?? cost to reload .40s anf 9s. - Page 2

serf 'rett · October 21, 2012, 12:32 AM

Quote:

but the idea that we can get if for 1/2 the price of factory rounds is a bit overdrawn.

Actually when taxes are added to the $22 quoted Walmart cost, I am loading for less than 1/2 the price of factory rounds. Including hazmat and shipping. Brass was free range pickup. The equipment was "paid out" in less than 4K 9mm rounds.

rodfac · October 21, 2012, 08:18 AM

Gotta agree with you on the use of lead alloy ,tkglazie, for the most part, I use it almost exclusively; 9mm being the one exception. In that caliber, I've never found a cast lead bullet that would perform well in the 9mms we've owned: Beretta 92, two Colt 1911's, a Sig 290, and a Glock 19...never tried them in the Glock due to the factory warning.

For the rest of our short guns, I've cast for almost 50 years now, and have bought a variety of commercial offerings too....currently, I"m using Missouri Bullets in .41, .44 Spl and Mag, and .45 Colt and ACP....very good quality control from that outfit...not the cheapest, but with selected loads in all five of those calibers, I can expect sub-2" gps at 25 yds, some considerably less.

Good discussion here...Best Regards, Rod

Misssissippi Dave · October 21, 2012, 09:50 AM

It took me less than 6 months to pay for a progressive press loading only 9 mm ammo. Adding a caliber beyond that took very little time to pay for everything to load the next caliber. Progressive presses can turn out a good amount of ammo per hour. They cost a lot compared to single stage and turret presses. Since you can produce more ammo per hour as the cost of the press goes up (generally speaking) I would think the time to pay for the press and any other equipment needed to reload should be able to be done in a year or less for many loaders. The key is getting a press that matches your needs.

I can understand using components that might not be the lowest cost often are needed to achieve the quality you want to make. The challenge seems to be finding the components that meet the quality you are looking for at the lowest price. It seems the companies of the past, I bought from, may not always be the places where I can still get those best prices. It is always good to read these posts to find where people are getting their components at and comparing those to what I use. This helps me to get my costs to a reasonable level. Reloading is fun to do and you still can reload ammo for less than buying factory ammo.

grumpa72 · October 21, 2012, 09:55 AM

Lots of good advice here and I hesitate to add my two cents. But, ... I have to reply to those that say that one must add in reloading costs to compare apples to apples. I don't factor in my initial start up costs for press and related reloading equipment anymore than I add in costs for tools for my garage. For example, I know that when I change the brakes on my car, that I am doing a better job than the shop, using superior quality components and the tools are just that, tools.

I watch so little TV, choosing to spend my time in the garage. A couple of times a year I sit down and cast my own .45 and 9mm for loading at a later date. The lead is free pickup from my local indoor shooting range, brass is mine and range pickup. So that leaves me powder and primer. I do buy plated bullets for my reloading because I put five plated bullets as the last five in every box that I reload. I am assuming, and have read, that the plated bullets will help clear some of the lead out of the barrel which should make cleaning easier. I pay $30/1000 for primers and $21 to $24 a pound for powder. I have just found a place locally that has some pretty good price advantage over those prices but I have to use up some of the hoard or powder first.

Good shooting.

grumpa72

testuser · October 21, 2012, 12:15 PM

Some good points made here, but I think it might be valid to look at reloading equpiment as a hedge against future ammo prices.

Things are getting more expensive...labor cost, raw materials, possibly taxes. Also consider when looking at cheap foreign ammo, that the cost may not be as favorable in the future.

In the late 90s and early 2000s, 9mm ammo was about $5 per 50 in my area. A lot of people said it wasn't worth it to reload. Nowadays, I pay about 33% less for my 9mm reloads and save about $5 per box over factory ammo. Since I've started reloading, I've noticed that the price for factory ammo is climbing faster than my reloads...the gap keeps getting wider, in my mind.

Point is, I wish I had started to reload a lot sooner!

sidewindr · October 21, 2012, 12:23 PM

Grumpa72, you shouldn't have to use any jacket or plated bullets to clean out leading, it shouldn't be there in the first place(I'n not trying to be synical or disrespectfull). When I first started I had leading and played around ect, and got it down to a minimum, so I thought I would do the jacketed trick also. Then came along my first few custom molds that dropped bullets bigger than what I could get commercially. Then I started sizing my bullets as big as any of my guns could chamber(I knew the size of the barrel by slugging them earlier), but some could go another thou bigger yet. After doing that, my leading just dissapeared. I now can play around with different powders and charge weight without even worring about leading. The saying is FIT is king, and after that all will be good in the kingdom

The problem that does arise is now I have seperate bullet sizes in each caliber because some barrels are up to .003" bigger than another, but it is the best way to enjoy lead without have leading or be right on the edge of it.

Another good help is to take a bore mop and saturate it with fine/ultra fine metal polish and polish the bore to a mirror-like finish. It helps keep the lead from sticking.

October 21, 2012, 08:18 AM	#27
rodfac Senior Member Join Date: January 22, 2005 Location: Kentucky Posts: 3,623	Gotta agree with you on the use of lead alloy ,tkglazie, for the most part, I use it almost exclusively; 9mm being the one exception. In that caliber, I've never found a cast lead bullet that would perform well in the 9mms we've owned: Beretta 92, two Colt 1911's, a Sig 290, and a Glock 19...never tried them in the Glock due to the factory warning. For the rest of our short guns, I've cast for almost 50 years now, and have bought a variety of commercial offerings too....currently, I"m using Missouri Bullets in .41, .44 Spl and Mag, and .45 Colt and ACP....very good quality control from that outfit...not the cheapest, but with selected loads in all five of those calibers, I can expect sub-2" gps at 25 yds, some considerably less. Good discussion here...Best Regards, Rod __________________ Cherish our flag, honor it, defend it in word and deed, or get the hell out. Our Bill of Rights has been paid for by heros in uniform and shall not be diluted by misguided governmental social experiments. We owe this to our children, anything less is cowardice. USAF FAC, 5th Spl Forces, Vietnam Vet '69-'73.

October 21, 2012, 09:50 AM	#28
Misssissippi Dave Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2009 Posts: 1,411	It took me less than 6 months to pay for a progressive press loading only 9 mm ammo. Adding a caliber beyond that took very little time to pay for everything to load the next caliber. Progressive presses can turn out a good amount of ammo per hour. They cost a lot compared to single stage and turret presses. Since you can produce more ammo per hour as the cost of the press goes up (generally speaking) I would think the time to pay for the press and any other equipment needed to reload should be able to be done in a year or less for many loaders. The key is getting a press that matches your needs. I can understand using components that might not be the lowest cost often are needed to achieve the quality you want to make. The challenge seems to be finding the components that meet the quality you are looking for at the lowest price. It seems the companies of the past, I bought from, may not always be the places where I can still get those best prices. It is always good to read these posts to find where people are getting their components at and comparing those to what I use. This helps me to get my costs to a reasonable level. Reloading is fun to do and you still can reload ammo for less than buying factory ammo.

October 21, 2012, 09:55 AM	#29
grumpa72 Senior Member Join Date: April 5, 2009 Posts: 487	Lots of good advice here and I hesitate to add my two cents. But, ... I have to reply to those that say that one must add in reloading costs to compare apples to apples. I don't factor in my initial start up costs for press and related reloading equipment anymore than I add in costs for tools for my garage. For example, I know that when I change the brakes on my car, that I am doing a better job than the shop, using superior quality components and the tools are just that, tools. I watch so little TV, choosing to spend my time in the garage. A couple of times a year I sit down and cast my own .45 and 9mm for loading at a later date. The lead is free pickup from my local indoor shooting range, brass is mine and range pickup. So that leaves me powder and primer. I do buy plated bullets for my reloading because I put five plated bullets as the last five in every box that I reload. I am assuming, and have read, that the plated bullets will help clear some of the lead out of the barrel which should make cleaning easier. I pay $30/1000 for primers and $21 to $24 a pound for powder. I have just found a place locally that has some pretty good price advantage over those prices but I have to use up some of the hoard or powder first. Good shooting. grumpa72

October 21, 2012, 12:15 PM	#30
testuser Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2010 Posts: 495	Some good points made here, but I think it might be valid to look at reloading equpiment as a hedge against future ammo prices. Things are getting more expensive...labor cost, raw materials, possibly taxes. Also consider when looking at cheap foreign ammo, that the cost may not be as favorable in the future. In the late 90s and early 2000s, 9mm ammo was about $5 per 50 in my area. A lot of people said it wasn't worth it to reload. Nowadays, I pay about 33% less for my 9mm reloads and save about $5 per box over factory ammo. Since I've started reloading, I've noticed that the price for factory ammo is climbing faster than my reloads...the gap keeps getting wider, in my mind. Point is, I wish I had started to reload a lot sooner!

October 21, 2012, 12:23 PM	#31
sidewindr Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2011 Location: somewhere out there Posts: 101	Grumpa72, you shouldn't have to use any jacket or plated bullets to clean out leading, it shouldn't be there in the first place(I'n not trying to be synical or disrespectfull). When I first started I had leading and played around ect, and got it down to a minimum, so I thought I would do the jacketed trick also. Then came along my first few custom molds that dropped bullets bigger than what I could get commercially. Then I started sizing my bullets as big as any of my guns could chamber(I knew the size of the barrel by slugging them earlier), but some could go another thou bigger yet. After doing that, my leading just dissapeared. I now can play around with different powders and charge weight without even worring about leading. The saying is FIT is king, and after that all will be good in the kingdom The problem that does arise is now I have seperate bullet sizes in each caliber because some barrels are up to .003" bigger than another, but it is the best way to enjoy lead without have leading or be right on the edge of it. Another good help is to take a bore mop and saturate it with fine/ultra fine metal polish and polish the bore to a mirror-like finish. It helps keep the lead from sticking.