At what price - stop buying/start reloading 9mm?

I reload every caliber I shoot, I enjoy it...

If it gets down to 16 cents for factory ammo per round I won't bother with it. I can cast for it too but the whole process is rather time consuming even with a 6 cavity gang mould and my Dillon 650. I am always looking for ways to cut down on the time spent, next thing will probably be an automatic primer magazine/tube loader.

I reload 9mm, 40 s&w, 357 Sig, .222, .223, .243, 30-30 and 30-06.

The pistol calibers I do on a Dillon 750, the rifle on single stage. IF I could get brass 9mm for $4.00 per 50, that would be cheaper than what I can get components so that would seriously get me to reconsider reloading them. Right now I go through around 1000-2000 9mm a month at a cost of under $6 per 50. I live in NY so the online places won't ship to my address. On the plus side, it only takes me about 30 minutes to crank out 200 rounds, which is generally what I will bring for each trip to the range. I got about 25K 9mm cases for free so I don't think I will be running out of those anytime soon. Currently I am down to about 7K primers so hopefully those come back in stock within the next couple of months.

I should add that I do enjoy reloading, especially on a progressive with a case feeder and bullet feeder, and I do like being able to customize my rounds (lower recoil or faster action, etc). Still if I could find 9mm at $4.00 for a box of 50, I probably would buy a ton of them.

I know some folks have said why bother reloading 9mm if you can reload 40. It still costs me less to to reload 9mm since I use less powder and the bullets are cheaper. I'd say about $1.50 per 50 less. Not much, but for shooting paper, 9mm does the exact same job that 40, 357 sig etc does and I don't need to worry about cases at all.

captain awesome said:

If it gets down to 16 cents for factory ammo per round I won't bother with it. I can cast for it too but the whole process is rather time consuming even with a 6 cavity gang mould and my Dillon 650. I am always looking for ways to cut down on the time spent, next thing will probably be an automatic primer magazine/tube loader.

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I actually use the Hornady 1911 primer tube filler and so far it works quite well. It works with the Dillon primer tubes and comes with 4 tubes (2 small, 2 large). It takes me under 5 minutes to load up 3 tubes. I wouldn't spend $300 on the Dillon one and the Double Alpha one seems to require lots of maintenance to keep going (graphite lube and such).

Skgreen said:

I'd heard before that folks don't reload 9 b/c it's cheap to buy. I don't claim to ~make~ any money loading 9, but when I already have the equipment, access to free brass, and (apparently) don't mind ~working~ for free, all said and done, I still feel good that I didn't spend near as much as the fella in the next lane who bought / shot a couple boxes and now he's done for the day,,,.

Cheapest 9 I found was last Black Friday. The 115 Federal 'Black Packs' were silly cheap at Gander Outdoors. After rebate, it was just under 11 cents p.r..

I told myself I needed the brass,,,,,

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I've bought ammo for the brass. Usually leads to regrets. Was on a trip to visit family, stayed in Tulsa a night and found 45-70 for $20/box of 20. Bitteroot Valley - made with starline brass. I think I bought 3 boxes, because it seemed like a good price. Later on I realized just new brass and new bullets alone was right about $1/rnd at the time, and I regretted not buying more.

My press paid for itself in the first year loading 45 Colt and 44 mag. Everything after that was gravy. I used to figure out how many rounds it would take for each caliber to pay for itself, and start contributing towards reloading tools. The first ammo shortage after I started reloading ended that.

TTv2 said:

If all you own for pistols is 9mm, then yes, you should do it, but if you have literally any other caliber, .40, .45, 10mm, why are you choosing to reload 9mm over those? If it's because 9 is you carry caliber, that's fine, but if you're now at a point where you can load calibers other than 9mm for the same price as 9mm, why wouldn't you choose to carry the larger, more effective calibers?

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My wife loves the 9 and has four of them, she goes through 9mm like they were .22’s. I got a bit lax on our/her 9mm ammo inventory and now I might have to put my dies to use, which I have avoided simply because I am not a semi-auto fan and I am not big on chasing brass. It also cuts into my wheel gun reloading time and that just annoys me...

I do and I don’t,

I do reload 9mm. I’m a reloader so I reload. I can make what I want. I can load the projectiles I want however fast or slow as I want. As cheaply as I want/can, or I can load up some XTP’s and shoot for groups.

I don’t reload 9mm. Sometimes I just don’t feel like it. And sometimes I just don’t feel like picking up the brass. That’s what Tula is for.

I'm in the same boat as many here. It doesn't matter if I save or not. I like loading for what suits the purpose. Generally, I don't watch much TV. Besides just getting into casting, woodworking is about the only other hobby I do.
I'm not saying I don't try to save on components, as I do look for deals.
I also know I can produce better cartridges than the value pack ammo out there.
So, pricing isn't really a factor, unless they start giving out ammo for free.

I started when the quarantine began, more as a "something to do" especially since they shut down all the gun stores in the area. I'm doing 9mm and .45 and really enjoying it. I doubt that I've even hit the break even point yet, but the difference is I now have ammo - something I couldn't get for a couple of months around her. And being in CA, I can't mail order it, but I can order all the components.
I think I'm learning a bit more doing it this way too

Don't reload to save money. Reload to make better ammo and so we can shoot as much and when ever we want to shoot. Money doesn't even factor into it.

mmb617 said:

Since the first of the year I've reloaded over 8k rounds of 9mm on my single stage, along with 6k rounds of other calibers.

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Be nice to that retired body of yours...how about a progressive? Less time and effort spent loading...more time to unload.

Suedenflames68 said:

Been eyeballing the precision coated bullets for 38 loads. I might have to give it a try and see what they are like. Would definitely get 9mm price down to a point where it would be cheaper than commercial stuff. (even more so lately) Dont think I'm wanting to cast my own at this point but really considering taking the plunge on a progressive. A couple hours for 1000 rounds vs 10+ hours would make a BIG difference for if it feels worth it or not to me also.

James

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I've been reloading Precision Hi-Tek coated bullets for several years. I cast most of my own but was curious about the "Black Bullets". Lots of 45 ACP and 9mm, and just a few (200-240) 38/357. Works great. I load with lead bullet data and methods and while I can go higher, there is no need. As accurate as lead, clean shooting and handling...

I've considered a progressive, but they just don't fit my lifestyle. If I want 500 rounds I can churn them out in no time, but then what? Watch TV? Play games on my computer? Or attack the dreaded "Honey Do" list? Or I could enjoy a much longer fun time in my shop using my Co-Ax (I never really timed my reloading looking for an RPH (Rounds per Hour) and a lot of times I don't even count handloads. I'll just grab a double handful of primed brass, a box of bullets and a jug of powder and sit down in front of my press)...

FYI for you guys who aren’t reloading 9mm, I’m the dude picking up your brass at the range so please continue, and thanks in advance

The cost savings is so little, I just can't justify the time expenditure. I don't shoot on a square range and have little desire to fish through the grass for my brass. I've got four presses, including two Dillon 950's and can easily justify reloading my revolver/rifle ammo but refuse to do so for 5.56, 7.62x39, .380, 9mm, .40S&W and .45ACP. Especially with the availability of cheap steel cased Russian stuff.

Straying from the High Road a little, but

m going to go on and assume that you shoot 9mm more than you do any other centerfire caliber that you reload. Why?

You reload 9mm because you have pistols in 9mm, thus you have no need or want to look at other calibers that would be better than 9mm because you've already concluded that there is nothing better than 9mm and you'll hold to that belief using platitudes parroted by "experts" to convince yourself 9mm is the best pistol caliber to justify your continued shooting of it over other, better calibers, especially if you're stuck in Cali or another state with a 10 rd mag limit.

10mm is better, .40 is better, .357 Sig is better (just a PITA to reload), .45 ACP is better. Why aren't you shooting those calibers more than 9mm when the price difference in components is negligible?

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Why would I want a wimpy 10mm, might as well go straight to a .460 or .500 S+W, forget about that wimpy .223 or 7mm REM mag need .50 BMG,
So everything can be handled with a .500 SW mag in pistol, .50 BMG for rifle, and of course nothing less than 3" mags in 12 guage.
Yep, the .500 should work great for USPSA matches, the .50 should be great for plinking and varmints, and I'm sure trap, skeet and sporting clays would be more fun with at least 3" mags, none of those wimpy 2 3/4" shells


There is a significant price difference in loading .45 ACP vs 9mm, more lead in the bullets, so bullets are more expensive, primers same cost, powder is about the same cost,
If I was shooting USPSA with 10mm and loosing 200 cases a match (assuming I find say 100 of them) I imagine my brass cost for 10mm would be quite a bit higher than 9mm. (I can always scrounge enough 9mm brass after a match to replace what I shot, usually more than I shot)

What's best is defined by the user and the use.....
What's best for me might not be best for someone else but only I can define what is best for me. (of course the government tries to help me because of course I really don't know what is best for me and need their help.....)

I get 115 grain roundnose cast for 7.3 cents plus tax, locally (http://moyerscastbullets.com/handgun.html)
With primers, powder and the Dillon 550, not counting my old-man-retired time, my CZ75 gets well fed.
Factory prices have not been that low for a very long time.

Nature Boy said:

FYI for you guys who aren’t reloading 9mm, I’m the dude picking up your brass at the range so please continue, and thanks in advance

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I hear you! Sometimes I just have to give it up, because I'd be there too long picking up all that brass. Sometimes someone will throw me a bonus of 40 or 45.

kcofohio said:

I hear you! Sometimes I just have to give it up, because I'd be there too long picking up all that brass. Sometimes someone will throw me a bonus of 40 or 45.

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I keep picking it up because I don't have bucket fulls yet. I know some of you do and yeah, enough is enough. Picking it up isn't as fun as putting it down there.

I started reloading 38 Special and .380 ACP, not to save money but to be able to shoot more. My reloading mentor told me I should consider 9mm in case there was ever another drought. I don't always make the best decisions but I was listening that day. Over the past 3 years I have purchased 9mm Lee dies, built up a stock of brass, small pistol primers, powder and projectiles. During the “lock down” I cranked out 1000's of 9mm rounds. I continue to invest in components and shoot multiple times a week. It never was about the cost. I have factory rounds sitting in the ammo can but I always shoot the reloads. There is a satisfaction that comes with rolling your own.

FYI for you guys who aren’t reloading 9mm, I’m the dude picking up your brass at the range so please continue, and thanks in advance
I hear you! Sometimes I just have to give it up, because I'd be there too long picking up all that brass. Sometimes someone will throw me a bonus of 40 or 45.

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One of the joys of loading 9mm, free brass. (for a lot of us a least)

I will pick up just a couple more, a couple more, a couple more.......


Given Free Brass
3000 RMR MPR HPs $250
3 lbs powder $90
3000 Primers $90

(say a 1/2lb of powder left over)
$430/3000 or $7.15 a box for nice JHP ammo


Those JHPs can be loaded 128 PF for matches, or cranked up a bit for Zombies.
(could trim it to under $7 a box if I used coated lead, more if I cast my own bullets)

No hassle in CA yet with reloading components, unlike trying to buy loaded ammo that may or not be available.

I like to load it that's best for me, others may prefer to buy it, that's best for them, still sort of a free country.

I've got 5+ gallons of mixed range brass I need to sort. There should be around 2-3 gallons of 9mm brass in there. I've already got 10+ gallons of 9mm brass.

The stuff just keeps multiplying!! Almost every time I go to the range I end up with 100-2000 extra pieces.