cost of reloading

[shortround]

Well, actually I can but it may or may not match your subjective analysis. The more complete information I have about you, the closer I can come to the theoretical value that you would assign your time. Of course, you are steering away from my original question, why don't you put a value on your time?

Deemus, Checkout Zero bullets as well, they are a little cheaper in bulk and shoot just as well.

"Subjective Analysis" seems to be your flawed analysis. I live in a completely rational and objective world. I have made sufficient gains in this world through my hard labor, to no longer have to assign a dollar value to my endeavors.

In other words, the fruits of my past labor, provide a comfortable quality of life, and since it is paid for IN ADVANCE, I have no need to complain.

 

[Deavis]

How about when you are posting on this forum...how much does that cost?

If you read my post #33 you'll see exactly how much I valued my posting time at and I don't misunderstand "recreational" time at all. There is no such thing, there is merely time and it has a value. Factory loads are not always cheaper, examples abound of savings in this very thread. I'm not suggesting otherwise but many people who jump into reloading don't end up saving anything close to what some suggest, realize that, and then bailout poorer.

"Subjective Analysis" seems to be your flawed analysis.

May I suggest reading a little Hayek, ruminate a bit, and then I'm guessing that since you live in a rational and objective world, you'll be able to understand that subjective analysis does not cause an end to the world as you know it. I truly hope one day I can disregard the value of my time like you do but until then I'll go ahead and be both logical and objective and assign a value to my time.

For anyone wondering about subjective analysis, you can prove how it works. Make a list of the five most valuable things you own. Now, assume your house is on fire, what are the 5 things you save? If the list is not exactly the same then you have proven that under the varying conditions of your environment, your valuation of objects you own can change. Same goes for what you are willing to pay for items or charge for them, and so forth and so on.

 

[scap99]

You'd give that kid on Big Bang Theory a run for his money.

 

[benenglish]

I've reached an age where my money is generally less valuable than my time. For that reason, since I recently retired and have again taken up shooting actively, I've made specific attempts to buy guns in common and cheap calibers so that I can spend time shooting without grieving over the money I'm losing by not reloading. That means that I concentrate on 9mm and 22LR shooting, with some 223 and 7.62x39.

I absolutely *know* that there is a specific slightly-exotic-application of a common cartridge for which I must reload and I'll eventually decide that I must have that particular load. It'll be a while before I reach that point, but when I do I'll re-buy all the reloading equipment that I got rid of such a long time ago. Significantly, this time I'll know how to buy the good stuff, once, and not waste money. Just for grins, I plugged this particular use case into the calculator referenced earlier. The stuff I can buy off the shelf now, shipping included, for about $0.30 per round will cost me about $0.52 per round when I start reloading. The big difference is that I'll be able to use a particular, much more suitable projectile.

Until then, I almost exclusively shoot generic-box, major-brand ammo bought by the 1000-round case. 9mm gives me no heartburn. However, the quality difference between cheap 22LRs and the good stuff is extreme and so are the prices. That's something I can't do anything about except stock up when I find a good buy.

As to the cost of time spent reloading, I consider it high. Everyone has a different situation and sometimes external factors completely swamp every other consideration. In my case, for example, I never married and have no kids. My sister is my last living relative. She's also gravely ill. Every minute I spend alone in a room pulling a handle is time spent away from her. I even schedule most of my shooting for early morning so that I'm back to the house before she wakes up. Seen in that light, I even shoot factory .45ACP more than occasionally and consider it a cheap diversion.

Side note: My mother lived through the Depression and one thing she insisted on, all her life, was that we keep a good stock of ammo in the house. I have 10s of 1000s of rounds of 22LRs in cases dating back 40+ years. Later in life, I developed the habit of checking with my local Academy, who charged $3.95 for a box of 9mm Blazer for, it seems, years. Occasionally, though, the stuff went on sale for $2.95 a box. When it did, I made the rounds to every Academy within easy driving distance and bought every unbroken case they had in stock. Again, I've got as much of the stuff as I'll ever shoot. Nowadays, I shoot mostly indoors and indoor ranges tend to prohibit aluminum cases. No big deal; that ammo isn't going anywhere. Just remember, when good buys become available, jump on 'em. It's well worth it to buy 10K rounds of ammo if you can find it at a steal deal price, even if you must *then* go shopping for something out of which to shoot it.

Bottom line, in my opinion - Restrict your shooting to the normal sorts of recreational activities that can be fulfilled with a 9mm, 223, or a 22LR (and perhaps the 7.62x39) and reloading isn't worth the time and effort. Shoot large enough quantities of anything and reloading becomes an arguably good idea for the cost savings. Shoot anything unusual (in chambering, application, or cost-per-round of the factory stuff) and reloading becomes mandatory, even though the per-round costs are likely to remain somewhere beyond ridiculous.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

Lots of good perspectives. In the end what really matters is, "Do I want to?" Everything other than that is really an input to that decision, a decision only you can make.

Cost, time, blah, blah, blah. Does anyone here who reloads not really want to? Only do so out of a strictly objective analysis? Heck, does anyone here go shooting based a strictly objective analysis? If so, I'll eat my hat (j/k).

 

[deemus]

Lots of good perspectives. In the end what really matters is, "Do I want to?" Everything other than that is really an input to that decision, a decision only you can make.

Cost, time, blah, blah, blah. Does anyone here who reloads not really want to? Only do so out of a strictly objective analysis? Heck, does anyone here go shooting based a strictly objective analysis? If so, I'll eat my hat (j/k).

Good point MH. I can assure you I did NOT put that much effort into my decision of whether I would reload. I started because it was cheaper (used to load 44mag for under $5 / box), but I continued because: I enjoy it, can load some rounds cheaper, like the challenge of making my guns as accurate as possible, and I like doing it. To me its relaxing and a disconnect from the world the two guys here have been spouting over. I don't have to analyze and decide. I just load. I do the analyze and quantify thing all week, and when I reload I escape that world for a while.

 

[shortround]

If you read my post #33 you'll see exactly how much I valued my posting time at and I don't misunderstand "recreational" time at all. There is no such thing, there is merely time and it has a value. Factory loads are not always cheaper, examples abound of savings in this very thread. I'm not suggesting otherwise but many people who jump into reloading don't end up saving anything close to what some suggest, realize that, and then bailout poorer.



May I suggest reading a little Hayek, ruminate a bit, and then I'm guessing that since you live in a rational and objective world, you'll be able to understand that subjective analysis does not cause an end to the world as you know it. I truly hope one day I can disregard the value of my time like you do but until then I'll go ahead and be both logical and objective and assign a value to my time.

For anyone wondering about subjective analysis, you can prove how it works. Make a list of the five most valuable things you own. Now, assume your house is on fire, what are the 5 things you save? If the list is not exactly the same then you have proven that under the varying conditions of your environment, your valuation of objects you own can change. Same goes for what you are willing to pay for items or charge for them, and so forth and so on.

I have no problem with Friedrich Hayek, or his mentor, Von Mises. Their arguments (philosophy) are to the whole, not the individual unconstrained by market forces.

If my house caught fire, I would evacuate: 1. Family. 2. Pets. 3. Family Records & Photographs 4. Essential Medications 5. Cash.

Everything else can be replaced in time, and will have no bearing on my family's immediate survival.

Adios Amigo.