Does anyone reload 9mm?
- Thread starter canoetrpr
- Start date
I reload 9mm. With FMJ, it's around $7/50rnds vs $15./50 retail box. Cast lead is obviously cheaper. Brass is practically free if you're willing to get your hands dirty and pickup at the range or buy 'em for around $30/1000 cases. The savings are there but it's not so much the reason I reload them. As Kronix pointed out, I can control the powder, bullet weight and seating depth (esp for picky barrels). I can't recall the last time I bought pistol ammo... 
I reload 9mm. With FMJ, it's around $7/50rnds vs $15./50 retail box. Cast lead is obviously cheaper. Brass is practically free if you're willing to get your hands dirty and pickup at the range or buy 'em for around $30/1000 cases. The savings are there but it's not so much the reason I reload them. As Kronix pointed out, I can control the powder, bullet weight and seating depth (esp for picky barrels). I can't recall the last time I bought pistol ammo...
What FMJ bullets are you using?
- Location
- West Quebec
Any one use Bullseye?
I'm using cheapie 124gr Campro.
I've used and like Bullseye. It didn't meter well in my Lee powder measure when I first started reloading but never tried it in my RCBS or Hornady powder measures. I still have that 1lb bottle sitting in my storage locker. I guess I should use that up now.
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Chuckbuster
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Yup. I have loaded many thousands of rounds with it over the years. The vast majority of these, by far, have been with cast boolits and 4.5gr of powder. It has never been an especially accurate load in any of my 9s, but for plinking ammo-especially pre Clays, Titegroup etc-the sheer volume of loaded rounds per pound of powder was the draw for me. Right now, the cost is around $5/box of 50 for me to load with Bullseye.
Yesterday, I picked up a pound (well, 14oz bottle, anyway) of Clays to try in my 9s and 40s. I have a couple of good accurate loads in .40, but don't have anything comparable in 9. I'm going to stuff that behind a couple hundred FMJ projectiles I have kicking around, as well as my usual cast suspects, and see how it does. I'll also try some in .40 just for kicks.
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- Location
- West Quebec
Let us know how it performs.. I'd like to get something that loads well and is accurate for my nines.. Glock, CZ and STI 1911..
you have to define 'CHEAP' - when I got my 9mm, I think loaded ammo was around 10 bucks a box- Winchester white box- well, i'm DEAD CHEAP and I use 5 grains of 231 under a 130 grain LEAD bullet- I buy my powder by the 8 lb canister and my bullets by the 1k-the only way I can see getting cheaper is casting- evenif and when we get standard mags back(ie 13-20 rounds) the savings are still there-
I have a number of different 9mms, including 1911, Glock, CZ, Grand power, M&P, Sig, Browning & Norinco. The load that works best in most of them and good enough in all of them is the DRG 135 gr lead bullet over 3.5 gr of Titegroup.
Schecter 81
Regular
- Location
- Edmonton Area
Im using Bullseye as well. 4.5g and 124gr Berrys round nose. Shoots well out of my STI and my M&P.
Bullseye was the only powder I could find when I started loading this year and it is working just fine for me. Didnt spend any time monkeying around, just ran up a load and it shoots fine for me. Better than the factory loads did.
Picked up 10k 9mm brass from Marstar for $470 when they had it.
Bullseye was the only powder I could find when I started loading this year and it is working just fine for me. Didnt spend any time monkeying around, just ran up a load and it shoots fine for me. Better than the factory loads did.
Picked up 10k 9mm brass from Marstar for $470 when they had it.
Armored Metal
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- The People's Republik of Kébekistan
Once you start reloading .45ACP, you'll want to reload for every firearm you own. Then, you're going to daydream about reloading for calibers you don't have....with different powders....different projectiles....and how about a new press, powder mesure, walnut instead of corncob?.......
Beware, strong the dark side is!
Yup. I found an acceptable load for the lee 125gr RN TL bullet, so I'm off to the races. For my new Glock I'm using the cam pros.
With bullets at 10 cents each, primers for under 3cents (dominion in bulk) and a few pennies worth of titegroup I reload for no more than 15 cents a shot
With my own cast bullets the outlay is more like 5 cents each, with the reduced charge.
45ACP with my own cast? Just maybe a penny more powder than 9mm. With commercial cast its maybe 17 cents total. With cam pros about 20 cents?
Range brass is free, and there was plenty norc 45 stuff after the canam deal of last year.
With 9mm I could shoot 10 and pick up 20 on any day. With several thousand cases, and no one interested in buying it, I've stopped picking up 9mm. Leave it for another reloader
With bullets at 10 cents each, primers for under 3cents (dominion in bulk) and a few pennies worth of titegroup I reload for no more than 15 cents a shot
With my own cast bullets the outlay is more like 5 cents each, with the reduced charge.
45ACP with my own cast? Just maybe a penny more powder than 9mm. With commercial cast its maybe 17 cents total. With cam pros about 20 cents?
Range brass is free, and there was plenty norc 45 stuff after the canam deal of last year.
With 9mm I could shoot 10 and pick up 20 on any day. With several thousand cases, and no one interested in buying it, I've stopped picking up 9mm. Leave it for another reloader
Doh!
