How to weigh the cost and benefits of reloading your own ammunition
Reloading ammo is a meticulous and complex process. By reloading ammo, it will teach the complete reloading process, show cost savings, allow for better control of accuracy, and will make the shooting experience more gratifying for anyone who wants to take on the challenge. I have been shooting in USPSA (United States Practical Shooting Association) competitions for about a year and have seen first-hand how expensive store bought ammo can be. Since then, I have easily spent around $1,000.00 in ammunition. This is why I have been considering reloading my own ammunition. I feel compelled to educate the potential reloader about the beneficial yet meticulous world of reloading. One of my sources makes this process easy to follow, and points out both pros and cons about reloading ammunition. We need to consider the rising cost of ammunition and the lack of supplies on the shelves. This will help by clarifying how much can be saved and also the benefits that reloading offers to the shooting enthusiast. Let's begin by understanding more about reloading ammunition first.
There are a many different types of reloading presses available on the market. These types include a single stage, turret, and fully progressive presses. The main difference between these different types is the speed in which ammunition can be reloaded. By using a single stage press, the reloading process is completed in only one cycle, as the press can only hold one die at a time. The bullet die must the replaced in order to move on to the next stage in the process. Some users prefer these types of presses for reloading rifle cartages. Turret reloading presses and also progressive presses can hold all of the dies needed, which means that the operator does not have to stop in the middle of the entire process to switch and re-adjust dies. In general, the Turret press will allow for more rounds to be loaded per hour verses a single stage, while a fully progressive reloading press will be much faster an capable of producing more rounds in the same amount of time.
Dies are then inserted into the reloading press holders and are what will allow the user to resize the case, remove the spent primer, flare the case mouth, seat the bullet, and then place a crimp around the bullet. There are lots of manufacturers who produce quality reloading dies including Dillon and Hornady, among other manufactures.
A case tumbler, along with brass cleaning media can offer a simple, effective way to clean dirty brass prior to using them in the reloading process. This is done for two reasons. It is very important is to remove all the dirt and soot which can potentially harm the press dies. The other is to allow the user to produce polished, visually pleasing ammunition brass. It is much easier to spot brass that could have defects from when they were fired when they are clean.
Next will be the ability to precisely measure and dispense the appropriate charge (weight in grains) of powder for your type of ammunition. Powder measures can either be individual units or they can be attached to the top of the press and are then triggered by the case being inserted into the die which will then dispense the correct amount of gunpowder. Certain measures work best depending on the certain types of powders (Extruded, Flakes, and Pellets). Generally, any quality powder measure device will provide adequate results with a wide range of powder types.
Calipers and or heights gauges combined are definitely needed to take numerous measurements, including the case trim length and cartridge length. These are available in both dial and digital configurations. Both can and will work just fine, with digital being a bit quicker to read and a little more costly.
The reloading process starts with used or new brass that is cleaned and prepped. The brass has been expanded when the cartridge was fired due to the colossal pressure pushing the brass against the chamber wall of the gun or rifle. Resizing the case reduces the outer diameter of the case down to the recommended dimension from the manufacture. This will ensure that new rounds will properly chamber in the barrel, and that bullets will have the proper press fit when seated in the chamber of the firearm. The second part of this stage includes a de-priming pin pressing out the old spent primer. After this stage, there will be a properly sized case without the old spent primer.
After the case has been resized and the old spent primer has been removed from the bottom of the case. Next contains a feeding mechanism turret positioning the new primer under the bottom of the brass case, and a punch then presses a new primer into place into the primer pocket. Properly seated primers should be a few thousandths of an inch recessed into the primer pocket to ensure that they won't detonate if a round is dropped, and to ensure proper chamber feeding or proper cylinder closure. This is needed for safety of the user and the firearm to prevent damage or injury.
After the case has been primed and seated properly, the case mouth needs to be expanded or "flared out" so that in the following stage, the bullet can be placed into the mouth of the case, and be held steadily prior to seating the bullet depth in the case.
Before the bullet is seated in the case, the correct powder charge needs to be dispensed in the case. The powder measure will measure out a predetermined volume (weight in grains) of the powder to be used, and dropped down a tube or die into the case. In some reloading presses, this is accomplished by the case pushing up on a powder die; these arrangements are called case activated powder measures. The case now contains the proper amount of gunpowder that is recommended by the manufacture. It is very important not to exceed the recommended amount of powder, this could over pressure the case and cause catastrophic damage or injury.
Now that the case is charged with the correct amount of gunpowder has been added, a bullet can be placed in the flared mouth of the case. The bullet is seated to a specific depth by the seating plug die, which is lowered to an exact height that the user sets that is recommended by the manufacture. At the same time, combo dies allow the crimp ring to roll the crimps or taper the crimps on the top of the case securing the bullet in place.
The completed round is now properly sized, has a new primer, the correct amount of gunpowder, and an accurately seated bullet. The case has also been crimped so that the bullet is retained properly in the case, and so that rounds can chamber smoothly without any malfunctions.
A fantastic source I relied on to conduct my research was a blog on the internet, "How to weigh the costs and benefits of reloading your own ammunition," on the Ultimate Reloader web site, In this blog Gavin provides detailed information such as costs for reloading, potential savings, customizing rounds, and improving accuracy. This also includes descriptions of "requirements" to help the potential reloader decide if that process is beneficial for them, or if they should continue to buy manufactured ammunition. In addition, Gavin relies on a review of the literature to help validate and illuminate his methods described in this blog. Giving his background and unique characteristic of blogs and videos, it makes for an entertaining yet informative piece. His knowledge and skillful methods are adequately and thoroughly proven on his blog. This was a very persuasive piece that motivated me to want to take on the challenge of reloading.
Now that we have covered the basics of reloading ammunition and the different steps in the process, let's examine how the cost savings come in to play.
While the initial cost to start reloading can be discouraging, the overall saving will be worth it in the long run. Depending on what type of press and add-ons you purchase will vary the upfront cost. The press that I have chosen is the Dillon XL650 progressive press which costs $600. The dies for the 9mm costs $70, measuring tool (Calipers, Powder Scale, Powder Micrometer, Chronograph) $260 and finally the cleaning supplies (Media, Solvents, Tumbler) costing $80. This brings the grand total to $1010. This may seem quite expensive when we are trying to save money on ammunition. The bottom line is that it's an investment and all investments require money up front to make money in the long run or in this case save money.
Reloading costs can vary depending on what types of cartridge is utilized and accuracy that is going to be achieved. Hand gun ammunition will generally be less expensive to reload than bigger caliber rifle cartridges. Hand gun cartridges typically range in powder weights from 3-7 Grains where rifle cartridges range from 20-100 grains. For this cost comparison, hang gun ammo specifically 9mm will be compared to manufactured ammo. For my USPSA competitions I shoot 9mm ammo, this is why I have chosen the path to reload to save money so I can shoot more often without braking the bank.
To put in perspective on how much money can be saved, manufactured 9mm ammo in stores ranges from $17-20 for 50 rounds of 115 grain bullets. The cost per round at these prices is about .34-40 cents each. Now let's brake down the reloading costs to compare the costs savings, adding the initial investment of $1010 and when it will be paid off in from the savings. Starting out with primers its $1.35 for 50, bullets are $3.76 for 50 and finally powder at 5.0 grains average per bullet is $.84 for 50. The total for 50 rounds is $5.95, this does not account for brass which can be reused. This is cost saving of about 35% in turn making reloading quit appealing when money is being saved. To make the initial cost of the reloading equipment it would take about 70 boxes of ammo at store cost. That's about 3,500 rounds of ammunition to put it into perspective. In the end reloading will take a little while to start to save money, but over the long run it will pay for its self.
An even better reason for reloading is the ability to customize loads to improve the shooting accuracy.
The primary work of SAAMI (SPORTING ARMS AND AMMUNITION MANUFACTURERS' INSTITUTE, INC.) is done by its Technical Committee in the setting of industry standards. Product standards for firearms and ammunition are developed by two Product Standards Task Forces, one is for the ammunition division and the other is for firearms. Recommendations of the task forces are submitted for review by the entire Technical Committee. Other key areas of standardization and technical expertise include case pressure measurement, muzzle charging, and working toward collective, worldwide recognized standards by working with the Commission International Permanente (CIP).
Each firearm tends to have its own preference for specific ammunition. Bullets can differ by design, construction, and stiffness. These factors can make a considerable impact when it comes to accuracy of the projectile. Primers tend to burn or ignite in a particular way, some will burn hotter, cooler, longer, or faster. Primers need to be matched to both the bullet type and the gunpowder that is going to be used. Even when matched to the components, firearms can have a preference form one brand or type of primer over another. Accuracy variation due to primer selection is more critical in rifles ammunition than in handguns, but it still becomes a factor in both types of for firearms.
Accuracy, Speed and Power are the three of the slogans of the USPSA. This is where the Power portion will comes into effect. Heavy recoiling ammunition is much harder to shoot quickly and accurately at a target. Heavy recoiling ammunition should have a leveling factor applied to it so that those shooting bigger caliber ammo, .45 ACP are not at a disadvantage to shooters shooting lighter recoiling 9mm and .380ACP rounds. The idea for having a power factor uses a simple formula relating the weight of the bullet and the firearms muzzle velocity to define an energy rating for that particular round out of that individual's handgun. Below is an example of power factor formula to determine the power factor of the ammunition.
(Bullet Weight in grains * Muzzle Velocity in feet per second) / 1,000 = Power Factor for example (115gr bullet * 1087fps) / 1,000 = 125 Power Factor
This calculated number is used to determine if the shooter is able to make the Major or Minor Power Factor for scoring in competition. The Minor Power Factor category is 125 and the Major Power Factor is 165 in all the USPSA competitions. In the Production Division it is the only division that is mandatory for all competitors to be scored at the Minor Power Factor so all the other divisions are acutely aware and making sure they get the scoring advantage opposed to the heavy recoiling ammunition. Failing to make Minor Power Factor, will result in the shooters match not being scored or possibility being disqualified from the shooting match. Basically if the shooter gets too close to the lower edge of Minor and or falls below the 125 threshold, the shooter will basically be shooting for fun that day and will not be scored in his or hers chosen division. This is where a chronograph becomes a great and needed tool to the help development of the shooters reload formulas.
Finally, we come to the final reason of reloading, which is self-gratification that come from completing and firing ammunition that the reloader had successfully completed.
Reloading ammunition is all about learning, adapting and improving your skills. Reloading will challenge you to learn about how your firearm is put together, how it works, and what it needs in terms of using the most accurate ammunition. By learning your weapon and by experimenting with different types of reload combinations, you'll learn how to assemble and create optimized ammunition. While you can learn to reload ammunition in a short period of time, it can take a life time of learning about this craft continually being able to learn new skills, techniques, and tricks along the way. This information is invaluable not only for your own personal situation, but this information can also be shared with others as well. This level of detail and discipline will make your reloading more of an experience of craftsmanship, and help to minimize frustration and dissatisfaction when it comes to reloading you own ammunition.
