Where to get inexpensive 9mm ammo

[tngunowner1]

Hi all,

I just got into handguns after moving away from a state that made them impossible to get.

Are there any tips and tricks to get less expensive 9mm ammo for target practice purposes? I currently get them at Academy and its about .175 per shot. At the range I typically go through 150-200 rounds which starts to get pricey!

Thanks in advance for the advice.

 

[Garufa]

If you can get 9mm for 17.5 cents a pop at Academy today go buy more because you’re not going to find any cheaper right now.

Ammo prices are up across the board.  9mm is on average $100 more per case than two months ago.

 

[FrankD]

yep if you can get under $0.18/rd all said and done I would buy a couple extra boxes everytime you go to the range and build up some spares.  Doesn't look like prices are going to be this low for a while.

[gregintenn]

Got a place to mount a reloading press?

If not, a time machine is what you need.

Welcome to Tennessee and the TGO forum.

[TNman207]

Stock up on .17 cent ammo. Prices are going up and becoming hard to get. I can usually find some deals on  https://ammoseek.com/ but you have to pay attention to the ending time and the shipping cost.

[hipower]

Yep...what all the previous guy haves said. All ammo is high. From merely higher to outright ridiculous. 

Check the prime distributors...PSA, Ammoman.com, etc. Everything has gone 30-50% up in the last few months. I've seen 9mm around 30 each. And I almost bought another case! lol

Buy by the case if you can. That's your best bet right now. Buying from most LGS's and ranges will eat your budget pretty fast.

[Raoul]

Learn to reload. Buy a Rockchuker. At least spend some time looking into it so you can be prepared for the next time.

[Garufa]

What does it cost to to reload these days?  Component prices have gone through the roof as well.  Add all that up and the time it takes it might just come out to be a wash. 

You casters who get free lead (and fumes) need not reply, lol.  

[Raoul]

5 minutes ago, Garufa said:

What does it cost to to reload these days?  Component prices have gone through the roof as well.  Add all that up and the time it takes it might just come out to be a wash. 

You casters who get free lead (and fumes) need not reply, lol.  

Your probably right. I just know that  I swore never again the last time this happened. I guess I'm just an overachieving boy scout. Although in fairness I got kicked out of the boy scouts once...

[Chucktshoes]

39 minutes ago, Raoul said:

Your probably right. I just know that  I swore never again the last time this happened. I guess I'm just an overachieving boy scout. Although in fairness I got kicked out of the boy scouts once...

For eating a brownie?

[Raoul]

9 minutes ago, Chucktshoes said:

For eating a brownie?

Actually we pulled up all the tent stakes in the middle of the night and his giant tent collapsed on him. It was Pretty funny but we got thrown out of the scouts. Oh and he weighed in about 300 pounds so we laughed even harder...

[DaveTN]

11 hours ago, Garufa said:

What does it cost to to reload these days?  Component prices have gone through the roof as well.  Add all that up and the time it takes it might just come out to be a wash. 

You casters who get free lead (and fumes) need not reply, lol.  

I looked at it everyway from Sunday and decided that if you just want to load your own rounds, reloading is a good idea. As far as it saving money; I don’t think so.

I remember I asked a guy once about his costs, because to me just the price of bullets seemed high. He said he walked the roadways picking up lead wheel weights and cast his bullets. Sorry, no walking along looking for wheel weights for me (although I could use the exercise).

I’m also one of those that believe there is no way rounds loaded by a reputable manufacturer, even cheap range ammo such as WWB, aren’t more consistent and a better quality than someone loading at home. I don’t know that to be a fact; that’s just what I think based on my manufacturing and multi-slide press experience. Either side can claim whatever they like.

DISCLAIMER: My comments about factory ammo do not include bench rest shooters that work up special rounds for their specific rifle. However, if I ever got to the point where my 100 or 200 yard groups was the ammo, and not me; I would be a happy guy.

But since I’ve retired, I’ve still kicked around the idea of doing it. It looks like for about $1000 for a Dillion press and the other required accessories. I wouldn’t live long enough to see a savings, but when I die someone would get a very nice set-up for free.

Also… I hope none of you reloaders are the vultures at the range that are trying to grab my .308 brass before it hits the ground.

 

[monkeylizard]

I suspect that once we get through this latest round of panic buying, we'll see a drop off in prices.  Hopefully by Thanksgiving we'll get some great Black Friday deals. Still, $0.175/rd works out to just $8.75/box. That's pretty cheap, and about as good as I can recall seeing in the past 10 years aside from some extra good BF/close-out deals.

Edited May 22, 2020 by monkeylizard

[chances R]

Buying in bulk ( 3000 + ) plated or coated Bullets are 7.5  cents. Generally powder and primer 1 cent each.  Not counting time, cleaning and equipment I can load a dime a pop /$5 box.  I load relatively lite 147 gr loads and shoot several thousand a year.  So it does “save” money, but I still spend a lot.

[Raoul]

5 hours ago, DaveTN said:

I looked at it everyway from Sunday and decided that if you just want to load your own rounds, reloading is a good idea. As far as it saving money; I don’t think so.

I remember I asked a guy once about his costs, because to me just the price of bullets seemed high. He said he walked the roadways picking up lead wheel weights and cast his bullets. Sorry, no walking along looking for wheel weights for me (although I could use the exercise).

I’m also one of those that believe there is no way rounds loaded by a reputable manufacturer, even cheap range ammo such as WWB, aren’t more consistent and a better quality than someone loading at home. I don’t know that to be a fact; that’s just what I think based on my manufacturing and multi-slide press experience. Either side can claim whatever they like.

DISCLAIMER: My comments about factory ammo do not include bench rest shooters that work up special rounds for their specific rifle. However, if I ever got to the point where my 100 or 200 yard groups was the ammo, and not me; I would be a happy guy.

But since I’ve retired, I’ve still kicked around the idea of doing it. It looks like for about $1000 for a Dillion press and the other required accessories. I wouldn’t live long enough to see a savings, but when I die someone would get a very nice set-up for free.

Also… I hope none of you reloaders are the vultures at the range that are trying to grab my .308 brass before it hits the ground.

 

Well reloading is not for everyone. Everyone always talks about the time involved but I look at it as an alternative to shooting in winter months. Brass has been free for me for a long time and I've always managed to find deals on powder and primers. I can roll my own as consistently as any factory ammo I've bought. Doesn't hurt that my reloading partner is a somewhat anal-compulsive engineer.

Ya'll are welcome to Wallyworld and I don't mean that rudely. I get a great deal of satisfaction reloading and y'all are welcome to what I might have purchased.

 

[Grayfox54]

I've been a reloader for close to 40 years. But its not a hobby. I reload because I like to shoot. However, reloading can get to be time consuming as I generally do it in 500 to 1000 round batches. 

Over the last few years, I've caught some specials on factory ammo that were good enough that buying that was cheaper than my time reloading.  9mm is one round that fits this criteria. Caught on sale, its worth buying factory ammo. Keep an eye on Ammoseek.com.  When it comes up cheap, buy in bulk. 

Another source I've found is your local Armslist.com site.  Sometimes people sell a gun and then have a bunch of leftover ammo to get rid of. Bargains can be found. But you have to be careful, some jerks want more than the stores do.   Just a couple of months ago, I bought 1000 rounds of .38 Special factory range ammo in the original boxes for about half its usual price. 

 

[Patton]

Most of mine has come from Academy in the last three months. I buy reloading supplies when I find them and at a great deal. The most I pay to reload handgun rounds is about .16 and 9mm is closer to .12 a round or .09 if I cast my own.

[chances R]

I will also add that I enjoy reloading.  Somewhat therapeutic.  Since my  teenage years I've loaded thousands and thousands of shotshells. Now the same for my pistol loads. My loads are also 'custom'.  Since I load mostly 147 gr at a lower power factor I can decrease my recoil which is easier on me and the equipment.  However, if you are not a little bit OCD don't bother reloading.  Blowing up your gun and possibly injuring yourself is not fun and certainly doesn't save you any money.  I have seen several damaged guns, including a Wilson 1911. 

[Garufa]

I started reloading when I was 13 or 14.  Got an RCBS Rock Chucker kit that I still have and use when the notion strikes me.

Discovered some examples from those early days of 9mm and .30-30 a few years ago.  Surprised I didn’t blow myself up, lol.

Rolling your own is immensely satisfying and rewarding.  You will also end up with ammo far superior to factory loads...If you do it right.  Doing it right takes time and you really need to be a bit OCD.

The only caliber I find worth the time loading is .38 Special/.357 Magnum. huge cost saving there.  Same for any revolver cartridge.  

I loaded up 1k 9mm a few years ago.  Don’t ever see myself reloading for a semi-auto firearm again.  What takes hours and days to create that is blasted away in minutes just doesn’t make sense when there are so many other things to do.

 

Edited May 22, 2020 by Garufa

[MacGyver]

I save a fair amount of money on the big calibers.  

I might load 9mm if the mood strikes me and I need something to do - but that’s a rarity these days. 

[tnhawk]

I started reloading 45 acp back in the 70s using Rock Chucker that I still have.  I hadn't benn reloading 9 mm but recently decided I should save the brass.  There may come a time that it will become worth reloading.

[DaveTN]

We lost or best source of range ammo, Walmart. (That's what I read, but I haven't needed ammo in awhile, so I haven't been in there.)  But then Sportsman Warehouse opened and they are pretty close to Walmart prices. I have ordered ammo online, but its usually because of a really good special. Academy has good prices also, but I have to go to Smyrna for that, so I haven’t been there much.

[owejia]

Casting and reloading is another chapter in the book of guns and shooting sports. Not everyone has the time and patience for it. I have both. Also can make custom loads that you cannot buy. Shooting the walnut media loads at carpenter bees, shot shell loads for mr no shoulders and other vermin, double ball loads for my sd rounds in my snubbies, round ball loads for the 9mm revolvers, round ball loads in the 45 acp .The only limitation is your imagination and safety issues. Working up loads to fit the personality of a particular gun is fun and challenging. Since the inception of the hi-tec and powder coating of lead boolits , casting got simpler. What ever floats your boat and you enjoy is what you need to do. Ammunition is a commodity and the price will vary as the supply and demand cycle dictate. Some folks even reload the 22lr stuff.

[DaveTN]

41 minutes ago, owejia said:

Casting and reloading is another chapter in the book of guns and shooting sports. Not everyone has the time and patience for it. I have both. Also can make custom loads that you cannot buy. Shooting the walnut media loads at carpenter bees, shot shell loads for mr no shoulders and other vermin, double ball loads for my sd rounds in my snubbies, round ball loads for the 9mm revolvers, round ball loads in the 45 acp .The only limitation is your imagination and safety issues. Working up loads to fit the personality of a particular gun is fun and challenging. Since the inception of the hi-tec and powder coating of lead boolits , casting got simpler. What ever floats your boat and you enjoy is what you need to do. Ammunition is a commodity and the price will vary as the supply and demand cycle dictate. Some folks even reload the 22lr stuff.

That would be some reasons for reloading, regardless of the cost.

I would like some of those Carpenter bee (or wasp) loads. But where I live I’m pretty sure the cops would get called. I would hate to have the cops walk around the corner of my house while I’m out there seeming, randomly firing into the air. 

[chances R]

1 hour ago, DaveTN said:

That would be some reasons for reloading, regardless of the cost.

I would like some of those Carpenter bee (or wasp) loads. But where I live I’m pretty sure the cops would get called. I would hate to have the cops walk around the corner of my house while I’m out there seeming, randomly firing into the air. 

Some people fail to appreciate 'small game' hunting....