There is so much info on the net, IDK where to begin.  So maybe you guys can help me out. 

My reason:  My wife and I shoot at the HDF once a month.  Some months take the classes., which means we go through 600rds of 9 easily.  So my goal is to make my own cheaper ammo.  From what I'm told, reloading would cost me about half the price of store bought ammo.  9mm 115gr.  So all I would need is a set up for cheap practice rounds.  I do not need match grade ammo or anything high quality like that.  Just enough to hit a grapefruit size grouping at 25yrds.

So what is the cheapest, but safest set up I can get?  Links to the equipment and "heads"/primer/powders would be nice, so I can do the math.  I don't know the Gucci brand stuff from the Foodland brand stuff and the cheap Chinese knock offs.

Thanks.

The cheaper the round, the less it makes sense to reload (less  value gotten per round).  I generally reload anything larger than 9mm.

The cost per round of 9mm is estimated as follows for plinking ammo, ymmv of course:

$0.10 - bullet https://www.midwayusa.com/s?userSearchQuery=9mm+bullet&userItemsPerPage=48
free - brass
$0.03 - primer  any LGS will carry for around $30-40/1000
$0.02 - powder (assume 5 grain load) any LGS will carry for around $30/lb

That comes out to $0.15 per round, which is maybe $0.05-0.06 cheaper than the cheapest bulk 9mm ammo.  So  it's up to you on whether or not you want to spend the time and money reloading.  Generally, the more you shoot, the more it makes sense.  If you cast your own bullets, you can probably knock the cost of the bullets down by half maybe?    Compare that to something like 38sp, where factory ammo costs $0.35-0.40/round, but costs around the same as 9mm reloaded ammo at $0.15, so the reloaded ammo costs maybe 40% of factory.  You can see why the cost savings start to really matter for ammo larger than 9mm.


 I personally don't think 9mm is worth it, but would like to say that reloading is worth learning to do, especially if you plan to shoot larger than 22LR/9mm.

I have mentored a number of newbie reloaders over the years.
Including a few fellows on this forum.
I would be glad to give you an overview of the process and assess your needs.
You would need to come to my house in Waipahu and spend about 2 hours here.
I don't sell stuff so my information is unbiased.
I even got an extra press that you could borrow to learn on.

Pm me if you want to do that.

The cheaper the round, the less it makes sense to reload (less  value gotten per round).  I generally reload anything larger than 9mm.

The cost per round of 9mm is estimated as follows for plinking ammo, ymmv of course:

$0.10 - bullet https://www.midwayusa.com/s?userSearchQuery=9mm+bullet&userItemsPerPage=48
free - brass
$0.03 - primer  any LGS will carry for around $30-40/1000
$0.02 - powder (assume 5 grain load) any LGS will carry for around $30/lb

That comes out to $0.15 per round, which is maybe $0.05-0.06 cheaper than the cheapest bulk 9mm ammo.  So  it's up to you on whether or not you want to spend the time and money reloading.  Generally, the more you shoot, the more it makes sense.  If you cast your own bullets, you can probably knock the cost of the bullets down by half maybe?    Compare that to something like 38sp, where factory ammo costs $0.35-0.40/round, but costs around the same as 9mm reloaded ammo at $0.15, so the reloaded ammo costs maybe 40% of factory.  You can see why the cost savings start to really matter for ammo larger than 9mm.


 I personally don't think 9mm is worth it, but would like to say that reloading is worth learning to do, especially if you plan to shoot larger than 22LR/9mm.

Thanks for the math.  I think I forgot the caliber my friend was telling me about, but now that I flashback, he was talking about .45.  I won't look into reloading 9mm.  Thanks.

I have mentored a number of newbie reloaders over the years.
Including a few fellows on this forum.
I would be glad to give you an overview of the process and assess your needs.
You would need to come to my house in Waipahu and spend about 2 hours here.
I don't sell stuff so my information is unbiased.
I even got an extra press that you could borrow to learn on.

Pm me if you want to do that.

If I change my mind, I'll hit you up and bring pupu's.  Thanks for the offer.

The cheaper the round, the less it makes sense to reload (less  value gotten per round).  I generally reload anything larger than 9mm.

The cost per round of 9mm is estimated as follows for plinking ammo, ymmv of course:

$0.10 - bullet https://www.midwayusa.com/s?userSearchQuery=9mm+bullet&userItemsPerPage=48
free - brass
$0.03 - primer  any LGS will carry for around $30-40/1000
$0.02 - powder (assume 5 grain load) any LGS will carry for around $30/lb

That comes out to $0.15 per round, which is maybe $0.05-0.06 cheaper than the cheapest bulk 9mm ammo.  So  it's up to you on whether or not you want to spend the time and money reloading.  Generally, the more you shoot, the more it makes sense.  If you cast your own bullets, you can probably knock the cost of the bullets down by half maybe?    Compare that to something like 38sp, where factory ammo costs $0.35-0.40/round, but costs around the same as 9mm reloaded ammo at $0.15, so the reloaded ammo costs maybe 40% of factory.  You can see why the cost savings start to really matter for ammo larger than 9mm.


 I personally don't think 9mm is worth it, but would like to say that reloading is worth learning to do, especially if you plan to shoot larger than 22LR/9mm.

i agree with his costs for primer and powder.  you might be able to shave some costs on powder if you go with something that is cheaper and also uses a lower charge weight (e.g. titegroup--but this is usually not recommended as a good starting powder for new reloaders).

the quoted price for bullets should come with a caveat.  if you plan on loading FMJ bullets, then your price will be higher.  if you load copper plated, lead cast, powder coated, or hi-tek coated bullets, then you're looking at the bullets that are well under 10 cents per piece.  i would suggest sticking with copper plated and coated bullets, which will usually run you around 6-8 cents per piece.  for what you plan on doing, you most likely won't need FMJ bullets.

Don't do it because it will become an obsession. You'll go to Oldfart's house and see his monster set ups, then start shopping for a Dillon turret system, then you'll start visiting the LGS on a weekly basis to see what they have available for reloading, then you'll be watching YouTube videos of other reloaders (Elvis Ammo, Fortunecookie45LC, and my favorite Johnny's Reloading Bench), then you'll start wondering how you can improve your ammo to make them more accurate, then you'll start wondering where you can get your hands on used lead to cast your own bullets. Do yourself a favor and avoid reloading.

I have mentored a number of newbie reloaders over the years.
Including a few fellows on this forum.
I would be glad to give you an overview of the process and assess your needs.
You would need to come to my house in Waipahu and spend about 2 hours here.
I don't sell stuff so my information is unbiased.
I even got an extra press that you could borrow to learn on.

Pm me if you want to do that.

Might have to take you up on that (sorry to threadjack  ).  Been meaning to look into reloading for some time now, as I tend to shoot some pricey rounds and would love to introduce some cost savings.  Plus, I'm the tinkering type and tweaking recoil and velocities sounds attractive to me.

My question though is - is it really worth it for cost/time?  I shoot a ton of 9mm but I dont think I'd reload that, as normal cheap factory ammo sale prices have been around $0.20/round.  The calibers I'd be looking to reload are 32acp, 357mag, 44mag, 45acp and 45colt for pistol calibers and 556/308 for rifle.  For 556 though, it looks to be a similar situation with 9mm where the cost savings may not justify the work.

How easy is it to switch calibers equipment-wise and what would be the best caliber to get a bit of experience with?  I shoot 357 the most so it'd be my choice.

Might have to take you up on that (sorry to threadjack  ).  Been meaning to look into reloading for some time now, as I tend to shoot some pricey rounds and would love to introduce some cost savings.  Plus, I'm the tinkering type and tweaking recoil and velocities sounds attractive to me.

My question though is - is it really worth it for cost/time?  I shoot a ton of 9mm but I dont think I'd reload that, as normal cheap factory ammo sale prices have been around $0.20/round.  The calibers I'd be looking to reload are 32acp, 357mag, 44mag, 45acp and 45colt for pistol calibers and 556/308 for rifle.  For 556 though, it looks to be a similar situation with 9mm where the cost savings may not justify the work.

How easy is it to switch calibers equipment-wise and what would be the best caliber to get a bit of experience with?  I shoot 357 the most so it'd be my choice.

If you factor time into the equation and how much you'd make if you were working instead, the answer most of the time is "no".  Reloading should be viewed as another part of the hobby.  Some people like it, others hate it.  For instance, I reloaded 45colt over the weekend, it took me maybe 1.5 hours to complete 50 rounds, probably saved maybe $20-25 over factory per box (not going to bother doing math).  I make way more money than that at my job, and from my side business.  Reloading times can be reduced by better equipment that doesn't take as much time as a single stage press & manual weighing of powder, but then you have to factor in the cost of that additional equipment, and whether you shoot enough to justify the investment.  I'd hazard a guess that the 50 rounds could be done in 15 minutes or less with a progressive press and a powdermeasure. 

Those other calibers are ideal for reloading, and you're correct about 223/556 as well.  it's the 9mm of rifles, so to speak.

Part of the beauty of reloading is during ammo shortages, where it's easier to find and turn components into what you want when your desired off the shelf ammo isn't available.

switching calibers is as easy as switching dies and shellplates.

Pistol is easier in a way because the resizing isn't as hard and you dont have to worry as much about the brass getting stuck or other issues.  Can be a bit trickier than rifle if you need to apply a decent crimp, which you will want to do for the magnum rounds.  Depending on your dies and setups, this may be accomplished in different ways.

Rifle is easier in a way because you dont have to worry about crimping.  And probably a 2 die setup versus 3 or 4 dies, one to pop the primer and resize, the second to seat the bullet.

---------------------------------

Also, you should definitely save all your once fired 308 brass.  Rifle brass can't be used indefinitely, and has a shorter life than pistol . 

Pistol brass can be used until the case neck splits.  The less you bell the case neck when expanding, the easier loads, the longer the cases last (in general).  How many times is that, not sure... Think I have brass that has been used 20+ times, probably way more than that.  I have 2-3 boxes of ppu .38sp that I reuse over and over again. lol Not sure how much pistol brass you have saved up, but you likely won't need hundreds and hundreds of a single caliber.  Could look to sell the excess if taking up too much space.

Might have to take you up on that (sorry to threadjack  ).  Been meaning to look into reloading for some time now, as I tend to shoot some pricey rounds and would love to introduce some cost savings.  Plus, I'm the tinkering type and tweaking recoil and velocities sounds attractive to me.

My question though is - is it really worth it for cost/time?  I shoot a ton of 9mm but I dont think I'd reload that, as normal cheap factory ammo sale prices have been around $0.20/round.  The calibers I'd be looking to reload are 32acp, 357mag, 44mag, 45acp and 45colt for pistol calibers and 556/308 for rifle.  For 556 though, it looks to be a similar situation with 9mm where the cost savings may not justify the work.

How easy is it to switch calibers equipment-wise and what would be the best caliber to get a bit of experience with?  I shoot 357 the most so it'd be my choice.

I reload mostly 44mag and 357mag and 45acp bc I shoot those the most and they are the more expensive rounds that I shoot
I like the ability to load to my preference for each gun I have.  i have some smaller guns that the felt recoil is more, so i reload them with less powder.  the firearms that handle recoil better i can load hotter.
I reload for both cost and for recoil sensitivity, and somewhat for accuracy.
in time i have learned to like it a lot.  its like knitting....for men (and women too).   

Honestly, reloading is not a cost-saving practice. If you focus only on the component cost, it may seem that way.10 cents for a bullet, 3 cents for a primer, etc. But you have to factor in the cost of the equipment you buy to reload, and as 2ahavvaii said so well, you also have to value your time. It's not unlike someone flying to Vegas, spending $100 to win $300, and trumpeting about their "windfall" while ignoring the cost of airfare, hotel, and meals that supported their winnings.

Reasons to reload:
1. You shoot obsolete, wildcat, or other forms of hard-to-find cartridges
2. You have lots of time on your hands and are looking for a new obsession
3. You are an Olympic-caliber precision shooter looking to marry your championship-quality firearm to its perfect load

Reasons not to reload:
1. Factory bulk ammo is far cheaper when you factor in equipment costs and time invested
2. You don't have an abundance of spare time
3. The space that will be occupied by your reloading equipment, manuals, and raw supplies could better be used to store actual ammo
4. You are not meticulous and detail-oriented

Don't forget, if you're negligent while loading, the consequences can be pretty severe!

I love to reload. I find it interesting, relaxing and therapeutic. Some people find it a chore. If all you are trying to do is save a few dollars to reload 9mm I wouldn't bother. I reload 9mm not so much to save some $ but more to make the ammo I want to shoot. I reload 9mm for a Glock, a Sig, a WWII relic and 2 different revolvers. I reload 3 different cartridges for my five pistols. Reduced loads, hot loads, target loads, test loads, it is all part of the hobby. If that interests you then maybe reloading 9mm is for you. But it is not worth the initial layout of funds and time just to save $20-$30 per 600 rounds shot IMHO. Like Stang and others said, if you are reloading for a more expensive cartridge like .357 or something similar then the economics of reloading make more sense to me.

I do reload old military and obsolete cartridges to keep my costs down as well as being part of the hobby. I save around $0.50 to $3.00 a round depending on the retail price if you can find the ammo. Some cartridges are not available on island. If I want to shoot obsolete and oddball cartridges and guns I have to reload.

See this post I made a few years ago:

https://2ahawaii.com/index.php?topic=18314.msg166936#msg166936

Reloading means never having to say "There's a shortage of ammo" ever again.

I don't remember the demand, or prices, for reloading components spiking the way it did for factory ammo in the "Obama common sense gun control" era.  Powders were sometimes difficult to find here, but that was more due to "Hawaii" than distributor price or supply.  If that's not correct, I'm sure someone here can correct me.  That was my impression, though. 

Shortages of primers, certain powders and brass were shorter in duration and smaller in price increase than factory ammo.  Enough hoarders can cause increased demand in anything.

http://www.theblaze.com/news/2013/07/18/reloading-the-booming-gun-hobby-and-what-it-could-mean-for-the-ammunition-industry

Reloading means never having to say "There's a shortage of ammo" ever again.

I don't remember the demand, or prices, for reloading components spiking the way it did for factory ammo in the "Obama common sense gun control" era.  Powders were sometimes difficult to find here, but that was more due to "Hawaii" than distributor price or supply.  If that's not correct, I'm sure someone here can correct me.  That was my impression, though. 

Shortages of primers, certain powders and brass were shorter in duration and smaller in price increase than factory ammo.  Enough hoarders can cause increased demand in anything.

http://www.theblaze.com/news/2013/07/18/reloading-the-booming-gun-hobby-and-what-it-could-mean-for-the-ammunition-industry

I started the powder trade thread and I (and others) were quite active trading powders we had extra of for powders we needed. I also traded primers and bullets. If there is a will, there is a way.

reloading turned me into a brass hoarder

My initial reason was cost. Because I shot the big stuff, 357, 44, 45.
Back in the day, 9mm was a joke. Things changed when HPD changed to 9mm in the early 90's

As the other folks said 9mm is so cheap today that it ain't worth reloading.
But if you want to engage the larger calibers on a regular basis, you almost have to load your own.

Reloading means never having to say "There's a shortage of ammo" ever again.

I don't remember the demand, or prices, for reloading components spiking the way it did for factory ammo in the "Obama common sense gun control" era.  Powders were sometimes difficult to find here, but that was more due to "Hawaii" than distributor price or supply.  If that's not correct, I'm sure someone here can correct me.  That was my impression, though. 

Shortages of primers, certain powders and brass were shorter in duration and smaller in price increase than factory ammo.  Enough hoarders can cause increased demand in anything.

http://www.theblaze.com/news/2013/07/18/reloading-the-booming-gun-hobby-and-what-it-could-mean-for-the-ammunition-industry

primers and powders were still difficult to get in the early part of 2017, the supply has finally caught up to demand now
and this is since after sandy hook
similarly, .22lr stock is finally back to normal now

I usually shoot about 200 rounds per week and spend at least 5 hours per week reloading plus rifle cleaning. This includes 30 minutes depriming brass, 30 minutes in ultrasonic, overnight drying, 1 hour resizing, 1 hour trimming/inspection, 3 hours tumbling, 30 minutes sorting/inspection, and 2 hours loading powder/inserting bullets. I also spend several hours per week analyzing the results and figuring out what worked and what didn't.

PSA: Please don't drink alcohol and reload

Addictive timely and costly hobby. If you can find a great price on a Dillon, it’s a great machine. Wet Tumbler and hoard on brass.