This is exactly the point I was trying to make. One perfect batch of bughole producing ammo and you'll be much less concerned with pinching every penny for your loads.
40-80rd visits with rifles - start on a single stage, learn the craft and enjoy the superior results.
Bughole producing ammo????? Maybe??? If all the stars are aligned and the moon is in its first phase for 7 hours, 7 minutes and 7 seconds.
This sort of group isn't impossible by any means but it can be extremely elusive, even for hand loaders.
First the shooter has to be capable of the proper techniques required to shoot such groups, next the firearm has to be capable of shooting such groups consistently. Next the best ammo recipe and components need to be assembled in the manner the rifle will digest and shoot in a consistent manner at known ranges.
To get all of this together reliably and repeatably at any given time can often be challenging.
Here's where the problems come in. Some firearms, no matter how expensive or high quality its components are, will not consistently and reliably shoot well. Same goes for some shooters.
Then there is the very odd firearm that will digest and shoot any cartridge designed to fit its chamber well and put it into the "bughole" group mentioned. Those are also extremely elusive. Maybe one out of a few hundred. That being said, the commercial firearms being assembled lately, as in the last decade, have been some of the best I've personally seen. In many cases a skilled gunsmith is hard pressed to equal their performance.
Now for the meat and potatoes.
Just going out an purchasing a hand loading press requires that you do some due diligence if you want to produce ammo that will shoot well. Shooting well relies on several factors coming together. First you need to know the twist rate of the bore if its a rifle, not so important if it's a handgun. Bullet length should be optimal for the twist rate. The longer the bullet the tighter the twist rate should be to stabilize it etc.
Next, what is the bullet going to be used for? Does it need to be constructed with light jackets to punch holes in paper?? Heavy jackets with expanding noses for hunting? If shooting cast lead, there are other factors again.
Now, you need to get a press that is square to the axis of its mandrel. This means that the die seat needs to be centered exactly over the center of the mandrel and the mandrel has to be able to run all the way up without run out. Yes there is a bit of play in the shell head holder. The thing is, some of us make our own shell head holders so there is little if any play. That play is designed into the shell head holder on purpose to help smooth out the misalignment of the rest of the components.
YOU have to decide which level of accuracy is acceptable for your purposes. Many of the premium bullets made today are of excellent quality and will perform reliably out past ranges most of us are capable of consistently hitting our intended targets. The thing is, they are incapable of one hole groups at any range for several different reasons. They will however perform well within acceptable parameters of accuracy to cleanly take the animals we pursue.
If you require pinpoint accuracy then you need to make sure all of the components, including yourself, are up to the standard.
If you are looking for acceptable accuracy for hunting/plinking then just about any of the modern presses are fine. Same goes for dies, which you will have to decide which type suits your needs best.
Don't forget about cast lead bullets either. They are every bit as viable as jacketed bullets if you do your homework again. Just another learning curve.
Lots of hype out there on powder/primers/cases etc. Most of it is in the beholder's head but not always. Again, it depends on your specific needs and to the degree you are anal about accuracy, which can be a very expensive addiction.
Most commercial ammunition sold today is acceptably accurate for hunting requirements, unless of course you plan to shoot beyond 300 meters.
Can you save money by handloading???? Darn right you can. The trick is not to compare apples to doughnuts. In every case where all of the components are equal or identical then hand loads can be assembled substantially cheaper than purchasing commercially loaded ammo. Also, you can save a lot of cash by purchasing components in bulk quantities. Some people like group buys.
The other thing about hand loads is that when you find the magic formula for your particular firearm, you can continue to assemble components to that standard. Commercial cartridges often will change bullets/powder/primers/cases to keep costs down but still deliver similar though not identical performance.
Purchasing large lots of components will go a long way to establishing consistency. Every time you change ANY of the components, even from lot to lot, there can be dramatic changes that will have to be worked out again. This means your costs go up again just to get back to where you were while developing a new recipe, which, if you only have small lots of components will mean this is a regular chore.
This is just the beginning of handloading. Hope it helps a bit.
