Nice analysis. I’m convinced.

No bargains to be had here, Two of the local sources have dried up and the third and fourth source are over $6 for the less expensive offerings. Once in a while $5 or a bit under is available on line. Here the reloading costs are about $4. I save dollars where I can, bulk buying, rebates, sales etc but I reload because of supply.. I can walk to the press and load a flat in a short time.... I have inventory to load from... In this day and age the supply of "store bought" can go up in price or disappear very quickly also..... Larry

I reload primarily for skeet shooting and just 12 ga. Its hard to find #9 shot in a low recoil load such as 1100 fps. I can also reload 1oz. 7/8 oz and 3/4 oz loads. You never see them sitting on a shelve in your local shops.

I reload because I can load shells that I can not buy at the store. I reload so that I don’t have to worry about what stores have in stock. I reload because I enjoy it. I reload because I save money.

Sorry, I'm not convinced with your unsubstantiated claims/opinion. If I'm reloading for $4.70 a box, which I am. I can't find promo loads for less than $59 a flat in my area or online with shipping, then how is that "zero savings"? In your opinion, my reloads are the "same or lower quality than Gun Clubs or Top Guns". I don't agree with your opinion or math, and my patterns with Lawrence Magnum shot also don't agree with your opinion.

If I shot skeet, which I don't, then promo loads might make sense. I prefer to have a little better pattern when I'm challenged by 50 yard crossers.

Well, you ignored at least half of my post. Everything I stated is substantiated by the fact those are current retail prices from CAC Associates, one of the largest reloading suppliers in the northeast if not the country. Their prices were slightly lower than Dawson Enterprises, who is likely the 2nd largest supplier in the northeast. I made absolutely no comment on YOUR reloads, I stated that the reloads that were put together using the cheapest components from CAC were equivalent to TG or GC, which they are. You also ignored that this discussion was related to reloading shells for profit as a business venture. When you add in Pittman Robertson, the associated licenses and insurance, and equipment cost and depreciation, even if you sold your product with NO profit there would be ZERO savings to your customer vs buying TG or GC. Sorry but you've horribly misunderstood what I wrote and misinterpreted the topic of this discussion. Next time read twice and try being a little less combative...

I actually read your entire post and I think I understood it. I just didn't make comments on some parts of it. I agree with you that a hobbyist cannot produce and sell reloaded shotshells for a profit. It's ludicrous to even consider based on the legal obstacles alone. I also agree on your cost analysis. You are spot on with your prices from those suppliers for the cheapest components. I buy my components from other sources and I try to buy the best stuff based on my experience. My costs are currently about $4.70 a box. I get very good performance from my reloads compared to when I was buying the cheapest shells I could find in past.

I was mainly addressing your statement that there is zero savings from reloading. At the costs you noted, there is substantial savings if the hobbyist reloader can produce shells at $4.58 a box that are comparable to the least costly factory loads available. $10 to $12 a flat is pretty good savings to me. Maybe I misunderstood the context of your comment. If you were referring to making a business reloading, then of course there is zero savings buying from a reloader compared to buying factory loads. Again, I find the concept of reloading shotshells as a business so crazy that I wasn't even going to comment on it, as it had been addressed in previous posts.

I hope that clears up our misunderstandings of each others posts. I am sorry I sounded a little combative. I didn't mean to shout, but the written word meaning on the internet can be hard to control.

One must realize not all folks are in the same boat..... could I reload and make a profit? Yes! Do I save money by reloading? Yes! Consider I am not just starting.... Been loading/shooting for over 70 years and have had my FFL for over 25 years...... All my costs are spread out over years of purchasing and bargain shopping. Would I do it? No I would not. Even though I have liability insurances and know how to get it done the profit margin is lower than I like to work at but the biggest consideration is the market would be very, very limited... While I could produce a fairly large volume I would not be able to sell that volume. Larry

The liability alone makes it a risky endeavor. You have no control of the guns being used, or the buyer's knowledge of good practice, safety concerns, etc. If he fires a round out of a plugged bore (from a previous "blooper") and the gun blows up, he/she will take you to court, and you will lose. And even worse.

Think it over CAREFULLY!

Talk it over with an insurance agent - liability goes a l-o-n-g way!