Why bother reloading smaller calibers?

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Shrinkmd

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Not that new ammo is available at the moment, but if you are willing to shoot lead the difference in pricing between 9mm and 45 isn't all that much. Maybe $30 more for the bullets, and I suppose $5-10 more worth of powder? Not to sniff at $40, but considering that new 9mm is over $200 and 45acp is like $360 or so (of course these are backordered into the late summer or next year anyway), it seems like it is "worth it" more to reload for the more expensive caliber. $150 difference in "new" ammo vs maybe $40 difference to reload them.

By this same logic, I am trying to put together the cost of .357, which with generic 125 gr JHP, primer, and about 500 rounds per lb of powder works out to about $150 or $160. This is an even better apples to apples comparison, as you're shooting jacketed instead of a lead vs. jacketed. I suppose that warmer .357 loads will wear out brass faster than standard 45ACP, however. Then again, you don't lose .357 cases nearly as often!

I'm just so happy I got over my fears and started learning to reload. It's fun, interesting, and I know I won't save any money. But I intend on shooting and enjoying a lot more .357 and 45ACP, for quite a bit less than factory 9mm.
 
It is true that you save more by reloading the larger calibers. If you shoot a lot it makes sense to reload the smaller calibers too because over several thousand rounds those amounts can add up. If your time is worth more to you then by all means buy factory ammo for the smaller calibers.
 
I reload 9mm, have been doing for years. Today I went to WalMart, for an unrelated item, looked at the ammo counter, and the lady told me I should have been in at 0800, when the 6 boxes, not cases, boxes, of 9mm ammo came in. I was just looking for some factory to replace carry rounds sometime in the future.
I cast my own bullets fo 38 and 9mm, and started with a good load of reasonable new brass, and I ofcourse reuse my brass more than once, so considering availability and cost, reloading the "smaller" calibers is a very good thing to do.BTW, ifyou really want to reload small, they did have plenty of 25ACP on the shelf, only thing in good supply...
 
Let's make a deal, shrinkMD

Friend and brother, you buy commercial ammo and leave the brass on the ground, I'll pick it up and reload it.

Fair deal?




Note: I have over a dozen guns that have never shot a commercial round in their lives. I reload everything.
 
I have been reloading for 26 years and have not saved a nickel. But, I have been able to shoot three to four times as much for the same cost by reloading. You buy 1000 rounds a month in 6 different calibers and see what you spend compared to reloading. Just something to think about.
 
You are completely right. It makes no sense to reload smaller calibers financially. As a matter of fact, it barely makes it a break-even prospect to reload large calibers. Your best bet is to keep buying factory ammo and not even bother looking into reloading. It just costs a lot of money to get into reloading, the supplies are terribly expensive and hard to find, and the time is just not worth it.
I offer this advice to anyone thinking about reloading- it's just not worth it nowadays. There is no incentive.

(Now, if this works, there will be more supplies for the rest of us who actually know about reloading to find!!)

Seriously, folks. 9mm is probably the LEAST cost effective to reload when you look at raw numbers compared to Wal*Mart price for factory ammo- but I still save AT LEAST $5 a box over the Wal*Mart price. Sure I use lead instead of FMJ- but what's the big deal?
Now when you get into .38 special, .357 magnum, .40 S&W, .380, .32 or .45 acp I save AT LEAST $10 a box over factory, and on .44 Mag or Special I save right now nearly $30 a box- and in some case, $50 a box! -over factory ammo.
Switching to FMJ or JHP cuts my savings in half... still well worth the effort.
 
Ha ha. Too late, I'm definitely in the reloading brotherhood.

I just meant that for the time spent picking up off the ground, cleaning, sorting, and then all the other steps of reloading, I would rather do it for my 45. I fully intend to reload every piece of brass in every caliber I shoot, but for my time and trouble, I'd rather shoot lots and lots of 45acp, 45 auto rim, or 357 mag rather than 9mm.

I have thought about casting as well, but the idea of possibility of being spattered by molten metal is a turn off. Then again, a year or two ago I didn't think I would be reloading for similar reasons, so who knows the future? I have my hands full with this new hobby as it is, so I figure it will take some time to digest it all properly before drooling over the Saeco molds or lubri-sizers or whatever.

So where do people find "free" lead anyways?:)
 
Reloading is not just about money savings, its about fun and what people enjoy doing. I like to spend my Saturday reloading 9mm because... well because it's fun...! and I can shoot those crappy lead bullets at that metal swingy thing and not have to worry about getting hit in the head with a ricochet!
 
So where do people find "free" lead anyways
Click to expand...

Tire stores--wheel weights
Outdoor range-- berm
Indoor range--backstop
Local recycler
Plumbers and roofers

I usually come back from the range with more lead than I left there.
 
There's something to be said about this cost thing...to some degree. Plugging in the most recent pricing I paid it cost me $7.56/50 rounds to reload .38 Spl. That includes that I broke down and bought 1000 used cases. Now that I have a good supply of .38 and 9mm brass I drop the brass cost and it's $5.24/50 for the .38. 9mm numbers are similar. Definitely a savings but wouldn't justify my time spent loading them. But, then again, I just enjoy it.
 
Wheel weights are getting harder to find from tire shops, and many are going the zinc route. Mining old shooting range berms is a good way, if you don't mind the cleanup. Me, I cheated - I have a buddy who makes wheel weight ingots semi professionally, and he sells some to me sometimes cheap. Still have about 70+ pounds out in the garage, whenever I get that pot turned on again.
 
I load 9mm... using FMJ bullets, and VV powder.
Works out to about 7 Euro's a box of 50 for me versus 11.50 Eruo's a box retail.
Moreover it is the only way I will be able to shoot pistol..
 
Many people talk about justtifying their time as if every spare moment they have there making money. In my 65 years I've never found this to be the case, spare time is just that spare time with nothing being earned.

Just do what you enjoy. Believe me life is VERY SHORT.
 
I have always had time to shoot, the only thing that stops me is weather. I handload year round, bad weather, evening, when ever. I shoot mostly on weekday mornings, not many people out and around. I can go on BLM or state land or if I'm serious I can go to the range and use the benches and all the facilities provided. I have never watched sports on TV or listened to sports on radio, I don't watch much television in the evenings.
End result: Lots of time to shoot and handload.
Besides I really like casting bullets from obsolete molds for old cartridges, 32 S&W, 32 WCF, 32-40, 43 Spanish to name a few.
 
With "normal" prices, not the current panic hoarding, you can load 9mm with plated bullets for about $6/box. Right now, factory 9mm runs $12/box. $6/box savings over 1000 rounds = $120 savings.
 
I load a lot of .357. I prefer to use .357 cases over the shorter.38 since they don't crud up my cylinders as bad.

For target and plinking you don't have to load them to .357 levels, drop down to a .38 velocity and you can use soft lead with no problem. And it saves quite a bit over a jacketed bullet.

Here is the cost right now for my target .38/.357 reloads.

158gr LRN at 6.8 cents per bullet delivered.
4grs of Universal at $19.21/pound is .0027 per grain or about a penny for powder.
Winchester SPM primer at $28/1000 is about 3 cents for the primer.
Reused brass

Bullet - 6.8
Powder -1.0
Primer - 2.8
-------------
Total 10.6 cents per round.

The cheapest target in .38 special is around 30 cents a round, if you can find it. I can load almost 200 an hour, so that's $40 savings doing something I enjoy. Even figuring lost setup/acquisition time I figure I am making at least $20 an hour just pulling on that handle. A lot better return than you'll get on a slot machine, and you'll feel much better about yourself afterward. That's the thing about reloading, you get to enjoy it twice. Once at the bench, as you create your finely tuned masterpiece, and again at the range when you turn it back into a charred piece of brass.

You can switch to a plated bullet for another 5~6 cents each bringing it up to 16~17 cents, still almost half what factory ammo costs. If you want to push up past 900fps or so you can get harder cast 125 gr from places like Missouri Bullet which is still cheaper than jacketed but won't give leading problems at the higher velocities.

I used to didn't mess with 9mm, since target ammo was so cheap. But now even 9mm is worthwhile to load, and it's the only way to assure your supply is constant.
 
+1 to JimmyN, there. One of the primary reasons I ever got into reloading was to ensure I would be able to keep shooting. They may tax or regulate factory ammo to the point that it is prohibitive to shoot it, or some disaster can prevent factory ammo from getting to us, but I will always have ammo as long as the components hold out!
 
9mm using free brass off the range floor. If bought at $35/K amortized for 10 loadings is .0035 per use or insignificant since it's the equivalent to $35 per 10,000 rounds.

Primer .02
Powder .02
Bullet: .04 (commercial bought)

8 cents per round or $80/K

Take off .03 per round using home cast bullets at less than a penny each brings it to 5 cents per round or $50/K.

Find me factory ammunition for 5 cents per round.
 
amortized for 10 loadings
Click to expand...

I know you just picked a number because you had to stop somewhere. Just letting others out there to realize straight walled pistol brass can be reloaded till they split, or the primer pocket gets loose, or something else goes drastically the matter. Good Lord knows how many times some of my 45 ACP brass has been shot.
 
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