What % of hunters hand-load?
- Thread starter Duffy
- Start date
I feel I must take exception to your statement. When I was 16, I bought my first rifle. An old 303Br. Bullets were almost $10 a box, or in my world, 5 pair of rabbits. I did not shoot it much, but it did get me a deer that year (prior to that my deer were taken with a single shot 410 or 20 ga shotgun). When I was 17, I saw a "reloading" kit at a flea market for $8. I was intrigued. Talked to the guy for a bit and got it for $6. I still have that Lee Loader. Had to wait for almost a month before I had gotten bullets, powder, primers. Now, with a Lee Loader and no experience, choices are narrow for powder/bullet combinations, ESP when only one place had reloading supplies. I loaded and shot those for years. No refining the load, no testing for length, nothing. Just load, shoot more often, score better on deer. While I had problems with it, they were worked out and I used that method for years, eventually getting more equipment, components, and weapons until, today, I reload everything i use for game, including both of my first shotguns. I do not reload for 12ga field/skeet/trap since they are too cheap. I do, however, load my own buckshot.
even today, I don't target shoot however, I load all my own stuff and shoot far more than another "hunter" would. I'll find a load I want for my rifle, make a hundred, shoot them all before the season starts so that I know where that rifle is putting bullets, make another hundred for hunting and next year for practice. I could probably get 3 years out of the 200 rounds, but I make sure that I have a hundred a year. Do most hunters? Nope. My father would never shoot more than 3 rounds a year. Two to check the sights, one to shoot the deer (granted, the shots are less than 50yds, over a bait pile, but still, a box of factories last him 6 or 7 years.
Don't get crazy. There are more than one reason for reloading. Some do it simply to be self reliant.
I pretty much reload everything. Calibers like .30-30 don't make it to my bench as I can buy them to cheap to bother. Now, loading my .338 RUM, that is strictly handloading as ammo is stupid expensive and Remington left some change on the table with their loads for that one as it can be done much better at home.
I reload everything, including my trap loads as I shoot a 28 gauge. My centerfire rifles I sometimes buy a box or two of factory ammo for the brass if I can't find new brass but it is too expensive that way to do it all the time. I shoot a lot and probably 4-5000 bullets down range in any given year. Make sense to save a few pennies and be a better shot.
30-30 is one that I do load for, mostly because of bullet selection than cost....I load Partitions and Starfires..They seem to make less of a mess than does the thin jacket factory stuff....
Not factory, but I do with military stuff. Still have a few thousand rounds of 223, 308, and 30-06 I havn't touched yet..
I bought a 5 boxes of .270 Weatherby to pull down for the brass awhile back. My rifle doesn't like that load, but it was cheaper to buy the Weatherby factory ammo than the brass. I could've plinked them off offhand, but that would have taken all day to keep it cold. Also, why waste one shot on the barrel and one shot on the brass to shoot a load I didn't like?
257Roberts
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Peterborough ON
Out of the 12 hunters at our camp this year, I am the only re-loader in the group.
That should account for some sort of average.
David
All the time. All of my x39mm hunting rounds are Mexican matched on non-corrosive mil surp ammo. Pull the bullet, adjust the powder charge, seat appropriate hunting bullet (mostly 150gn, but this year I used 180gn for a nice, close range game getter). Much improved reliability and performance from the 150's, but, alas, no chance to use the 180's this year.
I, too, load pointed stuff for my .30-30. Better down-range performance. Takes the rifle into a whole different class.
I handload. .219 Zipper can't be bought anymore. 38-40 is difficult to find, but .40 cal pistol bullets work just fine for plinking (I have the cor-bon tool for putting cannelures on) .257 Weatherby is EXPENSIVE (for this cheap farm boy anyhow). .348 Winchester is kinda pricey if you can find it ($78 Wholesale Sports in Saskatoon last fall).
30-30, 6.5x55, and .303 British are easy to find in the stores, but it is way cheaper to reload for these as well. I already have the brass, so it's just the components that cost me money.
And I cast for .30, 303, 348, 40 (38-40) and my muzzleloaders.
2 years ago a buddy showed up with his friend to sight in some rifles. The friends 5 year old son was tagging along, but bored. I had a box of about 45 rounds of 30-30 loaded with unique and a lead bullet. Kicks like a .22/ sounds like a .22. I showed the kid how to load the gun 1 at a time, and after 1/2 the box was gone he had figured out there was a loading gate, so I showed him how it worked. Kid had a blast! He got to shoot a grownup gun and will hopefully remember this for a long time.
That box of ammo only cost me about $5 in components. It doesn't cost much more to load for hunting ammo, whether I use store bought bullets, or cast up some lead bullets. It's all about saving money so I can spend it on another gun and have the process repeat itself.
It is kinda nice when a couple of guns shoot the same caliber ie: .308/.30-06 saves on inventory for bullets. sometimes
30-30, 6.5x55, and .303 British are easy to find in the stores, but it is way cheaper to reload for these as well. I already have the brass, so it's just the components that cost me money.
And I cast for .30, 303, 348, 40 (38-40) and my muzzleloaders.
2 years ago a buddy showed up with his friend to sight in some rifles. The friends 5 year old son was tagging along, but bored. I had a box of about 45 rounds of 30-30 loaded with unique and a lead bullet. Kicks like a .22/ sounds like a .22. I showed the kid how to load the gun 1 at a time, and after 1/2 the box was gone he had figured out there was a loading gate, so I showed him how it worked. Kid had a blast! He got to shoot a grownup gun and will hopefully remember this for a long time.
That box of ammo only cost me about $5 in components. It doesn't cost much more to load for hunting ammo, whether I use store bought bullets, or cast up some lead bullets. It's all about saving money so I can spend it on another gun and have the process repeat itself.
It is kinda nice when a couple of guns shoot the same caliber ie: .308/.30-06 saves on inventory for bullets. sometimes
I haven't bought factory ammo in over a decade. Only shot one deer with the stuff, then I started to handload. Now I cast for just about every calibre I own, and I even alter brass in my mini-lathe for obscure calibres like my 9.3 x 64mm Brenneke.
That was my situation for a long time up home.I used to load many,many boxes of ammo for all sorts of guys that appreciated the cost savings and custom loads that I was more than happy to produce for them.For me being a more than avid devotee of handloading this was a great experience and it sure kept me hopping at times cause some of those guys rattled off the rounds big-time.It was great.Just load for myself and my own family now but we have enough guns of different calibers to keep me happy.Honestly,I can't remember the last time I bought factory rounds besides the odd box of .22 shells.
