How do you make ammo shells for 40cal pistol its to expensive to buy?

Bound's hubby here:



If you forget about the start-up costs, reloading your ammunition can be very cost-effective. As an example, I cast my own .38 bullets and load my .38 Specials, and I can do a box of 50 .38 Special target loads for about $0.55!



I reload the following cartridges:



Rifle: .223 Remington, .25-35 Winchester, .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, 8mm Mauser, .40-65 Winchester, and .45-70 Springfield.



Pistol: .38 Special, .357 Magnum, 9mm Luger, .41 Magnum, and .45 ACP.



Shotgun: 12 Guage.



You will need a reloading press. Presses for rifle and pistol cartridges are the same, but you need a special press for shotgun shells. You will need a set of reloading dies for each caliber/cartridge you wish to reload. You will also need a scale to measure your powder charges, and a tumbler for cleaning the cartridge cases. But most important, you will require a good reloading manual with all of the technical information and powder recipes for the ammunition you reload. Expect to spend about $500 for your equipment, and it will be a good investment as long as you do not purchase crap!



To reload your .40 S%26amp;W shells, you will probably reload FMJ bullets, and this will increase the cost of your reloading venture ... figure about $0.15 to $0.20 per bullet. If you can find a lead bullet you like and that shoots well in your pistol, you can lower the per bullet cost to about $0.06 each. Your primer will cost about $0.018 each, and depending on the powder you use, your powder charge will be about $0.08 per shell. So ... your total cost per cartridge to reload will run about $0.16 to $0.30 per shell. Factory loaded ammo will cost you about $0.30 per shell, or more.



Reloading can be time intensive, and it can be cost effective, after a significant set-up cost. If you plan on shooting alot, reloading can make shooting affordable for you. I shoot about 1400 rifle rounds a year. In a good year, I will also shoot about 1000 shotgun shells and 2000-3000 pistol shells a year. Reloading makes all this shooting possible. But you must exercise care.

How do you make ammo shells for 40cal pistol its to expensive to buy?
If cost is your only issue. . .i.e. you are just plinking at the range, you are far better served by loaded ammo. You can buy 250 ct boxes of Winchester White Box for very cheap at WalMart. If you shoot much, I would shop for ammo online or at gun shows. The trouble with online is you really need to buy 1000 to get a deal. Try Natchez Shooters Supply, www.ammoman.com, or Miwall Ammo. Also, try this link:



http://billstclair.com/ammo.html



Loading your own ammo is usually done as much to create custom ammo as it is for cost. Sure I can make premium ammo for cheap, but it is almost impossible(like 10 year payoff!) to make budget ammo by yourself. If you count your time it is impossible. Now if you were loading 460 Weatherby or something big like that, you can save money pretty quickly.
Reply:reloading is not just to make custom rounds. I used to reload often (going to grad school now). I did it solely for costs. 40 will pay for itself. Buy a square deal press from Dillon.

Don't screw around buy a Dillon. I have used other presses. I have used non-progressives. Takes too long for the shooting and practice I used to do (ipsc idpa steel). I have used a lee progressive. I am amazed I am still alive from using that piece of crap. If you do not buy a dillon you will stop reloading.

I have reloaded a thousand rounds in about three hours. There are people who can use a square deal and do it in less than two.
Reply:While .40 cal S%26amp;W is no where near as cheap as say 9mm, you should still be able to find bulk deals out there. I just checked...under $9 a box here.



http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp...





Check around, you should be able to buy 500 rounds for around $100 with shipping.



Reloading is a great activity that many rifle shooters rely on for both cost savings and accuracy. While you can reload pistol, I've heard .40 cal is not one of the easy ones. You need to buy reloading equipment plus all the components and have a place to work and keep all these supplies. It's a time consuming production that requires you learn in detail all the steps and then be very careful to load each round perfectly. If you liked Chemistry lab in school, you'd like reloading. Make sure you know what you are geting into before buying any gear. I'd check around to see if anyone in your area could offer some basic lessons, so you see what it's all about and make sure you could do it.



Check out these websites:
Reply:You wil need a press and dies for your caliber. In addition you will need a scale to weigh your powder as well as a powder measure. Then you will have to buy bullets, brass cases and primers. All of this will set you back around $300 to $500. So unless you are going to shoot a lot, it will be cheaper to simply buy loaded ammo for your gun.