Cost Efficiency 9mm?

[TheHobbiest]

So I could crunch the numbers myself to find out if a reloading bench all that goes with it and the supplies would save me alot of cash for a relatively cheap bullet or I could get on here and ask. Reason why I dont crunch the numbers? I dont know what cast is, I dont know the lingo..I just learned what the primer is and how much they are per 1000. So to save some time and effort...

If I bought a 100 dollar bench and spend lets say a year reloading my 9mm, giving the variables that I cannot produce and including the fact I can buy in bulk and save more...

I shoot around 400 rounds a month..when the wife lets me.
At 11 dollars for 115gr federal target fmj per box of 50 how much could I save?

Is 9mm gonna save me only 10% annually or 30% I think thats my question.

 

[Wee Hooker]

Somewhat depends on what you want to do. If you are content reloading cast lead bullets and buy your powder & primers wisely, you should easily be able to build 9mm target loads for $5/box. As long as you keep your press/tool investment to $150-$200, You'll be in good shape.

If you want/need to reload jacketed bullets and or get choosy about component brand, your savings go fast. Spend more on equipment and they can go away all togeather for a long time.


Assumptions:
Primers -2.5 cents/round based on $25/1000
Powder-1.2 cents/round based on $22/pound
Bullets- 6 cents/round based on $60/1000
brass-free range pick-ups

In short: Approx 10 cents/round or $5/50.
That's about 60% savings not counting the costs of your press, dies, scale , calipers and (of course) time.

All that said, you might shoot allot more if ammo is cheap

 

[Rule3]

I think Wee Hooker gave a excellent estimation of cost.

You have to look at it more than just saving some money although that of course is important. If all you shoot is a few boxes of 9mm and have no other calibers maybe reloading is not for you. If you can afford the ammo you shoot now and probable increase in the future (9mm is just coming down a little but of course will go up) Then maybe it's not worth the investment of dies, a press and the misc stuff.

If you think of it as a hobby and something you be interested in and possibly load different calibers, then yes it is worth it.
You can get a basic turret price and some dies without breaking the bank and be reloading in no time.

Here is a recent thread:

http://smith-wessonforum.com/reloading/180311-thinking-reloading-how-much-would-i-save.html

 

[walnutred]

I doubt if I've saved anything by reloading. However I shoot more than I would if I was committed to factory ammo. I'm able to shoot some calibers that ammo is usually not available and I'm not dependent on what the local store has in stock. 9x19 is one of the caliber I load for and I cast my own bullets, so my cost is even less. One recent lesson about reloading is pick your time and stock up when the price is right.

 

[parabarbarian]

I don't shoot enough 9MM to make it worth my while (yet) to reload it but I do shoot quite a bit of 38 spl. Here how I figured it.

• One case of commercial ammo = $299/1000 (Speer Lawman brand from Ammoman)
• Reload each case at least five times
• Powder @ $20/lb (7000 gr)
• Primers @ $30/1000
• Bullets @ $110/1000 (Berry's 158 gr RNFP)

For 5000 reloads my component cost is
Powder 85.71 (6 gr/each)
Primers 150.00
Bullets 550.00
Total 785.71

Add the initial cost of $299 and 6000 rounds comes to $1084.71 or $0.18/round or $181/K. That's about a 40% savings.

The above capitalizes the equipment and does not include things like depreciation, electricity and such because I'm too lazy to figure it out tonight.

 

[Acorn1754]

To me, Wee Hooker's numbers are spot on. Now I would probably say $70 shipped for 1000 boolits, but they will be of the cast type. But my powder costs are lower.

Powder 3.6 grains (bought 8lbs @ $135), so that's $0.0087 cents per shot
Boolit 125 Gr LCRN $0.07 per shot (will be casting my own soon and expect the price to fall dramatically)
Primer ($35 per 1000, includes sales tax) so $0.035 per shot.
And I get all of the 9mm brass that I'll ever need by picking it up, now I did buy the Lee buster kit (all of $15, have crimp die anyway) to ensure Glock cases aren't an issue.

So my costs are $5.70 per 50 or $114 per thousand, even round up a tick to include tumbling costs and what not. But I think it's well worth it, compared to even the cheapest 9mm, which is what, $12 per 50 which is $240 per thousand?

Lastly, consider that shooting lead cast boolits (which I don't have any leading problems with my load) is much easier on your barrel. It's estimated (this is just what I've heard and it makes sense to me) that the standard lead cast boolit needs to be shot 4 times to equal the equivalent wear of just 1 shot copper jacketed bullet at the same velocity.

 

[TheHobbiest]

Well, that is alot to digest. Thank you all who have given their 2 red cents. I do appreciate it. So, if I pick the right times to buy, and buy in large quantities its expected that I'd only pay 114-125 in reloading.
I need to look up a few lingo words to make everything connect..for instance how come everyone uses the word boolits, when did they change the spelling from bullets? Still learning guys. Thanks again!

 

[blujax01]

I shoot 9 MM plated and the cost breakdown is:
Berry's Bullets $95 per thousand.
CCI primers $30 per thousand on sale.
Powder .015 per charge or $15 per thousand.

Total cost is about $140 per thousand or $7 per 50. If you need numbers to take to your wife, then the above will be accurate

- theoretically -

Because in reality you will shoot much more than you do now - we all do.

It's not an addiction, I can quit any time I want to.

Really.

No seriously, stop laughing, I can.

Hey Guys, that's not funny, cut it out.

 

[Bomberman]

I need to look up a few lingo words to make everything connect..for instance how come everyone uses the word boolits, when did they change the spelling from bullets?

Boolit is internet lingo that is used in some forums to differentiate between a cast bullet and a jacketed bullet...the cast one referred to as a boolit...bullet is the proper English word for either projectile.

 

[Acorn1754]

TheHobbiest, sorry for the boolit lingo, I am a member of the cast boolit forum and have used that spelling ever since.

 

[Mack]

First off a disclaimer, I hate reloading 9 mm, that small stubby case is a PITH (pain in the hand) to seat bullets in. To me 9 mm has not reached the price point to make reloading worth it. I have brass and bullets saved for the day when it does but at $10-11 a box it is no way near there yet. Now if 9 mm is your only caliber and you want to use it as an entry into reloading go for it, it may prove useful as you acquire more S&W's in other calibers more suitable to reload for. ;-)

 

[Jimfix44]

I shoot 9 MM plated and the cost breakdown is:
Berry's Bullets $95 per thousand.
CCI primers $30 per thousand on sale.
Powder .015 per charge or $15 per thousand.

Total cost is about $140 per thousand or $7 per 50. If you need numbers to take to your wife, then the above will be accurate

- theoretically -

Because in reality you will shoot much more than you do now - we all do.

It's not an addiction, I can quit any time I want to.

Really.

No seriously, stop laughing, I can.

Hey Guys, that's not funny, cut it out.

Blujax01 is spot on.
Another reason to get into reloading as a hobby is the occasional scarceity of ammo. As ammo runs/hording happen the price goes up and supply dwindles. If you reload you can keep enough components on hand to weather the run.
I also enjoy reloading as a hobby. I started with an old Herters press and some Green Dot powder I got from my dad. Now I am getting setup to cast my own boolits As someone else said in the forumn " I don't reload to shoot - I shoot to reload"

 

[anomad]

Handloading Cost Calculator

Even with today's prices I came up with 4.78 per box of 50 using that. Purchase in bulk and you could trim that down.

I put a few things away before prices went so high. If I'd had any idea.

 

[m657]

My costs mirror what's reported above.

Using precast lead, local cost for 9s typically are under a nickle each. Using jacketed version doubles that cost. All the other costs of building your own reloads remain pretty constant, regardless of which projectile you use.

I too do not care for loading 9mm OR 40 S&W. They aren't hard to do, just not as satisfying as say, 38 special.

Hand loading 380s, for some unknown reason, is more enjoyable than 9mm....although very similar in most physical aspects, they seem to be "more enjoyable" to *me*. YMMV.

In the end, learning to build consistent, reliable, accurate reloads, is a fascinating hobby which helps to clarify the mind, sharpen the eye and steady the hand.

There are rewards far beyond the mere cost of the ammunition, IMHO.

 

[Wee Hooker]

I'll stand by my #'s. Buy inexpensive Wolf Primers, common brand powder by the #, and cast (Missouri brand) bullets by the 2000 lot and you'll keep it under $5/box.

I'll also agree that reloadign becomes more then just saving $.

That said, Stick with something like a Lee Turret press kit and you'll keep you press costs to what can be recouped in just a 3-4 months.
Search here and you'll find all the equipment info you'll ever need.

 

[TheHobbiest]

I'll stand by my #'s. Buy inexpensive Wolf Primers, common brand powder by the #, and cast (Missouri brand) bullets by the 2000 lot and you'll keep it under $5/box.

I'll also agree that reloadign becomes more then just saving $.

That said, Stick with something like a Lee Turret press kit and you'll keep you press costs to what can be recouped in just a 3-4 months.
Search here and you'll find all the equipment info you'll ever need.

Thanks, thats the kinda infor I was looking into just now. Glad I read here first. Cheap brands and such to get started. I wont say that It wont become a hobby reloading, but I will try to keep this "hobby" as a means to be cheaper with my 9mm habit...although I can see myself getting into it more later on down the road.

Honestly its quite scary, for lack of a better word. The thought of making bullets, smokless powder under high pressure, dealing with explosives. A little hesitant. I guess I'd be crazy not to be cautious.

 

[walnutred]

I am setting up to run a batch of 1000 380s this weekend and here are my prices:

1000 cast bullets purchased on-line, $70 delivered.
1000 Wolf Primers $18.50 delivered
1000 charges of BE @ 3.0 gns $5.18
Total $93.68 per 1000 or <$5.00 per box.

9x19 I cast my own boolits but use 0.50 gns more powder, so about $25 per 1000 of 9x19. OK, that looks too cheap but I don't see my math error.

Back when I saw the way the 2008 election was going I bought SEVERAL 1000 Wolf primers @17.50 a 1000 and a couple 8lb kegs of my favorite powder including an 8lb keg of BE for $90. So even factoring shipping that skews the numbers a little. But even at todays prices casting my own it should be easy to stay under $40 per K. Of course I could have taken the money I spent on powder and primers at that time and invested in the stock market. The net loss would have been about the same but I would not have had near as much fun.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

As you see there are a lot of us who like to crunch the numbers! lol

Here is a great Cost Calculator so you can do the Math easily. You are probably surprised at how much less it costs to reload than buy factory ammo. (now that is) About 5 years ago it was almost not worth reloading for the .38 Special or especially for the 9mm. The last case of .38 special ammo I bought was Remington 130gr UMC ammo and it cost me only $4.29/box when I bought the case. That was only about 3.5 to 4 years ago!!! Now the cheapest .38 Special ammo I've seen is $17.99/box. I can reload a box of 50 .38 Specials with current component prices for $4.55/box. With the components I bought before the "shortage" I can load a box for $4.02/box. Your savings will be similar with the 9mm. (4.52/box for lead, $5.82/box for FMJ)

Back when I bought those .38 Specials 9mm ammo was even cheaper. If I can remember correctly it was $3.49/box with the case. Like I said, not really worth reloading and at the time I can't remember anyone reloading 9mm ammo unless they wanted something very accurate or with less recoil for competition. You can probably save $10/box on your 9mm ammo which means you will save $80/month on ammo. That will add up quickly although if you're like the rest of us you will shoot more because you can make more ammo for the same price as when you were buying factory ammo!!

 

[walnutred]

Good point ArchAngleCD, I didn't reload 9x19 or 38 Special either when they were <$5 per box. Those days I was reloading 32 WCF and 41 Mag because even then it was not inexpensive to buy factory ammo in those calibers. Or odd stuff that factory ammo was usually not available for.

 

[Wee Hooker]

Thanks, thats the kinda infor I was looking into just now. Glad I read here first. Cheap brands and such to get started. I wont say that It wont become a hobby reloading, but I will try to keep this "hobby" as a means to be cheaper with my 9mm habit...although I can see myself getting into it more later on down the road.

Honestly its quite scary, for lack of a better word. The thought of making bullets, smokless powder under high pressure, dealing with explosives. A little hesitant. I guess I'd be crazy not to be cautious.

YES, you should be cautious. This is why a turret press is a good choice. it slows the process down just enough for you to watch everything that's going on. Yet, it's fast enough to meet your 400 rd/mo needs without marrieing you to the machine. Pretty much all the info you need can be got right here. Just stick to known recipies (without waiver) and pay attention and you'll be fine.( AND get allot of satisfaction out of it. )
Enjoy!

p.s. It should be noted that if your reloading for a glock with factory barrel, you'll need to use plated vs cast lead. Otherwise lead is the way to go IMHO.