Cost of shooting muzzleloading shotguns for me.

[FishDFly]

"I have a modern rifle that costs about $10 to $15 per"

What shells cost $200 to $300 per box? I may need to start selling some.

 

[SDSmlf]

"I have a modern rifle that costs about $10 to $15 per"

What shells cost $200 to $300 per box? I may need to start selling some.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/100191207

 

[Archer 756]

ONE CAN ALWAYS TAKE UP GOLF

 

[OhioHawkeye]

If you paid over $75/bag of shot, you were robbed. You can get shot at Sportsmans warehouse for $45/bag.

you mean $38 to $40 a bag. Interesting I just bought some today and they apologized at having to raise the price again.

 

[Nuthatch]

Try shooting bismuth. After a handful of range trips, I still can't get a decent pattern out of it. Another $100 for 10-lb of shot.

 

[FishDFly]

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/100191207

How many folks actorly own one and shoot on a regular basis?

 

[waksupi]

Keep an eye out at yard sales. I've bought lots for pennies on the dollar.

 

[Electrod47]

To the original question. Is it worth it? So far for me after almost 50 years of ammo and components buying. I can't remember thinking. Was it worth it?

 

[andy52]

I guess there are advantages to being old and have been doing this for years, you collect a lot of STUFF. I've got bags of shot that are over 30 years old, but I've always been a pack rat. Dang! that's a good price on that #6 shot better get a couple of bags even though there's 4 bags in the shop....

 

[biliff]

Just paid $155.00 for 50 pounds of 7.5 Lawrence chilled shot. Comes to about $3.10 per pound. About 16 shots per pound (I spill a little). So, it cost me about 20 cents per shot, for shot. I bought my first 25 pound bag not that long ago thinking it would last a long time. Haha. Lesson learned. The wads I like come to about 1 or 2 cents each. For me, powder comes to about 30 cents per shot. So I’m thinking that I’m paying about 75 cents a shot to shoot muzzleloding shotguns, including flints and/or caps. I’m shooting double barrel side by sides, so wasp nest and swan shot is not where I’m headed.

is this cheap shooting? I think not. Is it worth it?

Of course.

Did the math for my 20 ga flintlock. Using 1 oz shot, 70 gr FFg Goex, the usual overpowder, cushion and overshot card wads and figuring 70 shots per flint my cost came out to 36.45c per shot. Like a lot of people here, I get my shot at Sportsmans for $45 a bag. My powder is purchased in 25 lb lots with the last bunch I bought costing $18/lb shipped. That's $9.11 for 25, cheaper than a box of 20 ga target loads and like others have said I only shoot 25rounds in a morning.

Kept going and did the math for my .40 flintlock SMR. Came out to 18c/round shooting 40gr charges FFFg Goex, 94 grain home cast ball (lead purchased from rotometals), drill patch from JoAnne's Fabric and spit for lube. Same cost for flint as the shotgun.

Yeah, some of the prices (like powder) are before the crazy started so I'm sure in a couple of years my cost will go up when I have to resupply.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Back in the early sixties it cost me 2&1/2 cents a shot to shoot my muzzle loading shotgun compared to 10 cents a shot for modern 12 gauge.Eight years ago I could shoot modern for less than 1/4 the cost of muzzle loading shotgun( I reloaded my own) simply due to the cost of 75 grain black vs 18 grain red dot and primers 19 dollars a thousand. With the cost of powder ,caps,primers, and lead all out of sight I am not shooting at all at the present. I am having cataracts removed next month, so I may start shooting again in a few months if I find a gold mine to work.

 

[nhmoose]

"I have a modern rifle that costs about $10 to $15 per"

What shells cost $200 to $300 per box? I may need to start selling some.

Shot is going 48-50 bucks a bag at local gun stores that have any to sell. Last club sale was a year or more ago was 43 bag but none since as reloading costs have made factory Cheepie s cheepier all loaded.

Crazy ain't it?

 

[Nor'Easter]

How many folks actorly own one and shoot on a regular basis?

Alot. Extreme range shooting is a 'thing' now, with courses given in several states. Like mile+ shot's.

 

[Historian]

Try shooting bismuth. After a handful of range trips, I still can't get a decent pattern out of it. Another $100 for 10-lb of shot.

You are doing something wrong sir. I have been shooting bismuth for 23 years out of 19 different firearms of which 5 are muzzle loading shotguns. Never have I had a problem getting them to pattern with bismuth. I make my own bismuth shot and if you need some help figuring out your load combination just PM me and I will be glad to help you out sir.

 

[Whughett]

Back on the 70’s early 80’s I shot trap at my gun club. Toward the end lead shot started to become scarce on the market and the price started climbing I was paying $10 a bag of #8 or 7.
Any way as lead became a commodity shot makers started to appear for at home casting of shot.

I had started to move away from trap shooting any way, I sorta of sucked at it, and focused on hand guns so never perused that even though I did and still do cast bullets and ball.

Any of you shotgunners give a thought to making your own shot. Must be some sort of system available these days.

 

[Gkarp429]

Back on the 70’s early 80’s I shot trap at my gun club. Toward the end lead shot started to become scarce on the market and the price started climbing I was paying $10 a bag of #8 or 7.
Any way as lead became a commodity shot makers started to appear for at home casting of shot.

I had started to move away from trap shooting any way, I sorta of sucked at it, and focused on hand guns so never perused that even though I did and still do cast bullets and ball.

Any of you shotgunners give a thought to making your own shot. Must be some sort of system available these days.

i found this video on making home made shot.

and this one for making “swan shot”.

 

[JamesA]

I think if I did the math on what it costs me to shoot muzzle loaders and center fire rifles and pistols and my wife saw it, well....we don't have a dog I could share a dog house with. Anyone got a spare couch? I simply do not do calculations like that and leave them laying around the house!

I explained to her one time that shooting is actually a need that I want to do. I simply enjoy shooting. It's time we spent some of that money we saved up for our retirement. It gives her a day to go do what she wants about every two weeks. I have urged her to get a hobby. I bought her gift certificates for some pedicures and some massage time for Christmas. Remember, Happy wife, happy life.

 

[Sparkitoff]

I just priced out all my components.
Bag of shot 25 Pounds $85
Pyrodex 1 - pound $24
Wads (card, fiber and over) total 1000 each $38.07

70 grains load powder and 1 oz. of shot, 1 of each card per load.

25- Shots = $5.30 in shot (Magnum Lead); $6 in powder and $0.95 in wads.

$12.25 per 25-shots or $.049 each shot.

If you reduce the amount of shot to 7/8 oz. the price per 25-shots goes down to $4.24. Using the square load, the cost of powder goes down to $4.80. The total per 25-shots is now $9.13

You guys that say you can get shot for $50 per 25- pounds would only spend $3.12 in shot for a total of $10.07 for twenty five 1-ounce loads and $2.58 in shot for a total of $8.33 for twenty five 7/8 oz. loads.

If you made your own wads from scrap material you'd save just about a buck per 25-rounds.

The cheapest conventional 7/8 oz. loaded cartridges on-line are $7.99 and the better quality 1-oz. loaded cartridges are $11.99 per 25-round box. This is on-par with the cost of shooting a muzzleloading shotgun.

 

[mushka]

I even reload all my BP guns after every shot. Part of the fun you know.

 

[mushka]

like casting lead is fun for me and part of my hobby. Now to go out and cast some .62 caliber round balls.