Does reloading 9mm range ammo make any sense?

Status
Not open for further replies.
I am a range rat. Shoot a ton of 9mm. However, going to the range at least once a week is a priority and takes time. Time is money. I order bulk ammo all the time and can get some very good deals. Have learned when and where to buy and always get free shipping. There are many good quality range ammo available. I have a turret Press, but not a whole lot of room for a big press. And I really would not save much money. For me to do it, would have to be on a big scale and I just do not have the time or SPACE. Most times I shoot SAT and SUN and sometimes during the week.
 
As others have said, strictly from a cost savings viewpoint, it isn't worth it to get started just reloading 9mm.

If you ARE going to reload, 9mm is great, since you never will have to buy brass. I almost always leave the range with more 9mm brass than I shot. The only time I don't is when I'm at the indoor range and I don't bother setting up my brass catcher since I already have a full 5 lb bucket at home waiting for me to process.

I primarily load reduced recoil loads in 9mm for my wife, since she loves to shoot them more than factory ammo. If I keep her happy, she lets me indulge in the hobby. (She usually pays for the bullets, everything else comes out of my allowance :thumbup:). I get to reload all the other calibers that I like to shoot as a result. Win-Win.
 
thomas15 said:
What is your definition of "a ton"? Years ago I thought 100 rounds/month was a lot, now I'm at 10,000/year and I believe that is about a quarter ton.
Click to expand...

Maybe I should have said ton of money. However I shoot about 10,000-12,000 rounds of 9mm a year, about 5,000 rounds of 380, about 500-800 rounds of 357. Can't tell you how much 22.cal but sure go through bulk boxes of it. I also shoot a lot of Pellet rifles and Pistols. Actually plan to scale back and shoot more 22.cal. For instance, I will scale back on my LCR9mm and shoot my recently acquired LCR22.cal. My Pico is so mild, there really is no need to continue shooting it so much, so will focus of small barrel 22.cals. I really enjoy the Pellet riflels. Nice German/English models. Great, quality, triggers etc. A tin of Pellets is a lot cheaper than anything out there and they offer some real shooting fun. In summer I really hit the Pellet Pistols hard, will shoot almost daily.
(lol, I say I will scale back, but after receiving my new Nano, I put about 600 rounds through it alone in the past couple of weeks).
 
I just started reloading for 9mm. I probably won't reload any range or blasting ammo because it is so cheap. Will be reloading 124 grain xtp Hornady rounds for about 12.00 a box of 50 though.
 
I see, appears you have the situation well in hand.

I just took delivery of 4 cases Federal auto-match 40g rimfire, that is 13,000 rounds plus what I already had n the shelf so 15k for the year rimfire. Handload the rest, mostly 9mm and 38 spl but some .223 plinking ammo & 30-06/35 rem. Still work full time and have a spouse but kids are on their own.

Jeb Stuart said:
Maybe I should have said ton of money. However I shoot about 10,000-12,000 rounds of 9mm a year, about 5,000 rounds of 380, about 500-800 rounds of 357. Can't tell you how much 22.cal but sure go through bulk boxes of it. I also shoot a lot of Pellet rifles and Pistols. Actually plan to scale back and shoot more 22.cal. For instance, I will scale back on my LCR9mm and shoot my recently acquired LCR22.cal. My Pico is so mild, there really is no need to continue shooting it so much, so will focus of small barrel 22.cals. I really enjoy the Pellet riflels. Nice German/English models. Great, quality, triggers etc. A tin of Pellets is a lot cheaper than anything out there and they offer some real shooting fun. In summer I really hit the Pellet Pistols hard, will shoot almost daily.
(lol, I say I will scale back, but after receiving my new Nano, I put about 600 rounds through it alone in the past couple of weeks).
Click to expand...
 
thomas15 said:
I see, appears you have the situation well in hand.

I just took delivery of 4 cases Federal auto-match 40g rimfire, that is 13,000 rounds plus what I already had n the shelf so 15k for the year rimfire. Handload the rest, mostly 9mm and 38 spl but some .223 plinking ammo & 30-06/35 rem. Still work full time and have a spouse but kids are on their own.
Click to expand...

I have always believed in the theory of "Frequent moderate Workouts or
training. If I shoot too much, I get stale, or ineffective.
 
Last edited:
Reloading most pistol ammo is like loading shot shells. Very boring. You can load a lot of ammo and blow it off in a short time. Much of your effort seems to make little difference since you cannot really tell much difference between your ammo and factory ammo.
 
someguy2800 said:
I load 9mm because all the $9 fmj ammo is complete garbage. I shoot for 10 rings, not at the black. With my loads I can hit what I want.
Click to expand...

Why do you say all $9mm is garbage. I find quite of bit of bulk ammo in that range to be very effective and great training ammo.(9-11$) LAX, Freedom munitions etc. Also others like American Eagle, Fiocchi, PMU, Perfecta etc. No I do not shoot bullseyes, just center mass point and shoot instinctive shooting. And in most cases can get it shipped right to my door for free. Time is money, while some have the time to reload, I just do not. I shoot often and diligently, but even now have to make sacrifices to get to the range.
Maybe when the time to slow down my shooting comes, I will bet back to reloading 9mm. But I doubt it. Reloads in bulk for me, actually do not shoot as well as some of the ones I mentioned above. And personally feel safer with the ammo I purchase. These guys have done well and got it down. And once you get to know your gun, you can hone it what kind of charge you want to shoot that day. Freedom for instance is a light load, Fiocchi a little hotter.
It is funny, the most enjoyment I had reloading was with a hand press when I first started. Just doing one stage at a time and a box of 50. Some stages like de-priming done while watching TV.
 
Jeb Stuart said:
Why do you say all $9mm is garbage. I find quite of bit of bulk ammo in that range to be very effective and great training ammo.(9-11$) LAX, Freedom munitions etc. Also others like American Eagle, Fiocchi, PMU, Perfecta etc. No I do not shoot bullseyes, just center mass point and shoot instinctive shooting. And in most cases can get it shipped right to my door for free. Time is money, while some have the time to reload, I just do not. I shoot often and diligently, but even now have to make sacrifices to get to the range.
Maybe when the time to slow down my shooting comes, I will bet back to reloading 9mm. But I doubt it. Reloads in bulk for me, actually do not shoot as well as some of the ones I mentioned above. And personally feel safer with the ammo I purchase. These guys have done well and got it down. And once you get to know your gun, you can hone it what kind of charge you want to shoot that day. Freedom for instance is a light load, Fiocchi a little hotter.
It is funny, the most enjoyment I had reloading was with a hand press when I first started. Just doing one stage at a time and a box of 50. Some stages like de-priming done while watching TV.
Click to expand...

All of it that I have tried shooting groups from the bench in my 4 9mm's group about twice as large as my handloads. I like to challenge myself to hit small targets, like a 4" plate at 20 yards, and with all the $9 to $11 dollar ammo the accuracy just isn't there to do it. Plus I don't know what they use to load the stuff but the muzzle flip with all of it is about twice what my handloads are even though they chrono the same.
 
someguy2800 said:
All of it that I have tried shooting groups from the bench in my 4 9mm's group about twice as large as my handloads. I like to challenge myself to hit small targets, like a 4" plate at 20 yards, and with all the $9 to $11 dollar ammo the accuracy just isn't there to do it. Plus I don't know what they use to load the stuff but the muzzle flip with all of it is about twice what my handloads are even though they chrono the same.
Click to expand...

I agree, but it depends on the gun to a large extent. I've found that my favorite 45 auto tends to be most accurate with ~725fps velocity. I've tried different projectiles and powders, but I keep coming back to loads that give me less than 750fps. The factory loads I've tried just can't match that.
 
All depends on what your trying to hit. Try it yourself if you don't believe it. Load a 124 berry's target hollow point on 4.0 grains of titegroup and shoot it off a rest at 25 yards.
 
someguy2800 said:
All depends on what your trying to hit. Try it yourself if you don't believe it. Load a 124 berry's target hollow point on 4.0 grains of titegroup and shoot it off a rest at 25 yards.
Click to expand...
My standard load is 124 gr. Berry's with titegroup. However I train 95% with my carry guns. And go from 7-20 yds (typically 10- 15 yds). At those distances stock ammo shoots just as well for me. I do not do any rest shooting, so maybe for long range targets it matters. I do know that the CCW single stack I use to carry will not shoot as well as my newer present gun. No where near the muzzle flip and recoil. My go to gun at 20yds has always been the SR9C and the gun performs well at that distance. Also a mild shooter.
 
Jeb Stuart said:
so maybe for long range targets it matters.
Click to expand...

I can assure you it does. I'm just telling you none of the factory 9mm ammo I've ever tried meets my needs and thats why I handload, if it meets your needs then great.

If your shooting the 124 RN, give the target hp a try. You may be surprised. Added benefit is they do not ricochet or throw splatter back on steel plates. That's actually what they are designed for.
 
Ireload2 said:
Reloading most pistol ammo is ... Very boring. You can load a lot of ammo and blow it off in a short time.

Much of your effort seems to make little difference since you cannot really tell much difference between your ammo and factory ammo.
Click to expand...
One of my hobbies other than shooting/reloading is cooking.

Even though I carefully prepare meat and slow roast Tri-tip and ribs, slow braise beef in red wine reduction sauce or simmer hunter stew in home-made stock with fresh herbs, my family will gobble them up just like take out from Taco Bell or Jack-In-The-Box.

We all have choices in life.

I choose to feed my family home cooked meals. And home cooked meals often cost less than fast food. Last night we had Lingcod for dinner caught the previous day and it sure tasted better than frozen fish sticks. And yes, family gobbled up the fish (carefully cooked in butter, lemon and herbs) in a blink of an eye and wife asked when I was going fishing again. ;)

For me, same thing translates to reloading and shooting. I prefer my family shoot my reloads and my 9mm reloads cost at least 45% less than factory ammo (more for 40S&W/45ACP). 9mm is our primary caliber as all the 40S&W Glocks have 40-9 conversion barrels and we switched to 9mm carbines from 22LR during the last Great Shortage. Cost savings are adding up faster because we are shooting more 9mm in carbines instead of .223/5.56 in ARs. And I have done comparison range tests and my reloads shoot more accurate than cheaper bulk factory 9mm ammo. :D

While I now use RMR jacketed bullets for accuracy testing, these are 25 yard groups using cheaper plated bullets - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...ts-and-discussions.778197/page-6#post-9924922

index.php

index.php

Since reloading allows use of different components, we can custom tailor the load for different application. Here lighter 100 gr bullet is pushed to 1500 fps for 9mm carbine to decrease vertical stringing at longer 50 yard range over 115/124 gr bullets - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...n-9mm-40s-w-45acp.799231/page-3#post-10245856
index.php
 
Last edited:
For those of us that shoot competitions with revolvers that have light triggers it is necessary to use ammo with federal primers. There is, for me, no way around this so I handload my 9mm for those guns. Also, for Steel Challenge there is no powder factor so those that do well in the sport shoot very light bullets with a fast powder for an almost 22 LR experience with a revo.
 
Reloading most pistol ammo is like loading shot shells. Very boring. You can load a lot of ammo and blow it off in a short time.
Click to expand...

It’s just scale, if you shoot like this.



You reload like this.




You can put it all on paper before you start and I suggest doing so. You just have to be honest to yourself and the numbers will tell you what you need to know.
 
I have better reloading projects to spend my time on than something like 9mm.
If you love the 9mm that is ok but it is of no consequence to me. I shoot other firearms that I consider much more substantial, more accurate, more powerful and most of all more interesting.
If you want to compare it to cooking I would compare it to boiling water or maybe minute oatmeal.
 
Fast action training, I could care less about being a inch off. I go for center mass, blow through about 200-300 rds a session. Spend more time focusing on all my skills and gun handling than I do with bulls eye groups. And as poster said, a box of ammo goes fast. If I wanted to focus on Bulls eye target shooting, I would not even be shooting the CCW guns I own. If I want a target gun, I will buy a target gun.
I never could figure out the amount of people that go to a range and get the proper stance, take their time, and squeeze off the trigger hoping to get a bulls eye. Waste of time and money and ammo unless you are target shooting.
And by the way, I also shoot a lot of 22.cal small barrel as a trainer ex. LCR22.. Usually about 200 rounds the same session. The goal is the same. Shoot fast, center mass, 3 sec. or under, from the table or holster.
I really doubt I will be defensive shooting anyone from 25yds-100 yds. I try and be practical for the tool I use for carry.
And by the way, I do not like fast food and do not remotely see the comparison. I Eat fresh fish all the time and many times frozen and they are not fish sticks. I do not feel like I have to go catch it to make it better. When I do fish it is for the enjoyment.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

C
  • Locked
Calculations that FINALLY make sense!
Replies
10
Views
491
chrt396
C
H
  • Locked
On the fence about reloading 9mm, any help?
2
Replies
31
Views
2K
The_Antibubba
T
F
  • Locked
Bon-jour, looking to reload!!!
Replies
13
Views
496
GaryL
GaryL
peterk1234
  • Locked
Bullet use now that we reload
2
Replies
41
Views
2K
X-Ring
X-Ring
R
  • Locked
Safety
Replies
8
Views
723
RustyFN
R
Back
Top