View Poll Results: Do you reload and do you think it's worth it?
I used to reload but no longer do
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Do you reload and do you think it's worth it?
01-03-2010, 03:14 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,519
Do you reload and do you think it's worth it?
For you shooters out there I was wondering what your opinion was on reloading? Do you do it? If so do you think it's actually worth it? I've asked this question on reloading forums and of course they tell you how great it is.
Now my Christmas present was a reloading kit. However, since I didn't know exactly what I wanted at the time I was told just order it when I found it and they would pay for it. I went and bought a die for one caliber and a tumbler today and spent $107. I still have 2 or 3 other dies I want at $40 for one and $30 for the other. Then the reloading kit from RCBS guys keep recommending me is $290. So they would pay for the kit and I'd pay for the rest. I'm really starting to wonder if I really want to do this.
So I figured if I save $5 a box it will take me almost 100 boxes to pay for the upfront cost. I'm paying $14 a box for 30-06 ammo from Federal at Wally World. It doesn't seem like I will save more than $5 a box over that. I just don't shoot anywhere near a large number of rounds like that. I shoot maybe 5 or 6 boxes a year at most. I wouldn't mind shooting slightly more than that but not that much more. I shoot a .22 a lot more than that but you can't reload a for a .22 anyway.
So that will take me almost 20 years to get my money back. Then I also have the hassle of sitting there reloading my bullets which I really don't care for. Seems much much easier to just go to Wal Mart and pick up a box of ammo to go shoot.
Another thing is my 30-06 is super picky about ammo when it comes to accuracy. It shoots good groups with Federal Fusion ammo and Federal soft points but nothing else I've tried groups all that well. I've tried many different brands to find one that shoots great. I'm thinking with reloading I'm going to have to shoot many different setups again and try to find one that works which I really don't want to go through again.
So I'm just wondering if I should take back the stuff I bought today and tell the person getting me the kit that I really would rather have something else. They have told me if I want something else that's fine.
So what should I do? Should I get the kit? Or should I just keep buying factory ammo and get something else?
I'm just really worried about being able to reload ammo that shoots well in my gun since it was so picky accuracy wise with factory ammo. Some like Winchester ballistic tips shot like 8" groups. Others shot 4-5" groups. I finally got it down to about 1.5" or sometimes 2" groups with the Federal ammo. I don't want to try a ton of kinds again and I don't want to be able to not find one that works either.
What do you guys think? Do you that don't reload think it would be worth it? Or is it not? What about the ones who do reload what do you think?
Now my Christmas present was a reloading kit. However, since I didn't know exactly what I wanted at the time I was told just order it when I found it and they would pay for it. I went and bought a die for one caliber and a tumbler today and spent $107. I still have 2 or 3 other dies I want at $40 for one and $30 for the other. Then the reloading kit from RCBS guys keep recommending me is $290. So they would pay for the kit and I'd pay for the rest. I'm really starting to wonder if I really want to do this.
So I figured if I save $5 a box it will take me almost 100 boxes to pay for the upfront cost. I'm paying $14 a box for 30-06 ammo from Federal at Wally World. It doesn't seem like I will save more than $5 a box over that. I just don't shoot anywhere near a large number of rounds like that. I shoot maybe 5 or 6 boxes a year at most. I wouldn't mind shooting slightly more than that but not that much more. I shoot a .22 a lot more than that but you can't reload a for a .22 anyway.
So that will take me almost 20 years to get my money back. Then I also have the hassle of sitting there reloading my bullets which I really don't care for. Seems much much easier to just go to Wal Mart and pick up a box of ammo to go shoot.
Another thing is my 30-06 is super picky about ammo when it comes to accuracy. It shoots good groups with Federal Fusion ammo and Federal soft points but nothing else I've tried groups all that well. I've tried many different brands to find one that shoots great. I'm thinking with reloading I'm going to have to shoot many different setups again and try to find one that works which I really don't want to go through again.
So I'm just wondering if I should take back the stuff I bought today and tell the person getting me the kit that I really would rather have something else. They have told me if I want something else that's fine.
So what should I do? Should I get the kit? Or should I just keep buying factory ammo and get something else?
I'm just really worried about being able to reload ammo that shoots well in my gun since it was so picky accuracy wise with factory ammo. Some like Winchester ballistic tips shot like 8" groups. Others shot 4-5" groups. I finally got it down to about 1.5" or sometimes 2" groups with the Federal ammo. I don't want to try a ton of kinds again and I don't want to be able to not find one that works either.
What do you guys think? Do you that don't reload think it would be worth it? Or is it not? What about the ones who do reload what do you think?
01-03-2010, 03:37 PM
#2
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Paducah, Kentucky
Posts: 146
I don't reload yet but am looking into it. I think the cost advantage is there, but not too great. I like the idea of choosing what bullet I want to shoot. Factory loadings are very limited in bullet choices compared to what you can load yourself. When you reload, you can get any bullet you want and shoot it through your gun basically.
01-03-2010, 04:00 PM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Wide open Nevada
Posts: 515
I used to have a very picky 3006' ,it's a freak with its 1-8.5 inch rifling,but no more. I shot up about 15 boxes of shells 150s,165s,180,federal,rem,win and every thing I could beg or borrow at every time I went out. The best factory load group I shot was about 8 inches now I have a hunting load that shoot an inch and a target load that shoots 5 touching rarely over 3/4 inch.
The beauty of reloading is this you can reproduce most of the standard cartridge factory loadings and many magnums . You have the curve beat all ready knowing that your rifle likes federal loadings . You most likely have your brass already,fusion bullets are availible as componets and just a little searching will reveil the most likely powder . As a plus if you should decide to shoot a heavier or lighter bullets you just build pick the bullets and adjust the powder charge to the bullet . Generally after you have the first load worked out the next one can be hit and confirmed in less than 20 rounds as opposed to maybe 4 or 5 boxes .
The beauty of reloading is this you can reproduce most of the standard cartridge factory loadings and many magnums . You have the curve beat all ready knowing that your rifle likes federal loadings . You most likely have your brass already,fusion bullets are availible as componets and just a little searching will reveil the most likely powder . As a plus if you should decide to shoot a heavier or lighter bullets you just build pick the bullets and adjust the powder charge to the bullet . Generally after you have the first load worked out the next one can be hit and confirmed in less than 20 rounds as opposed to maybe 4 or 5 boxes .
01-03-2010, 04:01 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Orange county, NY
Posts: 2,949
Handloaded ammo will usually be more accurate and hotter (if you wish) than factory ammo. 1st you can seat the bullet so its closer to the lands, which will increase accuracy. Your charges will be more consistent too. one time I cronied some factory ammo, there was about a 100fps difference between some cartridges in the same box.
01-03-2010, 04:23 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,519
Well, I saw Federal offers Fusion reloading components but I didn't see them being offered for a 30 caliber bullet in 150 grain which is what I shoot. Their site shows 165 grain, 170, and 180 being offered. I also can't really find anywhere that sells these and has them instock.
Also what powder would I want to use? How would I find the seating depth?
Also what powder would I want to use? How would I find the seating depth?
01-03-2010, 04:43 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Orange county, NY
Posts: 2,949
01-03-2010, 05:38 PM
#7
Banned
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 824
It will be a never ending search for the perfect load. Wait until you start buying components. Make 20 test rounds that are bums and you'll still have about a pound of powder you wish you hadn't bought along with 80 bullets. Then the tweaking starts. Change powder?primer?bullet? OAL?.....Here we go again...After wasting all that time, you might finally get one. Screw that nuisance..
Save the headaches and buy some premium ammo or just stick to your Wallies....the deer wont know the difference.
If you want custom ammo, there are several companies out there that will do just that. And you don't have to clean up the mess.
Unless you shoot for a living (and I don't mean hunt) there's not much need for it.
Save the headaches and buy some premium ammo or just stick to your Wallies....the deer wont know the difference.
If you want custom ammo, there are several companies out there that will do just that. And you don't have to clean up the mess.
Unless you shoot for a living (and I don't mean hunt) there's not much need for it.
Last edited by vabyrd; 01-03-2010 at 05:48 PM.
01-03-2010, 08:36 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Coralville, IA. USA
Posts: 3,802
I can handload for my 257 Weatherby, using premium (Barnes TSX) bullets, and keep my cost just under $20/box, and with semi-premium bullets (Nosler BT) for about $12-13/box. Or I could buy Weatherby factory ammo with the same bullets for $80 and $70 per box, respectively. Just for that one cartridge I'm saving almost $60/box, meaning that my loading 5 boxes of ammo I've paid for my Rockchucker kit and dies for this cartridge completely. By the time I've reached 10 boxes I'll have paid for my entire handloading setup in full. And my ammo is better than any factory ammo available. So yeah, it's worth it for me to handload.
Handloading the more popular cartridges like the 30-06, 243, 7mm Rem Mag, 308 Win, etc... won't save you quite as much money since factory ammo is far cheaper than the Weatherby stuff, but you'll still save some money, and you'll get higher quality ammo with the components you choose rather than being limited to whatever a factory brand chooses to offer. The downside is that handloading (if done right) takes considerable time, which some folks these days just don't have. But for me it's a relaxing hobby within a hobby.
Mike
Handloading the more popular cartridges like the 30-06, 243, 7mm Rem Mag, 308 Win, etc... won't save you quite as much money since factory ammo is far cheaper than the Weatherby stuff, but you'll still save some money, and you'll get higher quality ammo with the components you choose rather than being limited to whatever a factory brand chooses to offer. The downside is that handloading (if done right) takes considerable time, which some folks these days just don't have. But for me it's a relaxing hobby within a hobby.
Mike
01-03-2010, 08:59 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Coralville, IA. USA
Posts: 3,802
I just reread your post (I admit that I just skimmed it the first time), and based on that, I'd say don't bother spending the money on a handloading setup. You seem like the "instant gratification" type that doesn't have the patience to handload and would find it burdensome and unenjoyable. I'd have to say just keep buying the Federals from Walmart (while you can, since Walmart of late has taken a decidedly anti-gun tack) and live with the 2" groups. That is adequate accuracy for most big game hunting.
I, for one, find 2" groups for a small bore bolt action rifle to be entirely unacceptable. Handloading allows me to carefully taylor my ammo to my rifle, and 1 MOA or better accuracy is common and fairly easy to achieve. I don't know what vabyrd is doing, but he makes it sound like his scenario is common, but in my experience, it's not if you stick with recommended powders for your cartridge. The only time I had most of a pound of powder go to waste was recently when I experimented with Retumbo in my 257 Wby. I got some data for it from a non-standard source, and decided to try it as it seemed to be a way to squeeze another 100 fps out of the Roy without pressure problems. Turns out that it's just way too slow burning for the 257 (it's meant for the big boys like the 300 RUM and 30-378 Wby) and I couldn't hardly get anything resembling a measurable group with that powder. I loaded the remaining bullets with another powder and got sub-MOA performance right away during the ladder test. Now I have 3/4 of a pound of Retumbo sitting on my shelf with no use in sight, but it was the cost of playing outside the sandbox. I found out the hard way why none of the mainstream data sources publish loads with Retumbo for the 257 Wby.
Mike
I, for one, find 2" groups for a small bore bolt action rifle to be entirely unacceptable. Handloading allows me to carefully taylor my ammo to my rifle, and 1 MOA or better accuracy is common and fairly easy to achieve. I don't know what vabyrd is doing, but he makes it sound like his scenario is common, but in my experience, it's not if you stick with recommended powders for your cartridge. The only time I had most of a pound of powder go to waste was recently when I experimented with Retumbo in my 257 Wby. I got some data for it from a non-standard source, and decided to try it as it seemed to be a way to squeeze another 100 fps out of the Roy without pressure problems. Turns out that it's just way too slow burning for the 257 (it's meant for the big boys like the 300 RUM and 30-378 Wby) and I couldn't hardly get anything resembling a measurable group with that powder. I loaded the remaining bullets with another powder and got sub-MOA performance right away during the ladder test. Now I have 3/4 of a pound of Retumbo sitting on my shelf with no use in sight, but it was the cost of playing outside the sandbox. I found out the hard way why none of the mainstream data sources publish loads with Retumbo for the 257 Wby.
Mike
01-03-2010, 10:13 PM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location:
Posts: 2,395
I am a reloader that does not think reloading is worth the time or money.
The information you provided about the amount of times you shoot per year and how picky your 30-06 is makes me believe you will never pay off your investment in reloading equipment.
I think you would be just throwing money drown the drain. I have a rifle that I never could find a reload that shot better than Federal Premium Ammunition. I have almost given up on reload myself due to the extra time involved in loading ammo vs buying it off the shelf. I still reload for a few rifles, but I am thinking about loading up the brass I have and selling off all of my reloading equipment.
The information you provided about the amount of times you shoot per year and how picky your 30-06 is makes me believe you will never pay off your investment in reloading equipment.
I think you would be just throwing money drown the drain. I have a rifle that I never could find a reload that shot better than Federal Premium Ammunition. I have almost given up on reload myself due to the extra time involved in loading ammo vs buying it off the shelf. I still reload for a few rifles, but I am thinking about loading up the brass I have and selling off all of my reloading equipment.