Handloading Ammunition
I started handloading about 15 years ago when I couldnt ever consistently find the same kind of ammunition from year to year for my rifle at the local wal mart. Seems every year I was having to resight my scope for a different brand of ammo or same brand but different grain bullet and it got very aggravating! Of course now there is a much bigger variety and wider selection of factory ammo for rifles with premium bullet choices but for someone like me who likes to hunt and shoot alot it can get very expensive quick!
For myself there are several advantages to handloading and #1 is cost.For a person who shoots standard cartridges like the .308 , 30.06 , .243 etc , they may not notice a big savings on handloading but for the ones that shoots a magnum rifle like myself I believe that you can handload your ammo for almost half the cost. Example you can pick up a 1lb can of smokeless powder for around $22.00. Bullets vary in price depending on what you select but the sierra gamekings I use run about $25.00 for 100 and about $4.00 for 100 primers. Im not sure how much brass runs on cost because I have never had to buy any I kept all mine from factory loads I have shot and have gotten some from the other guys I know who shoot the same cartridge as me but don’t handload. If you do have to purchase some brass though as long as you don’t try to load your loads to hot, (which is dangerous and shouldnt be done anyway), you will get several loadings out of it and shouldn’t have to purchase it that often.
I shoot a 7mm magnum and the cheapest factory ammo I have found for it is $20.00 for a box of 20. For the premium ammo that uses the premium bullets like the Nosler Ballistic Tip or the Sierra Boattail Gamekings like I use in my handloads are around $40.00 for a box of 20! For $51.00 I can reload 100 rounds of the load I shoot! Now even with the cheapest factory ammo its saving over half the cost but a huge saving over the premium stuff!
Now for the guys who shoot standard cartridges who may not see as much difference in cost there are other advantages also. It means you can be assured you are always gonna get to shoot the same load and not have to hope they have some of what you shoot down at the local wal mart or sporting good store. You can experiment with different loads and tune a load to your gun and get greater accuracy. Believe me when you have 3 bullet holes touching each other at 100 yards from loads you handloaded yourself you feel pretty good. Also its pretty rewarding and satisfying when you take a animal with your own custom load you created and tuned! And its FUN!
Now I wont suggest that a guy who shoots his rifle 10 times a year to get it sighted in and take a deer with it start handloading because it will be of little advantage to him and it costs a little bit at first to get set up. But for someone who likes to shoot and hunt alot its fun and rewarding. Also you can get as technical about it as you want (digital scales, electronic powder dispensers,etc ) but me I just like to keep it simple! My loading setup includes a RCBS press, redding beam type powder scale, powder measure, and a case trimmer mounted on a work table I built myself. You can get a loading setup like the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master Reloading Kit
Another useful tool in reloading that comes in handy but is not a necessity is a chronograph. I handloaded for years without one just going on what the books say about the ballistics and velocity of different loads. Couple of years ago my dad got us a Beta Chrony for measuring the velocity of our handloads
Like I said before if you shoot alot you will enjoy it but if you don’t it will be more trouble than its worth. But who knows the way the government is now days with all the gun laws and crap they are tryin to pass we may not be able to just go down to wal mart and get a box of ammo so that alone may be worth gettin started handloading!