9mm and 45 not worth reloading?

[AnthonyB]

Fellas:
I see a lot of posts about particular caliber not being worth reloading given the current cost of components and the CURRENT availability of factory ammo at a certain price level. That level seems to be around .26 per round for 9mm, haven't seen many numbers on 45 ACP.

My question - are people who feel this way just loading FMJ or RN cast for blasting ammo?

I don't load much FMJ or RN cast at all. I figure since I'm going to the trouble of casting the boolits, I should at least cast something more effective than a RN. A 9mm loaded with an MP 35-135 (HP or solid, your choice) should be a whole lot more effective than a RN, so that is what I load. The RCBS 45-230 CM is my favorite 45 ACP bullet, and will certainly be more effective than a 230 ball profile. The BD45 is probably even better; BD thinks so and I trust him but some of my pistols won't run it as well as the 45CM. I don't have the experience to judge between the two, and hope I never do.

These are just two examples. My point is that we don't have to replicate the standard cheapo ammo; we can tailor our loads to do what we want. If I'm loading ammo, I want it to be as effective as I can make it. Loading my own boolit allows me to do that. That also allows my "practice" ammo to be exactly the same as my zombie apocalypse ammo.

Apparently a lot of people don't think the way I do, but I'm curious about how you would feel if your "practice" ammo suddenly became zombie apocalypse ammo. Things are too expensive for it to make sense to separate the two, IMO.

Thoughts?
Tony

[michael.birdsley]

9mm is a tough call with plated bullets as cheap as they are. you can get 500 plated bullets between $35-$55 depending on brand and what type of bullet you desire. extreme also makes plated hollow point bullets. I can buy 100 hornady xtp HP’s to reload that are guaranteed to expand for $30.

For me personally at some point you have to factor time into the equation. plus i’m only using a single stage press to load my 9mm. by the time i cast and load 500 boolets i’ve got some serious time invested into it.

it’s up to the individual whether or not it’s worth the pursuit. i’m currently on the fence my self. i have casted for 9mm in the past but, it just takes a lot of time when i’m personally just making blasting ammo. it’s just the time vs money equation. there have been certain period of time when casting your own 9mm makes sense and why i keep my 9mm molds around.

45’s i could see would be worth the time to cast for.


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[justindad]

I load for the curiosity more than the savings. Think about what I have been doing, consider a change, predict the result, find out my prediction is wrong, then ask why. I also like making perfect ammo. Work is too fast paced with high risk tolerance to allow for much perfection. I can be slow and considerate when I make ammo after the kids go to bed. It’s relaxing, and then I get to blow stuff up!
*
That being said, I make all my .45 ACP ammo. I have made some 9mm ammo, but that caliber just isn’t a whole lot of fun to shoot. I’ll still load 9mm before I buy it. The only ammo I have ever purchased in 9mm was a box of hollow points in case my wife ever wants it.
*
Since I make all my own ammo, I do not make weak target loads… except wadcutters.

[dverna]

Some folks need to justify their hobby.

I reload using progressive presses for pistol and shotgun ammunition. The ..223 and .308 are done on a Co-Ax but volumes are much lower.

Casting is iffy for me. I can make more money processing firewood than what I save by casting pistol bullets for plinking. But my situation is unique. IMO the effective production rate for 9mm and .38 bullets is 250-350 bullets an hour…casting, lubing, sizing…depending on what a person has. In my case, using a Master Caster, and Star, I produce 1000 bullets in about 3.5 hours. The cost of alloy and lube is $25/k. I can buy cast bullets for $75/k. In 3.5 hours, I can save $50 casting or make over $100 processing firewood. No brainer.

I use XTP’s for “serious loads”. I plink and train with purchased bullets.

It takes me an hour and a half to reload 1000 rounds on the 1050. I can buy 9mm for $225/k. Cost to reload is about $175/k. IMO reloading 9mm plinking ammunition on a single stage or turret press is silly.

[charlie b]

It just depends on what you want to do with your time and money.

I suspect 9mm prices are reaching a low point again. PreCOVID it got to a point I just bought the ammo since I only saved a few cents per round by reloading. As pointed out above the plated bullets aren't that much more expensive than lead alloy. But, I don't shoot pistol much, maybe a few hundred rounds a year.

[AnthonyB]

I must not have communicated my point very well.

I can buy 9mm 115 FMJ for .26 a round. I get that. I can load 9mm with MP 35 for less than that. Your value for your time is yours, not mine to decide.

I would rather have 1000 rounds of the MP bullet loaded when the time comes I need it instead of 1000 rounds of a plated RN.

Apparently I am in the minority. I'm not talking about "plinking" ammo. Why should all your ammo not be zombie apocalypse ammo since you control what boolit gets loaded?
Tony

[Wheelguns 1961]

I started casting and loading 9mm because it seems like every 9mm that I ever had, never shot factory ammo worth a darn. I have had much better results with a fatter bullet. I am retired now, so I have the time, but can relate to only so much time.

[dverna]

I must not have communicated my point very well.

I can buy 9mm 115 FMJ for .26 a round. I get that. I can load 9mm with MP 35 for less than that. Your value for your time is yours, not mine to decide.

I would rather have 1000 rounds of the MP bullet loaded when the time comes I need it instead of 1000 rounds of a plated RN.

Apparently I am in the minority. I'm not talking about "plinking" ammo. Why should all your ammo not be zombie apocalypse ammo since you control what boolit gets loaded?
Tony

I have never used a pistol for serious work. Probably fired over 200k rounds. All plinking, target, and practice.

I carry premium jacketed bullets and have over 2000 bullets in stock to reload if the Zombis come. You are trying to justify casting but it does not makes sense for everyone. And for many, even reloading 9mm may not make sense.

Using time and resources to produce Zombie ammunition when over 99% will be fired at paper or steel is difficult for me to justify. But if it works for you….go for it.

Also, your spare time may have no value, but that does not apply to everyone. One size does not fit all.

[michael.birdsley]

I must not have communicated my point very well.

I can buy 9mm 115 FMJ for .26 a round. I get that. I can load 9mm with MP 35 for less than that. Your value for your time is yours, not mine to decide.

I would rather have 1000 rounds of the MP bullet loaded when the time comes I need it instead of 1000 rounds of a plated RN.

Apparently I am in the minority. I'm not talking about "plinking" ammo. Why should all your ammo not be zombie apocalypse ammo since you control what boolit gets loaded?
Tony

1 i don’t have that kind of time or money. 2 the right tool for the right job. I don’t need a $100 hammer to pound in a 1 cent nail to hold a picture frame. however, if i was building houses for a living than i’d buy the $100 hammer

i’m not loading up to fight zombies but, if that paper or steel plate looks at me side ways than i’m stacked and loaded.

You do you


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[gc45]

When shooting Action Pistol I reloaded all my ammo with cast and using a progressive Dillion Press; now I just buy what ammo I do shoot, same with 9mm. These are defensive calibers so I no longer see the need for tiny groups when 3+or- is good enough in my case.

[405grain]

I take a different point of view: I cast bullets and reload ammunition because I like doing it. The economics of cast loads vs factory ammo never enters my mind. I try to spend my free time doing things I like, and it is restful and restorative to craft my own ammunition. Shooting is fun, but reloading is also fun. I don't reload as a necessity to go shooting; casting & reloading is a goal within itself. I reload lots of calibers, 45 acp and 9mm included, and even if it cost more to cast my own I'd still do it.

[rbuck351]

I have very little factory ammo and reload everything except rimfire. I have one load for my 45acp guns, a 230gr TC home cast and loaded to around 900fps. I see no reason to use different loads for different targets or for using a different load for practice than the load I use for hunting or defense. I'm retired and enjoy reloading and casting and have enough components to shoot and cast for the rest of my days without having to buy at current prices. I still load 45 and 9mm at less than 5 cents per round. I don't load much 9mm as only my wife shoots 9mm and she doesn't shoot much. I do cast 9mm as well because I enjoy it and I already have the components so I might as well use them.

[Bigslug]

I must not have communicated my point very well.

I can buy 9mm 115 FMJ for .26 a round. I get that. I can load 9mm with MP 35 for less than that. Your value for your time is yours, not mine to decide.

I would rather have 1000 rounds of the MP bullet loaded when the time comes I need it instead of 1000 rounds of a plated RN.

Apparently I am in the minority. I'm not talking about "plinking" ammo. Why should all your ammo not be zombie apocalypse ammo since you control what boolit gets loaded?
Tony

Considering that we've been fighting wars with FMJRN's for a very long time, I have a hard time NOT seeing them as "apocalypse" ammo, or only seeing them as "plinking" ammo. WWI, after all, was started with two well-placed rounds of ball .380. Mainly what you'd be seeking for that role is quantity and reliability. A hard copper jacket does give you considerable durability and cleanliness for transport, and it avoids a lot of the pesky bullet fit issues that define our casting hobby. While there's not a great deal of mystery to most .45's, we have enough threads on the difficulties of avoiding barrel fouling with 9mm to suggest that it is not nearly so generic when it comes to acceptable cast bullet and cartridge specs. Since 9mm has absolutely become the most sold, most common "coin of the realm" handgun chambering in recent years, loading with a bullet that works across all the guns makes solid sense from the prepping perspective.

[Thumbcocker]

I take a different point of view: I cast bullets and reload ammunition because I like doing it. The economics of cast loads vs factory ammo never enters my mind. I try to spend my free time doing things I like, and it is restful and restorative to craft my own ammunition. Shooting is fun, but reloading is also fun. I don't reload as a necessity to go shooting; casting & reloading is a goal within itself. I reload lots of calibers, 45 acp and 9mm included, and even if it cost more to cast my own I'd still do it.

Agree

[gwpercle]

That's like saying there is no sense baking a Blackberry Pie or making a batch of Fresh Peach Ice Cream ... Because you can go to Wally Mart and buy it cheaper !
Sure you can buy Wally Mart Ice cream and blackberry pies ...
But they ain't near as good as the recipes me and MaryB posted ...Trust Me !
I don't do things because of cost ... I do things because I can do it better !
Gary

[scattershot]

Reloading makes less and less sense from an economic point of view. However, I have been reloading for 50 years or so, and at times it makes great economic sense. One benefit, especially during time of drought, is that I had ammo to shoot when others did not. Besides, it’s an enjoyable hobby in itself.

[WRideout]

Now that I am officially retired, I do have more time than money. There are lots of aspects of the shooting sports that are cheaper if one just buys ready made ammo and equipment. However, I like to have things to tinker with. I recover my lead supply from the range backstop, make my own cases for certain calibers, and generally fuss with things that aren't actually that important. I simply enjoy working up a load and shooting ammo that I made. That includes 9mm and 45 ACP.

Wayne

[MT Gianni]

9 mm costs with me already owning a lead pot and mold. 125 gr bullet with lead cost of $1 a lb. 7000 gr/125 = 56 or $0.017 per bullet. 3.5 gr pistol powder bought at $38 a lb. 7000/3.5=2000 shots per lb or $0.019 powder costs. Primers @ $80 per K or $0.08 each. Total cost per 100 rounds $1.70 + $1.90 + 8=$11.60 per hundred rounds. Add 40 cents for powder coating, electricity and equipment failures. If you can buy bulk ammo for $6 per 50 you are equalizing costs. If you are like some of us and are still working on $20 powder and $35 per K primers you can only smile.
The given in this is that all costs will rise. Are you prudent and can budget ahead?

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Besides, it's fun! :D

DG

[higgins]

I started reloading in the 1960s with .38 spl. and .243 Win. I added new cartridges along the way, but I've had my equipment so long it paid for itself decades ago. Reloading is not as much fun as it used to be; I now load to shoot, not to experiment much except when I change powder. I've even got jacketed rifle and pistol bullets on hand that I bought so long ago I can almost consider them free now. Whatever rounds I'm breaking even on, I'm coming out way ahead on rounds like .45 Colt, and centerfire rifle (using the bullets bought or traded for long ago).

[jimb16]

I look at reloading as an insurance policy. When things go south and ammo is unobtainable, I've got plenty. I've never had any problem having plenty of ammo in any caliber that I shoot. I really don't give a tinkers darn if it is RN or hollow point or SWC. it works and I always have it available in quantity.

[BJung]

I agree. Same here. I reload and cast to save money to buy other components like powder and primers.

[TribunusSanGeorgii]

I can reload 9mm for $0.08/rd with cast boolits, $0.12 with some cheap FMJ I stocked up on. All components bought within the last 2 years also.
Even with the FMJ that's half price or better than factory 9mm.

.45 I'm loading cast boolits for $.08 or better.

Yeah that's totally worth it. YMMV

[billmc2]

I only started reloading a couple of years ago, I guess right about the time that the plague started. A little while after that I started casting. I'm doing it so I can learn how to do it. Other reasons are for when shortages happen I can still get ammo and I have it stuck in my head that reloading is cheaper than buying factory ammo (I can be perfectly happy living with my delusions). As for my molds, I'm aligned with the OP, I don't have a single round nose mold.

Its only recently that, because of hand loading, I'm starting to get an understanding of a particular cartridge's capabilities versus another cartridge and that within one cartridge's range, there's not that much of a performance difference (ie, a hot load vs a mild load).

I had to retire early do to health conditions. I can no longer do things I used to like doing (boats and airplanes). Compared to those past activities, this shooting stuff thing is relatively cheap. I'm not say that it doesn't cost to do, just that it doesn't cost to do as much as the other things do. I also can shoot just outside my door, so that helps as well. Age is bringing physical limitations that I'm still fighting against acknowledging, but so far I can still pull a trigger; don't see the sights very well, but can still pull a trigger.

[GhostHawk]

I have 9mm factory loads that I bought before the last shortage for 24 cents ea.

That does not mean I don't load my own cast boolit 9's.

With primers going so high I have curtailed my shooting. I have a good stash of lead, powder and primers and I'd rather not deplete it.

On the other hand I just picked up a new to me pistol in .32acp. So I sat down and cranked out 80 rounds so I can have a few to burn and a box of 50 to keep with the pistol.

Luckily enough I found 2 partial boxes of CCI SPP's. 50 in one and 30 in the other. Well done and done! Loaded them in the RCBS universal hand primer and primed them up.

Charged with 2 grains of Red Dot slip a .314 90 gr truncated cone over the powder and crimped them up. Call me a happy camper, felt good to be casting and reloading.

[GasGuzzler]

This question gets posted on every gun forum whenever a big price change or shortage happens. 9mm is actually easily available for less than $0.20 per round now. .45 AUTO is just over $0.30.

I didn't learn to reload to save money. I learned so I could make my own if/when we can't buy it any more. Also like to make better than OEM but that's not always the case with pistol ammo.

[HWooldridge]

I don’t have a 9mm so that’s off the table, but loaded 45 ACP for many years. I have a buddy who used to go through it by the boatload and he would pick up most of his brass, so he would usually give me a bag with 495 shells or something similar. Beggars can’t be choosers.

I also watch for special buys and got a deal a few years ago on a custom run by a small company - it was $100 for 1000 rounds of FMJ. I had to send the money ahead of time then waited several months before delivery; it eventually arrived and shoots just fine, but has an oddball headstamp so somebody probably bought a big batch of scrap brass and loaded them.

[charlie b]

I started reloading and casting over 40 years ago so I could afford to shoot my 1911. I could reload for about the price of .22LR (free milsurp cases, free wheel weights, pay for primers and powder).

I didn't shoot that much, maybe 1000rnds a year. After about 20 years I slowed shooting a lot. Reloading went into storage and got rid of casting stuff.

A few years ago (after retirement) I got the bug to shoot again, but, this time rifles. Bought a .223 cause of cheap ammo. It was cheap...and not very accurate. I am not interested in a rifle (or handgun) that is not accurate. For rifles that means MOA or less (sometimes much less :) ). So, I got out my reloading stuff, bought some dies and started back again. Then found that I liked the more expensive bullets.

I bought a .308 with the express purpose of shooting cast to save money on bullets. Got everything up and going. When political stuff started getting sketchy I bought molds for my pistols as well, just in case.

So, I can't afford to buy several hundred rounds of match rifle ammo every month. I can afford the custom bullets, so that's why I reload.

But, I also seem to enjoy the challenge of making accurate rifle bullets. The 6BR is fun making tiny little groups with the custom match bullets, but, it is just as much fun for me to make slightly larger groups with bullets I cast in the .308.

I haven't reloaded for pistols for several years. I haven't fired one for a couple years. So, if I wanted to go shoot for a day I'd just buy some ammo.

Bottom line is, everyone has a different reason why they reload and why they cast. For some it is simply money. Others it is performance. And some it is just a hobby they enjoy.

[Rapier]

I shot cast in competition for so long I would not know what to do with jacketed, so there is that and when I cast, I use one alloy that produces fully filed out and very consistent bullets by weight. If I just wanted to throw junk down range, I could throw rocks as accurate as half the shooters I see at the range. So there is that very real aspect of reloading, improved accuracy and improved performance.
Too many shooters think that just shooting, is real practice, and that is 100% false. The multiple controls required to shoot well are way more important than blowing rounds down range and in addition how do you begain to know what is wrong if your ammo does not perform well, you just do not know unless you have the best ammo you can, if every other aspect is OK.

[Daekar]

I must not have communicated my point very well.

I can buy 9mm 115 FMJ for .26 a round. I get that. I can load 9mm with MP 35 for less than that. Your value for your time is yours, not mine to decide.

I would rather have 1000 rounds of the MP bullet loaded when the time comes I need it instead of 1000 rounds of a plated RN.

Apparently I am in the minority. I'm not talking about "plinking" ammo. Why should all your ammo not be zombie apocalypse ammo since you control what boolit gets loaded?
Tony

This is really how I feel. I don't buy any molds that are not suitable for actual serious use, so everything has a defense/hunting grade profile, meplat, etc. The ammo I plink with is the ammo I carry, and after years of doing things the "normal" way I would never go back. All my ammo is useful, and it doesn't take any more effort to make it so.

I started reloading because I was sick of always having 7 different types of ammo in the same cartridge, none of which shot the same, to the same point of aim, etc. It was maddening. Now everything is exactly the way I want it every time.

[elmacgyver0]

Why reload when you can be drinking beer and watching tv?

[imashooter2]

I don’t load 9mm. It’s my only chambering I don’t roll my own. The pay off just isn’t enough to justify it in my position.

.45 ACP has always been worth loading. Even when I was younger and trading money for time, you could buy bullets and load for half the cost of factory.

[armoredman]

I take a different point of view: I cast bullets and reload ammunition because I like doing it. The economics of cast loads vs factory ammo never enters my mind. I try to spend my free time doing things I like, and it is restful and restorative to craft my own ammunition. Shooting is fun, but reloading is also fun. I don't reload as a necessity to go shooting; casting & reloading is a goal within itself. I reload lots of calibers, 45 acp and 9mm included, and even if it cost more to cast my own I'd still do it.

Exactly. While yes, I do save money by handloading, even with JHP in 9mm, I also enjoy it, so it is a hobby, and the amount of money spent really doesn't enter in.

[Electrod47]

I take a different point of view: I cast bullets and reload ammunition because I like doing it. The economics of cast loads vs factory ammo never enters my mind. I try to spend my free time doing things I like, and it is restful and restorative to craft my own ammunition. Shooting is fun, but reloading is also fun. I don't reload as a necessity to go shooting; casting & reloading is a goal within itself. I reload lots of calibers, 45 acp and 9mm included, and even if it cost more to cast my own I'd still do it.

We are soulmates my friend.....

[45_Colt]

OK, I'm confused. I thought we reloaded so that we could shoot more. Not to save money??? :Fire::Fire:

45_Colt

[GONRA]

GONRA started off with 9mm Luger & .45 ACP. (Range Brass, Cast Boolits! !!)
BUT - fIrst class reloading stuff..... (Hollywood, Redding, Lyman /Ideal) GO FOR IT !

[pworley1]

If I loaded only to save money, I should be breaking even any year now.

[imashooter2]

If I loaded only to save money, I should be breaking even any year now.

I wouldn’t say the object was to save money so much as it is to shoot more with the funds I have available. :drinks:

[Harter66]

35 cal
380, 38 Short, 38 Special, 357 , 358 Win .
Across the 5 I have 3 bullets that are well shared and 2 that can be used in all 5 the 125gr is a little much for the 380 but drilled HP its good to go at 100 gr and the 95 is a little light in the 358 .

45 ....
Gap , ACP , S&W , Colts , and 460 .
5 cartridges , 6 bullets , 5 cross over for all 5 and there's enough twist for all 6 , but a 350 RF probably isn't a good idea even in the S&W let alone the autos .

Almost all of my brass is multiple cycles by me . I have a bunch of Colts that I've shot so much they are down to 1.265-8 , a far cry from 1.285 .
The brass is free .
Although it's very sad it took me a decade to burn that last 12# in the 15# can of Unique Dad gave me now I just have 10# of Herco and 20# of Unique left . I did pay 118 for the one 8# of Unique so it's not like it was all gifted .
The primer stash ........most of the boxes are stickered 32 to 40/1000 its unlikely I'll use them all but it could happen.
Most of my lead is range metal , free WW , and $100 worth of lino .


Now at 56,000gr in the 8# using 3.5 gr per round that's 16,000 rounds of 9mm for 118 + (16×36) ......comes out .043375 per round .

Now if I shift over to the 45s ACP , AR ,and Schofield get the same 5.5 gr under the 250 and 6 under the 200&230 ...... Nickle a round actually $0.049337 and that's long because I did it for the full 10k primers not the actual 9,739 rounds of 5.75 gr per .

I know I'm never going to buy 36/1000 primers again, nobody is every going to just give me 8# of 4831 , 20# of Unique, or 10# of Herco ever again. I'm 57 have chemical induced liver disease and as it stands today probably no heirs to the stuff so I may as well enjoy it for the next 498 Saturdays.

Even at double the price of powder and primers using my actual 4.0 for the 9mm thats still only a dime a round for either one and less for the 380 .

I reload to save money and shoot more ......only since the move 5 yr ago and my Dad passing away 7 weeks later I haven't done a whole lot of shooting. In fact I don't think I've fired 1000 rounds since then . I had really looked forward to that ......

To really save money reloading ..........12¢ vs 26¢ ,120/1000 vs 260/1000. Now I don't know it's up to you , is it worthwhile to save $140/1000 ?

Now I load a lot more 45 Colts and 45-70 than 9mm and 45ACP .
At 5600 rounds from the 8# and doubling what I paid it still only comes out 112.50/1000 at a paltry $0.1125 per round . Even if I add another $30 for lead at a buck a lb to the Colts and 60 to the 45-70 it's cheaper than buying fmj 9mm and way under the 135 I paid for the first 100 .

At a buck a bullet for TTSX , 50¢ for powder , and a dime for a primer beats $48/20 for 264 WM .......... 240/100 vs 160 .

Ok I'll cave a little.
$50 for dies
$100 for a good mould
$35 for a size die
So it's 185 bucks for a new to me cartridge in a new caliber . I have moulds for 17calibers from 22-50 and size dies for most of them . I don't size C&B or ML shot . No slug mould but I do have a .690 RB for 12 ga . So unless I practically steal a 6mm I don't want , 338 I'd kind of like to have but won't do anything the 358 will , or 40-60 Winchester I don't see me buying any more moulds I have a few wish book cartridges but they really wouldn't be useful here for the most part . As a result no more dies and really I have a dozen or more I could sell and never miss .


Maybe I'm missing something but BOGO has always been a selling point for.me .

[AlaskaMike]

I know that some folks count the cost of their time as part of the cost of reloading equation, but I don't. Same with bullet casting. I enjoy both activities. Just like I don't count the cost of my time while shooting, or any other fun activity.

Given that I picked up about 1000 lbs of wheel weights for free when I started bullet casting and I don't count my time, my bullets are free. I can load my target 9mm and .45 Auto ammo for less than the cost of .22 LR ammo, and as mentioned several times, it's much higher quality than most any commercial ammo. Even my high end 9mm and .45 Auto loads are a fraction of the cost of the commercial equivalents.

It will definitely continue to be worth it for me to reload 9mm and .45 Auto, certainly for the rest of my lifetime.

[Lloyd Smale]

i load piles of 9s. i stiil have 6- 5 pound kegs of pr200 (aa2) brass? free or at least cheap and i have THOUSANDS of them. cast bullets cost me nothing so loading them takes between 3.5 and 5 grains of powder and a primer (that i stocked up on before the prices skyrocked) even at todays primer costs i can load them at under (way under) 15 bucks a hundred. now if you are the type that considers 50 round at the range once a month shootin maybe its not worth the bother but im at the range 3 times a week for 8 months of the year and easily go through 500 rounds a week and thats a slow week. ill even say this. i can load 9s so cheap that i rarely bother with 22lr anymore

[muskeg13]

I was lucky to start casting and reloading at the same time 48 years ago. Even though I occasionally buy jacketed bullets, except for .22LR and some shotgun, I haven't purchased any factory rifle or pistol ammo for over 20 years. I load and cast for over 2 dozen calibers, mostly because I like to. It's my hobby. I even got a .22 Hornet to be able to cast and load if .22LR became unavailable, which it did. On a practical note, I started a stockpile of primers and powder during the Clinton shortages in the early 1990s, and really expanded it after Obama was elected in 2008. I'm not affected by ammo shortages or the threat of government taxation. I also broke down and bought a 9mm to put to use the thousands of discarded cases that I've picked up off of ranges for years. Each time I come back from the range, I have many more empty reloadable cases than what I expended myself. So thanks to those of you who feel that 9mm and .45 ACP aren't worth reloading.

[fredj338]

At current component cost, i can load any service caliber for about 9-10c each using my cast/coated & range brass. How is it not worth reloading? Many point to time, well just buy better gear. On my 650, 600rds an hour is loafing along, so time isnt a big factor. $100/1000 for 9 or 45, pretty cheap shooting.

[Lloyd Smale]

At current component cost, i can load any service caliber for about 9-10c each using my cast/coated & range brass. How is it not worth reloading? Many point to time, well just buy better gear. On my 650, 600rds an hour is loafing along, so time isnt a big factor. $100/1000 for 9 or 45, pretty cheap shooting.

should be a "like" button here

[charlie b]

Currently 9mm is only $240 per 1000. So you save a bit over 50%. Again, if you shoot a lot it makes a difference. When I am only shooting a couple hundred pistol rounds per year (if that much) it doesn't.

I even have all the components on the shelf. Just not worth my trouble to set up the press to save $15-$30.

[dverna]

Very few people have any business experience…most have no business sense.

If you believe your alloy is free, you are in that group of business ignorance. 25 lbs of alloy has a value…it is not “free”. Likely worth about $30.

Do you believe the primers you bought for $20/k are only worth $20? Same for powder…I had $10/lb powder I sold for a wee bit more than $10. Even your free range pickup cases have some value….$25/k?

All that to demonstrate if you think your reloads are $100/k, you are delusional.

I use $75/k for primers, $1.50/lb for alloy and $45/lb for powder to determine the cost of reloads. I value my time at $15/hr. I do not cast or reload for fun. I have better ways to have fun. I manufacture pistol ammunition primarily for cast savings

And speaking of time, I use decent equipment. Dillon 1050 for loading pistol ammunition, Master Caster to cast, and Star lubersizer. It takes me 5 hours to produce 1000 rounds if I cast my own bullets.

When I was shooting 20k rounds a year, I bought pistol bullets. Back then I was paying $50/k for 9mm and .38 bullets by buying in lots of 20-50k. The cost of alloy was $20/k. Spending over 3 hours to save $30 on 1000 bullets did not make sense in the circumstances I was in.

[armoredman]

Well, my alloy WAS free, given to me by a buddy who was doing a range cleanup, given to another buddy who smelted it down into useable ingots for plinking loads. So maybe someone else paid for it, it was free to me. Same with brass, same buddy gets range pickup .223, .308 and 9mm for me in a bucket. Free to me, I didn't pay for it. My primers, well, some I paid for, some my wife paid for, some a buddy gave to me, so the ones from those two are, again, free to me. Checking, nope, not delusional. I see you don't reload for fun, that's cool - I enjoy it, a productive and fun hobby that is relaxing to me. Also, I don't cost my time - if I want to make money, I'll go work overtime. Otherwise, time I spend reloading would be wasted watching TV, playing computer games, cooking, (never a waste of time, love cooking, too), or something else that doesn't make money. But hey, everybody has their own thing, of course. And no, I don't have a lot of business experience - I work for the state. ;) My job has nothing to do with business.

[fredj338]

Currently 9mm is only $240 per 1000. So you save a bit over 50%. Again, if you shoot a lot it makes a difference. When I am only shooting a couple hundred pistol rounds per year (if that much) it doesn't.

I even have all the components on the shelf. Just not worth my trouble to set up the press to save $15-$30.

100%, reloading isnt for everyone. If i only shot 50rds of ammo a month, i would not likely reload. I reload for everything i shoot but 12ga. Even if it was 20rds a year for deer season, i would reload for it. I already uave the gear, setting up to load is just a few minutes.

[fredj338]

Very few people have any business experience…most have no business sense.

If you believe your alloy is free, you are in that group of business ignorance. 25 lbs of alloy has a value…it is not “free”. Likely worth about $30.

Do you believe the primers you bought for $20/k are only worth $20? Same for powder…I had $10/lb powder I sold for a wee bit more than $10. Even your free range pickup cases have some value….$25/k?

All that to demonstrate if you think your reloads are $100/k, you are delusional.

I use $75/k for primers, $1.50/lb for alloy and $45/lb for powder to determine the cost of reloads. I value my time at $15/hr. I do not cast or reload for fun. I have better ways to have fun. I manufacture pistol ammunition primarily for cast savings

And speaking of time, I use decent equipment. Dillon 1050 for loading pistol ammunition, Master Caster to cast, and Star lubersizer. It takes me 5 hours to produce 1000 rounds if I cast my own bullets.

When I was shooting 20k rounds a year, I bought pistol bullets. Back then I was paying $50/k for 9mm and .38 bullets by buying in lots of 20-50k. The cost of alloy was $20/k. Spending over 3 hours to save $30 on 1000 bullets did not make sense in the circumstances I was in.
Well if i don't pay for something, its free, regardless of its value. So yes, one can say their ammo cost this otpr that based on $$ out of their pocket. I dont pay for pistol brass or alloy for casting. My gear was bought decades ago & amortized over 8-10k rds a year. That isnt business ignorance, just reality my friend.
Nope i am way past reloading for fun over 45y reloading. I do enjoy bullet casting & coating but resizing is like reloading, something to just get finished.

[sixshot]

So what does a person do with their time, just stand in a corner, play on the computer, talk on the phone? We all have to have a worthwhile hobby & I think most people on here must like to cast & shoot. If you are trying to put a value on it everyone can do it a different way but I can tell you one thing, shooting factory ammo isn't the way to do it. That is unless you've hit the lottery or something, most of us try to spread the money around a little, maybe even share with our wives or help the kids with school. If you are going to be a shooter you had better learn to reload........ I think.

Dick

[trapper9260]

It is worth it for me to load my own , as for casting for 9mm , I use most of the same boolits that I use for 357 mag /38spl . in 9mm. It is one of my hobbies and what I like to do. How I like to spend my time is up to me like anyone else . When things was dry and everyone was worry about buying ammo when it was hard to find .I still had all I wanted and more if I wanted. I was at one time going low on 22lr and I came up with a cartridge to fill the space since I use them on the trap line. Then when the 22lr price went down and easy to get at the time I got what I needed. Since it is the only one I do not load for. Also load your own . You do not need to buy different ammo to see what will work the best for your use. You just load so many and see what it gives you and go from there. Some of us can not buy factory ammo that easy . When you load your own you have it there . Oh by the way as for primers and powders you can use them in other cartridges also some of the cast boolits. As for the dies . once you have them , it is not a thing you need to get all the time. Same as the molds. It works for me.

[Lloyd Smale]

all comes down to how much you shoot. i have toys that cost much more thn my ammo. side by side atvs snowmobiles a boat 4 vehicles and only two of us in the house. they to me are hobbys. my obsession is shooting. if i could make gas or make a snowmobile or an atv as good myself for half the price id be out there turning a wrench and complaining. i could probably buy every toy i have for the money ive saved over the last 50 years by casting and loading my own ammo. went to camp last weekend and two of my nephews were there. between the 3 of us we shot one of those tall coffee cans of 9mm. probably close to a thousand rounds. add to that 500 rounds of 556. wonder what that would have cost me to buy? i dont value it at todays prices because i was smart enough to buy components when the were much cheaper and have a stock pile big enough to load till im to old to stand behind a dillon. heck ive probably got enough ammo loaded and sitting here that i could probably never have to load again for any caliber and honestly havent pulled the handle on a press in over a year. Now if i had to replace any of my components then it would be valued at todays prices. like i said i get joy out of knowing i made my own. its like the difference between making a pan of lasagna or buying more expensive frozen Stoffers that isnt as good. your NEVER going to get the best accuracy out of a gun without working up loads. so reloading 9s gives me better ammo the factory at half the price and gives me the ability to go to camo and sit 1500 rounds of ammo on the bench and make memories that are priceless. if i would have had to stop and buy it they might have seen 2 boxes of each.

[BobT]

I don't shoot enough 9mm to bother reloading it but .45 ACP is another matter. I love shooting my .45s and I cast and reload for them. The cost is not really something I consider too much, the quality of what I can load myself is my main motivation. Reloading is a hobby for me and I find it relaxing and enjoyable to the point that I have actually burned through ammo just so I could reload the fired cases. For my pistol and revolver ammo I try to find a single bullet that works well in any of my guns for that caliber. For me, yes, it's worth it to reload either cartridge but even though I have a tool head set up for my 550B for 9mm I just don't use it.

[Four-Sixty]

I don't worry about the economic benefits of reloading anymore. The benefits of reloading for me are;
1. If I am reloading, I am not sitting on the couch streaming something I really don't care about
2. If I am reloading, I am not reading the news (propaganda) wasting my time being upset over something I have no control over
3. After I've reloaded, I have ammo to shoot up, so I have an excuse to get outside, into the great outdoors, where I get to meet other passionate people.

Talking about the cost of powder, primers and lead only completely ignores other intangible benefits of reloading. But, who even cares what I think?

(Oh, one more thing these threads don't consider. A budget. We all have a budget. When all you do is break down component cost, you forget we have a budget we are constrained by. Example: if you have $250 for ammo a year for example, you can buy around 650 rounds of 9MM. If, on the other hand, you have access to a range, free 9MM brass and lead, plus the tools to cast and reload, you can reload 2,000 rounds a year.)

[35 Rem]

I would think the crowd on this site wouldn't be overly affected by current component prices since most are prone to buy large quantities during the good times so they don't have to during the shortages. I can shoot 45 ACP for about 5 cents a round with the components on hand now that I've got a berm in the yard so that bullets can be recovered and used again and again. Got 10lbs of surplus powder a few months ago delivered for $214 and have 13K or more primers that were all bought for somewhere between $20 and $30 per 1,000. Have a lifetime supply of brass so that is basically free like the bullets. There is no way factory ammo is ever going to sell for a price that can compete with my loads. Now I agree that if you are just starting out and have to buy powder at $65/lb and primers for $95/1,000 and lead at multiple $'s a pound the cost savings of loading your own starts to dwindle fast.

On to the point of the OP about loading ammo that performs more like the costlier factory ammo to sort of make the reloads "worth more". I guess that all depends on how you look at the value. Of course you can cast a flat nose bullet (which is usually more effective) just as easily as a round nose (usually less effective) so you might as well do the more effective bullet. These in turn more closely simulate the more expensive factory defensive ammo. So far I do try to do that with my 44 Magnum and 45 Colt cast bullets but not the 45ACP. With it I was striving for absolute reliability and cheap fun shooting.

[Lloyd Smale]

I would think the crowd on this site wouldn't be overly affected by current component prices since most are prone to buy large quantities during the good times so they don't have to during the shortages. I can shoot 45 ACP for about 5 cents a round with the components on hand now that I've got a berm in the yard so that bullets can be recovered and used again and again. Got 10lbs of surplus powder a few months ago delivered for $214 and have 13K or more primers that were all bought for somewhere between $20 and $30 per 1,000. Have a lifetime supply of brass so that is basically free like the bullets. There is no way factory ammo is ever going to sell for a price that can compete with my loads. Now I agree that if you are just starting out and have to buy powder at $65/lb and primers for $95/1,000 and lead at multiple $'s a pound the cost savings of loading your own starts to dwindle fast.

On to the point of the OP about loading ammo that performs more like the costlier factory ammo to sort of make the reloads "worth more". I guess that all depends on how you look at the value. Of course you can cast a flat nose bullet (which is usually more effective) just as easily as a round nose (usually less effective) so you might as well do the more effective bullet. These in turn more closely simulate the more expensive factory defensive ammo. So far I do try to do that with my 44 Magnum and 45 Colt cast bullets but not the 45ACP. With it I was striving for absolute reliability and cheap fun shooting.

youd be surprised at how many dont share our train of thought. i get guys all the time asking me to sell them primers and powder and bullets. not poor people either. some that have more disposable income then me. the real tools are the ones that offer a pidence because they know i bought them cheap and are to tight to pay todays prices. some of my friends even tried that game. at first i caved and sold them some. then i tired of it and told them id do it at todays prices and only to friends. then i finally clamped down and told them to go one line and find their own.

same with cast bullets. in the past i gave them away by the coffee can, even loaded ammo. but had to stop that too because it beats the hell out of this old body to cast coat and size a coffee can full of bullets. i think they believed the lead fairy came at night and made them. i sure tend to get fewer visits these days but to me thats a good thing. ive even offered a couple of then access to my loading room to load their own and have told a few they can even use mt lead and cast their own. ive yet to have a single one of them take me up on that offer.

i even had one tool that came over during the 22lr shortage crying that he wanted to take his son to camp shooting. i asked him how many he needed and he said two bricks. i put them on the table and he picked them up and started to leave without even offering to buy them. i said nicely "hold on. i need 20 bucks a brick for them" his reply was how much a box. i told him im not selling them buy the box, take the bricks or forget it. he sat one back on the table and gave me 20 bucks with a scowl and took off without even saying thanks. i heard through a mutual friend that he sold 5 off them at work for 5 bucks a box and kept the other 5 and made money off of it and that friend told mt also that his kid has no interest in his camp or shooting. that was my breaking point for 22 shells.

had a couple others ask later and i said yup for 20 bucks a box of 50! none of then showed up after the call. aint my fault if you didnt have enough components to keep you going for 5 years minimum. im sure theres guys here like that too. they dont bat an eyelash at buying a new gun or some chrome for there harley or pickup but will go into the store and come out with one or two packs a primers

[fredj338]

youd be surprised at how many dont share our train of thought. i get guys all the time asking me to sell them primers and powder and bullets. not poor people either. some that have more disposable income then me. the real tools are the ones that offer a pidence because they know i bought them cheap and are to tight to pay todays prices. some of my friends even tried that game. at first i caved and sold them some. then i tired of it and told them id do it at todays prices and only to friends. then i finally clamped down and told them to go one line and find their own.

same with cast bullets. in the past i gave them away by the coffee can, even loaded ammo. but had to stop that too because it beats the hell out of this old body to cast coat and size a coffee can full of bullets. i think they believed the lead fairy came at night and made them. i sure tend to get fewer visits these days but to me thats a good thing. ive even offered a couple of then access to my loading room to load their own and have told a few they can even use mt lead and cast their own. ive yet to have a single one of them take me up on that offer.

i even had one tool that came over during the 22lr shortage crying that he wanted to take his son to camp shooting. i asked him how many he needed and he said two bricks. i put them on the table and he picked them up and started to leave without even offering to buy them. i said nicely "hold on. i need 20 bucks a brick for them" his reply was how much a box. i told him im not selling them buy the box, take the bricks or forget it. he sat one back on the table and gave me 20 bucks with a scowl and took off without even saying thanks. i heard through a mutual friend that he sold 5 off them at work for 5 bucks a box and kept the other 5 and made money off of it and that friend told mt also that his kid has no interest in his camp or shooting. that was my breaking point for 22 shells.

had a couple others ask later and i said yup for 20 bucks a box of 50! none of then showed up after the call. aint my fault if you didnt have enough components to keep you going for 5 years minimum. im sure theres guys here like that too. they dont bat an eyelash at buying a new gun or some chrome for there harley or pickup but will go into the store and come out with one or two packs a primers
I have shooting buds that didnt see 2020 coming. Some were paying $200+ for 1000 primers end of 2020. They all know i had plenty but i never submitted to the pressure of selling. I did get some spp from an old friend who stopped shooting & sold them to friends at my cost of $40 per, he had paid $20. I could give bullets away too, but while i enjoy casting, it is work & time.

[justindad]

What Don is getting at is opportunity cost. If someone gave you 100 pounds of lead, you have an opportunity to sell it for $200-$300.
*
Suppose you can:
1) make 1,000 rounds per hour (casting, loading, everything)
2) buy equivalent 1,000 rounds for $500
3) make soap and sell it for a net profit of $600/hr.
If everything used to create those 1,000 rounds is free, you are still losing $100/hr making your own ammo. It would make more business sense to make & sell soap. Then you would have 1,000 rounds plus $100, not just 1,000 rounds.
*
Now if you enjoy making ammo &/or hate making soap, then consider that $100 opportunity cost as the expense of entertainment or self-medication. Technically speaking, those 1,000 rounds were not free. Practically speaking, those rounds were free.

[Three44s]

Economics is only part of the equation.

Personal preferences also weigh in.

Take work for instance: If a person has a job that pays X amount but hates it. Is that person wrong to take a pay cut to be more happy? It's personal preference!

Money is not everything in life.

My preference is to be self sufficient in the ability to bear arms. Handloading allows me to shoot more with better ammo suited to my needs and perform better in my guns. I buy ammo at times for various reasons but I also handload for every single gun I can except rimfire. I might take that up as well. I might take up recycling cenerfire primers also for the reason of self sufficiency.

I recently found a set of swaging dies for a reasonable price in .224 so I can expand into J words there. My casting bottoms out at .257" thus far.

You can buy a big pile of anything but it is still a finite quantity. When it runs out, you are out. The more self reliant you are, the more you can work around shortages. Also, I believe that shortages in the future will get worse, not easier.

..... and if I am wrong, then we will all be the better for it!

Three44s

[Budzilla 19]

9mm and 45? I’m going to load them like I have always, for economy and because.............. I like doing it! Budget? Yep, got one of them, too, since retirement kicked in! My stash of lead and components I bought while working, I’m in the same boat as the others on here as far stacking it deep. Scrounging, shopping, and just plain old good luck, I’m set to load 9&45 till I get tired of loading them! It is definitely worth it to me to reload these two calibers, at least in my humble opinion only. As for others, I don’t know your particular situation, so......

[45_Colt]

I think that one thing missing here are the loads themselves. If one wants to shoot full-on ball 230 gr FMJ, can just buy it easy enough.

But since I've been shooting a lot, and with reduced loads, say 185gr and 200 gr with 5.2gr of 231, or Bullseye (among others). Don't we need to reload? I don't know of how else to get these (somewhat lighter) loads.

Here is another load, for 50ft indoor use:

Bullseye 3.0gr 185gr SWC (183gr bevel base)

Unless self loaded, I don't see purchasing these rounds.

As for cost, umm..., what difference does that make? I'm shootin', ain't I?

45_Colt

[dverna]

A difficult discussion. We cannot agree if the primers we bought years ago for $20/k are $20/k or $80/k.

A person who enjoys reloading and casting has a different perspective than someone who only does it to save Monet.

A person who can spend their spare time making $25/hr doing something they enjoy may not want to save $12/hr by casting.

More importantly, we have the ability to justify whatever we want to. What “works” for one person, may sound silly to another…and we all want to think we are right.

Asking the question shows a lack of critical thinking skills…sorry OP. If someone cannot calculate what it costs to cast and reload, they should not be reloading. Determining cost is simple. Then each person can put a value on their time, enjoyment and or drudgery, and special needs.

[Three44s]

There are folks who like to restore automobiles or trucks. Do they make wages doing that?

There are people who golf. Are they keeping up with Tiger Woods? Do they even get a dime for their efforts?

Three44s

[armoredman]

A coworker called me a few days ago asking if I would go shooting with him, since he has Dept Range Qualification on Monday. So, I met him at the local range today, and I brought the ammo. He has a family and bills while I am sitting much better than I have been for a very long time, so he got to burn up 200 rounds of 9mm today at targets my wife bought years ago on the target stands I bought years ago. I didn't ask him for squat. However, he brought his mother, a wonderful older Indian lady, (dot, not feather), and SHE decided to pay me with home made curry, the whole works, chutney, rice, all of it, enough for two meals for me and my loving wife! Now THAT was a good deal! She and my wife spent the time getting to know each other while we shot. Was a great way to start the day. Did I worry about the cost of the ammo or my time? Not one bit, especially since I might need to have this guy back me up at work!

[barnetmill]

A coworker called me a few days ago asking if I would go shooting with him, since he has Dept Range Qualification on Monday. So, I met him at the local range today, and I brought the ammo. He has a family and bills while I am sitting much better than I have been for a very long time, so he got to burn up 200 rounds of 9mm today at targets my wife bought years ago on the target stands I bought years ago. I didn't ask him for squat. However, he brought his mother, a wonderful older Indian lady, (dot, not feather), and SHE decided to pay me with home made curry, the whole works, chutney, rice, all of it, enough for two meals for me and my loving wife! Now THAT was a good deal! She and my wife spent the time getting to know each other while we shot. Was a great way to start the day. Did I worry about the cost of the ammo or my time? Not one bit, especially since I might need to have this guy back me up at work!

That is how people should interact and we certainly need more of it for sure.

[AnthonyB]

All:
This has been a very interesting read (to me) and I thank everyone for their thoughts.

As with most threads here, this one took a turn I never intended, and I even tried to get it back on track! It became a thread about ammo cost, reloading costs, and the value each of us puts on our time. That was not the point of the post, but I understand how the "title" I used turned the thread that way.

A few posters understood the question I intended; most went down the cost/time/opportunity cost rabbit hole. That was not my intention, and I apologize if poor written communication skills led to that discussion.

I asked only one question in the OP:
"My question - are people who feel this way just loading FMJ or RFN cast for blasting ammo?" I even wrote in my clarification post that "Your value for your time is yours, not mine to decide."

1. All of us here have the capability to cast any shape or style of bullet we want, to include HPs.
2. Casting a FN/cast HP costs no more (assuming equal weight, for the opportunity costs guys) than casting a RN, and can be done at the same speed. Casting a HP is a little slower with a Cramer-style mold from MP, but not a great deal. "Your value for your time is yours, not mine to decide." I took time costs out of the equation.
3. Loading a FN/cast HP takes no more time than loading FMJ or RN, no matter how they were obtained.
4. I would rather cast and load the more effective bullet than a purchased FMJ or cast RN.

Comparing a round loaded with FMJ or cast RN to one with a cast WFN/WLN/SWC is comparing apples to small furry marine animals.

5. I can load a more effective bullet for less than I can purchase FMJ factory ammo. That more effective bullets makes the loaded ammo "worth" more to me, so why not do that? That increased "worth" changes the "opportunity costs" versus purchased ammo equation, but remember I never put time into the equation anyway, and explicitly took it out.

I assumed posters spending time (opportunity cost; that time could be spent elsewhere) on a board dedicated to "Cast Boolits" enjoy casting and loading, or at a bare minimum, don't equate it with sheer drudgery or painful labor. Apparently what I learned about assumptions in the Army still holds true today.

Don, you have 2000 XTP's in stock ready to load should need arise. I'm glad you are guaranteed the time to load them when you realize the need is approaching. My crystal ball stopped working long ago, so I'll be forced to face the unexpected with what I have at the time. That ammo will be loaded with a more effective bullet than a FMJ or cast RN. I'll work on my critical thinking skills while you will work on your critical reading skills, okay?[smilie=s:

35 Rem, check out the RCBS 45-230CM. It has proven to be as reliable as RN in every 45 ACP I've tried, so I get that same reliability with a more effective bullet
Tony

[Dusty Bannister]

While I do agree it is necessary to have ammo loaded ahead of need, perhaps some have found the need to break down those loaded rounds and use the components (powder and primer) in a different caliber. That generally ruins the cast bullet until it has been cast again in a usable form. I tend to cast and load for anticipated use, not just blasting ammo. That is the benefit of casting and loading for the common calibers.

[dverna]

Anthony, this is the question posed in your first post.

"Fellas:
I see a lot of posts about particular caliber not being worth reloading given the current cost of components and the CURRENT availability of factory ammo at a certain price level. That level seems to be around .26 per round for 9mm, haven't seen many numbers on 45 ACP.

My question - are people who feel this way just loading FMJ or RN cast for blasting ammo?"

The vast majority of 9mm reloads are practice ammunition. In my case, I have never fired a 9mm at a person or critter. IMO premium jacketed bullets are better for "serious work" so I do not use cast bullets for self-defense loads. For "blasting ammo", I do not need a HP or specific bullet profile/alloy. I buy whatever bullet is economical or cast whatever is easiest to cast.

Changing the initial question to justify what you are doing is "stacking the deck". You do not place a value on your time, but it does have value for others.

If you want to use the same bullet for blasting and self-defense you have made the right choice. It is not the right choice for everyone.

[wwmartin]

I reloaded the original 1 fired 9mm brass I purchased 50 years ago, I believe I paid 3 cent a piece for them and shot them for the next 40 years. The same with 45 acp at 4.5 cent each. It was getting old after reloading only the tooth fairy knows how many times over 40 some years. So I looked at replacing them. Winchester white box, Remington 115 fmj 9mm were selling for around $80 a brick, 45 acp $30 a box of 100. The cost at that time for components cost more than factory loads. If you buy all your components it's still that way for 9mm.
But!
Cast your own and recycle your brass you have a large part of the cost controlled for the next 40 years. You'll loose the brass before you wear it out.
If you have brass and a supply of lead to cast your own yes reloading 9mm &45 acp makes economic sense. I only bought new to accumulate the components (brass).
Lee 6 cavity molds make short work of casting large quantities, I can manage 2 molds at a time once I get them up to temperature.

Bill

[35 Rem]

Yeah, I can see where that RCBS 45-230CM might be a real good 45ACP bullet. It has a nose profile behind the meplate that looks like it would feed in a semi-auto. I had always overlooked it since it's advertised as a cowboy bullet which makes me immediately associate it with the 45 Colt and revolvers.

[txbirdman]

Yeah, I can see where that RCBS 45-230CM might be a real good 45ACP bullet. It has a nose profile behind the meplate that looks like it would feed in a semi-auto. I had always overlooked it since it's advertised as a cowboy bullet which makes me immediately associate it with the 45 Colt and revolvers.

I’ve used that bullet quite often in my Combat Commander and it works very well. Also the weight is “spot on” using COWW.

[fredj338]

While I do agree it is necessary to have ammo loaded ahead of need, perhaps some have found the need to break down those loaded rounds and use the components (powder and primer) in a different caliber. That generally ruins the cast bullet until it has been cast again in a usable form. I tend to cast and load for anticipated use, not just blasting ammo. That is the benefit of casting and loading for the common calibers.
Agree. I keep about 500rds max of any caliber i shoot often. Stock piling 1000s of rds is reducing my primer supply for no real good reason. Shtf, i can only carry so much & then if staying in place, plenty of time to reload.

[quilbilly]

I guess it just depends on what you are asking the projectiles to do.

[BNE]

I take a different point of view: I cast bullets and reload ammunition because I like doing it. The economics of cast loads vs factory ammo never enters my mind. I try to spend my free time doing things I like, and it is restful and restorative to craft my own ammunition. Shooting is fun, but reloading is also fun. I don't reload as a necessity to go shooting; casting & reloading is a goal within itself. I reload lots of calibers, 45 acp and 9mm included, and even if it cost more to cast my own I'd still do it.



Same. I started reloading 9mm ammo at first just because I could.....My daughter shot in college competitions and I started loading for her (and Me) then. Now I just enjoy making my own. I think my thinking is also that I want to BE ABLE TO HAVE ammo if I can't find it.

BNE

[AnthonyB]

Don:
It is obvious you refuse to read my original post in its entirety, along with the others I made to clarify where I might have been unclear. That is ok; I'm not looking for your approval nor trying to justify anything to anyone. However, even a very brief reading of the first few posts would reveal that I took time out of the equation, and I did not change the question.

I get it; you don't like to cast or load ammo. But, you make my point for me when you write that you "...cast whatever is easiest to cast." A FN is just as easy to cast as a RN, so why bother with the less effective bullet? That was my point. And I can load the more effective bullet for less cost than the standard cheap FMJ ammo, so consider that a win all-around.

I don't really "choose" to use cast for defense. I will use whatever is in the pistol when it is needed. That may be at the range when I am practicing, and is as likely a scenario as any I may encounter other than an animal attack while I'm loafing in the woods with a handgun loaded with cast bullets. The Army teaches that the enemy gets a vote, and I don't get to differentiate between "practice" and real world ammo. With no additional costs to me, why wouldn't I want the more effective bullet with all else being equal?

I wasn't trying to convert the world to my point of view. I was just trying to understand a point of view that didn't make sense to me. Others apparently understood, and I'll let this conversation go now.
Tony

[barnetmill]

Agree. I keep about 500rds max of any caliber i shoot often. Stock piling 1000s of rds is reducing my primer supply for no real good reason. Shtf, i can only carry so much & then if staying in place, plenty of time to reload.

Storing ammo for bad stuff hitting the horizontal ventilator I prefer jacketed ammo with a primer and bullet seal. For such I prefer 9x19, 5.56x45, 7.62x39 & 54 and also 7.62 nato.

[sigep1764]

I don't load 45, but I load 9mm. I cast HPs and only load them. They are my self defense loads and practice ammo. Brass was bought years ago and some I can't even read the head stamp on any more. My time has no value for me when casting or loading. Current component cost for me is makes it cost effective for me to do this. I haven't fired a jacketed or factory produced round in a few years outside of 22lr or shotgun shells.

[fredj338]

Storing ammo for bad stuff hitting the horizontal ventilator I prefer jacketed ammo with a primer and bullet seal. For such I prefer 9x19, 5.56x45, 7.62x39 & 54 and also 7.62 nato.
I get that, but one can seal primers & bullets in handloads. Cast/coated, just as good as jacketed for almost free. I have couple cases of 223 in ammo cans, same for 9mm & 12ga but unless i am staying put, not hauling much ammo in a back pack, which is what happens when you can longer drive the 4x4.

[armoredman]

I have fired reloads I made 17 years ago without issue. No sealant on the primer/bullet other than friction, just put in either plastic boxes or plastic baggies.

[trapper9260]

I have ammo that I loaded back in the mid 80s and it is cast and nothing else was done then just load them and they shoot fine. It all comes to how you store them. I also have 22lr that was bought in the 70s and shoots just fine. They are hollow points. also regular lead like Wildcats.

[Lloyd Smale]

ive got cans of ammo i know is at least 15 years old. its stored in a storage shacl that is not heated or ventilated. its sat through temps below zero in the winter and hot and humid in the summer. ive yet to have one round not fire other then a can of 38s i loaded with lee tumble lubed bullets where the heat cause the lube to contmite the powder. after some miss fires i pulled the bullets from a bunch of them an found contaminated powder clumped on the bullets. anymore i wont use tumble lubed bullets and if i was to it would have to be ammo i was going to shoot right up and not bet my familys lives on. its the main reason pc has been such a game changer.

[barnetmill]

ive got cans of ammo i know is at least 15 years old. its stored in a storage shacl that is not heated or ventilated. its sat through temps below zero in the winter and hot and humid in the summer. ive yet to have one round not fire other then a can of 38s i loaded with lee tumble lubed bullets where the heat cause the lube to contmite the powder. after some miss fires i pulled the bullets from a bunch of them an found contaminated powder clumped on the bullets. anymore i wont use tumble lubed bullets and if i was to it would have to be ammo i was going to shoot right up and not bet my familys lives on. its the main reason pc has been such a game changer.
I have had purchased cast bullets fail to fire after a long trip in a car trunk. Before I knew better I have had .22 rimfire go inert from oil. Many members of my club including me had a bunch of .22 rimfire misfire or stick bullets in bore. The vendor had stored them in a trailer.

[barnetmill]

I get that, but one can seal primers & bullets in handloads. Cast/coated, just as good as jacketed for almost free. I have couple cases of 223 in ammo cans, same for 9mm & 12ga but unless i am staying put, not hauling much ammo in a back pack, which is what happens when you can longer drive the 4x4.
I am most unlikely to be going anywhere. I have food and shelter and to be wandering highways or even worst going into woods that are not mine and that will be full of some either very foolish or most unfortunate people sounds like suicide. Also the locals will likely shoot you too and what ever game is present will disappear quickly.

Now I did mention: 9x19, 5.56x45, 7.62x39 & 54 and also 7.62 nato. Of these only 9x19 can function properly with cast bullets. 5.56x45 M193 ammo fully loaded is over 3000 ft/sec. Semiautos in the others might function with cast, but jacketed ammo getting full power and keeping the gas systems going is the better choice.
For the 9x19 I use jacketed hollow points from companies that know how to make expanding bullets. Questionable if I can that from cast bullets. Now if I have no ammo, but did have components I would use cast bullet ammo for self defense if that was all that I had.
If you have to carry ammo, it might be .22 LR, .22 mag, or 30 US car, 9mm and nothing heavier.

[lancem]

I take a different point of view: I cast bullets and reload ammunition because I like doing it. The economics of cast loads vs factory ammo never enters my mind. I try to spend my free time doing things I like, and it is restful and restorative to craft my own ammunition. Shooting is fun, but reloading is also fun. I don't reload as a necessity to go shooting; casting & reloading is a goal within itself. I reload lots of calibers, 45 acp and 9mm included, and even if it cost more to cast my own I'd still do it.

This is me, I look at the store prices and think some of that is pretty good were I buying it. Then I go home pull out an ammo can of reloads and blast away thinking about if I should buy that new mold I've been itching to pull the trigger on, I'm falling in love with my brass molds I just got, and cranking out a couple of K of this or that.

[Cane_man]

time is not a factor for me, i enjoy casting and reloading, all of it, even being a range buzzard scavaging brass... cleaning the gun after shooting not so much Lol

[dverna]

I am most unlikely to be going anywhere. I have food and shelter and to be wandering highways or even worst going into woods that are not mine and that will be full of some either very foolish or most unfortunate people sounds like suicide. Also the locals will likely shoot you too and what ever game is present will disappear quickly.

Now I did mention: 9x19, 5.56x45, 7.62x39 & 54 and also 7.62 nato. Of these only 9x19 can function properly with cast bullets. 5.56x45 M193 ammo fully loaded is over 3000 ft/sec. Semiautos in the others might function with cast, but jacketed ammo getting full power and keeping the gas systems going is the better choice.
For the 9x19 I use jacketed hollow points from companies that know how to make expanding bullets. Questionable if I can that from cast bullets. Now if I have no ammo, but did have components I would use cast bullet ammo for self defense if that was all that I had.
If you have to carry ammo, it might be .22 LR, .22 mag, or 30 US car, 9mm and nothing heavier.

Very similar rationale that I use. For "serious" work, only jacketed bullets are loaded/inventoried. I went with 9mm, .223 and .308. When I was younger (and even dumber than I am now} I bought molds for .223, and .308. But like you said, the loss in performance with cast make cast bullets a last ditch option. In "good" jacketed bullets, I have 2k for the .308's, 10k for the .223's and 6k for the 9mm's. I will not live long enough to use them up.

Cast bullets are shot the most. Only used for training, and fun. The vast majority in .38/.357 and 9mm. Less shooting of CF since primers got expensive.

You are wise to try staying in place if things get bad. Where I live, outsiders will not be welcomed, and I expect it would not take long before they are shot on sight.

For "serous work", I do not need 500 rounds of pistol ammunition sitting on the shelf. Heck, I am still carrying 9mm Gold Dots I bought 15 years ago and have 100 rounds on the shelf. If the need arises, I will load fresh SD stuff. I load 1000-2000 cast bullets at a sitting.

Anthony's rational makes sense for someone who has chosen to use cast bullets for "serious work". Use one bullet for everything. KISS. Also, cast bullet reloads have always been cheaper than factory ammunition if costs are a primary concern.

[gloob]

I don't have much use for loading HP's. Once they've been tested, I only need a few mags of HPs to sit around not-being-fired.

But the cheap copper-washed "FMJ" commercial pistol ammo fouls my barrels with copper and lead. It smokes more than my cast loads. And it leaves the insides of my guns more dirty with residue.

[Lloyd Smale]

For "serous work", I do not need 500 rounds of pistol ammunition sitting on the shelf. Heck, I am still carrying 9mm Gold Dots I bought 15 years ago and have 100 rounds on the shelf. If the need arises, I will load fresh SD stuff. I load 1000-2000 cast bullets at a sitting. alot of my loading is made easier with electricity so id rather have the ammo done ahead of time. if shtf id want my generator for pumping water no for reloading. yup i could do it without electricity but it would be slower and a guy would probably need the time for more importin things. last summer i went on a mission to load every bit of brass in the shop. after all empty brass doent even make a decent throwing rock. i was almost done but 3 surgerys later the last 500 round of 556 brass and one can of 9mm brass is still sitting there. which brings up another point if you procrastinate and say ill do it when i need to, who knows if you will be physically able to 10 years from now. personally there's no way i could stand behind a press for a hour today without suffering some real pain. makes me feel secure looking at the two stacks of ammo cans with loaded ammo. if i dont need them my grandkids might

[pmer]

I'd rather cast and load flat nose rather than round nose myself because they are more effective on various targets. I don't have any RN moulds. It think economy in reloading lies more in bigger bored firearms where bullet cost is higher.

I'm with Don, I tend to see the value of my components in current replacement costs. it seems more realistic to me; this is why the gas in the ground at your gas station goes up when a barrel of crude jumps in price. The dollar isn't worth what it used be either which makes primers even higher than what you might first think.

[lightload]

I always enjoyed casting bullets. I exerted scholarly effort in studying the process and interacted with many knowledgeable people. For me it was a most rewarding hobby. Age and health dictated giving it up.

[lightman]

I think its worth while to load them and I do. If nothing else my loads are more accurate than nearly any factory ammo. To me its not all about savings.

[slam45]

i haven't bought or shot any factory ammo in over 25 years... see no reason to go back to it ever again... i enjoy making my own... i do use a few jacketed rifle bullets, but shoot my own cast boolits most of the time...it was clear to me over a decade ago that conditions such as we see now would be coming soon and built up enough reserves to maintain enough supply to be able to endure shortages with prudent reduction in consumption in times of low supply... recreational shooting down from 3 times a week to 3 times a month now... these times will change and perhaps better days will return...

[barnetmill]

Ve........
For "serous work", I do not need 500 rounds of pistol ammunition sitting on the shelf. Heck, I am still carrying 9mm Gold Dots I bought 15 years ago and have 100 rounds on the shelf. If the need arises, I will load fresh SD stuff. I load 1000-2000 cast bullets at a sitting.

Anthony's rational makes sense for someone who has chosen to use cast bullets for "serious work". Use one bullet for everything. KISS. Also, cast bullet reloads have always been cheaper than factory ammunition if costs are a primary concern.
I do recycle my carry ammo and I spend time sighting in my 9mm RMR/holosun optics. 500 hundred rounds will last, but not for ever. I am getting low on my Federal +P+ and may soon order some more, I am taking a good look at the bonded speer +P loads since we do have bear, feral hogs, and alligators that might trespass the homestead. The hand gun is what I normally carry, but if I have time I will run for a shotgun or rifle.

[justindad]

If I was really preparing for SHTF, I would have a .35 cal air rifle and a means to recharge it. The bang of gun powder is sure to attract some undesirables who wish to take your gun.

[BD]

This thread lead me to do a little math. If I bought all new powder and primers at today's prices and included some $$ for the tin and antimony I need to add to my alloy, (still have never paid for any lead), and paid myself $25/hr for my time I can load 230 gr .45acps with the BDacp RNFPs I cast for about 10 cents a round.
This is way up from the 3 cents each it cost before I ran out of the HPC-18 I've been using the last 10 years or so and using todays prices for primers, (although I'm still using LP primers I bought for $135/5000).
The cheapest bulk .45 acp I have seen is about 40 cents a round, so it's still worth it to me. Your labor costs may well be higher as I am pretty well set up for bulk production. I make alloy in 200 lb batches, cast using a master caster, make my own lube a years worth at a time, and load on a progressive press.

[Piłsudski]

This is one of those questions that inquires about opinion, rather than fact, I think.

I was just thinking about this very thing lately, when I came across a few boxes of my first reloads with my own boolits made from a Lee 2 cavity mold. I was young, and with four little ones at home with a stay at home Wife to take care of them, money was not plentiful in those days. I concluded that, at a penny a primer and a penny's worth of powder, I could shoot handguns for the same price as shooting a 22 if I made my own boolits.

I found that someone at the range had been shooting up a storm in front of the benches (I've always guessed that maybe they had a Thompson) and the gutter overhead was filled with 45 Auto cases that had been up there for awhile. I might have gotten around 400 or so from that gutter. They were a color resembling what a Lowe's ceiling fan would call "Antique Oiled Bengal Bronze," or something similar. 40 years later, and I'm still shooting them.

The local gun store owner was a friend, and once he had a box of 38 Special cases. I'm not sure how many there were, but I would guess abotu 1200. He sold the whole bunch to me by the pound.

I went out several times with a bucket and a trowel and mined the berm for lead. Each dig was much more 45 FMJ than it was dirt, and with a Lee 45 230 Gr round nose and a 38 140 gr SWC, I was in business. Some of the cable splicers saved some chunks of splice cases and those went into boolits, as well. The 38s were shot up quite some time back, but the 45s still have a couple hundred to go. the 45 RNs got lubed in a Lee pan setup, but I got a Lube A Matic when I started with the 38s.

This kept a poor boy shooting for a long time and on the road to retirement, I always laid a little away for casting equipment and reloading supplies so that I could be self-sufficient when I was no longer working.

I buy carry ammo, but everything else gets shot with cast boolits. I think it is cost effective and besides, I've got too much invested to spend the big bucks on store-bought stuff.

This is what I want to do. I think it works for me. Whether it will for someone else, I can't say -- each person will need to do their own math and value their own time to figure out whether they want to shoot cast or not.

[Lloyd Smale]

If I was really preparing for SHTF, I would have a .35 cal air rifle and a means to recharge it. The bang of gun powder is sure to attract some undesirables who wish to take your gun.

ill take my ruger american in 3oo bo with a can. i dont have to worry about running an action so i load 130 cast with 3.5 grains of red dot or bullseye and its as quiet as my 177 air rifle if not quieter and it still shoots 2moa at a hundred yards. i can carry a couple hundred rounds in ar15 mags and slap in a 30 rounder and shoot the hell out of you while you fire up your generator to get your compressor to pressure to charge your gun. that is even if you have gas to run your generator. if i need more power and range i can feed it my bo hunting load that shoots moa and ive shot deer out to a 200 yards with by simply using the next highest line in the scope with only the crack of the bullet breaking the sound barrier. in a pinch i could put the suppressor on an ar15 and run the action by hand or use a different sub sonic load with 220s that will run the action.

[white eagle]

what is the point of handloading only to make certain cartridges?
I handload all< I repeat All> my cartridges
in my world if I can't make it and make it better I don't need it
just can't see buying ammo someone else made

[dverna]

what is the point of handloading only to make certain cartridges?
I handload all< I repeat All> my cartridges
in my world if I can't make it and make it better I don't need it
just can't see buying ammo someone else made

Your perspective is that of a hobby reloader. Most folks here will concur with you. They are wired that way.

There are others, like me, who love to shoot but do not enjoy reloading or casting. They only reload (or cast) for two reasons.

The first is to save money. I value my time, and if I can purchase plinking/practice ammunition for a reasonable cost, I will buy factory. I have reloaded 10's of thousands of cast 9mm but that was when primers were less than $25/k and powder was less than $20/lb. Today, primers are triple the cost and powder about double the cost. I will save my inventory of components for cartridges that cannot be purchased at a reasonable cost.

The other reason I reload/cast is to make a round I cannot buy. For example, I used mouse phart .38 Spl. loads when I was shooting CAS. If my 10 YO grandson wants to shoot one of the .308's, I can download it.

There is no one answer that applies to everyone.

[schutzen-jager]

not for me - still using primers, powder, cases, other components, + lube acquired during the Clinton administration with my cast bullets

[remy3424]

Reading some of the posts here where some can't reload their cast bullets for less than factory ammo....I think they are doing it wrong. Why some don't have the foresight to buy a bit of powder and primers when the shelves are full and sale prices are available is beyond me...and if you don't enjoy it, why are you doing it?? Maybe take-up a different hobby. I find reloading a very satisfying use of my time.

[Lloyd Smale]

Well, my alloy WAS free, given to me by a buddy who was doing a range cleanup, given to another buddy who smelted it down into useable ingots for plinking loads. So maybe someone else paid for it, it was free to me. Same with brass, same buddy gets range pickup .223, .308 and 9mm for me in a bucket. Free to me, I didn't pay for it. My primers, well, some I paid for, some my wife paid for, some a buddy gave to me, so the ones from those two are, again, free to me. Checking, nope, not delusional. I see you don't reload for fun, that's cool - I enjoy it, a productive and fun hobby that is relaxing to me. Also, I don't cost my time - if I want to make money, I'll go work overtime. Otherwise, time I spend reloading would be wasted watching TV, playing computer games, cooking, (never a waste of time, love cooking, too), or something else that doesn't make money. But hey, everybody has their own thing, of course. And no, I don't have a lot of business experience - I work for the state. ;) My job has nothing to do with business.

i once bought a ton of lyno for a buck a pound. i have never spent another penny on lead. even my tin has all come free from a saw mill. ive traded pure for lino a few times. i was given two tons of pure for free for the work of stripping it off of electrical underground cables. it was a messy tedious job because that lead encased conductor was injected full of grease but the good thing was that three of us did it to split the cpper conductor inside and they had no use for the lead. so my share of the copper was about 600 bucks and i gave each of the other guys a hundred out of my share. i dont have a clue as to poundage of ww and never paid a dime. ive slowed down in my old age and at the rate i shoot now will have powder and primers till i die and some one will be inheriting a bunch of lead. so why should i have to consider it all at todays prices when factoring cost of ammo. i didnt pay todays prices . not even close. when i buy a truck and have a 600 dollar a month payment for 4 years do i keep paying that when the loan is paid for. just paid off my latest truck and i see interest rates through the roof but does it make my truck cost more? Nope i was lucky to buy it when dealers dealt and interest rates were low. just like i was smart enough to stock up years ago. if i hadnt id be doing it today because one things for sure it wont get cheaper and factory ammo? if you think thats the answer then youd best be buying cases of it because it probably wont be long before thet cant sell it or its taxed so high that nobody but the rich can shoot. i have to question why some of you are here. if i shot 50 rounds a year i sure woulnt waste money on molds casting pots sizers ect. i sure wouldnt waste my time hanging around a reloading or casting forum. id say 95 percent of us cast and load to save money so we dont have to only shoot a box or two a year.

[Lloyd Smale]

Agree. I keep about 500rds max of any caliber i shoot often. Stock piling 1000s of rds is reducing my primer supply for no real good reason. Shtf, i can only carry so much & then if staying in place, plenty of time to reload.

what did you buy those primers for? to throw at someone or to show them to your buddy? there only use is in loaded ammo. dont know about where you live but around here i can count the handloaders on my fingers so they wont be worth barter where loaded ammo sure will. 500 rounds is a brick of 22s. ive sometimes shot more then that in a day. again i have to ask why someone that shoots like you do even bothers to waste his time and money on casting bullets. heck ive got a good friend who loves guns. even owned two gunshops at one time. still buys guns all the time but hasnt hunted in over 20 years and id bet my house he hasnt shot more than 50 rounds in a year in that 20 years. but i guess he doesnt hang around casting and loading sites giving advice either

[trapper9260]

I say for being stock up on primers and brass and powder, When you load different cartilages you have it all on hand . You at times will not shoot more of one then the other. but to have it on hand then , you can do what you want with what all you got , each person can choose how they want to use what they got there is no set thing to do. also when you load different boolits for some that for testing takes up the primers and powders. What ever works for one dose not mean will work for another . As for shtf , this been said so many years that it to push panic when no one knows if it will . If it ever dose, most on here will not take long to stock up on what they need at the time because you will not use all the cartilages of the different guns you have . also you will have all you need on hand already .That is how I see it , enjoy how it works for you and go from there .

[Dusty Bannister]

It is becoming interesting to see that there are so many different priorities for individuals. Unfortunately there are those that are critical of others without having a clue what that individual actually needs. Individuals with limited storage will not have the space to store vast quantities of loaded ammo, but can store a substantial amount of powder and primers and casting materials. I do not intend to barter away any of my reloading supplies. If I intended on barter, I would get a few cases of liquor in half pints. That is some serious bartering material.

[fredj338]

Reading some of the posts here where some can't reload their cast bullets for less than factory ammo....I think they are doing it wrong. Why some don't have the foresight to buy a bit of powder and primers when the shelves are full and sale prices are available is beyond me...and if you don't enjoy it, why are you doing it?? Maybe take-up a different hobby. I find reloading a very satisfying use of my time.
Even buying at todays inflated prices, casting & coating my own I can reload any service caliber or revo round for about 10-11c each with range brass or brass I have kept over the years. There isnt any ammo out there for $110/1000.

[fredj338]

what did you buy those primers for? to throw at someone or to show them to your buddy? there only use is in loaded ammo. dont know about where you live but around here i can count the handloaders on my fingers so they wont be worth barter where loaded ammo sure will. 500 rounds is a brick of 22s. ive sometimes shot more then that in a day. again i have to ask why someone that shoots like you do even bothers to waste his time and money on casting bullets. heck ive got a good friend who loves guns. even owned two gunshops at one time. still buys guns all the time but hasnt hunted in over 20 years and id bet my house he hasnt shot more than 50 rounds in a year in that 20 years. but i guess he doesnt hang around casting and loading sites giving advice either
I think you misunderstood my post. I have supplies so I can shoot cheaply. I just dont load up 1000s of rds of a given caliber because then I dont have supplies for another caliber if I switch over. I had been shooting 9mm almost exclusively for the last 3y, but in Jan went back to 45acp *& now recently a 40. So if all my ammo primers were put up in 9mm & I wouldnt have them for the 40. I have about 1200rds of 45colt loaded up but I am not shooting CAS anymore so I dont have those primers for the 45acp.
As far as casting, I actually enjoy the process & the ability to have any bullet I want for a couple hours in the shop. If I cast a bunch I dont end up using & wanted the alloy, I could just repurpose.
FWIW, I have a squad of shooters, about 10 I shoot with every month, they all reload. Yet most shooter do not, which is fine, thats where I get my brass.;-)

[barnetmill]

Even buying at todays inflated prices, casting & coating my own I can reload any service caliber or revo round for about 10-11c each with range brass or brass I have kept over the years. There isnt any ammo out there for $110/1000.
There is some 9mm I see for $220/1000. but then what is your time worth.

Nemo Arms Branded PPU 9mm 124gr FMJ 1000rd Case
Nemo Arms
$219.99

[ioon44]

I think reloading depends on how much you like reloading, it is hard to put a price on good time.

I like to reload as much as like to shoot, so I do a lot of both.

[Dusty Bannister]

There is some 9mm I see for $220/1000. but then what is your time worth.

Went to this site, Nemo Arms, now priced $320.00. No mention of shipping cost. I like to cast and reload and shoot what I make.

[David2011]

Before ammunition got so incredibly expensive in recent years it made no economic sense to hand load 9mm. The cost of a primer and any factory made bullet exceeded the price of the loaded round. I shoot cast in my beautiful old Hi-Power so it was economical to load for by my Glock has a factory barrel so I mostly just don't shoot it. Now that ammo and components are both so expensive it's more attractive to hand load 9mm.

Loading any flavor of .45 cal handgun ammunition is another story entirely. I can cast and load .45 Colt or .45ACP for about $2.50/box of 50 with components that I have on hand. Factory loads seem to be about $0.42/round and up ($21.00/50) for 45ACP. That's over 8 times the cost of my hand loads. Winchester 45 Colt LRN is $28/box of 20; over 10 times what it costs me to make my own.

I value my time but only within myself. I would not spend my time making money so it's a matter of what I would rather be doing; not any real dollar value to the time as long as whatever I'm doing is for me.

[1I-Jack]

Just a thought on the argument of "what's your time worth?"...
I enjoy my time reloading. I was showing my stepson how to reload and after running a dozen cases through the press he looked at me and said "that's pretty therapeutic isn't it". Therapy and enjoyment, what a combination.

I also like to golf occasionally. 18 holes can take 3-4 hours and the greens fees are upwards of $100. If I was reloading that $100 would stay in my pocket. So maybe I should be subtracting the $100 from my "cost of reloading" since I used that time doing something I enjoy and didn't have to pay for the privilege.

[fredj338]

There is some 9mm I see for $220/1000. but then what is your time worth.

If I valued my time exclusively, I would just work 12hrs, 7 days a week until I died, never shoot at all.
Show me a current link to quality 9mm for $220 delivered, not on sale. Keep in mind that some of us can NOT order & receive ammo on line.
Even adding a time cost. I can reload 1000 rds of 9mm start to finish in about 90min. If I bought bullets, my cost would be $180. So I save $40 for 90 min work. Not a terrible tax free wage. That assumes the mythical $220 is even available to me. I enjoy casting, really not fond of reloading anymore, way past 400K rds, so casting is a hobby, not unlike shooting. Plus I get ammo I want, not what I have to buy.

[dverna]

If I valued my time exclusively, I would just work 12hrs, 7 days a week until I died, never shoot at all.
Show me a current link to quality 9mm for $220 delivered, not on sale. Keep in mind that some of us can NOT order & receive ammo on line.
Even adding a time cost. I can reload 1000 rds of 9mm start to finish in about 90min. If I bought bullets, my cost would be $180. So I save $40 for 90 min work. Not a terrible tax free wage. That assumes the mythical $220 is even available to me. I enjoy casting, really not fond of reloading anymore, way past 400K rds, so casting is a hobby, not unlike shooting. Plus I get ammo I want, not what I have to buy.

But if you bought ammunition you can sell the cases for $25/k. You end up saving $15 on blasting ammunition. Looks like $10//hr. Which is why I will not waste my time making 9mm blasting ammunition.

I understand you cannot order online so you must reload to get a decent price. I am not similarly constrained.

[Bird]

I am in the same boat as fredj338. I figure I save around $140 to $150 per 1000 9mm reloading.
If there was no background check and fee, no extra store fee, and having to travel 12 miles each way to a gunshop, then I would consider buying ready made ammo.
Also the indoor range here does not allow steel or aluminum cases.

[fredj338]

But if you bought ammunition you can sell the cases for $25/k. You end up saving $15 on blasting ammunition. Looks like $10//hr. Which is why I will not waste my time making 9mm blasting ammunition.

I understand you cannot order online so you must reload to get a decent price. I am not similarly constrained.

You can parse it anyway you want. If I am selling to someone I have to pay $10 for uspsfr shipping for about 500rds & the gas to drive that to the PO. Not worth my time & aggravation. AS noted, IF I could get blasting 9mm, its really about $275 delivered, & I can make it at my current component cost for less than $75.
Start to finish for casting/coating 1000 bullets & reloading 1000s rds, call it 5hrs. That would be $40/hour cash savings. Meaning I would have to make about $70/hr gross to buy the same amount of ammo. I dont make $70 an hour. If I did, I might just buy all my ammo, as well as a ranch in texas.
Now I wouldnt only cast & reload for just 9mm. Since I have gear & reload for like 24 diff calibers & cast for 8 diff handgun calibers & 3 rifles, I see no downside to doing it for 9mm but the time element & that is pretty small if you enjoy it at all. I hate my job so reloading & casting, even if I didnt love it, I at least enjoy it over work.

[porthos]

jeez guys!! do you think anyone is still reading this?? everything has been said over and over!!

[Four-Sixty]

jeez guys!! do you think anyone is still reading this?? everything has been said over and over!!

I heard a good phrase a couple months ago; "people don't listen to you to hear what you have to say, this listen to you to hear you say what they already believe."

Reading a lot of posts it seems like people often talk 'right past' each other. It's feels like a lot of people get a lot of social interaction fulfilled by posting online. This is why I posted my earlier comment about nobody caring. The bulk of posting is just to get affirmation of what they already feel. I love reading, but reading a book is so much more deep, and satisfying. If I did not have the easy access of a phone, I doubt I'd read much on-line anymore.

[billt]

I'm convinced that ammunition, powder, and primers are nowhere near as sensitive as many claim. I have handloads from the early 70's, (50+ years old), that go bang today, just as they did a half century ago when I loaded them. I'm currently shooting Trap with shotshell handloads using powder I bought in the early 90's, (over 30 years old). Same deal, perfect performance.

I currently have 3 cases of Greek, CMP .30-06 ammo, (HXP 67), that was produced in the 60's, (60+ years old). And it performs like the day it was made. Most of my ammo is stored in my attached garage that is in the upper 90's in the Summer, to the low 50's in the Winter.

https://i.imgur.com/kXX6Aje.jpg?2

[Lloyd Smale]

I think you misunderstood my post. I have supplies so I can shoot cheaply. I just dont load up 1000s of rds of a given caliber because then I dont have supplies for another caliber if I switch over. I had been shooting 9mm almost exclusively for the last 3y, but in Jan went back to 45acp *& now recently a 40. So if all my ammo primers were put up in 9mm & I wouldnt have them for the 40. I have about 1200rds of 45colt loaded up but I am not shooting CAS anymore so I dont have those primers for the 45acp.
As far as casting, I actually enjoy the process & the ability to have any bullet I want for a couple hours in the shop. If I cast a bunch I dont end up using & wanted the alloy, I could just repurpose.
FWIW, I have a squad of shooters, about 10 I shoot with every month, they all reload. Yet most shooter do not, which is fine, thats where I get my brass.;-)

i try to keep a 5 year supply of any pistol calibers or 556 and 309. hunting rifle ammo i try to keep 200 of each load for specific rifles. pretty simple. i keep all my brass and come winter reload it and rotate it to the back of my stash so ita at least getting freshened every 5 years. the argument it takes up moe space doesnt fly. an ammo can of 9s or even 556 on stripper clips put in the can neatly probably takes up less room then 2 bricks of primers a 4 1lb jugs of powder and 2000 bullets. if your like most of us you have 8lb kegs in the cabinet wit 2lbs of power or less. ive probably got a dozen myself and how many boxes of bullets with 10 or 20 bullets in it. heck you can get 2-3000 9mms in a coffee can thats about the size of an 8lb keg of powder. imo if im bored and want to switch to another caliber its much easier to grab a differnt coffe can of 40s or 45s then it is to stop shooting and waste summer time shooting weather stuck in the shop loading. then in a shtf senerio are you ask whos trying to kill you for your food for a 2 day truce so you can load more ammo.

[Lloyd Smale]

I'm convinced that ammunition, powder, and primers are nowhere near as sensitive as many claim. I have handloads from the early 70's, (50+ years old), that go bang today, just as they did a half century ago when I loaded them. I'm currently shooting Trap with shotshell handloads using powder I bought in the early 90's, (over 30 years old). Same deal, perfect performance.

I currently have 3 cases of Greek, CMP .30-06 ammo, (HXP 67), that was produced in the 60's, (60+ years old). And it performs like the day it was made. Most of my ammo is stored in my attached garage that is in the upper 90's in the Summer, to the low 50's in the Winter.

https://i.imgur.com/kXX6Aje.jpg?2

ive shot piles of surplus ww2 06 and never had a missfire. 308 and 762x39 darn near that old too. dont recall ever having loaded ammo go bad but have bought and been given older bricks of primers that have gone bad that no doubt wouldnt have if the were seated in a round of ammo. ive also seen old jugs of powder that was clumped and even some with what looks like rust. bottom line is loaded ammo will outlast stored components. especially if you cant keep them away from humidity or temp swings

[dverna]

The oldest ammunition I had was from the 70's. 38 Spl reloads with cast bullets for Bullseye shooting. NRA lube and loaded with 2.7 gr of Bullseye. Half would not go off.

If I wanted to store ammunition long term, I would use jacketed bullets. PC might work too but there have been some reports of PC reacting with powder.

Never had an issue with old components. Have primers and powder from the 70's that work. Maybe I got lucky or my storage conditions are OK.

[txbirdman]

I know this is “thread drift” but in my much younger and more foolish days while searching for a stray co on my neighbor’s land I came upon an abandoned ‘58 Ford pickup and laying on the dash was a steel cased Evansville 45 acp round. The truck had been there for many years in the Texas heat and cold. I just had to find out if it would fire and it did (like it was made yesterday).

[Lloyd Smale]

The oldest ammunition I had was from the 70's. 38 Spl reloads with cast bullets for Bullseye shooting. NRA lube and loaded with 2.7 gr of Bullseye. Half would not go off.

If I wanted to store ammunition long term, I would use jacketed bullets. PC might work too but there have been some reports of PC reacting with powder.

Never had an issue with old components. Have primers and powder from the 70's that work. Maybe I got lucky or my storage conditions are OK.

what you really dont want to do is store ammo that the bullets are tumble lubed. i once loaded two coffee cans of 38s loaded with bullseye and tumble lubed lee 105s. after sitting a year in the barm not one in 10 would go bang. pulled a few bullets and the had a ball of caked power on the base. ive had some trouble with nra/javalina too but the lee thing discussed me so much that i toss the second can in the trash. easier to buy more once fired brass. any more i use lars Carruba red but honestly ive not used my lubsizer other then to size pc bullets that i dont have a lee sizing die for. with the exception of black powder lubing bullets is obsolete.

[Frosty Boolit]

Even if loading 9mm ammo is a break even without considering my time, I'll simply lie to myself and continue to make it while saying things like "my ammo is better than factory". We will all be shooting with a big smile on our faces.

[Handloader109]

I look at like this. I'm 65 as of yesterday. I've been reloading only 10 years. Started with 9mm and can load for any gun I own but the 22 rimfires and the old 16gauge. 243, 7mm, 380, 9mm 223, 300bo and 22tcm. Is it cost effective? I don't know and don't care. It is a HOBBY. Hobbies cannot by definition be costed like work time. Just doesn't work like that. Do you cost out the time you spend taking a walk? Riding a bike? Exercising on the treadmill? Hunting? Or even drinking a beer? No. I like casting, loading and shooting what I created. There most probably will be powder, brass, lead and maybe a handful of primers left when I'm gone. But I'll have had fun. That is the reason I load 9mm and even any of the other calibers.... fun.



Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

[Lloyd Smale]

I look at like this. I'm 65 as of yesterday. I've been reloading only 10 years. Started with 9mm and can load for any gun I own but the 22 rimfires and the old 16gauge. 243, 7mm, 380, 9mm 223, 300bo and 22tcm. Is it cost effective? I don't know and don't care. It is a HOBBY. Hobbies cannot by definition be costed like work time. Just doesn't work like that. Do you cost out the time you spend taking a walk? Riding a bike? Exercising on the treadmill? Hunting? Or even drinking a beer? No. I like casting, loading and shooting what I created. There most probably will be powder, brass, lead and maybe a handful of primers left when I'm gone. But I'll have had fun. That is the reason I load 9mm and even any of the other calibers.... fun.



Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

heck pal im 67 and retired and i think i had more time for casting loading and shooting when i was still working. maybe more dedicated. for weeks on end id get up at 4am and cast a pot of bullets before work. i was a lineman and i had a rock chucker on mount for a bracket on the back of the truck and spent most lunch hours sizing and priming 556 brass. just dont have that drive today and honestly could probably shoot once or twice a week for as long as i can walk and not run out of ammo

[barnetmill]

If I valued my time exclusively, I would just work 12hrs, 7 days a week until I died, never shoot at all.
Show me a current link to quality 9mm for $220 delivered, not on sale. Keep in mind that some of us can NOT order & receive ammo on line.
Even adding a time cost. I can reload 1000 rds of 9mm start to finish in about 90min. If I bought bullets, my cost would be $180. So I save $40 for 90 min work. Not a terrible tax free wage. That assumes the mythical $220 is even available to me. I enjoy casting, really not fond of reloading anymore, way past 400K rds, so casting is a hobby, not unlike shooting. Plus I get ammo I want, not what I have to buy.

That $220 was a sale price. I just briefly looked today and the ammo was 3 cents higher and a sales price. At SAGammo it was 25 cents round, but that does not include sales tax but the shipping is free. I look and wait for the lowest price from reliable dealers when buying anything.

$249.96
Quantity:
Free Shipping
Quantity in Stock:22
1000 Round Case - 9mm Luger 115 Grain FMJ - Remington Mega Pack UMC Target Ammo - L9MM3A

[Super Sneaky Steve]

There's a lot of money to be saved in self-defense loads. I know lots of people scoff at the idea but I still do it. A good hollow point mould, some free pure lead and a little time will let you crank them out. Hydroshocks or something similar can run you close to a buck a shot. I see great benefit in getting to train with what you carry which for me are good old cheap cast hollowpoints.

[barnetmill]

There's a lot of money to be saved in self-defense loads. I know lots of people scoff at the idea but I still do it. A good hollow point mould, some free pure lead and a little time will let you crank them out. Hydroshocks or something similar can run you close to a buck a shot. I see great benefit in getting to train with what you carry which for me are good old cheap cast hollowpoints.

The question on loading your own self defense loads are several. Are you sure that your old cheap cast hollowpoints will properly expand upon striking human flesh. Are you putting an adequate primer sealant on your loaded rounds. Me I just remove the doubt and buy enough factory HP to last me a very long time.
A recent order for Federal Law Enforcement 9mm Luger 115 Grain +P+ JHP 9BPLE (1,000 round case) (9BPLE) is about 38 cent/rd including taxes and shipping. there is no way without pressure equipment that I would load up to those specs. This amount ammo will likely last me for self defense purposes the rest of my life. It will be fired from time to time to verify function and the sights. For practice I would use less expensive ammo. i know from forum correspondence with a police supervisor in Arizona that it works real well for shooting people of course for self defense. I have have similar loaded from federal in the SAAMI standard loading.
I probably need to get some +P speer gold dot 124 grain in case I have to shoot a hog or black bear in self defense.

I have not gotten the +P+ order yet since it is shipping and it is not mine until it is in my hand. The Fed Ex people need a signature and it will be pain to meet the truck.

[Super Sneaky Steve]

The question on loading your own self defense loads are several. Are you sure that your old cheap cast hollowpoints will properly expand upon striking human flesh. Are you putting an adequate primer sealant on your loaded rounds. Me I just remove the doubt and buy enough factory HP to last me a very long time.
A recent order for Federal Law Enforcement 9mm Luger 115 Grain +P+ JHP 9BPLE (1,000 round case) (9BPLE) is about 38 cent/rd including taxes and shipping. there is no way without pressure equipment that I would load up to those specs. This amount ammo will likely last me for self defense purposes the rest of my life. It will be fired from time to time to verify function and the sights. For practice I would use less expensive ammo. i know from forum correspondence with a police supervisor in Arizona that it works real well for shooting people of course for self defense. I have have similar loaded from federal in the SAAMI standard loading.
I probably need to get some +P speer gold dot 124 grain in case I have to shoot a hog or black bear in self defense.

I have not gotten the +P+ order yet since it is shipping and it is not mine until it is in my hand. The Fed Ex people need a signature and it will be pain to meet the truck.

Yes, I'm sure about performance. You bring up good points, but I still believe getting to shoot hundreds of my cheap carry rounds outweighs the negatives for me. Because I control the hardness I don't even need +P or +P+ to get good penetration and expansion.
318011

[barnetmill]

Yes, I'm sure about performance. You bring up good points, but I still believe getting to shoot hundreds of my cheap carry rounds outweighs the negatives for me. Because I control the hardness I don't even need +P or +P+ to get good penetration and expansion.
318011

I see your bullets are gas checked and I assume it is because it is needed. What did you fire that hollow point into to get that expansion?

[dverna]

I see your bullets are gas checked and I assume it is because it is needed. What did you fire that hollow point into to get that expansion?

He is using pure lead…thus the need for a GC to reduce leading in the 9mm.

Also he states he is shooting hundreds of bullets. People who shoot thousands of 9mm will fInd bullets that do not require GC’s. But for SD bullets, productivity is not needed.

I have SD bullets and “blasting” bullets I use for training. SSS, wants one bullet that does it all.

[barnetmill]

He is using pure lead…thus the need for a GC to reduce leading in the 9mm.

Also he states he is shooting hundreds of bullets. People who shoot thousands of 9mm will fInd bullets that do not require GC’s. But for SD bullets, productivity is not needed.

I have SD bullets and “blasting” bullets I use for training. SSS, wants one bullet that does it all.

Thanks for the explanation.
To expand very soft lead is what is used in JHP and so it makes sense to use the same in a cast bullet hp bullet. I remember something from elmer keith stating he cast long rifle bullets that had a pure lead nose and followed by harder alloy shank. But I am not sure how one would do that. I seem to recall he had to two different melts going, but still not sure how someone could do that.
One of the bullets of the OP seems to be coated. For a semiauto I still prefer either jacket or hard lead for reliable feeding. The rifling marks seen to indicate standard rifling and not the polygon used in many european guns these days.

[Pereira]

Midway has Sierra 147 gr jhp 9mm ammo for $9.90 for 20 rds. free shipping for orders over $75.
I ordered 10 after tax, with free shipping came to $0.548 cents a round.
Not a bad price for this bullet.

RP

[Lloyd Smale]

Midway has Sierra 147 gr jhp 9mm ammo for $9.90 for 20 rds. free shipping for orders over $75.
I ordered 10 after tax, with free shipping came to $0.548 cents a round.
Not a bad price for this bullet.

RP

if anyone doesnt want to reload thats a great bullet. it was designed to expand at sub sonic speeds and is wicked at +p speeds if im not loading gold dots for carry ammo that bullet is my second choice

[justindad]

Thanks for the explanation.
To expand very soft lead is what is used in JHP and so it makes sense to use the same in a cast bullet hp bullet. I remember something from elmer keith stating he cast long rifle bullets that had a pure lead nose and followed by harder alloy shank. But I am not sure how one would do that. I seem to recall he had to two different melts going, but still not sure how someone could do that.
One of the bullets of the OP seems to be coated. For a semiauto I still prefer either jacket or hard lead for reliable feeding. The rifling marks seen to indicate standard rifling and not the polygon used in many european guns these days.

There is a sticky about how to do that. I know a guy who used another process that essentially solders the two halves together… I can’t remember the details though.

[dverna]

Justindad is correct about there being a thread here on how to cast a dual alloy bullet.

It might be "fun" for people who love to cast but I am not one of those people. I bought 1000 XTP bullets for $200 and that will likely last me my lifetime for my carry guns. I also bought 1000 RMR bullets and plan to see how they work on coyotes out of my carbine. They seem very cost effective if they work as shown below.

https://www.rmrbullets.com/shop/bullets/pistol/9mm-355/9mm-124-gr-rmr-jhp-mpr-nuke/

[barnetmill]

Justindad is correct about there being a thread here on how to cast a dual alloy bullet.

It might be "fun" for people who love to cast but I am not one of those people. I bought 1000 XTP bullets for $200 and that will likely last me my lifetime for my carry guns. I also bought 1000 RMR bullets and plan to see how they work on coyotes out of my carbine. They seem very cost effective if they work as shown below.

https://www.rmrbullets.com/shop/bullets/pistol/9mm-355/9mm-124-gr-rmr-jhp-mpr-nuke/

Velocity is important and I see this"

.357 Sig (.355") / 9mm 124 Gr. RMR JHP (MPR NUKE) The carbine barrel should give you .357 sig velocity.

[Super Sneaky Steve]

I see your bullets are gas checked and I assume it is because it is needed. What did you fire that hollow point into to get that expansion?

Sometimes I mix up some gel, but it's expensive so water jugs get used too. For 38 spl and 45 Auto pure lead powdercoated with no gas check works fine. The higher pressures of 9mm in my testing needed a gas check. These are loaded near the top of the pressure but not +P.

MP Molds makes high quality moulds with multi cavities so it's not much slower than any other mould you'd cast with. What I like about this design is the nose is smaller than the driving bands. A lot of modern pistols don't have much of a throat and our bullets are a little fatter, especially after a polymer coating. With these you can get the OAL that you want.

[barnetmill]

Justindad is correct about there being a thread here on how to cast a dual alloy bullet.

It might be "fun" for people who love to cast but I am not one of those people. I bought 1000 XTP bullets for $200 and that will likely last me my lifetime for my carry guns. I also bought 1000 RMR bullets and plan to see how they work on coyotes out of my carbine. They seem very cost effective if they work as shown below.

https://www.rmrbullets.com/shop/bullets/pistol/9mm-355/9mm-124-gr-rmr-jhp-mpr-nuke/
Today with shipping and taxes for $376.86 l just got 1000 9mm luger (+P+) 115 grain JHP 9BPLE. It says for law enforcement only. If you buy new primers they run with shipping $70 to $120 per 1000 (edit add 0) with taxes and shipping, plus powder it could cost more or the same to reload with new components. I also have a similar quantity Federal standard loads because some of the smaller carry guns are not ok with +P ammo.
With one ATF ruling after another, I wonder when the ATF goes after mail order of ammo and components. So if the price is right for I will buy some premium ammo for 40 cents a round that is attractive to me. The FedEx direct signature was a pain since I had to wait out on the road to meet for truck for a 4 hr time window. I only had to wait 2 hrs, weather was fine and with a pole saw got some work done while waiting.

https://usarmorment.com/nbsp9mm-luger-c-1_308/federal-law-enforcement-9mm-luger-115-grain-p-jhp-9bple-1000-round-case-p-2969.html

[dverna]

Great to see many folks would rather cast bullets and reload 9mm.

Should help get prices for commercial ammunition even lower.

[barnetmill]

Great to see many folks would rather cast bullets and reload 9mm.

Should help get prices for commercial ammunition even lower.

I appreciate the good wishes, but the people responding here do not represent the majority of people owning 9mm and .45 caliber pistols. I think more of the 1911 owners will reload vs those that own 9mm pistols.
The price of commercial ammo is coming down I think due to a little lower demand in 9mm couple with many countries in the western world sending 9mm ammo for sale to america.

[BD]

I'm hoping you dropped a 0 here: "$70 to $120 per 100 with taxes and shipping,"

[barnetmill]

I'm hoping you dropped a 0 here: "$70 to $120 per 100 with taxes and shipping,"

Thanks fixed it with an edit to add a zero.

[Tall]

I don't have to mail order anything. All the stuff I need is available locally. Brass is about $120 for 500 if I had to buy more, but I have lots of 45 ACP so I don't need any of that. Bullets are the only thing I like to mail order, I buy Berry's and spent about $120 for 500 of those. There are powder coated ones available locally for a bit less.

Powder and primers I bought around 1990 when it looked like there might be a President Dukakis. Thank goodness there wasn't!

So anyways it costs me about $120 (including tax and shipping) to load 500 rounds. No where on earth can I buy ammo that cheap.

[fredj338]

I don't have to mail order anything. All the stuff I need is available locally. Brass is about $120 for 500 if I had to buy more, but I have lots of 45 ACP so I don't need any of that. Bullets are the only thing I like to mail order, I buy Berry's and spent about $120 for 500 of those. There are powder coated ones available locally for a bit less.

Powder and primers I bought around 1990 when it looked like there might be a President Dukakis. Thank goodness there wasn't!

So anyways it costs me about $120 (including tax and shipping) to load 500 rounds. No where on earth can I buy ammo that cheap.

If you are buying brass at that cost, 24c + 2c +1c + 24c bullets or 51c a round or $255/500 but I assume you pick up most of your brass. So amortized over 20 reloads, ABOUT 1.5c each. Casting & coating your own bullets is the saving. That & buying once fired brass or scrounging it at the range. I havent bought 45acp brass in about 40y. It last almost forever & I can always find it on the range when I am out for free.

[BD]

Not as common to find .45acp on the ground as it used to be. It's mostly 9mm and 40s that get left these days. Luckily I'm mostly still using brass that AnthonyB sent me from the military range years ago.

[technojock]

I would always rather reload all my center-fire rounds. Some day I'll have to try loading for my .17 Hornet but that's not going to be anytime soon.

Tony

[fredj338]

Not as common to find .45acp on the ground as it used to be. It's mostly 9mm and 40s that get left these days. Luckily I'm mostly still using brass that AnthonyB sent me from the military range years ago.

This is true, I see less & less at the range but I taught a class over the weekend, student had a G21 & left me 100 once fired PMC.

[muskeg13]

At the beginning of the summer, shortly after the snow melted and the ground was bare, I noticed almost a complete lack of spent cartridge cases in places that formerly were littered with hundreds of cases every week. This was after two or more years of ammo and component scarcity. As ammo and components began to return to dealer shelves, and prices began to moderate, I started seeing more cases left on the range. My last trip was just prior to the beginning of moose season in late August. I was able to pick up 1/2 gallon worth of fairly clean 9mm and .45ACP cases, in about a 2/3 to 1/3 ratio.

I was able to purchase 500 (all they had) Remington large pistol primers Monday at the local Sportsman's Warehouse for $5.14/hundred. These are the first LP primers I've seen in several years.

[Sig556r]

9mm subs are still expensive if you can find them, so I reload 147s & 156s with can.
I sometimes load 155s for 45acp light loads to stretch my lead stock.
So I guess it’s worth loading both

[fredj338]

9mm subs are still expensive if you can find them, so I reload 147s & 156s with can.
I sometimes load 155s for 45acp light loads to stretch my lead stock.
So I guess it’s worth loading both

Yeah few that quote cheap 9mm are even looking at the bullet weights. The 115 is the cheapest. So if you like or want 147, you will pay more. Yet casting my own, same cost to shoot 115 v 147. In fact, slightly cheaper shooting 147 as I use 1/2gr less powder for the same PF.

[dverna]

Yeah few that quote cheap 9mm are even looking at the bullet weights. The 115 is the cheapest. So if you like or want 147, you will pay more. Yet casting my own, same cost to shoot 115 v 147. In fact, slightly cheaper shooting 147 as I use 1/2gr less powder for the same PF.

Love numbers. Save .5 gr of $40/lb powder. Use 32 gr more lead worth $1.25/ lb. Have you worked the numbers?

Oh…I forgot….lead is free!! It has no value. Lol

[fredj338]

Love numbers. Save .5 gr of $40/lb powder. Use 32 gr more lead worth $1.25/ lb. Have you worked the numbers?

Oh…I forgot….lead is free Federal 147 gr HST +P

It has no value. Lol
Well yeah, my lead is free, i have to pay for the powder. You seem to conflate free with value, there is a diff. Let me help;
Free, not costing or charging anything.
Value, monetary worth.
Hopefully you have learned something today.

[trail troll]

I still load 9mm. I have NEVER paid for a case and probably have 5000 on hand, range pick ups. Small pistol primers are about 90ish a 1000. Unique powder running 50 a pound, I only use 4.7 maybe so that is about 35-40 in powder. Lead is always range scrap, never bought any. I water quench for 9mm and it seems okay, but might try powder coating soon. Lube is negligible. So MINUS my time I am into a 1000 for 150.00 tops. I even get boxes from the range can !!

But it is a bit of time involved. I run a six cavity mold and I think I can cast 500 an hour or a bit more, though it has been a while since I cast a lot. Oh yah propane for the burner(I ladle my lead no bottom pour for me) so twenty bucks a couple time a year. I run a Lee Classic turret with the index , I forget the time but maybe a box of 50 every 15 or 20 minutes ? I use an auto powder measure.

But for me the best part is I have control over my ammo, can reload when thing are scarce and it IS cheaper. I was the son of a depression era WWII vet, so we always did it the cheap way.

And the reloads can be tailored for bore size etc. I use a Lee 120 TC and I have an older Lyman round nose that throws a 144 grain. Only ammo I would buy would be carry ammo.

[dtknowles]

Sometimes it makes sense to just buy 9mm ammo, I don't have a 45. I do or have reloaded 9mm with cast bullets I cast. I have hundreds of 9mm bullets on the shelf, from 85 gr to 147 gr. I cast 130 gr. LRN. I have a progressive press and more brass than I can use, I have sold some but not anymore, I don't even bother to pick it up. I have thousands of rounds of loaded 9mm, factory, factory reloads and my own reloads. Not expecting zombies but I think anything that goes bang will work on zombies as you have to do head shots anyway. I am glad I can cast and load 9mm if needed but I will continue to buy cheap 9mm ammo when I find it. For self-defense I prefer JHP's. If I did not have higher priorities for my reloading time I would reload more 9mm but the press and pot are busy with other ammo.

[Beast of Burden]

I operate a lot like Trail Troll. I simply enjoy the reloading experience and tend to load everything I can, even if the cost to purchase is roughly the same. Just purchased a 10mm, so I think I will definitely be saving money by reloading this cartridge.

I load 9mm on a single stage and am not too concerned about volume production as I view reloading as therapy.