What Calibers Should I Reload?

Recently, I have been looking into the viability of making cheaper vs. more effective reloads for various calibers. I have been looking at this so much Im even to the point of basing future decisions on what I can viably handload or purchase for a better price. So I will throw out what I think about a few major calibers hopefully I can provide a bit of a buffer to newer re loaders like myself in what calibers are economical to reload.

9mm (9mm Luger, 9x19mm parabellum, 9mm NATO): One of the most popular handgun cartridges in the world the 9mm can be found in nearly every type of action and handgun manufacturers models. known for being a low recoil fast traveling round, while remaining light and allowing the user to have a higher shot capacity in their magazines the 9mm is a success world-wide. Depending on the load the 9mm is more economical to reload in large batches, and self defense +P+ loads.

While the NATO loading of 9mm is a little higher pressure than the typical "Luger" loads found on most gun-store shelves a comparable load can be reloaded at reasonably the same price as Remington UMC. Again in this instance its better for large batch productions. This is more suggested for volume shooters who are looking for more accuracy without having to bulk order from some of the more expensive online retailers.

.45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol): Another very commercially successful cartridge here in the US. Based off the Ubiquitous .45 Colt (Long Colt) it is commonly remembered for its pairing with Browning's 1911 that has been in service for nearly 100 years. .45 If shot often should be seriously considered as a reload only cartridge. Its not necessarily that its a hard to find cartridge in the US but more that its outrageously overpriced. with a cost similar to a .44 magnum in factory loads it makes the .45 more difficult to shoot in volume which puts a damper on its use as an economical competition gun. 230 grain loads can be made reasonably cheaper than their factory counterparts. This round out of most is definitely a better choice to reload.

.40 S&W (Smith and Wesson): The .40 is basically a short 10mm Auto that was developed for the FBI. Its not the most popular Cartridge with .45 and 9mm Elitists, Often Called the "Short and Weak". despite being more of an intermediate between the .45 and 9mm, the .40 is priced up with the .45 and in most cases is easier to get. while there never seems to be a real shortage of .40 ammo it is definitely not price friendly like the 9mm. The .40 sees no real advantages of loading "hot" .40 rounds mostly because like the .38 spl its the short cartridge. what it does see advantages for reloading in is the self defense ammo prices and makes it a little easier to shoot in bulk.

I myself am a fan of the cartridge but as far as reloading would go is mostly self defense ammo in batches so for practicing. This is more because the .40 is a Home defense cartridge for me.

I could go more into specifics but with these 3 cartridges and others you will basically see that the heavier the bullet the more you will save reloading. Also the rarer the bullet. Now in some cases with cartridges like 7.62x39/5.45x39 7.62(Nagant revolver) there is almost no reason to reload because of the low comercial and surplus costs (Tula,Brown Bear, Soviet Surplus).

basically anytime you reload as long as the cartridge is not obscure you save money. Shotguns tend to go way down in price but unfortunately you need a completely separate press and process to reload shells. This is kind of a primer into reloading but I will hope to have some more informational videos and posts here soon.

Keep your Barrels Warm ;p