canadian hunter312
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Brant County
ive never reloaded and havent been around anyone who has. is it worth it for the average hunter?
is reloading worth it for the average hunter?
- Thread starter canadian hunter312
- Start date
Mount Sweetness
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Ontario
You will not save money, but you will have more fun with your rifles. If you decide to get into it, buy a Lee Kit, most bang for the buck. After loading over 200 rounds you will have made your money back.
I am an average hunter as well, used to only fire maybe 40 rounds a year....I saved up my brass for years and years, now I am finally reloading. I am really enjoying it, it is a challenge on its own. Have some fun with it.
I am an average hunter as well, used to only fire maybe 40 rounds a year....I saved up my brass for years and years, now I am finally reloading. I am really enjoying it, it is a challenge on its own. Have some fun with it.
..... But, RELOADING in itself, is a fun activity/hobby/pursuit etc. particularly for those times when you can't hit the Range ! .... David K
I have to agree if you were to reload for just deer or other large game hunting you are not going to save any money. That being said reloading is very enjoyable, no better feeling than working up a load that you put together yourself, heading to the range, and finding you have discovered the sweet spot that your rifle likes. It helps to draw you into more shooting outside of hunting season, gets you to the range to meet other like minded people, and in the end likely makes you a better overall shooter. Read up on it, try it out, and you will likely find it very enjoyable.
- Location
- Thunder Bay ON Canada
How many rounds a year is "the average hunter" going to shoot?
If you are absolutely only a hunter, and never do any target shooting with your rifle, then maybe not. If, on the other hand, you like to go out three or four times before the season and do a bit of practice, take your buddy and his gf out to shoot a "real gun" once and awhile... all told, if you shoot even as little as four or five boxes of shells a year, it might be worth it to reload.
25 dollars + tax will get you started reloading with a lee loader. You don't need a scale, or anything else to get started with the kit, everything you need is included, except powder, primers and bullets.
They aren't fast, buy you can deprime, size, prime, and load a hundred shells in an evening without breaking a sweat. I don't always reload a hundred shells, with a lee loader the 50th shell you load, isn't any faster or slower than the first shell you reload.
Takes me about three hours to save 75 dollars over the cheapest factory ammo. I'm a student, so paying myself 25 bucks an hour under the table is very much worth it, even with the lee loader probably being the slowest way to reload, but by far the cheapest.
It's how I started and I still use my lee loader for that particular rifle caliber a couple years later even though I've got a proper press and whatnot.
If you are absolutely only a hunter, and never do any target shooting with your rifle, then maybe not. If, on the other hand, you like to go out three or four times before the season and do a bit of practice, take your buddy and his gf out to shoot a "real gun" once and awhile... all told, if you shoot even as little as four or five boxes of shells a year, it might be worth it to reload.
25 dollars + tax will get you started reloading with a lee loader. You don't need a scale, or anything else to get started with the kit, everything you need is included, except powder, primers and bullets.
They aren't fast, buy you can deprime, size, prime, and load a hundred shells in an evening without breaking a sweat. I don't always reload a hundred shells, with a lee loader the 50th shell you load, isn't any faster or slower than the first shell you reload.
Takes me about three hours to save 75 dollars over the cheapest factory ammo. I'm a student, so paying myself 25 bucks an hour under the table is very much worth it, even with the lee loader probably being the slowest way to reload, but by far the cheapest.
It's how I started and I still use my lee loader for that particular rifle caliber a couple years later even though I've got a proper press and whatnot.
Time wise or money wise it is absolutely NOT worth reloading for the average hunter.Purchase some factory hunting ammunition that works well in your rifle and go hunting.
If you are an average hunter and an avid shooter as well there is nothing more rewarding than handloading.
In my hometown here in interior B.C. I am surrounded by "average hunters" who probably aren't even in possession of more than a half a box of "bullets or shells" that go into the "clip" of their gun.
These type of folks have to blow a quarter inch of dust off their rifle once a year to go huntin'. After huntin' season the rifle is put under the bed for another year never to be given another thought. I know folks who have maybe fired a box of ammo in their whole 30 years of hunting.
Mad Mikey.
If you are an average hunter and an avid shooter as well there is nothing more rewarding than handloading.
In my hometown here in interior B.C. I am surrounded by "average hunters" who probably aren't even in possession of more than a half a box of "bullets or shells" that go into the "clip" of their gun.
These type of folks have to blow a quarter inch of dust off their rifle once a year to go huntin'. After huntin' season the rifle is put under the bed for another year never to be given another thought. I know folks who have maybe fired a box of ammo in their whole 30 years of hunting. Mad Mikey.
The original question was very concise; for the average hunter, is reloading worth it? There was nothing about extra shooting, or anything else.
I have seen a great many average hunters, non reloaders in my time, people who get a moose, or deer, virtually every year. These hunters will almost never shoot a box of ammunition in a year. I would say a box of shells would last more like three years.
And please, don't write how they should practice, or keep their rifle sighted in, or anything else like that. I am just telling you what I know.
I have seen a great many average hunters, non reloaders in my time, people who get a moose, or deer, virtually every year. These hunters will almost never shoot a box of ammunition in a year. I would say a box of shells would last more like three years.
And please, don't write how they should practice, or keep their rifle sighted in, or anything else like that. I am just telling you what I know.
I'd agree with most of what's been said. As far as cost savings, if you shoot a box a year or less, probably not worth it. However I figure it is worth it because you get to have ammo tailored to your gun, with premium bullets, and generally components are more readily available then the specific factory ammo your gun liked last year but you can't find this year. Also the satisfaction of taking game with your own handloads.
So financially worth it, possibly, worth it in a greater sense, personally I feel it is.
So financially worth it, possibly, worth it in a greater sense, personally I feel it is.
It probably isn't worth it for the average hunter to reload, especially with some of the factory rounds available today. It takes a lot of effort to better factory. I think the average hunter would be better off spending the cash to buy more factory and spend a bit of extra time shooting in and practicing at the range (sorry H4831). Sure couldn't hurt.
I don't agree. Average or not, every hunter should be a reloader. Economics aside, it's the greatest way to learn the most you can about not only the intricacies of individual firearms, but how to set ballistics and accuracy goals then go about achieving them. We handloaders probably shoot at least 10X as much as the average hunter and probably own more calibers to boot - the neverending search for the best - and that no doubt makes us generally much better shooters than the one box every 2 year guys. If the "average" guy bought 10 boxes of say .338 premium ammo, he could have paid for all the stuff he needed to handload a bunch and shot a pile to boot. He'd wind up with ultimately better, custom formed ammo and be a lot more comfortable with his guns.
it depends on the gun as well- when i had just the savage 99, i didn't bother to reload- then i got m14 fever, found out that you could shoot an entire box without reloading,( you have to do that 4x with a "hunting" rifle) i got me a rcbs jr pretty quick- the standard load out was 4 mags with 1 in the gun- that's a hundred rounds at 20 bucks or better a pop- basically a hundred bucks- that was a day and half's wages at 7.50 an hour- this was back before soupy put mag restrictions on
Fred, you don't have to apologise to me, you are just reiterating what I said in each of my two posts.
But lets dig a little deeper. The vast majority of hunters do not belong to any organized club with shooting facilities. So, starting to reload means many trips to the range. What range? Some one might pipe up and say, "I just put a target up on my place." Good for you, but not many can do that.
I know a lot of hunters that I would term as average. Good, law abiding and ethical hunters, who usually get game every year. Not many of these people have ever shot at a range. The most they may do is when they get to, or near their hunting camp, is to pick out some stump, or such thing, rest the rifle over something and take a shot at it. If they hit it, they will say, "That's good enough," and go hunting.
These people have absolutely no interest in shooting. Their rifle is just a tool. I have often hunted with a retired biologist. He gets a deer every year, with the same rifle, since I knew him, and maybe even for his entire hunting carrear. He has absolutely no interest in rifles or shooting. I will guess that he buys a box of ammunition about every eight years.
These are the average hunters I know, and it would be rediculous to tell them to reload, to save money.
But lets dig a little deeper. The vast majority of hunters do not belong to any organized club with shooting facilities. So, starting to reload means many trips to the range. What range? Some one might pipe up and say, "I just put a target up on my place." Good for you, but not many can do that.
I know a lot of hunters that I would term as average. Good, law abiding and ethical hunters, who usually get game every year. Not many of these people have ever shot at a range. The most they may do is when they get to, or near their hunting camp, is to pick out some stump, or such thing, rest the rifle over something and take a shot at it. If they hit it, they will say, "That's good enough," and go hunting.
These people have absolutely no interest in shooting. Their rifle is just a tool. I have often hunted with a retired biologist. He gets a deer every year, with the same rifle, since I knew him, and maybe even for his entire hunting carrear. He has absolutely no interest in rifles or shooting. I will guess that he buys a box of ammunition about every eight years.
These are the average hunters I know, and it would be rediculous to tell them to reload, to save money.
JohnC
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
if you want to practrice a lot more, reloading is essential. Also if you want light loads for practice or to introduce youngsters or recoil-sensitive people to shooting, or if you want to extend the capabilities of your firearm (such as anything in 45:70 caliber) or shoot Grampa's gun in an obsolete or hard-to find caliber.
but if all you shoot is a box or two a year and are comfortable with it, then it's probably not worth reloading
but if all you shoot is a box or two a year and are comfortable with it, then it's probably not worth reloading
Let me disagree. Any hunter must shoot his rifle with a new ammunition he/she bought to know where it shoots. So trips to range is a must. Once a year, at least.
All factory ammunitions are made for the best performance on particular distances. For big game calibers it's 200-300 yards or so. What if I shoot in the thick bush? The bullet will not perform/expand as it suppose (read as you paid) on this shooting distance. We can reload making bullet perform on 50-80 yards with the best performance. It means we save time and money dropping game on the shooting site. I mean reloading for average hunter do save money.
Good Luck.
I'm sure it is possible to hunt ethically without handloading. It might not have been true at one time, but as I said before there are good factory loads available today with premium bullets that suit every need. I guess it really boils down to how much preparation one has to do in order to hunt effectively and ethically, and what the preparation should be. I don't go out hunting much anymore, but I hunted off and on for years with guys that go out and shoot in at the range they are going to hunt at and that's all the preparation they do. Providing the rifle shoots correctly, of course. In fact, I still load for one of them. These guys are generally good, responsible hunters. They don't injure game and they are well able to stay within their own capabilities. I'm sure it's true that handloaders generally will shoot more, and they may even know more about loading. But I know handloading isn't necessary to ensure ethical or effective hunting. I've also seen some god awful messes from handloaders. Personally I have handloaded for hunting game for over 30 years, but I do it primarily because I get more satisfaction from doing it that way. I've met all sorts of guys over the years who don't handload and know more and hunt better than I ever will. Different strokes really...just my $0.02 worth.
And yet you did ,4831
I am not sure that a round built for deer will perform better at 80 yds than a factory round designed for 200.
There have been times in my past when I have forgotten the loads I had so painstakingly prepared, only to have to shoot "factorys" when I arrived for the hunt. Those bullets still dropped game. Good expansion, penetration, and weight retention. (I like to find the bullets for examination). Even when having expanded "early" and "left the building" on short ranges, the wound tract left no doubt as to the performance of the factory round.
My father has hunted for over close to 60 years. Every year, he sets up a target at 50 yards in the local gravel pit, fires 1 round for zero. "No sense firing 3, cuz it only takes one shot to kill the deer and the barrel will be cold when I shoot the deer anyway." Hunts the same spot every year, I think he knows the names of the trees and rocks there, never chases a deer more than 50 yds. There are lots more just like him.
We must always get the whole picture before adding your $.02. I try to read all the posts and then re-read those I want to respond to. Saves a lot of duplication and re-iteration of good info. For those new at this, I suggest you slow down, think, then respond. As my uncle used to tell me as a kid, brain in gear before mouth. Know the situation, know your facts, expound your theories.
Actually not worth reading. But I am responding in agreement.
I am not sure that a round built for deer will perform better at 80 yds than a factory round designed for 200.
There have been times in my past when I have forgotten the loads I had so painstakingly prepared, only to have to shoot "factorys" when I arrived for the hunt. Those bullets still dropped game. Good expansion, penetration, and weight retention. (I like to find the bullets for examination). Even when having expanded "early" and "left the building" on short ranges, the wound tract left no doubt as to the performance of the factory round.
My father has hunted for over close to 60 years. Every year, he sets up a target at 50 yards in the local gravel pit, fires 1 round for zero. "No sense firing 3, cuz it only takes one shot to kill the deer and the barrel will be cold when I shoot the deer anyway." Hunts the same spot every year, I think he knows the names of the trees and rocks there, never chases a deer more than 50 yds. There are lots more just like him.
We must always get the whole picture before adding your $.02. I try to read all the posts and then re-read those I want to respond to. Saves a lot of duplication and re-iteration of good info. For those new at this, I suggest you slow down, think, then respond. As my uncle used to tell me as a kid, brain in gear before mouth. Know the situation, know your facts, expound your theories.
