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I did some looking to see just how much one can save. Ignore the folks who say "pennies per round, 'cause I bought 3 million primers in 1993", etc. You have no stash, so look what it would take for components today.
I see various powders from various local retailers for $25/lb. Based on a 25gr charge in a 223 load, that is 280 per pound, or 9 cents/round
Primers are 4-6 cents each. Just like powder, sure you can order online, but the hazmat shipping fees kill you.
Bullets - 55grn FMJ .224" at bullets.com are 14c/ea when ordered by the 100, or as low as 9c/ea when you order 6000 at once.
So not including hazmat and/or heavy item shipping, your time, the actual cases you'll be reloading, or the equipment costs you are at 24-30 cents per round. Decent 223/556 ammo is available 30-35 cents/round. sgammo, palmetto state armory, bullets.com, georgia-arms.com, etc. Even my local Wallys have it at about that price.
For 45 ammo I think you'll see similar, esp. considering that Wally has the Perfecta 45acp for $15/50....
So... is reloading worth it for bulk? Unless you are feeding a machine gun, or sitting on supplies bought long ago for cheap and stacked deep, quite possibly not. If you need match precision stuff, then certainly....
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