9mm reloading

Some of the cheaper stuff out there like BDX is stuffed into range brass with mixed headstamps. Personally i like sorting headstamps just for the consistency. Loading your own means you know exactly what your overall length is, powder used and so on.
Peace of mind. I load for IPSC PF; I never get jams- I use an EGW undersize
die and I case check all my loads. That is my 2cents.
 
As someone else already said, not only do I save money but I'm never having to look around to see what's in stock at the local stores.
 
Most people use their brass many times, meaning you have to pick up your brass after shooting. The advantage with 9mm is that while you pick up, you always end up with more brass than the rounds you shot as many other shooters don't reload.

You can buy one time fired 9mm brass for about $50 to 60/ 1,000 pieces shipped to your door which gets you started. Or start with buying 1,000 rounds factory ammo for about $300/1000 and reuse this one.

As said before, even with reloading 9mm, you save a lot.

You can save even more if you buy reloading supplies in bulk. Buy powder in 8lbs containers will save you a lot, same with primer and bullets. Lead cast bullets are the cheapest way to load, like $70 for 1,000. Shipping is an issue with bullets as they are very heavy.

But, don't buy bulk in the beginning, you need to find out what you like.
 
You can reload for pistol even on a single stage press. I break it up into steps, so I'll decap/size all my brass over a week or so, then another time I'll prime/expand them all, and then later on, powder and seat them all.
No, I'm not a masochist, I'm just on a very tight budget and coming home with a progressive would not be well received. :D
 
stevebc said:
You can reload for pistol even on a single stage press. I break it up into steps, so I'll decap/size all my brass over a week or so, then another time I'll prime/expand them all, and then later on, powder and seat them all.
No, I'm not a masochist, I'm just on a very tight budget and coming home with a progressive would not be well received. :D
Click to expand...

I do the same thing.
Tumble/Decap/Flare one time, hand prime while watching TV, then charge and seat later when I find the time
 
+3 LOL

I like the control over every step with the classic cast and load a couple rifle cals with it as well. Just finished a box of 124gr cast reloads over 4 grains of Bullseye. The cost is about 5.00 per box. If I load jacketed 124gr the cost goes to 9.50 per box. Thats a pretty good saving over factory ammo and like others have said, I always have plenty of rounds on hand for when I want to go shooting. Not depending on the store being open or having stock is the best part or reloading IMO.

Cactus
 
Thanks all you for your help and advice. I'm going to start out by saving my brass, maybe see if anyone leaves theirs at the range and take that too. Is the amount of reloading on condition or do you guys reload the same brass say 6 times then discard? Just wondering. I might get to take some brass home that is not much use and perhaps dangerous. I think I'm going to spend a day or 2 researching on the net.
 
banjaboy said:
Thanks all you for your help and advice. I'm going to start out by saving my brass, maybe see if anyone leaves theirs at the range and take that too. Is the amount of reloading on condition or do you guys reload the same brass say 6 times then discard? Just wondering. I might get to take some brass home that is not much use and perhaps dangerous. I think I'm going to spend a day or 2 researching on the net.
Click to expand...

You can reuse pistol brass almost indefinite, if the brass will show signs of separation or bulging - toss it, some reload pistol brass 30 to 40 times
 
I avoid Winchester 9mm Luger brass like the plague because my experience (just like the American Rifleman article years ago) is that the bullet 'telescopes' into the case unless a cannelure at the base of the bullet is applied. A short OAL with this cartridge causes pressures to go up in a hurry. I don't have time to apply a cannelure to every case so W-W brass happily goes into the recycle bin (which I take to the recycler for ca$h).
 
you mean CRIMP, not cannelure- the cannelure is a ring around the BULLET ,not the case, WHICH THE case CRIMPS INTO to PREVENT the bullet from moving- which means you haven't been at this very long, or you'd know that operation was done BY THE SEATING DIE automatically- you don't have to go and re-crimp as a seperate operation- frankly, if you're quoting AMERICAN RIFLEMAN, i would be somewhat suspect of that information- at least on this note- on a rifle, i can see it, as the RECOIL can and does push the bullet deeper in some calibers- in a pistol, if that's happening, you're either belling too much, or you need MORE crimp- it's a TAPER crimp in the 9mm, but it's still there-it's not just as well pronounced as a roll crimp- the REASON that you don't see it on anythin but winchester is the CASE WALLS are thinner,( the casing can weigh as much as 10 grains less as well over a federal) and that doesn't grip the bullet as tightly- but in actual terms of reloading, the winchester is probably ONE OF THE BEST cases to use, as the COMPOSITION of the brass is different and the cases LAST LONGER than your typical federal
 
He probably meant cannelure in the context he was describing. Winchester brass is excellent and as I said before, don't buy too much supplies at first until you figured out what works best in your pistol.
 
9mm costs me $70/1000.
$30/ 1 lb. of powder usually Titegroup, W231
$40/1,000 primers
Brass - got lots of them so $0 cost
Projectile - Mold my own heads and my supply of lead continues to be free.

Contrary to most who say they save, I don't, - however - get to shoot a helluva lot more!!!!!!!! And love every moment of it!!!!!

BTW, do keep Winchester brass and put a very light crimp on my loads. No keyholing and accuracy is as good or better than factory loads. happy shooting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
fritzhanzel said:
He probably meant cannelure in the context he was describing. Winchester brass is excellent and as I said before, don't buy too much supplies at first until you figured out what works best in your pistol.
Click to expand...

about 98 % of my brass DOES NOT have ring ( i have about 3k pieces) - federal( ptooey) remmy, ivi( which does) and winchester- the majority is held in by NECK TENSION alone- as there is NO crimp groove in the 9mm bullets ( i24 grain
 
Yes you can save a pile of money reloading 9mm. About half the cost of Factory in my case.

Do you save time...no....you spend lots of time doing it. How much is your time worth?
 
My time is cheap, I retired early and I dont cost my time. If anyone did that then no one could reload cheaper I suspect. I know absolutely nothing about relaoding brass but isnt it subject to stress? Would this affect how often it can be loaded? I get the impression its stricly "on condition", determined prior to each reload. As my son shoots .40 cal and 308, I think I can enjoy the making and save in the process. Now I research presses and dies etc. I'm kinda excited............
 
hey, if you FEEL you need to speed things up, you can always get a PROGRESSIVE- take a look at what some of the fellows have done with the dillon 1050- myself, i have 3 lee 1000 and a lee loadmaster- and a dillon 550 for doing bigger stuff- right out of the gate, with low volume-i'd be looking at a lee classic turret 4 holer- they didn't have those when i started, and i consider it probably the best value for money- as far as brass "stressing, "- you'll either see cracks in the walls or loose primer pockets long before it "gives"- the 9mm is possibly the worst as far as pressure goes, with about 35-39k psi and the 45 auto is down around 19k- i've only had one round of 45 fail in roughly 40 years of reloads- at least with this hobby, you see your wife and kids - unlike model railroading and golf
 
For 9mm I would go with a Lee loadmaster, at factorysales.com they sell them for $218 plus $50 shipping, tax at the boarder, I would get the .40 conversion kit as well as it doesn't require much to change over (only a 5 hole turret and dies), for the 308 get a 4 hole Lee turret press. Lee is sometimes a bit tricky when you configure your setup, best is to call and ask the specialist.

Of course you can go wild and go Dillon BUT you can make 500 rounds/hour easily in 9 mm and .40 on the Lee loadmaster.

The major difference I found is that the Lee presses need some tinkering with when setting up but they are 1/3 of the price.
 
T-Star: I have been reloading for over 25 years and yes, I know the difference between a crimp and a cannelure (by the way, both bullets and cases may be cannelured). The problem with W-W 9mm Luger brass is a taper crimp won't hold the bullet securely, thus a cannelure on the case (at the base of the bullet) is required to prevent 'telescoping'. The results of the American Rifleman article years ago mirror my experiences, thus ALL Winchester 9mm Luger brass goes into the recycle bin.
 
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