Is reloading 9mm worth it?

[Aaron1776]

You guys probably get this question a lot, but I'm looking at getting into reloading because I shoot fairly regularly. I've been hearing mixed reports on whether or not it's worth reloading 9mm or not. Can you easily save money doing it? Or should I spend the money on something else?

If you know that you can reload for less than 11$ a box, please include tips on where to buy components.

 

[bulletsmith]

You guys probably get this question a lot, but I'm looking at getting into reloading because I shoot fairly regularly. I've been hearing mixed reports on whether or not it's worth reloading 9mm or not. Can you easily save money doing it? Or should I spend the money on something else?

If you know that you can reload for less than 11$ a box, please include tips on where to buy components.

A clip from a spreadsheet I use for this very reason. This chart addresses the cost of consumables only. Brass is not a consumable by my definition.

I buy Lead bullets from a local manufacturer, your choices may be different.

There are 7000 grains of powder in a pound. I load with winchester 231 at 4.0 grains/round.

9mm		component	price	Units	cost per unit	units per cartrige	cost per cartrige
		primer	$30.00	1000	$0.03	1	$0.03
		powder	$30.00	7000	$0.00	4	$0.02
		bullets	$35.00	500	$0.07	1	$0.07
						Cost/round	$0.12

YMMV

(Had to edit a few of the numbers)

 

[Dean C.]

Yes, at least it has saved me allot, (my entire family likes to shoot USPSA very high volume in 9MM). But they key for reloading is longevity and volume even if you don't shoot a lot it will end up saving you money in the long run, and it will save you allot the more and more you shoot. We got our machine a Dillon from Target Sports in Sheridan (took a few months because we had to order it during the sandy hook panic buying). We get components all over the place the Indy 1500 gun show is a really good place to get powder, we order our bullets online mostly and several local gunshops sell brass really cheap making the overall cost even less.

We shoot fairly light 9mm and can get about 3 reloads out of each casing before they start giving us issues. I dont even want to think what the Dillon reloader has saved us $$$ wise but I know for sure its well over a $1000 at this point.

 

[bulletsmith]

Yes, at least it has saved me allot, (my entire family likes to shoot USPSA very high volume in 9MM). But they key for reloading is longevity and volume even if you don't shoot a lot it will end up saving you money in the long run, and it will save you allot the more and more you shoot. We got our machine a Dillon from Target Sports in Sheridan (took a few months because we had to order it during the sandy hook panic buying). We get components all over the place the Indy 1500 gun show is a really good place to get powder, we order our bullets online mostly and several local gunshops sell brass really cheap making the overall cost even less.

We shoot fairly light 9mm and can get about 3 reloads out of each casing before they start giving us issues. I dont even want to think what the Dillon reloader has saved us $$$ wise but I know for sure its well over a $1000 at this point.

In my experience, I have been able to get many times that out of my brass. You may be running a tighter setup too I suppose.

 

[Leadeye]

Cast your own bullets and it's money saved.

 

[17 squirrel]

Cast your own bullets and it's money saved.

Yep... With S&B primers at 20 bucks a thousand.
And powder at say 25 bucks a pound. 4 grains into 7000 = 1750 + - rounds per pound. And if powder is bought in bulk you can get under 20 bucks a pound.

And I mine the range for free lead, I can cast for Penny's a bullet including lube.
Easily I can load well under 3 bucks a box of 50.
And I have 9mm brass that's been loaded way more than 3 times. Normally the rims get twisted and they will not fit in a shell holder any longer.

 

[Broom_jm]

You can definitely save money reloading 9mm, although it's one of a handful of cartridges where you don't save nearly as much per round. Many guys make up for that by shooting a large volume, so you reach a break-even point pretty quickly.

It should also be noted that reloading is a relaxing and enjoyable hobby for most. If you can, take a class on reloading or find someone who can show you how it works. With the right mindset, reloading is a lot of fun, all by itself.

This is more important with other cartridges, but you can tailor your loads to specific needs. It's important to realize that you have the ability to load in volume for less than buying the cheapest factory ammo, or you can pay the same price as you would for the cheap stuff and load a much better quality ammo by doing it yourself. There is an old saying that you'll never save a dime reloading, but you'll shoot a lot more and be more satisfied with the ammo you shoot.

If you ever get into shooting for something other than your run-of-the-mill cartridges, especially obscure old rounds, reloading will save you a tremendous amount of money. It opens up a lot of doors in what you can shoot, including blackpowder cartridges and interesting wildcat rounds. If you think you might ever get into something more than 9mm, you'll be glad you can load your own.

 

[kevinsr98]

I load 9mm for about .10 a round. If I would cast my own it would be a lot less. But I do more so because I like to customize my loads for competition. That makes it worth it for me.

 

[bocefus78]

As said, it's worth it to load 9mm.
Bullet 7 cents max.
Primer 2 cents
Powder 1.5 cents
Brass free to 3 cents

 

[Leo]

Since 9mm is a low cost ammo, you need to consider volume. If you only shoot 5 or 6 boxes a year, it would be a long time to break even on a good set of reloading equipment, especially with the slight savings on 9mm. Even though I reload with quality bullets and quality primers, I am at about $7 to $8.00 a box. The big savings comes with .357 mag, .45 acp, .45 Colt, .44 Mag, etc. You also need to figure your time against that savings, unless you already have a lot of free time.

Since I already had all the equipment several times over for other calibers, adding 9mm was only a set of dies. Plus I reload at least 50 boxes a year, so I covered my overhead cost really quickly.

Some people see reloading as a hobby in itself. I was at the Izaac Walton range often for a couple summers. There was an old man that was always there. He shot some, but he always wanted me to "try this ammo" or "finish off this box". When he felt like he had enough empty brass to go to his reloading bench, he was really happy. I think he liked reloading more than shooting.

 

[Aaron1776]

Thanks guys! Any tips on where to get components, or should I just count on shopping around? I definitely shoot a lot. So even at 8$ I'd be saving quite a but of $$.

 

[Aaron1776]

Thanks guys! Any tips on where to get components, or should I just count on shopping around? I definitely shoot a lot. So even at 8$ I'd be saving quite a bit of $$.

 

[Aaron1776]

A clip from a spreadsheet I use for this very reason. This chart addresses the cost of consumables only. Brass is not a consumable by my definition.

I buy Lead bullets from a local manufacturer, your choices may be different.

There are 7000 grains of powder in a pound. I load with winchester 231 at 4.0 grains/round.

9mm		component	price	Units	cost per unit	units per cartrige	cost per cartrige
		primer	$30.00	1000	$0.03	1	$0.03
		powder	$30.00	7000	$0.00	4	$0.02
		bullets	$35.00	500	$0.07	1	$0.07
						Cost/round	$0.12

YMMV

(Had to edit a few of the numbers)

Thanks that really helps!

 

[HamsterStyle]

Bobcat steel, a site sponsor, can take care of all your loading needs.

 

[bulletsmith]

Bobcat steel, a site sponsor, can take care of all your loading needs.

And he's in your neighborhood (anything near Indy is the same neighborhood to me).

 

[bgcatty]

Thanks guys! Any tips on where to get components, or should I just count on shopping around? I definitely shoot a lot. So even at 8$ I'd be saving quite a but of $$.

Try Indiana Bullet Company for components, great guys to deal with and they are an INGO supporter.

 

[ZbornacSVT]

We are actually running some Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales on reloading stuff.....Let us know if we can help.

 

[RobbyMaQ]

As previous posters have mentioned, it's worth it. Just not as worth it as other calibers.
I've been stocking up on reloading equipment, books, and supplies... now that cooler weather is here, my reloading room will be completed this winter. A class at Profire helped tons. I went with the Dillon 550.

 

[rvb]

If you know that you can reload for less than 11$ a box, please include tips on where to buy components.

box = 50 rounds?

I'm reloading 147gr JHP for $150-$160 per thousand ($7.50-$8.00 / 50). Could be cheaper but the last couple years I haven't been able to buy bulk like I used to (due to demand and places limiting quantity).

-rvb

 

[looney2ns]

Buying in bulk, I reload 9's for approx $10 per 100. Using range brass.