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

At what price would you quit buying and start reloading 9mm?

  • I already reload 9mm

    Votes: 158 87.3%

  • 20 cents per round

    Votes: 5 2.8%

  • 25 cents

    Votes: 5 2.8%

  • 30 cents

    Votes: 9 5.0%

  • Cost is irrelevant / I'd never reload 9mm

    Votes: 8 4.4%
  • Total voters
    181
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Count blessings.
Both indoor ranges I belonged to allowed you to pick up only your own brass and a good percentage goes past the firing line. My current indoor will push extra brass my way depending in the range officer on duty.

The outdoor also only allows you to collect your own. Very valid ad they have made significant upgrades simply due to brass sales/ recycling.

I usually keep a good amount but every year or two I'll buy another 2-3000 pieces of nine to keep the stock up.
 
I reload 9mm since it's the highest volume I shoot and to the level, I have dedicated tool heads set up for 147 grain MW from RMR, another setup for 135 grain MW, and then a third for 115/124s as needed.
 
Erief0g said:
Count blessings.
Both indoor ranges I belonged to allowed you to pick up only your own brass and a good percentage goes past the firing line. My current indoor will push extra brass my way depending in the range officer on duty.

The outdoor also only allows you to collect your own. Very valid ad they have made significant upgrades simply due to brass sales/ recycling.

I usually keep a good amount but every year or two I'll buy another 2-3000 pieces of nine to keep the stock up.
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Indoor range I belong to use to be generous about sweeping brass towards anyone saving it, but they stopped that some time back. The outdoor range used to only let you pick up your own brass but they now allow you to pick up any brass that is on the ground someone else left behind. People are supposed to sweep up the brass on the concrete pad and put it in their buckets, but so much of it lands just in front of the line. Buckets are off limits, though. That range has been making most of its money for improvements from entry fees for competition matches.
 
I have been reloading 9mm for 30 years now. About 25 years ago I found a great deal on once fired 9mm brass, all Federal headstamp so I bought 10K. Still working through that purchase. I pick up most of my own 9mm but don't sweat missing a case or two like I do .50 AE or .44 mag brass.

I have a couple guns that are very picky about their ammo. A 96 Broomhandle Mauser, a P08 Luger and a P38. I load 9mm for them that is hot enough to function reliably without beating the old gems apart.
 
Lately, from the indoor range I shoot at I've been bringing home more brass than I went with. One of the guys told me that if someone beside me gives me his brass that I can take it also.
Between what I bought and what I got from Dudedog, and what I bring home from the range, I have a decent stash, I'm slowly gaining instead of loosing.

I've been loading MPRs also from RMR and I buy them two thousand at a time. 5.5gr of BE-86 with a 124 MPR is a pretty accurate round out of my 9s.
0119191619.jpg
That's my 9mm reserve, cleaned and ready to go. I bring home the setup bags when we run these, fill them with clean brass and seal them in my Seal-a-meal.
My working brass is also multiplying but with the Covid 19 and factory ammo in short supply, the people that buy factory loads are limited to one box a piece per visit, so the place isn't littered with them like it had been.
My cost to reload is similar to Dudedog's and I can find the sweet spot loads for my 9mms that make really accurate ammo.
I can certainly see why some members don't want to load for 9mm but I devout reloader so for me there is no other way.
 
Not really a price thing. If I shoot it I want to have loaded it. Even if it cost more. (Which it does if you figure in that expensive die I just bought). I is going to cost more until I get to about 1000 rounds. But I love the feel of that die seating.
 
At somewhere in the 10 to 11 cents range I'm loading the best, most accurate bullet with the best powder and primer.

While at 20 cents you're getting the cheapest, most cut rate everything. And can't hit anything consistently.

So did you set out to save money, or actually hit what you aimed at ??
 
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rfwobbly said:
At somewhere in the 10 to 11 cents range I'm loading the best, most accurate bullet with the best powder and primer.

While at 20 cents you're getting the cheapest, most cut rate everything. And can't hit anything consistently.

So did you set out to save money, or actually hit what you aimed at ??
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What bullet you using?

I was able to get steel 9mm at 13 cents before the panic buying happened and I may not have been getting one hole groups at 10 yards, but I was hitting what I was aiming at.

Not everything has to be "the best", good enough is well enough.
 
packetloss said:
I actually use the Hornady 1911 primer tube filler and so far it works quite well.
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I bought this tool only to find it was for the Hornady AP press, and I have the LNL Classic single stage. So...I dug out some shrink tubing and made a quick connect that lets me transfer from the 1911 filler to the smaller LNL Classic primer tubes. Since then I’ve also made adapters for my Lyman All American 8 turret primer tubes.

I absolutely love it - it holds 100 primers, while my Classic tubes hold 65...so I just load 50 and transfer at a time. What a time saver!
 
Looks like we’re just about back to that point of having no choice because 9mm is sold out at most places again. SGammo, Brownells, Academy and BassPro were completely out as of today. Midway only had Federal HSTs with a limit of 2 boxes. Target Sports only has premium ammo.

I’m sure someone can still find 9mm but it’s not as easy as it was last week. I reload currently at 11 cents per round but I like to watch availability of loaded ammo to keep a feel of the market.
 
I got into reloading back in 1980 to save money. Yes, I save money, yes, it allows me to shoot more, yes, my reloads are better than equivalent priced ammunition. Besides, I found I enjoyed hand loading as a hobby unto itself.

So, I maintain the capability to reload for any cartridge that I have a gun for, at last count it is north of 30 different cartridges. (I do not have enough fingers and toes to keep count.:)) 9x19 is just one of them.

Besides, I find it is difficult to buy a supply of ammunition I like day in and day out. When I reload, my ammunition is the same as the batch before since I buy the same components as before. It is easier to stock up on components than finished ammunition.

Reloading is not for everyone, everyone has their own valid reasons for not doing it. Fair enough.
 
15 Cents.

Yeah, it was available last year for 15cents a round. I'm talking good, brass case stuff. So I quit reloading 9mm and stocked up. Not enough though. I can see myself through USPSA Rev Nationals but that's about it. At least for 9mm revolver shooting.
 
2 cents for primer, penny for powder, nickel for bullet. I load about 200 an hour. That’s $16 an hour with no value placed on my time. 200 rounds would cost at least $50 right now if it could even be found. That’s $34 savings per hour and is well worth my time, but that’s not how I actually look at it...

$16 an hour if I give the stuff away (and feel good about helping a friend out) is a whole lot cheaper than a psychiatrist. The act of being productive in any way seems to bring about a natural satisfaction that is healthy. Some folks exercise for a health benefit and I see this as being no different aside from their exercise benefiting the body and mine benefiting the mind. It’s also why I piddle around with tying flies and am slowly but surely learning woodworking and plan to learn a bit about leatherworking.
 
WestKentucky said:
2 cents for primer, penny for powder, nickel for bullet. I load about 200 an hour. That’s $16 an hour with no value placed on my time. 200 rounds would cost at least $50 right now if it could even be found. That’s $34 savings per hour and is well worth my time, but that’s not how I actually look at it...

$16 an hour if I give the stuff away (and feel good about helping a friend out) is a whole lot cheaper than a psychiatrist. The act of being productive in any way seems to bring about a natural satisfaction that is healthy. Some folks exercise for a health benefit and I see this as being no different aside from their exercise benefiting the body and mine benefiting the mind. It’s also why I piddle around with tying flies and am slowly but surely learning woodworking and plan to learn a bit about leatherworking.
Click to expand...

I wish I could still get those $0.02 primers.

I always use CURRENT replacement costs when figuring my cost to reload.
 
WestKentucky said:
That is current... I bought primers on sale recently and got them for $1.97 a tray. I only bought all 80 trays that they had.
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That's like buying a winning lottery ticket. Sure it happens, but unless you are in the right store and get really lucky, you won't find primers at all, let alone at that price.
 
packetloss said:
That's like buying a winning lottery ticket. Sure it happens, but unless you are in the right store and get really lucky, you won't find primers at all, let alone at that price.
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I am lucky in that respect... I always stumble across what I need at a great price when I need it. Last fall I had a garage door opener go out. I went to Lowe’s expecting to pay $300 for one I picked out online. When I got there they rolled out a “new old stock-discontinued” item that they found in behind other stuff when they did inventory. $60 later I had a brand new garage door opener. I often ask and get a box of ammo or a can of powder that wasn’t brought to the sales floor or I find stuff on huge discount. Being frugal and attentive are virtues I am blessed with.

Primers are $4 a flat at academy usually so that jumps up to $20 an hour on my original post rather than $16. Still the points I made are all applicable.
 
WestKentucky said:
I am lucky in that respect... I always stumble across what I need at a great price when I need it. Last fall I had a garage door opener go out. I went to Lowe’s expecting to pay $300 for one I picked out online. When I got there they rolled out a “new old stock-discontinued” item that they found in behind other stuff when they did inventory. $60 later I had a brand new garage door opener. I often ask and get a box of ammo or a can of powder that wasn’t brought to the sales floor or I find stuff on huge discount. Being frugal and attentive are virtues I am blessed with.

Primers are $4 a flat at academy usually so that jumps up to $20 an hour on my original post rather than $16. Still the points I made are all applicable.
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Sadly they won't ship though.
 
I go thru about a 30cal can of 9mm per month. If I didn't have the 650 press, I wouldn't do it. Too much effort for the savings (vs normal prices, not the inflated 9mm prices right now). I'd just shoot less & buy it if I was still doing it on turret press.

BUT.....the one huge advantage to me is using ACME coated cast bullets - or similar MBC - or similar plated. I primarily shoot steel targets from 30'. I get absolutely nothing back from the ACME bullets. Maybe little specs that feel like a bug landing on you or something. Whereas FMJ/TMJ, will occasionally get a piece of jacket come back. Doesn't really hurt - worst ever has felt like a little sweat bee bite - but still none of that vs some of that....will go with none of it :)

As far as the economics go....6.7¢ for a 115gr ACME coated bullet, 2.5¢ for a Fiocchi SPP (the 1500 packs), 1.6¢ for Win231/HP38. So call it 11¢ a round. That's with tax and/or shipping as applicable. But the brass has to come from somewhere, so that means occasionally buying a case of commercial ammo or rolling the dice & buying a bag of "1x fired" 9mm brass. My last purchase was a real high mix of WMA brass with crimps so ....blah.....but I'm probably closer to 13-14¢ per round if I include brass value. Not sure how to figure brass value as i have no idea how many times I reload it. Until it fails, or gets stepped on, or gets lost in the grass, or gets given away, or gets.......

And that's also $0 per hr labor for me. Most don't consider that because reloading is a hobby or enjoyable leisure activity. That's fine & I agree. But for me, it's more like a chore that needs to be done....like cleaning guns, mowing grass at the range, or building target stands, don't really enjoy it but tasks that need to be done to facilitate shooting. I haven't timed it exactly but would say its somewhere around 4 hrs total to fill a a 30 cal can (~1200 rds). That's loading/unloading tumbler (not waiting on it), filling primer tubes, inspecting afterward, etc. Not sure, but probably not much more than 4 hrs total time working. But even at $15/hr (and my free time is worth a lot more than that to me) then I'm breaking even vs buying pretty much.
 
Texas10mm said:
Due to a failed back I can't bend over to pick it up.

https://www.gardenweasel.com/garden-weasel-products/garden-weasel-tools/weasel-small-nut-gatherer/

This tool works great. My only complaint is the handle is a bit short for me. I'm 6'3", for a shorter person the handle would be fine.
Click to expand...

Does that only work on grass or will it work on gravel too? Dirt with pea gravel is what my brass lands on. Would the weasel just fill itself with rocks or is it good about just picking up the lighter brass?
 
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