Reloading cost breakdown spreadsheet

[Angered_Kabar]

The overall goal of it is to just plug in some data in a dozen or so fields and it figures out how many rounds you'll have to load to pay off your reloading equipment compared to just shooting factory ammo. It also shows how much all those components will cost to load that much ammo. If all the bugs get worked out this could be a great tool to quickly show reloading newcomers if there is a cost benefit to reloading for their needs. It could also help out reloading veterans who wish to upgrade or replace their equipment.

Some other features:

Cost per round (new brass, "free" brass, primed brass)
Average cost per round (expected case life, and all the types of brass above)
Another sheet that's designed for shotshell reloading

I hope it's pretty intuitive. Just fill in the green areas with the data you found when researching a specific load (you are going to need to find out the powder charge weight), and the blue areas are used as a label, and to ask you if the brass is already primed. The yellow area gives you the bottom line once everything is filled in, a negative number would mean you're losing money by reloading (crazy to think, huh? I just used my spreadsheet and found out I can buy shotgun slugs cheaper than I can reload them if I buy components from this one place).

Here's the link, it's on google docs.
https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ak5nYZxyK8Z6dGhKb21xR0dycE9NS2hfMTFLZkRwY3c&hl=en_US#gid=0

If you guys notice any problems or know of a way I can improve this, please let me know and I'll see about making this better.

 

[Angered_Kabar]

re: Reloading cost breakdown spreadsheet

Lol... Sorry for the gayness in the title. As soon as I clicked 'post' I instantly regretted the title.

 

[woolleyworm]

Looks good, I will try it out later when I get to my pc.

And yes....... the title was a little 'off' D

tapatalk it works !

 

[Angered_Kabar]

re: Reloading cost breakdown spreadsheet

Those of you who don't have a spreadsheet program, you can download the OpenOffice.org suite and download the .ods file. I wrote this with Calc just in case you wanted to know...

 

[shortround]

re: Reloading cost breakdown spreadsheet

These days, I don't need a Spreadsheet to determine when I break even by reloading my own ammo.

Fact is, it is far cheaper to buy loaded ammo today (much like computers), than to load from all new components (or to build a computer from scratch with all new components).

For me to match Wally World prices for Winchester White Box .45 Auto, I would have to re-use brass and cast my own lead bullets.

Now, if you make custom loads not available at retail, there can be no comparison, for you assembled rounds not available in the commercial market at any price.

For all who shoot, collect and save your brass. Do not leave it on the range, for it has far more residual value than you know. It is o.k. to leave your steel casings behind, unless you want to collect it for scrap value.

Be well.

 

[Charley]

re: Reloading cost breakdown spreadsheet

These days, I don't need a Spreadsheet to determine when I break even by reloading my own ammo.

Fact is, it is far cheaper to buy loaded ammo today (much like computers), than to load from all new components (or to build a computer from scratch with all new components).

For me to match Wally World prices for Winchester White Box .45 Auto, I would have to re-use brass and cast my own lead bullets.

Now, if you make custom loads not available at retail, there can be no comparison, for you assembled rounds not available in the commercial market at any price.

For all who shoot, collect and save your brass. Do not leave it on the range, for it has far more residual value than you know. It is o.k. to leave your steel casings behind, unless you want to collect it for scrap value.

Be well.

Reuse brass? My God, the horrors. Send it to me, then. Reusing brass is pretty much what handloading is about. With your WW Whitebox .45 ACP as an example, I can reload the brass until I lose it. Lasts damned near forever at .45 ACP pressures. When I amortize my .45 brass costs, I figure somewhere in the half cent range or less per piece...

 

[Angered_Kabar]

re: Reloading cost breakdown spreadsheet

That's one thing this doesn't figure... What your time is worth.

 

[Charlie]

re: Reloading cost breakdown spreadsheet

My time reloading is therapy. Reloading is a wonderful hobby.

 

[randmplumbingllc]

re: Reloading cost breakdown spreadsheet

That's one thing this doesn't figure... What your time is worth.

I get to smile, ear to ear, when I go to Wallyworld and check the prices of factory ammo. That, in its self is pay enough.

My equipment paid for its self years ago. Figure about half price of factory, if you are buying bullets. If you "make" your own projectiles, it is about 10 % of what factory cost.

To me, it is another hobby, just like shooting, so I don't factor time into the cost.

Figue I paid for the equipment in the first year. Didn't "save" a penny. Kept buying more equipment.

Damn.....saving money is expensive !

 

[Charley]

re: Reloading cost breakdown spreadsheet

Handloading will not save you any money. You WILL shoot a lot more for the same amount of money.

 

[San Antone RR]

Lol... Sorry for the gayness in the title. As soon as I clicked 'post' I instantly regretted the title.

Fixed it for you. D/L'ed the sheet and will put it through its' paces.

 

[Angered_Kabar]

Fixed it for you. D/L'ed the sheet and will put it through its' paces.

Okay thanks again.

 

[TexasRedneck]

Fact is, it is far cheaper to buy loaded ammo today (much like computers), than to load from all new components (or to build a computer from scratch with all new components).

For me to match Wally World prices for Winchester White Box .45 Auto, I would have to re-use brass and cast my own lead bullets.

For all who shoot, collect and save your brass. Do not leave it on the range, for it has far more residual value than you know. It is o.k. to leave your steel casings behind, unless you want to collect it for scrap value.

Man, ah can't imagine usin' brass one time an' discardin' it, even to a recycle for the $$$. I have probably 20k cases - with that many, it takes a while for 'em to git run through very often. Many friends that know I reload will save their once-used brass and give it to me. Last time I ran the numbers, it's costin' me about 12-13 cents/round ta shoot reloads. Lemme know where to buy factory ammo at that price.<G> Bear in mind I shoot rounds built for accuracy - they ain't max loads, but they let me hit the paper whar ah aim.

Ah toss out a tarp at the range to catch my brass - it ain't unusual for fellow shooters ta toss their .45 hulls on it for me. Mebbe they figger ah'm too broke to buy any....but hey - ah ain't proud!!

 

[txfireguy2003]

Yeah, I quit reloading for 9mm, although I'm about to work up a load for my .45 for plinking and what not, but it's just not worth my time to load pistol ammo, or even ammo for my AR 15 on a single stage press. I could spend 3-4 hours loading ammo and have it all shot up in half an hour or less. Price wise, I quit counting with pistol stuff a long time ago because I knew I wasn't saving much. NOW, when you step into match grade rifle ammo in the .308 rifles, or even hunting ammo in say .243 or .270, I can save a TON of money. The facotry load I use in my .270 costs about 35 bucks a box, and I can load it for less than 20, figuring I use new brass for the first loading and get 5 loadings out of each case. If I use once fired brass that I get free from the range, that price per box comes down even further. Then you go to the oddball cartridges that you can't find at just any hardware store in the hill country, say 6.5 Creedmore for example, or any of the Weatherby cartridges etc, the savings is VERY significant. Then you figure in the fact that you can custom tune that ammo to your rifle for accuracy and the value goes up even more. Finally, you can pick and choose your components, and make a load that you can't find in stores. Say for example, I want to use a Berger VLD bullet, I haven't seen any loaded ammo available with that bullet, and even if I did find it, there is no guarantee that my rifle will like that load combination.

 

[Texas1911]

That's one thing this doesn't figure... What your time is worth.

Frankly, that's a trap. If your time would be spent doing something more productive or worth money then that is it's opportunity costs, but I'd argue that alot of people, myself included, are just using time we don't usually use for huge monetary gain or positive wealth.

 

[Texas1911]

For me to match Wally World prices for Winchester White Box .45 Auto, I would have to re-use brass and cast my own lead bullets.

If it's costs you $30 to reload 100 .45 rounds you are doing something the expensive way.

100 Pieces of Brass - $6
100 230 gr. FMJs - $11
100 Primers - $3.70
Powder - $1.00
-----------------------
$21.70

Save most of your brass and you'll knock $5 off that, at $15 - 16 a box you're loading for half price.

 

[shortround]

You missed the part to save your brass.

Once Obummer issues his next Executive Order, ammo will be hard to find.

Better get all the projo's, powder, and primers you can NOW!

Be well.

 

[TexasRedneck]

If it's costs you $30 to reload 100 .45 rounds you are doing something the expensive way.

100 Pieces of Brass - $6
100 230 gr. FMJs - $11
100 Primers - $3.70
Powder - $1.00
-----------------------
$21.70

Save most of your brass and you'll knock $5 off that, at $15 - 16 a box you're loading for half price.

Damn, primers have jumped.....coupla years ago, they were $24/k - can still get 'em for that on sale sometimes. Keep an eye on Graf & Sons.

 

[PopsXD9sc]

Speaking of Graf's; CCI primers on sale right now for something like $115 a case (5K). Just stocked up.

 

[Texas1911]

Speaking of Graf's; CCI primers on sale right now for something like $115 a case (5K). Just stocked up.

They got Tula's for $93 / 1K, so I just order 15,000 of them. That cuts down the cost substantially!

1000 124 Grain FMJ (Precision Delta) - $77
1000 Brass Cases - Free
3900 grs. Titegroup - $9
1000 Tula Primers - $19
--------------------------------
1000 Rounds of Ammo - $105 or $5.25 / box.

1000 230 Grain FMJ (Precision Delta) - $119
1000 Brass Cases - Free
4500 grs. Titegroup - $11
1000 Tula Primers - $19
--------------------------------
1000 Rounds of Ammo - $149 or $7.45 / box.

I bought a box or two of Winchester White Box for my Edge, and man, that was pretty hard to stomach when I know I could reload it for less than half.