I have been thinking about getting into loading rifle bullets for a while now and am still not sure if it is worth it. I load shotgun shells for trap shooting but I only use my rifles for hunting.


As it is I'm already getting 3 shot groups in less than an inch at 100yrds with balistic tips. I hunt deer and bear every year and if I ever get a permit moose will be in there.


Rate now I'm shooting a 7mm mag with 150gr. balistic tips and have had no problem and a .270 with 130gr. balistic tips and get less than an inch with both.

I am saticified with this would I see much of an improvement if I went to handloading?


Thanks ahead of time. Andrew

There are benefits and drawbacks to handloading. It appears that you've had some good results with factory ammo, a testament to the good quality of factory ammo these days, and the good quality rifles the we have to shoot them in (not to mention that you obviously have some talent with a rifle).

So here are a few of the benefits:

1.) You'll either save money, or more likely spend the same and shoot more, which will make you a better rifleman.

2.) You can custom taylor your ammo you your exact needs. Say you want to shoot a Barnes TSX bullet, but the only factory loads with this bullet are from a manufacturer you don't care for, are more expensive than you like, or just don't shoot well. As a handloader, you can pick and choose your own components to fit your needs.

3.) The ability to customize the loads to match your rifle. Factory ammo is loaded so that it will shoot adequately in most guns. It's like the saying "You can please all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but never all the people all the time." Substitute "guns" for "people" and the saying applies to factory ammo. Handloading allows one to start low and work up in increments, zeroing in on the best possible accuracy for that bullet/powder combo. Sometimes you nail a "pet load" inside 20 rounds, sometimes you do a lot of experimenting, but at least it's an excuse to shoot your rifle and that's where the fun is.

4.) Equal or better performance downrange. Some factory ammo is loaded hotter than a handloader can safely go (.204 Ruger is a prime example), but much factory ammo is borderline lethargic. Many cartridges can easily exceed factory loaded performance with handloads. The 7mm STW is an example. When Remington introduced the 7mm Ultra Mag, their 7mm STW loads started looking a little timid to make the RUM look better and drive sales. A handloader can easily get the STW within 150 fps of the 7mm RUM, with much less powder, making the RUM look like an inefficient, powder guzzling pig (which the STW is too, to a lesser degree).

5.) It's an enjoyable hobby for most. I go downstairs to "get away from it all."

6.) Better quality ammo with more attention to detail. Commercial ammo makers make tens or hundreds of thousands of rounds a day or more. They cannot afford to take the time to deal with the tiny details that can make good ammo great. As long as the ammo is loaded within SAMMI specs and is safe, it's good to go. As a handloader you can do things, if you choose to, like uniforming primer pockets, deburring flash holes, squaring the case necks, weighting individual charges to ensure uniformity, weighting and separating cases to ensure even case capacity, etc... Heck, just having bright and shiny brass at the range inspires confidence.

Of course, one must always take the bad with the good. Some drawbacks include:

1.) Some initial investment. How much you spend to get started depends on the quality and completeness of the equipment you want. If you intend to load just a couple hundred rounds a year, you probably don't want to spend a lot of money on mid and high end stuff. The very basics will be sufficient. But if you intend to load and shoot a lot, I'd suggest you buy decent equipment and tools to start. Of course, doing so will cost more up front, but may prevent you from "buying twice" down the road. I've had great luck with my RCBS Rockchucker. I bought the Supreme Master kit, which has almost everything you need to get started except dies and components. You can (and will ) add more tools as you go and find you "need" them.

2.) There's a decent investment in time. If you don't have a lot of time to spare, then handloading probably isn't for you. The reason you save money is because you're paying others for their labor to assemble your ammo. Like anything else, by doing it yourself you will build "sweat equity" in your ammo, as it were.

3.) It's not for the absentminded or easily distracted. Handloading, if done carefully and correctly, is a very safe hobby. But carelessness and inattention can have catastrophic consequences. Miss a double charge, and you might end up missing body parts. Not to scare you off, but I'm just being up front.

4.) Your wife may not be too thrilled about your new addiction when you bring home a new powder "that you just gotta try in your .300 Eargesplitten Loudenboomer" when you haven't even burned up the last pound you bought. The solution, I've found, is to buy her her own gun and then tell her the new whatever-you-bought is for HER gun. I can't understate the joys of having a wife that likes guns and loves to shoot. My wife, bless her heart, would rather buy ammo than shoes. I lucked out!

The bottom line is that I would highly recommend handloading to anyone who likes to shoot more than a couple boxes of ammo a year. It's a pleasure in itself, and it's even sweeter when you hit that perfect "pet load" that shoots like a wet dream and know that it's the fruit of your labor.

Good luck,

Mike

driftrider has all the points down.

Here is what it comes down to.

1 Do you have the time? [In the 7mm and 270 I can not see you saving money vs time to reload your own]

2 Will the 1/2 at 100 help in normal hunting?

3 Do you need difrant bulets or are you happy with what you have.

I reload in my 300 win and my 300 weatherby.I reload 30-06 if I need a yote round.
I buy 30-06, 223, 270,308 and 41 mag

To me it is all about cost of ammo vs time I can be shooting it. I can buy most my ammo for real close to the price to make it. SO I only reload if I save money or need a special round.

If you are going to shoot 100+ rifle rounds a year or 1000+ pistol rounds a year at a very minimum, it starts to make sense to reload. You'll never recover your investment in cost savings- you'll shoot more because the ammo is cheaper, then you'll start buying bulk components trying to save a few cents per round so that you can justify shooting more, then when you think you are getting ahead, you'll spend another $100 on new reloading gadgets to try to make your waste of money 'more efficient. Its a vicious circle.

If you really want to be penny wise and pound foolish, take up casting your own bullets. You have to make thousands of bullets to break even, and considering the time and tinkering involved, they will be the most expensive bullets you ever shoot.[:-]

If you do, start with the Lee's they are resonable in price and a good starter.
Later if you think you are going to like it, invest in the higher priced ones.
You have to have your mind clear and not feel sleepy when reloading.
Always safety first!

Thanks for the replies. It sounds like im doing all right with what I got and how I use it. As for the shooting more to make me a better rifleman I think the millitary will help me with that so it dont cost so much. Im going to basic traineing this summer so I hope to improve my marksmenship a little.

Thanks agian for the replies. Andrew

With all the good loads for 12 Ga and 20 Ga at $2.98/box I've given up almost all shotshell reloading.

Rifle reloading is a totally different matter and I'll not likely give up the convenience of custom tailoring loads for my rifles. Accuracy, velocity, and any bullet I want in a short time. I haven't bought a box of loaded rifle ammo in many years!

ANDY_O, WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK IN YOUR TOUR OF DUTY!!

Thanks Rebal Hog.

I just got into reloading. More to have something to do on the days that I can't get out and shoot than anything else. Also just to have something to tinker with when I'm not feeling like doing anything productive.

That pretty much sums it up for me. Except I go upstairs.