Do you load 9mm?

[IdahoSkies]

So 9mm is pretty cheap as handgun rounds go. So why reload it? I'm asking because on impulse I got a really good gunshow buy on a set of 9mm carbide dies. Now I am wondering if I can buy 9mm for $12.00 for a box of 50, is loading 9mm worth it?

Why do you load 9mm?

 

[ssyoumans]

Cheaper, I can load for 124gr MBC LRN ($30/500) plus primers ($13), plus $5.4 for powder, works out to be $48.40/500 or, $4.84 per box.
I like loading my own ammo too, lots of ways to experiment with different bullets/powders/performance levels (light recoiling to full power loads). Pride too. Something about saying, I loaded that.

I'm sure others load for even less, but as long as you buy in bulk, shipping charges don't hurt ya too bad.

 

[ralphie98]

I reload 9mm for the same reasons I reload for 7.62x39, just for the fun of reloading. It is a little bit cheaper but my major motivation is the joy of rollin up my own loads.

 

[kainronin]

I reload 9mm a lot cheaper than price of factory ammo. The "white" box of Win ammo at Wal-Mart is around 25 bucks for a 100 of the cheap, 115 grain target ammo. I can reload 1k of 115 grain 9mm for around 150 bucks. So, buying 10 boxes from Wal-Mart would cost you around 270 bucks after sales tax. I reloaded 100 rounds for around 150. That is about 120 bucks in savings for reloading 1000 rounds.

 

[GuysModel94]

Cheaper i guess if you don't include your time. I've been buying factory reloads at the gun shows for a couple years (same dealer), no problems and they're $70.- per 500 or $130.- for a 1000.

 

[918v]

I reload the 9 to make it more accurate.

 

[1SOW]

is loading 9mm worth it?

To just go bang and hit paper inside 15yds, no.

BUT, if you want soft recoil, very good accuracy out well beyond 25 yds, 124/125 gr bullets in FMJRN or JHP, shoots VERY cleanly and "cool" with no muzzle flash: ALL in your specific pistols, and you shoot regularly. $7 per box of 50 is a very good price and much more than a $5 savings against ammo that is only somewhat comparable.

As others have said, it can be done saving much more than my component choices save.

My materials are delivered to the door for that money. Do you drive to get yours? Do your sources run out of your preferred ammo?

The subjective benefits are the satisfaction of developing high quality ammo specifically for your shooting preferrences and guns. IOW, IT'S FUN and satisfying to do.

Drive the family van or a Ferrari for less cost per mile, both get you there. The only "problem" is, you'll enjoy that Ferrari so much more you'll put waaaaay more miles on it---fast.

 

[Damon555]

If you've already got the equipment I see no reason not to. You might not save as much as you do loading 45's or other calibers but you still save something. The quality is also far superior.

The way I see it I might as well load for every caliber that I shoot....that's why I bought the equipment.

 

[J_McLeod]

Cheaper and better. Right now I'm reloading 115gr CMJ ammo for about $5.50 per box. It'd be hard to find much less than $9 per box from any store, even in bulk. My ammo is customized to my gun and what I want to shoot, and I enjoy making it. My wife shoots with me more often now that I reload because she likes the qualities of the loads I make, and that makes it more fun too. So I win all around, and I load more 9mm than the other 6 calibers I have dies for combined.

 

[cfullgraf]

I have the gear, so why not reload. I made the capital expense for other cartridges.

I make good ammunition that is accurate enough and functions in me firearms.

I always have ammunition on hand even during ammunition shortages.

I do not run all over town looking for ammunition.

I do not pour over the Internet looking for ammunition deals.

My reloads cost less anyway.

I enjoy reloading.

 

[Shadow 7D]

Yeah, but you load carry ammo, or practice for carry ammo
stuff that cost 25-40 a box

or accurate ammo

plinking, range ammo, you buy in bulk and try to beat 20 cents a round, reloading you can do it, but unless you cast, or shoot 1000's of rounds a week, not really going to see the saving rack up for the labor involved.

 

[777TRUTH]

I like reloading, I save a little $$$ and I make ammo better suited for me.

 

[Walkalong]

For accuracy and versatility, but I would reload it anyway as long as it is a little cheaper, which it is.

 

[Blue68f100]

You can save money reloading 9mm. My 9mm 124 RN cost $13/100. But my loads are better quality than the WWB. If you shoot a lot it adds up. If your using a AP the time required is quite short. But on a SS press you may end up with tennis elbow from running the ram up/down. The #1 reason to load pistol ammo on a AP, time savings.

 

[dtalley]

I don't know if I reload 9mm for less than factory ammo but I enjoy reloading and like others have said I am able to reload plinkers and SD ammo (please no flaming). I like playing with the powder charge and bullet weights to get the most accuracy out of my pistols. I like the fact that I can shoot a tight group on paper and know that I built the ammo that can do that.

Reloading also gives me some pleasure and helps me get some "me time" and not have to think about the problems that everyday life brings. I load on a Single Stage press and work in batches.

 

[RandyP]

I'll parrot what everyone else said - I reload as a fun hobby and truly enjoy having an ammunition factory in my spare bedroom that is open 24/7/365 to fill my ammo needs.

As to "not counting the supposed 'cost' of my time"? I don't figure in the 'cost' of my time when I watch TV, surf the internet, go for a motorcycle ride, see a movie, go fishin' etc.etc.etc. Why would I single out the hobby activity of reloading to try and assign a labor cost?

 

[Waldog]

Use this calculator to find what it will cost you to load 9mm:
http://www.extremeguncare.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=30&zenid=4h4h6mo9fgv03mstv6ig0fsjs0

If you buy in bulk you will save quite a bit. I buy Montana Gold bullets by the case; $300+/- for 3700/4000 bullets. Also, buy primers by the "sleave" which is 5000 and powder 8 pounds at a time. I can load 9mm for $9.00 @ 100. It takes 9-10 minutes to load 100 rounds on a progressive press.

 

[ny32182]

9mm is the only cartridge I load progressively, because I shoot it in much greater bulk than anything else, and the cost savings is definitely one of the two top motivating factors:

WWB is about $24 around here last I checked; my match loads that are "somewhat" equivalent (FMJ plinking bullet) are about $12 per 100, call it $13; so, they cost barely over half what WWB costs.

If I shoot 15k rounds a year (probably a low estimate for this year):

WWB: .24*15k = $3600
Handloads: .13*15k = $1950

Savings = $1650 a year on the low end of the estimate... my press setup cost $980 out the door for everything; it "paid for itself" at around the 10k round mark. Heck I could buy a new press every year and still come out $650 ahead. I really don't get the sentiment that 9mm doesn't save enough money to reload.

The other key benefit for me is that I can get the exact bullet weight I want going at the exact velocity I want in my my exact pistol/barrel.

 

[RustyFN]

Cheaper i guess if you don't include your time. I've been buying factory reloads at the gun shows for a couple years (same dealer), no problems and they're $70.- per 500 or $130.- for a 1000.

If your going to figure your time for reloading then figure your time, gas and admission for the gun show and let us know what those gun show reloads really cost you.

 

[RustyFN]

I reload everything I shoot except rimfire. I realod any caliber for at least half and reloads will be more accurate than most factory ammo. To me it doesn't make sence for me to buy factory ammo when I can make better ammo for half the price.

 

[animator]

I load 9mm to make an accurate round for a sub-gun.


I've got an MP5 clone that just absolutely smokes on +p ammo. Additionally, most all "economical" off-the-shelf ammo performs marginal at best with the gun.


With the load I use for it, the results are far superior to anything I could find off the shelf. Factor in the cost savings, and it quickly becomes a no-brainer. Like most calibers for reloading, factoring in the cost savings with the increased performance, it's easy to see why you'd want to reload.

 

[357mag357]

I remember when Whinchester White Box in 9mm was 9.99. Now it is at 24.99 for a 100rds. I would rather reload and save a few buck. Go for it.

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

as animator.
a nephew, another nephew's wifey and myself all own 9mm carbines as well as pistols.
+P 124gr jhp Rem GS really make the carbines shine. and the handguns do well with it to. (2 S&W and a Kahr)
we practice with the cheaper 9mm brass case and scavenge the cases for my handload effort to keep us in +P ammo for 'shtf'.
at present we each have around 4-5 boxes of 'the good stuff' set back if needed and about every 6 or so months run a box through to keep up familiarity with it.
nephew's wifey really likes (and is good shot) w/her hi-point carbine.

 

[snuffy]

Well the bean counters have reared their ugly heads again. I want "IN" on that leisure time money. That money that those bean counters say you get for doing nothing. I'm retired, so my leisure time must be worth less, but I'd still like to see a check for it each month.

I never add up the cost for anything. I made a mistake once, added up all my purchases from midway over a 10 year time, came to over 10G! BUT I do a LOT of shooting, so a grand/year isn't much.

If I were to figure the cost-per-box of my 9mm loads, I'm sure it would be way under 5 bucks per hundred. I cast my own lead boolits from free range lead, so the only cost for boolits is the electricity, lube and mold. I'll go on the high side and say 2 C per boolit. Primers by the 5G sleeve, powder by 8# jug, brass is range pick-up. Loaded on my dillon 650, I can do 500 in an hour. Sooo, somebody start paying me $$/hour, I'll include that in my expenses.

 

[springer99]

Where can I buy a box of very accurate, 1000fps, 9mm target load using either 115 or 124 Hornady XTP for under $9.00?

Until that happens, I'll gladly continue to reload for 9mm.