Advantage to reload for 9mm

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frank the tank

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Hi
I started to reload for different caliber from 223 to 338 Lapua, I like it. I see improvement in accuracy and Money saving in buying ammo will pay the equipment and save me real money.
I m now considering reloading for 9 mm.
What could be the saving? How much per round for 9mm while reloading?
Is guys reload 9 mm for better accuracy?
Thx
 
My 9mm shows a definite preference for 124 gr bullets and titegroup powder. I reload 9mm for about $8.75 with tax per box of 50 but I find reloading relaxing so I don't figure in my time as some people do in the cost savings.
 
Go to the Dillon Precision website, they have a calculator to figure out your cost per round. I've done all my calibers and even the most expensive powder ,primers, new brass and bullets, it's still way less than half the cost. Most times it's an 8th the cost .

Corey
 
When I get a new bullet or new powder, I make a survey of 20 rounds each in 0.3 gr increments from below Start load in the book to over max.
(I am prepared to bring the hot ammo home if I run into problems)

From the survey I want to know at what point they action runs reliably. ( I would only load at at least 0.2 gr over this minimum, in the future) and I want to know what powder charge have the best group. I shoot well enough to tell good ammo from poor ammo.

Usually one of the powder charges of the survey (I shoot 2 groups of ten shots of each powder charge) will be noticeably better than the others.

Loading that load is the advantage of loading for 9mm.

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Here is a test I ran on Titegroup through some of my 9mm pistols. I noted the laod (s) that produced what I think is a VG group in each pistol. Some liked only one load, some liked several. You can see that 3.4 gr. was popular.

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CoreyMac said:
Go to the Dillon Precision website, they have a calculator to figure out your cost per round. I've done all my calibers and even the most expensive powder ,primers, new brass and bullets, it's still way less than half the cost. Most times it's an 8th the cost .

Corey
Click to expand...

Uhh, not with 9mm coming in at $240/1000 for reasonable factory ammo. It's cheaper if you don't factor in brass cost, but not a hell of a lot...

Say 4 grains of powder @ $35/lb is $.02
1 primer @ $45/1000 is .$.045
124 grain copper plated projectile @ $110/1000 is $.011

So without brass, you're looking at $.0175/round ($175/1000). If you waited around for sales you could probably get that a bit lower. If you have to buy brass, you're looking at no savings at all, unless you're loading 147 grain bullets (147 factory ammo is usually much more expensive).
 
124gr is 101.00 per 1000. And a I can scoop thousands of 1 shot brass at the range for free. It just depends on how much work you want to do. I enjoy reloading so I'll still do 9mm. If you don't know how or want to then buy your ammo.

Corey
 
I give similar advice to people who ask at the local club.

If you're shooting 4000-5000+ rounds of 9mm per year, reloading can save you a little. But you also need access to a range where you can collect and sort brass. My range is leased out to a dozen different agencies who qualify/practice/train and never collect their brass. They all shoot either 9mm or .40 and those happen to be the calibers I reload for. I can usually collect a 5gal bucket of pistol brass in under an hour with a rake and a colander.

If you're shooting 2000+ per year and like to tailor your ammo, it can be good but you wont save much.

If you shoot under 2000rnds per year it isn't worth it.

I load 147gr 9mm and 200gr .40 and tailor my loads to be a touch over minimum Power Factor (a calculation used for IPSC and IDPA) so prefer to reload even if it only saves me a little. Even if I'm only saving $50/1000 though that's still $250-350/year for me. So I can load an extra 1000-1500rnds for what I save.
 
Thx for reply, with work(business owner) kid, babies my time is extremely valuable.
I will buy ammo. But I do have access to once fired case. Still gonna buy ammo
 
trebor2880 said:
Family comes first, there will be time in the future for hobbies.
Click to expand...

Sanity comes first :p

Between Work, Wife, and Wee ones, there’s a siht ton of things in my life that are just beyond my control. But by God I can control 45.2 grains of 4064 going into that case - Every. Friggen. Time.

1/2 an hour tinkering in my gun room clears my head and allows me to be more present with my family. You can’t give what haven’t got.
 
Scotty454 said:
Uhh, not with 9mm coming in at $240/1000 for reasonable factory ammo. It's cheaper if you don't factor in brass cost, but not a hell of a lot...

Say 4 grains of powder @ $35/lb is $.02
1 primer @ $45/1000 is .$.045
124 grain copper plated projectile @ $110/1000 is $.011

So without brass, you're looking at $.0175/round ($175/1000). If you waited around for sales you could probably get that a bit lower. If you have to buy brass, you're looking at no savings at all, unless you're loading 147 grain bullets (147 factory ammo is usually much more expensive).
Click to expand...

I can’t ever imaging buying 9mm brass but even if I did, at $95/500 (current rounded up price at my local for Starline including tax) that’s $0.19 per case. I get 20+ reloads from my cases so even if we say 15 times to account for lost brass, that’s still only 1.2 cents per shot. I can’t find anywhere where I can get 124gr 9mm for $185/case (including tax and shipping).
 
Up the anty and cast your own bullets. This site has a casting/reloading section chock full of info.

The bullet is now the most expensive reloading component. Best quality primers come in at about 5 1/2 cents each, & powder is about
0.0030 cents per grain or about 0.0105 cents for 3.5 grains. (all taxes in)
9mm once fired brass is $30.00 a thousand or 3 cents each. Amortized over 5 reloadings, they are worth 0.006 each.
Reloading pays.
 
I too use casting/reloading as therapy. I have three kids, the oldest a 13 year old girl no less. Tinkering in my gunroom is my relaxation time, which is good this winter because it’s too cold to work in my blacksmith shop. The lee TL-356-124TC pc’d with PA blue is cheap and easy and shoots like hardball. I find that my #2 alloy pc’d is just fine at most pistol velocities.
 
Innavedaw said:
I can’t ever imaging buying 9mm brass but even if I did, at $95/500 (current rounded up price at my local for Starline including tax) that’s $0.19 per case. I get 20+ reloads from my cases so even if we say 15 times to account for lost brass, that’s still only 1.2 cents per shot. I can’t find anywhere where I can get 124gr 9mm for $185/case (including tax and shipping).
Click to expand...

My numbers didn't include tax and shipping. I figured you're as likely to have to pay those for factory ammo as components, so I left it out.

You're also amortizing that brass cost over the time it takes you to shoot 7,500 - 10,000 rounds. Which may not take much time at all for some, or may take many years for others.

But regardless, I was just commenting on the "I can reload anything with the most expensive components for well under half the cost of factory" bit of CoreyMac'x post. He might not have been referring to 9mm, but as that is what this thread is about, I assumed it was included. Long story short, reloading 9mm doesn't make much sense financially (After factoring in equipment and component cost) unless you're shooting a large volume of 9mm, or are OK with taking the time to reload on inexpensive equipment (Cheap single stage press, hand measuring powder charges, etc).
 
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