9 reasons reloading is better than store bought

Why I reload?
- Winters in the Rockies can suck. At minus 30 I'm not out hiking anymore. So if I'm cooped up inside, I find reloading relaxing and I feel a sense of accomplishment instead of staring at the TV all day
- I tend to buy things that ammo is either scarce, not available, or prohibitively expensive especially when the nearest LGS is 1.5 hours away
 
Last weekend I loaded 200 rounds of 455 webley in 90 minutes. Could have done it faster but faster isn't always better. I cast the bullets myself previously in about an hour for 200.

My cost of components is:
Bullets: $2/lb (250 gr bullets)
Powder $50/lb (4.0 gr per cartridge)
Primers $40/100
Brass $50/100 (10 reloads)

Retail price for this ammo is $135 per 50 plus tax and shipping.

Cost of reloading components is about $30 per 50.
 
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I've always wanted a 338-06. I just sent an FN 98 to be bored out/chambered from 30-06. If you can find the Nosler Custom Ammunition, it'll you set you back about $150 for 20 rounds. Reloading will still be pricey at about $3.50 / round, but still less than half of the store-bought price. It's a pass-time - I don't shoot for money and I don't hunt for subsistence.
 
Looch, why is it costing you $3.50 per round to reload for 338-06?

I guess it could be that high with premium bullets, or maybe if you're only using new cases.

The nice thing about the 338-06 is that premium bullets really aren't necessary to get the job done.

When compared to magnums, such as the 338 Win Mag and larger, velocities are quite sedate and decent cup and core bullets, such as Hornady 225 grain flat base, spire points, around 2500-2600fps are extremely effective on any game in North America and most around the world.

30-06 cases are easily sized up, with one pass over the expander ball.
 
I haven't actually reloaded anything yet as I probably won't have the gun back before December (maybe earlier, fingers crossed). I used the X-Reload calculator and just threw some numbers in based on what I could quickly research - Win 760, Nosler partitions, and some LR primers. I have 30-06 brass, so I set that cost to zero. When the time comes, I'll be a bit more picky about the components/supplies. $3.50 would be the "shouldn't cost more than" price. Thanks for the info, though - appreciated.
 
W760 is a good choice for the 338-06, but being a ball powder, is more efficient burning with magnum primers, if you can find them. If you can't find magnum primers, Remington primers are HOT, but have a bad rep for failure. I've never had an issue with them not igniting consistently, but IMHO it has more to do with firing pin strike issues as they tend to be quite hard.

I have a load that seems to work extremely well in the half dozen 338-06 rifles I've built and own.

200 grn Hornady Spire Point, Flat base, over 56.4 grn IMR4895, over CCI 250 primers = 2850fps from a 24 inch bbl.

225 grn Hornady Spire Point Flat base IL, over N160 (560), over CCI 250 primers = 2650fps from a 24 inch bbl.

Both of these loads shoot appx 1moa right out to 300 yards, which is about as far as I'm willing to shoot.

I've been using these loads in my last remaining rifle chambered for the 338-06 for the last decade, a Ruger No1.

The 338-06 is not a magnum, and it really isn't suitable for heavier bullets than 225 grains. Some folks will not agree, but that's been my experience if you want to shoot out to 300yds, 338caliber bullet trajectory at 2650 fps

With a 200 yard zero, appx 1.5 in high at 100yds, there is appx a 9 inch drop at 300yds, depending on altitude and temperatures, shooting uphill, flat or downhill.
 
I hand load for several reasons, in my hunting rifles because I cannot find the ammo I like as in my 6.5x54 Mannlicher Schoenauer , in my .303 because I shoot 150 TSX bullets, etc
I also handload my match ammo because I cannot buy 95 grain Match King factory ammo for my .223.
I also shoot an 8.14x46R Schuetzen , and a 45/70 cast bullet rifle.
Add to that the enormous cost of factory ammo these days and the amount I shoot, I also some cannot afford to shoot factory ammo for the riflrs I shoot.

Don't get me started on my vintage shotgun ammo! LOL
Cat
 
Seems like half the time if you find a factory round that works for you, can't get it again, no more of that lot nbr, they're out of it in general, or changed the bullet in it, these days you can't trust even getting the same powder in factory ammo from one lot to the next. I kinda quit worrying about what handloading cost me a long time ago. I'd just as soon go downstairs and load what I want when I need it. I just parted with 4k worth of tools and components over the last 3 yrs, and still have more than enough for what I need Once you've got the tools, like a lot of things, you use them and pretty much forget about what they cost you.
 
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