The cost of reloading 9mm and .223 is it worth it?

I think the OP made it very clear that in the dollar sense: is it worth it, depends on how much ammo you consume. Seems like no matter how many times someone tries to make that point there will be those who either have a vastly different definition of "high volume" or simply ignore that detail.

There is no way handloading any caliber is "worth it" but in particular 9mm and 223 if you are shooting 50-60 rounds per month. But if that number is 500-600 then you are beginning to fall into the high volume category. If you compete then you will want something better than inexpensive ammo.

In most cases the cost of purchasing primers/powder/bullets is less when you mail order BUT you must purchase a little bit more than the minimum. A poster up stream complained about paying $12.00 postage when the cost noted on the shipping label is $8.00 Most of the bullet makers that sell direct use USPS 1 rate shipping but they use post office supplied packaging so there is your extra cost to the shipper. But again, you can buy roughly 3500 (124g) 9mm bullets and pay I think its $15.00 shipping this is about 70 pounds which is not fitting in your mailbox nor is it making you any friends at the post office. Same with HazMat fees for powder unless you are getting at least 8 pounds or better yet 16+ go to your LGS but a pound of pistol powder only loads about 1500 rounds. So either stock up a bit or go half with a friend but don't insist that shipping and hazmat fees make purchasing components through the mail too expensive.

I always buy bullets mail order on-line and only once or twice get less than the 70 pounds for the $15.00 (1 rate). I'm a piker compared to some but as of today I have consumed just shy of 8000 rounds 9mm year 2017. That would be 160 boxes of factory 9mm (at 50 rounds per box). I have a difficult time believing that anyone who purchases 160 boxes of 9mm in a year would not be seriously considering handloading that caliber if they were not already doing so.

I know that in the old days things were different. My Dad handloaded 30-06 back in the 60s and 70s. He cast his bullets from lead mining the backstop and had an unlimited supply of military once fired brass for free. So he would purchase one or two pounds of powder at a time but he would shoot maybe 200 rounds per month on a busy month. Generally it was 100 rounds/month but I think he enjoyed stopping in at this LGS and with a single cavity bullet mold and a single stage press things were at a slower pace with him. Compared to that I need to have 1000 rounds 9mm ready to shoot, sometimes if I get lax I find myself out in the garage at 9:00PM night before a match and thanking the heavens I have enough powder/bullets/primers/brass on hand and a press that will crank out 450-500 rounds in a hour.

I'm in good shape powder wise but bullets--first of the year I'm purchasing 15,000 for 9mm and I hope if I can find federal spp will get about 20k of them, at a minimum 10k but those have been hard to come by.

For me reloading 9MM or 223 is worth it.
From the given criteria:

• Cost? yes, it's usually 50% of the factory ammo costs. This can be even less when you compare "boutique" such as 9MM subsonic. I'm loading it for $5-7 a box of 50 compared to $10-15. In 223 I am loading 55 gr FMJ plinking ammo for 19.7c a round or $3.94 a box of 20. Compare the cheapest brass case available at .30c per round. But make that a case of 1K and the savings is $100.
  
• And if cost, just variable costs or fully absorbed? My equipment costs have been fully amortized a long time ago. Only component costs factor in now.
  
• Accuracy? As accurate as I can shoot. I'm not a great shot, pretty good, pretty decent.
  
• Quality? I QC my rounds in various stages of the production. Consistent powder. Brass sized properly for my guns.
  
• Ability to load something not available as a factory loading? Oh yes, this is one very big reason. Some of my "obscure" milsurps need feeding. Can't find too much 6.5 Jap, 7.7 Jap, or 30-40 Krag around these parts these days. Powder puff 380 ACP loads, powder puff 38 Special loads. Hot 357 Mag loads for the Desert Eagle. Medium 45 Colt loads. All are possible at my bench.
  
• Pride in the accomplishment? Yep, I can say - I made this. There's a certain amount of self-reliance in reloading.
  
• Bragging rights? No, I'm more of the humble type.
• Availability? yes, throughout the post Sandy Hook panic, I had ammo to shoot. I had to be a bit more resourceful in finding components but I was able to keep stocked.

As many here, reloading for me is a therapeutic activity that supplements my unloading hobby. Nothing like being in the "man cave", garage, with some tunes and a little me time.
So yeah, it's worth it to reload 9MM and 223 for me. Not just from the cost perspective.

I love to go to the shooting range and just plink with the 9mm. I load for the .38 Special/.357, .44 Special, .45 ACP and .45 Colt but I've never considered loading for the 9mm. Part of the reason is that
I have big hands and fingers and the 9mm is such a small case that I'd rather not have to tinker with it. The other reason is that I can buy factory 50 round ammo for $10.95/box. At the range I'll shoot perhaps a half box and then on to something else. I don't see any justification in loading for the 9mm at this time. Probably if I had a progressive press I'd think differently about it.

Yes its worth it overall. Since I can pick up free brass again since Barry left office I get all the free 9mm and 556 brass I want. 556 brass can also be converted into 300BLK. With proper internet savvy you can definitely score really good deals on components. Even at places like Cabela's I have scored great deals on brass and bullets in the Bargain Cave, stock up when these deals appear.

If you just shoot a few boxes of 9mm or 556/223 a few times a year and do close range stuff then it probably doesn't pay for you to invest in reloading. If you shoot like 1k a month then reloading is the way to go unless you get free ammo. If you shoot some of the expensive 556 ammo types like 75/77gr stuff then reloading can save you money and you can tailor your ammo to your gun.

Reloading isn't always about saving money, you can make ammo that isn't readily available or common in your local. Look at how much you can afford to spend on factory ammo and see what that same dollar amount gets you in reloaded ammo, same $$ amount but more ammo. Not everyone uses the internet to its potential, or for whatever reason choose not to and like buying from gun shows and brick and mortar places.

Did I mention its nice to have the range littered with once fired 9mm and 556/223 brass.....free.

Yes, I can load good quality 223 for less than cheap bulk ammo. Also, my range time is precious for me so range time wasted due to inconsistent cheap ammo is far more "expensive" compared to time spent hand loading.

I prefer to seal my ammo unless I intend to shoot it right away plinking. If it's purpose is any other than target shooting. At any other time besides target practice failure to fire for any reason is simply unacceptable. It costs money to shoot whether you hand load or not and for myself it by it's nature forces me to clear my mind of everything else and that alone is priceless. Daily life is cluttered with so much information in today's times.
There are many other good reasons for hand loading you guy's have this subject covered pretty good in my hop. I enjoyed the read, thanks for the post and replies.

If you are looking at pure cost for a 9mm, you have to shoot a lot to make it worth the cost of the dies and components needed to reload. Something like .357's, and 44 mag you would save money on, and most likely 38 spl. As many have said, cost is one factor. My wife shoots the 9mm semi, I load them for her preferences, so she gets consistent recoil when shooting. With factory ammo, if you just buy the cheapest, you don't know how it will recoil. I shoot a 9mm derringer, I really like light loaded 9mm for that, so I load them like I want. They would get FTE's in a semi, but they work great in the derringer. I enjoy loading a 100 rounds with my single stage (200 rounds starts to be like work). I get consistent rounds that provide the recoil I can work with.

Update: I shoot more than the 9mm derringer, just the only gun I shoot in that caliber. I shoot 38spl, 357mag and 44mag.

Walkalong said:

I don't even look at the "cost" of reloading anymore.

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Me either. I don't even want the receipts. Must maintain the appearance of ignorance or at least plausible deniability if questions are asked by the better half

with the exception of rimfire ammo I won't shoot any caliber I can't successfully reload. I bought some factory ammo when I was just getting back into reloading some years ago and that ammo is still in my cabinet.

It's my major #1 hobby and I doubt I will ever recover the $ I spend in equipment and supplies. I don't care a whit. I also wear expensive mechanical watches that don't keep time as well as a $10 Timex quartz.

And .380 is as small as I can tolerate. I DO reload 5.7x28 which isn't that tough, but very time consuming.

thomas15 said:

I always buy bullets mail order on-line...

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Where I live, I really do not have much of a choice. I buy most my components on line or from a distant reloading component vendor who attends most of the Knoxville gun shows.

For primer or powder orders, I figure orders north of $200-$250 adequately spread out the hazmat fees over the order. Bulk bullet orders on line are always better cost than what I could get locally if I could find them.

The local gun stores within 25 miles or so are pitiful when it comes to reloading components--well at least twelve-fifteen years or so ago when I last darkened their doors. Maybe they've changed but I'm not wasting the time going in to look.

I have not calculated the unit cost of my ammunition in decades. I just do not care what it is as long as I feel I get good or acceptable prices on components.

I do enjoy reloading. I probably spend some time four to five evenings out of seven each week in the reloading room.

Ok, cost this one - what else would you being doing than reloading? Cost of a beer in a bar, and the taxi to get home, all money literally wasted down the toilet. Reloading is a fun relaxing hobby that produces useful items. I enjoy it. I have a hobby, (casting), that feeds a hobby, (reloading), that feeds a hobby, (shooting), and that's where it is. If you think of reloading as a chore, then don't bother, buy factory ammo and be happy.

During the next ammo panic, you'll be happy you can reload your preferred rounds.
When the Green Tip was supposed to be banned I could not find one box of 223/5.56 anywhere.

Yes - in '08 during the ammo panic I was the only one on the firing line, happily shooting my reloads.

I recently started loading 9mm for a gun that nobody could hit with. My first batch out of the gate we were all smiling ear to ear Couldn't believe the accuracy !
I would have PAID MONEY to make that gun hit better !

I don't agree with the price list above. If one is serious about reloading one should look for bulk deals.
For example I was able to score on the 69gr SMKs 500 bulk packs at $95 dollars and 75gr amaxes at $89.99/600 at a LGS sale so I bought 10 boxes of of each that will yield 11,000 match rounds.
Also the copper plated is not the best way to go IMO specially since the hornady has the 115 and 124gr bluk packs. I think it was 3,100 units for the 115gr and 2,900 units for 124 maybe? I forgot
but anywah the cost of those HAP and FMJ bult bullets came down to $295 for 3000 that is not even 10 cents and a lot better and safer than lead, plated, polymer or what not.
I like to look for the deals so I tell the local store to call me as soon as they have a sale and since they are hornady dealers I get great deals on hornady and no shipping since it is local
It all comes down to labor. How much is your time worth specially if you don't see this as a hobby / entertainment.
In order to safe time one wants to automate as much as possible including collecting cheap and many times free brass, sorting it, cleaning and sizing / prepping.
Then quality progressive presses, primer systems and powered feeders are not cheap so those have to be factored.
But also good ones will give a life time of service.
I guess it depends on how much you want to reload, how much time you have and other personal ciscumstances and variables that cannot be put on a spreadsheet.
Oh.. and you also have the investment on things that you buy and you never use.

armoredman said:

Yes - in '08 during the ammo panic I was the only one on the firing line, happily shooting my reloads.

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Well that is true. Another good reason to have supplies at hand and perhaps some ammo too.. you know shoot one and save another.
In my case I don't have to buy a bullet again if I don't compete anymore and shoot the average yearly ... well unless my shop goes up in flames.
I helped a couple of guys setup their rifles for the local competition and in exchange they gave me two HD buckets full of once fired rifle brass.
I always take reloading components and give it to others if I don't need it so there are many components out there in sort of "floating" status
and having popular calibers like those in service like 5.56 and 308 is a good reason to invest at least in some minimum equipment and supplies.
In times of crises on can barter with ammo and food and might better than money that could become useless.

Lee press for under $100
HF calipers for under $20
Dies $45
HF scale $20
Reloading manuals online free
And $10 or so for a trimmer if you're doing rifle not needed for pistol.

So bare bones before sales and shopping one can have a usable setup for under $200.
You won't win any awards for best gear or cool factor points but you'd have the bare minimum to load.

At a savings of 10 cents a round you have to load 2000 rounds. So for many of us this isn't hard to get to fast.
At 20 cents a round it only takes 1000 rounds to pay for this gear.

Now factor in a case tumbler, a swagger, a bullet puller a progressive press, more dies, powder throws, tricklers, new guns so you have a new caliper to load, etc

So it's a horrible rabbit hole.

I tend to be frugal so I've probably recouped the cost of my current gear. But the value is good ammo, being able to make it the way I want and being able to stock up on components for the next shortage.

Oh and learning and saying I made the ammo is priceless

On the subject of equipment costs, with a decent shooting volume one breaks even fairly quickly. At my rate of shooting for some of my more often shot calibers, 9MM, 380, 45 ACP, 223 Rem, I broke even on about $1800 worth of equipment in about 10-11 months based on comparison with factory ammo. That's a bunch of die sets, 2 LNLs, and some other gear. Mind you, those $1800 equipment costs were spread out through around 4-5 years. But, I ran the calculation as it's always one of those questions that comes up - "what about the equipment costs?" We've run it for some friends that spent around $300-400 to start up and based on their shooting volumes, they "paid off" the equipment in 4 to 8 months. Again, all of this is based on volume. The more you shoot, the quicker the pay off. So, in saving $100 over factory in one case of ammo, a comparable starter kit can be paid off in 3-4 cases. Again, how long does it take you to shoot those 3-4 cases?
Oh, and the savings are actually better on 380 as it's more expensive to buy than 9MM, but it's cheaper to load.

At 13.5 cents per round shipped for Fed AE 115fmj after rebate (case of 1000)... it's hard to justify reloading. But that is only a one time deal. So no, reloading was not worth it for the 10 minutes that it took me to place the order. Anyways, back to my reloading table

Wow! 13.5 cents shipped! Where is that from? That is truly a great deal. It may be the first order of factory ammo I make this year.

It's from Brownells. Price for 1k is 199.99. Add 1 more penny worth of stuff to total greater than 200. Use code H7L for 20 off of 200 and free shipping. This deal was valid this past Saturday. Not sure when it expires. Then fill out the federal rebate for 50.

ETA: just checked. Deal still good as of now.

Cool, Thanks!