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Thread: Black Powder vs. Cartridges: Ammo costs?

  1. #1
    Jim McArthur is offline Frock coat wearing, riverboat dwelling, southern gent
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    Black Powder vs. Cartridges: Ammo costs?

    Mates, the price of cartridge ammo on this side of the pond is getting astronomical. I don't know whether it's any cheaper in the UK - or worse - - but with me being only a wannabe (plannabe?) muzzleloader, I'm curious to hear about comparative costs.

    What's it set you back to fuel a 100 round shooting session with, say, a .44 percussion revolver, vs. a .45 Colt or .357 underlever rifle?

    Jim
    UBC's Police Pistol Manager
    "Nasty, noisy things, revolvers, Count. Better stick to air-guns." Sherlock Holmes, The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone

  2. #2
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    Jim, all ammo and related costs have gone through the roof!!

    If you're going to buy all the components to shoot B/P it works out about £25 per 100. 1/3 tub of 777, £10. 100 ball, £10. 100 wads, £5 and £3 for 100 caps.

    Factory ammo to buy, anything from 20 to 40 quid per 100.

    Costs dramatically cut with reloading, once press, dies and cases bought and paid for. Like wise, casting ball from scrap lead saves a bunch of money too.

  3. #3
    Jim McArthur is offline Frock coat wearing, riverboat dwelling, southern gent
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    Thanks for the good info, Simon. It sounds as though ammo prices on your side are equally outrageous. My wife and I went to the range the other day, and I was stunned when I realized what they were charging us for ammo: $30.00 for a box of 50 .32 S&W Long: $40.00 for 50 .45 Colts!

    Even .22 rimfire is going through the roof. I didn't buy any or price it, but my wife says she noticed they were asking $16.00 for a box of 50 .22 LR's. Good Lord, that's some 30 cents a shot!

    Thank God for airguns!

    Jim
    UBC's Police Pistol Manager
    "Nasty, noisy things, revolvers, Count. Better stick to air-guns." Sherlock Holmes, The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone

  4. #4
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    Unhappy

    I bought 500 .22 rimfire a few weeks ago and they were double what i payed about a year ago. £60 a thousand for Blazer.

  5. #5
    Jim McArthur is offline Frock coat wearing, riverboat dwelling, southern gent
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    Quote Originally Posted by tim56 View Post
    I bought 500 .22 rimfire a few weeks ago and they were double what i payed about a year ago. £60 a thousand for Blazer.
    And Blazers are supposed to be cheap!

    Jim
    UBC's Police Pistol Manager
    "Nasty, noisy things, revolvers, Count. Better stick to air-guns." Sherlock Holmes, The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone

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    Hi Jim

    Yes ammo has gone through the roof and some has become hard to source.

    3 years ago 357mag was £7.50 for 50 at my club, we have not had any for months but the boss has just found some at £15 for 50 so doubled in 3 years.

    I can reload at £5 for 50 so I have been taking the components to my club so others can make some for themselves, its illegal for me to make them for others.

    300 shots from a tub of 777 Simon, you must be loading for bear, I get a good 500 I recon. Last 100 ball I brought were £8 but I cast my own now. Caps are £5 100 locally but I got a good deal last time I did an ammo run and was only charged £8 for 5 tins.

    For 22's I was getting RWS Geco for £34 a 1000 but they have changed hands and are £60 per k and really horrible to shoot now. Time to try something else.
    “If a cricketer, for instance, suddenly decided to go into a school and batter a lot of people to death with a cricket bat, which he could do very easily, I mean, are you going to ban cricket bats?” :- Prince Philip said after Dunblane

  7. #7
    Jim McArthur is offline Frock coat wearing, riverboat dwelling, southern gent
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    Smokeless, what do you estimate it would cost to shoot 100 rounds from your .44?

    Jim
    UBC's Police Pistol Manager
    "Nasty, noisy things, revolvers, Count. Better stick to air-guns." Sherlock Holmes, The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone

  8. #8
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    Hi Smokeless

    Even at £30/100 the 357 you have seems a bargain

    Magtec Cowboy 357 Mag 158gn LRNF at my nearest is £38/100

    Roy

    .
    Last edited by harricook; 12-10-2009 at 11:47 AM. Reason: Speeeling !

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    Roy, yes thats why our boss is buying them. He's an RFD with contacts so thats probably the lowest in the UK.

    Jim, I have to buy caps and powder so I think close on 500 shots from a bottle of 777 which was £30 when I brought it (gone up since) works out at what? £4.50 a 100? and 3 or 4 pounds for a tin of caps so lets say £8 for a 100 shots.
    Plus the work of casting balls but when you look at it thats getting close to what an original firer would do. MLAGB turn their noses up at 777 users but I wonder how many cast their own ball?
    An original firer would buy powder and cap from a suttler and carry a ball mold to recylce recovered balls. The grade and quality of powder would be limited to what was available, so should the type of powder a person uses today be reason to discriminate.
    “If a cricketer, for instance, suddenly decided to go into a school and batter a lot of people to death with a cricket bat, which he could do very easily, I mean, are you going to ban cricket bats?” :- Prince Philip said after Dunblane

  10. #10
    Jim McArthur is offline Frock coat wearing, riverboat dwelling, southern gent
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    That sounds pretty reasonable, compared to cartridge prices.

    Jim
    UBC's Police Pistol Manager
    "Nasty, noisy things, revolvers, Count. Better stick to air-guns." Sherlock Holmes, The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone

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