Thread: Has the price of cartridges gone up?.

While I havnt brought ammo in years the price is well up there. Good mate of mine, older chap on the pension can't afford to buy boxes of ammo and still participate in our shenanigans so I have started loading for him.

I'm in Texas at the moment, and a box of 20 Remington 3006 is $34 ($57NZ)
And they're bitching about the price 😂

So what does it cost to reload a 6.5CM per round? The Hornady Whitetail costs $3.75 a round. While not the best, it shoots ok enough.

It depends on the components you use.


Primer - 0.27
Brass - Lapua SRP at $330/100 - assume 10 firings - 0.33
147gr ELDM - 1.09
Powder - 2209 at 41.5gr - $180/kg - 371 rounds per kg, 0.48 per round

$2.17 per round

If you go with Reloder powders, fancy bullets - it gets more expensive fast.

If you go with free brass, it gets a bit cheaper. There aren't many bullets that are substantially cheaper.

Im hearing that next shipment of ammo and components might be rising considerably again too. Definitely our dollars drop wont help if it stays that way.

In the early 70’s you could buy 30-06, 75 cents for 20,

But the downside was it was AP.

Its not just centerfire rifle ammunition that's risen sharply in price, but shotshell as well.
This year a box of 12 gauge ammo (25 rounds) I bought was $55.
10 years previously it was $22.
20 years before that we could reload it for $6.
I wouldn't be surprised if next year its $60 plus.

Originally Posted by 9STAGS

Its not just centerfire rifle ammunition that's risen sharply in price, but shotshell as well.
This year a box of 12 gauge ammo (25 rounds) I bought was $55.
10 years previously it was $22.
20 years before that we could reload it for $6.
I wouldn't be surprised if next year its $60 plus.

Depends on the load. At $55 a box it must be buckshot/slugs or one of the high-end steel loads. Trap ammo is still less than $20 a box or $150ish a slab. Standard lead rabbit loads are around $30ish a box of 25.

Originally Posted by gimp

It depends on the components you use.


Primer - 0.27
Brass - Lapua SRP at $330/100 - assume 10 firings - 0.33
147gr ELDM - 1.09
Powder - 2209 at 41.5gr - $180/kg - 371 rounds per kg, 0.48 per round

$2.17 per round

If you go with Reloder powders, fancy bullets - it gets more expensive fast.

If you go with free brass, it gets a bit cheaper. There aren't many bullets that are substantially cheaper.

Thanks Gimp. Apples with apples, the 143gr ELD-X hunter ammo is $6 a round, so a saving of $3.80 per is substantial
Now all I need is someone to sell me a complete reloading set for $100 and it'll pay for itself in 2 years!

Attached will do all the hard work calculations costs of reloading. Even works on mobile if you have the "sheets" app

I don’t reload to save money …. I reload to extract the best performance out of my Rifles.
At times that mean’s I’m reloading for cheaper than Factory prices, but….. at times due to premium components etc it costs me a little bit of money compared to Factory .


Edit - I am taking into account the true cost of reloading and factoring in the cost of reloading equipment ( press , dies , trimmers etc etc ) which really adds up if you are honest .

The reloading equipment I actually use would cost $2,260 to replace.


If you shoot a reasonable volume, saving even just $1-2 per round doesn't take long to cover that cost.


This doesn't account for my time, or the cost of all the equipment I've bought and not used or not liked, or broken, etc. Even so I think I'm well in the green on costs. Shooting is not a cheap activity

Originally Posted by gimp

This doesn't account for my time, or the cost of all the equipment I've bought and not used or not liked, or broken, etc.

I’m too embarrassed to admit or talley up the cost of the useless / unnecessary / gimmicky / unsatisfactory quality / reloading equipment that I’ve purchased over the years

I paid $300 for small suitcase of reloading gear thirty years ago. Bought a few different sets of dies but still using all that original Lee kit...the press is in use elsewhere as I picked up another for FIFTEEN $$$ at the Crowsnest... recycling place tied to local council refuse tip.

Iol, what were you doing at the dump? Yes been to crows nest a time or two.
Back to reloading, yes it's not cheap with all the gear involved but? I now use a Lee whakamole, paid about thirty bucks or so and it does a marvelous job for my nightly forays after bunnies and foxes.