there are many ways to reload. Take standard 9mm: I can go buy new brass, match primers, case filling powder, gold plated bullets, spend 10k on precision equipment, spend all day making each round an individual work of art, and produce ammo at a rate of $100 a box or something. (Yes, I am being silly, but only a little bit --- using top shelf components to make match grade ammo is pricy, but SO IS MATCH GRADE AMMO off the shelf, yours is better than theirs and costs less too its just more than cheap steel junker ammo).
Or I can use a $100 single stage press, lead bullets, brass I found on the range, cheap primers (as far as it goes), flashbang powder, .... and if I do my part I produce ammo that is brass cased, very consistent (if not match grade, it will hold its own vs any standard off the shelf ammo) and costs maybe $6 a box.
That is not far off. Using cheap bullets, even with the component price creep, I still can keep it around that per box. Not going to fund your next car with the savings, but its tangible.
Then take a look at 44 mag or 45 LC. Those are nearly a dollar a shot -- over 40 bucks for a box of 50. I can make those for no more than $12 per box, if I reuse my cases many many times (harder to find these on the ground!). Saving at least 25 bucks per box!
Rifles are amazing savings too, for larger calibers.
If you just shoot a little 9mm now and then, reloading is probably more trouble than its worth unless you enjoy it, saving $20 a year isnt impressive. If you blow out 2 boxes a week, its a lot more impressive results. If you shoot big expensive calibers (or little idiotically overpriced rounds like 380) by the bucket, the savings is outstanding.
Time is $$. If you reload a lot, an efficient press is part of it... I use a turret, which makes a box in 15 min for things like 9mm. Costs a little more, but my time has value.
