Does reloading 9mm range ammo make any sense?
- Thread starter rpenmanparker
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WVsig
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My Lee Turret press with the inline fabrication case ejector setup, turrets and powder drums for 9mm, 45 ACP, 380 auto and 38 spl with everything else I needed to reload cost me $729. This included, tumber, media sifter, scale, bullet puller etc... I can change calibers in 10 seconds. I can load 300 rounds in an hour which is fast enough for me to shoot 15,000 rounds a year for 1 hours work a week. I buy S&B primers at Cablea's on sale and get powder in 8 lb kegs. I can load high quality 9mm 124gr FMJ or plated for $.09 a round. That is $9 per 100. You can get 115 gr range fodder for $150-$175 a 1000 these days but it is hard to find 124gr for less than $180-$200 per 1000. Savings per round on all other calibers is higher than 9mm. Took me less that 6 months to break even on the press and equipment.
So I am reloading for half the price of factory. Now I am not factoring in any $$$ for my time and I am buying primers and powder in bulk but I am still saving $90 a 1000. My equipment paid for itself in 7,000 rounds of 9mm. I will tell you that you will not save any $$$ reloading. You will shoot more but I can guarantee whatever you are spending now on factory ammo you will spend on components but you will have more rounds to shoot.
So I am reloading for half the price of factory. Now I am not factoring in any $$$ for my time and I am buying primers and powder in bulk but I am still saving $90 a 1000. My equipment paid for itself in 7,000 rounds of 9mm. I will tell you that you will not save any $$$ reloading. You will shoot more but I can guarantee whatever you are spending now on factory ammo you will spend on components but you will have more rounds to shoot.
Oh tell the truth... sometimes we are required to buy a rifle/pistol because we got a great deal on a really nice set of quality dies!
I bought a bunch of brass at a gun show once. I got the seller to throw in a set of RCBS 8x57 mauser dies. A month later when I was ready to use the dies I opened the RCBS case to find a set of Forster 22-250 dies with the micrometer seating die. Now I have to buy a 22-250 barrel for an old Mauser action I have had lying around for years.
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Ironicaintit
Member
I load because I like it! My 1st impulse after finishing my very first batch was, "I need to shoot these so I can load them again!" (They were 30-30)
cost is a factor for a lot of people, but I'd handload even if it was a wash, or even if I was doing it at a net loss.
cost is a factor for a lot of people, but I'd handload even if it was a wash, or even if I was doing it at a net loss.
mstreddy
Member
Mike, I have decided on buying a gun/rifle and as I'm shopping for it, I start picking up the dies and components. Sometimes it takes longer to get the gun than the accessories, i.e. my 300 blackout upper. I knew I was going to get one, so I got the dies, brass and then the upper.
From bundle buys I have some dies for calibers I don't own, but just haven't gotten to getting the guns. I have no interest in a 270 or 300 Win Mag, though I may get a 44 Mag or Special lever gun but wouldn't get a 44 Mag revolver. I would consider a 44 Special revolver if I came across one. And, I was fondling a 44 Mag lever action the other day at the LGS.
From bundle buys I have some dies for calibers I don't own, but just haven't gotten to getting the guns. I have no interest in a 270 or 300 Win Mag, though I may get a 44 Mag or Special lever gun but wouldn't get a 44 Mag revolver. I would consider a 44 Special revolver if I came across one. And, I was fondling a 44 Mag lever action the other day at the LGS.
I load lite 9mm loads for my C96 mauser, P08 Luger and P38 Walther. I load at about the top of the published 9mm specs for my Beretta at the range. I very carefully load some hot 9mm golddots for every day carry Kahr. When the Ruger 9mm PC takedown carbine becomes available I will probably be loading 9mm in the +P range and see how close I can get the carbine to shoot acuracy wise to my tricked target 10/22.
Just to be clear... everyone loads up a batch of 200 rounds only to find they did something wrong then they debate with themselves whether to shoot them or not and then they go to the sporting good store to buy a kenitic bullet puller and spend the next 4 hours unloading them one by one to save the components. After you make it through this initiation process you are much more dilligent about your reloading process because the prospect of going through the unloading process is always in the back of your mind.
You don't hear about the reloaders that decided to actually go ahead and shoot the bad ammo... they aren't around anymore.
Just to be clear... everyone loads up a batch of 200 rounds only to find they did something wrong then they debate with themselves whether to shoot them or not and then they go to the sporting good store to buy a kenitic bullet puller and spend the next 4 hours unloading them one by one to save the components. After you make it through this initiation process you are much more dilligent about your reloading process because the prospect of going through the unloading process is always in the back of your mind.
You don't hear about the reloaders that decided to actually go ahead and shoot the bad ammo... they aren't around anymore.
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thomas15
Member
Some guys try to put a fine point on the cost. If you want anything other than the least expensive gear then at some point very soon after you begin handloading the price total for the stuff you plant on your bench will total between $500 to $1,000
This is not my rule someone else is responsible for it but there it is. True you might find some stuff on sale and get your feet wet for less but for 9mm you really need to consider a progressive press and for handgun calibers a good solid powder scale. I think another poster said it well your annual volume should be +5000 rounds but this is a hobby, if your main reason to do this is to save money put that thought right out of your head.
This is not my rule someone else is responsible for it but there it is. True you might find some stuff on sale and get your feet wet for less but for 9mm you really need to consider a progressive press and for handgun calibers a good solid powder scale. I think another poster said it well your annual volume should be +5000 rounds but this is a hobby, if your main reason to do this is to save money put that thought right out of your head.
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Have to, no. Want to by virtue of what's right down your alley, heck yeah! I have used one since around 1993, and consider it one of my favorite possessions to see what's behind the curtain, not to mention I simply enjoy using one. I think you and a chronograph would go together like butter and toast.
I reloaded for 20 years including many very accurate loads for my target/varmit rifles without a chronograph. I have a chrony now and appreciate it every time I use it... it would not be on the top of my list as a must have tool when starting out though.
I shoot a revolver ...
There is always a smart *** in every thread!
It is not a smart*** remark at all. I started shooting semi-autos. I got into reloading and found I enjoyed it as a hobby unto itself. I got tired of chasing and losing brass at indoor ranges so I started shooting a revolver at times, particularly at indoor ranges.
Chronographs are nice to have but not necessary. Folks have been reloading accurate ammunition without a chronographs for a century or more.
P.S. I do have and use a chronograph.
You said You have 3000 rounds of freedom munitions, so shoot that and you have brass. Buy components in bulk on on sale. You can load 9mm with a plated bullet for about 12 cents per round. The Lee Classic Turret press is fairly economical and comes with almost everything you need and works great. You can produce about 150 rounds per hour with the Lee Classic turret press
Nature Boy
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If I shoot it I reload for it. It’s just part of the hobby for me
Chuck R.
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I predominately load 147s in 9mm, so as long as I buy components in bulk; powder in kegs, primers 10-15K at a time it makes sense. I own my own range, and whenever I invite the guys from work out to shoot I'm left with a couple coffee cans on once fired brass. I also load on a Dillon 650, so 800 rds per hr in addition to cleaning isn't a huge time investment. I go through about 2K in 9mm a month, so a couple hrs loading.
bullseye308
Member
I started loading 9mm about 25 years ago on a Lee single stage with a Lee anniversary kit and loaded many thousands of rounds with it. Very cheap initial investment. About 10 years later I got a Lee Loadmaster kit with a few extra turrets and set them up for 9mm, 38, 357, 40, 308, & 223. I loaded many hundreds of thousands on it and still use it. I was shooting 16k of 9mm per year so my equipment paid for itself in a few months, not to mention the savings from 357, 223, & 308.
If I was starting fresh now I’d get a Lee classic cast turret, 2-3 manuals, a digital caliper, rcbs 505 scale, Lee dies, some MTM plastic ammo boxes, a press light kit, and a log book to keep track of every load you try. Pick up whatever primers are cheapest locally, some BE-86, and some RMR 124 gr bullets and you should be off to a good, inexpensive start. You can(and will) add more stuff later as you decide what you need.
The advantages of loading your own, once you have a stock of supplies, is if there is another shortage you will still be at the range shooting instead of hitting 5 stores looking for overpriced ammo, you can tailor the ammo to your gun, if you want something light for plinking, hot for hunting/defense, or something to get the most accuracy out of your gun. Totally up to you and not hard to do. During the early Obama shortage years I was at the Range whenever I wanted to with full ammo cans of whatever I was shooting and didn’t care how much I shot. Many folks were there with one box and sad faces.
The bottom line is I’d reload regardless of weather I’m saving money or not. I tailor my loads to each gun for accuracy, I load for 6 9mm’s and I want the most accurate, least recoiling, cheapest load for each one. I cast my own too, and powder coat them to keep costs down. With free lead from Craigslist, free brass from the range, all I pay for is powder and primers, so about $45/1000 for 9mm, 38, 357, or 45 is where I’m at. With RMR bullets I’m at about $130/1000. No where does anyone sell ammo that shoots as good as what I load at any cost. I can load anytime I feel like it, and as much as I want. I don’t have to rely on any store to have ammo for me with limits on how much I can get, I just make it when I want, the way I want it.
If I was starting fresh now I’d get a Lee classic cast turret, 2-3 manuals, a digital caliper, rcbs 505 scale, Lee dies, some MTM plastic ammo boxes, a press light kit, and a log book to keep track of every load you try. Pick up whatever primers are cheapest locally, some BE-86, and some RMR 124 gr bullets and you should be off to a good, inexpensive start. You can(and will) add more stuff later as you decide what you need.
The advantages of loading your own, once you have a stock of supplies, is if there is another shortage you will still be at the range shooting instead of hitting 5 stores looking for overpriced ammo, you can tailor the ammo to your gun, if you want something light for plinking, hot for hunting/defense, or something to get the most accuracy out of your gun. Totally up to you and not hard to do. During the early Obama shortage years I was at the Range whenever I wanted to with full ammo cans of whatever I was shooting and didn’t care how much I shot. Many folks were there with one box and sad faces.
The bottom line is I’d reload regardless of weather I’m saving money or not. I tailor my loads to each gun for accuracy, I load for 6 9mm’s and I want the most accurate, least recoiling, cheapest load for each one. I cast my own too, and powder coat them to keep costs down. With free lead from Craigslist, free brass from the range, all I pay for is powder and primers, so about $45/1000 for 9mm, 38, 357, or 45 is where I’m at. With RMR bullets I’m at about $130/1000. No where does anyone sell ammo that shoots as good as what I load at any cost. I can load anytime I feel like it, and as much as I want. I don’t have to rely on any store to have ammo for me with limits on how much I can get, I just make it when I want, the way I want it.
doubleh
Member
I regard casting as work I have to do to shoot more with more accurate ammo than I can purchase and also the ability to customize ammo for for certain applications. I much prefer the shooting to casting and reloading although I do kind of enjoy working up accurate rifle loads.
I have several guns that have never fired a factory round except for the test round and they probably never will.
Zendude
Member
To the OP:
For just practice ammo, and from a strictly financial perspective, there’s not much cost savings over 9mm FM reloads. Ammo Valley reloads (made by FM) are 14 cents and end up about 16 cents each after shipping. Using equivalent components ( Xtreme plated bullets) your cost to reload is about 13 cents each. That’s not factoring in any equipment expense.
You can really save a lot if you load calibers other than 9mm.
For just practice ammo, and from a strictly financial perspective, there’s not much cost savings over 9mm FM reloads. Ammo Valley reloads (made by FM) are 14 cents and end up about 16 cents each after shipping. Using equivalent components ( Xtreme plated bullets) your cost to reload is about 13 cents each. That’s not factoring in any equipment expense.
You can really save a lot if you load calibers other than 9mm.
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Strat Rider
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Buying in Bulk - especially when there is a clearance sale or special sale, I am loading 9mm for under .09 each and it adds up quick if you shoot competition.
Range p/u cases .00
Primers .02
Powder .01
Projectiles .06
I pay $6.00 per box for FMJ 115 grain. Saving $5.00 per box in store. At that rate, I can pay for all of the equipment to load 9mm on a lee turret at about 2000 rounds. Since you save $3.00 a box, yours will be more. If you only load one caliber, your chances of a serious screw up are pretty low. Get a powder check die, and use a powder that fills more than half the case normally, and your chances of a major screw up are lower than with factory ammo. My Lee turret loads about 120 rounds an hour easily, and I can load 100 rounds in 20 minutes if I need to, like when a friend wants to shoot, and will meet me in a half hour. I would say its worth it, ammo prices fluctuate far more than components and are less subject to panics, though certainly not exempt. Also, if you may add new calibers, the difference grows quickly, and the big investment is done. I added 300BO recently, and it cost $40 to add, and I pay 21c per round. 45 ACP costs $7/50 and 38spl about $6. ---------my 9mm load is RMR 115fmj 7.8c, CCI sp from Cabellas at 2.8c, and 1.2c worth of bullseye from powder valley for 11.8c per round.
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rpenmanparker
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I'm interested in where you guys get such cheap 9mm bullets. I have seen 4000 for 6.75 cents each, but nothing lower. And mjsdwash mentioned $6 a "box" What is that, 100? I don't see anything that cheap on such small quantities. What's up?
thomas15
Member
^^most likely using the cost of home cast bullets with free or low cost lead. Casting bullets is where I draw the line, I simply do not have the time and I haven't developed a good source of free Pb.
If you are simply punching holes in paper then either hard cast or coated bullets, something fairly light (105-115grains) in bulk should be about 6 cents each. Cabelas sells S&B primers on sale from time to time for about $22.00/1000 and you are using 1 cent worth of powder so final cost is 10 or 11 cents.
For 9mm brass, I never shoot at commercial ranges, just private so if there is brass on the ground and no one claiming it I pick it up. So that is free and there are on-line sellers of 9mm once fired mixed brass, if you buy 5 or 6 thousand pcs it is around 2 cents/case so if I shoot in a lost brass match I don't obsess about the loss. Sometimes I RO at a lost brass match, when that happens I usually bring home quite a bit of brass. Last fall I ROed a large steel challenge match and picked up about 15k pcs of 9mm and 40 s&w. Last weekend my neighbor just gave me about 2000 pcs of 9mm brass so I have in excess of 50k pcs. Once people know you are handloading some will give you their brass.
The main thing to keep in mind is as others have mentioned you do save money per round shot but in the end your cost is still up there because you probably will spend a ton of money on equipment and components and the first time you take 5 or 6 hundred rounds to the range and shoot it all without thinking about how much you spent, you will become born again and find that your shooting a lot more ammo. My advice is buy good stuff not the least expensive and then find out where your shooting interests lie and get out and shoot.
If you are simply punching holes in paper then either hard cast or coated bullets, something fairly light (105-115grains) in bulk should be about 6 cents each. Cabelas sells S&B primers on sale from time to time for about $22.00/1000 and you are using 1 cent worth of powder so final cost is 10 or 11 cents.
For 9mm brass, I never shoot at commercial ranges, just private so if there is brass on the ground and no one claiming it I pick it up. So that is free and there are on-line sellers of 9mm once fired mixed brass, if you buy 5 or 6 thousand pcs it is around 2 cents/case so if I shoot in a lost brass match I don't obsess about the loss. Sometimes I RO at a lost brass match, when that happens I usually bring home quite a bit of brass. Last fall I ROed a large steel challenge match and picked up about 15k pcs of 9mm and 40 s&w. Last weekend my neighbor just gave me about 2000 pcs of 9mm brass so I have in excess of 50k pcs. Once people know you are handloading some will give you their brass.
The main thing to keep in mind is as others have mentioned you do save money per round shot but in the end your cost is still up there because you probably will spend a ton of money on equipment and components and the first time you take 5 or 6 hundred rounds to the range and shoot it all without thinking about how much you spent, you will become born again and find that your shooting a lot more ammo. My advice is buy good stuff not the least expensive and then find out where your shooting interests lie and get out and shoot.
ray15
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The best deal I know of is to watch the xtreme clearance sale section. These are cosmetic blems that are perfect functionally and look nearly as perfect. I bought a bunch (like 12,000) of their plated 115 and 135gr. plated hollowpoints at 5.5 cents apiece shipped in lots of 1,000.
135HP-------------5.5
CCI SPP----------3.0
3.7gr. Titegroup-1.1
---------------------------
total-----------------9.6 cents/round including shipping and hazmat. Could have been about a half cent cheaper if I got in on one of Cabela's S&B primer sales. So it cuts my 9mm ammo expenditure in half by reloading. It's well worth it to me, as I shoot a lot and like to reload.
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