How do you justify the cost of .45 ammo over 9mm

[_Muad'dib_]

For everyone here that's just paying their bills and only have say...$60 a month to buy ammo with, how do you justify using a .45 over a 9mm when it costs you approx. 40% more to shoot the .45? You can shoot/practice 40% more with the 9mm rather than the .45. Does this play into your decision on which type of gun to own?

[MLeake]

... are reloaders. A lot of .45 fans are reloaders.

My uncle used to reload .45acp, and shoot for just slightly more than the cost of .22LR.

For non-reloaders (like me) cost is more of a factor, and if the budget were tighter, I'd shoot a lot more 9mm, relatively speaking. My carry guns tend to also be the (centerfire) guns I shoot the best, so in economic hard times, 9mm would probably beat out .45 for me.

[_Muad'dib_]

Wow, didn't realize it was that cheap to reload. Makes alot more sense to shoot .45 when you can reload so cheaply.

[Daryl]

Wow, didn't realize it was that cheap to reload. Makes alot more sense to shoot .45 when you can reload so cheaply.

To reload that cheaply, you'd have to cast your own bullets, too.

Many do, but many don't.

Even buying cast bullets though, reloading .45 is cheaper than buying 9mm ammo.

[Sport45]

But, to compare apples to apples keep in mind you can reload 9mm cheaper than .45acp. That's if you use the same type of practice bullet in both.

[insolentshrew]

and reloading 9mm is cheaper than reloading 45 =)
but just barely.

One thing to keep in mind is you still have to spend a decent amount of money into reloading before you start saving money, and it takes time.

[dalegribble]

because my life is worth it

[spodwo]

Wow, didn't realize it was that cheap to reload. Makes alot more sense to shoot .45 when you can reload so cheaply.

Yes it is less expensive BUT you do need to buy the reloading equipment, dies, powder, primers and a few surplus items if you want to do a better job.

Single stage Rock Chucker with starter kit - $325.00.
Carbide dies for a .45 - around $40.00

Then you have to buy powder, primers and bullets, Bullet lube,

If you are going to make your own then you need bullet molds, something to melt lead in, etc.

Anyway - before you can start reloading - you will drop about $500.00 to get going.

And there is the time factor - How much is your time worth?

[spacecoast]

I don't think you are going to find many here who are at the point where they can only afford one gun and a limited amount of ammo. Both 9mm and .45 have their place, if you're really that tight on finances I would advise you to practice with .22s and work to improve yourself financially until you can shoot and own as much as you like. Reloading is a great option and a great hobby.

But, to compare apples to apples keep in mind you can reload 9mm cheaper than .45acp. That's if you use the same type of practice bullet in both.

I reload cast bullets in .45 and plated in 9mm (to avoid leading issues), so it's actually about the same.

Anyway - before you can start reloading - you will drop about $500.00 to get going.

Nah, you can do it for way less - $150 or less for a hand press, a couple sets of dies and a tumbler.

[CMichael]

If you can't afford it, don't do it.

[dahermit]

I started hand loading in the middle sixties because I could not afford to buy ammo for my handguns. I started with an inexpensive Lee Loader which cost about $10.00 then. I bought a bullet mold and cast my bullets. I sized my bullets with a cheap push-through sizer from Lee and pan lubed them. If you start out in such a way, and add more sophisticated tools as you can afford them, it is always cheaper to hand load than buy commercial ammunition. One does not need very expensive tools to start (Used RCBS Jr. press, etc.). If you want to shoot, hand loading (and casting) is a no brainer.
At this stage in my life, I use a Dillon 550B and am "wealthy" enough to buy any equipment I want. But, a hand loader til death.

[sonnycrockett]

Reloading 45 and 40 is a good way to shoot more for less
reloading 9MM is usually a wash for me cost per bullet but the accuracy is
way better when I reload VS Walmart Federal........

[Daryl]

Single stage Rock Chucker with starter kit - $325.00.
Carbide dies for a .45 - around $40.00

Then you have to buy powder, primers and bullets, Bullet lube,

If you are going to make your own then you need bullet molds, something to melt lead in, etc.

Anyway - before you can start reloading - you will drop about $500.00 to get going.

And there is the time factor - How much is your time worth?

All good points, and the initial cost can be prohibitive for some...if they insist on buying the "better" equipment to start off with.

There are cheaper alternatives.

But, most dedicates shooters shoot more than one cartridge. I load and shoot several cartridges, and my equipment has paid for itself many hundreds of times. I started in 1976, and still use much of the same equipment I started with.

I shoot a lot of .45 Colt ammo, and at it's cheapest, it's still far more expensive than .45 ACP when buying factory loaded ammo. By handloading, it's pennies a shot, so it really is a no-brainer.

Add in .17 Rem, .223 Rem, .243 Win, 7mm mag, .300 Win mag, 30/378 Wby, .32 H&R mag, .38 special, .40 S&W.....it doesn't take long for equipment to pay for itself.

Daryl

[Uncle Malice]

Even buying cast bullets though, reloading .45 is cheaper than buying 9mm ammo.

This is course assumes that your time isn't worth anything to you. Granted, it is probably enjoyable to reload.. it is also time consuming.

I would like to get into reloading myself, but I feel that it is more expensive for me than just buying in bulk online. When working, I make just under $50/hr and I work about 75 hrs per week.

It is for this reason that I prefer to just buy the ammo up and then hit the range when I can - on lunch or on the weekend.

To me, less time reloading = more time shooting.

To be sure, if I had more free time on my hands, I would love to get into reloading. I have a buddy that reloads a lot. Sitting in the garage with a good cigar and a beer. Music playing... kind of lets you escape from the world for a few I guess.

[Daryl]

This is course assumes that your time isn't worth anything to you. Granted, it is probably enjoyable to reload.. it is also time consuming.

I would like to get into reloading myself, but I feel that it is more expensive for me than just buying in bulk online. When working, I make just under $50/hr and I work about 75 hrs per week.

It is for this reason that I prefer to just buy the ammo up and then hit the range when I can - on lunch or on the weekend.

To me, less time reloading = more time shooting.

To be sure, if I had more free time on my hands, I would love to get into reloading. I have a buddy that reloads a lot. Sitting in the garage with a good cigar and a beer. Music playing... kind of lets you escape from the world for a few I guess.

In that light, it's obviously not for everyone. For me, it's a relaxing hobby, and I'm pretty quick at it. I don't watch much TV, prefering the loading bench. I load in my spare time when I need to relax, and keep plenty of ammo on hand as a result.

For me, less money spent per shot = more time shooting.

I'm also far more knowledgeable on pressures, ballistics, bullet performance, and such than most non-handloaders are. I know what to expect from my ammunition, simply because I've studied the results and loaded the ammo myself to perform to my needs.

Because I shoot more by loading my own, I'm also a better shot than I would otherwise be.

If your friend loads while drinking and smoking, I'd avoid him personally. Some things don't mix well, and fire, alcohol, and explosives doesn't seem like a good mix. I don't drink or smoke at all, much less at the loading bench.

Daryl

[Nasty]

Drink less and cheaper beer.

[Rangefinder]

I go a little beyond just reloading. If you include hand casting in the mix, things get even cheaper. I cast 40S&W 180gr TC bullets out of WW alloy that I haven't paid a dime for yet. So things are about as cheap as I can make them now. 3.5 pennies for a primer, 1.5 pennies for the 4.4 grains of powder in each load... 5 cents a shot. How much was a box of 40S&W last time you checked? I'm loading mine for about $5 per hundred.

[Uncle Malice]

I'd avoid him personally

Perhaps I should have clarified this.. I mean to say sipping a single beer. Not getting buzzed and trying to reload. He's very anal about his measurements and I would not consider him to be doing anything foolish.

I am right there with you though. I don't smoke or drink at all really either. I may have a single drink if I'm out with some friends but I would say I average less than 1 drink per month. Alcoholism runs in my family, so I made it a point a long time ago to not end up like that.

[Squibb]

I think folks have given you a pretty good idea of the alternatives available to store bought ammo. I think it comes down to what works best for each.

Granted, .45acp cost more than 9mm, which costs more than .22. I have a couple of .45s I love, but I just don't shoot'em all that much, any more, due to cost. I collect a particular brand of OOP 9mm pistols, and I usually shoot a couple of them weekly. But, I also have a couple of very nice .22s that I shoot a lot. A box of 550 for about $19.

So, I still shoot the bigger ones, not just as much. And, I shoot a lot of .22. At the end of the day, I've been to the range and I enjoyed myself. Whatever floats your boat.

[gc70]

Beyond the savings from reloading .45 ammo, there are other options for training with cheaper ammo. The sight picture and trigger control on my Sig P220 are the same whether it is wearing a .45 or a .22 top end.

[Lemmon]

I just like shooting my 45ACP Colts. I also hand load and when I was much younger and had money before wife and child (Age 31 when I got married), I bought a nice supply of 200 grain SWC in 45 Caliber before they became more expensive. I only have about a 1000 to 1500 left though. Lemmon

[Officer's Match]

because my life is worth it

This. ^

[Magyar]

because my life is worth it

I see this alot on forums...But yet, most handloaders and non-hld's will not purchase or fire someone else's load? Now, tell me why?
If you take at random 20 handloaders and 500 rds each of their ammo and compare it to a random 10,000 rds of factory ammo; tell me which will be the most reliable?
What most are saying, I believe, is that their individual loads are entirely safe & reliable; but they can't speak to others...Is this correct?

[MLeake]

... of the results one too many "double-measures" of powder, and the subsequent kabooms, to want to use handloads from anybody I don't know.

[Rangefinder]

When you take factory loads, you're dealing with a heavily regulated operation with hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in quality control measures, whether it be in precision machinery, checks and alarms, or the trained individuals to put a human eye (many of them) on every step of the process. It's pretty difficult to have a catastrophic "oops" that way. It's also expensive to guarantee that quality with the risk of company name/reputation, and that cost translates down to the end-user in cost to buy factory ammo.

With handloaders, we all have our own personal operation, with ZERO regulation, and only the hat rack between our shoulders as our personal quality control. I trust my process, I trust my quality, and I trust my loads---I know everything that went into those loads because I made them every step of the way and have processes in place to make sure they are what I intend them to be. However, I know nothing about Billy-Bob the local handloader/lawnmower mechanic down the street. For all I know, he's busy thinking about who-knows-what as he's charging cases and overlooked the fact he didn't reset his powder measure or calibrate his scale before he started dumping a level of powder in the cases that will throw the slide of a pistol farther than it will a bullet. Buying loads from him might seem dirt-cheap initially, but I'm not willing to risk my firearm, fingers, eyes, etc to find out whether or not he's really paying attention when he's loading potentially dangerous ammo.

Personally, I load for myself, my son, and my dad----that's it, period. If someone else wants reloads, I have no problem teaching them how to reload and will work with them religiously until they are completely comfortable doing it on their own on their equipment. But their loads are exactly that--theirs, and my loads are also exactly that--mine.