Anyone have an opinion on custom load development services?
I’m posting this letter to a number of similar forums in hopes of getting some quick feedback on a question about custom load development...
First some background: I’ve got a custom rifle (my first such) built by a local gunsmith with an excellent reputation. It’s a 7MM Magnum with a Hart stainless barrel, built on a Remington 700 ADL action that’s been trued, lapped, triggered, and bedded in a laminated factory stock.
The problem is that it’s not terribly fond of any factory ammo that I’ve fed it. I’m not shooting junk, either — I’ve tried numerous kinds of Hornady, Federal Premium, and high-end Remington in various bullet weights and configurations...
I’m a good shot, with solid experience behind rifles of all kinds, from .17HMR up to .458 Lott. I’ve never felt the need to reload, because I can generally put together fine groups with any gun I’ve ever owned, after a little tinkering with factory rounds.
But with this gun, I’m struggling to get inside of 1.5 - 2 inches. I’ve gone over it with a fine-toothed comb: The action’s properly torqued into the stock, and fully floated. And I clean the barrel to bare metal using Butch’s Bore Shine and Shooter’s Choice every 10 - 12 shots, so I’m certain it’s not a fouling issue...
Anyway, I need something accurate to hunt with this season. And a shop I’ve had good dealings with for 20 years (Hendershot’s Sporting Goods in Han****, MD) is now offering their own line of “Extreme Custom Ammunition” that’s comparable in price to factory premium rounds...
They sell it pre-loaded by the box, but I’ve decided to have them develop a load specifically for my gun — a service they offer for $395. Turnaround time’s pretty quick, too. A couple of weeks, so they tell me.
I figure that’s at least as cheap as me buying all the reloading stuff and attempting to nail down a load that works on my own (which I don’t really want to do anyway).
Can anyone tell me what to expect from this type of service? I know there are numerous outfits that advertise custom load development for individual rifles...
Anybody care to share some stories about their results with such a process?
Thanks,
J