reloading pistol ammo questions

[Click Boom]

Thanks for stopping in. Have a lemonade.

Ive been picking up my brass the last few times out and have like 300each 9mm &45.

How much does it cost per 100 to reload these, equipment aside?

And how much would the equipment run me to get started.

Thanks!

[Just.a.guy]

You will have better luck with answers in the reloading sub forum. That said, I can make .45 for about $17/100, and 9mm for $11/100. It will take a few hundred dollars of equipment, so maybe not worth it for 300 rounds.

[rm1911]

Cost per round? If you can find powder... I can load 9mm for under $0.10 a round. Don't know the exact number but it's pretty cheap, using extreme plated bullets. 45 is a little bit more as bullets are more expensive. But it's probably $0.12-15 per.

You'll need more than 300 brass per. More like 3k.

As for hardware, buy dillon. The square deal out the door will be about 450-500. It's the best pure handgun press available. Period. No other press comes close.

Reloading is waaaaaaay more than "cheaper ammo". If you get into it thinking "I'm going to save a lot" you're heading in the wrong direction.

[skosh69]

These questions would be better asked in the reloading section.

But to give you a broad view, first you have to find out how much your 3 components are going to cost you and then use a reloading calculator, like this one:

http://ultimatereloader.com/tools/reloading-costs-calculator/

So, for snits and giggles, lets use these #'s for 9mm

Powder $30 per pound (if you can find it and using 4.8 gr per rd)
Primers $45 per 1k (Big 5 prices for Winchester)
Bullets $68 per 1K (Xtreme plated bullets)

You come up with 0.134 cents per round.

Now, you want to talk equipment....that's a whole 'nother can of worms.

How much is your budget? You can get a complete RCBS Rockchucker single stage for around $325 plus dies. Or you can go balls out and get a Dillion 1050 with all the bells and whistles for around $1800.

It all depends on how much you plan to shoot.

[iMigraine]

Reloading is about total control over your ammunition. You can design your ammo for particular uses such as plinking, competition, and hunting. Also it's REALLY fun too!

[Click Boom]

Thanks guys. I know I would go for a lot more than 300 each I was just saying I started saving them. I like to stack em deep

[Click Boom]

Didn't realize there was a subforum, thanks.

[Snoopy47]

The reload cost is going to be mostly dependent on your bullet choice. That can range from $.07 to $.20 per round. 115g-155g cast bullets to full 230g FMJ.

Regardless of caliber (9/40/45) you can get the per unit load cost of the power/primer combination below $0.05 a round if you buy in enough bulk and maximize the HAZMAT and Shipping Fees.

When buying bullets, make sure you compare prices with shipping costs considered. Some places include shipping, and others don't. So you need to compare apples to apples when pricing out bullets.

[CSACANNONEER]

Reloading with my own cast bullets from scrounged up free lead ends up costing me a lot of time but only about $3.50-$4 per 50 round box for most straightwalled cartridges from .25acp to .45LC. That would be paying retail for smaller batches of powder and primers. I buy in bulk when I find things cheap so, my costs are closer to $2.50/50 rounds.

[Che762x39]

Thanks for stopping in. Have a lemonade.

Ive been picking up my brass the last few times out and have like 300each 9mm &45.

How much does it cost per 100 to reload these, equipment aside?

And how much would the equipment run me to get started.

Thanks!

What I would add is the 45 ACP brass will last a while so if I only had 300 pieces you are off to a good start. Now the younger guys might like ti run a batch of a 1000+ but now I load 200-250 go to range and pick up mine and others and then repeat.

Look for used equipment here. Reloading has been a fun hobby for 32+ years for me. But I have seen lots of guys come and go. It is all about time management. Have fun ...

[Squidward]

Reloading won't really save you any money since you'll be probably be shooting more often. And, rarely does anyone factor in the cost of their time per hour at the bench. So, at best it's probably a wash. For many reloaders it's a hobby. What it does afford you is an opportunity to learn a valuable skill and the ability to have control over your loads.

Equipment costs vary widely. For under $30.00 you can get a Lee Precision loader which allows you to literally pound out one round at a time with a hammer. The prices and capabilities go up from there. IMHO, the best price of equipment is reloading manuals.

Thanks for the lemonade.