Thread: friends asking how much for load development

so i have been asked by a few friends to do load development for them, I go into depth, find low sd groups, play with seating depths then play with neck tensions etc. Takes me about 4 range days, plus heaps of time in the workshop.

Wthey are asking me how much to do a load decvelopment. It would be including me getting dies, powder, primers and projectiles supplied to them also .

I was thinking 1K for initial load development, then $1 per round for reloads after their initial 50 rounds arer shot ?

I think theirs a joker in tauranga charging about $500 for load d then maybe abit more than a dollar around $1.50 . Its a timly beast and I no your results are spot on so if you happy with that run it by them I struggle to get reimbursed for conponents so an up front fee is a good idea to cover costs at least

thats what i was thinking. Problem being i would have to get all the components. but if im supplying the components, then a higher eg. 1.5 per round would make sence, its mainly to cover all my costs. 150 for dies, 100 for projectiles, primers... depends on the cartridge, brass they supply, or 150-300 if needing to purchase brass. I told him around 700 including everything, but maybe 1- 1.50 per round after that.

1k??? including 50 rounds and 4 range visits? and after thst 1$ per round? jesus youre cheap!

calculate the time you will have to spend. and your hourly rate. including allowance to get to range etc.

after that it depends if its for a client wich full cost recovery (and potential margin) or a friend.

Sections 22D and 22E of the arms act state what needs to be done to supply/sell ammunition. You just need a firearms licence not a dealers.

Originally Posted by stug

Sections 22D and 22E of the arms act state what needs to be done to supply/sell ammunition. You just need a firearms licence not a dealers.

I seem to recall you need some sort of licence if reloading and selling professionally which effectively you are if charging for the service, as apposed to just selling some ammo. Yeah, I know, no one will find out wink wink. But people talk "oh yeah so and so loads for me". And it's also something I wouldn't want the taxman coming visiting about.

The needing a licence I tried to find but gave up as I too have given up "helping" it's not worth the hassle for virtually zilch return.

I avoid doing it now but if I have to I keep it to getting meat and beer in return. No money. And the mate gets to attend the range sessions. Mine have generally been mates starting out and an outcome of the exercise is they are set up to continue doing it themselves.

Originally Posted by stug

Sections 22D and 22E of the arms act state what needs to be done to supply/sell ammunition. You just need a firearms licence not a dealers.

That section applies to selling existing ammunition

Doing load development you will be providing a service and you will need a dealers license

Sorry just my take on providing a product or service.

Interesting question.

Would you include an hourly rate? $40/hour would be cheap.

My handloads without amortising barrel & case wear are $0.50 for primer & powder plus extra for projectile plus labour.
Projectiles from my stock range from $0.40 to $1.20 each.
Labour for priming, adding powder & projectile $0.50 per round.
Say $2.00 per round.
My components, primer, powder and projectiles, are on the cheap side because I buy in bulk.

Load development or load testing
I've just done some where I had a known close starting point close to the end point.
About 100 rounds. About 10 hours of range time plus 4 hours driving.
(Includes lots of cleaning as I was also running in the new barrel.)

So for me it would be about $760 dollars plus the cost of any dies, cases, that may be required.

Depriming, annealing, sizing & cleaning cases is another story and/or another cost.

Double check the legislation to make sure you don’t need a dealers licence for it.

Originally Posted by stug

Double check the legislation to make sure you don’t need a dealers licence for it.

Exaccery!!

Plus the need for insurance if they then blow their rifle up using loads developed by you (for whatever reason).

And all the HNSO guff that goes with operating with explosives commercially

Could get messy and expensive all in one go.

Originally Posted by XR500

Exaccery!!

Plus the need for insurance if they then blow their rifle up using loads developed by you (for whatever reason).

And all the HNSO guff that goes with operating with explosives commercially

Could get messy and expensive all in one go.

@XR500 - the EPA and WorkSafe have gone out of their way to minimize controls over reloading. Gunpowder has been exempted from stricter controls for a number of requirements that apply to other explosives.

HSNO and Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations have minimal controls over regular reloading. You only need to get a Controlled Substance Licence (CSL) when you exceed 15kg of UN0027 / hazard class 1.1D (black powder / gunpowder). That 15kg is permitted provided you have a firearms licence, which you need anyway for any quantity. 15kg is the maximum a PCBU can supply to someone with a FAL. More requires the purchaser to have a CSL. More than15kg of gunpowder also seems to trigger location compliance certificate.

I can't see how these HSNO requirements interfere with reloading unless you have large quantities of powder. You can have up to 25 tons of ammo before a location cert is required, which seems pretty reasonable to me! I'd be more worried about my household insurance not paying out in the event of a fire.

Originally Posted by stug

Double check the legislation to make sure you don’t need a dealers licence for it.

Exactly. Any problems and the supposed client/friend points the bone at you. Licence revoked. Licence renewal...oh my mate reloads for me.

Hmm, I have just done a quick work out for a 45g load.
Primer at .25c powder at 63c projectile at $1.10.
$1.98 with with out labour's.
Then if your going through neck cleaning induction annealing sizing trimming and reloading.
I recon it usually takes 2.5hrs for 50 approx.
2.5 x30 =$75 plus $2 per round.
Approx $3.50 per round or 70 per box of $20.
Still cheap if your ammo is $110.00 per box.
A 24 pk minimum for 50rnds for labour's I reckon.
That is of newzealand finest green bottles!

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easy enough for them to supply their own "components" and i just help them load up stug. and this is for friends, so i just want to make sure i get time compensated for.

$1.50 was his labour no components most my rounds are a touch over $2 not inclussing brass