The Worth of your Cast Boolit $$$

[Wireman134]

Hello, fella's. I've got a question for the Boolit casting masses. These two guys are gona take delivery of two "New Vaquero's" in a few months, both in 45 Colt. There going to buy new cases and cover my cost to load them up 500ct. rounds. I received the boolit alloy (lead, WW's, babbit, Linotype) free of charge, but I did have to scrounge find my limited quantity. I will be loading practically for nothing not making $5 in the process. My long time buddy, who I load for provides some of the money and resources for the reloading of our own guns, thinks I should let the cost of the components (powder, primers, boolits, and lube) get absorbed into our stash for a chance to maybe shoot on a plot of land 2 hours away, a couple of times a year. $50 for my cost to load 500ct. 45 Colt in my opinion is more than enough of a deal for these two guys wouldn't you say. I probably should of quoted a higher price, I'm thinking like $160 for (3) lots of 500ct. to get more money up front to replenish the primers. I figure 2 lbs. of Unique, 1500 primers, 1500 of my cast boolit's and my labor to load would be a better return. Thats only about $0.11 a round for use of some land maybe to shoot on. What does the "Cast Boolit's" Board think?

[EDK]

I don't like reloading for others because of liability issues....I used to live in Madison county IL...the liability lawsuit capitol of the world! BUT a place to hunt is harder and harder to find, so...

$10 per 100 is pretty close on the 45 reloads....cast boolits at about $3 per hundred; primers at $3; powder at $2 is what I figure on my 44 reloads. I'd really load 45 Colt down in a NEW VAQUERO! You might consider TITEGROUP as the powder charge since it isn't very position sensitive.

[stubshaft]

Even though you got the lead free of charge you have to look at what the replenishment cost is going to be. Even if this is a one time deal you are going to have to get more lead eventually. I would figure cost a little higher than EDK probably $12.00 or more (you forgot loob).

[sheepdog]

In 100 BC Publilius Syrus said "Everything is worth what its purchaser will pay for it"

But I say only you can put a price tag on your time for only you know what its worth.

[Wayne Smith]

Consider the time of scrounging for lead. I'd make that a condition - that they replace the lead used, let them scrounge. You can give them ideas. Believe me, and I'm qualified to say this, they are very unusual friends if they don't come back to the well over and over again. Make it cost them personally.

[largom]

About 30 yrs. ago I had a reloading business. I charged 2/3 of the price of new ammo.

Larry

[fredj338]

I agree, I would not & do not handload for friends. They are welcome to come to my house & reload on my gear, but I won't make ammo for them. If you do, of course you should be reimbursed for all your components. Your time is what ever you think it is worth. I would at least have to get $8/hr, min wage.

[Adam10mm]

My opinion is be legal and get your 06 FFL.

[Edubya]

I will teach a man how to use my press and allow him to use it with his brass, his powder and his bullets for nothing (considering that he is a friend, with standing). I'll never load for another. I have a good and well experienced friend that loaded some bullets for me, before I started reloading for myself, and I was testing some of these out. Long story short, a couple of them failed- big time!
If any of these had caused an accident, other than embarrassment, I would have a hard time justifying not going after a reimbursement for damage, whether it being material or life.
EW

[jonk]

I will sell bullets to friends at cost. Electricity, gas check, and lube. For a small lot here and there, say 50 or so, no charge for the lead; if they want a bunch, they have to pay me replacement cost for it assuming I get no more for free. For my friends who cast and just want to try a few bullets, like 5 or 10, to see if they want to buy the mold, I'll do that for free as they will send some my way when I ask.

The loaded ammo- I try to avoid this. On occasion if a friend has gotten a gun in a caliber I reload and he doesn't yet, I'll load him a few to test the gun pending his getting the dies, but that is perhaps once every 5 years and I have to be there at the time he shoots the ammo.

[chris in va]

And if anyone questions the legality of selling boolits to a friend, here's the letter I got back from the ATF.

"This correspondence is in response to your inquiry emailed to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), on December 17, 2009. In your email, you request to know what you are required to do before transferring privately made “cast lead bullets” to a friend.



From the information you have provided there are no federal laws regulating the transfer of “lead bullets” between individuals.



We trust this correspondence has been responsive to your inquiry. Should you have any further questions, please feel free to contact your local ATF Industry Operations Office. A list of ATF Office telephone numbers can be found at http://www.atf.gov/contact/field.htm.



Regards,



Firearms Enforcement Branch, ATF"

[nelson133]

I've been reloading for close to 40 years and in that time I have had bad things happen on occasion. Squibs make for good alertness and clearance drills but I wouldn't want someone who didn't know enough to check the bore after a "pop" to think I was responsible for blowing up his gun, hand etc. I have had an occasional "proof" load too. If you do something long enough you will make every possible mistake. I don't reload for other people.
My old standby load for .45 colt has always been 8 to 10 grains of Unique. Lately my girlfriend fell in love with my Ruger Blackhawk and then went out and bought herself a Vaquero. I couldn't find any Unique, so I tried some Titegroup. 6.2 grains behind a 260 grain sw works great.

[Mike W1]

I reminded of something Dean Grenell said years ago about something in the line of working for cooley wages. Never appealed to me to load for others period.

[Ole]

I don't make a habit of it, but I loaded up some conservative .45 ACP rounds for a buddy last week. He was beggin me because supposedly he can't find any factory ammo to shoot.

I made around $8 over what I paid for the components, (Not counting that I threw in the brass I got for free).

Needless to say he was happy and I don't anticipate having any issues with this guy coming back on me.

I still wouldn't make a habit of doing this for people in today's day and age. People forget all about who their friends are when they smell a lawsuit.

[hershey]

i think a little difference needs to be made between reloading for profit and reloading amoungst friends.

places to shoot are limited in our area, but i have set up an extensive range/birm, it has cost me nothing but time, and i have actually made some money as ccw instructors use it for their classes.

reloading is much the same, amoungst buddies, i will grab full ammo cans of my reloads for whatever calibers are on hand. it is a help yourself mentality, but leave enough $$$ to cover what you shoot. i am shooting the same ammo they are. i've never had an incident as yet, and the key here is friends, and not for profit. but i always end up w/ more brass at the end of the day than when i started it. and rarely do i end up on the short end of the stick when it is time to buy more powder or primers, i actually am gaining on that, as i regularly find another box of primers or powder sitting on the reloading bench as a thank you.

[myg30]

I also agree with all above. Let them come over and load theirs on your equipment while you watch. When they see the time and work it takes to reload, they might want to give in alittle extra $$. I also had a mishap while back and will never know the cause of it. Glad it was my gun with my ammo and not a friends!
There was a post several years ago on another forum about a guy who reloaded 223 for a "Friend" out of state and his rifle blew up and he lost an eye or severe damage to his eye!
I dont ever want to be put in that position, or in the law suit to follow.
As said above post," People forget who their friends when they smell a lawsuit"!

Just my $ .02 worth.

Be safe and enjoy.

[Jim]

I kinda' scanned this thread quickly, so if I missed my point, forgive me. If you're going to sell LOADED ammunition, you will need a Federal Ammunition Mfgr'g. Permit to be legal. Then, you MIGHT need a business license in your area to sell merchandise. If you go to all that trouble, you might want to consider a liability insurance policy with at least a million dollars of coverage.

I looked into this some time back and figured it ain't worth the trouble.

[imashooter2]

And if anyone questions the legality of selling boolits to a friend, here's the letter I got back from the ATF.

"This correspondence is in response to your inquiry emailed to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), on December 17, 2009. In your email, you request to know what you are required to do before transferring privately made “cast lead bullets” to a friend.



From the information you have provided there are no federal laws regulating the transfer of “lead bullets” between individuals.



We trust this correspondence has been responsive to your inquiry. Should you have any further questions, please feel free to contact your local ATF Industry Operations Office. A list of ATF Office telephone numbers can be found at http://www.atf.gov/contact/field.htm.



Regards,



Firearms Enforcement Branch, ATF"

That's not what he's talking about doing. He's talking about loading ammunition for compensation.

[Spudgunr]

But Chris was adding on to the post above his where the guy said that he would sell/give the boolits to a friend if the friend loaded them, but would not give them loaded ammo.

[imashooter2]

But Chris was adding on to the post above his where the guy said that he would sell/give the boolits to a friend if the friend loaded them, but would not give them loaded ammo.

Well that's what quotes are for so people know what you are responding to.