Ok I am tring to justify the capitol investment of buying a press. I want to know how many round before it pays for itself loading 9mm. Can you guys help me out with relistic prices for componets. I have collected a metric ton of 9mm once fired brass so no worries there.

So how much can I relistically buy jacketed solid point bullets for? I have seen as low as 7.5cents each not counting shipping but is this realistic?

How much powder does it take for a 9mm? Just an average grain count will do. Then how much for a decent powder. So I can do the how much does the powder cost per round.

Thirdly (yes you guessed it) How much do you pay for primers. Small pistol primers that are of decent quality?


I am looking to build a spread sheet that will give me the round count at various prices for a break even point. If you can help me with realistic prices I can get in the realworld that would be great!

Just fyi if it makes a differance looking at getting a dillon 550b or maybe a squaredeal.

Thanks so much for any help you can give me I have looked online but it is hard to tell with shipping and all what the actual cost of things are and if they are from a repitable site.

Thanks again!
Steven

Ps the reason I want to do reloads is I would like to move up to shooting 3-500 rounds a month and can not afford it at todays prices. Also like to start shooting more events. Not looking for max power just something that will shoot accurate and reliably at max targets of 25yrds

Maybe here?

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/archive/index.php/t-52305.html

I reload not cause it's cheaper (which, it is), but because I shoot a some magnum handguns, but I don't like shooting magnum loads.

I used to reload 9MMs all of the time for my 226. I stopped when my Glock 19 choked on them though. By the way, I used a Square Deal and recommend them, although they cannot reload for rifle cartridges.

You should shop around for component prices. Natchez Shooting Supply is often good but not always the best. Graf and Sons, Wideners, MidSouth, and even Cabela's can have very good deals.

My favorite 9MM recipe:
147 grain bulk Winchester JHP. $14.27/ 100 Natchez
3.8 grains Accurate Arms #2 powder $13.49/ pound Natchez (not including Haz Mat fee)
Federal small pistol primers $33.46/ 1000 Natchez (cheaper elsewhere)

This load was really accurate, didn't kick much, and never jammed in the 226. I used it for target shooting and IPSC.

So, this gives us $9.17 per 50 loaded (without Haz Mat fees on shipping). This costs more than cheap 9MM ammo, like Blazer aluminum, when it's on sale at $7.99. BTW, I shoot a ton of Blazer aluminum now in my Glock 17.

Let's focus on reducing cost. Natchez currently has Remington bulk 9MM 115 grain for $8.60/100. Wideners has the same Federal primers for $28/ 1000. These would knock the cost down (although slightly more powder, which is cheap anyway, would be needed). An approximate would be $5.85/ box of 50. The bullet is still the dominate cost element. Widener's currently shows a Remington "FNEB" 115 grain at 5.65/ 100. That would help the price ($4.35?/ 50), but I have no idea what "FNEB" means.

More can be saved by getting a deal on 115 FMJs (like at a gun show) or going with lead bullets. Lead would be problematic if you have a stock Glock. You could install a Lone Wolf barrel to shoot them though. Pricing will vary widely and the most can be saved by casting your own bullets, which is actually pretty easy.

The conversion for powder is 7000 grains per pound. Therefore if you load 3.8 grains per bullet, you'll get about 1840 bullets per pound. Amount of powder per bullet is dependent upon powder type, bullet weight, and desired velocity (fast or slow). Data is available online.

Hazardous Material shipping charges really bite into savings. Normally, you'll pay $20 to ship any quantity of powder or primers up to 50 pounds or something. Ordering small quantities will hurt you here.

I liked Federal primers for 9MM reloading. I found them consistent and fairly sensitive. Some other primers, like CCI, were harder. That said, light strikes were never a problem with my old, stock 226.

Realistic, today prices, buying in some bulk, you are looking at $10/100 for 115grFMJ or about 1/2 WWWB. SO your payoff for equip. will depend on how much you shoot. Say you go LNL, scale, dies, calipers, tumbler, 2 manuals, say $600. If you shoot 500rds/mth, you'll pay for the gear in 1 year. Shoot more than that, even sooner, get into 10mm, 45 or any of the magnums, way sooner. Some places to buy bulk:
http://www.powdervalleyinc.com/
http://www.precisiondelta.com/products_new.htm
http://www.precisionbullets.com/
https://secure3.mooseweb.com/montanagoldbullet.com/pricelist.tpl

I found this info Link to be very helpful. Note - page down to the April 22nd, 2003 posting by Steve Smith - it has a spreadsheet

Since you have the brass, you will enjoy a significant savings. I've found reloading to be a very enjoyable hobby. It can be time consuming - sort the brass, clean the brass, inspect for cracks etc., make the bullets, case check each round. Then off to the range so I can start the process again

Other thoughts,

Because I have both Glock and Sig 9mm, I have only loaded plated or jacketed bullets. I purchased, and will load in the future 147gr molly coated lead bullets.

More and more of my friends that reload and shoot Glocks at IDPA are buying aftermarket barrels and using lead or molly coated lead to keep costs down.

Try a few different bullets to see what your gun likes before you buy thousands of something. For example, my M&P does not like 147gr downloaded rounds -throws them all over if the barrel is dirty (plated bullet with Clays powder). It seems to like the 115gr Zero bullets I bought for it. (Zero bullets with Titegroup.)

The guys I shoot IDPA with were very helpful when I was starting out - one even came over and helped me set up my press (saved me a LOT of time). They have tired and true recopies for competition shooting. (Had to 'upload' from factory to meet power factor for .38Speical but I can 'download' for 9mm or .45ACP.)

I've also found the guys that participate in this forum to be extremely helpful and knowledgeable.

Just my ramblings but there is no good way to say an exact cost,I been loading so long but I can remember when powder was $7.oo a pound and primers were about the same for a thousand.Brass was a penny a piece and new primed winchester was ten cents a case.I was cheep back then on 9-mm lead bullets and those darn things were about $22
.00 per thousand.
The bottom line is things have always gone up,everything except electronics's.Remember the days when a 25 inch color t v cost over a thousand. Remember the day you could buy a 1964 ford galexie 500 ,390 four barrel and four in the floor for $ 2100.00,I do and that was the first car I ever bought new.
Remember the first 1911 colt you bought I do and it was a painful $185.oo .It was so painful cause my old lady found out what I paid.

Rant off

Rant away I got a b-day next month and your making me feel young!

And on that painful because the old lady found out that is what I am probally going to do when I buy a press! I have found bullets that are decent for 6.5 each if I buy a 1000 or more and looks like a couple of cents for primer and powder each and I am still roughly half what WWB at wallies world cost. A little over 3700 rounds to break even!

All the info in this thread has been great!

One additional question anyone use those percision black bullets? I am thinking they would be just fine for shooting speed steel and killing cans! in my sig226r

Thanks again! Keep the rants coming!
Steven

I've tried some in my 357sig. They are very soft but keep vel. below 1300fps & they seem to shoo tfine, no leading visible yet.

Buy a Dillon. It will not matter.

If you load 5000 rds and save half the cost of new, that is exactly what you have saved. Half the cost.

As for the cost of the Dillon, it does not matter because when you no longer want it, you sell it for basically what you paid for it.

So investment = Zero

I use a different brand of black bullets (sent you an email with details) in my 686 wheel gun and in my .45 Autos. No problems at all.

I did get leading with my .45 revolver (625JM) so I no longer use the black bullets in that gun.

The real savings come when your reloading real expensise calibers.

For instance I reload 41 mag. A box of 50, 41 mags cost over 50 bucks now.

I just reloaded 1000 using 210 cast and a pound of unique. It cost me about $140..

So I averaged about $14 a box.

quote:

Originally posted by bugs100:
The real savings come when your reloading real expensise calibers.

For instance I reload 41 mag. A box of 50, 41 mags cost over 50 bucks now.

I just reloaded 1000 using 210 cast and a pound of unique. It cost me about $140..

So I averaged about $14 a box.

Note to Bugs,next time you are around this way,bring Gun and a few boxes of that ammo and we will burn up a few hundred in the range