Shotgun reloading gets cheaper as you shoot more. In your case, you're about at the "break even" point. Here's what you have to do to save money:
Buy your hulls CHEAP and in QUANTITY. In your case, you say you have free hulls. They are only free if they are the correct ones. You can't just throw powder in a hull and expect to have a safe and correct load. I have actually seen guns destroyed because someone substituted a hull. You gotta use the correct hulls for the recipe. Gunbroker used to be a fairly decent place for hulls, but I haven't purchased any in a long time. In the case of the most-liked Winchester AA compression formed hulls you can expect anywhere from 5 to 8 reloads per hull if you care for them properly.
Buy ALL of your components in bulk. That means a case of wads at a time, and 300-400 pounds of shot at once. Primers obviously are purchased per 1000, and unless you can beat the price I would suggest you purchase them locally to avoid the shipping charges. Same for powder. Only in 8# kegs ... never per pound.
By rough count, my son and I (mostly him) go through approximately 15,000 - 17,000 rounds per year. And 90% are reloads. I use MEC equipment, and believe it or not I don't always load on a progressive machine. We load 12, 20, 28, and 410 gauges. If you are shooting a 28, you can definitely save money over the cost of factory ammo. Not to mention the limited loads and availability. And even more so with the little .410.
I would suggest that you get a MEC 600 JR machine and learn to use it properly. At your numbers a progressive isn't necessary and since you mentioned needing more than skeet/dove loads you need the easy adjust-ability of a standard loader. Be aware that MEC loaders come in either 2.75" or 3.00" models, and they are difficult to change. It's actually less expensive in the long run to purchase 2 loaders if you are going to be loading both lengths.
BEFORE you buy ANYTHING, get a reloading manual and study it. Then get a loader. Then decide what loads you may want to shoot and get a few of those hulls to try. After you are certain about your component needs, then buy your components in bulk.
If you need some reading material, go over to Shotgunworld.com and check them out. PredatorMasters is a great place, but it isn't geared to the shotgunner. The guys at SGW know what they are doing and can help you a lot.
If there is anything I can help you with I will be more than happy to do so.
