly for pistol shooting and I have a bullet trap to recycle my lead with a recovery rate of about 99%. This makes reloading super in inexpensive for me with my highest cost being primers.

Back in the mid 1970s I did an analysis of economics of me reloading. 1. Payback is the is the wrong way to look at capital costs. Internal rate of the return is the correct way. 2. You need to include some case replacement as cases do not survive forever and you will lose some. For an individual scenario you have to look at your starting inventory of cases and how many rounds you will have loaded after a loading session. This will give you how much to capitalize as as starting brass. 3. Be careful about assuming the reloading devices will last forever, especially when you get to high round counts on less expensive equipment 4. Production waste: I am not perfect so not every set of round components will result in a usable round and I may may destroy some brass. While the numbers are different from 50 years ago, my conclusions: - you have to be shooting a lot to make it economically worth while - rifle and pistol reloading is usually justified by your need for consistency and non standard loads - the only economic reloading is for plastic cased shot gun shells because the basic kit has such a low cost. This does not address: - space for your reloading operation - your spouses tolerance for you to spend more time on a dangerous pursuit -time spent reloading could have been spent shooting. My overall conclusion was that only way for reloading to make economic sense was to have a a business to either reload or make rounds from all new components. One of my high school classmates and her husband are in the business of making high quality rounds.

I just think of reloading as part of the hobby. ** they say that casting your own bullets completes the hobby.

I get most of my reloading components from American Reloading. With free shipping I get 9mm bullets for about 5.5 cents a round and primers for 7 cents a round. With powder I’m getting about 1.5 cents a round. The total reloading costs is about 14 cents a round. That said, after getting into reloading, I’m definitely not saving money. I shoot and hoard magnitudes more ammo than from before I got into reloading. 😄

Could not afford to shoot some rounds without reloading. 327 Federal, 32 H&R, 32 S&W long, etc. Plus get to shoot a 38 Short Colt because I have most of the components already.

Reloading is a great way to survive long cold winters. Good equipment will outlast the person unless electronic.

I had been desirous of reloading since I was a teenager. Finally bought a kit in 2019. Bought it with gift cards and did a price match. I only spent $12 out of pocket. Bought a set of 38/357 dies on clearance for $20. Got a tumbler at a pawn shop for $40. Got the kit up and running spring of 2020 right before things got stupid. I've definitely got my initial investment back and more. Downside is that whenever I buy a new firearm that isn't a caliber that I already own, I end up needing to figure the cost of dies when budgeting for it.

powder is more than 50 a lb in most places even from your lgs my store went up from 39 to 56 a lb h335 39 to 52 cfe pistol also if you are reloading relatively clean brass, just a bucket is all you need

great video, did a similar calculation last year and it was interesting, but in the end i wasn't saving any money, i was shooting more.. but i'm ok with that.

Thanks for the informative video. I reload for 9mm, 38spec, 357mag, 30-30 and 30-06. I save per round but not overall as I, like a lot of people shoot more. I started reloading during the ammo shortage during the Obama years as it was easier to find components than ammo. I find it easier now to have a sufficient stockpile of components for future shortages, except maybe large rifle primers. Finally reloading is a good hobby something to do during the winter.

With casting, I can reload 9mm for 11 or 12 cents a round. It was a steep learning curve, but I learned and do everything in bulk. I used to shoot a 50 round box a month. Now I’m shooting 200 a week, for just slightly more than a box. I haven’t bought a box of ammo is several years and love playing with all the variables.

Not why I reload.

I started reloading for a 44 magnum when I moved back to the states decades ago. I was in my late 20s and on a tight budget. I bought a single stage press and also a mold and acquired a lubri-sizer for cast bullets. Pretty soon I was pumping thousands of rounds for my 44 magnum, everything ranging from 45 ACP equivalent loads to full powered loads and I was shooting the way most people shot 22. That was my start to reloading and since then I literally went decades between store-bought center fired ammunition. i finally did store bought with 2 cartridges you started with: 9mm and 5.56. Those cartridges, because of the military connection and volume lower costs per round, I did buy those calibers but mostly 9mm for practice ammo. For a time I found that I could not really load 9mm for cheaper than I could buy it, so I bought it. Now it is a little different. The price of 9mm has jumped considerably so I load for it. 5.56 is a different story: I can load plinking fodder for cheaper than I can buy it, the fmj stuff. Precision ammunition, it is no question: reloading is the only way to go. Any kind of off the beaten path ammo, it makes sense to reload. Now I feed 30-06, 7.5x55 Swiss, 45 colt, 38 Special, 6.5 grendel, precision 9mm subsonic for a tax stamped suppressed SBR, plus several others. In those instances, your best option is reloading without question.

It can save you money, but not the way it used to. H4350 is $65 at my local Sportsmans and Primers were $8-11. And if I buy online then Hazmat charges kill any price savings. I still reload cause I like doing it but its a rough time to be a shooter !

I also check shipping/ hazmat costs vs buying at a big box store.

I have been reloading since the early 70's and I have saved a ton of money reloading. Reloading equipment was a lot less expensive back then since factory ammo was a lot less expensive. Since the politics now with the ammo panic buying and shortage the cost of factory ammo has gone way up. With that so many people started reloading that the reloading companies thought, hey let's raise our prices. And the price of primers is insane, powder isn't as bad if you know where to buy it or buy when companies have free hazmat. If you mold your own bullets you save even more money and if you powder coat you pretty much eliminate leading your barrels up as much. I use plated bullets as well as making my own, and if you don't do max loads your brass will last a lot longer. And since ammo companies are watering down cartridges like 10mm I can load them the way they were meant to be.Since Prop 63 took effect in Commiefornia and the other one that makes us have to do a background check for buying a box of ammo reloading is a great way to go.

Magnum cartridges are something you didn't cover. My 338 lap and 300 norma mag are way cheaper to reload than buy.

I'm so glad I got into reloading when I did. Back in the late '90s, I purchased a 650 with all of the trimmings for less than a base model 750 is going for now, that amortized itself in the first 4000 rounds of 9mm I loaded on it, and it's process easily over 200k rounds of various calibers since. And I don't really look at it as saving money as much as it allows me to shoot more for a given price.

I think you hit the nail right on the head. I originally got into this to save money, though now I just love the hobby overall and the ability to customize my rounds. I originally got into it for 44 mag and 500 mag (so it paid for itself in short order)... now I even reload 380ACP, 9mm, & 45ACP. If you pick your spots on component purchases, you will always "save" money over time... though, we all know you really just shoot more for the same money ;-)

Another way to look at reloading would be as a precision competitor vs buying factory match ammo

A great breakdown on the costs to reloading. There's a ton of variables and it can get overwhelming. Are you able to do a video like this but covering shotshell reloading? I've heard it's a good way to get into reloading, but I was talking to someone at a local shop and he said it's not worth it to save money. I'm curious what your take is. Is it cheaper to load lead, steel, bismuth, tungsten loads instead of buying factory?

My daddy has reloaded for years, and got me into doing it. His synopsis is that no, you don't save money. You can just shoot more for about the same cost as buying factory ammo and shooting less. Also, factoring in keeping brass; no matter how hard I try, I still only retain about 90% of my brass after each range day. I reload 10MM, 300blk, and 6.5 Grendel. I carry 10MM pistols every day, so I reload for that. 300 I run for duty, so it makes sense to reload so I can train. 6.5 is my hunting rifle, so I tinker with custom loads for that. Haven't gotten into my 9MM, .308, other calibers, and I definitely haven't touched shotgun ammo yet.

I have components from years back when they were less expensive. I have a Lee Pro 1000 in 9mm, but I don't load in volume so I tend to use my single stage presses more. I do use the progressive for several other calibers. The Lee press is just a bit too Jerky for me. I can't get it to be smooth and tend to slow way down whenever I have it engaged. Stay safe everyone!

Biggest problem in Australia is availability of components. Primers! powder! projectiles! Cases! (and the prices have skyrocketed)

I reloaded .44 Mag, .38/.357, .30-30 , .30-06 and 7MM Mag. in the 70's & 80's. I thought I saved money back. Reloaded is RCBS Rockchucker. I still have it. Just started to dig it out of storage a couple weeks ago. I'm looking at getting a progressive reloading setup with my brothers and the Hornady set up is at the top of the list. I will forward this clip to them. Thanks for your efforts.

The answer is no. Because you will shoot more. 😂

22:32 You forgot an important factor. Having ammo when you want it vs not. And weathering spells where prices are insane. A lee turret press and stocking components when you can find them is a great asset. And you aren't sitting on a huge investment.