?? cost to reload .40s anf 9s.

[pumkin]

CAN SOME OY YOU LRT ME KNOW WHAT THE MATERIAL COST FOR RELOADING 40s and 9mm. per 100 rounds. Figuring you own the equipment to do it with, to reload a bos a 100 rounds. Quality wise, the same as you by from walmart. White winchester box, and the maroon federal box. Also how many times can the average shell be used. I'm trying to decide buy all new, or think about trying to load. Thanks

[Artsville]

40 and 45 about .15 to .16 cents a round It is cheaper if you shoot lead.

9's I don't reload

Get started already.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rangefinder]

It's slightly deceiving, since I cast my bullets. But I reload .40's for about $4 per 100... $0.04 a pop roughly covers the cost of a primer and 4.2gr. of powder. What it does NOT include is the time spent smelting lead, casting, sizing, lubing, or propane. But it's all a part of what I call "therapy", so it doesn't count. On the bright side, most of my cast bullets I've brought up to or exceed commercial performances. So it works.

[oldandslow]

pk, 10/17/12

For 9mm- $0.02 for cast bullet, $0.04 for primer, $0.01 for powder and free pick-up range brass for a total of $0.07 per cartridge, or $7 per hundred. If I were to use FMJ's the bullet would cost about $0.11 so the cost would be $0.16 per cartridge or $16/ hundred.

I don't load .40sw but I do load .45. Costs are a bit higher but not much.


best wishes- oldandslow

[David Bachelder]

This is what .40" were costing me before I started casting, about .19 per round. I don't have any idea what WalMart charges for them.

At .19 per round the most expensive part was the bullet. Bullets were costing me about .14 cents each included shipping.

Now that I cast, I doubt that the bullets caos much more than a few cents each, maybe .05 or less.

I guess that puts my cost nowdays around ten cents a round. I use range brass or once fired off the net. The lead was found in my Dads garage, plenty of it.

[billtheshrink]

try this handy dandy to help. BUT the startup costs are difficult to figure.

http://www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp

[sundog]

What Rangefinder said. In fact, that same 0.04 per round is the same for everything that is handgun ammo. Even 44 mag and 45 Colt. Ditto the therapy comment concerning casting. And the best part is when you recycle the lead from the berm.

[BigJimP]

For most of us ....we reload a much higher quality round than you can buy at WalMart..../ because our presses, even though progressive and relatively quick ( say 800 rds an hour off a good press ) ....we can hold tighter tolerances than a large factory operation. I found early on - my groups were at least 25% tighter using my reloads ...than even the best factory ammo...in any caliber....

I reload 9mm and .40S&W using a premium jacketed bullet...from Montana Gold....and you can do it cheaper with electro-plated bullets or lead bullets...but most indoor ranges in my area insist on jacketed bullets to reduce the smoke inside / and I like the accuracy of jacketed bullets.

9mm using 115gr FMJ bullet my cost is $5.88 for a box of 50 -- or $11.76 per 100 ...or $ 0.1176 per cartridge.

.40S&W 180gr FMJ bullet my cost is $8.48 for a box of 50 -- $ 16.96 per box of 100 ...or $ 0.1696 per cartridge.
------------
In my area 9mm 115gr jacketed ammo ...retail is $11 - $12 / box of 50 ...or
$ 22 - $24 for a box of 100....

In my area .40S&W 180gr jacketed ammo ...retail is about $ 20 for a box of 50 ....
---------------------
So in both cases, you can save a lot of money reloading both calibers ..or shoot 2 or 3 times as much with the same ammo budget.

But for most of us, its not the cost savings that attracts us to this part of the hobby / its that we can customize our ammo to what we want for each of our guns.

For metallic reloading ...personally I like Dillon equipment / specifically the 650 model suits me the best. But for both 9mm and .40S&W ...you can load both cases until they crack - or until you lose the case at the range....now reloading .40S&W - its a pretty high pressure case...so you do need to be careful, and very precise, with your procedures - pick the right powder, etc. 9mm is where you should start ...its very easy ...( process is the same with .40S&W --- but you don't have the margin for error that you have in a 9mm). I prefer Hodgdon powders....and in both of these calibers I use Hodgdon Universal powder --- CCI primers --and Montana Gold bullets.

[CrustyFN]

CAN SOME OY YOU LRT ME KNOW WHAT THE MATERIAL COST FOR RELOADING 40s and 9mm. per 100 rounds. Figuring you own the equipment to do it with, to reload a bos a 100 rounds. Quality wise, the same as you by from walmart. White winchester box, and the maroon federal box. Also how many times can the average shell be used. I'm trying to decide buy all new, or think about trying to load. Thanks

I can load 9mm for half of what WWB cost but end up with much better ammo. If I use my own cast bellets I can load 100 rounds for $2.50.

[Xfire68]

Pumkin, it's not always about costs as pointed out above. Better ammo is my goal when reloading. I seem to reach my goal each time I step up to the press!

[Valerko]

Less then buying them.

[RC20]

My equipment didn't cost me a dime (this time!)

I reloaded for some years when young, then too much moving and not much shooting and gave it up.

Now I have all that stuff and it still works so it cost me nothing (well there was the new tumbler and the new ....... but really its....... well therapy and better ammo and brotherly camaraderie and that's priceless )

[CS86]

This is something I also thought a lot about when starting up. One thing to keep in mind is that equipment can add up to a lot in cost, Plus you need some load books and books to learn from. It can add up, but doesn't have to if you are budgeting. If you are trying to find accuracy you will shoot lots more working up different loads. Its enjoyable to play around with it.

for 9mm and .40 don't buy the brass new, you should be able to get loads of it for cheap if not free from the ranges. So I wouldn't consider the cost of brass in your cost work up. small primers are around .02-.04 each. Powder if I remember right is about $30 a lb. It depends on the powder you use on how much you get out of a pound. you get 7000 grains per lb. you could be using anywhere from 3 to 9+ grains for the 9mm depending on the powder. dividing 7000/5 average = 1400 loads per lbs of powder roughly. $30/1400 = .021 cents. The could be more or less depending.

Bullets are the most expensive part of the equation. 1000 124gr berry's bullets are roughly $89, which equals .09 per bullet. This all depends on the brand, quantity, style, and weight of the bullet. Don't consider casting right now because it takes more equipment. But its even a bigger savings if you decide to, but much more involved timewise.

So we add all this together for a 9mm and you get about .14 per bullet. If you shop around it could be a little cheaper. You are lucky to by factory much less than .20. and if you buy small boxes of 50 or 100 you probably pay .23 to .28+ per bullet for the 9mm.

hope that helps.

[Sevens]

Nearly ANY and/or ALL handloading, if you get right down the economics, has the ability to cost LESS than factory ammo bought at retail.

Keep in mind that if you are talking EXPENSIVE factory ammo (let's say, .44 Mag or .500 S&W Mag), then you can save a huge, huge percentage off factory ammo at retail.

When you try to put the the economics up against 9mm and .40 S&W, it's a much closer race -- 9mm being the single cheapest centerfire reloadable-cased (non-communists milsurp import crap) ammo on the planet, and .40 S&W not far behind. 9 & .40 are the cheapest because of the incredible popularity of the two, they sell heaps and heaps of it, so they can price it a bit cheaper.

But the reality for someone who does not yet handload and it considering it is quite simply: How much money can you SPEND to get your costs down?
I'll put it another way:
If you go to get supplies and you purchase 100 primers and a pound of the right powder and 100 bullets, you are going to be paying more for your handloads even if you are getting your brass for free and your tools are paid for.

If you want to SAVE money on your ammo, you need to buy your primers 5,000 or 20,000 at a time, buy your powder in 8 pound jugs and buy your bullets in batches of 1,000 to 5,000 at a time.

5,000 primers? Figure $150.
8 pounds of powder? You'd be doing well to snag that at $130.
The best prices on those items come from ordering online, and you'll pay $25 hazmat and you'll pay $15 shipping to get those prices.

Jacketed bullets? 9mm, I think you can get around 3,000 of them from Montana Gold for just over $300.

Bottom line: If you have a .44 Mag or a .30-06 and you want to learn how to handload for purely economic reasons, you'll need startup funds but your ammo will save you money in the long run and it won't take too many loaded rounds to see it.

If you only want 9mm and .40 S&W, and your heart isn't in it and you don't have hundreds of dollars to buy your components in bulk... you won't be saving any money any time soon. Unless you are a competition handgun shooter and you literally need many thousands of rounds per month.

If that's the case, your startup costs will be even higher, but your break-even point will come sooner.

[Sevens]

Also how many times can the average shell be used.

This varies WIDELY by different calibers, how heavy you load them, and may be affected by the different guns that fire them. However, in 9mm and .40 S&W, for the most part, you can load them many, many, MANY times and you are more likely to lose them than you will be to wear them out.

Also, being that 9mm and .40 are the most popular handgun rounds out there these days, brass for them is plentiful and very low in cost. At many ranges, you can find many of them left waiting for you to pick them up for no cost. If you need to buy, you can easily find large lots of used brass offered for sale in forums like this one, or e-tailers online that offer them in bulk, usually 1,000 or more at a time for a very low cost.

[serf 'rett]

9mm cost is around $11.34//100. 40S&W about $13.62/100. Bulk buying of Berry's plated bullets,. powder, and primers. These estimates include shipping.

[Misssissippi Dave]

Federal Champion from Walmart uses a plated bullet. I don't load 9 mm with plated bullets instead I load with full metal jacket. FMJ does cost more and since I use a 124 grain bullet it ups the price again. It costs me about $13.00 to $13.50 per hundred. I do buy in bulk and I load a lot of rounds per year.

I enjoy reloading. I don't do it to save money. I really don't save anything at all. I just shoot more than I would be able to if I didn't reload. One thing I have noticed since taking up reloading again, I don't purchase nearly as many guns now. I prefer to work on getting the ammo I load to make my existing pistols work better. To me, reloading is just another hobby that goes well with the hobby of shooting. If you want better ammo for less money per round, reloading is the way to go.

I don't reload .40 but I do reload 9 mm, .45, .38 and .357 mag. I don't shoot enough .40 per year to consider reloading it yet. I am saving all my .40 cases. There probably will come a time when I will add .40 to the list of things to reload. I probably have only shot 300 rounds of .40 in the last year. I do go through thousands of rounds of 9 mm and .45 each year. More 9 mm than anything else including .22.

[rodfac]

This morning's search for 9mm jacketed bullets, on sale, was $14.50 per hundred, primers at $3.00 per hundred, and powder for a 5 gr charge was $1.30 per hundred = $18.80 per hundred for completed rounds. And that's not figuring in the shipping or Hazmat charges, nor the cost of the brass or loading equipment.

We often get into arguments here on the actual costs, but the above show what's reasonable with just a brief search on the net. Bullets, the jacketed variety, are the most expensive part...I was lucky a year ago and found them for a dime a piece...sadly those days are in the past. And no slight is intended to those who have a secret stash of low cost components.

The beauty of reloading is fine tuning a load for your individual gun, and the add'l shooting you can do for the same money, after you've amortized the equipment costs. In and of itself, it's a fun part of shooting.

Walmart, here locally, had 9mm Federal 100 count boxes of 9mm for $22...that's a savings of about 3 cents a round.

Best Regards, Rod

[Misssissippi Dave]

Buying in bulk helps to lower the cost quite a bit. You have to understand when I say, bulk, it is buying amounts greater then 1000 primers or bullets at a time. I looked at my receipts and figured the prices today for on line purchases based on loading 19,000 rounds to make things easier. This is loading using 124 grain FMJ. I also included Haz-Mat and shipping. My final figures had some bullets and powder left over. It comes out to $12.37 per hundred. It beats paying Wal-Mart $9 more per hundred if and when you can find the 100 round boxes of federal champion. If I purchase in smaller quantities the price does start increasing.

I get about 20 reloads from the Federal Champion cases on average. I don't load them hot. Winchester cases last longer but I don't have any idea yet how long they will last. 9 mm being the cheapest factory center fire round to purchase, means you should be able to save even more per round reloading any other caliber.

[p loader]

great thread about reloading 40 cal. That's my next goal.

Thanks

[tkglazie]

No offense rodfac, but you really need to shop around. Jacketed 9mm are still a 8 cents to a dime a piece, max, from several good outlets, precision delta being one. There is no reason to be paying more than 11-15 cents a round for a quality 9mm round.

[sidewindr]

If you get into casting your own, then you really can get by cheap, or shoot a heck of a lot more for the same price. I'm getting by with maybe $2.50-$3.25/100 in 9mm and $3.00-$3.75/100 in .40. I get 5gal buckets of indoor range lead for $30(130# average)plus ww for .40/lb( I get to pick my own out of a bin so very few zn or steel). Electricity and propane costs more than bullets.

The one other thing is if you reload 1 other caliber, adding another is easy, then another. The more caliber you reload the quicker the equipment pays for itself. Another nice thing about reloading your own is being able to run reduced loads. For some calibers(like the .40S&W or 357Sig) they have a snappy recoil and that stops people from shooting a gun very often. By downloading your plinking ammo(or cast ),you can taylor the recoil down so it is more enjoyable to shoot. For me,with a messed up wrist from younger "activities" it has made pistol shooting fun,otherwise I probably would maybe only own 1 gun and just plink around only once in a while.

[CrustyFN]

You can buy 9mm 124 grain FMJ from Montana Gold for $89 per 1K, $335 for 3,750 bullets.

[rodfac]

Good post tkglazie...just checked your recommended site at something over 8+ cents per thousand, before shipping etc...so how do they shoot...? I don't dispute the idea that we can save some money on loading our own, but the idea that we can get if for 1/2 the price of factory rounds is a bit overdrawn. Count the cost of your equipment, hazmat plus shipping and the price per round goes up. I will readily agree that reloading as a part of our hobby allows us to shoot more for the same dollar amount, but not as much as some would proclaim...Thanks for the site reference, I'll check out a hundred count and see if they're quality bullets or so-so. Best Regards, and no offense taken, hope you feel the same at my response. Rod

[tkglazie]

No offense whatsoever Rod. I hope you are able to save a ton of cash in the future.

I personally do not shoot PD bullets but many at the range do. I dont shoot jacketed myself at all (except to keep a few boxes of factory-type bullets on hand), but that's just me. For my target work I find lead and plated to perform better for my style of shooting.

I actually pay 10 to 10.5 cents a bullet for my .45 lead bullets even though I know that is a bit high, simply because they are made local to me and I enjoy supporting the business (reloadsnmore, if anyone is looking for a nice hardcast bulletmaker), and most importantly, they shoot better in my guns than any other bullet I have tried.

I shoot a ton of Berry's my 9mm at 8 cents per 124gr HBFP. I could shoot PD FMJ for a half a cent more but these work for me at 1050fps so I stick with them.

Whatever your choice is, if you shop around you can almost always load a common handgun round for 15 cents or less. You do have to factor in the equipment cost but then again, gas costs money too on the way to the LGS to buy factory ammo

Happy loading.