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Estimated Cost to Start Reloading 9mm & Cost savings!

89K views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  Ice Man 
#1 ·
Ok, So I just made my lists of what I'm going to buy to (re)start reloading, and I figured I would share the links and prices of what I found. This is for a Lee Pro1000 setup for 9mm (not that it matters):
Press: $150
Case Collator: $10
Tumbler & media: $40
media separator: $33
Bullet Puller: $11
Shipping for all of above: $14 (all purchased from same online shop)
Scale: $15
Calipers: $10
Shell Sorter (Optional): $39

Total: ~$300

Approx. differance if you bought...
For Real Single Stage Kit -$100
Lee Breech Lock Single Stage Kit: -$80
Lee Delux Turret Kit: -$50
Lee Load Master: +$50
Dillon 550B: +$250-300

I'm sure there are some other costs im not taking into account such as a reloading book ($30) and some ammo boxes ($3 each for 100 count), etc that you may or may not need/want, but these are certainly the basics, and what I am getting at the moment.
They are probably not the VERY cheapest prices. but they are the cheapest I could find in a quick search that would work. I would have gotten these things from Widener's (a local and online reloading place that is cheaper), but they are out of stock on a lot of items right now.

Ok... on to price per bullet / cost savings for 9mm:
Powder. If bought locally: $50 for 4lb container. Use ~5gn per round = just under 1 penny per round.
Bullets: Using Barry's plated bullets (cheapest non exposed lead ones i can find) ~$30/250 bullets = 12 cents per round
Primers: about $30 per 1000 = 3 cents / round
Case: assuming free.
Total Cost / round: 16 cents

if using lead: ~12 cents each

Store Bought (assuming you can find it at all):
Cheapest AL case bulk: 19.2 cents each
Normal Brass case bulk: 23 - 35 cents each
Normal 50 round box: 25 - 50 cents each

Depending on what you would normally buy store bought, you are saving between 5 cents and 30 cents per round.
For me and what I normally buy, I'm saving 15 cents per round.

At 15 cents per round, and spending $300 to get started, this reloading setup is then a 2,000 round payback.

Depending on what you normally buy for ammo and what reloading setup you have, payback for 9mm can be anywhere between 500 rounds and 20,000 rounds :gah:
 
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#2 ·
I think I estimated about 6.50$ for a 50 round box when I reload. It gets cheaper after I use my brass several times, but I only road for revlover cartridges because I hate chasing brass. My estimae is for 38spl.
 
#8 ·
I think I estimated about 6.50$ for a 50 round box when I reload. It gets cheaper after I use my brass several times, but I only road for revolver cartridges because I hate chasing brass. My estimae is for 38spl.
I have reloaded 9MM cases till the head stamps are peened and the case walls and OAL are still fine...ditch brass when it cracks.

Also this is handy for picking up brass w/o all the bending at the waist.
Brass Wizard™

You can stealthily pick up extra rogue brass that may be on the floor with yours. :image035:
 
#4 · (Edited)
If you order Berry's bullets, directly from the manufacturer, you can cut your costs even more.

I just ordered 1000 115 gr bullets from them for $80 with free shipping. (on all orders over $50) - I also got 1000 .38 spl for around $86.- Ordered on Saturday and they got here today.

IIRC, I figured $100 for 8 pounds of powder, $30 for 1000 primers. $80 for 1000 bullets. Cases free.

Cost 12 cents per round, $5.92 per box of 50. That's one third of the price of the cheapest ammo I can buy locally. Half the price of Win White box at WM, which they never have any way these days.

This site is an excellent resource for quick cost calculations/

Handloading Cost Calculator

I started out for a little over $200 dollars total investment with a Lee Handpress, scale, reloading book, case prep tools and hand priming tool, Lee perfect powder measure, a Lee powder funnel and carbide die set. (I later added a tumbler for cleaning brass. I got mine later on sale at Midway for $45)( I also later picked up a Lee Challenger press on Ebay for $27)

My "media separator" is made up of a wire basket and a solid sided plastic basket that is just a but larger. I put the wire basket in the plastic one, dump everything in from the tumbler, pick up the wire basket and shake the media out over the plastic basket and the clean cases don't go through the holes so they remain in the wire basket. Cost - $2 One dollar for each basket at Dollar Tree.

If you don't load a lot of volume, say 50-100 per week, the hand press works well. I still use it even though I now have a bench mounted press. I used it last week to deprime and size 150 9mm cases in my easy chair while watching a movie on the tube.
 
#5 ·
irrespective of reloader, my cost for 45 acp all inclusive is between .08-.09 each (i cast my own). fmj zero brand--add .12 each. i chase my brass and reload it. i also keep track of how many times i reload the brass. each reload gets less expensive.

my press--hornady lnl--bought for 425. shell plate 30.00, lee 4 die--35.
lee lead pot, mold and handles 100.00. all the reloading gear was funded by selling unused gun stuff on gb or ebay (at a profit :danceban:). chose progressive loader as hornady had 1000 bullet deal. love the loader and i shoot a lot more. :wave:
 
#6 ·
9mm has probably the lowest savings over retail. You will reach the break even point much faster when you reload for other calibers using fires brass, example:
per 50
Reload Walmart
38spc 158 LSWC $6.65 $20
357 mag 158 LSWC $6.90 $30 (fmj)
380 auto 95 plated $5.60 $28 (haven't seen it in over a year)

I know not quite apples to apples, but still almost a 70% reduction in cost.

BTW if you aren't shooting 1000s a month, look at the cast classic turret press. A decent load rate and none of the squirrely issues of the Lee progressives.
 
#7 ·
case ammo cheapest I found cost $249 out the door. This is 1000 FMJ 124g American Eagle (federal)

Unless you enjoy reloading it's not going to "pay" you back per sae... due to the large amounts of time and labor cleaning, reloading, hunting for supplies, etc. Even with a progressive press the fastest time to crank out rounds after all stages are loaded is about 5 sec/rnd which is about 1.3 hours straight for 1000 rounds. You also have to add time for breaks and resupplying the press with powder, primers and brass. Also cleaning and prepping 1000 brass (properly) will make for a solid day for 1000 rounds. You would in theory save about 89 bucks per 1000 rounds. It would take about 3.5 days to pay off the $300 equipment, or about 3500 rounds.

I guess its up to the individual if its worth it or not.

I reload for the challenge... making 2 rifle rounds close enough to fly through the exact same hole at long distance. Or making several hundred pistol rounds for range day clean enough that I don't have to scrub my gun for 3 stinkin hours when I get home.
 
#9 ·
It can be a fun little side hobby too. If you shoot any amount of the bigger rifle stuff, (300 Win Mag) and the such, the tools will pay for themselves in the first 100 rds. It also allows you to find a diet that your gun actually likes. Accuracy can be greatly improved with handloads over factory stuff.

I do not and would not shoot handloads for self defence, but I do shoot my own loads a big game. It gives me pride to know that I used my own custom load tailored for MY gun.
 
#11 ·
I'm with SgtD. You can save a little money on the media separator. Mine consists of a 5 gallon bucket and a mesh laundry bag. You might have both of these just laying around your house.

Place the bag inside the bucket. Drape the bag around the sides of the bucket. Place the media/brass into the bag. Grab the draped part of the bag and shake/sift back and forth. Like the same motion of polishing a bowling ball. Pour media back into tumbler. Done within a minute or two.
 
#12 ·
I never tumbled or separated anything because of lead exposure issues. I reloaded in my old appt and there was no "safe" place to do it. I always just soaked them in hot soapy water and then rinsed them in clear water with a strainer. I chucked my case trimmer in a cordless drill, so it I wanted to spiff up the cases, i could do it with steel wool.

I have also had problems in the past with media getting stuck in the bottom of magnum rifle cases.
 
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