I currently carry 45acp and because of ammo prices and availability am considering a switch to 9mm. I'm a little hesitant because I'm one of those big round = big hole types, but I also know ammo technology has come a long way in the last few years so the performance data between the big three has become closer and closer to one another.

The biggest reason is I don't ever get to shoot or compete anymore. I used to go through 100-200 rounds shooting IPSC and steel on the weekends, but now can't even find 45acp and when I do it's almost a buck a round.
I don't like competing with a 9mm and carrying a 45acp because I want to remain consistant. I'll always have my 1911A1 to shoot 45acp at the range, but should I be nervous about going to 9mm? I know there are a lot of 9mm fans out there, but if anyone has made the switch from 45acp to 9mm I'd like to hear from you as well.
Thanks

BTW- Can you give me some info on good HD ammo in 9mm? I know Hornady has some new stuff out and Winchester has brought back the black talon under a new name as well.

Check the tacked thread at the top for a list of HD ammo. I have Ranger in my .45 and will be buying Ranger for my wife's 9 mm as well.

Non HD .45 for target practice currently sets me back about 50 cents a round if you watch the mail order sites.

Yeah thanks Mech. I guess my problem is I can't afford to buy in bulk, which is what I really need to be doing.

Why not just watch the shelves of walmart?

They have .45 WWB for $.32 a round when you can find it(around here, anyways).

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Anyone going through that much ammo to compete probably ought to be reloading.
(then you can complain about the lack of primers instead of ammo)

Problem is I don't think reloading is as cheap as it may have been in the past, I sat down and figured out the cost of loading 45acp and came up with $0.46 a round and that wasn't counting powder or time. Major costs were Brass,bullet (230 gr FMJ) and of course primers.

The only reason for reloading these days is if you compete in something like IPSC

Carry a 9mm if you like and don't feel under-gun'ed.

Shot placement is the key factor of course.

For a while I carried a Glock 34 and considered myself very well armed.

All that being said, I do prefer and carry the .45ACP, in
an XD45 or 1911.

Since we have several pistols in .45 we standardized on that caliber
and now re-load. I shoot USPSA as well and could not afford to do so
without reloading.

About a year ago I purchased a Lee press, dies, powder measure and related
gear. I figured it cost me about $270 to get set up.  I've loaded over 1500 rounds
by now at least. I'm sure it's paid for itself.

One of the guys I work with did the math and he figures reloading cuts
ammo costs by 50%, if you use inexpensive plated bullets.

If it makes more economic sense to you to run a single caliber, 9mm is good to go.  Good SD ammo is still expensive but FMJ is cheap.  Of course, when you figure in the actual price of switching, you may find that it takes like 11 years to break even based on ammo cost.

I understand your dilemma, but I put back enough .45acp when it was cheaper to hold me over for a couple more years.  If I were starting anew, I would go 9mm for the cost savings.  I believe affordability increases training opportunities, which trumps any real or perceived terminal ballistics advantages of larger calibers.  Though I am quite invested in .45acp currently in terms of firearms, holsters, magazines, pouches, and ammo, I fully expect to either convert over to 9mm or add it to the stable within 3 or 4 years.

Like buying a more fuel efficient car, it takes 10 years and 300,000 miles to break even.

Still to answer the OP's question, the newest generation of HP ammo is really quite well engineered, and does pretty much what it is supposed to do.  As long as you stick with top tier ammo like the HST, Win-T, or Gold Dot the ammo should perform as designed.

Look on the bright side,  with 9 you get more in the mag and easier recoil for follow up.  I figure it's a wash.

Here is current pricing for .45 that I load even over pricing powder and primers as well as brass:

Number of Rounds You Plan to Reload    1,000
Total Number of Bullets Purchased    2,000 - w/ free shipping
Total Cost of Bullets Purchased$295.00 - Montana Gold 230gr FMJ
Individual Bullet Weight (grains)        230
Total Pounds of Powder Purchased      8.00
Total Cost of Powder Purchased$140.00 - Winchester 231 or Hodgdon Universal
Powder Weight for Each Round (grains)      5.2
Total Cost of Cases Purchased  $60.00 - Most can be found for free
Total Number of Cases Purchased    1,000
Number of Times Cases Will be Loaded           5
Total Cost of Primers Purchased$125.00 - $25/1K is more than feasable
Total Number of Primers Purchased    5,000



Batch Cost =                            $197.50

Batch Cost per Round =         $0.198
Batch Cost per 20 Rounds =       $3.95
Batch Cost per 50 Rounds =       $9.88
Batch Cost per 100 Rounds =   $19.75



Reloading really is cheaper.  Figure $250 to get a Lee Classic Cast Turret set up for 1 caliber and everything else NEEDED to load and you are set.

Don't hesitate to go with 9mm. I have had a 9mm by my side for the last five years when I went from a .40 S&W to 9mm. Despite what all the manly men try to tell you there's nothing wrong with the 9mm round. Use good defensive ammo,as you should in any caliber. People say when using the 9mm shot placement is key, well that is true for any caliber. I think some guys think just because they shoot a .45 they can hit a bad guy in the toe and he'll drop like a stone.

Funny thing is I am considering putting down my Sig P228 for a while and carrying my SA Champion in .45 ACP as soon as I get some decent sights on it. I have had that gun for years and the size makes it perfect for a CCW. I've never carried it because of the crappy sights.

I've never met anyone that has purchased .45acp brass for reloading. Just keep empties and pick them up at the range, hunt through the trash cans, just forward of the line, etc.

I use MBC (Missouri Bullet Company) lead bullets, they are affordable and very useful for large bulk reloading sessions.

I go for a week vacation every year up in the Adirondack mountains, and I spend almost all week at the range hitting spinners, plates and other fun things; I usually bring about a ton of assorted ammo and the only way I can afford to do that is by reloading using lead bullets.

Do it.

You'll shoot more and the 9mm v. .45 debate is stupid since the wounding capabilities are very similar.

Go 9mm and don't worry about it being a pussy 9mm.  Heck I want an Heckler and Koch HK45 just because "It feels good in my hand". But I can't because switching would cost me double in the long run. And I trust myself and 9mm.

HOWEVER!!!

Sounds like you need a Good quality Dedicated 1911 22lr Training Pistol.

Will help with costs and help train others.

Know a guy who was freaking out over ammo. He bought 1911 22 target pistol and had it set up just like his 1911. Saved him some time and money not having to go 9mm plus it could be used to teach others.
Just a thought.

Well I went back and redid my numbers.
To reload 45acp from scratch
Round cost for press and equi. setup spread out over 10,000 rounds

Press: dillion square Deal 45acp dies=+++++$354.95======.3.5 cents per round
Equipment:setup======================$400.00=======4 cents per round
cci primer $30.99 per 1000============================3.1 cents each
haz mat fee  $25.00 on an order of 1,000=================2.5 cents each
brass:starline 45acp +p just for flexibility $20.99/100======== 21 cents each
Bullet: Hornady XTP 230gr JHP $19.79/100===============19.8 cents each

total is 54 cents per round to reload a 45acp and we are not counting powder or the expense of your time.

Yes you can save a few pennies by buying in bulk but you are not going to reload 45acp  at the same cost you did 5 years ago or even 2 years ago. In fact if you start from scratch today to reload you will spend more money then just picking ammo up at wal-mart. The only reason to reload today is if you compete and need a custom round to match the gun you are using.


BTW I found CCI #400 small rifle primers at the Rod and Gun Club today for $4.10 per pack of 100 and $41.10 for a box of 1,000..

WHATEVER you decide 45acp or 9mm. DO NOT RELOAD. It's more cost effective for the rest of us that reload if we can keep all you factory ammo guys out. If you reload I won't have your brass to pick up at the range and I'm a REAL BRASS WHORE. I'm stingy with my supplies too and I don't share well.  Most importantly I'm extremely impatient when waiting my turn to shoot in IDPA|IPSC events and the more guys in the lower power factors means less time for me to wait in the upper power factors. Even more importantly if you were to start reloadng you'd just be one more guy I'd be giving reloading tips too. Soo whatever you do DO NOT RELOAD.

+1. The initial cost of getting into reloading may make your svings a wash, but after years of reloading. I am paying about half what non-reloaders pay for ammo, my reloads are better rounds then WWB and most of the other so called low cost training rounds and I have a large supple of .45, .40 and 9mm ammo on hand. My biggest decission is what do I want to shoot, not what can I afford to shoot.

I personally like 9mm much better. I generally like the selection of weapons in 9mm more than .45ACP. I also like being able to
buy ammo for 10 bucks a box, and the lighter recoil. More ammo for the same amount of money + lighter recoil and more comfy weapons = better shooting IMO.

Generally if I can't do it with a 9mm, then I just use a .357 magnum anyway.

Wow. I have never payed more than $0.54/round for any .45 or 9mm or 357SIG except that one time I bought Corbon DPX. Well, no, I take that back, my 357SIG ammo was around $.60/round. (TX DPS load) However, the cases have neck sealant, the bullets are Gold Dot instead of XTP, and the case is nickle. So to reload comparably would cost more anyways.

Most reloaders do not include equipment costs into the cost of their reloads because it's the price of the hobby. To me it would be like trying to include the cost of the gun into the price of a round. It's rare when a reloader buys brass and it's pretty common for a reloader to pay nothing for bullets because they cast their own lead. If you go to the reloading forum you will find guys reloading 45acp for under .06 cents, yes I said .06 cents.

Another thing. It's an addictive hobby and I know of no one that loads 10,000 rounds and says. Well that's it, lets figure round cost. A lot of us have loaded hundreds of thousands of rounds on equipment that's decades old. What do you think round cost would be on that equipment ?  Nothing, the equipment returned the investment many times over reloading.

But, I don't want this post to be taken as a case for anyone to take up reloading because I depend on guys shooting factory ammo for my LARGE brass supply. Have over 9000 rounds in house that I've loaded just in the last 6 months with a Lee Classic Turret while watching TV or Arfcoming. If I'm online you can bet I'm reloading. Let's see, there is 3700 rounds of 45acp, 250 rounds of 40S&W, 250 rounds of 357SIG, 300 rounds of 38spcl, 2550 rounds of 9mm, 100 rounds of 32acp, and 3,330 rounds of 5.56 all hand loaded with an average round cost just under .20 cents. When the grass turns green I intend on having this stash shot up by June. Will easily run 25,000 rounds this year.

I want to thank the many shooters who've left their brass on the ground over the last year. If any of you would like to send me your brass in bulk,  I would gladly pay your postage.

my first conceal carry pistol was an xd45 service.  it printed alot, part of it may have been due to my home made kydex holster not giving the right support.  i switched over to a glock 19 with a better home made holster, and on occasion i'll conceal carry a rock island armory 1911.  i haven't shot anything living with either 45acp or 9mm, but i carry home rolled gold dots or golden sabers in whichever gun i carry.  i make all my home rolled ammo in batches of at least 100, and i'll test about half before loading any up for carrying.  reloading defense ammo is substantially cheaper than buying production defense ammo, especially since all the local shops only have the small 20rd boxes and charge about $1 per cartridge.  for me, the cost of reloading 45acp and 9mm are within a few cents per cartridge.

9mm is not bad but reloading is the way to go. Prices are highly inflated here in Hawaii cause everything has to be shipped in and I am in a rural area so its 2x as much for primers and powder than Oahu. I reload 230gr 45 for about $0.30 a round and that is with the cost of brass which it goes down every time I reload and can probably use that brass 5 times or more. Still counting... remember that a pound of powder is about 7000 gr and at average of 5 to 6gr per a load (depending on powder) that is around 1200 rounds you can reload on a pound of powder.

I made the switch about 10 years ago.  I don't feel undergunned at all.  I started ccw'ing a 1911.  Then went to a G30.  I've been with a G19 since 2000.

Too late for the reloading.  

As for picking up brass at the range I would rather stick with what I have as I know how often its been reloaded. My range also does not allow for people to pick up brass that they didn't shoot. Anyway picking up my brass is easy as it's attached to moon clips.

I'm sorry. But I suffer from,  " OCD -  Oooohhhh - That's shiny ! "  If it's lying in dog shit and shines like brass, it's mine. Like Zhukov said, if it's not cracked or bulged I load it. You can't wear out 9mm or 45acp brass it seems. Have lost count on some 45acp brass as to how many times it's been shot. Most have been loaded dozens and dozens of times.

Lately I've spent more time at the range picking up brass rather than shooting. I'm almost always alone at the range I'm a member of, and it looks like I'm the only one that reloads because when I go there's always tons of brass to pick up, usually .45 ACP and 5.56mm.

I normally dont reload .45's if the case mouth is split or I cant read the markings on the rim anymore. I have bought .once fired .45 brass. Because I loose it at matches.
Big matches are lost brass. And if you go to a few of them you can plow thru 2k pretty easily.  reloading is cheaper for me. But last year I went thru 9k bullets in 1 caliber.
The year before I went thru 11k just in .40. If you dont shoot like that then reloading might not be a reasonable activity. Then I can scrounge your brass !