9mm Pain Point?

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For 9mm, I reload specifically to replicate a SD round. Significantly cheaper, and POA/POI is the same. Not the cheapest, but accomplishes my need.
 
At my local Scheels about noon yesterday and bought four boxes out of the twenty or so on the shelf, Fiocchi brass-cased 115 gr. for $11.99/box.

Ammo is out there, luck needs to be with you. I should have stopped and bought a lottery ticket.
BTW, I reload and choose to buy a small amount for a customer leaving the remaining on the shelf for others.
 
Cannibul said:
What powder are you using to get $0.02 in powder in a 9mm? I'm loading with Clean Shot right now and it's under a penny. I'm out of pure lead, I need to pick some up this week. I should also hit some of the tire shops. I've got around 200-300 lbs of wheel weights coming that are free.

I just finished the last of my 500 lbs of wheelweights I had. Those cost me $0.27 a lb. At 56 bullets to the pound that's $0.004 per bullet, or just over 2 bullets to the penny. But I have to add in the cost of the coating so I just round it to a penny each.
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Did you include tax/shipping/hazmat for the cost of clean shot? I'm at .0119 cents per round for clean shot loading 3.9g (still much lower than his .02 per round for powder). My cost with was around $21 per pound (with shipping/hazmat) of clean shot.
 
packetloss said:
Did you include tax/shipping/hazmat for the cost of clean shot? I'm at .0119 cents per round for clean shot loading 3.9g (still much lower than his .02 per round for powder). My cost with was around $21 per pound (with shipping/hazmat) of clean shot.
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I bought it at a local store. Cost was $100 out the door for the 5 lb jug.

I'm using 3.2 gr, that comes out to $0.007 per round. Less than a penny.

If I was using Red Dot, it would be $0.004 per round. I picked up 16 lbs of Red Dot for $65 a keg a last year. At the same time I got 8 lbs of Clays for $69.25 and 8 lbs of Universal for the same.

If I was using Ramshot Competition it would be $0.005 per round. I picked up 16 lbs of Competition for $13 a pound about three years ago.

Buy it cheap, stack it deep. I'm always on the look out for powder deals.

I also picked up 12 lbs of IMR Red for $12.50 a lb about two years ago.

I'm still working on primers I bought when Cabela's had the S&B for $17.50/1000 on a Black Friday sale. I picked up 10 cases in total during that sale.
 
Cannibul said:
I bought it at a local store. Cost was $100 out the door for the 5 lb jug.

I'm using 3.2 gr, that comes out to $0.007 per round. Less than a penny.

If I was using Red Dot, it would be $0.004 per round. I picked up 16 lbs of Red Dot for $65 a keg a last year. At the same time I got 8 lbs of Clays for $69.25 and 8 lbs of Universal for the same.

If I was using Ramshot Competition it would be $0.005 per round. I picked up 16 lbs of Competition for $13 a pound about three years ago.

Buy it cheap, stack it deep. I'm always on the look out for powder deals.

I also picked up 12 lbs of IMR Red for $12.50 a lb about two years ago.

I'm still working on primers I bought when Cabela's had the S&B for $17.50/1000 on a Black Friday sale. I picked up 10 cases in total during that sale.
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I apologize in advance, not trying to nitpick your math, I'm just anal about my calculations on making sure my costs are accurate (wouldn't want to think I'm saving more (or less) than I do. 5lbs is 35,000 grains. 35,000/3.2 = 10,937 rounds per 5 pounds at a cost of $100. So 100/10,937 = .00914 per round. Still less than a penny, but not quite .007 (unless you had paid less than $100 and had used the exact amount when you calculated it). I just looked up my most recent order and it was $97.375 with shipping and hazmat (was a large order so shipping and hazmat didn't inflate it much).

$17.50 for primers is pretty amazing. I missed that sale. My current costs for primers are at $34 per 1000 for CCI.
 
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Looks like we still have an upward trajectory in pricing. I just saw 9mm range ammo come up for sale at an online discount seller for $29.99 per box of 50. I didn’t expect such a high price from a well known discount seller but it sold out instantly. :confused: Whatever the seller commands, the seller gets and it can only go up for two more months.(or years)
 
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I was out and about for work yesterday and stopped in at Sportsman's Warehouse during lunch. Low an behold, they had ~10 of the 1000 boxes of small pistol primers with a 1 box per day limit. Got a pack of Winchester SPP for $23! No price gouging. They also had 50rd Remington 9mm practice ammo for $12 a box.

Thinking about the 9mm on sale - last time I was at a Palmetto State Armory store (I'm in SC), I bought a few boxes of the Winchester 9mm Nato for $8.99 a box (good stuff to break in a P80 build, btw). I told my buddy that was with me to pick some up, but he didn't think it was a good deal at the time.

Probably thinks differently right now...
 
Geldarr said:
I was out and about for work yesterday and stopped in at Sportsman's Warehouse during lunch. Low an behold, they had ~10 of the 1000 boxes of small pistol primers with a 1 box per day limit. Got a pack of Winchester SPP for $23! No price gouging. They also had 50rd Remington 9mm practice ammo for $12 a box.
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I wish Sportsman’s Warehouses were in central Texas! BassPro sometimes has primers but it’s usually a couple sleeves that look like they’ve been run over by the delivery truck and then played with by toddlers.
 
Hartkopf said:
I wish Sportsman’s Warehouses were in central Texas! BassPro sometimes has primers but it’s usually a couple sleeves that look like they’ve been run over by the delivery truck and then played with by toddlers.
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I'll believe that, for sure. Not a fan of Bass Pro really - they've done a good running what little good was left of Cabela's.

It was pure luck that I happened upon them when I did. I saw multiple folks with a box under their arm in the checkout line...
 
I just automatically set up to reload whatever firearm I buy and find good loads.Then I reload for it. The last 9MM ammo I purchased was Blaser Brass and was $3.49 a box at WM years ago. When it gets expensive I shoot my 32 H&R MAG using home cast WC. $3.00 per 50 with purchased bullets.
 
Legionnaire said:
We all know ammo is in short supply, and we don't need another thread to discuss that. I just have one question. What's your pain point for buying 9mm ammo? I've never been tempted to reload 9mm before, but after spending $20 for a box of 50 115 grain FMJs, I'm definitely thinking about it. For me, $20 for 50 (.40 per round) is my pain point. I'd spend it, but grudgingly. What's yours?
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I stocked up enough ammo in the years between the Obama shortage and the DEM-ik shortage that I do not need any ammo now. However, I will not purchase ammo from professional resellers even if I were to run short.

Reloading for high volume ammunition like 9mm and 5.56 or even 45 Auto is a waste of my time. My time has value and I have no wish to spend it cranking out such ammo. I do reload for some revolver and some rifle cartridges but mostly just these:

.45-70 Government
.45 Long Colt
.30-30
.270 Winchester

I have a Lee Turret and Lee SS presses and plenty of supplies for reloading those but 9mm, lol, no way I would do that, not cost or time effective for me.
 
I was buying 9mm steel which shot great in all my guns at $6.44 a box delivered right to my door with free shipping. I saw no reason to continue reloading. So, I do not know where to begin to think of a reasonable pain point. Personally I believe we will never see this sport like we have in the past. If we can even continue the sport at all, I believe the standard price will be around $50.00 per box. The Anti's played their game superbly without any laws or regulations. We were out smarted and we under estimated them. Look at where we are right now. And they put us there.
 
Ernie, I actually think exactly the opposite. Millions of people this year finally seem to understand why we think the right to keep and bear arms is important. I read a survey that found that something like one in eight Democrats bought a gun this year. If this continues, it will be harder for either party to further infringe our rights.

As for prices and pain points, I think this will eventually subside. Tide yourself over by shooting a bit less, switching calibers, or getting an airgun if you feel your stock is too thin.
 
brewer12345 said:
Ernie, I actually think exactly the opposite. Millions of people this year finally seem to understand why we think the right to keep and bear arms is important. I read a survey that found that something like one in eight Democrats bought a gun this year. If this continues, it will be harder for either party to further infringe our rights.

As for prices and pain points, I think this will eventually subside. Tide yourself over by shooting a bit less, switching calibers, or getting an airgun if you feel your stock is too thin.
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I hope you are right. But time to prepare if you are wrong. I have been advocating Air Rifles and Pistols for years. It is a hobby of mine. And at the last shortage, I shot them daily, actually came back with my Point and shoot skills honed better than before.
 
Ernie Bass said:
I hope you are right. But time to prepare if you are wrong. I have been advocating Air Rifles and Pistols for years. It is a hobby of mine. And at the last shortage, I shot them daily, actually came back with my Point and shoot skills honed better than before.
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Yep, hope for the best, prepare for the worst as always.
 
I can still find all components just fine other than primers. I got into reloading just before the spike and limited inventory out there. So I was lucky in that aspect that I got quite a bit of each primer needed. I stocked up at an estate sale and basically bought a guys entire inventory of reloading stuff to include the primers.

But bullets, powder, brass are all available albeit a little more expensive.

I have not bought factory 9mm or factory anything since getting set up to reload.
 
I think I paid, I dunno, maybe $14.99 back in the past, maybe early 2000's. PMC's, at a local shop, when everything else was missing. I forget which panic that was. I eventually fell into a rule of thumb, under $9 a box/50 and I'd be interested in it, if it was brass. Under $8 and I'd buy it for sure. My 'over/under' was an even $10.

I'm set for awhile, but I still look around. If it comes back to $10 a box ($200 a case), I think that's my new "buy it" point.
 
I haven't bought any 9mm paper-punching ammo in going on 20 years. SD ammo, yeah, I will pay for that, but I don't go through all that much of it, so not a big deal. I bought 500 each of 9mm and .45acp HST--that should last me five years or so.

I can't tell you how many times I have read people saying "I can't be bothered to reload 9mm/.223/etc."

All the while I was buying primers 1000 at a time, powder at a time, and projectiles 1000 at a time.

Now there is no 9mm/.223 (and most everything else) I am lending friends a thousand .224 projos, a thousand .308 projos, two thousand 9mm projos, a pound of this or that powder, a couple thousand primers, and so on.

Kind of reminds me of the grasshopper and the ant. Learn from the past, do not repeat it.
 
I save my 9mm brass cuz I won't go over $20.
But of course now I can't get primers so I may have to buy some otc pain pills soon if I run out.
 
orionengnr said:
I haven't bought any 9mm paper-punching ammo in going on 20 years. SD ammo, yeah, I will pay for that, but I don't go through all that much of it, so not a big deal. I bought 500 each of 9mm and .45acp HST--that should last me five years or so.

All the while I was buying primers 1000 at a time, powder at a time, and projectiles 1000 at a time.
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Orion

Can you tell me your current cost of reloading 9MM? 223? I figure for me 13 and 23 cents.
 
Bush Pilot said:
I wonder how many people dropped a bundle on a press and accessories just to come up blank on components.
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Quite a few given recent posts on the reloading section of the forum. They go something like this:

"Hello, I'm new to reloading. I just bought a (red, blue, green) reloading press. Where do I go to find powder and primers?"​
 
gifbohane said:
Orion

Can you tell me your current cost of reloading 9MM? 223? I figure for me 13 and 23 cents.
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That is pretty much my reloading costs for 9mm and .223. Sometimes I spend a little more on the .223 if I buy match grade bullets.

One thing that seems to be glossed over though is that some guns like some bullets and some powders and specific loads better than others. You can't exactly buy factory ammo and specify how many grains of powder you want it loaded to. What you get is what you get and your stuck with it.
 
Nature Boy said:
Quite a few given recent posts on the reloading section of the forum. They go something like this:

"Hello, I'm new to reloading. I just bought a (red, blue, green) reloading press. Where do I go to find powder and primers?"​
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Heck, add bullets to the list. Missouri Bullet is now advertising an 8 to 12 week lead time and they have greatly reduced their product offerings to only the most popular bullets so as to be able to maximize throughput. No 9 Mak bullets from them for the forseeable, for example. They must be getting jackhammered with volume.
 
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