If I don't save 30% over factory prices it just doesn't make sense except for accuracy and consistancy. Unfortunately 400 yards is as far as I have to shoot, and with service rifle I can't tell much difference.
-
ODT Gun Show & Swap Meet - May 4, 2024! - Click here for info
Loading your own rifle ammo.
- Thread starter Bear44
- Start date
If I don't save 30% over factory prices it just doesn't make sense except for accuracy and consistancy. Unfortunately 400 yards is as far as I have to shoot, and with service rifle I can't tell much difference.
I know not one single serious competitor that shoots 'factory ammunition.' Not a single shooter. They all handload.
I was precision reloading for high powered rifle over 30 years ago and purchased a Redding Competition Powder measure. It did/does really well and I'd trickle the remaining charge weighted to toss in the case. It's a slow time consuming process.
Bench rest shooters were using a powder measure and tossing their charges in cases, some at the range.
They found and I discovered weighting every charge is not critical to accuracy for most shooting.
I set the measure and periodically check charges, 1 in 10-20 or so and visibly check the cases in the loading blocks to observe any gross errors. It goes much quicker.
The real bane in reloading necked rifle ammo for me was case trimming... I despised it. I have a rotatory RCBS lathe like trimmer I used for 30 years until I started shooting more action type shooting. Then the ODT reloading hive turned me on to a high quality drill powered trimmer attachment that makes trimming cases a breeze.
I don't typically load 100 cases or less. I split the work load. I'll clean, deprime and resize 1000+ brass in one step and store it. Later trim it to length. Later prime it sitting on the couch watching T.V. with a hand primer and store it. Later get my loading blocks set and toss charges in cases with the Redding powder measure, checking periodically for Q/A and with a press with the dies set correctly start seating and crimping.
Generally, I found neck tension, bullet quality and the rifle (barrel) to be most critical to accuracy-excluding the user. I can make much more accurate ammo than factory and inexpensively. I think it's about $120 for 1000 precision accurate .223 rounds.
Over 30 years produced and same unit being made...
Even if the factory ammo is prepared at the same quality standard as a serious hand loader (which non of it is), they can't reproduce the same lot time after time. All the components change over time. This is why a good quantity of the same lot of high quality brass is so important. I can't tell you how many times I've had people offer me their once fired brass at the range and I almost always turn it down. I just have no use for a small quantity of an unknown brass. This is also why I stick with Nosler, Lapua or Norma (in that order of preference) brass 95% of the time. They are not only very consistent within a lot, there seems to be minimal differences from lot to lot.
Powders are the second most important component to stay within a lot of. Once I decide on a powder, I buy a rather large amount of it so it will last a long time.
I use a similar trimmer, but it only cuts to very accurate length in a couple of seconds. I still prefer to do the rest with hand tools because that is when I do a lot of the brass inspection.
It's true that a high quality powder volume measure will work for most shooting, but once you are shooting at very long range that two tenths of a grain difference shows up with a vengeance.
I use a Giraud table top trimmer but still dump and trickle powder into a magnetic balance scale. Very fast. Tried electronics/automatics too slow and finicky.
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2010
- Messages
- 7,025
- Reaction score
- 9,472
Shoot a box of factory ammo of a given caliber and weight, then shoot a box of the same caliber and weight bullet that you carefully (no whisky or absinthe
) loaded, compare and then ask yourself if it's worth it.
Better yet carefully inspect 5 factory rounds of your preferred caliber for runout, length, crimp etc. then disassemble the same 5 factory rounds with a kinetic bullet puller. Weigh the powder charge individually for each cartridge (they will be different). Weigh each bullet and mic or caliper them. See how they differ in powder weight and probably bullet weight.
Lastly compare price of the store bought ammo compared to what you would pay for components for hand crafted precision ammunition.
I have heard for years that reloading isn't worth it. I have heard folks tell me that their time is more valuable than to spend it reloading. Or to break it down by the hour and factor a wage to the hour and see how much time/money is being wasted...blah blah blah. I reload for my hobby. I don't chase broads, shoot dope or drown my sorrows in a bar. I reload and shoot. I enjoy it. My time is indeed valuable, but having the time to relax and reload/shoot and figure out good loads makes it worth it to me. Start up doesn't have to be insanely expensive either. A buddy of mine just got the Lee Anniversary kit, 2 die sets and the 2nd Edition Lee manual for $234 shipped. It doesn't have to be a Dillon 1050 to get going.
) loaded, compare and then ask yourself if it's worth it.Better yet carefully inspect 5 factory rounds of your preferred caliber for runout, length, crimp etc. then disassemble the same 5 factory rounds with a kinetic bullet puller. Weigh the powder charge individually for each cartridge (they will be different). Weigh each bullet and mic or caliper them. See how they differ in powder weight and probably bullet weight.
Lastly compare price of the store bought ammo compared to what you would pay for components for hand crafted precision ammunition.
I have heard for years that reloading isn't worth it. I have heard folks tell me that their time is more valuable than to spend it reloading. Or to break it down by the hour and factor a wage to the hour and see how much time/money is being wasted...blah blah blah. I reload for my hobby. I don't chase broads, shoot dope or drown my sorrows in a bar. I reload and shoot. I enjoy it. My time is indeed valuable, but having the time to relax and reload/shoot and figure out good loads makes it worth it to me. Start up doesn't have to be insanely expensive either. A buddy of mine just got the Lee Anniversary kit, 2 die sets and the 2nd Edition Lee manual for $234 shipped. It doesn't have to be a Dillon 1050 to get going.
The feeling of accomplishment I get from printing tight groups with a good rifle and ammo I have loaded for it is very satisfying. I'll admit there have been many times I've simply sat at the bench after putting up an extraordinary group and just kind of gone, "Wow, that's amazing."Shoot a box of factory ammo of a given caliber and weight, then shoot a box of the same caliber and weight bullet that you carefully (no whisky or absinthe
Better yet carefully inspect 5 factory rounds of your preferred caliber for runout, length, crimp etc. then disassemble the same 5 factory rounds with a kinetic bullet puller. Weigh the powder charge individually for each cartridge (they will be different). Weigh each bullet and mic or caliper them. See how they differ in powder weight and probably bullet weight.
Lastly compare price of the store bought ammo compared to what you would pay for components for hand crafted precision ammunition.
I have heard for years that reloading isn't worth it. I have heard folks tell me that there time is more valuable than to spend it reloading. Or to break it down by the hour and factor a wage to the hour and see how much time/money is being wasted...blah blah blah. I reload for my hobby. I don't chase broads, shoot dope or drown my sorrows in a bar. I reload and shoot. I enjoy it. My time is indeed valuable, but having the time to relax and reload/shoot and figure out good loads makes it worth it to me. Start up doesn't have to be insanely expensive either. A buddy of mine just got the Lee Anniversary kit, 2 die sets and the 2nd Edition Lee manual for $234 shipped. It doesn't have to be a Dillon 1050 to get going.
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2010
- Messages
- 7,025
- Reaction score
- 9,472
There's a lot of very high quality loading equipment out there, but I load everything on an old Rock Chucker press using base line RCBS Dies most of the time.
