It's still more cost effective to hand load in most cases, even if you are starting from scratch. A $2k investment should buy all the basic tooling and equipment needed for the production of match-equivalent ammunition. Hand loaded ammo will perform equally or better in the shooter's rifle assuming proper load work up.
Here's an example comparison between Berger 6.5 Creedmoor 140 Hybrid factory ammo (Midway product code 894040) and equivalent hand loaded ammo.
| Components | Unit Cost (1 round) - Reloading | Factory Berger 6.5 Creedmoor ammo (box of 20) unit cost: | Notes |
| h4350 (1 lb) | .40 | NA | ($66.89 total cost one 1lb bottle / 7000 grains) * 42 grains per case |
| Fed 205M Primer (box of 1000) | .10 | NA | |
| Lapua SRP Brass (box of 100) | 1.14 | NA | |
| 140 Berger HT (box of 100) | .67 | NA | |
| Subtotal | $2.31 | NA | |
| Amortized cap-ex ($2k investment on equipment, 2,000 rounds produced) | 1.00 | NA | Amortized cap ex for the unit cost per round drops to $.80 if 2500 rounds produced and $.67 per round if 3000 rounds produced. |
| Total | $3.31 | $3.95 | Base price of the Berger ammo is $58.99/shipping: $20 |
Savings @ 2000 rounds in now-year dollars: $1,280.00 ($0.64 cost avoidance x 2000 rounds produced). More rounds you produce the more you save over COTS ammo.
The one aggravating factor is the initial layout for everything which may or may not be in one's budget. That said, It's roughly equally challenging and frustrating to obtain either components or loaded ammo at the moment but if I had to start fresh today, I'd reload vs relying on COTS ammo.
Notes
- Figures are based on prices on all of the above components from Midsouth Shooters Supply and Midway and include hazmat and hazmat fee where applicable.
- No adjustments made for go-forward inflation or net-present value of future expenditures as those factors would impact everything in the above table.
- Indirect costs per round (case lube, cleaning agents, etc) are immaterial and would add less than .01 to the unit cost per round thus not included in the above calculations.
- State / local sales tax is applied where collected for any of the above items if bought from a major retailer (on-line or BM) but it's
not included for purposes of comparison due to the varying amounts and percentages incurred by consumers across the country.
RCBS agrees with me, saying it calibrates it to current environmentals
