Reloding 9mm and .40S&W... make sense?

[JJEH]

Guys,

I'm familiar with reloading just like with flying an space shuttle. So please excuse my question

Does it make sense to reload small calibers like 9mm and .40S&W?

I'm not interested in doing it, but maybe I shouldn't throw the brass and steel cases away?

So for how much does brass run usually?

 

[scattershot]

save the brass, but ditch the steel. They are a pain to reload, and some of them have Berdan primers, anyway. Brass once fired can be had for $53.00/1000 in both calibers you mention.

 

[OKFC05]

Naw, all we reloaders are crazy...

If your only motivation is to shoot as cheaply as possible, and you are content shooting the cheapest ammunition you can find on sale, then no, probably not for you.

However, if you enjoy the loading process itself and being able to make say, a minor power .40, or have competition ammo that is the same every time, or find the sweet load for your gun, then come on in, the waters fine.

Reloading ecnomically requires buying components in quanity, so do your price comparison at someplace like Midway that sells in quantity.

As for brass:
MONTHLY SPECIALS

 

[Rule3]

Sure it does. The cheapest 9mm around here is around $11-12 a box of fifty. I can reload that for around $6 or so. Even better return on 40 SW.

Heck if you go to the range and shoot only 100 rounds that is a $24 ammo cost for what 15 minutes not counting gas, range fees etc.

 

[mikld]

Money ain't everything. I started reloading out of curiosity in '69, and reloading has given me a whole lot of satisfying, informative, peaceful ME time. I don't count costs (but I aint stupid either and plink with $1.50 bullets) as reloading is fun for me. I've learned a lot about my guns by reloading and it keeps me "in touch" with my guns when not at the range. I can take a pile of components, add them together in very specific recipes/amounts, and come up with custom ammo tailored exclusevely for a particular gun. Difficult to buy satisfaction like that...

Oh yeah; small calibers are just as satisfying to reload as the big guys, and cost savings (for some) can be beneficial. Keep the brass, dump the steel.

FWIW, if you're thinking about reloading look at "The ABCs of Reloading" for info on how involved reloading is and equipment needed.

 

[44wheelman]

Most of my reloading is with lead bullets; otherwise, it's still too pricey for me.

My brass is all free (years accumulating from local range), so component cost goes like this: $27/500 lead bullets, $15/500 primers, & approx $8/500 powder. So $5/box excluding brass. Lighter bullets, & less bulk powder (like Bullseye) can get cheaper yet. So, I guess it all depends what you think your time is worth.

 

[parabarbarian]

I don't reload to save money. I can buy case lots of good 38 spl ammunition for under $300 per 1000 rounds from Ammoman. I can get 357 magnum for about $400/1000. Considering the cost of the equipment, powder, primers, bullet and the value of my time I probably don't save much, if anything, by reloading.

So why do I bother to reload? In addition to the tinkering and curiosity factors already mentioned, I find that loading 100 or so rounds of 38 or 357 after work and before dinner provides an excellent stress relief buffer between my life inside and outside of the office.

 

[JJEH]

Thanks for all the replies fellas.

I do not want to shoot cheap ammo. And in my safe you will only find boxes from Mfr's like Federal, Black Hills, Speer, Winchester and maybe some others that I just want to try.

But we throw the brass in the ammobox at the range and basically leave our $$$ there in the "trash." So I think about to keep and sell 'em.

I don't know if I would be interested in reloading... never tried it and never thought about it. Because what can I do better than a ammo manufacturer? Well, just a thought...

 

[MrApathy]

9mm and 40sw are worth reloading hell I was doing it 5 years ago for 9mm and saving.
ammo prices are not going to go down anytime soon. inflation sucks.

once you get a reloading press and gear and stockpile componets the hobby pays for itself.

most 9mm steel casings are berden primed which is not worth extra trouble to reload.
40sw on the other hand is boxer primed and just as easy to reload as brass but doesnt hold up
as good as brass casings to top it off the steel casings can rust.

reloaded ammo can do everything factory ammo and more or if you want less.

 

[Rule3]

Thanks for all the replies fellas.

I do not want to shoot cheap ammo. And in my safe you will only find boxes from Mfr's like Federal, Black Hills, Speer, Winchester and maybe some others that I just want to try.

But we throw the brass in the ammobox at the range and basically leave our $$$ there in the "trash." So I think about to keep and sell 'em.

I don't know if I would be interested in reloading... never tried it and never thought about it. Because what can I do better than a ammo manufacturer? Well, just a thought...

You can actually load better ammo than the the store bought stuff. But if you can afford to shoot using factory stuff, more power to you. I would rather shoot than reload, but reloading is a fun hobby, better than watching the junk on TV.

 

[walnutred]

For many calibers I enjoy shooting quality factory ammo is not available. I reload 9x19 and have dies on order for 40 S&W which should be here Thursday. I also enjoy casting and have a reliable source of lead, so my big expense is primers. On my old Dillon 450 I can load 300 rds an hour without pushing things. So on a rainy afternoon I can run 1000 rds without much trouble. For me it's relaxing.

 

[noylj]

If you aren't interested in reloading, then don't.
It is the quality of your trigger time that is important.
Forget about saving money or tuning loads for your guns.
However, you really should save all your brass cases--throw out the steel and aluminum. You may need them some day, a friend might want them, or you might sell them. Just remember, MOST of the cost of a round is the case, and this is particularly true for brass cases.
Personally, with my reloading equipment amortized, I can save money reloading 9x19, even with virgin Starline brass, as compared to steel-cased Wolf ammo--the savings using cases over again are quite large..

 

[xICEMANx]

9mm and 40sw are worth reloading hell I was doing it 5 years ago for 9mm and saving.
ammo prices are not going to go down anytime soon. inflation sucks.

once you get a reloading press and gear and stockpile componets the hobby pays for itself.

most 9mm steel casings are berden primed which is not worth extra trouble to reload.
40sw on the other hand is boxer primed and just as easy to reload as brass but doesnt hold up
as good as brass casings to top it off the steel casings can rust.

reloaded ammo can do everything factory ammo and more or if you want less.

Totally agree. Ive already seen the savings and I just started a month or so ago. If you shoot alot its definetly worth it. Plus like someone said its "me" time. I find it relaxing

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

 

[arjay]

I started reloading about 30 years ago because I owned a lightweight,big game ,mountain rifle that just didn't shoot factory ammo as accurately as I wanted it to.It was easy to create loads that shot minute of angle and I was hooked.Since then I 've been reloading most of my rifle,pistol and shotgun ammo if I have the time.It can be a fun hobby,you do cut your costs, but most of us just spend the savings on more ammo . Save that brass! Even if you never reload,it has trade value.

 

[gwpercle]

Save your brass and learn the difference between berdan primed and boxer primed. keep the boxer primed and give the berdan to someonewho enjoys going through a whole lot of trouble to reload.

I have found reloading to be a very enjoyable hobbie. You do not actually " save " money ...you shoot more for the same amount of money and any savings are spent on more reloading tools , accessories, gadgats etc. I started in
1967 and am still buying reloading stuff.

when I started, cast bullets were not sold , you had to cast them yourself, which I did and still find that aspect of reloading enjoyable also. There is just something neat about taking a pile of old dirty wheel weights and turning them into boxes of shiney bullets all done by your own hand. And with a mould you don't have to worry about your bullet supply

Give it a try .....gary

 

[Fat B]

Hmmm... I've thought about this question too. Here is a handy calculator that you can use to try and figure it out.

Handloading Cost Calculator

What I don't know is how much the average amount of power is per round for reloading 9's. Right now I can get 9's for 24.5 cents per round just buying at walmart. I figured it out once and yes, you do save some money on 9's but not that much. But if you don't get into it now, it can't save you money down the road.

 

[arjay]

I figure my 45acp reloads using bullseye and 200gr lswc are costing 11 cents a round in bullets ,powder and primers.I figure the brass is free since I buy wwwb ammo every few years to replenish it.This is based on material costs stocking up after the last election scare.

 

[WR Moore]

Let's look at 9mm. Good plated bullets run 8 and a fraction cents apiece. Figure 3 cents each for primer & powder and you have a whopping 14+ cents per round or $14-$15 per hundred rounds if you're supplying the cases.

I wouldn't bother loading your own defensive ammo for a bunch of reasons. Simply, the economic savings aren't anywhere near as great and the possible downsides in court simply aren't worth it.

PS-throw the steel and aluminum cases away or sell it for scrap.

 

[noylj]

arjay: Look to mastercastbullets.com and their "soft" 14 BHN bullets. Their "soft" 200gn L-SWCs are running $55.71/1000 and are as accurate or more accurate then any other cast lead bullets I have shot. Missouri Bullets 200gn L-SWC in their "soft" alloy are also good, but they don't give you a price break for the less expensive alloy.

WR Moore: look at Precision Delta or Montana Gold and you may stop buying plated bullets. I am really impressed with Montana Gold's 124gn JHP -- $325/3750 or 8.7 cents a bullet. Precision Delta's 124gn JHPs are $84/1000 when you buy a total of 6000 bullets. If you simply want 124gn FMJ, these will run $317/3750 (8.4 cents a bullet) or $83/1000 if you buy a total of 6000 bullets. Shipping is included in the price. IMHO, these bullets far out-class any plated bullets in weight consistency, dimensional consistency, and accuracy.
These prices have been going up in the last year, so whatever bullets you like, stock up now.

 

[Fishslayer]

I don't know if I would be interested in reloading... never tried it and never thought about it. Because what can I do better than a ammo manufacturer? Well, just a thought...

You could do one or more of these...

Scrap the brass. I'm told it's going for $1.50/lb at the moment. Some recycler require knocking out the primers tho.

Sell the brass to a reloader. .40 S&W goes for around $20-ish/1K. 2K fit in a medium flat rate box.

Gift the brass for Karma points.

Take up reloading.

As for factory ammo, most of us reloaders think we make significantly better ammo than the factory for roughly half the price.