How much does it cost?

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TAKtical

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If you have all the equipment and the brass, how much will it cost to reload 1000 rounds of 9mm? 45acp? Powder, primers, bullets, what will it realistically cost? I dont need an exact price, just an estimate.
 
With current component prices I can load 1,000:
125gr lead 9mm for $106.29
124gr FMJ 9mm for $142.29

230gr LRN 45 Auto for $131.64
230gr FMJ 45 Auto for $172.64
 
1000 rds of 9mm =
approx 5 gr powder = 5000 grains = 0.714 lbs of powder, round up to 1lb = $17.00
1k primers = $25.00
1000 bullets = $120.00
+ shipping and hazmat fee = 35.00

Total = 197.00?

Course, I never buy just 1k primers and 1 lb of powder at a time. You'd be better off going to your LGS.
 
Good Ideas of what it costs above. If you buy components in serious bulk the price will drop more. If a bunch of you get together and do a group buy then you generally save even more. If you scrounge lead and cast your bullets then even more savings. So there are many variables. I can reload 38 SPL, 357, and 9MM for $.07 each using home cast bullets. Others do it for other calibers with similar savings but there is an initial investment in equipment and time to get where I am presently. YMMV
 
Seems like its not really worth it to reload 9mm. I get 1000 rounds of pmc for $189 locally. Reloading 45acp would definitely be worth it though.
 
I don't reload 9mm either.
I could probably squeak out a small savings, but when you factor in my time, no.

I got better things to do this time of year, anyway.

Not that I step totally away from the loading bench, mind you; I ran some 32-20's couple nights ago, and some .45 Auto last night..
 
I only pay for powder and primers since I cast my own bullets with free lead and use range pickup brass. So figure $.03 for a primer and $.02 for powder at today's prices. So I'm at $50 per 1k. It's actually only $45 because the primers are $.025 apiece.

I also have higher up front costs for the casting equipment. But even if I had to pay for lead I'm still way ahead. At current prices it would add $16 for 1k of 115 grain bullets. Adjust the price accordingly for other weights.


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Using Powder Valley current pricing I would be able to reload 9mm for less than 6 cents each. I did not enclude hazmet charges as normally purchase in high enough quanties it becomes a non issue. I also cast my own bullets from lead acquired when I help clean our indoor range and its free.

So my final answer, "How much does it cost to reload 1,000 rounds of 9 MM?"
Answer--Less than $75.00

I could probably squeak out a small savings, but when you factor in my time, no.
Click to expand...

Regarding the above quote. I never factor in my time reloading, it is also as much a part of my shooting hobby as any other aspect of it. Just as I never factor in my time driving to and from the range. Nor do I factor in my time eating, sleeping, or any other part of living that does not actually could be used in the making of dollars.

Dang, retirement is nice!
 
I'm at $150.00/k which is $7.50/50. Factory costs me $12.82 a box out the door at my LGS. There is enough savings there to keep me loading them. That's with plated bullets.

It's funny though, 9mms being the most mass produced ammo out there is hard to compete with. Just about any other hand gun load except the .40S&W, the savings is much higher.
 
But it's fun also and you can make your own loads.
Once ya start you'll have friends popping out of the woodwork also.:eek:
 
For 45acp with 220gr lead it is about $164 if I pay for the brass. 230gr fmj is around $251 if I don't buy bullets in bulk.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
 
For estimating purposes, I factor powder+primer at $0.05 per round, so then you just take whatever the bullets cost you (example I pay $122/1000 230gr FMJ RN 45 ACP, so $0.122/bullet) + $0.05 x the quantity you want to load. You can move powder/primer up or down $0.01 based on bulk buys and loads, maybe down $0.02 with a light load and cheap primers.
 
TAKtical said:
If you have all the equipment and the brass, how much will it cost to reload 1000 rounds of 9mm? 45acp? Powder, primers, bullets, what will it realistically cost? I dont need an exact price, just an estimate.
Click to expand...

The cost per primers and bullets is easy to calculate. Take the price of the package, divide by the number of units in the package and you have the cost per unit.

Powder is a bit more difficult, but not much. There is 7000 grains in a pound. Take the powder charge and divide it into 7000 and it gives the number of powder charges per pound. Divide that number into the cost of a pound of powder giving you the cost per charge.

Add the unit costs of primers, bullets and powder charges, multiply by 1000 and there is your cost for components assuming the brass has infinite life. Obviously, cases do not last for ever, but 9x19 cases have a very long life so the cost could be considered negligible.

Of course, the unit costs can vary greatly depending on the what is purchased and in what volume.

I quit worrying about the cost of my reloads decades ago, I know they are less expensive than store bought ammunition. And if it isn't, I probably really do not want to shoot it anyway.

If I do buy ammunition, I look at whether the cases are reusable and look at it as much as a source of cases as ammunition.
 
My observed costs:
9mm
Hand cast Lead:1000 x 125 gr. = 18 lbs @ 1.20/lb (alloy) = $21.60
Brass: $22/500, = $44 total
Primers: CCI SPP @ $38/1k (overpriced, but what can you do)
Powder: 2/3 lb Clays @ $18/lb, $12 total

Grand total: $115.60 and 6 hours of my time in casting, prepping, sizing, lubing, and loading

.45
Hand cast lead: 1000 x 200 gr. = 29 lbs @ $1.20/lb (alloy) = $29
Brass: $38/500 = $76
Primers: CCI LPP @ $38/1k (meh)
Powder: 2/3 Clays @ $18/lb

Grand total: $161 and 6 hours of my time in casting, prepping, sizing, lubing, and loading.

Granted, the second 1k is going to be a lot cheaper since you won't be purchasing brass....the cost will go to
$72/1k for 9mm
$85/1k for .45

Many people get brass for free as well, and many people have good sources for free lead. This cuts costs significantly.
 
I'm at $150.00/k which is $7.50/50. Factory costs me $12.82 a box out the door at my LGS.
Click to expand...
That's not an honest comparison. You're comparing some sort of bulk rate price of a reloaded round to the minimum purchase quantity (convenience cost) of factory loads at a retail store. If you bought that many factory rounds, they'd be cheaper than $250/k.

The main reason I load 9mm is because I load for other calibers where I do save a bunch of money. So I already get cheap bulk rate primers and powder, incidentally. See how that works? All you need is one caliber where you save money, and you get a perfect excuse to waste time reloading all your other calibers, too. :)

In reality, it works more like this: I buy powder and primers in mass bulk, about once a year or two. Then I buy bullets in smaller bulk quantities, as I use them. This way I get bulk pricing on reloaded 9mm, without having to actually commit to it. I could end up shooting more of my other calibers. Reloading cheaply necessitates you "hoard" in large quantities. This way, you can hoard a lot of calibers with a little more flexibility, and without spending quite as big a fortune up front. If you're not interesting in buying a lot up front to save a little, then you probably won't save much by reloading.
 
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My 9mm costs about .03 more per round to make than Winchester white box costs to buy. But it's MY load, it shoots better, and I like it much better.
I guess self-satisfaction has a value as well.
 
I cast so i'm in a simular situation with SIlicosys who layed it out very well. But also you are assuming reloads and store bought are the same, there is an accuracy factor that isn't there with store bought, assuming you worked up the load. So I'm saying it will "go bang" but not exactly the same, that "cost" is difficult to calculate. Then you also have the different combinations of bullets and powder that may not be found in "store bought" ammo.
 
It costs me $120 per K for 9MM using 115 gr FMJ bullet and $170 for 45 using a 230 gr FMJ. My reloads also shoot better than factory ammo.
 
You guys aren't factoring two costs...labor and equipment.

I use a Hand Press. It's the cheapest way to reload and still do so in a 'sane' manner. It still cost about $140 all told including scale, dies, caliper, molds etc. I've long since recovered my equipment costs after thousands loaded.
 
I dont load 9mm, but 45 ACP costs me about $30.00 per thousand in materials using my cases(which you can reload almost forever), Red Dot powder, Wolf primers and my handcast lead bullets which I cast from tire weights I get for free. It is a HUGE savings over factory ammo and much more accurate.
 
Why I Reload

I started reloading thinking it would save a little money over buying quality ammo. Then when I started really getting into it, it was almost like an addiction. I could do so many different things and make ammo that is way more accurate for about the same money as the cheap ammo or maybe a bit more depending on the components I used. Other than 22 caliber ammo I have bought 2 boxes of ammo in the last 2 to 3 years and that was for a 357 I bought and I wanted to fire some rounds to check it out, also have brass to reload when the components come in for the 357/ 38 special. I think once the reloading bug bites you the way it did me, you will not be buying a lot of store bought ammo any more.
 
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