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Mr_banjo2

Bearcat
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Messages
43
So i recently bought a p95 and got a lee loader for xmas. We are thinking about reloading. The costs ive found after looking online seems to be:

1000 Small Primers @ $30.00 + TAX & Shipping
1000 Lead Cast Bullets @ $52.00 + TAX & Shipping
1lb of Powder @ $15.00 + Hazmat & Shipping @ $25.00

I'm assuming 1lb of powder will do 1000rnds or is this way off?

Total = $135ish (Once i estimate for TAX & shipping)

Vs $15 a box from walmart (Who never have stock) = $300 for 1000rnds.

Please give me your input regarding having what i need and prices etc.

This is using brass i already have saved.

THANKS!
 

Luckyducker

Single-Sixer
Joined
Nov 18, 2007
Messages
199
Location
Ft. Morgan, CO
Before you even consider ordering any components I would suggest you buy or borrow at least one good reloading manual, such as the latest Lyman (#49?) edition reloading handbook, and read the section concerning reloading handgun cartridges. It will tell you what other equipment you will need as well as proper procedures. Reloading isn't for everybody, but if it is something you believe you can do safely and still have the inclination to procede then you will have enough information to procede with obtaining proper equipment. I don't mean to come off like a total ass, but if you follow through with this advice you will be able to make much better sense out of any information you recieve on this forum and others. Good luck, and I hope you come to enjoy this hobby as much as I do.

P.S. I have spent far more money rolling my own than if I had bought only factory loaded fodder but would have missed out on so much.
 

Jimbo357mag

Hawkeye
Joined
Feb 22, 2007
Messages
10,350
Location
So. Florida
Luckyducker":2at1sv4g said:
P.S. I have spent far more money rolling my own than if I had bought only factory loaded fodder but would have missed out on so much.

I don't follow. After buying the press, dies and other tools which are amortized over their useful life, I figure that I can reload precisely tailored and high quality ammo for about 25% of what I could buy loaded factory ammo for, maybe less. 38sp, 357mag, 41mag, 44sp, 44mag. :D

There will always be good advise for you here, I know these guys have helped me for several years, and I have had some really off-the-wall questions. :D :D

...Jimbo
 

Divernhunter

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 4, 2004
Messages
263
Location
Denair,Ca,USA
There are 7000 grains to a pound. But you will loose some so try not to expect to get the exact amount of loads out of a pound as the division will give you. Powder for $15/lb// Where/What powder?? Remember if you buy internet/mail there is a haz-mat fee on powder/primers. This fee is the same(about $20) for one pound or a case of powder/primers. I always try to order case lots of the large jugs of powder and a 20,000+ primer order to reduce the per unit cost for the haz-mat.
I do believe you will end up spending more for supplies than you figure. You will probably be able to load for less than factory ammo. Reloading is a hobby itself and most enjoy it. I use to reload so I could shoot more. I now think I sometimes shoot so I can reload more.

YES Berore you go any farther get the Lyman reloading manual and read it. It will answer allot of questions and has excellent instructions and data in it.
 

Yosemite Sam

Hunter
Joined
Mar 18, 2002
Messages
2,113
Location
Cape Cod, MA, USA
nvbirdman":djuoj3ix said:
I would recommend finding a place that sells plated bullets instead of cast when you're starting out.
Why? I find cast no more tricky than plated or jacketed, and it can be difficult finding exact load data for plated bullets, which is comforting when starting out.

I would second the advice to get at least one manual, and use a recipe that is listed (specific bullet, powder, primer, etc), to get a feel for what you're doing.

As for cost, it's hard to get real precise. One load I did for .44 mag consumed almost a pound of powder for 400 rounds. You also have to account for your time. How much is your current free time worth per hour? Can you afford to spend a few hours a week on a new hobby?

As you get more into it you'll want more equipment. Case trimmers, brass polishers, brass prep tools, etc... The list is endless. A place like Sinclairs becomes another kind of candy store. How about a chrony so you can tell how your loads are really performing?

You may eventually save money over commercial, but if you get hooked into it as a hobby, all is lost. :D

The other side of it is that 9mm is probably the least economical to reload. It's the cheapest stuff you can find in the stores next to .22 LR, though I'm sure you can save some by loading your own, especially if you go with lead. For things like .44 Special, mag, or .45 Colt reloading is almost a necessity, at least on my budget.

-- Sam

P.S. You might check with your local gun shop or sporting goods chain store for powder and/or primers. I'm lucky enough to have a couple of local sources and can beat the prices you listed by virtue of no shipping/handling/hazmat fees. I wouldn't pay those fees for mailorder powder unless I were buying 5lbs or more. But I have a thing about paying more for "shipping" than I do for the product...
 

Sharp Shooter

Single-Sixer
Joined
Nov 24, 2005
Messages
110
Location
MCCammon,Idaho,USA
I'll bet you get tired of that Lee Loader long before you go through a pound of powder loading for a 9mm Mt_Banjo2. I'm not trying to come off as a smart ass either. I started with a Lee Loader too (.357 Magnum) and I didn't even built a whole box of ammo before I decided I needed a real press. Of course maybe you have more time and patience than I. :)
 

Luckyducker

Single-Sixer
Joined
Nov 18, 2007
Messages
199
Location
Ft. Morgan, CO
Jimbo and others, before I was into reloading I had a few rifles and I would shoot one to make sure it was sighted in then take it hunting. But now.....well you should just take a look at my gun room,OMG :shock: . I spend much more money developing loads to the point I think this hobby is running me! I have a lot of fun doing way more shooting than when shooting factory loaded ammo.[/quote]
 

Rex Driver

Bearcat
Joined
Oct 8, 2007
Messages
60
Location
Colonial Heights, Va.
Mr_banjo2":3xek37ys said:
So i recently bought a p95 and got a lee loader for xmas. We are thinking about reloading. The costs ive found after looking online seems to be:

1000 Small Primers @ $30.00 + TAX & Shipping
1000 Lead Cast Bullets @ $52.00 + TAX & Shipping
1lb of Powder @ $15.00 + Hazmat & Shipping @ $25.00

I'm assuming 1lb of powder will do 1000rnds or is this way off?

Total = $135ish (Once i estimate for TAX & shipping)

Vs $15 a box from walmart (Who never have stock) = $300 for 1000rnds.

Please give me your input regarding having what i need and prices etc.

This is using brass i already have saved.

THANKS!

Sir, allow me to both welcome you to the world of reloading and also to say that you need that book on reloading (My Speer Book is beside me as I type) No matter how much good infromation you get here or on any other wire, you still need a reloading reference as a starting point for safety. Again, welcome and read as much as you possible can and also remember that one of the best secrets to reloading is to keep your concentration on reloading, not talking to others, not watching TV.
 

patcannon

Single-Sixer
Joined
Aug 5, 2006
Messages
110
Location
Minneapolis
Hey Banjo,

You're about where I was about a year ago: saved a lot of brass and going from there. All the advice above is good. I ordered a Lee Loader but the company (FactorySales.com) hadn't shipped after 6 weeks (but was charging $14 shipping & handling!). I canceled the order and instead bought a Lee turret press kit from Midway, and I've been very happy with it. The Lee Loader will get you started, but I agree with those who say you'll want a real press after you done a few rounds. It's rounds per minute instead of minutes per round. Just depends on your personal ratio of patience to brokeness. :)

One thing I didn't know was the huge variation in charge weight between different powders. I started out with TiteGroup simply because that's what a guy who owed me money gave me, but it's great for if you're concerned with rounds per dollar. I see a .357 load in my Lyman book that calls for 3.3 grains of TiteGroup, and another for the same bullet that calls for 6.6 grains of Blue Dot.

I see loads for 9mm are around 4 grains of TiteGroup. This means a pound of powder would give you about 7000/4 = 1750 rounds. So yeah, 1000 is a safe ballpark assumption.

Put more books in your budget, be careful, and have fun! I'm really glad I got started reloading, and I bet you will be too.
 

two bit okie

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 27, 2004
Messages
220
Location
Topock, AZ
I dont do the "little calibers" anymore. I have figured that to cast my own 44 bullets, buy the powder and primers, it costs me between $4.00 and $6.00 per box of 50. the variation coming from whether I am loading 6 grs of unique behind a 200 gr cast or 21 grs of 296 behind a 318 gr cast.

I do not recommend these loads to anybody, but they work for me. And I will say that in 44 mag, the 318 gr loads are not casual plinking loads in a 4 5/8 barrel.
 
Joined
Oct 24, 2007
Messages
11,654
Location
Kentucky
Based on my experience:

The little Lee Loader kit that involves the use of a hammer is a learning experience, but if you want to actually shoot any amount at all, you'll need a press. A single-stage will do, and while learning it's not a bad idea to take a little time doing so. You may work up to a turret or progressive unit later. Buy carbide dies for reloading all your straight-wall brass.

If you carefully shop for components you can assemble inexpensive ammo in existing brass. As mentioned, be aware of shipping expenses if you try to mail-order stuff.

The amortization period for your tools depends completely on how much you reload, but it will take a while. You will not see any "real" savings until the equipment is paid off, but you will likely shoot a whole lot more than you would without it.

I use a single-stage press and enjoy the time spent reloading as much as the time spent shooting. Hey, it's all the same hobby.

Buy a couple of good manuals.

JMHO
:mrgreen:
 

gregs45auto

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 26, 2005
Messages
491
Location
utah
Welcome to the forum banjo. I figure cost at @ 60% of what factory goes for. A used rcbs jr. press is about 20 bucks. Got one last year for a friend to start with. (We got him started for under 100). Buy a lee auto prime for primers. GET A NEW reloading manual. STUDY. Stick with the loads. DO NOT experiment. Enjoy finding out which load your 9mm likes best. greg
 

Flash

Buckeye
Joined
May 21, 2005
Messages
1,164
Location
Pennsylvania, USA
Sharp Shooter":oywqe7oi said:
I'll bet you get tired of that Lee Loader long before you go through a pound of powder loading for a 9mm Mt_Banjo2. I'm not trying to come off as a smart ass either. I started with a Lee Loader too (.357 Magnum) and I didn't even built a whole box of ammo before I decided I needed a real press. Of course maybe you have more time and patience than I. :)
I agree. I believe it took me about one month of banging on the work bench to go back to the gunshop to buy a single stage press and dies.
 

twobisquit

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jan 8, 2006
Messages
318
Location
Rock Ridge, Wyoming
I started with a Lee Loader many years ago and I think it is a very good way to find out whether reloading is something you really want to get into. The instructions in the kit are written very well by Lee. I think the first thing is to study the chart, and decide what type of load you want. For starters it would be good to go with a light bullet and charge. Try to find your componets locally because 100 of each is plenty to get started and you dont want all the extra fees involved with ordering.
Make up a couple dozen and go shoot them. Examine your cases and give yourself time to absorb all this. Dont rush things andalways follow directions exactly. Post another question on here if you have them and usually you will get some good answers in a couple hours.

Here is a link to the Reloaders Calculator
http://www.10xshooters.com/calculators/ ... ulator.htm

Good luck and be safe.
 

Mr_banjo2

Bearcat
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Messages
43
Excellent info guys thanks. I'm gonna get that book this afternoon. I Found out a family member has ordered all the components we need but its all on backorder so that will give me some research time.

I know the savings over 9mm won't be huge but knowing ill have ammo is where it will be worth it to me, dont have much luck finding 9mm round here.

As far as time spent using the Lee loader, we'll see. It seems like im sat round wishing i could shoot if i could find ammo and at least this way i can be doing something constructive to remedy that problem.

So far all i've been able to do with my lee loader is decap a hundred casings. Yes it took a while but once you get in the groove it goes pretty quick, and i found pretty fun, more satisfying than buying it at a store.

Bottom line, im getting a good book and once i find somthing that works i'll stick with it.

Thanks!
 

NCMountains

Bearcat
Joined
Nov 8, 2009
Messages
72
Location
NC
Banjo I am new too and bought my Lee Turrett press 4 station with auto index a month ago. It sat in the big box from Midway with the tumbler; case sizer; Lee dippers; and all the other goodies. Only thing I got out of that box was the Lee manual and read it over and over. You will see that a manual like the Lee is maybe 100 pages of background information and the rest the actual load data for all imaginable rounds. I have a Ruger .357 and studied up the load section for that round and .38 Special rounds. I read it over and over and over. I had some factory .38 Spl brass and last week decided to pull all the goodies out. I first tumbled the brass after decapping (depriming) it. I then mounted my press and loaded my first 40 rounds which went well. Now that is as far as fuction of the press and measurements. The real test is next............shooting my loaded rounds!

My first batch are .38 Specials loaded with Hornady 125 gr. XTP's in Speer and Winchester brass with 6.3 grains (as manual stated) of Vihtavuori powder 3n37.

My final OAL of the loaded rounds were within specs. at 1.456" and should perform as manual indicates I hope at just over 990 fps.

Will let all know once I fire a few at the range tomorrow.

But the advice here is very good and in the long run after the initial start up cost you should be able to load at one half what factory would cost.

I read here daily and find that one must find the load and powder that best suits their style of shooting.

I am a technical geek so to speak and love the math side of loading and the tech. aspect. Plus I love to shoot.

Also look at Youtube for Lee loading videos. I found some good ones on there that are and will give you some great insight. Good luck.
 

Mr_banjo2

Bearcat
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Messages
43
My local Books a million was out of the Lymans reloading book, all reloading books for that matter. I think ill just fall back on Amazon and order that and Massad Ayoobs - In the gravest extreme. Read some excerpts and liked it.

Thanks again for everyones input. Im worried why you all think i'll need a press. Is it really that tedious doing them one at a time. I only own 1 gun and will be reloading 9mm only. Im looking forward to it!

Oh well, i may order some caps, powder and balls for a navy colt i havnt shot yet. Might take the edge off!
 

mdnoel

Bearcat
Joined
Dec 22, 2009
Messages
3
Location
Pennsylvania
Banjo,First off welcome to the wonderful world of reloading. I can promise you that if you start off loading for a semi-auto that you will in short time be ordering a press and that said it will more than likely be a progressive. I have been rolling my own for quite a few years. Like someone else said here it will be how many rounds per minute vs how many minutes per round. I shoot with some friends one evening per week at our gun clubs indoor range and the average for me is to blow through 300 9mm rounds along with maybe 100 or so 38's and maybe 100 or so 357's and or 44 mag's. I also shoot nothing but leads that I cast. On my budget I couldn't afford to shoot this much if I didn't cast my own. Also I find that you can't have to many reloading manuals, EBAY is usually a good source for for cheaper manuals. One piece of advice, I reload thousands of 9mm's and have for years. It's and easy round to load but also an easy round to screw up. Measure charges carefully and pay close attention to bullet seating depth. The cases are so small that it doesn't take much to drastically increase pressures. I have been surprised a couple of times when I set the chrony up.
Have fun, it's quite addictive.
 

Mr_banjo2

Bearcat
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Messages
43
Thanks again for the help, i havn't yet got the manuals which will probably answer my questions but...
The lee loader comes with the powder scoop, 5cc. The videos of people using this kit online just scoop up a level measure and pour it in.

I understand different powders need different amounts, but i was under the assumption that the scoop was the correct amount of powder, Here i have some confusion. Again, the book will no doubt answer these questions but until i get it, if someone could shine some light on this subject i'd appreciate it

Edit: You mention casting your own lead bullets. Where do you buy the lead? i can buy 1000 lead cast bullets for about $52 not including shipping. Can you tell me a bit about your process, and how much the lead is / casting tools. THANKS!
 
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