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12 Gauge Birdshot save money?


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I want a Russian Red saiga 12 from red jacket and if I end up getting one I am sure it will be followed with the acquisition of many magazines/drums. I envision a backpack or duffle bag stuffed with drums and mags that I can load the night before I go and anhialate clays or otherwise go shooting. Even the cost of birdshot/target loads will ammount to something fairly large with heavy consumption and I am hoping reloading will help shrink the costs a little. Some say that reloading shells will bring great savings, others say you will have no net gain or will even spend more. I plan on buying winchester AA target loads in 2 3/4 inch for new shells, and reloading those to mimic original performance, is anyone able to come up with a rough cost per shell? A reloading calculator isn't much help as I don't know what recipe I would be using so I hope someone who reloads target loads can help me with info!

 

 

 

Sorry if there has been a recent thread similar to this but the search feature doesn't ever seem to find what I am looking for and when I try different search terms it makes me wait 20 seconds.

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of course the basics are to start with the cheaper items:

:dollar: start with the investment of the original hulls used divided by the number of times you can reload them

then the cost of shot per 1.25 oz

+ cost powder used per load

+ cost of a wad

+ cost of a primer

= what is the cost per shell

 

then the true cost come in:

add in the alcohol drank while getting bored sitting at the press

then the aggravation of shot leaking out of the crimp on the shells

plus the gas going to and from wally-world to

buy more shells

and that is your cost.

 

Anyway good luck!

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Well... I dunno about EXACT cost per shell... but I can give you a breakdown of component cost, and do some math to give you a rough estimate...

 

Powder - Promo - $80.00/8 lbs

Primers - Cheddite - $24.00/1000

Wad - Western orange - $9.00/500

Shot - Lawrence magnum chilled #8 - $30.00/25 lbs

Hulls - ( any brand )FREE ( picked up at local trap range )

 

So... lets do some figuring...

 

powder has 7000 grains per pound, and we are using 17.5 grains per 1 1/8th ounce trap load. So... our approximate cost per shell of powder is 1.07 cents per shell...

Primers are 2.4 cents each

wads are 1.8 cents each

shot is about 8.44 cents for an ounce and an eighth loading...

With a FREE hull, your cost per shell is ABOUT 13.71 cents.

25 in a box = about $3.45 compared to buying them at close to 6 bucks a box.

 

That assumes you do not have to buy ANYTHING else...

 

If we figure in the initial investment...

 

using BULK pricing like I quoted, which is ACTUAL pricing from about two weeks ago...( as I just restocked my reloading larder so to speak...)

 

In one 8 pound jug there is enough powder for about 3200 rounds.

One thousand primers is self explanatory.

Wads, again, self explanatory.

25 pounds of shot is about enough to make 355 shells.

 

to make it all come out almost even... you need

one 8 lb of powder,

three thousand primers

6 bags of wads

10 bags of shot... if we add all that up...

$506.00 or so... plus the press and incidentals listed below...

 

If you do not buy your components from a local supplier, and buy in bulk, figure on paying 30 bucks a POUND for the powder, 30 to 40 bucks a thousand for primers, 15 bucks a bag for wads, and 35-40 for the 25 lbs of shot. Hulls... just add to the cost... and your cost per shell is half again what it was... much closer to retail pre loaded prices. so will you save reloading?? Eventually... but not for a little while...

 

If we figure in the cost of a press = appx $200.00

Charging bars - 15 bucks each

powder bushings - 3 bucks each

scales, loading manuals, misc loading items like the bench itself, shell holder... etc...

 

It doesnt save a LOT to reload trap loads... but it does save some...

Where the REAL savings comes in, is when you get into reloading the high power hunting loads, like copper plated buffered 4's or some such... they are getting 15 bucks a box for that... you can load them for $5... or so... :up:

 

:smoke:

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You also save a lot reloading slugs.

 

I found places around here to get clean lead for 20 cents a pound. I made a shot dripper also bought lee and lyman slug molds. Big savings for me.

 

I've been reloading federal promo shells, I only do two reloads and toss them out.

 

Got my reloading press cheap used, older MEC. Works well enough, I have only a couple powder bushings and I only use one, it just cycles my s-12 and you can watch the slugs flying to target.

 

I think I have it at 7-8 cents a round.

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  • 11 months later...
  • 1 month later...

You can reload BETTER stuff for a fraction under what the WalMart bulk packs cost, but it's hard to save any real money at it. If it takes your time away from something else it's certainly not worth it.

 

Reloading metallic cartridges and especially rifle rounds is a whole other story.

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You can reload BETTER stuff for a fraction under what the WalMart bulk packs cost, but it's hard to save any real money at it. If it takes your time away from something else it's certainly not worth it.

 

Reloading metallic cartridges and especially rifle rounds is a whole other story.

 

 

Exactly... I can reload a duplicate load of a Remington Nitro Gold 27 trap load for about 4 bucks a box. They are 8 bucks a box new... so there is a significant savings there... especially when the leage is going, I am burning through a flat a week... ( 10 boxes )

 

Likewise with rifle cartridges... I can reload most GOOD hunting loads... think Hornady triple-shok (TSX or TTSX) bullets... for less than 75 cents each... They cost about 30 bucks a box of 20 to buy... and I guarantee mine are more consistent, as well as perfectly tuned to my rifle.

 

:smoke:

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You can reload BETTER stuff for a fraction under what the WalMart bulk packs cost, but it's hard to save any real money at it. If it takes your time away from something else it's certainly not worth it.

 

Reloading metallic cartridges and especially rifle rounds is a whole other story.

 

 

Exactly... I can reload a duplicate load of a Remington Nitro Gold 27 trap load for about 4 bucks a box. They are 8 bucks a box new... so there is a significant savings there... especially when the leage is going, I am burning through a flat a week... ( 10 boxes )

 

Likewise with rifle cartridges... I can reload most GOOD hunting loads... think Hornady triple-shok (TSX or TTSX) bullets... for less than 75 cents each... They cost about 30 bucks a box of 20 to buy... and I guarantee mine are more consistent, as well as perfectly tuned to my rifle.

 

:smoke:

I guess to clarify further what I meant, when you reload you will end up with shells better than WalMart bulk pack for a few cents a shell less, but you can't really duplicate the Walmart loads for considerably less. You just can't buy the components in large enough volume to really beat the Walmart price. But what you produce for about the same price will be better. So you spend almost as much, but get better quality. However if you value your time, you lose.

 

Rifle shells, now there is some real savings. I could not afford to shoot my rifles as much as I do if I did not reload myself for them.

 

 

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However if you value your time, you lose.

 

 

Not at all.

 

I completely ENJOY reloading. IT is just one more aspect of the hunting/shooting/firearm sports that is an all encompassing hobby. My time spent doing virtually all facets of it is a pleasure. Otherwise... Why would I bother?!?!?

 

If I hated to reload... I would just spend the money on shells.

 

 

:smoke:

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  • 2 months later...

Remington Premier or Win AA hulls.

 

CCI primer

 

16.0 gr Red Dot

 

Win WAA12 white wad (Claybuster equivalent)

 

1 1/8 oz shot

 

This is a book load.

 

Nice, soft load that smacks the shit out of clays, and cycles my Tromix S12 and Remington 11 (Browning A5) beautifully.

 

It's even soft enough for me to one-hand my my 12ga pistol grippeddouble shotty.

 

 

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  • 7 months later...
  • 1 month later...

I figure that if you have to buy your componants at retail you break even vs. buying your shells for trap at retail.

 

BUT I buy my powder, primers, and wads from classified ads, at auction or garage sales etc. for half of retail so I can load my trap shells for about $2.50 per box. Of course I am willing to shoot any powder I find at the right price, so one week I may be shooting Red Dot, the next Bullseye, the next Winchester,etc.

Edited by Groovy Mike
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