Start Reloading or Keep Buying 1000 Bulk

If you are able to have more of something for the same price you were paying . That is saving money .
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If you don't cut spending, have a piggy bank full of air and say your saving money, your a politician.
 
My 9mm reloads cost me almost .10/round. My 45 are a little less than .15/round. It is so ridiculously cheap versus buying bulk ammo it isn't even comparable. Especially if you are buying decent ammo. God Bless
 
I think getting in to reloading JUST for 9mm is worth it.
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I think so too. There may have been a time when it wasn't hardly worth it, but not any more. The main caveat with 9mm is its small size. Those with large hands may struggle with the loading process. But there are those who load 380 and 25 ACP too, so . . .

I load 9mm. But for me, 9mm is purely a utilitarian cartridge. I don't sport shoot with it in any way. I carry a 9mm and so I practice with it. I also have a Beretta 92fs that I blow its dust off from time to time, and that's just about it. Couple that with the bulk purchase of loaded Remington 115's I made a few years back, and I hardly load 9mm at all. But if I did shoot 9 a lot, I'd load it a lot.
 
Not counting brass(I pick up more than I shoot), and not counting equipment cost(it's a hobby I truly enjoy), I'm reloading using copper plated bullets for around $.11/round.
 
To me it is all about the volume you shoot. Do you shoot 1000 rounds a month or 1000 rounds year? The more you shoot the more sense it makes to reload 9mm IMHO. If you are not shooting 5,000 + a year keep buying factory ammo.

I can buy quality 9mm 124gr factory we delivered to my door for around $220. Unless you are shootings high volume you are going to take a long time to offset the cost of your equipment and components.
 
The abbreviated version is this: If handloading is something you think you would enjoy doing, then you should look into it. If it isn't something you would approach as a craft and hobby in and of itself; and your only interest in doing so would be to save money, then the better choice is to continue to buy ammo in bulk.
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I would add to this that this may be something that you actually enjoy doing but still have a budget to keep to. In this case you will simply need to exercise restraint in how much you reload and how much you shoot.

I have restrictions imposed by law on how much powder and primers can be stored so there I have no choice but to stick to the limits. Bullets, on the other hand are not limited and so I often find myself buying bullets so I am not caught short over time, but that can be a slippery slope.

I reload what is cheaper to reload and buy what is cheaper factory sold. But it is easy to spend a lot on components even if you don't need them.

You will need to be very disciplined if this is to be a cost saving exercise, whether it is one you end up enjoying or not.
 
I thank u guys for all the great advice, opinions, & shared experiences!

The knowledge I have now by re-reading all the replies to understand as much as possible, I've got a plan. I'm gonna pick up 1k bulk buys for both so I can save all my brass. Since I'm running another 1k thru her, I'm gonna spring the few extra bucks for the Federals & White Winchester value boxes so that the ammo is cleaner & i'll have better quality brass to be re-loaded.

In the time that I'm using the ammo, I can read up & research more on reloading & gain more knowledge. I can also figure out the numbers better including my personal time spent making them. Most the ammo I use is spent shooting indoors at paper targets so I don't need hot loads & brand new equipment. My main goals here is to hone my skills & accuracy & keep challenging myself. Then when I get a bit better, i'll go join an outdoor range & do some of those competitions which would be awesome!!

I tend to go to the range at odd hours when there's no one there, so I have no time restrictions & I easily put 200 9mm, & a 100 45's down range & I'm only limited by the amount of ammo I take with me, lol!

Also note worth mentioning, I make my own supplements which takes up time. Also, I have to do calculations for weight & dosage for every different one I do; I have to buy the empty capsules in bulk & in different colors so I know what's what; & I basically do em at odd hours, like while watching TV with the kids, etc, & I have to measure every capsule so I know I'm consistent. I would think making my own supplements shares some similarities to making my own reloads giving me another reason to be more confident in my skills to do this.

Thanks a ton guys,
SeniorXJ
 
I would think making my own supplements shares some similarities to making my own reloads giving me another reason to be more confident in my skills to do this.
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Yea pretty much the same . Well except for the part that when you get the reloading wrong you blow your face off . :D
 
I would think making my own supplements shares some similarities to making my own reloads giving me another reason to be more confident in my skills to do this.
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Yes, there's a lot of carryover traits to ammo loading.

Patience; refusal to cut corners; attention to detail; check/double-check; pride in workmanship; etc. All important characteristics.
 
My costs are similar to Don P's.

Already having plenty of brass stockpiled, I load 9mm for $120/1000 and 45 for $160/1000 that's with plated bullets.

If you're paying $225/1000 for 9mm and $450/1000 for 45 id say that's a savings.

Like others have mentioned I enjoy the reloading almost as much as the shooting so the time it takes on a Dillon 550 doesn't bother me.
 
I've actually noticed a transition from when I first started handloading about 3 years ago. I initially maintained the "not saving money, shooting more" argument as I was spending hours every night loading up and testing, testing and more testing. I was shooting 100+ rounds a week and logging all my data. Now jump to present day and after testing over 300 different loads of .223, .308, 8mm, and .300WM I've found many awesome go-to loads that works so now I find myself loading less and actually shooting less. I probably shoot about 30-50 match rifle rounds a week. I'm not a big volume pistol guy although I do load .40S&W and .460 mag. I enjoy loading, it's a "accuracy passion" not in it attempting to save nickles and dimes.
 
Start Reloading or Keep Buying 1000 Bulk
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That is the question.
The whole OP is framed entirely by the cost factor of one against the other,
the answer then is not complicated by any other details.
Unquestionably OP's reloads will not be as expensive and in a short time he will recover all initial investments.
 
I would start reloading if I were you. You may not save a ton of $ on 9mm at current prices, but what if they double in the next 5 years, and you were smart enough to buy enough components to last 15 years early on? Then you are saving some serious $.

You will save $ pretty quickly on .45 right now.

It also allows you to shoot calibers that you may not have considered before due to ammo costs. I wouldn't have my 44 mags if I didn't reload-purly because factory ammo is almost a dollar a shot.

Then there is always the whole "what if we have another ammo panic" way to look at it....you will NEVER be mad at yourself for buying that equipment when you are churning out ammo while all the bulk buyers are stuck without ammo.
 
Ok, since I get WWs free, I can load 1,000 .45ACPs for like $50 or $60. That's not counting my 30+ year old Dillon SD or various molds I've picked up over that time.
 
Another thing to consider, reloaders have the ability to change components in order to find the best shooting load in a particular firearm. You have to ask yourself if that has any value to you.
 
It's a Hobby

If you view reloading as a hobby, you are able to justify your expenses
and not count dollars and cents per round. Do I know how much has
been spent on reloading equipment, I could count it up but I dont care.
My reloading makes me independent of current political climates and
independent of ammo shortages and hoarding by short sighted people.
 
I think that question has to do with your personality. If you think you might find reloading an enjoyable hobby, that alone may justify the initial upfront cost. Personally I take satisfaction in know how to reload for my firearms. That being said, I shoot factory 99% of the time and would never consider shooting someone else's reloads.

More importantly IMO, if you are not the type of person to keep laser focus on a repetitive and potentially "boring" task, factory is the only way to go. While reloading is not a particular mentally stimulating task, your strictest attention to every last detail is ALL that separates a fun day at the range and a no so fun ambulance ride.

My $.02

Lefty
 
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