9mm Reloading question

J

JohnPL

New member
For you accountants out there...what is the breakeven point for reloading basic 9mm rounds? Nothing fancy, just jhp std velocity range rounds, as compared to Walmart's best price of approx $11.00 per 100. In other words, how many rounds must I shoot in a week to warrant the initial investment, supplies, etc. Then please comment on the non-economic factors, such as the fun.

I guess I'm wondering if it's like fly tying...who cares about any cost savings, its just a whole lotta fun...:)
 
I started reloading over 35 years ago so I enjoy
the act of turning out my own ammo, for me in a
sense it's relaxing. I think its seeing a finished
product something that isnt seen much in daily
American work life now.

A box of 9mm cost me about $3.85 and it is much
more accurate then anything you can buy, cost can
be more or less depending on buying components
in bulk.

Break even point also depends on equipment you buy
and how much you shoot, if only firing perhaps
1000 rounds per year reloading isnt worth it.

My feeling is start out with a low cost press and
see if you enjoy the task.
 
flyers

I am getting into reloading for two reasons..
1. I really want the ability to experiment with different loads
2. with inexpensive ammo from wallymart (notice I did not say cheap) I always get the unavoidable "flyer" when i am about to put every round in a 2 in. circle. I am hoping that reloading will eliminate this.


"shoot low boys, their ridin' shetland ponies"
 
JohnPL, my first ever reload, a mid-range .44mag, cost me well over $250. The rest were very cheap. Seriously, it depends on soooooo many variables that you haven't offered up, no reasonable answer to your question can be formed.

Scrounged 9mm brass is free.
Bulk JHP bullets cost ~ 50-60 bucks/1000
Primers bought in large lots <= $15/1000
Pound of SuperBlammo powder ~ $18 bux, good for 1000 loads.

Figure your least cost for consumables ~ $93, if you can scrounge the brass. If not, you can add mebbe $15-20 for brass at a gun show, or pay Starline $65 or so for new brass.

Back to about oh, $105/k for plinking ammo. Lead bullets cost a little less. Premium bullets (Gold Dots, etc.) cost MUCH more.

You can buy new Lee equipment (very modest) for about $100 to $120 for a complete setup. I have about $800 in my Dillon XL650 progressive press and goodies. See why this is so difficult to answer conclusively? I'm sure someone else will be willing to chime in with hints about scrounging wheelweights and casting your own bullets, or how they wouldn't touch Lee equipment with a barge pole, or how they found all they needed at a garage sale for a quarter.

Don't know where you are, but if there's an Academy Sports there, you can find CCI Blazer 9mm FMJ plinking ammo for $3.99 a box. No misprint. US made, factory ammo, for less than the cost of components, and you don't have to chase the empties. Don't get me wrong, I reload, but I don't reload 9mm plinkers.
 
$18/1000 rounds is very expensive. I use Winchester 231, which is fairly frugal, at a cost of $13 per pound, and a pound is 7,000 grains and I only use 4.5 grains per cartridge. That makes my $13 investment last over 1,500 rounds.

Here are the numbers as I've worked them out in a previous thread:
Cost for new ammo (brass source):
$115/1000 (brass good for 9 reloadings... easily) The rest of the numbers are multiplied out for the next 9,000 rounds.

4.5gr of powder per bullet equals 4.8lbs of Winchester 231: $62.40

Bullets=$58 for 1000 124gr RN-FMJ: $522

$13/1000 WSP Primers: $117

TOTAL cost for 10,000 rounds: $816.40 or $81.64 per thousand. Add in a few more dollars for tumbling media and misc other expenses.

I figure $85 per thousand.
 
So if you value your time at all, you can't justify handloading 9mm ball. I did a batch last season because I had the time and the bullets were on sale.

I usually load 9mm because I can make more accurate ammo than ball. Even bulk Remington JHPs are more accurate in my guns than even name brand hardball. Sierra JHPs will get it right up there with any centerfire auto. The only FMJ I have shot that even comes close to JHP is Nosler. I consider powder choice less important, but if you like to fool with such things, there are a lot to pick from.

I don't reload pistol ammo for fun, I reload pistol ammo to get ready to go shooting.

Good rifle ammo can be fun, or at least interesting, to load.
 
You can get 115 gr. CCI Blazer for $3.99 a box in Dallas, TX. I don't think reloading for the 9mm is worth it unless you can do it for $50/1000.
 
We do it for just under $50/1000. But load other calibers too and the total amount gets us into the bulk price ranges. About a nickle a round for 9X19 through .44mag.

30 pounders of powder and 10,000 piece lots of bullets gets the price down. But not worth it unless you doin a lot of shooting.

If you are doin it for fun or buildin match ammo....then the cost is not revelant.

Sam
 
If you go to:
www.loadyourown.com
there is a downloadable MS Exel spreadsheet that will calculate your cost per round depending on your components used. Plus, it's a great site with some good folks who are more than happy to share their experience.
 
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