Is it worth swaging jacket pistol bullets using commercial jackets?

[guywitha3006]

This is more of a curiosity thing for me, as I look at reloading and casting as hobbies onto themselves (and hopefully when my press comes this week or next swaging), but I can get Precision Delta Jacketed hollow point 124 grain 9mm for $178/2000 (free Shipping). Using .660" RCE .355 jackets ($12/200+$15/k SH) would be $135 +/- for SH plus lead locally is about $2/# x 25-30# is another $50-60. So it would more then likely cost me money (not counting time) to swage 9mm bullets from commercial jackets.

Like I said above I am hoping to make swaging a hobby in and of itself, and not being constrained by market crunches, and my thoughts where to use comercial jackets and 9mm as launch platform to learn the basics before complicating things, such as using cartridge cases to make my own jackets and ultimately getting into swaging .30 caliber rifle bullets (in theory this is where I will "save money" ie shoot more).

So besides finding cheaper lead (I plan to look harder, that was just a quick craigslist search, and I do have a 100# or so sitting around), do you guys have a cheaper place to buy jackets, or any other money saving tips? I have a draw die on order that I can make 9mm jackets from .380/9mm cases. At this point it is just plinking ammo (25 yards or less) so perfect match accuracy will by far out shoot me anyways. I looked briefly at copper tubing, but at a glance it does not look any cheaper, for 9mm anyways then premade jackets.

So I guess it boils down, to do you guys find value in swaging small bullets like 9mm or do you prefer to swage bigger stuff/rifle rounds?

[rancher1913]

sometimes with having to buy sizer's, molds, pots, etc, etc, its cheaper to buy ready made bullets than casting and making your own. if your in it for the long haul and shoot a lot it will probably pay for it self over time. I started back into reloading after a 20 year break and wanted to have the ability to always have ammo if and when it disappears like the 22lr did. I've spent a lot recently buying all the stuff to do it myself and hope it never gets so bad I HAVE to cast buts its nice knowing I have the tools ability to do it.

[clodhopper]

Swaging bullets takes time, if yours is valuable, +1 for purchasing bullets.
If you like to make stuff and doing so is fun, +1 for swaging.
The price point on 9mms right now makes swaging hard to justify.
30 caliber rifle bullets has a greater spread from factory bullets and home swaged bullets.
Having bullets all made in the same die can improve uniformity.

[Bonz]

I got into swaging just to make .500 bullets but have expanded to .45, .44 and .357

I can make all the swaged bullets using old brass cases except for the .357, jackets are required for this caliber

[tiger762]

No one is making huge margins on this stuff. RCECO jackets are sold for some small percentage over their costs. Precision Delta sells the jacketed 9mm for a little more than their costs, etc. If you want to swage to make money, invest in dies to make some weird-@$$ caliber that Hornady only tools up for once a year. I have made tons of 45cal 200gr TC, and that is about the break-even point as far as it being worth it to make my own. Recently got a 510-1E set. After a thousand or so of those, that one will definitely save money.

See if someone came out with 9mm jacketed 124gr and offered them at $0.25/each, everyone would decry them as being "gougers" because that's not "reasonable", etc. The price would then drift lower, until all but the high volume manufacturer are the only ones left standing. BUT what if they were moving at that price? Then others would join them, trying to get a piece of that action.

I love capitalism, but I don't kid myself. It is a nasty, dirty, slimy interaction between buyers and sellers who are trying to strangle each other.

So I guess it boils down, to do you guys find value in swaging small bullets like 9mm or do you prefer to swage bigger stuff/rifle rounds?

[guywitha3006]

Thanks for the replies, like I said it was a curiosity thing for me. I eventually want to move to rifle bullets (.22 and .30) for now and I think I have the potential to save there. I do not plan on doing this commercially just another hobby; I just happened to have one of those price realizing moments. I did figure that if I can get acceptable jackets from 9mm brass even 9mm will be worth it for me, if I have to buy brass I can get it for ~$20/1000 or $0.02 jacket +time (I seem to have more of that lately then money). With 9mm case jackets I figure I can reload 9mm for between $9 and $11 per 100 rounds instead of $30-40/100 (probably more for hollow point ammo) loaded ammo... 2-3000 loaded rounds and I paid for everything besides the press. Same principal as reloading in general reloading 223 55 grain FMJ takes a long time to see any savings but when shooting match grade 77 SMK or Match .308 savings (i mean ability to shoot more) are way bigger. In the next year or two, I want to expand my abilities to .45, .357, .224, and .30 I just wish it was a $250-$1200 entry fee for each caliber. All in all I love everything shooting related (even case prep) so it is still a relatively cheap hobby compared to say stock car racing, bass fishing, or a whole lot of other things.

[tiger762]

Oh, you're on the right track and are thinking about it clearly. I didn't mean to come across so negative. I've had the same talk with myself. For the staple rounds like 9mm 124gr FMJ and 223 55gr FMJ it probably doesn't make sense UNLESS one just wants to be so insulated from the goofiness of panic buying. With a swage die set you'll be able to make a wide variety of bullet weights even if they'll all share the same nose profile. I made up some 375gr 45cal truncated cone a while back. Probably good for the 450 Bushmaster. 230gr is $0.15/each, but add a little bit more lead and now you're into expensive territory, if you can even find 45cal that heavy at all. I get a kick out of making 600gr 50cal Good grief, the swaged lead core weighs 496.5 grains :O

[guywitha3006]

This may cost more then anticipated... I never really gave much thought to big bores because of cost to shoot...but if I could make quality bullets reasonable that excuse may not work anymore. I appreciate all the feed back and knowledge on this forum...it just seems to cost me a lot of money. Lol

[hardcase54]

And it will continue to cost you $$$$$$$$$$$$, been spending money on swaging since 1980. I don't think I have reached the break even point yet. But I make what I want when I want.