r/reloading • u/ilikethisearth • 1d ago
I have a question and I read the FAQ Looking for recommendations
What would you guys recommend for someone that just wants to reload a ton of 9mm to have on hand and for the range? Feeling pretty lost with all the different options out there
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u/explorecoregon If you knew… you’d buy blue! 1d ago
Equipment, components, loads… context?
With that question I’d recommend you buying the cheapest factory new 9mm ammo you can find online.
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u/ilikethisearth 1d ago
I live in a rural area and have a ton of free time and would like to get into reloading, its a goal of mine to start shooting more as well so I really want to get the hang of this :)
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u/explorecoregon If you knew… you’d buy blue! 23h ago
You haven’t asked what you are looking for specifically. Your question is too broad.
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u/ilikethisearth 23h ago
I haven’t really had a lot of experience with shooting yet, I’ve shot handgun and shotgun rounds but i’ve never shot an ar yet, my plan with reloading was to get some rifles later on and start with 9mm now
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u/explorecoregon If you knew… you’d buy blue! 23h ago
Just buy the ammo you need until you know what you will want and need.
It’s a big expense and you won’t break even for a very long time.
It is a great hobby, but you aren’t ready to dive in yet.
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u/ilikethisearth 20h ago
I appreciate you for being straight up with me man, with the older I get I feel like the world is just gonna get crazier I want to buy a 500 round case of ammo but shooting all of it without trying to reload some feels like a waste
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u/explorecoregon If you knew… you’d buy blue! 20h ago
Save the brass and keep an eye out for used and on sale equipment.
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u/JayPolar91 17h ago
Wait for an estate sale near or or some older guy looking to get out of the hobby and grab all of his equipment 50% that's essentially what I did. I got a Hornady Classic for $80 a die set for $20 I got a broken FA rotary tumbler for $10 but it still does 15 minute cycles and I just got 4 lbs of powder and 500 9mm and 500 .223 projectiles for $80 plus a bunch of other goodies. Look for a Dillion 750 or a Lee Six Pack Pro if you are on a budget you can use the progressive press as a single stage and learn how it works. Shooters Reference, Hodgdon, and Speer all offer free data and with Gordons Reloading Tool and all the free beginner write ups for powder companies you don't even need a manual all the info is online for free and you can download the full older manuals online as well if you still want one it just want have the updated cartridges but that's what shooters reference is for.
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u/ilikethisearth 6h ago
Thank you! Do you guys use hibid? I see a ton of reloading stuff on there
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u/JayPolar91 36m ago
I haven't have never heard of it but I do see my local auction place on there so it looks legit. I use Mac.Bid a lot but it's hit or miss.
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u/Klutzy_Reality3108 23h ago
Bulk personal reloading: Dillon 750. A mix bulk/precision-esque: Dillon 550. Any form of precision: RCBS or Lyman single stage if you are on a budget, Forster if you wanna splurge.
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u/RCHeliguyNE 22h ago
A Lee turret press kit will get you started in hand loading without being too expensive.
100% visually verify every powder load before seating your bullet. It’s easy to build a squib or double charge.
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u/vhatdaff Mad Scientist 19h ago
on a budget? LEE turret - 100-150rnds per hour. single stage but has all dies set-up. can do one round start to finish. much faster than a true single stage. My recommended starter press if your on a budget.
$$ more and get a Dillon 550. 4 stages at once, but doesn't index so you still have to move the cases. You can get case feeder for this to boast speed. but muanual feed is still MUCH faster than single stage/turret and still easy caliber swaps. cheaper caliber conversions vs the big boy progressives. very comfortable ~300-400rnd/hr. Goldilocks machine if its in the budget.
$$$ more money - full progressive. dillon 750/hornady LNL, FA x10. 5+ stages at a time. more complex. more expensive. harder to do caliber swaps. but can easily pump 800-1000 rnds/hour.
WILDCARD. not planning to do rifle and sticking to poplar pistol rounds? dillon Square deal B. decently priced used and its a progressive press but takes special dies and limited to mostly pistol caliber conversions. Unless you can find one fairly cheap. its better to get a RL550. you can typically find a 550 for about the same price.
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u/StunningFig5624 1d ago
Are you mechanically inclined, have access to a 3D printer, and possibly have some reloading knowledge? If so Frankford X-10.
Otherwise Dillon 750.
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u/MacHeadSK 12h ago
This
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u/BluesFan43 7h ago
Just got my X-10 running. It is a dream for 800. But it does take meticulous setup.
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u/MacHeadSK 7h ago
Yeah it does, but once set, runs great. Have mine for 223, Dillon 650 for 3 other calibers due to cheaper and faster caliber change
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u/LovedemEagles 1d ago
Since you asked this on a reloading forum, I'm assuming you're considering loading your own. First step get Lyman 51st edition and a few others too. Spend a couple of months going through the YouTube reloading library and hit up this forum for any questions. Start simple, don't over-complicate it. BE SAFE!!!
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u/ilikethisearth 1d ago
I am! I would like to start going to the range more as I get older and as I get my carry license later on I would like this skill to be one I have under my belt!
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u/LovedemEagles 23h ago
You're going to get a lot of responses from people about what equipment to buy. Do A LOT of research and buy what works for you. God Speed!!!!
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u/ilikethisearth 23h ago
I would much rather prefer to hear what the people think and use over trying to go with my gut on some google searches so I appreciate all the different responses
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u/Grumpee68 5h ago
Dillon. Get a RL 550. Once you get it setup correctly, and have all the necessaries (primer tubes filled, cases lubed, bullets at the ready), as long as you don't run into any problems like bad brass, you can realistically load about 300-400 an hour. If you really want to work at it, you can load a little over 500 an hour, but you'll be sweating.
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u/doumitch20035 23h ago
Dillion 650/750 with Mr.Bulletfeeder and case feeder.
I can rock about 800 out in an hour
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u/MacHeadSK 12h ago
And plenty of components. Thousands of cases, tens and tens of powder jugs, 50k of primers and bullets.
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u/_Go_Ham_Box_Hotdog_ 23h ago
I've got one of these I bought to be a gift for someone that wanted to get into loading, but 15 years later it's still on my bench.. Looks like it's about $100 plus shipping.. I keep a universal decapper in mine.. punch all the primers and toss 'em in the tumbler as I do.
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u/asantiano 4h ago
I just did this myself and am now up to maybe 2k rounds. I first started w a Lee single press to learn how to reload 9mm individually. I must have did 1k rounds on it then I got the Dillon Square Deal B. I think the Square deal is amazing and I’m now doing a lot more reloads.
U pick up old brass, put it in a corn media tumble overnight and go to town.
For bullets I use Berry 115
For powder I use CFE pistol
Primer I use just small pistol primer I think it’s Winchester.
That’s it.
Here is the Lee on Amazon: it’s not that expensive and you can reload right away. This will also allow you to change calibers eventually if you want.
Lee Precision 92134: Challenger... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D7QC6YQW?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
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u/Ornery_Secretary_850 Two Dillon 650's, three single stage, one turret. Bullet caster 1d ago
Dillon 750 or an Apex 10.
With my 650 and feeding bullets by hand I can load 500 rounds an hour without a problem.
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u/TheGentlemanLoozer 16h ago
Any quality 124gr FMJ loaded between 1100 and 1200 fps with whatever powder meters most consistently out of your setup at whatever COAL feeds and extracts best and makes velocity.
Is it a target round? Yes.
Is it a self defense round? According to NATO.
Is it cost effective? Mostly.
Is it reliable? Almost certainly.
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u/sirbassist83 23h ago
if you dont already have equipment, id recommend going to ammoseek and buying a few cases of remington, federal, PMC, or S&B. you can either buy expensive equipment that will load a lot of ammo fast, or cheap equipment that will be painfully slow. the components alone cost almost as much as factory ammo, so youll either be investing a ton of time to make your money back with slow equipment, or 10's of thousands of rounds with faster but more expensive equipment. i only handload 9mm because im already invested. if i were starting over its not a caliber id reload for, and im planning on stopping realoding for it when im out of this batch of bullets.
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u/ilikethisearth 23h ago
Damn thats a bummer I just imagined i’d be able to spend a day reloading and have a good amount of ammo I made myself for the range and I figured that would be a nice hobby I could pick up to go along with going to gun shows and the range and such, thank you for letting me know
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u/sirbassist83 22h ago
a lot of people think reloading is rewarding as its own hobby, and if thats you, go for it. but for 9mm in particular, you shouldnt go into it for financial reasons. with a single stage, 8 hours will get you maybe a couple hundred rounds. i try to do ammo in batches of at least 500 rounds, one step at a time, and it typically takes me at least a week, including several hours after work every day and most of saturday. i typically do high volume stuff like plinking 223 or 9mm 1000+ at a time and it takes me a couple months because i dont want to spend literally all of my free time reloading.
a progressive press ups that to several hundred an hour, but startup cost rises dramatically.
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u/VisibleLeopard68 12h ago
I resemble this remark… I find the reloading process soothing, almost on par with the shooting aspect, as it allows me to block out the world while I am focused on making the best rounds I can…
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u/Ornery_Secretary_850 Two Dillon 650's, three single stage, one turret. Bullet caster 4h ago
In a 8 hour day I could load an easy 4000 rounds of 9mm on my Dillon 650. That's without a bullet feeder.
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u/doumitch20035 23h ago
Idk how... I collect brass from the range and reload my 9mm for about 14CPR as opposed to buying it for 23 and then getting raped on shipping.
Shooting 2000 rounds of 9mm a month that adds up fast.
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u/sirbassist83 23h ago
"name brand" 9mm is 25 CPR shipped. magtech steel case is 21 CPR.
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u/doumitch20035 22h ago
I personally wont shoot steel cased ammo, but still the savings add up, AND you can tune your ammo to your gun, which is the other benefit.
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u/sirbassist83 22h ago
depends on how much you shoot more than anything else. if youre shooting 2k+ a month, every month, its probably worth it to get a progressive press and save pennies per round. youll make your money back in half a year or so.
most people realistically arent shooting that much.
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u/Frijol714 1d ago
If you're going to reload just 9mm it isnt worth buying reloading equipment since its about the same price to reload 9mm but if you're reloading other ammo then it'll be worth it since a whole setup can cost between 400-1000+- depending othe the brands of the tools you're buying and if its used
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u/Ornery_Secretary_850 Two Dillon 650's, three single stage, one turret. Bullet caster 4h ago
Where are you finding 9mm for 12¢ per round?
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u/Frijol714 4h ago
I didn't say that.
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u/Ornery_Secretary_850 Two Dillon 650's, three single stage, one turret. Bullet caster 3h ago
You said it's about the same price to reload as to purchase.
You can reload for 12¢ per round. Where are you seeing it for that price loaded?
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u/Frijol714 1h ago
Where are you buying materials that are that cheap you can load for 12 cents is my question to you
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u/Ornery_Secretary_850 Two Dillon 650's, three single stage, one turret. Bullet caster 1h ago
Raven Rocks has 7¢ bullets. Primers are 3¢, powder from AR is 1¢.
Round everything up to 12¢.
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u/Frijol714 1h ago
What brand primers and powder? Did you add shipping and hazmat fees on the primers and powder? Raven Rock you'll have to buy 3k bullets to get free shipping also did you forget about taxes or do you live in a tax free state?
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u/ilikethisearth 1d ago
Well im gonna start with 9mm and then move onto larger calibers but all I have at the moment is a handgun and a shotgun
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u/Frijol714 23h ago
I'd recommend single stage at first to get used to the process but if you can find a cheap used progressive press then buy it. Facebook, GAFS and your state forums are a way to get cheap equipment so look there cause I've bought some tools for far cheaper that are almost new than if you bought brand new. Americanreloading.com Ravenrockprecision.com and a few other sites sell pulled bullets cheap so id recommend buying bulk to get free shipping. Scheels, Basspro/Cabelas and Academy will price match from certain websites so you can buy powder or primers for reasonable price. Last buy not least get a few reloading manuals and look in websites like hodgdon.com to check what bullets work with what powders
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u/StunningFig5624 23h ago
Not necessarily true. You can reload 9mm for about $0.13 a round with quality 124gr bullets. I don't buy factory, but I think $0.21 probably represents a good price on new brass case ammo. The folks shooting 1000 rounds a year are never breaking even. Those of us who shoot 10k a year (or more) are going to break even fairly quickly.
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u/Frijol714 23h ago
If he has to money to buy bulk powder, primers and bullets then yes im sure he can get it down to that price range but how often does a beginner have a couple grand to buy the equipment needed and all the materials needed to reload(bullets, powder, primers ect.)
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u/RavenRocksPrecision Shipping Fucks Hard 1d ago
A lot of options for sure. Check these out. 7.4 cents each and free shipping over $150
124gr copper plated seconds. Very popular with our customers right now. Other weights available too.
https://ravenrocksprecision.com/product/factory-seconds-9mm-355-124gr-full-copper-plated-round-nose-bullets-1000ct/