BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

moderator · Joined: 27 Jan 2002 Posts: 7655

July 2009 Poll:

Poll: Do you reload your own ammo?

Visit the hunting polls page to vote in this poll and previous polls.

ChesterGolf · Joined: 17 Aug 2002 Posts: 1825 Location: Nova Scotia

Have reloaded one thing or another for decades now and wouldn't have it any other way. Reloading components are sometimes hard to come by these days though.

Don Fischer · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 2503 Location: Antelope, Ore

Yes I do. Started in Europe while in the service, about 1970. Used base rifle range equipment. Got back to the states and got Lee handloaders. Have a bunch of stuff today but could make good loads with less tools.

ChesterGolf · Joined: 17 Aug 2002 Posts: 1825 Location: Nova Scotia

Don Fischer wrote: Have a bunch of stuff today but could make good loads with less tools.

So true Don... I have hoardes of reloading equipment to make the very same load that I made in the past with a single stage lee and balance scale. People tend to over-complicate the process too much.

exbiologist · Joined: 19 Sep 2008 Posts: 702 Location: Colorado

Every time I tinker with my loads, I end up back at the beginning, using what I thought was best in the first place.

Critter · Joined: 26 Mar 2009 Posts: 184 Location: Western Colorado

I have been reloading going on 40 years now. What I have found out is that there is a lot of rifle ammo out there that will equal just about any reload, and for not much more money. I bought myself a chronograph 20 years ago to test out my reloads and found out that there are a lot of factory loads running a little faster and just as accurate witch bumed me out a little. I had thought that I had found the right powder and the highest pressure that I could shoot through my rifle, and then after a little bit more experimenting with other powders I found out that I had found the safest reload. I just couldn't figure out how the factory loads did it so I didn't worry about it any more. Now as far as handgun ammo you can't beat reloads. You can run hot reloads or real mild ones for practice and I am able to shoot a lot of them for very little money compared to factory loads.

Don Fischer · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 2503 Location: Antelope, Ore

A chrushing blow to most shooter's is a cronograph. All of a sudden your ammo isn't doing what you though any more. But sometime's ignorance is bliss. Without a cronograph, you ammo can be going as fast as you want! :D

I love my cronograph because I first find out how fast my loads shoot then the thing tell's me how to sight in for distances to 1000yds and shooting shows it's pretty dang accurate.

I do believe that one of the most over rated things about shooting is velocity. All hunting cartridge normally have enough velocity for shooting out to normal ranges and it your doing your part, the velocity no longer matter's!

Critter · Joined: 26 Mar 2009 Posts: 184 Location: Western Colorado

I do have to admit that buying the chronograph did pop the bubble so to speak. But it is nice to know where you are at as far as velocities are concerned with your reload. My biggest problem when I first started was there wasn't any really good information on the signs of high pressures except for a few black and white photos in the manuals so I went by the way a factory primer looked and case extraction.
I do agree that too many out there are obsessed with how fast they can get that bullet to the target. When I saw that my loads were not up the what the manual said I didn't worry since the accuracy was there and they did the job needed of them. I worked for the phone company then and had a unlimited supply of old phone books that I would take out and do penetration and expansion test on witch really gave me the confidence that they would work on any animal that I would shoot at.

Fisher King · Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 317 Location: Muskoka Ontario

For me acurracy is what counts. If a load goes 200 feet per second faster but you have a five inch group at 100 yards whats the point?
The thing I like about hand loading is you can fine tune your load for best acurracy,where as with factory loads you have to try quite a few out befor you find one that is right for your gun.
Even a gun with the same model and caliber will shoot difrently than an identical gun. T
That is were reloading comes into play.
My 2 cents F.K.

exbiologist · Joined: 19 Sep 2008 Posts: 702 Location: Colorado

For me, when I got my chrono, it tempted to me try even more possibilities. If I could get good velocity, I assumed it would just take some tweaks to make it shoot accurately also. Of course that isn't always the case, but I now try more than 10 powders per cartridge/bullet combination, always sure that the best one for the job will be the next powder I try.
Without the chrono, I was just happy with cartridges that shot well enough, but I didn't have the temptation to push the envelope for both accuracy and velocity.

SoCoKHntr · Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 1255 Location: Pueblo Colorado

Into my second year of reloading and my experience up to this point has been with my 243 and 22-250. I will be working up a load for my 7mm Mag for my antelope tag this year. Looking at either the Sierra 140 gr spitzer flat base or 160 gr spbt and will start with IMR 4831 a slow burner I've had good success on with my 243. I really enjoy the process but with a full time job, high ammo prices and availability problems and wife and kid responsibilities it's hard to find the time to do the reloading and get out and do the shooting. Can be highly frustrating at times and as exbio said you always think the next combo is going to give you what you are looking for and so many variables to take into account when looking for best accuracy.

ElkFreak · Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Posts: 22 Location: Sequim, WA

The versatility of the different loads you can build is alot of fun. I also somewhat got into reloading because some ammo is hard to come by....and when I find it, it can be a bit pricey. It is tough to find .250 Savage sometimes, and .338-378 Weatherby Mag goes for about $120.00 a box of 20!

Don Fischer · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 2503 Location: Antelope, Ore

Welcome to BGH elkfreak. Mentioning the 250 Savage just might get you a christmas card from me! :thumbsup1:

SoCal; I really liked the 160gr Speer in my 7mm mag. But a bullet that shot about as well was the 139gr Hornady. I tries the 140gr Sierra and didn't like them, way to soft. But that was long befor the pro hunter bullet's. They might be better and Sierra bullet's do just shoot well, Sierra expects it!

The powder I used isn't avaliable any more, N205, but 4831 should work well and you might give RL-22 a try. I tried H870 in mine and it just didn't work. Maybe just to slow. Lot of new powder's now though. Is the 4831 you have H4831SC? I use that SC stuff now and really like it a lot better than the long cut stuff.

SoCoKHntr · Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 1255 Location: Pueblo Colorado

Hey Don, thanks for the info! The 4831 I'm using is the IMR in the orange bottle. I didn't even know about the H short cut and will likely give that a try at some point. My 7 mag gave me consistent 1/2 inch to an inch 100 yard groups with Fed. Premium 175 gr TBBC. factory ammo. So, I'm hoping I can duplicate that kind of accuracy with a good hunting handload.

WesternHunter · Joined: 05 May 2006 Posts: 1075 Location: Colorado

Been reloading my own since I was in junior high school. In fact some of the rifles I own have never had factory ammo through them. Dad always reloaded his own too, but he hasn't done any of it within the last 15 years or so.

I like the ability to develop a round for a particular rifle. But, one thing I enjoy most about it is seeing the results of my efforts, of a job well done. That to me is satisfying and fullfilling. I've always valued skills in people. I have always placed importance of being somewhat self sufficient and knowing how do do your own stuff. Somewhere along the line that idea was sowed in my head. As one gets older you begin to realise the importance of it.