.357 reloading

[ericlosh]

I shot .357 for the first time over the weekend and it was amazing! At any rate its pretty expensive to shoot, which means i would like to reload it.
For now my only question is how much $$$ reloading .357 saves you. I spend $25.99 before tax on a box of 50. Thank you in advance.

 

[Leadfoot]

You have to shoot a considerable amount before reloading pays for itself and starts to save you money...

(Here's where someone chimes in and says I'm full of it and the exact opposite.)

But realistically, you need to shoot several hundred rounds a month for reloading to be a "money saver", or shoot a caliber that A. Isn't readily available or B. Is expensive.

For the "average" shooter, it just doesn't work out to that much savings. Now, if you want to reload for the sake of reloading, that's a whole different situation.

To me, reloading is fun, somewhat relaxing, and interesting. I don't have any illusions about saving tons of money, because I haven't shot enough yet to justify the cost of all my equipment. You can figure on spending AT LEAST several hundred dollars when you get started in reloading. Now, obviously after the initial cost of setup, the cost to continue goes down, but it's still not a winning proposition unless you're shooting quite a bit of ammo. The more you shoot, the more you save.

 

[Vigilante Sniper]

I've had my equipment for a long time so cost of equipment has long paid for its self. Right o my cost for reloading 9mm, .40, and .38/357 is about $4.50 per box of 50 if you don't count the cost of brass.

 

[zivadog]

Im not sure what the cost difference is, never bought a box off the shelf but have been making some medium loads with power pistol and 158 Gr Green bullets for target / 158 Gr semi jacketed for carrying hunting. Have also loaded some regular lubed cast lead 158 gr (same as green bullets but conventional lube).

I think the reloads are probably lots cheaper but find that you have "bite the bullet" to buy 500 or so bullets at a time to keep the cost down. I'm finding that with the medium load brass lasts a long time and you don't loose any of it fired from a revolver......

Lets me shoot my SA Blackhawk lots more than if I had to buy ammo for it.

Zivadog

 

[sksshooter]

like the others said with reloading if you are just wanting to load up a couple hundred rounds, it isn't worth it. reloading pays off when you are doing it in quantity. i try not to buy anything in quantities less than 1k minimum. this is the breakdown of about what you would spend to load 1k 357

bullets- this can be a wide range of prices but here is what i like. montana gold bullets.
124gfmj 1k box=$124 case of 3750=$325 which breaks down to about $87/1k
primers-1k=$30-35
powder-1lb=$20-25
brass- if you have saved it $0 otherwise you can purchase once fired from $40/1k-upto how ever much you want to spend on new.

so if you went with a whole case of bullets you could load them for about $0.17 a round.
if you just bought 1k bullets it would be about $0.21 per round.
buying factory at $25/50 is $0.50 per round.

now those prices are figuring at $40 for the brass you may or may not find it for that price or you may have a good supply already so that will change the price. also you can cut those prices even more by shooting lead not a ton but you can. also you can order primers online for as low as $15/1k but you need to purchase a large quantity to balance out the hazard fee. same with powder buy more get it cheaper. hope that helps give you a bit of an idea of what you could load for.

i don't count equipment as part of the cost as its not something that is going to have to keep being replaced and reloading equipment holds its value pretty well. from my experience loading equipment will usually bring 80% of what it cost new so you will lose very little if you decide to get rid of it.

 

[RocknRolla]

Once you get your equipment, it definitely saves money. One thing about reloading is that people tend to compare apples to oranges when talking about savings. When you reload, once you get your favorite recipes, you can make high quality match grade ammo for less than what the cheapest factory ammo costs. Really, this comes into play more for rifle calibers than handgun but the idea still holds.

I can press 50 rounds of .357 for about $4.50. I have to buy enough components to make 1000 rounds, but I can't get to the range nearly as often as I'd like, so that 1000 round lasts me a good 6 months. So if you have brass (and you don't need 1000 to start) you can get around 6 range trips for what you'd spend on one range trip @ 150 rounds.

 

[Storm52]

If you already have the equipment, then adding an additional caliber makes sense. Frankly, I'd shoot and reload for 38's instead of the 357. Savings on components (primers/poweder) is gained. If you are trying to tailor a round to your particular gun, then that is a factor to consider. As far as punching paper, I can't justify (in my head) loading 357s over 38s. Less recoil, less wear & tear and I'm not concerned with fps or energy. As others have replied, you don't realize reduced costs unless you are shooting in quantity. I don't figure the original cost of equipment into the cost per round, but then I've been reloading for decades. If you are just starting out, then you have to consider the entire setup cost to really justifiy if you will actually gain any savings over buying retail. Reloading to many of us is a hobby. For the precision/long range enthusiast it is a necessity to get consistant results. I don't want to discourage you from reloading as it is a rewarding (okay sometimes headache) hobby.

 

[ericlosh]

Thanks guys.

 

[Sin-ster]

Keep in mind, it's relative to what components you're using-- especially as the volume adds up.

The projectiles themselves will make or break your savings more than anything else. Collecting your own brass should be a given, but you may have to suck it up and buy a few thousand initially if you're not already hoarding them.

And yes-- it takes quite a bit of volume before you recoup the cost of your set up and start to really see the savings. TBH-- very few people actually end up saving (in the literal sense of "putting away") money when they start reloading, they simply end up shooting more for the same amount of money. Which is a good thing!

 

[goosecreeper]

I just started reloading 45acp about six months ago. Since im in college I went with a lee loadmaster set up for .45ACP alread. The inital cost was $240 with shipping. Then odds and ends scale=$30 relaoding manual=$30 calipers=$20 total set up cost:

$320

1000 rounds = $30 primers
$20 powder
$80 brass (once-fired from Lousiana Gun and Reloading in BR)
$160 round jacket bullets 230gr RN


Total for 1000 Rounds=$290 or 29 cents per round

Commprable winchester target round $436 per 1000 or 43.6cents per round (random internet search)

almost 15 cents a round savings (2134 rounds to get back the money for the press in savings)
with brass on hand the cost will lower and with cast lead bullets even lower

$30 primers
$20 powder
$0 brass
$80 lead cast

per 1000 rounds with brass cost is $130 or 13 cents per round
almost 31 cents per round (1033 to get back the cost of the press using cast lead and asumming i wasted the money in the past on brass)

I have not gotten all my money back yet, but am close enough to justify my purchase.










My break even point with the purchase of the press will be

 

[Sin-ster]

And just to give some more data, I load about the most expensive components you can for 9mm and save somewhere in the realm of 11 cents per shot (thanks to a supply of brass).

My 650 came with a lot more cost to cover. However, at roughly 1k rounds per week, it didn't take long to make it all up again.

Irony-- 3 cases of Montana Gold just showed up downstairs.

 

[ericlosh]

sounds good to me, i saved this thread so when i get around to i got the info to get started. Thanks alot guys.

 

[Doug.38PR]

a rough estimation is that reloading costs about 1/4th of what it does to buy factory ammo in the store. Especially if you save your brass from previous shooting times.

 

[troy_mclure]

cheap reloading is very possible if you have time.

just get a lee loader in .38/.357mag http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/40663-1.html , for $30.

500 peices of starline brass that will last you dozens of loadings each $80. or search online for range pick up for 1/2, or pick up your own for free.

1k small pistol primers $30.

1k rainier ballistics 158gr plated bullets, $109.

1lb bullseye powder, 1400 5gr loads, $18.

$237 for $1k shots, $30 for the loader.

as opposed to $500 for 1k rounds at $25 a box.

 

[rp85]

hello;

started reloading for the .357 for 30+ years. most important number is "7000", or the number of grains in one (1) pound of powder. powder charge divided into 7000 = number of reloads per pound, powder cost per round loaded. have used only std. small pistol primers.

you can go over 1000fps with lead bullets, BUT expect leading. if using lead bullets over 1000fps suggest gas checked bullets. your speed is good for 1500fps+ish with gas checked bullets. speer make a 158grain bullet lead h/p, great bullet VERY accurate, good for the FBI load. you can buy the speer lead bullet in bulk, 500 bullets in package.

full house loads = lots of recoil.

with s&w "k" frame revolvers, there are reported issues with the 125 grain bullet causing cracks in the revolver forcing cones.

2400 is a good powder for full out magnum loads. if you use only starting load data you still get good speed. got better accuracy and a lot less recoil with starting load data with 2400. with the powder droppers i have 2400 would not the same each time. that means dropping a little below what you want and trickle your powder to the charge you want. takes time, slow for volume reloading. also had an issue with unburned powder getting below the ejection star so it would not seat completely, preventing closing the cylinder. still 2400 is a great powder.

you can get the speed and a little less recoil using hp38/ww231 or bullseye. they are ball type powders. have used 2400, accurate #5, hp38/231 and bullseye all with great results.

ball type powders, drop the same each time. my .357 reloads are not max so if the powder dropped is a little off not an issue. using a hornady powder dropper, ball type powders drop the same 99.999% of the time. have total trust in the hornady powder dropper.

gold dots or golden saber are great bullets. if you get right down to it, any .357 bullet driven at .357 mag speed will give good results.

shoot mostly 140-158 grain bullets in my .357. 38spl load is 4.0 grains of hp38, 140 lee cast bullet is very accurate. load the 158 speer bullets to 38spl +p speed, 925fps. 357 are loaded with 158 lyman gas checked bullet, speed is 1200fps from a 4" barrel revolver. from a 2.5" barrel smith the 357 speed is just over 1k fps. from a 2.5" barrel 357 smith/ruger/colt muzzle flash and recoil is.....impressive!

.38spl is a lot cheaper to shoot than the .357. suggest you consider 38spl +P or +p+ for defense loads.

if you shoot 38's in your 357, you will because of cost, remember to clean each cylinder of your pistol very well after shooting 38spl. 38spl will leave a ring of powder residue where the front of case was in the cylinder that will casue poor extraction of fired 357 cases.

38spl and 357 cases are everywhere there are shooters. just bend over and pick up the empty brass.

good luck.

rp

 

[jimdana1942]

Reloading is fun. And you can load different bullets and weights. You can load some nice hunting rounds, say 180 gr. semi wad cutters for hunting and protection in dangerous game areas if you are trail hiking in bear and cougar country. You can get set up with one of the best loaders on the market if you buy a Lee 4 hole turret press and a set of 4 Lee carbon dies all for about $170 or so off of Ebay. Get your bullets, brass off of Gunbroker and get your powder and primers locally.

Even if you don't shoot alot you can stack up alot of bullets with a 1 pound can of powder and a 1000 primers and just reload your brass as needed, just get you few hundred brass and just reload them.

 

[troy_mclure]

you can go over 1000fps with lead bullets, BUT expect leading. if using lead bullets over 1000fps suggest gas checked bullets. your speed is good for 1500fps+ish with gas checked bullets. speer make a 158grain bullet lead h/p, great bullet VERY accurate, good for the FBI load. you can buy the speer lead bullet in bulk, 500 bullets in package.

i regularly shoot cast for my .44mag and '06. i push 1200fps plain base lead in my .44, and 2000fps lead plain base in my '06.

its all about fitting the boolit to the gun.

 

[Cookoff]

You can get into reloading and learn all the basics, its a lot of fun, I.ve been doing it for45 years, their are some basic reloaders availible for a modest cost, check cabelas, they sell the basic reloader, we used to call it the Knuckle buster, thay call it something elso today, but its a very simple reloader,, get a video off of the internet, their are many,, good luck...

Reloading is fun. And you can load different bullets and weights. You can load some nice hunting rounds, say 180 gr. semi wad cutters for hunting and protection in dangerous game areas if you are trail hiking in bear and cougar country. You can get set up with one of the best loaders on the market if you buy a Lee 4 hole turret press and a set of 4 Lee carbon dies all for about $170 or so off of Ebay. Get your bullets, brass off of Gunbroker and get your powder and primers locally.

Even if you don't shoot alot you can stack up alot of bullets with a 1 pound can of powder and a 1000 primers and just reload your brass as needed, just get you few hundred brass and just reload them.

 

[Pale Horse]

Using the www.handloads.com price calculator:

powder @ $24.99/lb + tax (local price here)
primers @ $39.99/1000 + tax (ditto)
125gr jhp from midwayusa, average $80 for 500 after shipping

equals $12-13 per box of 50 for .357 125gr jhp loads

I didn't include casings since I usually get them for little or nothing from a local range. New Starline .357 brass is $15/100 at midwayusa should you want new brass.

The bullet will be your biggest component expense by far. I cast my own for .38 special and it costs me about $2.50 to load 50 rounds of 158gr LRN. Buying bullets, it would cost me around $7 to load 50.