9mm reloading economics in 2023.

[Corse]

9mm is only worth the effort and cost to reload during the price spikes and shortages, but that is best mitigated by stock piling ammo ahead of time and using components for far more costly calibers.

[LotI]

Others have posted similar thoughts but the real justification for me is finding “the load”. Adding the ability to make this “perfect”* load for less than the lowest of the low priced stuff justifies it.

I have found the 9mm load that works magic in my CZC A01-SD. It justifies that I take my time to load it myself at $175/case, current prices. 150gr Brass Monkey at 860fps, if you pry.

Same thing with my .223 load with a 88gr ELDM out of my bolt gun. How many factory loads are available? None.

The big advantage of 9mm and .223 is brass lying at public ranges for free. Very few reload so if I see someone packing up for the day at the range I tell them I’ll clean up their brass if I get to take it. I see the factory boxes they’re throwing in the trash so I know the lineage. If you’re thinking of reloading in the future, keep your brass! I have enough to last me if they stopped making it today, but I still pick it up. I have a ton of 30-06 once fired, and I don’t have a rifle for it.

Even with the cost of my LnL, dies, maintenance, setup, it makes sense. 300rds/hr., paying attention, taking breaks, not distracted, in a zen space, etc. It’s worth it. Winter in WI can be a bit long and TV sucks.


*until the next perfect one comes along!

[DMF13]

My 2 cents as a very new reloader, who only loads 9mm, and has no plans to load anything else.

At first I was interested in saving money, but quickly saw that, at best my break even point in cost savings, not even figuring in the cost of my time, was a couple years at the cost of a progressive setup. If time costs are calculated that stretches out even farther.

I had pretty much abandoned the idea, but a local M class shooter, who was helping me, pointed out that on short open targets my mixed cheap factory ammo wasn't a big deal. However, he had me shoot groups with some of different cheap ammo at 25 yard. While the individual groups by ammo type were okay for most of the stuff, there were definite differences in point of impact. He convinced me the real value of reloading was to always get consistent performance from the ammo, rather than worrying if there was a 3-4" shift in POI between Winchester White Box, Monarch (PPU), Blazer, or other cheap factory ammo, on stuff other than the short range open targets.

Even if I was willing to pay a premium for something other than the cheapest available 115gr FMJ 9mm, there is no guarantee I can always source that particular ammo.

So I ended up with a Hornady Lock-n-Load AP, and I think I found (mostly by blind dumb luck), a load that functions, and groups, well, out of my Glocks.