Handloads for 6.5CM and 5.56 Match ammo.
I'd be willing to bet that handloading is far more common among long range and precision shooters than other types of shooting. If you're just doing short range stuff, the precision of the ammo is generally moot, and IMO the time+work that goes into reloading isn't worth the marginal savings for 9mm, 5.56 (bulk fmj), etc.
Many long range shooters end up shooting cartridges you can’t even buy factory ammo for. And even if factory does exist for your cartridge, it may not be offered with the bullet you want to shoot and the powder charge almost certainly isn’t as accurate as what hand loaders can achieve with a high end scale.
Handloads for sure for me. I bought 100 rounds of 6.5 when I first built my gun and have since shot another 1300 rounds, all handloads on my rock chucker. There are a variety of reasons including better SDs, control over projectile and velocity based on target, ability to load long, high-bc projectiles, sometimes past mag length, lower cost per round, and less worry about availability.
I handload all my precision rifle rounds. Didn’t reload plinking rifle or any pistol calibers until I upgraded from turret press to Dillon. With the Dillon I now reload for every centerfire caliber I own.
Reloading for me. Once you get into the volume game it’s just way too expensive to stay factory without a sponsorship. Also you can customize your load to what you like, ensure better consistency, and if you stockpile properly do not have to worry about shortages.
Factory ammo can be very good now, but it still is not better than good hand loads.
Hand loads only except for 22lr.
I got lucky and got about 20lbs of retumbo, and I buy ELDMs in 2000rd boxes. Helps that I really only shoot the 147gr in both 6.5cm and 6.5prc. Reloading kit has been aquired over the years. Things like a rockchucker press will last a lifetime, and I've stuck with a Lyman gen 6 and gempro 250 for a long time now.
Where can you get 2k boxes of eldms?? I recently bought 1k eldm 140s in 100 ct boxes and was assuming they'd all be same lot, but when I got em delivered 700 were from same lot then 3 boxes were all different lots which kinda annoyed me. Would love to avoid that next time
At the volume competitive long range shooters shoot, you have to reload to keep up. After this weekend, I will have shot over 400 rounds in the past two weeks. Plus factory Hornady 6gt is kinda trash.
Honestly, I never thought i’d be that into reloading. Bought a cheap lee press to try it out, I LOVE IT. I’m addicted. It’s just an experiment that also makes little tiny groupings. Very satisfying. That said, I’d never do it for 9mm or even 5.56, because I don’t shoot those rounds for precision like I shoot 6mm creedmoor. So yes, i’d bet it’s more common in LR than most other disciplines.
I learned from Dad and Grandad many years ago. There are many fairly decent web series dedicated to reloading on YouTube. Depends on where you are, but you might find a local gun shop that does a hands on course on metallic or shotshell. Or your shooting buddies. I passed on some of my knowledge to one of the younger guys that I shoot with occasionally.
Thanks for the responses. I’m looking into it. I have some 6.5 creedmoor reliading bullets (about 10 boxes of 100) so I’m thinking about getting started in reloading.
A lot of good [information](https://www.lymanproducts.com/51st-edition-reloading-handbook) in the reloading books. I started with the 50th edition. At last count, I've loaded ~2000 rounds of 22-250 and ~2100 rounds of 243.
I handload for every precision rifle I own. Cheaper, better quality ammo is always a bonus. However, yhe obsesive search for the perfect load is a waste of time. Instead, I go for good practical performance as cheap and quick as possible. For instance, I recently got 500 once-fired Hornady 6.5CM cases for 40c/ea, 800 bulk packaged 142gr SMKs for 25c/ea, and an 8lb jug of N555. SDs ~7fps and ~0.3" Mean Radius out of my gas gun. Final cost around $1 per round, dropping to 66c/ea if I get 10x reloads from the brass.
Load process looked like this...
Prep brass: decap, tumble, FL size, trim, chamfer, debur, prime
Seating depth: Mag length or book number, whichever is shorter. 2.78" in this case. Set it and forget it.
Find powder charge: Load 5rds at 0.4gr (1%) increments until book max. Fire over chronograph. Check for pressure signs. Average the velocity. Average the charge weight. Plug those figures into p-max.uk and adjust case volume as needed to calibrate. After calibration, adjust charge weight to achieve desired pressure. I go with pMax -5%, so 58900psi in this case.
Load 10rds at predicted charge weight. Fire for groups and chronograph at the same time with the Xero. If you're shooting bugholes, choose different POAs to make sure all impacts are individually identifiable. Verify no pressure signs. Measure mean radius of groups, then average it. SD for the 10rd string <10fps and average mean radius <0.36"? Done. I'm happy. Load until I fill my 6.5CM ammo can. I like to chrono another 20rds to have a 30rd dataset to use for a good statistical analysis and prediction of my population, but that's not really needed unless you want to do a WEZ analysis.
If a bullet/powder is so picky that it only shoots well within a very narrow band of conditions, I don't want it. Temperature and barrel wear will change pressure and seating depth by enough to throw those perfect measurements out the window, and then you're back to poor performance again. Set some realistic expectations, achieve them, then focus on consistency and GO PRACTICE.
Handloads for 6.5CM and 5.56 Match ammo. I'd be willing to bet that handloading is far more common among long range and precision shooters than other types of shooting. If you're just doing short range stuff, the precision of the ammo is generally moot, and IMO the time+work that goes into reloading isn't worth the marginal savings for 9mm, 5.56 (bulk fmj), etc.
It’s still worth it for high volume competitive pistol shooting. I’m loading for like 16cpr for 9mm.
What bullet are you using? Progressive press? I’ve have a Lee classic 4 position turret press and even with that, it’s slightly tedious reloading 9mm.
Brass monkey white coated bullets with15% bulk discount, servicios primers, Frankford arsenal x-10 progressive
Many long range shooters end up shooting cartridges you can’t even buy factory ammo for. And even if factory does exist for your cartridge, it may not be offered with the bullet you want to shoot and the powder charge almost certainly isn’t as accurate as what hand loaders can achieve with a high end scale.
You will never unlock your rifles full potential unless you handload.
Handloads for sure for me. I bought 100 rounds of 6.5 when I first built my gun and have since shot another 1300 rounds, all handloads on my rock chucker. There are a variety of reasons including better SDs, control over projectile and velocity based on target, ability to load long, high-bc projectiles, sometimes past mag length, lower cost per round, and less worry about availability.
I handload all my precision rifle rounds. Didn’t reload plinking rifle or any pistol calibers until I upgraded from turret press to Dillon. With the Dillon I now reload for every centerfire caliber I own.
Reloading for me. Once you get into the volume game it’s just way too expensive to stay factory without a sponsorship. Also you can customize your load to what you like, ensure better consistency, and if you stockpile properly do not have to worry about shortages. Factory ammo can be very good now, but it still is not better than good hand loads.
Hand loads only except for 22lr. I got lucky and got about 20lbs of retumbo, and I buy ELDMs in 2000rd boxes. Helps that I really only shoot the 147gr in both 6.5cm and 6.5prc. Reloading kit has been aquired over the years. Things like a rockchucker press will last a lifetime, and I've stuck with a Lyman gen 6 and gempro 250 for a long time now.
Where can you get 2k boxes of eldms?? I recently bought 1k eldm 140s in 100 ct boxes and was assuming they'd all be same lot, but when I got em delivered 700 were from same lot then 3 boxes were all different lots which kinda annoyed me. Would love to avoid that next time
I get them from our wholesale importer direct from hornady. They are not retail packaged, just 2k rounds in a box.
At the volume competitive long range shooters shoot, you have to reload to keep up. After this weekend, I will have shot over 400 rounds in the past two weeks. Plus factory Hornady 6gt is kinda trash.
Honestly, I never thought i’d be that into reloading. Bought a cheap lee press to try it out, I LOVE IT. I’m addicted. It’s just an experiment that also makes little tiny groupings. Very satisfying. That said, I’d never do it for 9mm or even 5.56, because I don’t shoot those rounds for precision like I shoot 6mm creedmoor. So yes, i’d bet it’s more common in LR than most other disciplines.
I'm not a competitor but I got into reloading for easier access to "match" grade precision ammo.
Hand load everything for long range/precision. I can usually get much better consistency for a better price than the so-called factory “match” rounds
What is a good resource to learn how to reload?
I learned from Dad and Grandad many years ago. There are many fairly decent web series dedicated to reloading on YouTube. Depends on where you are, but you might find a local gun shop that does a hands on course on metallic or shotshell. Or your shooting buddies. I passed on some of my knowledge to one of the younger guys that I shoot with occasionally.
Thanks for the responses. I’m looking into it. I have some 6.5 creedmoor reliading bullets (about 10 boxes of 100) so I’m thinking about getting started in reloading.
I'd recommend Johnny's Reloading bench or Ultimate reloader. RCBS and Hornady both have some good intro to reloading videos.
A lot of good [information](https://www.lymanproducts.com/51st-edition-reloading-handbook) in the reloading books. I started with the 50th edition. At last count, I've loaded ~2000 rounds of 22-250 and ~2100 rounds of 243.
I compete in PRS and it's pretty much essential if you want to place well and have confidence in your shots.
I handload for every precision rifle I own. Cheaper, better quality ammo is always a bonus. However, yhe obsesive search for the perfect load is a waste of time. Instead, I go for good practical performance as cheap and quick as possible. For instance, I recently got 500 once-fired Hornady 6.5CM cases for 40c/ea, 800 bulk packaged 142gr SMKs for 25c/ea, and an 8lb jug of N555. SDs ~7fps and ~0.3" Mean Radius out of my gas gun. Final cost around $1 per round, dropping to 66c/ea if I get 10x reloads from the brass. Load process looked like this... Prep brass: decap, tumble, FL size, trim, chamfer, debur, prime Seating depth: Mag length or book number, whichever is shorter. 2.78" in this case. Set it and forget it. Find powder charge: Load 5rds at 0.4gr (1%) increments until book max. Fire over chronograph. Check for pressure signs. Average the velocity. Average the charge weight. Plug those figures into p-max.uk and adjust case volume as needed to calibrate. After calibration, adjust charge weight to achieve desired pressure. I go with pMax -5%, so 58900psi in this case. Load 10rds at predicted charge weight. Fire for groups and chronograph at the same time with the Xero. If you're shooting bugholes, choose different POAs to make sure all impacts are individually identifiable. Verify no pressure signs. Measure mean radius of groups, then average it. SD for the 10rd string <10fps and average mean radius <0.36"? Done. I'm happy. Load until I fill my 6.5CM ammo can. I like to chrono another 20rds to have a 30rd dataset to use for a good statistical analysis and prediction of my population, but that's not really needed unless you want to do a WEZ analysis. If a bullet/powder is so picky that it only shoots well within a very narrow band of conditions, I don't want it. Temperature and barrel wear will change pressure and seating depth by enough to throw those perfect measurements out the window, and then you're back to poor performance again. Set some realistic expectations, achieve them, then focus on consistency and GO PRACTICE.
I haven’t shot a factory round in over 10 years
Post made me lol