Is it actually possible to reload 9mm for less than $139/1000?

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Double Naught- yes, I've been there. Early in my reloading endeavors I was very taken at learning a new skill and figuring out the "whys" and "why nots" of the operation. I guess that will continue. I don't have the time to shoot as much as many here, so a single stage press is fine for me. It also lets me concentrate on loading the "best" ammo I can (no, I'm not into Lapua, etc. YET). So I do lapse into periods where reloading takes a front seat, generally on cold or rainy days when I can't either shoot or take care of the yard, paint, or whatever. However, shooting is the main focus, reloading just makes it possible for me.

I'm going to a shoot this weekend I'm really looking forward to. I've reloaded 600 .223 Remington for it. Some there will be happy to shoot well. I will be satisfied to shoot well with ammo I loaded.
 
Why shoot jacketed bullets at paper?


Why pump more poison into the air with each shot in close proximity to you if you don't have to do so?
Click to expand...

FMJ bullets have a soft lead core exposed at the base, if you shoot them you are also breathing lead vapor, in some cases more than from cast bullets.

Copper plated or Jacketed hollow points are much better for your health.

One thing no one has mentioned here is that if you like to load a practice load that duplicates a carry load, you can save a lot of money by reloading that carry load. For example premium Speer 124 grain gold dots bullets are sold by Midway for $10 per hundred. The local sporting goods store sells that premium factory load for $14 per twenty rounds.

This can be a substantial saving if you want to practice with your premium carry load alot like 1000+ rounds.

1000 gold dots $110
powder $12
primers $16
cases free

total $138

Store bought

$14 x 50 (at 20 per box) = $700:eek: :eek: :eek:

Or maybe you get them at $10 a box so its only$500 for a thousand practice rounds of gold dots. :eek: :eek:
 
I got mine a couple of months ago (3 at most) for $3.99/50, but I haven't checked lately.

Even at ~$98/1k, it aint worth it for me to reload it. Not near enough savings for the effort. OTOH, if I had a gun that didn't like blazer 9mm, I might have a reason to reload it.

I got into reloading for 45 colt. Reloading that, I can save some $$! Even though I had a local commercial reloader reload my brass for ~$9/50. I still buy new ammo at Cabela's (local, no shipping or hazmat) whenever I need more brass. I just have to "process" the ammo to get the brass! :^)

Andy
 
The cheapest 9mm ammo all seems loaded with 115 grain FMJ. Anything heavier is more expensive sometimes much more expensive even if FMJ. You don't save much reloading 115gr ammo, but 124 and 147gr show better savings especially non-FMJ bullets. My preference is medium to heavy bullets for a caliber and prefer to practice with similar weight bullets.

I ordered a shellplate and case feeder plate for the progressive just to load 9mm. Maybe they'll be paid for after the first 6-8K rounds. 45 auto reloading has already paid for the press setups.
 
I have all the gear but I do not reload regular ammo for 9mm. My time is better spent reloading a couple of boxes of 44mag,45-70,or .357. Some guys get a kick out of reloading everything,but not many do 9mm just for the cost savings
 
I reload 9mm for IPSC. I shoot at least 1000 rounds each month in practice. I do load 147 grain bullets which cost more than the cheaper 115 grain 3.99 to 4.99 range per 50 boxes of store bought ammo.

Another reason is to tailor the load to make a certain power factor. Factory ammo generate a stiff amount of power factor. Hand tailored loads shoot pretty flat in my gun, make recoil manageable, and gets me back on the sight picture faster. Speed accuracy amd power is the name of the game in IPSC.

I agree, most people would spend the time to reload 9mm, and please feel free continue to do so. I am a brass scrounger at the range and get the brass for free......

JS
 
I cast my own bullets from wheelweights whcih I get for free. 9MM brass I get from my range for free. Not factoring in bullet lube and naptha gas for my coleman stove to melt the wheelwights down my costs come out to just under $3.00 per box or under $60per housand. That is $Cdn. Multipy by .90 of US equivalent.

That is paying through the nose for powder and primers. Nothin up here is cheap by your standards.

My bullet/primer/powder combo gives me deviations of less than 6 and the load is very accurate in all my 9MM. Commercial 9MM ammo up here goes for around $11.00 box of 50. Transportation costs!

Take Care

Take Care
 
I handload 9mmP for USPSA Production.

147grn. Zero JHPs are 6.45c each, shipped in quantities of 2000.
Powder (Titegroup) runs 0.67c per charge, including shipping and HAZMAT.
Primers are 1.75c each - I order them at the same time as the powder to avoid doubling on the HAZMAT charge.
Brass is free.

That totals up to 8.87c per round. Throwing in the cost of bullet lube, corncob for case prep, etc, call it 9c/round. I can crank out 600 rounds per hour easy on my Dillon 650, more like 800 if I have someone to load primer tubes and keep the case feeder and powder measure topped off.

Highly accurate, light recoiling, minor-PF 147grn JHPs for $90/thousand is not a bad deal, even with the cost of my time.

- Chris
 
I can buy components locally at big savings in large quantities--

Loading Unique, Berry's 124 gr copper-plated RN bullets, WSP primers and once-fired Win cases I got through the want ads in a forum--

Powder--8#, $108
Primers--5K, $72.
Cases-- 3.5K, $43.60
Bullets--$54.60/1000 on my doorstep.

Cost/round= 9 cents
Cost/box=$4.49
Cost/K=$89.73

Even if I had to pay $125 for the powder and $100 for 5K primers the cost per 1000 is still under $100, to be precise, $96.73.

If you can get the components right it works. At the local Wal-Mart, for the 115 gr FMJ Winchester 9 mm I have to pay $12.88 per hundred plus 7.75% sales tax--that's $138.87 per 1000.

At my current cost it is definitely the right thing to do, and I can get a load I prefer--124 gr bullet.

I'm using the calculator at http://handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp
 
i just got a glock 19, and was wondering about getting a set of dies, heck if i can buy it that cheap thats what ill do! and not have to chase brass all over the range, thats why i wanted a 9mm in the first place, cheap to shoot! i might get a set of dies just to load some carry loads, but then i would be chasing brass again wouldnt i?*csa*:rolleyes:
 
my costs are really low cause i hit a phenominal deal a while ago
2 dollars per 100 on 115 gr JHP bullets + shipping so i paid 120 for 5k of bullets or 24 dollars per k
8lbs of powder goes for 84.85 after tax
primers go for 12.58 per k
cases are free (i am the world's biggest brass rat)

so that works out to
41 bucks and change per k

untill my bullets dry up then we'll see what i can do. i am thinking about keadbullets for my next order
 
Best I got was $118 and that was not counting shipping and using some pretty crappy once fired brass but everything else was new. $198 with new Lapua brass.

I'm mostly guessing, I just grabbed a reloading formula and looked up prices on midway and the brass from ammunitionstore.
 
For brass, keep an eye on the Want Ads in the various forums--I got 3500 once-fired Win 9mm on Glock Talk recently at a very good price. Do a Google search every few days for 'used 9mm brass' and see what pops up.
 
Depends on how much you shoot, if money is the only consideration.

Shoot 15,000 rounds a year and you should save @ $500 per year. 10 years...$5,000 :D . Subtract the cost of reloading equipment and you have your "net" savings.

Not having to always "look" for specials and loading what you want...priceless IMO ;) .

Shoot 1 or 2 thousand a year...don't bother.
 
brass_in_paper_box.jpg

That is a 10 ream paper box of 9mm brass.

I haven't checked reloading prices since the 9mm bullets went up $10 this year, though...

=============
Speaking of range pickup brass, I found 21 .45LC laying on the ground at the range.:D
 
I wouldn't reload 9mm, except for the fact that I was given boxes and boxes of 9mm components(probably enough for 5k rounds, bullets, brass, and primers), so I shoot 9mm for the cost of my powder and labor. I can crank out 125-150 rounds per hour on my Lee Classic Turret press.

However, the real reason to reload is for other calibers. I save considerably loading for .45 Colt and .45 ACP, as well as for my .32 S&W top-break. I also enjoy creating custom cast bullet loads for .30-30 and my 7.62x51 Ishapore. Additionally, I load light "coyote" loads for my .303 Jungle Carbine.

So, while I wouldn't reload 9mm except for the free components, I find reloading to save me a ton of money for other calibers, coupled with the pride on crafting my own, coupled with the relaxation that an hour or two pulling the handle provides.
 
Sure you can.

Yeah, I'm a brass rat, too, and have all my brass in 5-gallon buckets. At the moment, 3 buckets of 9mm (and I stopped picking up brass at that point) 2 buckets of .40, most of a bucket of .45. The big savings isn't in 9mm, but if you're doing .44 Special, .45 Colt, or any of the weird stuff I load like 7.62 x 25 or 9x23... hey, I'm actually MAKING money (that's what I tell my wife) :neener:

And since she got me a Dillon 550B several years ago for Christmas, I'm just trying to show my appreciation by loading 12-15 thousand rounds a year with it.
Nice guy, huh? :evil:
 
I paid $5 each for three USGI .30cal ammo cans full of once fired USGI range brass. One was full of WCC .38 special and the other two were full of WCC 9mm.

There's a little over 3K in each 9mm can. I haven't counted the .38 yet.

I already had a nice set of RCBS carbide dies and I was given a Lee progressive already set up for 9mm.
(yes, given. As in get the POS out of my sight, given.)

So I'm all set.




Now all I need is a firearm chambered in 9mm. :eek:
 
FMJ bullets have a soft lead core exposed at the base, if you shoot them you are also breathing lead vapor, in some cases more than from cast bullets.

Copper plated or Jacketed hollow points are much better for your health.
Click to expand...

I have never heard this argument. That is a new one on me. I have heard lots of lead shooters claim things like all the smoke that comes out is from the lead lube, etc. etc. etc. and how safe it all is. Maybe hard cast is better, but I don't know many folks that shoot it.

FYI, Blazer at $100 per 1000 is TMJ ammo, no exposed lead, hence no lead vapor.
 
Berry's Bullets are plated but work just fine as long as you don't get the velocities too high.

http://www.berrysmfg.com/categories/11-0.php
Click on a bullet and you can check the price per thousand.

They have free shipping!They add a small fee that has something to do with lead handling. These are great people and a pleasure to deal with.

I load 147 grain which use less powder than lighter bullets.

I buy powder and primers locally because the hazardous material fee doesn't make it worthwhile to buy it online.

In my local shop 1000 primers went from $20 to $23. The owner says all components are going up.

All told I spend about $80 per thousand.
 
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