First off, given all the variety of factory loads available, certainly you can find anything you want right off the shelf, and the quality of factory loads is very good. Rifle shooters may, if they're very careful, load better than factory. Shotshells, no way.
Just last week I had a defective Remington shell. A dud which would not fire. It was the first dud I've had in at least 15,000 rounds.
If we're talking about 12 & 20 gauge loads, all the retailers (Wal*Mart, Dick's, Academy) run specials at the beginning of hunting season, and you can buy dove loads at $5, sometimes less than $4. No way you can save money reloading 12 and 20. I filled a grocery cart last Sept at Academy, $3.99/box.
16, 28 and .410 are never cheap, and you might save some money, several dollars per box, on them.
Field loads are never sold really cheap at retail, even in 12 and 20, so you might save several dollars per box on them.
However, in order to do that, you'll need a decent reloader ($150 for a Mec which will reload 6-8 boxes/hour), and you'll need to lay in a supply of a few powders, wads and shot, primers and good empty hulls. I'd think you'll be at least $300-400 out of pocket up front. For the number of shells you'll reload, you'll be buying components in small quantities, and paying top dollar.
Many years ago I simplified my life by owning only 20 ga guns, which will do everything I ever want to do - loads from 7/8 to 1-5/16 oz, right off the shelf.
Many years before that I reloaded tens of thousands of shells, buying components in very large quantities (shared with friends to buy shot by the ton, and powder by the keg), and I saved about $1.50/ box.
No more. My time is worth more to me than $1.50/box, and I no longer have to store the inventory and do the work.
My wife and I now shoot 5-6000 rounds per year, and I love pitching the empty hulls.
My opinion? Reloading sucks.
