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Posted: 4/5/2011 7:18:30 AM EDT
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Im not sure this is the right place to put this post. Do any of you reload your own handgun ammo? A freind and I are thinking of getting into it. I have heard a few people comment that for 9mm and 40 cal that it isnt worth it? Any input would be appreciated.
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Quoted:
If you're getting into it just to save money, I'd skip it. There are a ton of good reasons to reload, but it is a hobby unto itself. These days, I shoot so that I can reload more, instead of reloading so that I can shoot more. The best part is the ammo quality. You get match quality ammo for Wolf prices. Only you can decide if it's worth it to you. FWIW, if you factor in all the required gear, plus all the convenient but unnecessary reloading stuff I buy, I make my 9mm for about $10 for 50. But I use premium components. I disagree with that statement. That's the exact reason I got into it and it worked out well for me. It's true that you won't save a dime...but you will put more lead downrange as a result. It's definitely worth reloading 9mm, .40 even more so. My costs: Brass - free Primers - $.02 (Wolf small pistol from gun show, $21 per K) Powder - $.015 (1400 charges per 1lb, cost $20) Bullet - $.05 (Missouri Bullet Co. 125gr. LRN - $27 per 500) Total - $.085 per round (eight and a half cents!) Or $4.25 per 50 rounds. Imagine buying WWB value pack at wally world for $8.50 a piece. Oh yeah. I used to do that. 
This load shoots VERY well, is on the warm side, and does not lead the bore at all. Powder is Unique. If you take it to the next step and cast your own bullets, they become nearly free. You could load 9mm for almost as low as the cost of .22LR...but you'd have a lot of time in it, too. |
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Yes, I reload for all my guns (except the .22's).
Cheaper than store bought? Well, I can buy Federal 9mm ammo at WalMart for $11 or $12 a box. It appears not many folks reload for the 9mm's as I can always carry home more brass than I shoot. Brass cost is zero. Not sure what it costs to clean the brass in the polisher and with lemi shine. Primers are about $30 a thousand so 3 cents each. A lb. of powder costs about $18 to $21 depending on what you buy. I get just over 1,000 rounds from a lb. so again, about 2 cents per round. I bought 1,000 147 grain flat point bullets for about $68 including shipping, so 7 cents each for bullets. That comes to 12 cents a round (not including my time (I already had all the reloading gear except the 9mm dies. Anyway, 50 rounds at 12 cents each works out to $6.00 a box. 1/2 price worth it? It's a hobby I enjoy so how can I put a price on my time? |
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If you're getting into it just to save money, I'd skip it.
There are a ton of good reasons to reload, but it is a hobby unto itself. These days, I shoot so that I can reload more, instead of reloading so that I can shoot more. The best part is the ammo quality. You get match quality ammo for Wolf prices. Only you can decide if it's worth it to you. FWIW, if you factor in all the required gear, plus all the convenient but unnecessary reloading stuff I buy, I make my 9mm for about $10 for 50. But I use premium components. |
| I apprecate the way that you guys have broke down the costs for me. Im sure the next question is a bad as glock or 1911. Are the any reasonable loaders you would recommend? A freind of mine is becoming a new shooter and we were thinking of spliting the equpiment and work.. |
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I bought a Lee Turret press last year, and it has been great! I cost me less than $200 for everything I need for loading both my .45acp and my .223. I would recommend getting a different scale than the one that comes with the kit. My buddy gave me his spare RCBS scale (he had two). The kit from Midway USA, some die sets, a reloading manual and components. I have made very accurate rounds, and with the cost difference between buying ammo vs. components my equipment is already paid for (time is "donated" think of it as therapy).
Good luck. |
I got into reloading because I love to shoot and reloading goes hand in hand with shooting (I didn't know I was going to like reloading more than shooting). I'm about to adopt casting for the same reason. It's no secret that it is possible to save money by reloading but if you love to shoot, you'll spend just as much, if not more money reloading than shooting alone. The benefits are that you do get to shoot more and have lots of fun reloading and dealing with reloading related issues (damn .380 cases mixing in with my 9's  ). Currenlty I only reload .38, .357, and 9mm, and soon to be .40 or .45, which ever I get a gun for first  . Reloading 9mm has made it affordable to shoot for me. As Chris-1552 pointed out you can reload 9mm EXTREMELY cheap and as smoketheresfire points out you can reload premium ammunition, better than factory, for less than walmarts cheapest box. So, if you shoot or would like to shoot over 5000 rounds a year, then you need to be reloading.
BTW, Chris-1552 and smoketheresthefire, you all have awesome pics 
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| I have Dillons 550B progressive loader. It took awhile to save up some money but it was well worth it IMHO. If you are going to reload only pistol then Dillons Square Deal may be a less costly option. I have had zero problems and have timed myself at cranking out 350 quality rounds per hour. It is simple to use and I'm thinking of maybe getting a case feeder to increase production. Absolutely zero complaints |
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Quoted:
I appreciate the way that you guys have broke down the costs for me. I'm sure the next question is a bad as glock or 1911. Are the any reasonable loaders you would recommend? A friend of mine is becoming a new shooter and we were thinking of spiting the equipment and work.. Yes, you are at the right place to ask your question. Begin with a single stage press. Lee makes the least expensive equipment. RCBS and Hornady make the next step up in quality and price. Buy the best equipment you can afford. 
Get a copy of this book. Will explain the terms and equipment needed. Goes through the reloading process and explains it all with pics. Read the top of the page, lots of info up there. |
| I fine reloading to be a stress reliever. I am currentlly using a Lee Turrent 3 Die Set with new dies from Midway in 223 and 380 caliber. I have bullets from I had started reloading (when I was single) and had sticker shock comparing cost of replacing them. For example, I use Sierra 223 FMJBT that I purchase for around $8.00 and the current cost for them is around $12-15. I think my avg cost for the rounds is about 20 cents and it was costing me around 40 cents for factory ammo. I'll be scrounging the range for leftover brass from those who don't want them. |
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Quoted:
I bought a Lee Turret press last year, and it has been great! I cost me less than $200 for everything I need for loading both my .45acp and my .223. I would recommend getting a different scale than the one that comes with the kit. My buddy gave me his spare RCBS scale (he had two). The kit from Midway USA, some die sets, a reloading manual and components. I have made very accurate rounds, and with the cost difference between buying ammo vs. components my equipment is already paid for (time is "donated" think of it as therapy). Good luck. Worked great for me too. |
| I save a fortune reloading with the volume I shoot. 9mm cost me something like 9.75 per 100 using Titegroup, CCI 500's, free brass, and Precision Delta 125 JHP's. Excellent accuracy and I crank out a 1000 on a Sunday about once a month or so. With a shotgun you don't save a whole hell of a lot over factory unless you're loading .410/28 gauge but rifle and pistol I save a ton (well, I shoot a lot more for the same price). |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
I bought a Lee Turret press last year, and it has been great! I cost me less than $200 for everything I need for loading both my .45acp and my .223. I would recommend getting a different scale than the one that comes with the kit. My buddy gave me his spare RCBS scale (he had two). The kit from Midway USA, some die sets, a reloading manual and components. I have made very accurate rounds, and with the cost difference between buying ammo vs. components my equipment is already paid for (time is "donated" think of it as therapy). Good luck. Worked great for me too. My first press was a Lee Classic Turret. Great press that's easy to use and set up. It's not as tediously slow as a single stage, but it's not as complicated or overwhelming as a progressive. |
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Many reasons to reload or not depending on your situation. Personally, I enjoy reloading as much as shooting. As it works out now, I reload in the dead of winter and shoot like hell the rest of the year. Yea, I save some money along the way, but it's sort of like drinking beer. If you drink cheap beer, you won't pocket the savings.....you'll just buy more beer.
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Quoted: All good advice. If I might add, if you have a friend who reloads, and you can go watch him reload, or he can help you get your press up and running, it will help immensly. They will have run into and conquered common problems.Quoted: I appreciate the way that you guys have broke down the costs for me. I'm sure the next question is a bad as glock or 1911. Are the any reasonable loaders you would recommend? A friend of mine is becoming a new shooter and we were thinking of spiting the equipment and work.. Yes, you are at the right place to ask your question. Begin with a single stage press. Lee makes the least expensive equipment. RCBS and Hornady make the next step up in quality and price. Buy the best equipment you can afford. http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/How%20To/20207243.jpg Get a copy of this book. Will explain the terms and equipment needed. Goes through the reloading process and explains it all with pics. Read the top of the page, lots of info up there. |
| As already mentioned, you can save some money verses commercial ammo. How much depends on how good a deal and which bullets you buy. Whether it's worth while depends on how much you shoot and some free time for reloading. Luckily pistol rounds are fairly easy and quick to do. Be sure to get the carbide dies. Good luck. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
I bought a Lee Turret press last year, and it has been great! I cost me less than $200 for everything I need for loading both my .45acp and my .223. I would recommend getting a different scale than the one that comes with the kit. My buddy gave me his spare RCBS scale (he had two). The kit from Midway USA, some die sets, a reloading manual and components. I have made very accurate rounds, and with the cost difference between buying ammo vs. components my equipment is already paid for (time is "donated" think of it as therapy). Good luck. Worked great for me too. yep...and you pay it off quicker than spending several hundred on a progressive. The turrets with preloaded dies make caliber changes a cinch. Get the 4 hole turret deluxe kit and some Lee 4pc Carbide dies, a manual, digital micrometer/caliper, a digital scale and go to town. READ the manual several times and study the tools and dies so you are clear on each components function. |
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I just set a friend up with a Lee Classic Cast.
I got him everything he needs to start basic reloading for 45acp and 223. Right now, MidwayUSA has many of their Lee equipment on sale, so I built up a shopping list for him and placed the order. Everything including tumbler, all dies, basic case prep equipment, etc cost $268. We got it all set up in his garage yesterday, and all the dies are set to go for him. I made sure he has a reloading manual and the book ABC's of Reloading, and he's borrowing a set of my calipers and a scale. All he really needs to buy at the moment is powder, primers and projectiles. It's VERY helpful to have someone help out in the beginning, to explain what's going on during each stroke of the handle, and to give you little tips and tricks about the whole process. Also, it's nice to have someone warn you of the pitfalls (both aggravating little errors and dangerous practices/mistakes) before you inadvertently have them happen. And, as you can see, I run an inexpensive Lee Classic Cast right next to my nice Dillon. They're great presses for the beginner and experienced reloader. 
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9mm and .40 S&W brass is pretty cheap if you buy it once fired from police ranges or second best is commercial ranges. Because you haven't mentioned rifle ammo I suspect your interests lie in handguns only for now. Handgun ammo is easier to load than rifle ammo, however, a proggresive press makes it a breeze. If you can afford it buy a Dillon 550B or Hornady Lock-N-Load press and start making loaded rounds with each crank of the handle.
If you plan on doing rifle rounds later buy the Dillon 550B. A single stage is very useful in addition to the progressive. I've been doing this a while and currently have four single stage preses and two Dillon 550B's. Read the introductory threads at the begining of this page for more info. Buy books and read them through several times. Run a clean operation and pay attention to details. If something doesn't feel right stop and find out why. I don't know how close you are to your friend, but I would get an understanding in advance on how the equipment gets divided when you go your seperate ways. One of you might get a job offer on the other side of the country that you can't turn down. |
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