.223 - What's your cost per round?

**BerksCountyDave** · August 3rd, 2009, 10:30 AM

I'm currently loading .223/5.56mm with 55gr Hornady FMJ bullets at a cost of approximately $0.20 per round, or $4.00 per box of 20, compared to about $8/box of 20 for decent brass cased factory .223.

What do you guys have your .223 costs down to?

**Gunny1969** · August 3rd, 2009, 10:33 AM

Last I check (for plinking ammo) my cost of components was .17 a round including the cost of once fired brass. Since I expensed the brass at least once since then I should be around .12 a round.

**Pete D.** · August 3rd, 2009, 07:14 PM

Very low. Last time I bought brass was a few years ago before the current frenzy. I bought a factory case of primed brass from Wideners (4350 cases). It was a lot to lay out but the cost per primed case was less than seven cents - maybe less than six, I forget. Add powder at about seven cents per 25 grain charge (bulk at $14/lb)) and a bullet (bulk buy before the frenzy) at about another seven cents (includes shipping). That was 21 cents a round for new brass and bullets. Depending on how you amortize that, the following rounds could be counted (I was given about 10K primers - free) as costing only the propellant and the bullet, about 14 cents each. The actual cost is more as I rarely shoot the 55s, opting for heavier match bullets.
Pete

**Munky** · August 3rd, 2009, 08:18 PM

Just bought some Federal 55grain @ Wally World for $.39 a round. 100 count box for $39.95

**BerksCountyDave** · August 3rd, 2009, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by Munky

Just bought some Federal 55grain @ Wally World for $.39 a round. 100 count box for $39.95

Ouch. Sounds like a good reason to start reloading.

**Pete D.** · August 3rd, 2009, 09:00 PM

We need to find out more about how to do it for 12 cents a round. I'd like to save a bit more. Forget the brass, where can I get the other components that cheaply?
Pete