What's your reloading cost? .40S&W/9mm

iamcanadianeh

iamcanadianeh

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After too many years of procrastination, I need to get a reloading press. Minus brass, what's your reloading costs and breakdown for .40 and 9mm? Are you getting accuracy on par with the "cheap" factory stuff?
 
Plated 9mm projectiles ~$90 per 1000 = 9 cents each
Primers $30/1000 or 3 cents each
Powder ~$21+ /pound = 7000 grains

~4 grains per cartridge = 1750 cartridges per pound = ~1.2 cents of powder per cartridge

So total = 13.2 cents per cartridge x 50 per box = $6.60 per box of 50 give or take + time + equipment costs

It pays of pretty quickly saving half or more per box of 9mm
 
If loading with plated, the above costs are the same as mine give or take but when using lead then only the cost of primers and powder.
 
"..."cheap" factory stuff..." That'd be an oxymoron.
"...Are you getting accuracy on par with..." If you don't get much better accuracy with a properly developed load, you've done something terribly wrong. Not necessarily unsafe. Just wrong.
Reloading isn't about saving money. You very likely will not. It's about using the best possible ammo out of your firearms. It also means you won't have to continue with the endless search for the best price for ammo. You'll be searching for the best price for components instead.
Look into one of the beginner's kits. Gives you everything you need less dies and shell holder.
 
1/2 price would be a good estimate without the cost of brass. If you purchase in enough quantity and with enough time waiting for sales you can lower this significantly.

Accuracy would be on par or better once you have built your load up. I usually find a load that is better than factory, but then limit it to the powder thrower in order to gain speed in reloading for pistol. Even then my powder thrower will usually produce rounds with better accuracy then factory loads but not always as the discs can be a difference of .4 of a grain between sizes.
 
For my 40 loads:
Bullet 13.5 cents
Primer 4 cents
Powder 3 cents
Brass is range pick up so No cost.
Total 20.5 cents

I do load some lead for practice those go for about 9.5 cents. Drops the cost by about 5 %
 
Spawn-Inc said:
If loading with plated, the above costs are the same as mine give or take but when using lead then only the cost of primers and powder.
Click to expand...

Plus gas to pick up wheel weights, propane to smelt, electricity to cast bullets into molds that aren't free. Ingot molds and graphite for them if you use muffin tins and lube for the bullets. There are a lot of hidden costs in these prices so keep that in mind. It's still cheap and it becomes a hobby in itself says the man going out to cook Minwax paste wax on a hot plate.

Keep in mind, wheel weights are going to become even more rare next year says my mechanic so I may have to start buying lead. I shoot 45 so If I buy virgin lead at around $2.20 I can get 30 bullets per pound so 7.3 cents a bullet plus shipping or gas and hydro. If I add tin it'll only get worse.

Granted you can get twice as many 9mm rounds as 45 per pound so 3-4 cents isn't bad.
 
I have been shooting the plated 180 grain stuff. Have tried AIM and Cam Pro so far. At around $120 plus tax for a thousand.
The lead I have is some cavities plains 180 grain RN I got at wholesale sports for $90 for a thousand.

Been looking at the 165 grain to save a bit but they need more powder. Best I can tell there is still a savings. Only the difference is I still need to make power factor without having to switch powders. Need to get some and do some chrony work.
 
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