[ESCAFLOWNE]

I am new to reloading and feel that there is a potential for BIG savings. The .45 colt cowboy action load is kinda high but way to fun to shoot to cut back...I have a tumbler and have gathered about 400 once fired brass. I guess i am looking for some advice as to reloading from loads to good components. I do not need to go into mass production so high speed it is not an issue...A final question,what kind of savings can you expect...

Thanks for the info...

 

[uglydog]

I have begun to use IMR's Trail Boss powder in the 45 Colt as it takes up plenty of space in the case and closely copies the CAS loads. I don't think one realizes any savings by reloading; one tends to spend the same amount of money but instead shoots more often. It is hard to estimate the cost of reloading as there are many variables such as: in what quantities are you buying your components (large amounts often cost less per unit), the local cost of components (some shops/areas charge more than others), the components your supplier carries (some only carry the major companies which may cost appreciatively more than some of the smaller manufacturers), and what equipment you already have, what you still need to get, and if you are buying new or used. I'm still working off several thousand 45 Colt bullets I bought a few years ago for well under $70/1000 bullets. I also cast my own bullets from whatever lead I can scrounge so that is also a cost to factor in. In today's prices, taking into component cost only, I would suspect one could handily beat factory prices by half and probably more if one buys in bulk and shops around.

 

[jmh21586]

I started reloading the 45 colt a couple months back. For me personally there's a tremendous savings.

The nearest place that sold them was 30 miles away at Gander Mt. for $36 per 50 rounds.

That's .77 cents a round after tax.

I think I figured I was reloading them for around .15 cents a round. Somewhere in there anyway.


On the other hand it is true that you will just shoot more.

 

[darkgael]

What UglyDog wrote is true to a great extent - you tend to shoot more because the rounds cost less.
But just for fun - take a look at the costs on paper:
You have brass - cost nothing (not really since you already paid for it).
Powder - I use just under six grains of Trail Boss in my .45 Colt loads, so I'm going to get in excess of 1000 reloads from a pound (7000grs.). At $20 a pound, lets say $.02 per load.
Primers - buy them in bulk - let's say $.03 a piece (maybe less)
Bullets - lead has gone up a lot over the last year. What used to cost $.07 a bullet, now costs twice that. Let's say $.14 per bullet.
If you cast your own, it's way less. Have access to range lead, it could be nothing but the cost of equipment ( I started with a camping stove that I already owned, a cast iron cooking pot that was going unused, a Lee ladle, a Lee Mold. Total equipment cost was under $25. It amortized in short order to almost nothing.) I used range lead and scraps - cost nothing.
So the cost per round of reloaded ammo can be as low as $.05 per round or as much as, let's round up, $.20 per round for lead bullet loads. Way better than $.77 per.
Pete

 

[bhutch0468]

Anybody have any light loads using some popular shotgun powders?

 

[jmh21586]

I use 5 grains of clays with a 230 gn cast bullet. Winchester brass and primers.

I shoot an Uberti single action so I have to use fairly light loads.
But you can spice them up a little for the Rugers, Freedom Arms and T/C Contenders. Hodgdon lists recipes for the Colt single actions like the Uberti separate from the ones used in pistols like the Rugers so make sure you watch for that.


Here's the Hodgdon site.

http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

 

[darkgael]

Any of the reloading manuals will give you data for 45 Colt loads using SG powders - Red Dot, Green Dot, 700X, etc.
Pete

 

[ESCAFLOWNE]

are you guys casting you own bullets or buying them ...if so what bullet are you using?

what is a good press to start with ...i dont need high production just triying to get started...

 

[darkgael]

Sorry to be so late in response. Just saw this last question.
Cast or buy? I do both. Lately, I haven't had to do either as I was gifted with an extraordinarily large number of bullets by a friend. It'll be a while before I have the need for more. Casting - I prefer Lee molds as they work just fine and are inexpensive; I prefer wadcutter designs as most of my shooting of the .45 Colt is at paper.
Presses - LOTS of choices. When I started reloading, I lived in an apartment in NYC. I used a Lee Loader, not a press really - very slow but effective.
Then I had a Lee hand press - along with the other necessaries, it all fit into a tool box in the closet. Slow loading but the stuff always worked. When I had more space, I moved to progressives (Dillon and Lee) and additional "dedicated" presses(RCBS, Corbin, Lee, Mec)
A good investment in a bench mounted single stage press is the RCBS Rockchucker - pretty much the benchmark for the industry.
Pete

 

[joedapro]

I am new to reloading and feel that there is a potential for BIG savings. The .45 colt cowboy action load is kinda high but way to fun to shoot to cut back...I have a tumbler and have gathered about 400 once fired brass. I guess i am looking for some advice as to reloading from loads to good components. I do not need to go into mass production so high speed it is not an issue...A final question,what kind of savings can you expect...

Thanks for the info...

lets see i have brass and reloading equipment already. so, it costs $22.00 for 1000 primers and $104 for 8 lbs of unique powder. the powder is aprox $13 / pound. i use 8 grains of unique for my .45 colt. so that pound will give me 875 loads. i get my wheel weights for free but it cost me $20 to fill the propane tank to smelt them down and cast about 200 pounds worth of bullets (about 4-5000 bullets). there is still at least enough propane to do another 100 pounds of wheelweights.

so i guess for less than $40 i can easily get 1000 loaded cast cartriges in 45 colt. if i had to buy these around here, it would cost $30 a box of 50 for the lead cowboy loads ($600/1000). to buy quality gold dot bullets midway has them for $16/100 count ($200/1000). i only shoot a few of those for hunting.


i have yet to lose or ruin a piece of 45 colt brass, i guess eventually the necks will split but i have some with 10 reloads on them already. so the case life seems good. but even if i had to buy them the cases are about $20/100.



other costs are;

a lee turret press is about $100,
$20 for a lee powder measure,
$20 for a lee scale,
$20 for lee dies.
the propane turkey fryer burner cost $40,
the lee moulds were $20 each or $30 for the 6 gang mould.
the pot was an old cast iron pot that i got for free.
the propane tank i borrow from my bbq,
i bought a rcbs lead pouring ladel from midway for $15,
i use an old muffin pan for ingot molds, compliments of the wife.

what do you think? will you save any money?