New to reloading

[Ryanxia]

So I'm looking into getting setup to do some reloading/hand loading. I've read the Sticky in this section (good stuff) and it may have been covered, if so I missed it but I had a few questions.

A friend of a friend said that reloading 9mm is more expensive than buying factory, does this sound accurate? (target loads, either lead or FMJ).

What is a typical charge weight of a reloaded 9mm? (again, target load) I was using http://www.reloadbench.com/gloss/grain.html to kind of gauge how much powder would be used.

Lastly, any recommendations on current bulk reloading supplies?

Quick note: I am not getting into reloading just to save money, I just want to 'complete the circle' so to speak, but if it is going to cost more to reload than buy factory for this particular caliber (9mm being the caliber I shoot the most) that may have me rethink if it's worth reloading this caliber.

Thanks in advance for any info, sorry if I skimmed over and missed some of this info in the stickies.

 

[cfullgraf]

There will be discussions on the cost of factory ammo and reloaded ammo until the cows come home. You can always buy components (bullets, powder and primers) for less than factory, store bought rounds. Note that the case is re-usable many times and it depends on how you value your time. Most reloaders consider reloading as a hobby and recreational time and therefore costs nothing. I always get more rounds per dollar than if I bought factory ammunition.

You need to get a reloading manual or two and they will have load information. You can go to Hodgdon Powder and Alliant Powder web sites and they have loading data there.

I get most of my bullets from Berry Mfg (plated bullets) and Missouri Bullets (cast). There are others. I shop around for the best prices on powder and primers. Lots of vendors.

 

[Ryanxia]

Thanks a lot cfullgraf. I'll check those places out.
I see it as a hobby as well so I don't really see it costing anything.

 

[Blue68f100]

I reload 9mm for about 1/2 what WM wants for their cheap ammo, $12/100. With straight wall brass it can be loaded 20+ times if you keep the mouth expansion at a minimum.

The same cost will load 38/357mag, 380 and even 357sig which is a lot higher than 9mm.

 

[Ryanxia]

Are you sure that's $12/100 and not $12/50rounds Blue68?
If so you're talking roughly $6 per 50 rounds to reload? Sound about right?

 

[GT1]

Brass is free, or will be once you shoot some factory ammo and save it or pick up some at the range. Primers are about 3 cents each, bullets are anywhere from 6 cents on up depending, casting is cheaper but involved. Powder is probably 3 cents a charge.

So yeah, $12 a hundred. WWB is $22 a 100 box here. Besides that, it shoots like crap. My reloads beat the heck out of WWB in my M&P 9mm

 

[Hondo 60]

A friend of a friend said that reloading 9mm is more expensive than buying factory, does this sound accurate? (target loads, either lead or FMJ).

Factory 9mm is probably one of the least expensive rounds.
I still save some, but my ammo is much better.
Lead bullets will almost always save you the most vs plated /jacketed.

What is a typical charge weight of a reloaded 9mm?

That depends GREATLY on what powder you're using.
There are quite a few different powders that'll work well in 9mm.
My personal choice is Tite Group. I use it in several other rounds & it's very economical.
(That can be a negative as well, because you use so little, it's harder to see an overcharge)

Lastly, any recommendations on current bulk reloading supplies?

www.powdervalleyinc.com
Great place to shop, low prices & very good service.

 

[zxcvbob]

What is a typical charge weight of a reloaded 9mm? (again, target load)

Typical is 4.5 grains for 9mm's, but it depends a great deal on what powder you're using and what bullet weight and how deep you seat those bullets. "Typical" is not really a useful number except maybe to get a ballpark figure of the cost per round.

If you *really* want economical and accurate, and don't care about blazing speed, buy a keg of Alliant Promo powder and use Red Dot load data. (which btw will be less than 4.5 grains because it's a very fast powder) Promo is very cheap and is bulky enough you can actually see it in the cases even with tall skinny revolver brass. It also gives me the best accuracy of any powder in everything I've tried. But it's only available in 8-pounders.

 

[Loic]

I reload 9mm and my cost is around 11cts per round.
I'm using win 231 powder 4.3 gr(low end on the pecs), win primer,bullet are rainier plated 115gr. I reloaded 2k rounds, I finished my last box of rainier and now will load Berry 124 gr hollow base, review shows to be a very nice bullet.
I have 2 press, the first one I bought was the lee 4 holes turet, it work great, smooth and very easy to operate, but my output for 9mm wasn't enough so I bought the lee load master for my 9mm, which is more of pain to set up and operate but I can reload 100 in 10 minutes. Now for my 38 spl I use the turret press only and I'm about to set it to reload also my 22-250.

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[Slinger]

Here is a cost calculator that I use. You can do the figures for yourself. For me, my 9mm loads are more consistent and accurate than factory loads.

http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp

 

[BYJO4]

It costs me about $12 per 100 using FMJ bullets which is a definite savings over factory and my ammo is very accurate. I could save more if used cast bullets. Also savings get larger when loading other calibers such as 44, 45 LC, 41, and 357.

 

[rfwobbly]

I buy in bulk and 100 9x19 target loads cost me just over $10 per. That's reused brass and jacketed bullets. These rounds are optimized as to bullet weight, powder and cartridge length for my pistol. So not only are they cheaper, but they beat the socks off any store-bought ammo in the accuracy department.

Working in the $10-12 range, most people find that their entire reloading outfit is paid for within 1 year. Therefore it makes no sense to shop for your press by price. Instead, match the press to your shooting volumes. If you can do that, then the press is free.

 

[Blue68f100]

Are you sure that's $12/100 and not $12/50rounds Blue68?
If so you're talking roughly $6 per 50 rounds to reload? Sound about right?

Yes, I'm Sure. You buy in bulk to get the best prices. And those posted are with Berry's Plated bullets.

The last time I bought Bullets I caught them on sale of $73/1k, Primers (CCI) were 27.50/1k, powder $20/ good for 1500 rounds. So it's actually less than I posted.

 

[dsb1829]

9mm is probably the hardest caliber to justify or recoup investment in reloading equipment. I am fortunate to have 10mm and 45acp that pushed me off the fence. In 10mm I can save $35-85/100rd. That pays for a press in no time. 9mm I can get locally for $8-9b50rd in FMJ. THAT IS RIGHT THERE WITH RELOADS! Only difference is you can be loading nicer JHP premium bullets. If you have a gun that can handle lead you can drop down to $5/100rd (that's casting your own and hearsay from other's).

 

[gamestalker]

Currently I load a good deal of 9mm, and I'm one of those guys that only loads and shoots jacketed bullets. I found a pretty good deal on a jacketed hollow point is Nosler 115 gr. JHP. $30 per 250 bullets, $3. per 1K for CCI-500 primers, and powder is around $18 per 7000 grains, or 1 lb.. My finished cost for a box of +P performance is about .167 cents per round, or about $8.35 per 50 round box. The last time I looked, factory +P JHP ammunition was running about $20- $25 for 20 rounds, $1 per round isn't unusual for the 20 round box of personal defense loads. Granted a more expensive bullet like a Barnes, Gold Dot, or other type PD round is going to boost the expense a good deal, it's still costing far less than the factory version would be.

But in all honesty, my primary reasons for reloading is to allow me to shoot the best ammunition obtainable, and because I enjoy the hobby. Any level of savings I experience is just ising on the cake for me.

 

[Old krow]

I just want to 'complete the circle' so to speak, but if it is going to cost more to reload than buy factory for this particular caliber (9mm being the caliber I shoot the most) that may have me rethink if it's worth reloading this caliber.

It all starts with one caliber. Then you justify another caliber because you can reload and you'll only need the dies and components. Then one day you've accumulated so many components that you only need dies and you buy another gun. Then, because you've bought so many guns and gone to the range so much, you've accumulated brass for calibers that you don't even own yet, so you buy another gun. By that time you've got so much of everything that when your wife asks you to go to the store to get fertilizer you hand her some powder (because you've thrown so much out you noticed that plants like it) just so that you can keep reloading for a gun that you're not even sure if you own...yet. Proceed with caution.

 

[1SOW]

Reloading ultimately will not save "money".

What it WILL do is : 1. give you way better ammo for what YOU want to shoot in Your gun.
2. Let you shoot 2X as much as what your paying for now.
3. Let you have 'your' custom ammo on hand and not have to go search for ammo.
4. Put a smile on your face.

It's a little like a 50% off sale. "Gee, if I buy 10, think of all the money I'm saving."

 

[Lost Sheep]

9mm savings may be marginal, maybe

9mm is usually even a thinner margin than 45 ACP, but a couple years ago I bought a 1500 45 ACP when they were on sale for less than I could have bought bullets powder and primers. But that was an unusual condition. My friend loads rounds that cost $3.00 each, retail. His cost is 75 cents.

But, as you have acknowledged in your original post, you have more than just economy in mind.

Why reload?

Let me count the ways:

Economy: Depending on what cartridges you are reloading (and whether or not you want to count your time and the up-front equipment costs) you can save anywhere from just a little to 80% or more of your ammo costs. (9mm is very close to no savings. 500 S&W, my friend's ammo costs are $0.75 per round, factory loaded ammo is $3.00 each for comparable ammo. More exotic calibers (especially rifle calibers) can save even more. Some rounds are not even available on a regular basis at any price.

Quality: Ammo you craft yourself can be tuned to your firearms particular characteristics. Handloaders for rifles quite often find some individual guns have quite striking differences in group size when shooting tuned ammunition.

Knowledge: As you study reloading, you will, perforce, also study internal ballistics. The study of internal ballistics leads into the study of how your firearm works.

Customization: Ammo you load yourself can be tuned to your particular needs. My fried with the 500 S&W loads full power loads and "powder puff" loads that clock 350 grain slugs a little under 800 feet per second. I know that's more than a G.I. 45 ACP's power and momentum, but they shoot like 22 rimfire in that big, heavy gun. Great for fun, familiarization, training and letting the curious bystander go for a "test drive" with a super-light load, a medium load, a heavy load and, if they are still game one of the big boomers. This tends to avoid the "rear sight in the forehead" mark.

Satisfaction: Punching small bunches of small, medium or large holes in paper or bringing down a game or food animal with ammunition you crafted yourself has a good deal of satisfaction. Same reason I prefer to make my own biscuits instead of store-bought.

Smug satisfaction: When the ammo shelves are bare during a market or political scare, loaders are demonstrably less affected by the shortages. A couple of pounds of powder, a thousand primers and bullets (or few pounds of lead) and a hundred cartridge cases wouldn't fill a small book carton, but lets the loader know he can shoot while price-gougers take advantage of non-loaders.

Self-satisfaction: The repetitive, calm, attentive concentration of the reloading activities is often found to be so much fun as to bring to the shooter's mind the question, "Do I reload so I can shoot shoot or do I shoot so I can reload?". Some find loading to be as satisfying a hobby as shooting or fly-tying or many other hobbies.

The more fanatical among us combine a couple of the features I have mentioned and, instead of shooting for bullseye accuracy at the range, reload in a search for the "magic load" that achieves perfection in a given rifle. Then, they move on to the next target, another rifle and another tuned load. But you do have to be at least a little fanatical to even get it. For the, it is the hunt they seek.

I am sure there are many other reasons, but these are the main ones I can think of.

Lost Sheep


Lost Sheep

 

[ArchAngelCD]

A friend of a friend said that reloading 9mm is more expensive than buying factory, does this sound accurate? (target loads, either lead or FMJ).

I know it's just a mimic of above but it's all true.

Back before 2008 that statement was close to being true but that's when factory 9mm ammo was only $5/box. Now that factory 9mm ammo is never seen below $12/box you can recover your equipment costs in a short time.

At current component prices without buying new brass I can load a box of LRN 9mm rounds for $5.10 and a box of FMJ 9mm rounds for $6.46. That's almost half the cost of FMJ factory ammo and less than half the cost if you shoot lead bullets.

 

[Ryanxia]

Thanks all, and I did know that with the bigger calibers you save a lot more, but 9mm is what I want to focus on for my first caliber. I hope there will be more

Old krow that was some entertaining information there bud

 

[Loic]

It all starts with one caliber. Then you justify another caliber because you can reload and you'll only need the dies and components. Then one day you've accumulated so many components that you only need dies and you buy another gun. Then, because you've bought so many guns and gone to the range so much, you've accumulated brass for calibers that you don't even own yet, so you buy another gun. By that time you've got so much of everything that when your wife asks you to go to the store to get fertilizer you hand her some powder (because you've thrown so much out you noticed that plants like it) just so that you can keep reloading for a gun that you're not even sure if you own...yet. Proceed with caution.

So true.... I have some 30-06 and .380 brass that are cleaned and ready for reload but don't have the gun for them ......yet.....LOL

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[danbowkley]

Yup, a big ol' +1 on Old Krow's post! It does tend to snowball on you!

Since 9mm is one of the cheaper factory rounds, it'll take a lot of loading to make the equipment inventment pay for itself; therefore I'd advocate starting off with a decent progressive. I've heard good and bad about the Lee Loadmaster, and I own and love a Hornady LnL-AP. While some folks say it's bad to start with a progressive, I dunno, if you've got a decent helping of mechanical ability it's not that bad at all. The basic steps are pretty simple really.

One bit of advice: CARBIDE. It is your friend.

 

[Josh45]

You have to remember, That you use the same brass over and over so it helps with the cost itself. Also, Think about it this way. You can have any amount of ammo you want at any given time of day as long as you have the components.

Better ammo, Much more accurate. Can make it heavy recoil or soft recoil. ETC. It is a hobby and I also load 9mm and have saved a few bucks. Just gotta look for the places to buy it sometimes.

But when it comes down to cost effect for the 9mm, I just think of it like I said. I have it when I want it when I need it for what ever reason.

Just my $0.02

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Actually, it's not a rule the bigger the more expensive. It's more the less popular the more expensive. The 30-30 is very popular so it's cheap but the 22 Hornet is not popular so it's expensive. Of course the heavier the bullet and larger the caliber the more the components will cost so the price will rise slightly.

If you shoot the .44 Magnum or .45 Colt you will see a BIG savings by loading your own.

 

[Hondo 60]

You know you have it bad when you buy a gun because you don't reload that caliber ... yet

For me it was a Ruger Redhawk
2 calibers for the price of one (44 Mag & 44 Spl)