I can buy 9mm at Wally World for $6 a box. I have a RCBS Jr press that I reload 38 special and some .357 mag with. I only shoot about 200 rounds a month at present. I plan on attending a large gun show this weekend and am wondering if I should pick up a set of 9mm dies and 9mm bullets. Can someone who loads 9mm tell me your approximate cost per box of 50 if you buy the bullets in bulk? I enjoy reloading but could also enjoy spending more time with the grandkids, my car, and fishing.

With good, cheap fired brass it is economically advantagous to load the 9mm IF you need really accurate ammo for target work. The trouble is the round is exasperating to load. The cases vary in lenth. Brands differ in dimensions, etc. If all you need is causal plinking loads, I say it isn't worth it. E

Let's see, I bought a 1000 Hornady FMJ's for $25, a pound of H-5066 powder $2, 1000 Alcan primers for $8, was given 4000 peices of once fired 9mm for free. You're ammo cost $120 per thousand, mine $35, you figure it out.

You can cut your cost in half, vs cheap factory stuff, w/ bulk FMJ bullets. It just depends on how much you shoot & what your time is worth.

Carroll - I've loaded a couple thousand 9mm on a rockchucker and swore I would never load another round of it. It is a PAIN in the ass to load a case that small. GSF brags about his savings, but this is assuming his time is worthless.

My advice is buy your 9mm ammo in bulk. Loading 38 & 357 is fun. 9mm sux. Never try to load any cartridge where you finger is wider than the case.
Your time is worth more than the headaches and you will probably never load any as good as factory 9s anyway. IMHO

9mm? without a progressive, no, it's not worth the time...

jeffe

The 9mm does not shoot cast worth a crap,is not accurate in most pistols, why bother?
Tried a few....never again.
Buy factory.
Have you ever meassured factory cases and military surplus?
There must not be any standards for this case.

It's no wonder why they don't shoot worth a hoot.
Now the .45 ACP is a differet story.
If it won't shoot cast.....see ya!
But then, I like older Smith& Wesson revolvers and a good 1911.

You have the empty brass, you might as well do something with them. (Send em my way)

My reloads using Hornady bulk 115fmj's is 6-7 cents each.

If you don't enjoy reloading, don't do it. I never really put a big dollar and cents value on my hobby. Saving money? Naw, I just shoot 5 times as much.-----------Chainsaw

I'm with Jeffe.

Loading 200 9mm rounds a month on a single stage press is more trouble than it's worth. Use factory ammo unless you're willing to invest in a progressive press such as a Dillon Square Deal "B". Then it will take about a half hour of your time.

I never bothered, but I sold my 9mm soon after I got it. I do reaload for .357/.38 sp. I find reloading to be entertaining, so it's not really a matter of cost to me anymore. Reloading actually costs me more because I'm constantly trying to find a better load. I'm starting to settle in on some favorites, but there are about 2000 combinations of components for every calibre....

If you feel guilty throwing away brass try CCI blazer ammo.

The 9mm and it's sibling 9 X 18 are the only two I don't reload. Just not worth chasing the brass around what with the low cost of factory ammo. Of course, I'm just a casual target shooter and plinker with these.

Dan, you can load great lead bulet loads for the 9mm. Use a very hard cast bullet & taper crimp. I have loaded 1,000's (Dillon 550B) for several S&Ws, BHPs & have even shot them some in Glocks. Except for the small size, it isn't any harder than any other semiauto round to load for.

[ 12-10-2002, 05:59: Message edited by: fredj338 ]

What's cost got to do with it? It's fun ,keeps your eyes from going bad watching the crap on T.V. and if'n you don't double charge a case, it at least gives you the satisfaction of enjoying the entire spectrum of the firearms experience!

Eric

I reload the 9, but I load with Remington 115 grain JHP's to duplicate my carry ammo. Only difference is velocity, slightly slower than my +P carry ammo. Some bulk ammo is reasonably accurate, but I have found that my reloads often beat the bulk ammo in accuracy.

Winchester 9mm white box is $9.95 for a box of 100 at Wal Mart. At that price, it is difficult to justify reloading them, though I do it for specialty loads.

Good lead bullets work fine if you do not drive them too fast. A 124 lead round nose in front of 3.6 of Bullseye works well in my Glock and P-35. It is a good training load for new shooters.

Thanks for all the good info. Since I don't plan to upgrade to a progressive press, that they are a pain to reload and pick up the empties when the auto throws them all over the place, since I don't shoot a lot, and I like to do other things when the weather is nice besides sit at a loading bench, I'll buy store bought for now. I'll still load the .38 and .357 just for the fun of doing it.

I guess I am different than most on this forum. I absolutely love reloading, whether it is for my .45-70, my .17 Remington or any of the multitude of other calibers in between. The 9x19 is no exception. I collect brass at the local range for free, I buy bulk 122 gr. FN cast bullets for next to nothing, and I buy primers in 5,000 packs and 231 in 8lb. canisters which brings the primer and powder cost way down. I don't even use my Dillon 650 for 9mm, I use my good old RockChucker. I put on a few good country CD's (e.g. Jimmy Rodgers, Merle Haggard, George Jones, etc.) and do one task at a time over a couple of weekends. I'll size and deprime a 1000 rounds, then prime them with my RCBS priming tool, then load them with 4.2 grains of 231, then seat a bullet in each and apply a light taper crimp. I have never trimmed 9mm brass and have never had a round that wouldn't feed or fire. Then it's off to the range over a couple of weekends to continue getting real proficcient with my Beretta 92FS. These cast bullet rounds shoot very well in my gun. Then I might switch to my .357, .45, .44 or another caliber to do it all over again. I don't think I have bought a factory round other than 7.62x39 or home defense loads in almost 10 years. Call me crazy, but I can't think of too many things I would rather be doing than reloading, shooting and hunting. And because I love it I dont consider the labor as cost, so reloading the 9x19 for me is very cost effective.

[ 12-10-2002, 21:28: Message edited by: Shark Bait ]

I load all my handgun ammo on a Dillon 550B. I get great results on 9mm, 38spcl, 357, 40 S&W, 10mm, 44 spcl, 44 Mag. and 45 ACP. I have a quick change conversion kit for each so that changing from on to another is very quick. I load thousands of rounds a year. Between my wife and son and myself we could not afford to shoot as much as we do without the Dillon set up. I only load my hunting rifle ammo on a rock chucker. I cannot imagine trying to load a few hundred rounds let alone thousands of rounds of handgun ammo on the RCBS. I really enjoy loading but the rock chucker is just to painstaking for any kind of volume loading. Vaya con Dios, Danbro

I started loading 9mm many years ago when really cheap 9mm wasn't readily available. Also picked up a Dillon 1050 along the way.

Hard 9mm cast bullets work fine in many pistols ... and in blow back subguns. Have shot many thousands of them. They are REALLY cheap!

If you need volume, have a progressive loader, and have guns that shoot 9mm cast ammo with some degree of accuracy ... reloading is the way to go. Otherwise, buy the white box stuff and save the cases for some friend who has to shoot cheap!