RELOADING 9mm. 40S&w 357 sig.

[ormmach]

Hello to all,I would like to know after the investment for all the reloading gear you need to buy ? How are you going to save rather than just buying retail? Do you need to use lots of ammo to cover this cost ?
Aside from the fact it would be an enjoyable hobby !
Thank's
ormmach

 

[M29since14]

Handloading is a little different than it used to be. Yes, you do need to plan on shooting a lot to recover your upfront costs. It is not the end of the story, but it is the main line.

Determine the cost of equipment and components you would need to buy, and then evaluate the savings based on how much you shoot now, in a year. Can you break even? Come close? Figure you might double your shooting if you start handloading. (That is a pretty conservative estimate.) Then run the numbers again. If you can break even in a year or two, might be something you want to consider.

Some other factors:
1. Are you interested in it, or is this just a way to save money?
2. Are you normally a careful, methodical workman?
3. Do you have time for reloading?
4. Do you have space for the equipment to be semi-permanently mounted somewhere? (It is a drag to have to put-up and take-down reloading presses.)

I am always surprised at how some people ignore some pretty basic considerations before they start buying handloading equipment.

 

[butch1942]

I've been reloading pistol and rifle for 45 yrs and reloading pistol will save you a lot if you shoot a lot, once you have fired brass for pistol you can reload for about half what new ammo costs. Right now I reload 9mm jacket bullets for 11 cents a round and 40S&W lead for 14 cents a rd. The larger amounts of primers you buy 1000 to 5000 and 1lb or 8 lbs powder and shop around for bullets the more you save.

 

[ormmach]

RELODING

Handloading is a little different than it used to be. Yes, you do need to plan on shooting a lot to recover your upfront costs. It is not the end of the story, but it is the main line.

Determine the cost of equipment and components you would need to buy, and then evaluate the savings based on how much you shoot now, in a year. Can you break even? Come close? Figure you might double your shooting if you start handloading. (That is a pretty conservative estimate.) Then run the numbers again. If you can break even in a year or two, might be something you want to consider.

Some other factors:
1. Are you interested in it, or is this just a way to save money?
2. Are you normally a careful, methodical workman?
3. Do you have time for reloading?
4. Do you have space for the equipment to be semi-permanently mounted somewhere? (It is a drag to have to put-up and take-down reloading presses.)

I am always surprised at how some people ignore some pretty basic considerations before they start buying handloading equipment.

Thank you for your reply, My next question is how much can I expect to spend for the basic components that are provin top quality, less the reload stuff? (powder,primers,bullets ?>

thank's,
ormmach

 

[M29since14]

Bullets vary wildly, depending on many things - caliber, weight, type (jacketed or cast), how many you buy, where you buy them, etc. For a good jacketed 9mm bullet, for example, I try to keep the cost in the $0.10-$0.12 range. You have to shop around to do that, and buy a fairly large quantity. Primers are around $30-$35 per thousand in my area, a bit cheaper if you buy 5M at a time. Powder will run $15-$22 per pound, and a bit less per pound in an 8-pound keg.

You can buy cheaper components, but if you are trying to produce a quality round, you can only shave the ham so thin. If you are not interested in worrying about whether to blame yourself or your ammo when you shoot a bad group or throw one way out in the white, buy good stuff, test carefully, keep good records, and constantly monitor your quality. Things do change - both those you can control and those others are controlling before the stuff gets to you.

Before you jump into casting your own bullets, master the cartridge loading first. Bullet casting is an art and science all of its own.

 

[july1952]

I've been reloading about 25 years and if I include the $ value of my own time, I'm not saving very much, if any.

However, reloading is a hobby to me and my primary objective is to get a high quality, more powerful round than I can buy over the counter. I load strictly by the book when it comes to maximum loads and I try to take every precaution to ensure saftey by carefully inspecting every completed round before it goes in my box to shoot.

There is also the satisfaction of knowing exactly what each round is made of, i.e. primer, powder, bullet, etc.

There are numerous variables (costs) to consider before getting into reloading. It takes time and considerable effort, but the rewards are great.

Good luck to you!

 

[chgibbs]

One other thing to factor in.

If you spend the money on quality reloading equipment and take care of it, it will last for years and years. I have a RCBS JR3 press that my father-in-law bought in the 70's. When his dad passed away he got his Dillion turret press and so it sat in a box for almost 20 years before I came along and he gave it to me. My dad also has a JR3 press and it is around 40 years old. When he was moving somehow the primer arm and cup were lost. He called RCBS an they sent him a new one for free...on a 30 year old press!!!. The story is the same with most reloading eqiupment. Take care of them and one day you will hand them down to your kids.

 

[walnutred]

The other aspect for me is ammo availability. I think we've all seen instances in the last few years when even common ammo was not available retail. Some of the stuff I shoot is seldom reliably available from retail stores. I can also create target type ammo that is simply not available locally on a regular basis. For example, I have a friend who is trying to master her Kahr CW9 without developing a flinch. It was fairly simple for me to load up some lower recoiling 9x19 ammo. Try buying low recoil 9x19. Everyone is selling +P+ or military spec.

 

[DEG]

Savings will vary considerably depending on what you are reloading and how much you pay for components. I save quite a bit loading 44 ACP, 357 mag and 44 mag, but very little loading 9mm. I have dies for 9mm, but by most of my 9mm retail. Also, if buying components in small quantities from big box stores you can quickly exceed the cost of factory rounds. Most bullet suppliers offer better discounts starting at 1000 bullets, buy 4, or better yet, 8 lb jugs of powder, and buy primers by the case.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I tell you, if you are mainly reloading the 3 calibers you listed in the topic I would highly recommend a Lee Classic 4 Hole Turret Press.

You can get most of what you need for ~$300 if you buy that press and possible spend a little more if you want to make things easy on yourself. I'm sure $400 will get you everything you need but $300 can do it.

I can shoot 4X reloads for what factory ammo costs today. At that rate you will recoup your initial outlay fairly quickly. 9mm ammo doesn't cost too much but .357 Sig ammo costs a lot so it will be your biggest savings. I shoot a .45 Colt and I can load a box of 50 rounds for $7.75 and most places they will cost you $40.