Reloading for the more expensive rifle cartridges is where you can really save money on a per shot basis. Grab a 500 box of 300 grain SMKs and a keg of powder from Higginson's and by those are gone it would be one heck of a loading setup that wasnt paid for a few times over. Saving somewhere between 40 and 140 bucks per box will do that, and if you were to multiply that across the 25 boxes in that 500 box it adds up. To an enthusiast 500 rounds is SFA. Its a great theory anyway.
The trouble with that line of reasoning is I dont even know anyone who asked for 25 boxes of Lapua ammo and got it, or anyone who sold it. I wonder how many well stocked dealers you'd clean out trying? The bottom is that people shoot any meaningful amount of the expensive flavors hand load, and still spend a lot more than they ever would have the other way. Volume will eat up the savings. There's no sense comparing apples to easter bunnies.
If you really want more money in your jeans; shoot less or shoot something else. Wheres the fun in that?
My stepson bought 2 ten count boxes/cases of ammo for his 338 Ultra Mag. The dealer gave him a "DEAL" at $1500, taxes in, per case. Needless to say I just about fell over. I'm getting long in the tooth and $150+ for a box of 20 is like putting a knife in my chest. My wife is married to a CHEAP BASTURD.
He likes to shoot and went through his 400 rounds between the spring and fall of the first few months he had the rifle. He's also a sucker for punishment.
Thankfully he saved all of his empty cases, other than three he used to shoot an Elk and a Moose.
He noticed his rifle wasn't nearly as accurate as it had been. It was a wake up call for him to clean the rifle PROPERLY as he had been taught. Still, accuracy could be better. The throat had been pushed forward about .075 inches over 400 rounds. Not being a magnum fan, I was surprised but it didn't take much to figure out the wear rate.
I loaded up his 20 boxes of empties with 250 grain Speer, flat base, spire points. I went to those bullets because that's what his rifle liked.
No, I'm not that adventurous. I cheated with a Lead Sled.
Once I determined a load that would work, I measured the throat wear again. It was a very consistent .004in per box. I loaded each box with an added .004 to overall length from the previous box. That gave him a .020in jump from the case to the leade. This was good because it meant the necks held the fireformed cases true to the axis of the bore.
The rifle has retained it's accuracy of an average 1moa if the shooter does their part.
FLINCH is a bigger issue than my stepson will admit to. I've watched him flinch and even close his eyes on the bench, which is the worst place to feel recoil.
One thing I've noticed with these huge, overbore cartridges, they need to be re annealed between every loading. The cases get very hard to form every time they're fired. This is of course IMHO.
When I gave my stepson the cost of reloading his ammo, including working out the accuracy loads he was shocked. I had an old RCBS press sitting on a shelf that was purpose built for reloading 50BMG. It was perfect for his needs, which now include 300 Ultramag and 338 Lapua. He's still a bit reluctant to reload on his own. For some reason he believes there is some sort of magic involved. Still, at $1200 per ten boxes savings, he doesn't complain.
TURF THE LIBERALS IN 2019
Liberals really like POOR people, they're making more of them every day
If you can't bring yourself to vote CPC, stay at home in protest
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