volshooter said:
Just found Powder Valley's web site. Some very good prices. Some math, (185gr HBRN) @ $116.96/1000 + shipping, $32 for 1000 primers/ $27 for powder (local so add tax)= $175.96 so far without PV's shipping and local taxes. That I reckon is at least another $25+. Now I am at $200+ for 1000 rounds of .45ACP with plated bullets.
I have contacted PV about shipping charges, no response yet. Still at most I would be saving $70/1000. I would like to mention the time cleaning and loading 1000 rounds. Hell, I love to reload and will continue, just not now. My math shows me my time for 1000 rounds is worth at most $70. That is alot of work for 70 bucks.
For now I'd rather be shooting cheap than at the reloading bench.
I plan on ordering from PV, depending on shipping. When ammo prices go back up I will still be stocked with projectiles. Thanks for the tip!
No problem! Powder Valley stuck with their pricing throughout all the shortages unlike many other sites. They are good people.
I don't use CFE-Pistol, though I will after my current 10lbs of HP38 runs out. I use Berry's 230gr/115gr and Xtreme 230gr/200gr SWC/115gr). So my costs are similar to what I quoted, but a bit different.
Dunno what bullets you are buying, but Berry's, Xtreme and perhaps others make plated bullets that are at least as good as factory plinking ammo. If you buy from them, shipping is (or often can be) included. I did NOT use bullets from PV, but from Berry's. I used $20 for shipping and $27.50 (may be $1 off there) for Hazmat fee on the PV purchases. Berry's are almost always cheaper direct from Berry's (no shipping costs) except when Cabelas (eg) runs a sale :)
PV doesn't calc shipping costs until they invoice you, a fact that has kept their web site cheap (ie, costs low) to run but has PO'd some folks. I order a *lot* from PV, and have never felt overcharged for shipping costs. (Let's not talk about the Hazmat fee everyone charges lol.)
I have absolutely no issues with anyone saying "the savings isn't worth it". We're all different. But there are significant savings reloading "even" 9mm and 45ACP. And frankly a lot of us don't want to shoot the cheap stuff. We like knowing what our pistol will do with a load, and not worrying about malfunctions or patterns rather than groups. Wouldn't criticize those folks either. And it's the main reason I reload . . . I have the time, I like the process, I love the results, the savings are secondary to me.
Some comments on other points made in this thread
Personally I make ~1500 9mm and 45ACP in a session, but the point of course was the materials are there for !k rounds of each caliber, in stock, and they represent savings.
Pistol brass is pretty cheap and lasts a long time. The OP says he was a reloader, so it's a reasonable projection that he had brass. If not, a quick search shows 500 45ACP costs from $69 (Amazon, "once" fired) to $94 (Starline, new). At minimum that's 10k loads, less than $0.01/round, or less than $10 for 1k rounds. Once-fired 9mm is even cheaper . . . on the floor at the range . . . or from Amazon and would add $1.34 to the cost of 1k rounds assuming only 20 reloads.
