does anyone offer a reloading service?

[standsleeper]

I was thinking of using Barnes varmint grenades for my .223. They offer them in 50 grain. I use 50 gr. v-max rounds now. I don't have the time ,know how, or the equiptment to do it myself. I thought there might be somebody near me that reloads and would be willing to work up a load for my gun. I am just kinda testing the waters right now. Right now my cost is about $1.00 per round. If I could do it for close to that I would. Is this even possible or am I barking up the wrong tree?

[jeepkid]

Google Ultimate Ammunition, they do just what your asking.

[driftrider]

I think that it's possible, sure, but it's going to cost you a lot more than $1/round. You're going to have to order it from a custom ammo manufacturer. Black Hills Ammunition offers a factory load with the 36 grain Barnes Varmint Grenade, but if you're dead set on the 50 grain version, and you can't or won't roll your own, then the custom ammo route is the only option.

Do you have any friends with a handloading setup? If so, you could always buy a set of dies and a shellholder, if your friend doesn't already have them, and have him teach you to load some yourself. However, unless you REALLY trust your handloading friend literally with your life, I wouldn't have him load them for you. I handload myself, and I wouldn't load ammo for my brothers rifle, unless I were personally doing the workup with his gun myself. Nor would I fire any ammo he had loaded sight-unseen for me. It's not that I don't trust my brother completely, but rather that it's just too dangerous, as a load that is safe in my rifle might blow up his, and visa-versa.

Custom ammo manufacturers, FYI, have a Type 6 Federal Firearms License (manufacturer of ammunition and reloading equipment), and will manufacture custom ammo for you that is made to high quality match standards, but will still be well within SAAMI loaded ammo specs for dimensions and pressures. They'll make you some good ammo with exactly the components you want, but like any other custom, small batch, manufacturing job, it'll cost you.

You'd be far better off just buying an equivalent factory loaded varmint round. I've shot the cheap Winchester "white box" economy varmint ammo (the kind that comes 50 round to the box with the 45 grain JHP bullet) through my .22-250 before I started handloading, and found that in both my rifles it'd shoot between 3/4 and 1 MOA all the time. Not great compared to the 1/2 MOA I could consistantly achieve with handloads, but pretty darn good for the "cheap stuff".

Mike

[standsleeper]

Thanks for the advice. I currently shoot Blackhills in a 50gr v-max.[molly coated]. I've read post about handloads being more accurate because you can taylor the load to the gun. I have some of the Blackhills loads with the 36gr varmint grenades,but I always worry about it being to light. I heard a guy at Gander Mountain talking to another guy about this very thing. He offered the same deal I was thinking of. He would take your gun and work up a load for it. Then he would sell you rounds for your gun,. I didn't think much of it at the time. I hadn't even bought my CZ yet. I didn't get involved in the conversation ,but I imagine there is an initial fee for the work up.After that; he would sell you round for an agreed upon price. [I think] I may just stay with the V-max rounds. I plan to do a bunch of talking to farmers this summer . I thought I could use the Varmint Grenades as a selling point for my commitment to safety and hunting.I think the V-max rounds will fragment fast enough though. Thanks again for the input on this, Chip

[hicap30]

I've heard of private individuals who will hand load as a service for other people. I don't think I ever would too much of a liability. What kind of rifle do U shoot your 223 out of? My Howa 1500 loves Speer 52gr Hollow Point Boat Tail Match with Hodgdon H4895. Won't get into powder weight, though.

[standsleeper]

I shoot a CZ 527 American in .223. It is my baby. I have a savage model 17 [I think] staneless -synthetic stock in .204 Ruger. It still isn't sighted in completely because I have the CZ. Everytime I take them out, I shoot the .204 a couple times and switch to the CZ. I can't seem to keep myself from doing it. Anyway, I'll most likely stay with the Black Hills ammo for now.I might look into tha Ultimate Ammunition later.

[hicap30]

Hornaday makes some realy good 223 match grade ammo. Not too sure on all the bullet weights they make.