Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Bought my first 9mm. Worth reloading?

Looking at reloading 9mm and it just doesn't seem to be worth getting set up for it.

Thoughts?

Not worth it.

Assuming practice ammo, you can buy it for around $.19 per round and it costs about $.13 per reload, and that's assuming pickup brass at no cost. That assumes you have basic reloading gear and just have to add the cost of 9mm dies, maybe shell holders, etc., which also have to be amortized. Figure what your time is worth.

If you don't already reload it's definitely a non-starter.

If you really enjoy reloading, go for it. I'd rather spend my time doing something else, like shooting.

Paul

It's not worth it to me.

If I figure a practice match once a week, and an actual match once a month, that comes to just under 500 a month. And even at Bass Pro prices that's only $100.

Factor in brass collection, buying components, and standing in front of a Dillon? Just not worth it IMO.

We'll damn, at least tell us what you bought?

A 9mm bro.

Kahr cw9 and a Tucker pancake.

I have dies and components for virually all my guns except the .22's, and IMO it's not a bad thing at all to at least have the capability to put some ammo together. A few years back there was an "ammo shortage" that included rimfire and in certain areas I understand some centerfire as well. Remember having .22's rationed? Remember waiting to see if your _____ gun had ammunition delivered?

With the way the Democrats feel about how trustworthy YOU personally are with a firearm to begin with, I perfer to have the capability to reload. And aside from that, I shoot a falling plates competition which I find my scores improve with handloads, my .357 Magnum deer loads more accurate, and the wife's .380 does better with them as well.

At today's prices, no, not unless you just enjoy doing it & have the time to put to load enough to make a difference.

MM

I was already long ago set to load up for a 9mm, made it easy when i bought Wife a P365, the 115 xtp's and 125gr Barnes' at 1100 fps each are easy for her to shoot well and function fine in her pistol, and both are plenty accurate at leave me alone ranges, both expand and penetrate really well in metal coffee cans filled with water shot lengthways, both bare and covered with denim fabric, it's a fun little round.

Nope.

Reloading is an enjoyable hobby for me. I reload 9mm.
I like to Taylor my loads to my handguns. Just like I do for rifles.
Reloading is not a money saving proposition for me, it’s a hobby. Hasbeen

I can buy Blazer Brass 9MM for just under $9. on sale locally.

At this price it's cheaper to buy than reload, if you value your time.

I'm set up to reload, and save all my brass, but it's just not worth the time to me.

I buy a few boxes every time it's on sale and stock pile for when I need it.

Same with 5.56

I'm just too busy enjoying retirement to spend time reloading.

Besides having a bad back that just won't stand setting on a loading bench for long spells.

Virgil B.

For me, reloading is an end unto itself. I see it as the man's answer to knitting.

I try to have projects for the winter and the hottest part of the summer. 9mm is one of them. I can crank out 200 rounds an hour on my progressive once it's set up, and it is the perfect thing to do for a couple hours when I'm stuck at home on the weekend.

Of course, I'm not just loading. I'm also casting. I'll cast up 1000 rounds of bullets when I have a chance, and then save them for the dark of winter.

I've got an upcoming small 9mm project upcoming, and then I'm switching over to .223 Rem.

I remember the ammo shortages. So I can reload 9mm if I need to, or I want to play with a loading.
Ammo is plentiful now, but back when Obozo was POTUS the DHS was stocking up to kill us, and there was no 9mm ammo to be found.

I can load 100 rounds in 10 minutes on my Dillon SDB, components are as cheap as the loaded ammo if you shop around and buy in bulk, it's cheaper to load.

I still buy loaded ammo but I too remember the days of nothing on the shelf. I'm gonna have options...

It comes down to how you view reloading: If you have the time and enjoy the process, like Shaman, do it. It does save money, but not much. If reloading is just another chore to get done so you can go shoot, then just buy factory ammo.

Your powder and primer will cost you about 5 to 6 cents per round. Projectile prices will be unique to you. Local source vs. shipping costs, etc. If you can get projectiles into your hands for about 8 cents each, you've done pretty well (I think). Coated 115 gr bullets from Missouri Bullet Company will run you about that. So you're rolling your own for about 13-14 cents each. That presupposes that brass is free, which it basically is if you're willing to bend over and pick it up. So your total price runs $6.50-$7.00 per box of 50 rounds.

I can buy steel case ammo for $6.43 box (plus tax for my home state of Washington). Blazer brass 115 gr FMJ is $8.27/box. If you sell the brass at the gun show (about $15 per 1000), that brings the cost down to about $7.52/box.

I still have kids at home who show horses. I have a wife who isn't into guns. I work more than full time. Reloading is just another "to-do" for me at this stage of my life. I'll gladly pay somebody 50 cents to $1 per box to load my ammo for me. I'm only shooting about 250 to 400 rounds of 9mm per month. Someday I'll load for 9mm--either when it's financially more advantageous or when I'm looking to kill time. But, today is not that day.

I once timed myself on how long it took me to load 100 rounds on my Dillon (550b). When I factored in the actual time it took, it was closer to 20 minutes for me. My time measurement started with me going to the cupboard and getting a box of 100 primers, putting on shoes and a jacket, going out to the shop, pulling the cover off the press and checking the setup.

Then it was all the usual steps of reloading: stabbing 100 primers off the flip tray and start pulling the handle. I manually weigh a powder charge about every 25-30 rounds just to make sure Dillon isn't trying to kill me. I also measure the OAL on those rounds. Then, my process includes putting a green and blue "X" on the bottom of each case so I can have my brass back at the end of a match. I typically reload 200 rounds in a session.

If you tumble brass (which I do), that process (including the sorting) has to be factored in as well. When I'm done, I have to close down the shop and go back into the house. That is all time actually spent in order to reload.

I appreciate that pulling the handle doesn't take that long, but for a guy who is wondering if reloading 9mm "is worth it," if time is a major consideration, these things are worth considering.

I usually load either 400 or 1000 rounds at a sitting. 400 because thats how long before I'm bored, 1000 rounds because that usually finishes off my bullet stock.
I don't shoot as much anymore, so 1k rounds is good for at least 6 months. An afternoon or two and I've taken care of my 9/40/45 needs for the year.

Those were miserable times. I had difficulty finding decent duty ammo for a PD, from dedicated LE supply houses. I fared better personally because I reloaded. I had stocked ahead on powders and primers and was glad I did. W231 and pistol primers got scarce too.

I've been loading a long time. I can make as good or better ammo, for my purposes, and never run out of those loads; which might be discontinued or under-stocked if they were factory loads. When you are your own ammo manufacturer, there are no shortages.

But I am getting old and lazy and I intend to cut back on my loading. I shoot a lot of 45 ACP. I am seeing bulk steel-case hardball for 10-12 bucks a box and it will do for 90% of my shooting. And I wouldn't miss picking up brass.

Waders is spot on.

I bought a bunch of 9mm bullets to load a few years ago when I was still working and remembering ammo shortages. Never got around to loading them, because time was scarce and cheap factory stuff was not. I just got done loading them recently, because I'm retired, weather's been sucky, and I wanted them the heck out of the way. Probably not going to load any more until I'm out of other things I can do, or the cost difference makes a lot more sense.