Boy are we getting screwed

[whatsupdoc]

It all started with wanting to load 9mm, had bullets, primers, powder but no empty cases.
So I figured I would just get some new 9mm brass.

That's when the title of this thread became evident. It costs almost as much to buy ONLY 9mm brass than it does for loaded ammo.

Instead of buying the brass I bought 1000 rounds of 9mm for $275.00 including tax and shipping. The price for 1000 pcs of unprimed brass is $240.00 shipped and I would have to add $100.00 for primers $100.00 for bullets and say $30.00 for powder PLUS my time. SCREW THAT.

I may have to take up gardening.

 

[JSH]

I have noticed the same thing, not just 9mm either. Brought this up on another thread. I was told after shipping and tax it was a wash. Yes and no, depends on the project.
I find my time more valuable than I used too as well.

 

[rwj]

Have you investigated buying range brass? Hand loading 9mm has always been economically questionable, especially depending on how much value one places on their time.

 

[DHall_37]

It all started with wanting to load 9mm, had bullets, primers, powder but no empty cases.
So I figured I would just get some new 9mm brass.

That's when the title of this thread became evident. It costs almost as much to buy ONLY 9mm brass than it does for loaded ammo.

Instead of buying the brass I bought 1000 rounds of 9mm for $275.00 including tax and shipping. The price for 1000 pcs of unprimed brass is $240.00 shipped and I would have to add $100.00 for primers $100.00 for bullets and say $30.00 for powder PLUS my time. SCREW THAT.

I may have to take up gardening.

Gardening is quite fun!

In all seriousness I don’t think it’s beneficial to load most common pistol and rifle ammo, unless its a boutique load. That’s why I stick to the odd ball stuff/ old military cartridges.

 

[6.5 forever]

I'll use new brass for carry ammo.
Practice ammo uses range pickup.

 

[DocDoc]

Oh, but the increased confidence and accuracy, at least with rifle. Better bullets for hunting?

 

[whatsupdoc]

Have you investigated buying range brass? Hand loading 9mm has always been economically questionable, especially depending on how much value one places on their time.

Had a bunch of bullets primers and powder so I thought why not load them,
WAS I WRONG.

The whole shooting thing is economically questionable.

 

[rwj]

The whole shooting thing is economically questionable.

It is intentional in my humble opinion…

 

[Mike Lum]

Empty Lapua brass is at $399 plus gouge and screw tax for 100 cases up north here...

 

[std7mag]

But WAIT!!!
There's more!!

US Today had an article about how to regulate .....

Bullets...

And here we go again!!!

 

[DiRTY DOG]

It all started with wanting to load 9mm, had bullets, primers, powder but no empty cases.
So I figured I would just get some new 9mm brass.

That's when the title of this thread became evident. It costs almost as much to buy ONLY 9mm brass than it does for loaded ammo.

Instead of buying the brass I bought 1000 rounds of 9mm for $275.00 including tax and shipping. The price for 1000 pcs of unprimed brass is $240.00 shipped and I would have to add $100.00 for primers $100.00 for bullets and say $30.00 for powder PLUS my time. SCREW THAT.

I may have to take up gardening.

You're hand loading. Hand loading can be super expensive, depending on your component prices. You're not doing it the "wrong" way, but you for sure are doing it the expensive way. Buying new 9mm brass, firing it 1x and discarding it is NOT economical. Neither is loading new 308 Lapua cases and discarding them after 1x.

RE-loading is where it's at for economy. It's fairly easy for most to pick up free 9mm brass without ever having to buy any, ever. Same for 556. All my 9mm/556 brass is free pickup and I have tons of it. Makes a big $$ difference. Most RE-loaders only buy brass they intend to RE-load 5x, 10x, or 20x. You get quality brass and spread the cost out over a number of firings.

Current primer prices are killing the economy of reloading 9mm, but my current cost for 9mm at today's prices with a very good jacketed HP bullet is $10.99/50 or $220/1000 rounds. Precision Delta 124gr jhp V1 over 4.2gr W231 and any primer I can get. That's a very accurate load in my pistols and it beats the snot out of "cheap" factory ammo. My limiting factor, besides me, is the ability to aim a pistol with a crude 1x Trijicon red dot optic. This is 10 rounds at 25 yards.

 

[std7mag]

You're hand loading. Hand loading can be super expensive, depending on your component prices. You're not doing it the "wrong" way, but you for sure are doing it the expensive way. Buying new 9mm brass, firing it 1x and discarding it is NOT economical. Neither is loading new 308 Lapua cases and discarding them after 1x.

RE-loading is where it's at for economy. It's fairly easy for most to pick up free 9mm brass without ever having to buy any, ever. Same for 556. All my 9mm/556 brass is free pickup and I have tons of it. Makes a big $$ difference. Most RE-loaders only buy brass they intend to RE-load 5x, 10x, or 20x. You get quality brass and spread the cost out over a number of firings.

Current primer prices are killing the economy of reloading 9mm, but my current cost for 9mm at today's prices with a very good jacketed HP bullet is $10.99/50 or $220/1000 rounds. That's a very accurate load in my pistols and it beats the snot out of cheap factory ammo. This is 10 rounds at 25 yards.View attachment 1396759

Why is your Glock missing a hammer and grip safety???

 

[Kracken McGraw]

The whole shooting thing is economically questionable.

But so are most other things that are enjoyable.

 

[nettle]

In the 50+ years of reloading I have never bought brand new brass. It kind of kills the whole idea of saving money by reloading.

 

[jghoghunter]

PV sent me an email today. Sierra 9 mm fmj 500ct. $130 just for the bullets. Farther down the email was Blazer loaded 9mm for $130 for 500 rnds. No powder no bullets no loading time. Something is not right!!

 

[JB10]

I pick up all the range brass i can get my hands on. You never know what going to happen

 

[joshb]

Last time I bought 9mm range brass, it was roll sized and cleaned for $50/1000.
I’m going to keep reloading so I can tell the wife “I’M BUSY!!!

 

[Minshooter]

But WAIT!!!
There's more!!

US Today had an article about how to regulate .....

Bullets...

And here we go again!!!

So glad the well informed writers weren't talking about ammunition.
Just those evil "bullets", (loaded into "clips, of course").

 

[1K6BRA]

It’s really not “Boy are we getting screwed” it is Boy we are getting screwed. But hey, look on the bright side, “this is only transitory, just a small glitch in the system of 6 to maybe 9 months”. I don’t know about you, but I will never forget being fed that line of BS. It kind of reminds me of the days of the famous quote,“read my lips no new taxes”

 

[nettle]

If you buy once fired range brass or pick up range brass (even better) and reload with good bullets that are not that expensive (and there are some out there) your reloads will be less expensive than factory. Not to mention that they are more accurate.