Is 9mm worth the time to reload?

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9 MM is my centerfire plinking round. I could buy Monarch 115 gr. fmj ammo for less than four bucks a round and the same load in Blaser for less than five bucks when I first started shooting 9 MM. That was very little more than I could reload for and I didn't have to pick up empties so that's what I shot. Those days are long gone. The cheapest 9mm ammo I can find now is 21 cents per round plus shipping. I can reload for a little over half that cost. I started reloading when the costs started going up and will continue to do so.
 
CoalTrain49 said:
Thanks for the tip. That's a decent price for FMJ. Never heard of them.

That might be the answer.
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Hpi_jeep said:
I don't think I'd save very much money reloading 115's.
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Definitely and I am reloading/shooting more accurate ammo at less than half the cost of "cheap" factory ammo.

Here's break down cost of 9mm 115 gr FMJ load :

Bullet - RMR 115 gr FMJ $75.05 / 1000 (with 5% THR discount)
Powder - 4.8 gr W231/HP-38 ($22 / 1 lb)
Primer - CCI/Winchester $30 / 1000

This load comes out to $6 for 50 rounds. Buying 8 lbs of powder like Promo and lower cost primers like Fiocchi, cost drops below $5.50 for 50. With $120+ savings per 1000 rounds, one could save thousands of dollars each year depending on how much you shoot.
 
doubleh said:
9MM is my ... plinking round ... I started reloading when the costs started going up
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I even switched from plinking with 22LR to 9mm carbines when 22LR ammo became non-existent during the shortage (still no 22LR ammo in my area).

Instead of lead or copper washed 22LR ammo that produced different levels of accuracy depending on brand, now I can shoot match grade 9mm ammo using RMR 115 gr FMJ bullet and I never have to worry about availability as I can produce as much ammo as I need whenever I want.
 
To make this harder for OP

Rural King has 1000 round boxes of Remington UMC 9mm on sale for $199 or 20 cents each.

If one needs brass and has $200 then it seems like a decent deal.

This might also be good for those on the fence or who just want some 9mm factory ammo.
 
I have shot UMC ammo and accuracy is ... well ... on par with other cheap factory "target" ammo.

With around $6/50 for reloading with 115 gr FMJ, cost is $120/1000. 9mm brass is plentiful for range pickup but if you needed to buy, ljnowell is selling 1000 9mm brass for $19.50 + shipping ($105/5000 shipped) - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/brass-for-sale-9mm-380-45-40-il.820011/

So even if you had to buy brass, cost to reload would be around $146/1000 for match grade ammo.
 
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Hokie_PhD said:
If one needs brass and has $200 then it seems like a decent deal.
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Definitely. I have a couple of cases of 115gr. Blazer Brass I use for brass donors. It's nice to have a few thousand cases of quality brass all from the same lot for a working base. I only get 50-80 matching cases when I pick up hundreds at the range. Now when I go I concentrate on picking up my brass, and also pick up anything else 9mm within reach. I get back almost all my stuff and keep the others until I have at least a few hundred rounds of matching headstamps and approximate weights to reload as a batch.
 
I reload everything from 9mm to 300 WinMag, all on a single stage press. For me, it the process, the feeling of accomplishment. I'm not concerned with cost savings mostly because when my son and I go to the range, we are liable to shoot 500+ rounds from several calibers. If you are trying to save $0.02 to $0.03 per round versus enjoying the time at the press, you should prolly buy ready made ammo.

If you apply the same thinking, your time is worth something, so that would drive the cost up for each caliber, before long you will be buying ready made everything (Until it is no longer available).

Tough decision, do what you feel most comfortable with
Dan
 
I'm new to reloading, and 9mm is all I've done up till now.

If my only interest was to create plinking ammo for less money than I could buy it, there's no way I'd reload. But that's probably not 9mm-specific. I'm fairly certain many larger calibers would also not be cost-effective once you add in your time. So to me, it's something I have to enjoy for its own sake. Cost savings - where possible - are really just the icing on the cake. And I can eat icing-free cake all day long and still enjoy it.

I'm reloading 9mm because I A) enjoy the process, B) enjoy chasing accuracy / precision, C) am getting into competition where lighter recoil and precise shots matter.
 
bds said:
I have shot UMC ammo and accuracy is ... well ... on par with other cheap factory "target" ammo.

With around $6/50 for reloading with 115 gr FMJ, cost is $120/1000. 9mm brass is plentiful for range pickup but if you needed to buy, ljnowell is selling 1000 9mm brass for $19.50 + shipping ($105/5000 shipped) - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/brass-for-sale-9mm-380-45-40-il.820011/

So even if you had to buy brass, cost to reload would be around $146/1000 for match grade ammo.
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I was just showing this as an option in the 20 cent range someone mentioned

I got most of my brass by buying factory rounds, shooting it then reloading. I also pick up brass around the stall I use as I shoot st a public range.

All that aside, if I had the $200 I'd probably buy it to have for when friends who want to come to the range and don't own guns want to try it!
 
I reload 9mm using 124g FMJs with 2 single stage presses. I thankfully have never had a problem with my reloads, they have functioned 100% for the last decade. Using the batch method I move them out pretty quickly 350 at a time. It takes me longer than with a progressive, but I do enjoy it. I did notice lots of problems when I shot IDPA with backward primers, high and low charges, etc from the progressive press people. Maybe they were in too much of a rush.
 
I been reloading sense 1972 with a RCBS Rock Chucker, Today I load for 10 different rifle- pistol rounds. I bought a Ruger LC9S PRO after getting my license and don't think I'll set up to load for it. Local sport shop sell 100 round white bulk boxes of Winchester 115 FMJ for 25 bucks. Or maybe I will HAHAHA. hdbiker
 
donkee said:
I did notice lots of problems when I shot IDPA with backward primers, high and low charges, etc from the progressive press people. Maybe they were in too much of a rush.
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I started out shooting USPSA matches with factory ammunition. I compared several different brands and used what shot well in my pistols. When other match shooters suggested I reload to shrink my groups, shot groups from my reloads reduced best of factory groups by more than 40%.

As to reloads not performing well on matches, it was usually due to person behind the press. You should have QC checks built into your reloading process to catch flipped primers, inconsistent charges, out-of-spec dimensions, etc.

For my match loads, I resized my brass separately and hand primed cases for proper primer depth after inspecting primer pockets. I used powders that metered with or less than .1 gr variance and seated bullets to less than a few thousandths in OAL variance. All the finished rounds were chamber checked.
 
Simple math really if you shoot 50-100 rounds per month then handloading makes no sense from a dollar and cents standpoint. If you compete or are otherwise a high volume user then handloading is worth looking into. We all have opinions of course but if your the high volume user in the 1000 round/ month neighborhood then having a progressive press is worth the extra expense. I like to handload as much as anyone here but when I set aside a few hours to put together 1000 rounds (which is my preferred amount to have in inventory), by the end I'm ready to call it quits.
 
I just purchased 500 9mm bullets form MBC. My first time reloading 9mm. Well, I only have about 100 left to load, and the bulk that I loaded we shot this weekend. This reloading thing is definitely not going to save me money. Going to their site right now to order another 2000.
 
Walkalong said:
So, did you adjust what you were doing so you didn't need it?
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I use an M die and this gives me a nice bulge in the middle of the case. This is, often, not a problem and mostly, not, when going, lighter on the M die, and then just use the Lee expander die with it. I spoke too fast as my problem is that my heater doesn't quite go into battery. Its like a kernel of powder stops it, but only with my, cast, Lyman bullet. It is only around one or two times in a box of fifty.
 
If my wife sees me on the press, she generally leaves me alone... but if I am just surfing the 'net, I am obviously available for "honey-do" list items....
 
I have to say that doing things for your wife is not a waste of time. I've been married for many years and have some experience with this. Trust me when I say that they have ways to convince you that taking time to do what they want is in your best interest.

Now back to why to reload 9 mm.
 
I got a flyer yesterday from Academy advertising Winchester 9mm 50 round box for $10.99 (including sales tax that is 23.8 cents per round).

There is some variation depending on the bullet and powder and how long the brass lasts, but in rough numbers, my cost per round for 9mm components runs between 15.4 and 24.6 cents per round.

Now, if I take all the time spent on each step of the case preparation and reloading process, I estimate it comes to about 4 minutes, 12 seconds per round. So, each hour spent reloading, I'm somewhere between "saving" $1.20 and "paying" $0.12.

No question in my mind it's worth every penny.
 
Hi...
I reload for a lot of calibers. Although I am set up to reload 9mm, 7.62x39 and .223, I do not load them yet.
Why? My son and I use these cartridges as plinking rounds at the range and for that purpose the ammunition he buys online in bulk is more than sufficient and cheaper than I can reload it considering my time. My son does carry a 9mm pistol sometimes but he always carries factory ammunition in any of his carry guns.

I would rather spend my reloading time on other calibers that are much more expensive to buy in factory form, particularly the various revolver cartridges and .45ACP. We shoot many thousands of rounds each year in .38Spl, .357mag, .41mag, .44Spl, .45Colt and .44Mag along with .45ACP, so my limited time to reload is better spent on those cartridges. The last couple of years, we have added .40S&W and 10mm to the mix, so until the cost of factory bulk ammunition becomes exorbitant, I simply don't see the need to reload for 9mm, 7.62x39 and .223.
 
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