Just seeing if anyone else has gotten bitten by the shooting bug around here like I have. I just started hand loading over the summer for my Remington 700 in 300 Win Mag. Just bug bite me when I realized what a difference after market parts could make. I replaced the trigger with a Timney and the difference was night and day. Now I am looking to get into NRA High Power shooting. Thinking of building a tube gun with the help of my father as my law school graduation gift next year. Anyone else do any serious shooting? Right now I do it all. Rifle, shotgun and hand gun.
Anyone hand load or shoot rifle competition?
- Thread starter JonnyAngel
- Start date
I have been reloading for about 25 years or so. I find it very relaxing to sit and crank out a couple of hundred rounds. Right now I am only doing 9mm, .45 and .40 S&W. In the past I have done 30-30 and 30-06. Have used a progressive press in the past, but I like the turrent and single stage best.
Not doing any competitive shooting right now, but have been thinking about it.
Not doing any competitive shooting right now, but have been thinking about it.
I only just got into firearms/hunting these past few months and hope to get into handloading in the near future. however, I wouldn't even know where to start. I have a Browning A-Bolt .270 win but have read that factory ammo shoots fairly well for this cartridge which seems to make handloading redundant. I'm mainly looking at the cost factor. what equipment and supplies does one need to start handloading?
- Thread starter
- #4
First off, great gun and great caliber, however I disagree on that it would be redundant. You can reload for many reasons. Cost is number one, but there are many others including; tailored loads and versatility. By versatility I mean the available bullets and weights for a given caliber. Go on Midwayusa.com and compare 270 bullets for reloading vs. factory ammo.
To start you at least need a press, dies, scale and priming tool. I know RCBS has a reloading kit for around $300 to start. Equipment can get very pricey and specialized, but it depends on what kinda ammo you want to turn out. Hunting ammo vs. competitive ammo. Even with match ammo there are different standards, i.e. benchrest vs. prone shooting.
Best reference site on the web is www.6mmbr.com for all things rifle.
One of our hunting buddies handloads, I've been very impressed with how well you can tailor your loads for conditions/gun/hunting type. Been thinking about doing it myself as a way to reduce cost of the copper rounds I'm shooting currently ($46 a box for .308 copper rounds!!) As well as being able to tailor the rounds to better suit my shooting. However for me the biggest factor is time. Reloading isn't too bad but actually taking some days to go out and shoot all those rounds and figure out what I like the best. With two little kids a house and a full time job it just aint happening for a while.
I'd agree with the .270 rounds too, you can improve drastically on factory loads if you so please.
I'd agree with the .270 rounds too, you can improve drastically on factory loads if you so please.
- Thread starter
- #6
I got a buddy that uses 308 for hunting and I am trying to get him to use the Barnes Tipped in a 150 gr. for big game hunting. I use a 300 win mag and the throat in my remington is so long that I need to use 190 gr+ to load to the lands. Factory max is 3.340 and I load my 200 gr Partitions to 3.575 to get them .01 off the lands. The difference is amazing!
I've been a regular shooter for 30 years-now mostly handguns. Did shoot trap and some rifle in the past but rotator cuff surgery has limited my long gun use. I reloaded for years and found it very rewarding. You can work up loads to maximize accuracy for a given gun (it is surprising how to examples of the same gun will favor different loads), maximizing energy or most fun finding the sweet spot of max power and accuracy. I collect older handguns and found reloading a way to enjoy guns for which ammo is hard to find or available in only one load commercially (eg 38 S+W,not special). If you don't consider your time as a cost, it saves money. You can start a variety of ways-RCBS, Lees loaders, progressive, multistage, simple hand etc. Best is to talk to some folks who reload and check out the different companies and methods, get some good reloading manuals. There is always U tube also. Reloading adds a new horizon to shooting if you have the time and interest. Start with one caliber and with straight forward reloading techniques and go from there. Good luck and welcome to the shooter's brotherhood. Don't forget to join the NRA! Every member adds political clout to protect your 2nd amendment rights.
Yea, currently I use Federal copper rounds, that use the Barnes bullet. They do seem to fly a bit farther then traditional lead rounds and seem to have a little less lethality, but a cleaner kill if shot well. Which is the reason I'm using them. After getting 3 deer this year (one a very nice buck) I'm not going to complain too much. One thing though at about $2 a shot I'm much more sure that I'm within range and taking a very sure shot before I do, then before when I shot lead and they were significantly cheaper. No more of those 500+ yd hail mary shots.
My son and I load varous pistol rounds. The only rifle ammo we reload is 30.06 for an M-1 Garand.
Used to shoot .45 bullseye competition but no longer anything formal.
Used to shoot .45 bullseye competition but no longer anything formal.
I've been reloading going on 12 years. Pistol calibers only.
223
243
6mm BR
308
303 Brit
30-06
7.62x54R
38 Special
243
6mm BR
308
303 Brit
30-06
7.62x54R
38 Special
If you are going to reload to save money, better forget about it! Like shaving, the amount of 'new' stuff you will want is staggering. I started reloading in the early 60s and still do some on occasion, for 36 calibers at last check. From 22 Hornet to 43 Spanish and Mauser. So I have seen the product lines change over the years. But, reloading is relaxing, at least to me and you can develop loads for a particular need, although factory loads nowadays are hard to beat.
However, if you are interested, peruse Graf & Sons and MidwayUSA websites for an idea of how much everything is going to cost. Me, I get a dealer price from both because I have a C&R FFL, which costs $30 for three years. If I do not save that much in a single order I am very surprised.
For basic reloading you will need a press, powder measure and scale, although the measure can be ignored if you are reloading rifle, and the all important dies, one for each caliber. I would recommend a Lee turret press, simply because it iis a bit easier to use than unscrewing one die and inserting another in a conventional press. Lee equipment has always worked for me. Their customer service is great and the price is right.
For the real bottom feeders, Lee used to make a kit which sold for $10 or so and still can be found on E-bay. It necksized the brass, so you can only use them in one firearm, but they included a powder dipper and primer seater. To decap the old primer you put the case, in the die, in a special holder, inserted a rod down the case and whacked it with a hammer. Not fancy but it worked. Sorry I can't remember the name.
Then when the reloading bug hits you you can begin casting your own bullets, which I do also. There is no end to what this hobby has in store.
However, if you are interested, peruse Graf & Sons and MidwayUSA websites for an idea of how much everything is going to cost. Me, I get a dealer price from both because I have a C&R FFL, which costs $30 for three years. If I do not save that much in a single order I am very surprised.
For basic reloading you will need a press, powder measure and scale, although the measure can be ignored if you are reloading rifle, and the all important dies, one for each caliber. I would recommend a Lee turret press, simply because it iis a bit easier to use than unscrewing one die and inserting another in a conventional press. Lee equipment has always worked for me. Their customer service is great and the price is right.
For the real bottom feeders, Lee used to make a kit which sold for $10 or so and still can be found on E-bay. It necksized the brass, so you can only use them in one firearm, but they included a powder dipper and primer seater. To decap the old primer you put the case, in the die, in a special holder, inserted a rod down the case and whacked it with a hammer. Not fancy but it worked. Sorry I can't remember the name.
Then when the reloading bug hits you you can begin casting your own bullets, which I do also. There is no end to what this hobby has in store.
I have been reloading since 1963. I currently have dies for 24 calibers, and molds for casting bullets for many of them.
One caliber, the 41 Swiss or 10.4x38R, is actually an old rimfire cartridge for which no commercial ammo or brass is available. I did a simple conversion on the rifle, a Swiss Vetterli, model of 1871 to centerfire and make brass from either 348 Winchester or 8mm Lebel (old French military), load cast bullets and shoot. Another is a fairly new cartridge for the AR15 family, the 6.5 Grendel. Commercial ammo and brass is available, but a far more economical solution is to make brass by necking down 7.62X39 brass( the Russian AK 47 round) to 6.5mm, load and shoot to fireform to my chamber.
It can be a fun hobby, also very expensive and time consuming, or if you keep it simple it can save you quite a bit, just like this shaving hobby.
One caliber, the 41 Swiss or 10.4x38R, is actually an old rimfire cartridge for which no commercial ammo or brass is available. I did a simple conversion on the rifle, a Swiss Vetterli, model of 1871 to centerfire and make brass from either 348 Winchester or 8mm Lebel (old French military), load cast bullets and shoot. Another is a fairly new cartridge for the AR15 family, the 6.5 Grendel. Commercial ammo and brass is available, but a far more economical solution is to make brass by necking down 7.62X39 brass( the Russian AK 47 round) to 6.5mm, load and shoot to fireform to my chamber.
It can be a fun hobby, also very expensive and time consuming, or if you keep it simple it can save you quite a bit, just like this shaving hobby.
Been reloading for the better part of 2 decades--9mm, 223 and 50 cal (Beowulf). I have almost as fun reloading as I do shooting. Reloading can help you become a better shooter. I'm often appalled at how poorly some of the hand gunners shoot at the range I go to. No wonder they all seem to want big capacity magazines--increases their chance of hitting something! If they would just slow down, take the time to aim and squeeze the trigger instead of jerking it whenever they get near the target, they would shoot a whole lot better.
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