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Thread: Surprising 9mm Reloading Cost Calculations

  1. #11
    No lead allowed on our indoor range (and the range I take classes at), coated are fine so that is probably my baseline.

    and then flip the gauge over into my box (bullets pointing up)
    That feature of the Shockbottle alone would probably pay for itself in time savings. Didn't know they could do that, thanks.
    Last edited by FPS; 11-15-2016 at 03:58 PM.

  2. #12

    Surprising 9mm Reloading Cost Calculations

    Reloading is all about buying in bulk. At least that's what I've found out. If you're buying online buy as much as you can to avoid double dipping on shipping. Shipping is what can get ya.
    Last edited by JCS; 11-15-2016 at 04:06 PM.
    "Shooting is 90% mental. The rest is in your head." -Nils

  3. #13
    If you are fine with just shooting the cheapest 115gr you can buy, and you only shoot a few thousand a year, you probably shouldn't reload. 9mm is one of the worst calibers to try and save money on.

    I run a bullet feeder and it won't drop a bullet on a 380, if I don't notice it before that, and I usually do.

    You can buy 6000 pieces of 9mm brass polished, shipped to your door for about $170, you can find cheaper too. So $28/K
    I use 135gr bayou bullets, 3300 to your door for $240, again you could buy cheaper bullets or 115gr bullets or more quantity for a discount, but anyway $73/K
    8lbs titegroup and 5K winchester primers for about $325 to your door. Again you might find cheaper. Call it $35/K primer (with shipping hazmat etc) and $22/K powder.

    You get a fairly nice, low recoil round for $158/K and you haven't even used any brass twice.

    You should be able to get 20K rounds out of your 6K brass pretty easily, so really brass cost could be $8.5 per K. If you bought bullets and stuff in a little higher quantities you should be able to get sub $120/K pretty easily. So if you shoot 10K a year you'll save about $1000/year which pays for a lot of reloading equipment.

    If you're going to buy Starline, yeah just buy Blaser brass and keep the brass.

  4. #14
    If you are fine with just shooting the cheapest 115gr you can buy, and you only shoot a few thousand a year, you probably shouldn't reload. 9mm is one of the worst calibers to try and save money on.
    I reload multiple calibers - .38 spc, .357, 10mm, .44mag, .45 Colt - all well worth reloading for. I bought the progressive reloader because it was absolutely not worth doing 9mm on a turret press. I also plan on moving some of my revolver stuff over to progressive in time as I value my time more than what a turret typically gives me.

    Thanks for all the bulk sources and prices, that is really helpful.

  5. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by FPS View Post

    Brass - Starline 9mm Brass is currently $130 per 1,000 (or .13 per case).
    1,000 wet tumbled brass cases for $33 delivered.

    http://ammobrass.com/2001-9mm-brass-clean-1-000ct/

  6. #16
    Either get your brass free from pickups, or buy once fired for cheap from places like those mentioned or in forums like Cast Boolits.

    With free brass, my best match grades loads are around $.15 per shot.......we are talking match primers, Vihtavuori powder, and FMJ bullets. My cheapest 9mm loads are $.05......that is from using cheap powder, free brass, regular primers, and my own cast bullets that I get from free wheel weights(usually can be gotten from small town tire places).

  7. #17
    Member olstyn's Avatar
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    Just to add more weight to what others have said, brass should cost between zero and 4 cents/round. I started off initially by buying a 250 round box of ammo, and I pick up brass after teardown at just about every match I go to. I typically go home from an average match with 1.5-2x as much brass as the amount of rounds I shot in the match, because not everybody bothers to pick it up. Frankly, I could probably pick up double what I do, but I just don't need to. Obviously if you don't have time for that, your priorities may be different. That link HopetonBrown provided seems like a pretty reasonable deal if you're unable/unwilling to pick up range brass, given that it's been wet tumbled already. Even if half of it didn't pass your QC, you'd still be money ahead vs new brass, and wet tumbling means it's just as shiny and clean as new.

  8. #18
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    Lots of good comments already. I pick up brass off range - I get some 380s, 40s, etc too but I just keep a coffee can by the press and throw the 380s in that can for later (once in a while I load all the 380s and 40s). Lucky for me a bunch of my shooting buddies buy cheap 9mm reloads and leave their brass. I buy Bayou coated 9mm 124 bullets in bulk - 3000+ at a time to get best shipping. I buy the cheapest primers I can find - nothing magic about 9mm practice reloads - lately been using S&B or Tula. I use WSF powder in 8 lb kegs (or Clays for 45 ACP) - note those are "shotgun" powders and I can often get good pricing on shotgun powders by buying with a group (often you can get "free shipping" because the same vendors that deliver clay pigeons to shotgun clubs also deliver powder and primers).

    Here is another trick. If you have a "big box" sporting goods retailer near you - join their "club" or other way to register for discounts and coupons. In my case, I use Cabelas. They send me coupons - I just got one for $15 off $50 purchase. S&B small pistol primers are $24.99 per 1000 - so two boxes of S&B SP primers cost me about $53 (tax) -$15. When I checked out, the receipt has a survey - if I take the survey they give me $20 off $150 purchase. For the last year, I have been using these coupons on powder, primers, and projectiles (Berger, Barnes, and Hornady hunting bullets). It all adds up and keeps me from having to buy in super large quantities.

  9. #19
    Site Supporter CCT125US's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HopetonBrown View Post
    1,000 wet tumbled brass cases for $33 delivered.

    http://ammobrass.com/2001-9mm-brass-clean-1-000ct/
    Why am I just now finding out about this? I have a stainless wet tumbler and buckets of brass, and that is a great deal.
    Taking a break from social media.

  10. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by FPS View Post
    I reload multiple calibers - .38 spc, .357, 10mm, .44mag, .45 Colt - all well worth reloading for. I bought the progressive reloader because it was absolutely not worth doing 9mm on a turret press. I also plan on moving some of my revolver stuff over to progressive in time as I value my time more than what a turret typically gives me.

    Thanks for all the bulk sources and prices, that is really helpful.
    Ha..I load 9mm on a 40 year old RCBS Junior press.
    "Swing your leaders wide old man!"

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