who here reloads 5.56

[bussecrazed]

I'm curious to see if its worth it to reload as I have 1000s of brass just need powder, primers and bullets. What are you guys paying per 1000 to reload if you already own the brass?

[davestarbuck]

A thread I composed a while back...

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=72436

[Magelk]

156.71$ using H335, cci 41's and pulled ss109's.

Buying pulled wc844 could drop that to 131.43$

None of that includes the shipping charges on anything if you buy online.

[krichbaum]

.....

[Stump70]

Minus brass, about $.10-11 cents per. This is using pulled bullets and powder, and hopefully I got my primers for under $.03 cents. I volunteer at my local range and brass is pretty much free anyways.

[wahoo95]

Costing me $135/k currently using:
WC844.....8lbs for $90
Wolf Primers....$20 with HAZMAT
Hornady 55gr FMJBT.......$77
Free brass........$free.99

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[NWPilgrim]

With out even trying to shop very hard you can get FMJ bullets for less than $100/1,000; primers for $30/thousand; and powder for $80 for 4#. that is $210/ thousand without effort to get good prices. Some shopping around and you ought to get that down near $140-$160/1,000 easy.

[jstone]

I started reloading not to save, but to be able to load for my chambers. I usually load Barnes, sierra match kings, and nosler partitions. A box of 20 where i live goes for around 28 for MKs and up to 37 for Barnes or partitions.

So i can generally load rounds that cost any where from a $1.00-$2.00 a round for under .50¢ a round using cci 41 primers and powders like cfe 223 or 8208xbr.

I have not got into loading for as cheap as possible yet. Regardless of cost reloading is well worth the time and investment for me, to know how much and what i shoot is not dictated by what is in stock. Keep some components on hand and while everyone is complaining about rising cost you are shooting at whatever costs were before whatever the new panic is.

[Tigereye]

Using TAC, Hornady FMJBT, and Wolf primers, it's $160 per thousand.
Eric

[shootist~]

TAC, Hornady 55 FMJBT, Rem 7 1/2: $190/k.

[R600]

Generally for me it's about half the price if I purchased brass cased ammo buying a thousand rounds at at time. I'm currently buying AA 2230 in eight pound containers, primers 5000 at a time, and I will be purchasing bulk bullets when I finish what I had purchased off a buddy.

I look to save a bit more when I move over to WC 844 surplus powder and pulled bullets when their available.

[Awesome1228]

For me, it isn't simply a direct cost analysis. How much is your time worth? My time is currently worth more to me than the money I would save by reloading, so I outsource. My girlfriend's dad is a big time reloader, and he's retired. So we trade...I buy the components, he does the work, we split the end result. I make out about even, maybe a little better-approximately the same amount of rounds for money spent as buying new ammo, but he gets to shoot more than he could otherwise, and it's something for him to do instead of watching fox news all day :D

[Ned Christiansen]

I'll just throw this in, if you do it, don't neglect the case trimming operation.... it's a PIA and I think some guys skip it. For function and safety, it must be done as the case grows in length when you resize it. If the neck becomes too long, it can get forced into the freebore of the chamber, essentially clamping the bullet in tight which means it takes more pressure to get it moving, almost like a barrel obstruction. Unless you get lucky and it just doesn't chamber-- a non-explosive way for your reloads to tell you "start trimming us".

[Positive Displacement]

I'll just throw this in, if you do it, don't neglect the case trimming operation.... it's a PIA and I think some guys skip it. For function and safety, it must be done as the case grows in length when you resize it. If the neck becomes too long, it can get forced into the freebore of the chamber, essentially clamping the bullet in tight which means it takes more pressure to get it moving, almost like a barrel obstruction. Unless you get lucky and it just doesn't chamber-- a non-explosive way for your reloads to tell you "start trimming us".

When your trimming cases to uniformity, they should be above the minimum and under the maximum, for the case specification?

Sorry for this question, just need clarity.

[shootist~]

When your trimming cases to uniformity, they should be above the minimum and under the maximum, for the case specification?

Sorry for this question, just need clarity.

Yes - But there are different ways to answer this. [Maximum is fine, minimum or even a little under minimum is fine, a little over maximum is fine - depending on the actual chamber in question, etc., etc.,] Just follow the recommendations in your reloading manual with respect to trimming an you will also be fine.

[Positive Displacement]

Yes - But there are different ways to answer this. [Maximum is fine, minimum or even a little under minimum is fine, a little over maximum is fine - depending on the actual chamber in question, etc., etc.,] Just follow the recommendations in your reloading manual with respect to trimming an you will also be fine.

Thanks for the information.

[chadbag]

When your trimming cases to uniformity, they should be above the minimum and under the maximum, for the case specification?

Sorry for this question, just need clarity.


As was said, there is no one answer.

Some people like to trim to min trim length so that it can expand a few times (i.e., be loaded a few times) before it has to be trimmed again.

Unless you have a real good feel for your firearm/chamber etc just make sure it is not past max length.


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[GunnutAF]

I can run my 62 gr Cast GC bullets for $106.70 per 1000!:D Thats $.11 per round!:)

[Snake Plissken]

I use 844 powder in 8lb jugs, LC M193 surplus, CCI standard small rifle primers. Brass is generally about $80 per 1k shipped but then I have an assload of processing to do. If you can find someone that will process your brass by swaging the primer pocket (mil crimp), trimming to 1.750", and it's inexpensive, DO IT.



I can run my 62 gr Cast GC bullets for $106.70 per 1000!:D Thats $.11 per round!:)
You must hate yourself to do that in an AR-15.

[fr3db3ar]

Not plinking ammo but I'm running Varget, CCI400 and 55 Vmax @ $0.27 a round.

[GunnutAF]

Snake Plissken
Why it runs great, cheap accurate target ammo. :D Actually runs cleaner then jacketed bullets. Zero leading, three swipes with a boresnake done! :)