Is Reloading FMJ 9MM Practical?

[slabbandit]

I don't have the stuff any more but used to reload for my rifle. I got a Beretta 92FS and reloaded a little for it. This was many years ago.
Around here in Arkansas we pay from 16.99 to 19.99 per 50 for FMJ 9MM. What would I have in a box of reloads now days?

[federali]

If you're reloading for plinking and practice, use Berry's (or equivalent) plated bullets. They're just as good as FMJ and less expensive. I use factory loads for the unwanted social encounter and all other shooting through my three nines are with plated bullets.

[wittmeba]

Might be tough to beat prices of 9MM in any quantity by reloading. If you have a reasonable gun shop near by that can provide cases, primers, power and bullets for good prices you might do better.

If you have to buy a press and dies, I'd suggest buying quantities of 9MM FMJ as they have gotten pretty inexpensive.

The links below are better than what you posted. If not within driving distance you would have to include about $15.00 freight. Makes low quantities quite expensive per round compared to 500 count or more.

Also check local gun shows. We have picked up 9MM for about $0.29/rnd and .40 S&W $0.41/rnd.

Wolf Ammo 9mm Luger 115 Grain Full Metal Jacket (Bi-Metal) Steel Case

Ultramax Remanufactured Ammo 9mm Luger 125 Grain Lead Round Nose

[scooter123]

Plated 9mm bullets run about 8 cents each in 1000 piece lots. Primers have been averaging about 35 dollars per thousand or 3.5 cents each. Powder to load a single round of 9mm will cost about 2 cents or less depending on the powder used. Starline charges 130 dollars for 1000 9mm cases and I would expect that you can reload their cases a minimum of 20 times, so the case cost will run about 0.65 cents per load. Do the math and you have a per round cost of 0.1415 dollars, or about 14 cents per round. I don't care how dilligently you search the net you WILL NOT find 9mm ammo today for 7 dollars per box of 50.

As for the equipment cost, that isn't cheap. If you want to go first class you should plan on budgeting about 1 grand for a complete setup. Go bare bones and you can probably get the total cost for equipment down to about 300 bucks but you will spend a lot of time using scales and powder measures that are a bit of a pain to use and adjust. BTW, DO NOT buy a cheap digital scale, none of them will hold zero for longer than 5 or 10 minutes. Finding out your scale isn't zeroed after loading 100 rounds means you have 100 rounds to break down because you have no idea how much powder you put in each round. That cheap Lee balance scale may be a PITA to set and sensitive to vibration but it is reliable if placed on a vibration free table away from your press and reliable once you have it properly zeroed and set. In addition the cheap Lee powder measure does work well provided you choose a powder known for excellent metering properties even if it does leak like a sieve with a super fine powder such as Accurate #5 and is a royal PITA to get set perfectly.

BTW, reloading can be rather addictive. I got started because I didn't like paying 1 dollar per round for 308 ammunition. Now I build my own 308 loads and I'm using match grade bullets that cost 65 cents each, so I'm not really saving on my 308. However I am shooting much smaller groups. As for my handgun ammo, currently I'm loading 38 spl./357 Magnum and save a boat load on those calibers, 38 special can be loaded for about the same cost as 9mm. I also load the 40 S&W and 45 ACP and save about 50% over the cost of commercial ammo with both of these calibers. However, if my range time isn't limited I no longer think twice about running 300 45 caliber bullets downrange. Basically, I now shoot about twice as much per month than I did when I purchased all my ammunition. On the positive side I enjoy the quiet time spent reloading and am becoming a rather good shot.

[S&WIowegan]

If you're just an occasional shooter of a 9mm pistol I don't think it makes sense to buy all the stuff to do handloading. I do lots of competitive shooting and use up lots of ammo. I handload to control the performance and availability of ammo. As an example, I handloaded over 1600 rounds of 124 gr 9mm FMJ last week. That amount will get me through several months of shooting.

Handloading 9mm is probably the least expensive rounds you can make. Bullets weigh half what 45s do, powder charges are small and brass is very common and easy to acquire.

It's ultimately up to you what makes sense for you. I personally I found making ammo good therapy away from a high stress job.

[gregintenn]

If you have brass, you can load them for well under $10 per box.

I load Berry's plated bullets for 9mm.

[BE Mike]

Of course there are guys like me who people love to hate. I got some free 9mm bullets, free powder and new cases from a fellow who wanted to get out of reloading. I got the primers before the scare (they don't go bad). I figure I have about a dollar twenty-five cents in every box of 50.

[trulyapostolic]

I load jacketed 115gr. 9mm for about $12/100. So, $6 per 50 (box). I was fortunate to get GREAT pricing on the jacketed bullets last year. Yeah, it's well worth reloading 9mm.

[MichiganScott]

I load for 18 calibers, including five pistol calibers. The 9mm is not one of them. I just don't feel it's worth it.

[ArchAngelCD]

At Current Component Prices...

Using a 124gr Zero FMJ bullet I can load a box of 9mm ammo for $7.82.
If you switch to a 115gr FMJ bullet you save 20 cents a box.

If you load a 124gr Cast bullet the cost drops to $5.31/box.
Using a 115gr Cast bullet only saves you 5 cents/box.

That's using CCI-500 primers, fired brass, W231 and the bullets I mentioned above.
Before the shortage I was loading 124gr FMJ 9mm ammo for only $6.08/box.

[The Sarge]

Reloading 9mm is sure worth it. I would not shoot near as much as I do today if I had to buy factory ammo. Buying in bulk components is where you save. I prefer and carry the 147gr bullet and reload my practice ammo to duplicate it. I can reload a box of 50 147gr 9mm for $7 or less. Bill

[Bkreutz]

I load about 1200 rounds a week (and shoot them too). My cost varies between 9.75 cents and 11.5 cents per round depending on supplies. The cheapest non Russian ammo I can get is around $16.00/50 which is .32 per round. If I didn't handload I would have to cut my practice shooting by 3 to maintain the same competition level of ammo usage. I've amortized my equipment cost long ago and I bought the setup with all the "bells and whistles"(no, I won't comment on the color ) when I started getting serious about handloading. It was initially expensive but I haven't had the need to "upgrade" or buy new "do-dads" for quite a while and don't foresee doing that in the near future. If I only shot a couple of hundred rounds a month, it would not make economic sense (but still a good hobby to have).

[S&W1006]

If you buy once fired 9mm brass it will cost you even less. I have seen once fired 9mm mixed as low as $20\ 1000 at gunshows. I also pick up 9mm brass everytime I go to the range. A lot of people just leave it laying there. If you do make the investment you will probably shoot more. I started reloading 10mm and now I load for 9mm,40, 38 special,and 357 magnum. Now I've started casting my own bullets so I shoot even more. I enjoy loading my own ammo. I find it rewarding as well as saving money.

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