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Factory load pricing: 9mm vs .45 acp
- Thread starter nanney1
- Start date
lee n. field
New member
Just read a gun review where the author noted that he was moving toward 9mm because the .45 ACP was becoming too expensive to shoot. I haven't priced .45 ACP. What is the difference in price between a 50 or 100 round box in target rounds and HP?
.45 is roughly twice the price of 9.
It's why I hand load the ammo I shoot.
You can go here and compare for yourself, which is always useful.
https://www.midwayusa.com/45-acp/br?cid=21841
https://www.midwayusa.com/9mm-luger/br?cid=21659
or here...
https://www.cheaperthandirt.com/category/ammunition.do
https://www.luckygunner.com/
There are a number of other sources as well. It'll give you an idea.
There are also sales and bargains galore. Go buy in bulk at gunshows. A number of sources.
In general 9mm is cheaper. But then it depends on the ammo, bullet and load, as well. Compare 45 ball for plinking and training to a better quality 9mm jhp.
tipoc
https://www.midwayusa.com/45-acp/br?cid=21841
https://www.midwayusa.com/9mm-luger/br?cid=21659
or here...
https://www.cheaperthandirt.com/category/ammunition.do
https://www.luckygunner.com/
There are a number of other sources as well. It'll give you an idea.
There are also sales and bargains galore. Go buy in bulk at gunshows. A number of sources.
In general 9mm is cheaper. But then it depends on the ammo, bullet and load, as well. Compare 45 ball for plinking and training to a better quality 9mm jhp.
tipoc
I can usually easily find .45 ACP ammo for a bit less than twice the price of 9 mm Luger ammo, comparing similar brands of brass case, newly manufactured ammunition.
Where I live, .40 S&W is priced just about midway between 9 mm Luger and .45 ACP. Other pistol calibers (380 Auto, 10 mm, and 357 SIG) is usually significantly more than .45 ACP.
Where I live, .40 S&W is priced just about midway between 9 mm Luger and .45 ACP. Other pistol calibers (380 Auto, 10 mm, and 357 SIG) is usually significantly more than .45 ACP.
Just left Walmart and bought Federal 115 9mm for $18.97 which was their best price for 100 rounds. I was going to ask about their .45 pricing but there were two ladies waiting in line. They asked about the best price for .380 ammo and were told $17.99 for a 50 round box of target ammo. Quite a bit of difference between those two.
In general the worst place to buy ammo is retail stores. It's about always a bit more expensive, well, expect for the exceptions to that, which are out there. Buy bulk and save money.
Fact is it's a wrong way to approach things though. If you want to shoot .45 then you get it for the guns that work it and because you like the round. A poor reason to get a different gun is because it's cheaper to shoot. 9mm has for decades been cheaper than 45 acp, 38 Super or 40 S&W, 357 Sig, etc. That hasn't changed.
What has changed is the extra cash folks have to spare. More people reload these days because of that.
You get 9mm because you like the round and you like the guns that shoot it. You get a gun in any caliber for the same reasons. I have single action revolvers in 45 Colt and 44 Special. Not because they are cheap to shoot but because I want them even if I shoot them less than other guns.
If you want to learn to shoot a 1911 in 45 acp then you plan for that and do so accordingly.
If you start with what's the cheapest commercial ammo around as your target for what you want to shoot...well, unless circumstances force you to do so, there are other ways to go.
If you are new to guns and you have one and want a second and you make $10. and hour than the cost of ammo to work with is a large concern and 9mm in a well made semi is the way to go. Down the road, as you earn more money other considerations come up.
tipoc
Fact is it's a wrong way to approach things though. If you want to shoot .45 then you get it for the guns that work it and because you like the round. A poor reason to get a different gun is because it's cheaper to shoot. 9mm has for decades been cheaper than 45 acp, 38 Super or 40 S&W, 357 Sig, etc. That hasn't changed.
What has changed is the extra cash folks have to spare. More people reload these days because of that.
You get 9mm because you like the round and you like the guns that shoot it. You get a gun in any caliber for the same reasons. I have single action revolvers in 45 Colt and 44 Special. Not because they are cheap to shoot but because I want them even if I shoot them less than other guns.
If you want to learn to shoot a 1911 in 45 acp then you plan for that and do so accordingly.
If you start with what's the cheapest commercial ammo around as your target for what you want to shoot...well, unless circumstances force you to do so, there are other ways to go.
If you are new to guns and you have one and want a second and you make $10. and hour than the cost of ammo to work with is a large concern and 9mm in a well made semi is the way to go. Down the road, as you earn more money other considerations come up.
tipoc
The cost of the bullet is what drives the highest percentage of the cost to reload ...and in cost of retail ammo ( packaging, shipping, advertising, etc make up some too of course) ...but if bullet A weighs 115gr and bullet B weighs 230 gr the heavier bullet can be roughly twice as expensive in material alone.
So if you just look at the cost of bullets for reloading from one mfg ....in my reloads for a true jacketed bullet ( FMJ ) in 115gr 9mm it makes up about 65% of the cost of a cartridge / in a 230 gr ( which is twice as much material ) .45 acp FMJ ...its about 75% of the cost of a completed cartridge.
Retail 9mm 115 gr FMJ in my area is $ 10 - $ 12 for a box of 50 rds.
Retail .45 acp 230gr FMJ in my area is $ 18 - $ 22 for a box of 50 rds.
( my reloads for 9mm are about $6.50 a box / and $ 11.15 per box in .45 acp)
---------------
.380 ammo is typically more than 9mm because the ammo mfg's don't run as much of it at one time...
So if you just look at the cost of bullets for reloading from one mfg ....in my reloads for a true jacketed bullet ( FMJ ) in 115gr 9mm it makes up about 65% of the cost of a cartridge / in a 230 gr ( which is twice as much material ) .45 acp FMJ ...its about 75% of the cost of a completed cartridge.
Retail 9mm 115 gr FMJ in my area is $ 10 - $ 12 for a box of 50 rds.
Retail .45 acp 230gr FMJ in my area is $ 18 - $ 22 for a box of 50 rds.
( my reloads for 9mm are about $6.50 a box / and $ 11.15 per box in .45 acp)
---------------
.380 ammo is typically more than 9mm because the ammo mfg's don't run as much of it at one time...
If you don’t mind aluminum cased(I don’t) Federal FMJ .40 and .45acp both are 14.97 at my WW. Add another buck for tax and that’s acceptable for me.
.380acp is what I buy bulk on sale because WW just doesn’t have good pricing for it.
I got no use for 9mm.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
.380acp is what I buy bulk on sale because WW just doesn’t have good pricing for it.
I got no use for 9mm.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
tipoc makes a good set of points...just to be contrary I first had a 1911 in 45 ACP and not reloading
Found a good deal on a CZ 75 9mm and I was equally good with either at the range
I did deliberately eat the expense of practicing with the 45 but shot the 9mm a lot more simply for cost per shot
I actually go BACK into reloading due to cost per shot for 45 ACP and 45 Colt....did get the dies for 9mm but never could make the math work as even in the deep drought I could get 9mm cheaper...just not very much at a time
Found a good deal on a CZ 75 9mm and I was equally good with either at the range
I did deliberately eat the expense of practicing with the 45 but shot the 9mm a lot more simply for cost per shot
I actually go BACK into reloading due to cost per shot for 45 ACP and 45 Colt....did get the dies for 9mm but never could make the math work as even in the deep drought I could get 9mm cheaper...just not very much at a time
Cost difference in cents per round is bullet dependent. In 9mm i use 115-124 gr, in 45, 200 gr.
Before I started reloading, either I rationed the 45, or shot the 9mm more. I'm glad I don't do that anymore.
On commercial ammo Generally 45 is between 150-200% more than 9mm of the same type depending on weight from what I have seen.
Before I started reloading, either I rationed the 45, or shot the 9mm more. I'm glad I don't do that anymore.
On commercial ammo Generally 45 is between 150-200% more than 9mm of the same type depending on weight from what I have seen.
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