While 9mm ain't "cheap" anymore, it's still cheaper than other center fire ammo.
Yes, but if you just get a regular Blackhawk and a reloading press, and load your own plinking ammo, you'll pay for your equipment before you've shot many boxes ammo these days.
The convertible Blackhawk costs an extra 60 bucks or so, over the regular .357/.38. That's a good head start on a reloading setup, especially if you shop around and get some stuff used. Or you can get a whole basic package for 105 bucks from Cabelas, plus dies. Dies are about $40/set, brand new. Say $150 total, minus 60, net cost $90.
Re-use your .38 brass and shoot for about 1/3 the price of cheap commercial 9mm, and that's buying lubed bullets and without even trying to reload on the cheap. IF you plan on plinking, that's a much better plan.
You will make up your $90 in 10 boxes -- 15 at worst -- of ammo. And from then on, you'll be shooting for a fraction of the cost, essentially FOREVER.
I don't much care for chasing my semiauto brass if I'm plinking. A single-action revolver, though, is about the best and easiest gun in the world for saving your brass.
The only reason a convertible .22 revolver makes sense is that you can't reload .22 rimfires.
Food for thought, that's all.
