I last reloaded when I was in college, and that was decades ago. I used to reload .40S&W for my G22 on my single state rock chucker. What's the current situation for reloading in California? Is 9mm (FMJ for indoor ranges) worth reloading for? Is the cost of buying bulk reloaded ammo from reputable companies comparable to reloading my own.

If I remember correctly, back in the 2000's, it was cheaper to buy 9mm factory ammo. Buying bulk .40S&W and .45ACP from Walmart was okay. Less common calibers like .357Sig I used to buy bulk reloaded ammo from out of state.

I can’t say for California specifically, but yes, it is still economical to reload - especially with 9mm hovering around 35 cpr.

Biggest thing you’ll notice is primers are hard to come by & even if you do find them online, and you hey are at least $100 - $110 including shipping and hazmat fees.

I didn’t used to load 9mm but I did get set up for it this year. I don’t like using my SP primers up for 9mm instead of .38 SPL which is much more expensive- but I wanted to have the capability as I have several 9mm s.

However my math on on a 9mm reload is this:

.11 primer

.08 bullet (LRN)
.01 powder

.00 brass (recovered)

.20 total - so well under the .35 for factory ammo.

Any more expensive calibers I shoot (.357, .45 colt .32 ACP) and it’s unaffordable NOT to reload at a huge savings —- even with the primers being 3x cost of before coronavirus!


ETA- the bullet should be .08 not .04 … I’m paying $40 shipped for 500.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the information. One of the calibers I like to start reload is .38 SPL. I don't shoot PPC anymore but I find revolvers useful when introducing new shooters to handguns, and buying factory or reloaded .38SPL are kind of pricey for what they are. My revolvers also do not ignite regular primers reliably due to light springs.

Math will be the same for 38 special - in fact I load quite a bit more .38 than I do 9 mm.

The difference is .38 factory is always more expensive than 9mm. I haven’t shot a factory round of .38 I. Well over a decade so I’m not sure what the cost is …?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It is with good reason that I reload .38/357, .44 Spl/Mag, .45 Colt, and .45 ACP. By far, most of what I shoot is .38 Special, but I'm shooting .45 ACP more nowadays 'cause the 1911 is really fun. :-)

If I had to buy the ammo for what I shoot, I'd be in the poorhouse.

BTW...just to make you all a little jealous....

How does $2.75 per 50-round box of .38 Special sound? :-)

That's what it costs me to make it. Obviously, there's a time component, especially given that I cast my own boolits, but I ran the numbers. My powder-puff .38 Spl load, using a 105gr cast boolit and 3.9gr Bullseye, really is $2.75/box to make. This is assuming 8 reloadings per case and paying on average $1.20 per pound of lead. Since .38 Spl brass lasts nearly forever, the brass cost starts to approach zero. Also, I now work at a gun range, and thus I have access to all the brass I want. :-) Used to have access to all the range lead I wanted, too, so I got a bunch of it while I could. So, my actual cost to make that box of 50...it's probably less than $2.75.

You've got to take advantage of opportunities when they come along, folks. That really is key.

I also ran the numbers for 9mm Luger, and they're right about the same as for .38 Spl. Yes, I do shoot 9mm cast loads in Glock polygonally-rifled barrels with no problems whatsoever.

Now, let's talk .357 Magnum. That costs me about $4.50 per box, using 13.0gr of 2400 under a 158gr LRNFP that I also cast. The numbers assume, again, 8 reloadings per case and $1.20 per pound of lead.

The .45 ACP cartridge costs about the same to make as the .357 Magnum, primarily due to the 200gr cast boolit.

Do *NOT* get me started on the bigger-bore revolver cartridges....

INVICTVS138 wrote: Wed Sep 07, 2022 9:54 am I can’t say for California specifically, but yes, it is still economical to reload - especially with 9mm hovering around 35 cpr.

I might get back to reloading 9mm. Last time I did it was with my whack a mole setup. Was too much effort to find consistency that my plinkers liked without jamming. Since upgrading to a proper press, I might give it another go, but I managed to pick up a couple of cases of factory loads for cheap.

9mm is down to 26-28 CPR (shipped) and that’s pretty much my buy it now price. Best I did in 2019 was 17 cpr with a rebate. I don’t think we’ll see it go below $10/box but I’ve been wrong before. If you are buying cases it was 350 last summer and is approaching 260 now. Yes, loading 9mm saves money even at the .10 - .13 primers but it’s approaching parity. When this happens I buy factory 9mm and load expensive stuff like .357 and .45 colt.

In fact I’m almost an Ammo speculator except I shoot it instead of sell it: buy low, shoot high.

My prediction is 2023 is going to be as cheap as you can get it . Stack it high. 2024 is going to have political uncertainty …


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I know this is only tangential to what the OP asked, but given what a PITA it is to buy ammunition at the LGS, I figured maybe I would explore the idea of buying ammo at the range-- reloaded or otherwise-- where you don't have to do a background check for every purchase. (I refuse to get a Real ID, so it just bugs me to get my passport outta the safe.)

I asked about the price of .380 ammunition, and they said they would be happy to sell me 50 rounds of reloaded ammo for $40, or factory ammo for $42.

I am really glad that I brought a box of ammo with me to the range. So much for that idea!

SunRiseWest wrote: Wed Feb 15, 2023 10:18 pm I know this is only tangential to what the OP asked, but given what a PITA it is to buy ammunition at the LGS, I figured maybe I would explore the idea of buying ammo at the range-- reloaded or otherwise-- where you don't have to do a background check for every purchase. (I refuse to get a Real ID, so it just bugs me to get my passport outta the safe.)

I asked about the price of .380 ammunition, and they said they would be happy to sell me 50 rounds of reloaded ammo for $40, or factory ammo for $42.

I am really glad that I brought a box of ammo with me to the range. So much for that idea!

This is exactly the situation in restrictive regimes like California. This is why reloading is so important especially for residents of those states. It no longer is about "saving money", even though you do by reloading your own. Rather, it's about ammo availability without having to beg the state, "mommy, may I pleeeeeease?" Nuts to that. Even if it was the same price to reload your own as to buy it in such states, I would still reload my own for that reason.

Fortunately, Virginia doesn't have such stupid laws, and I hope that we never do.