Are 9mm worth reloading

[Point_Taken]

You also have to factor in your cost per round compared to what would be the equivalent round. Everyone compares it to the cheapest 9mm out there, but you're not making a cheap 9mm round, your making a mid to high range 9mm round, so compared it to that sort of 9mm and the cost to see what your actually saving.

 

[hdwhit]

Point_Taken wrote:
You also have to factor in your cost per round...

But which "cost per round" are you talking about? Are you including only your unburdened variable costs (i.e. the cost of components ignoring shipping and taxes) or are you computing costs on a full absorption basis (i.e. all costs including amortization of equipment and indirect costs)?

And what about the value of your time?

 

[Ireload2]

All you need new are the dies.
If you buy ammo you are already buying powder, primers, brass and bullets as loaded ammo.
Just buy the components instead of loaded ammo.

 

[Point_Taken]

But which "cost per round" are you talking about? Are you including only your unburdened variable costs (i.e. the cost of components ignoring shipping and taxes) or are you computing costs on a full absorption basis (i.e. all costs including amortization of equipment and indirect costs)?

And what about the value of your time?

Yes, it's only a direct comparison between the two. There are other costs, like the press, your time, that I'm not including in that. I feel you have to decide if you want to quantify that for each individual. If you keep the press for life, and only load 9mm for the rest of your life, then probably at some point, it will have paid for itself. Also, "cost of time" it's a hobby, most people don't get paid to do their hobbies, so its kind of a moot point. At least our hobby saves us money, no matter how little it is.

 

[Charlie98]

I haven't loaded more than 100rds of 9mm in probably 20 years. I've got about 1000 bullets setting on the shelf, and plenty of brass (from my factory ammo...) but, quite honestly, 9mm is at the bottom of the reloading priority totem pole... even below .380ACP. Time + Components < Time Saved Shooting Factory, from a value point of view.

 

[dh1633pm]

I reload just so I can say I did it myself. Not sure you can compare value directly on this one. It can be a pain with big fingers and the small case. The powder charge is nothing so powder lasts a while. There is an abundance of components.

 

[kcofohio]

I was at the range yesterday and had a couple people ask me if reloading was worth it and their time. One shot mostly 9mm. The other was shooting 45.
My answer to both basically was, are you just plinking once in a while, probably not. If 115 & 230 grain works for your gun, maybe not. If you're wanting to tailor loads to your gun, absolutely.

But I also suggested why not buy the reloading components while it is available, and save your brass. If/when a shortage/panic (whatever one wants to call it) hits again, you could be one step ahead of most folks.

Yes, 45 Auto, you would save money. But the guy inserted about his time, and he was shooting steel cased cartridges.

I wish I had had a pen and paper to write down this forum's name for them to look up this thread.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

With components purchased on sale I can usually load 9mm for about 10 cents per round.
I can also make what I want. Most often, the goal is soft shooting, accurate target loads that don't throw brass to the next county. For my carry guns I want practice ammo to shoot the same POI as defense rounds.
Most of the best bargains on ammo are 115 grain, my least favorite.
I load on a progressive and find it enjoyable and even therapeutic.

 

[thomas15]

My wife is the only one who likes the 9mm. She goes to the range about 2 out of 10 times I go and half the time she likes to shoot 38 Special &.357 magnum and the other half 9mm. I don't think I'm going to bother to reload 9mm.

After 5 months and 70+ posts we were able to tease out the OP's 9mm consumption rate which appears to be very low so no cost/savings benefit for him to handload 9mm.

Question for Jack B: When I look out over my upcoming season, plans are to shoot in a league that has 16 matches at 150 rounds per match, 7 steel challenge matches (two 9mm guns) 450 rounds per match plus a few misc get-togethers say 600 rounds and live fire practice say 4000 rounds. This comes out to 10,150 rounds of 9mm. That is 203 (50 round) boxes of 9mm. If I paid $9.00 per box that's $1827.00 or 18 cents per round. If I handload at 11 cents/round that's only a $710.50 difference. Ignoring the fact that there is no commercial 9mm costing 18 cents/round that will fire in my tuned handguns should I in theory bother handloading 9mm? Can I get 9mm for 18 cents/round delivered? Would it be better if I made my calculations based on 19 cents/round factory? That would add another $101.50 to the $710.50

If I use the (probably unrealistic) $710.50 cost delta and calculate that I can produce 500 rounds/hour at my bench that means I would only be paying myself $33.80 per hour to handload my 9mm needs for the year. I confess my need for help comprehending if this is worth it to me or anyone else for that matter. I'm open minded on this.

 

[LiveLife]

I can ... load 9mm for about 10 cents per round ... goal is soft shooting, accurate target loads that don't throw brass to the next county ... I find it enjoyable and even therapeutic.

A big +1.

I have bought factory ammunition for various calibers I load for (380Auto/9mm/40S&W/45ACP) over the decades to do reference comparisons and my experience has been the same - Even my general purpose range practice/plinking reloads using cheapest plated/jacketed/lead components (9mm 115 gr FMJ/RN 4.2 gr Promo / 45ACP 200 gr SWC 4.0 gr Promo) produce smaller groups than average factory ammunition.

In recent years, coworkers/friends/neighbors have bought more smaller carry pistols and being able to reduce powder charge by .2-.3 gr has made training sessions that much pleasant and more effective due to less snappy recoil of reloads compared to factory ammunition which allowed greater focus on training/technique instead of recoil.

After 5 months and 70+ posts we were able to tease out the OP's 9mm consumption rate which appears to be very low so no cost/savings benefit for him to handload 9mm.

Since current price of factory bulk 9mm ammunition is hovering around $10/50 so many may not find savings of $2 - $3 per 50 rounds not beneficial enough to reload.

But keep in mind I have seen several cycles of ammunition/component shortages whenever political climate shifts and price of 9mm could easily jump back to $14-$15/50 again. Heck, recent introduction of 2018 AWB by Democrats (which I believe is DOA) may cause another panic buying so I suggest you pick up reloading/shooting items you need while you can at lower prices. I could be wrong but been there and done that too many times already - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/where-are-there-reloading-components-on-sale.707473/

Yes, 45 Auto, you would save money. But the guy inserted about his time, and he was shooting steel cased cartridges.

I wish I had had a pen and paper to write down this forum's name for them to look up this thread.

Definitely! Consider this.

During my lifetime, I have spent over $110,000 on various reloading and shooting items and realized guns/presses are the cheapest part of shooting/reloading while ammunition/components are the most expensive part. I wish I had bought more when components were half the price I am paying now. So when prices were at recent years' low in 2017, I spent almost $10,000 stocking up on various components and shooting gear in preparation for retirement years. Since 2017, especially low prices of Black Friday sales, I am seeing prices climbing back up.

If you get a chance, sit down and add up the shooting/reloading cost for each year and multiply that number by 30 or 40 years. After you get over the shock of figure that could buy a house, you will realize savings are cumulative and $2-$3 savings per 50 rounds sure add up to BIG savings during lifetime.

Of course, it's ultimately your money. You can do whatever you want to do with it.

For me, being able to reload rounds that are cheaper and more accurate than factory ammunition while enjoying a "therapeutic" hobby is priceless.

 

[Jack B.]

After 5 months and 70+ posts we were able to tease out the OP's 9mm consumption rate which appears to be very low so no cost/savings benefit for him to handload 9mm.

Question for Jack B: When I look out over my upcoming season, plans are to shoot in a league that has 16 matches at 150 rounds per match, 7 steel challenge matches (two 9mm guns) 450 rounds per match plus a few misc get-togethers say 600 rounds and live fire practice say 4000 rounds. This comes out to 10,150 rounds of 9mm. That is 203 (50 round) boxes of 9mm. If I paid $9.00 per box that's $1827.00 or 18 cents per round. If I handload at 11 cents/round that's only a $710.50 difference. Ignoring the fact that there is no commercial 9mm costing 18 cents/round that will fire in my tuned handguns should I in theory bother handloading 9mm? Can I get 9mm for 18 cents/round delivered? Would it be better if I made my calculations based on 19 cents/round factory? That would add another $101.50 to the $710.50

If I use the (probably unrealistic) $710.50 cost delta and calculate that I can produce 500 rounds/hour at my bench that means I would only be paying myself $33.80 per hour to handload my 9mm needs for the year. I confess my need for help comprehending if this is worth it to me or anyone else for that matter. I'm open minded on this.

My wife and I don't compete in any pistol (9mm) competitions , leagues or any organized shooting. We only have a 9mm pistol because we won it for free. It's just an occasional plinking gun. Would probably never buy one much less compete with one. We prefer to shoot revolvers and rifles.

 

[thomas15]

We prefer to shoot revolvers and rifles.

My bad, I left out one small detail Jack B. All of the 10,150 rounds of 9mm I will be consuming will be shot out either one (of my two) S&W 929 (9mm) revolvers. In 2017 this is the same model that the S&W revolver team used (Poggie, Olhasso, Lentz, etc...).

 

[Jack B.]

My bad, I left out one small detail Jack B. All of the 10,150 rounds of 9mm I will be consuming will be shot out either one (of my two) S&W 929 (9mm) revolvers. In 2017 this is the same model that the S&W revolver team used (Poggie, Olhasso, Lentz, etc...).

I don't own any revolver's that shoot semi-auto rounds. They only shoot traditional revolver rounds. We are just old fashioned I guess.

 

[thomas15]

In Steel Challenge the above mentioned revo shooters handload their 9mm

 

[someguy2800]

I tried this winter to convert back to buying ammo for 9mm since its so cheap. I even bought a 9mm hi point carbine to go with my 9mm pistols. After 10 years of not buying any factory ammo for anything I bought several boxes of different $10 ammo to try. It was all 115 gr FMJ and it was all very inaccurate by my standards, I didn't like the recoil impulse in any of my guns, and it still cost twice as much as I'm accustomed to loading it for. So back to loading my own I went with better bullets and for cheaper. I have converted to buying commie ammo for my 7.62x39 though, and I may very well stop loading 223 in favor of hornady steel match ammo.

 

[Jack B.]

Sorry guy's but we don't have any enthusiasm for 9mm , I guess it's our loss. Not going to spend time reloading for it. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[Dudedog]

Load up some nice middle of the road rounds for the 9mm sat 125gr bullet at about 1030fps or so and you will find it really pleasant to shoot.
My normal fun practice load is right around this vel. Makes a difference if you are shooting a bunch at a range session.
If you want lighter recoil for just plinking you can probably still get function without changing springs down to around 900 or so, just depends on the pistol.

 

[LiveLife]

Sorry guy's but we don't have any enthusiasm for 9mm

Consider getting a 9mm carbine as a hedge against 22LR shortage.

When 22LR became unobtainium or more than $5-$6/50 (cost I can reload 9mm for), our family switched over to 9mm carbines. 100 gr bullets zipping at 1500 fps out of AR carbines sure provided 25-50 yard plinking fun with soda cans/water bottles.

Now that I can buy copper plated 22LR at half the price I can reload 9mm, I got CMMG .223 to 22LR conversion kits. Swap out the bolt and let the 22LR plinking fun begin!

 

[Walkalong]

Load up some nice middle of the road rounds for the 9mm sat 125gr bullet at about 1030fps or so and you will find it really pleasant to shoot.

Yep, although mine runs abut 1050ish. 9MM is kind of like the .38 Spl of the auto world.