When it comes to the cost benefit of reloading common calibers, I have been and remain a devout skeptic. Nevertheless, I have yet to meet anyone who, having taken up the dark art of reloading, regretted it. This includes yours truly. To enhance both your enjoyment and understanding of your sport,,reload!
Negatives to reloading ammo?
- Thread starter rtracer13
- Start date
#1 reason to reload...
Most factory ammo is way under-powered.
I am guessing frivolous lawsuits and lawyers are too blame.
Most factory magnum ammo is so weak it is almost as same as regular ammo....7mm Remington Mag vs. .280 for example or 10mm auto vs. 40 S&W.
If you don't believe me take a chronograph out to the range...what you see may surprise you!!!
Most factory ammo is way under-powered.
I am guessing frivolous lawsuits and lawyers are too blame.
Most factory magnum ammo is so weak it is almost as same as regular ammo....7mm Remington Mag vs. .280 for example or 10mm auto vs. 40 S&W.
If you don't believe me take a chronograph out to the range...what you see may surprise you!!!
OP - Thanks for posting this thread, this has been something ive been thinking alot lately.
To those that reload their own ammo, do any of you reload 9mm ? After reading this thread it appears more of you reload rifle / shotgun caliber then handgun.. or am I way off?
To those that reload their own ammo, do any of you reload 9mm ? After reading this thread it appears more of you reload rifle / shotgun caliber then handgun.. or am I way off?
i have reloaded most of all pistol and rifle shells and dont regret one thing. with the cost of ammo these days and the future not looking that bright the only way to keep shooting is to reload. my reloads are far more accurate than factory as my ar15 has proven that. when reloading always use COMMON SENSE.
- Location
- Southern Alberta
Don't do it!!
The fewer people that reload will mean more componants for us who do! Until the day that there are none of us left and the companies stop making them...
Great hobby, cheaper than store bought, possible to get more accuracy and will help put meat in the freezer. How many sports or past times do we have that can pay off with food in the end?
The fewer people that reload will mean more componants for us who do! Until the day that there are none of us left and the companies stop making them...
Great hobby, cheaper than store bought, possible to get more accuracy and will help put meat in the freezer. How many sports or past times do we have that can pay off with food in the end?
BrotherRockeye
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Rural Saskatchewan
my only negative is finding supplies...not many options here in Sk.
one of the most satisfying things for me is "building" rounds for an iron chambered in an obsolete caliber...wonder how many folks touched of a few .450 Adams rounds after supper tonight?
one of the most satisfying things for me is "building" rounds for an iron chambered in an obsolete caliber...wonder how many folks touched of a few .450 Adams rounds after supper tonight?
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Your pal might have a point about sticky handloads. Experienced handloaders can get into trouble when they load for someone else. Their dies tend to be locked into place so the brass is resized the same amount each time so it cycles reliably through their rifle, and so they don't have to take the time to properly adjust the die each time they resize. The trouble occurs when they load for another rifle which has a tighter chamber, and the ammo doesn't cycle properly. I always set up my dies prior to resizing a batch of brass, rather than returning to a previous setting, and I don't even keep the set screws in the lock rings. My hunting rifle ammo is usually made to minimum dimensions, because I demand absolute reliability before any other consideration, including case life, and because occasionally my handloads end up being used in more than one rifle, sometimes in one I don't own.
When loading for someone else, you can start with new brass and this should resolve any issues with cycling through tight chambers. But remember that despite promises of returning fired brass, they probably won't, so you might not want to give them brand new brass, and better yet insist that they supply any brass they want loaded. When loading for the other guy with used brass, it is important to ensure that the shell holder is the correct one for the die set. Choose the wrong number, and even if the brass fits in the shell holder, the shell holder might be too thick to allow the brass to fully resize.
Twice I've given .30/06 handloads to other people where there have been complaints about cycling; once through a Remington 760 pump and again with a Tikka T-3. I gave the guy with the Remington, ammo I had previously loaded and checked through my rifle, but when he tried it the bolt of his pump wouldn't lock into battery. Running it though a Redding .308 body die set to very slightly nudge back the died shoulder resolved the problem. A year or so ago I donated some .30/06 ammo that was loaded with 180 gr XLCs to a friend of a friend with a Tikka T-3. I had cycled this ammo successfully through my wife's rifle (it was going to be her bear load) but I had since switched to TSXs for her, so the loads were put aside for practice ammo. The guy with the T-3 said it wouldn't cycle and returned the ammo. I did the .308 body die trick to minimize the case dimensions and again he said it wouldn't cycle! I called BS and said I wanted to see the rifle. He sent the rifle and the ammo and it fed like butter, so to this day I don't know what his issue was or if he even tried the ammo after I tweaked it.
When loading for someone else, you can start with new brass and this should resolve any issues with cycling through tight chambers. But remember that despite promises of returning fired brass, they probably won't, so you might not want to give them brand new brass, and better yet insist that they supply any brass they want loaded. When loading for the other guy with used brass, it is important to ensure that the shell holder is the correct one for the die set. Choose the wrong number, and even if the brass fits in the shell holder, the shell holder might be too thick to allow the brass to fully resize.
Twice I've given .30/06 handloads to other people where there have been complaints about cycling; once through a Remington 760 pump and again with a Tikka T-3. I gave the guy with the Remington, ammo I had previously loaded and checked through my rifle, but when he tried it the bolt of his pump wouldn't lock into battery. Running it though a Redding .308 body die set to very slightly nudge back the died shoulder resolved the problem. A year or so ago I donated some .30/06 ammo that was loaded with 180 gr XLCs to a friend of a friend with a Tikka T-3. I had cycled this ammo successfully through my wife's rifle (it was going to be her bear load) but I had since switched to TSXs for her, so the loads were put aside for practice ammo. The guy with the T-3 said it wouldn't cycle and returned the ammo. I did the .308 body die trick to minimize the case dimensions and again he said it wouldn't cycle! I called BS and said I wanted to see the rifle. He sent the rifle and the ammo and it fed like butter, so to this day I don't know what his issue was or if he even tried the ammo after I tweaked it.
MuleyMadness
Regular
- Location
- Kamloops, BC
Hey all,
I've been slowly considering reloading my own ammo cartridges and purchasing a kit (probably the RCBS Master kit, but still under decision) and had heard from someone that for hunting reloaded ammo wasn't a good idea, because it is more likely to jam from the casing being stretched from the process. I had never heard this before, and was wondering if there was any truth to it.
Also, are there any other negatives to reloading other than it takes more time than buying a box?
There is a very VERY simple solution to that, as it is possible it can happen...I only use new brass as my hunting brass, period. I will reload my other brass until it can't take any more firings, but for hunting I don't want to have to worry about it, so I just use virgin brass. I mean even if you're king hunter your probably not talking about more then 5 or 6 shots at big game animals a year (unless you miss a lot
) so it's not as though it's going to cost you a whole pile of brass, money, or worry. Also I find that I can hand load premium bullets such as Barnes, Accubond, and Partitions for about HALF the price (this is with new brass) of what a box is costing me at the store, that plus the fact I get the perfect OAL for my rifle, and can generally get 1/2 MOA accuracy with a little work makes it win win. As long as time permits you to work up a load properly, I can't think of a single reason to NOT try it out.
i would find shooting rather boring if i didn't reload. i would probably only shoot 30 06 or 300 wm. over the years i have shot ackleys, wildcats semi obsolete calibres that would cost a fortune to buy if it was avalable. reloading makes it possible to shoot all those obscure fun calibres that would be avoided if you had to track down factory ammo. the only down side i can see is the cost of componates that you stock away. dies and brass for rifles you don't own. pound and pounds of differnt powder to test to find the perfect load. shelves full of different bullets. the upside is to take a game animal with your hand crafted loads. there is a lot of satisfaction to find the one perfect load in a rifle that appears not to want to shoot. plus in the winter when you can't hunt or shoot you can prep batches of brass and get ready for spring. thus the cycle of reloading begins again.
You have received alot of good advice from reloaders. I'll add one comment because you are new to reloading. Dont cycle reloaded cartridges through your rifle unless you have removed the firingpin or are at a range and of course the rifle is facing downrange. Welcome to reloading.
"...any of you reload 9mm..." Piece of cake. Use carbide dies. Speed comes with technique if you're using a single stage press.
"...Some people use new brass as is..." They shouldn't. New brass needs to be FL resized, checked for length and, for rifle cases, have the mouths chamfered and deburred.
The worst thing about reloading is you'll stop searching for the best price for ammo and start searching for the best price for components. The plethora of bullet types can confuse an FNG too.
"...Some people use new brass as is..." They shouldn't. New brass needs to be FL resized, checked for length and, for rifle cases, have the mouths chamfered and deburred.
The worst thing about reloading is you'll stop searching for the best price for ammo and start searching for the best price for components. The plethora of bullet types can confuse an FNG too.
