reloading for Semi-Auto Pistols

[Vaultman]

I have been reloading for my rifles for years. All bolt action hunting rifles. Mostly because it is cost saving (not counting my time) and secondly because I kinda enjoy it.

I am starting to shoot pistol more. I mainly shoot 40SW. I also have a 45ACP. I am thinking about reloading for these, but I don't know that I am really interested unless it is pretty good cost savings.

Seems like I can get 40SW for about $0.35 a round right now. Not sure how much I can save loading my own... (I know about what it works out for my large caliber rifles, just curious about handgun loading.)

Any advice? Or numbers?

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[Tilos]

check here:
Beginners Guide to Reloading Costs (most cost effective rounds you have)

 

[ageingstudent]

Ball park:

3 cents per primer
3 cents per powder charge
10-12 cents for commercial projectiles.
Brass is insignificant cost if you get 10 loads out of it or have been saving it or use range pickups.

16-18 cents a shot x 50=$8 bucks per 50.
I've been getting cast from a local guy who does casting as a side job (he's really good) and I get bullets from him for 6.5 cents apiece. 12.5 cents a shot and that extra 3.5 cents adds up quick when the whole family gets trigger happy .

 

[ageingstudent]

I forgot to add that you won't save a damn penny but you will enjoy shootin your pistols twice as much

 

[Vaultman]

I forgot to add that you won't save a damn penny but you will enjoy shootin your pistols twice as much

That I am aware of, since I reload for rifle. But my goal is to actually shoot more, so if it comes out that way I will be good.
I want to pistol shoot 2x to 3x more than I have been.

 

[ageingstudent]

That I am aware of, since I reload for rifle. But my goal is to actually shoot more, so if it comes out that way I will be good.
I want to pistol shoot 2x to 3x more than I have been.

Nothing wrong with that. I like to tell my wife the more we shoot the more we save. She lets me believe that. I totally out kicked my coverage with her.

 

[DizzyJ]

Pistol (common calibers) not as big of a savings as rifle, but some savings can still be had.

Now you want to talk about 41 magnum, well then you're going to save a HELL of a lot!

 

[Alexx1401]

I have been reloading for my rifles for years. All bolt action hunting rifles. Mostly because it is cost saving (not counting my time) and secondly because I kinda enjoy it.

I am starting to shoot pistol more. I mainly shoot 40SW. I also have a 45ACP. I am thinking about reloading for these, but I don't know that I am really interested unless it is pretty good cost savings.

Seems like I can get 40SW for about $0.35 a round right now. Not sure how much I can save loading my own... (I know about what it works out for my large caliber rifles, just curious about handgun loading.)

Any advice? Or numbers?

9mm I don't bother with for cost. 40S&W I stopped too for the same reason. You can save a little on it but again hard to save enough for me. .45 now it gets to where it's worth it to me. Everyone has to decide at what point it's worth it to them. The best way of course is buying in larger quantities. The bullets tend to be the biggest cost. Using lead and buying in bulk you can end up saving a good amount. Nice thing with 45ACP too is the low pressure of the round. I tend to use my .45 brass until it spits at the mouth. When I was still rolling .40 I only loaded it twice and then left the brass.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Pistol (common calibers) not as big of a savings as rifle, but some savings can still be had.

Now you want to talk about 41 magnum, well then you're going to save a HELL of a lot!

Don't forget .25acp! lol
Cast your own. kinda like growing your own garden or tying your own flies or whatever. "cost" is no longer an issue.. full-power 30-06 is what, less than .22lr? forget
anyway

 

[ageingstudent]

Don't forget .25acp! lol
Cast your own. kinda like growing your own garden or tying your own flies or whatever. "cost" is no longer an issue.. full-power 30-06 is what, less than .22lr? forget
anyway

I would like to cast my own someday. If I could scrounge enough lead $.05 or $.06 per round is appealing.

 

[ron]

The other consideration besides cost is you can reload custom ammo.
I like to shoot 45 acp jacketed 200 or 185 grain bullets. Buying 45 acp
mostly you find 230 FMJ for sale. The lighter bullets have less recoil and shoot
better. Also for 45 ACP you can load inexpensive 200 SWC lead target loads.
My 308 and 223 reloads will shoot considerably tighter groups than Black Hills
match ammo. Handloads can be a better performer than factory ammo
and cheaper.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Jerry Miculek reloads 9mm.. a heck of a lot of it. He casts bullets too.

 

[Member 5605]

$.14/ .40
$.11 / 9mm

Yeah it's worth it for me. Reloading is the hobby, I only shoot so I have more brass to reload.

 

[MrMillspecer]

I reloaded a few hundred 200 grain XTPs in .45 ACP, on the warm side, for way less than good defense ammo costs. And using cast bullet's or even bulk fmj save as well. As a guess without hurting my brain I would say reloading for handguns would be around half to three fourths the cost of buying new. Just having the ability to make custom loads is priceless.

Some of the pistol calibers going for a buck a piece or more the savings would be tremendous. Like DizzyJ mentioned. And DizzyJ is a dam good shot , pistol or rifle. Ive seen him hit a steel hog at 100 yards with a 1911 unsupported .

 

[Certaindeaf]

.
Some of the pistol calibers going for a buck a piece or more..

And most of those are the most pedestrian lead semi-wadcutter.. for a handloader. I've been loading semi-wadcutters in 9mm since I was 16 years old for my everyday blaster ammo. They still don't make that.
nuts

 

[Mikej]

I had to quit reloading.....




























I haven't been shooting enough. If I were to die no one will buy another's reloads for what their worth. So I don't want Wifey to lose the money.

 

[Tilos]

The other consideration besides cost is you can reload custom ammo.
I like to shoot 45 acp jacketed 200 or 185 grain bullets. Buying 45 acp
mostly you find 230 FMJ for sale. The lighter bullets have less recoil and shoot
better. Also for 45 ACP you can load inexpensive 200 SWC lead target loads.
My 308 and 223 reloads will shoot considerably tighter groups than Black Hills
match ammo. Handloads can be a better performer than factory ammo
and cheaper.

Yep this, nothing better than custom loading any caliber, for any gun with fixed sights, to hit point of aim.
Something you cannot do with cheap bulk ammo, you just take what you get.
And since switching from lead/lubed to coated bullets, I find loading way cleaner and virtually smoke free shooting.
No more gooey hands or gun,
jmo

 

[noylj]

>Not sure how much I can save loading my own

You mean you can't add up the cost of primers, powder, and bullets yourself?
You can't price once-fired cases and figure that your only loss will be losing the things in the "grass?"
Let's see, about 1 cent for powder, about 3 cents for primers, and 7-13 cents for bullets (unless you cast your own). So, 11-17 cents per round, not counting the cost of cases (that will last for years if you don't lose them) or the loading dies (that will last "forever").
For .45 Auto, I shoot Zero 200gn swaged L-SWCs or Precision Bullets 200gn swaged and coated L-SWCs. For .40S&W, I shoot 155gn cast L-SWCs from multiple sources (Penn and mastercastbullets.com mostly).
If you decide to waste money on plated, get them the same size as lead (at least 0.001" over actual groove diameter, if possible).

 

[ma96782]

Savings?

The more I reload....the more I shoot.

Aloha, Mark

 

[Mikej]

You mean you can't add up the cost of primers, powder, and bullets yourself?

Personally, I don't want to!

I get a special satisfaction from every new round I put in a box. I never have to worry about swinging into Bimart and them not having what I like to shoot. I guess if you're person that has a family to tend to and work a bunch over 40hrs a week, I can sure see how you wouldn't want to spend free time sitting at press press making ammo.