M1 Garand Reloading...Cost Savings?
Would I end up getting any decent savings by reloading 30-06 ammo for my M1 Garand or would the gains be negligible? The main use for the ammo would just be to replicate M2 Ball and would just be used for regular shooting and plinking.
Thanks! [^]
"The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long..."
Thanks! [^]
"The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long..."
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As long as surplus ammo is available as cheap as it is, I am going to shoot surplus and save my brass. The day will come when there won't be any cheap surplus, and then I'll start reloading. Just my opinion. 0 -
Depending on components and quality of loads, you can save up to 50%.
"...hit your enemy in the belly, and kick him when he is down, and boil his prisoners in oil- if you take any- and torture his women and children. Then people will keep clear of you..." -Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, speaking at the Hague Peace Conf0 -
Hello, With the low cost of Non-corrosive Mil Spec its really not much of a cost savings if any. Primers and powders are so expensive now that you can't save much. Just heard China buying lead and price has almost doubled. Buy the Mil spec by the case at Gun Shows and its very reasonable.Save or sell the brass as all scrap prices are up. If you enjoy loading or have a special load worked up then do it but you will not save much.
Old Ammo, have lots always looking for more.0 -
Want me to prove it? Ok... Let's see...
CMP has, right now, m2 ammo on sale for $48 for 240 rounds. So $.20 a round. This is assuming you live close enough to them to pick it up as shipping varies by location.
If you go to a show, you can get an 8lb jug of surplus 4895 powder for $96, or about $12 a pound, slightly better than you'd probably do for commercial. Let's say you get 155 shots from a pound, based on 7000 gr per pound and about 45 gr of powder... that's 7.7 cents for powder per shot.
Projectiles, assuming you are trying to duplicate the M2 loading, are available in surplus as well, and generally cost about $15/250... so add 6 more cents.
Now let's assume you already have brass from having saved it. Or if not that you have policed the range and come up with some for free, or someone has given it to you, etc. I perhaps shouldn't assume this but I have NEVER needed to buy 06 brass, I just saved that which I already had shot.
Primers are $15/1000. or about a penny and a half each. So let's see:
$.015 for primer
$.06 for bullet
$.075 for powder
$.15 c per round
or $36.00 per 240, if you want to compare to CMP stuff.
So I was perhaps exaggerating when I said you could save half, but you can see, you CAN save money. This is also assuming you shop around for components and don't overpay. Even if you had to buy brass and pay a bit more for powder or primers, at very LEAST you would break even, and considering shipping costs on ammo, would probably still do better. Personally I have things to do with $12 dollars, plus the ammo will likely be more accurate, more exact, and more controlled than any surplus, even the great US M2.
Just my $.02.
"...hit your enemy in the belly, and kick him when he is down, and boil his prisoners in oil- if you take any- and torture his women and children. Then people will keep clear of you..." -Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, speaking at the Hague Peace Conf0 -
You're missing a HUGE factor here. The value of your time.
How long does it take to load 240 rounds on a single stage press? 5 hours? After tumbling, depriming, cleaning primer pockets, etc,etc,etc. We're not even talking about buying equipment. That works out to $2.00 hour! My time is WAY more valuable than that.
I think the point of the question was whether it's worth it shooting through a Garand ie: open sights, high volume. Of course it's worth it for bench rest competition rifles.
....I never met a gun I didn't like!0
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