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My most recent cost estimate for 9mm..

Powder (Titegroup 8lbs $104 at PV no hazmat no shipping when ordered w/ Tula primers)
Once fired brass $33/1000 (I reuse them, this is calculated at 2 uses)
Primers $20/1000 (Tula no hazmat no shipping at PV)
Bullets $295/3,750 (Montana Gold 124 gr CMJ)

works out to:

Brass $0.02
Powder 4.2 gr. per load $0.01
Primers $0.02
Bullets $0.08

$0.13 per round

50 rounds for $6.5
100 rounds for $13
150 rounds for $19.5
200 rounds for $26
250 rounds for $32.5

My Wally World has WWB 9mm for $22.95 per 100 I believe. The best part is I love to sit at the loader in the evenings, vegetate, and load a couple hundred rounds, it's good for the soul.

Dan,
I am fortunate to have access to a range where I get to clean and keep the metals. Brass, lead and copper.
I have 3 barrels of range lead that are still yet to be smelted, probably around 600# or so.

Luggo1 wrote:My most recent cost estimate for 9mm..

Powder (Titegroup 8lbs $104 at PV no hazmat no shipping when ordered w/ Tula primers)
Once fired brass $33/1000 (I reuse them, this is calculated at 2 uses)
Primers $20/1000 (Tula no hazmat no shipping at PV)
Bullets $295/3,750 (Montana Gold 124 gr CMJ)

works out to:

Brass $0.02
Powder 4.2 gr. per load $0.01
Primers $0.02
Bullets $0.08

$0.13 per round

50 rounds for $6.5
100 rounds for $13
150 rounds for $19.5
200 rounds for $26
250 rounds for $32.5

My Wally World has WWB 9mm for $22.95 per 100 I believe. The best part is I love to sit at the loader in the evenings, vegetate, and load a couple hundred rounds, it's good for the soul.

So, if my math is right, you would load 4200 rounds before breaking even if you owned NO EQUIPMENT now, and bought in right now (assuming $500 for press, dies, case lube, etc)... Granted that we're only looking at 9mm, which is relatively cheap compared to things like .40 and .45, not to mention .357 sig... Darn!!! You're tempting me into spending more money that I don't need to be spending right now to buy a reloading press!!!

firefighter3217 wrote:So, if my math is right, you would load 4200 rounds before breaking even if you owned NO EQUIPMENT now, and bought in right now (assuming $500 for press, dies, case lube, etc)...

Remember that "loading X rounds to break even" is a lie we tell ourselves (and our wives) to hide the addiction. It is really all about the process, the science, and the stress-relief. Forget the money!

DubiousDan wrote:

UpTheIrons wrote:

firefighter3217 wrote:So, if my math is right, you would load 4200 rounds before breaking even if you owned NO EQUIPMENT now, and bought in right now (assuming $500 for press, dies, case lube, etc)...

Remember that "loading X rounds to break even" is a lie we tell ourselves (and our wives) to hide the addiction. It is really all about the process, the science, and the stress-relief. Forget the money!

What often happens is that you don't spend less, you just shoot more for the same price.

This is definitely true, I shoot more.

DubiousDan wrote: What often happens is that you don't spend less, you just shoot more for the same price.

PLEASE DO NOT LET THIS SECRET OUT!!!!!

My wife still hasn't made the connection between reloading and my subsequent increase in shooting.

firefighter3217 wrote:[quote="Luggo1"

So, if my math is right, you would load 4200 rounds before breaking even if you owned NO EQUIPMENT now, and bought in right now (assuming $500 for press, dies, case lube, etc)... Granted that we're only looking at 9mm, which is relatively cheap compared to things like .40 and .45, not to mention .357 sig... Darn!!! You're tempting me into spending more money that I don't need to be spending right now to buy a reloading press!!![/quote]

I really do just shoot up more, so I don't know that I save that much money. If you don't think you wouldn't enjoy the process, I wouldn't mess with it. It is fun for me so the savings is a bonus.

Luggo1 wrote:

firefighter3217 wrote:[quote="Luggo1"

So, if my math is right, you would load 4200 rounds before breaking even if you owned NO EQUIPMENT now, and bought in right now (assuming $500 for press, dies, case lube, etc)... Granted that we're only looking at 9mm, which is relatively cheap compared to things like .40 and .45, not to mention .357 sig... Darn!!! You're tempting me into spending more money that I don't need to be spending right now to buy a reloading press!!!

I really do just shoot up more, so I don't know that I save that much money. If you don't think you wouldn't enjoy the process, I wouldn't mess with it. It is fun for me so the savings is a bonus.[/quote]


Shooting more means more range fees, $10 to $20 per visit depending where you will add up fast, really fast.

Shooting more means more range fees, $10 to $20 per visit depending where you will add up fast, really fast.

I would suggest find a local gun club, most have a flat yearly fee, you can go as many times as you want.

In the Austin area, the Austin Rifle Club is excellent! Membership is 100.00 per year, with a one time 100.00 setup fee. That helps cover the cost of the proximity badge that gets you in the gate and the club paid liability insurance. Clubs are a good deal.

Long thread so this may have been said but, I always carry one of my .22 pistols to the range. I start off with at least 100 rounds.

Its cheap and fun not to mention relaxing. I find I use the remaining and more costly rounds more effectively and I reinforce muscle memory handling/aiming techniques by at least doubling what I'd shoot with my 9mm or .40 S&W.

If the wife complains too much about your latest purchase of a reloading set up just remind her it could have been GOLF (clubs, balls, bag, country club membership, green fees, bar tab at 19th hole, etc & etc.) or a BOAT (plus engine, trailer, life jackets, beer coolers, fishing gear, licence, permits, camping gear, water skis, etc & etc.)

Remind her how fortunate she is to know that you are out in the garage reloading every evening and not at the neighbor hood bar / ice house / 19th hole or on the lake. Tell her how much cheaper this is than the other two possibilities and this one has the added benefit of helping you prepare for a possible zombie revolt!! If that doesn't convence her, maybe you want to throw in that with the money you save by choosing this hobby instead of one of the others you might be able in a few years to remodel the kitchen.

just my 2c.

Gerry

Well, today I took it to a whole new level!! The Lee bottom pour lead furnace, six cavity mould and sizing die arrived from Midway and with the help of an experienced friend I was able to turn out 200+ nice shiney 200 gn 45 ACP "boolets" in one afternoon. That's after a frustrating two hours trying to get the mould completely free of factory machining fluids but that's another story. Once the mould was clean it and the furnace turned out excellent bullets in double quick time. The 200 good bullets took much less than an hour to produce once I got the routine down pat.

Not counting what I paid Midway for the gear, my cost per bullet has just dropped from 8cents each (in lots of a thousand) to around one cent each. That's a whoppin big cost reduction. Of course there's the downside; I'll have to go shoot a lot more to amortize the cost of the casting equipment. I know, It's tough but someone has to do it.

Gerry

Congratulations on your casting success. A can of brake cleaner makes pretty short work of getting the oils off a new mold.
For other cleanup of aluminum molds, oven cleaner works great.
When I sit down to cast, I usually do 1,000 at a time. I use the 6 banger Lee molds.
Casting, at least for me, is very relaxing and rewarding. Enjoy!