need a new forum about reloading

[shaman]

ORIGINAL: nhdeerchaser

I'm in!

I don't reload, but from a cost perspective, I can buy handloads cheaper than I can buy off the shelf stuff. My question for the handloaders is this: is this a good ave to go down?
I just paid 63 dollars for 2 boxes of hornaday interlock SST. I have to find a more reasonable alternative. Not only that, but since 165 is match grade for the .30-06, I can't find the 165 grain interlock SST.

Mike

This post looks like an ink blot test-- everyone is going to read a different question into it.  However, I'll take a stab

1)  I don't usually buy off local retailers anymore.  The good reloading stores went belly-up and those that remain are very poorly stocked.  I usually buy from Grafs or Midway.   Used brass comes from EBAY and Gunbroker.  Every once in a while I buy powder and primer in a large  order to spread the Hazmat fee over several items.
2)  For deer hunting, I shy away from premium bullets.  If  a Hornady Interlock doesn't do the job, I try Rem Core Lokt or vice versa.  The deer haven't changed, and I can remember a time when Rem Core-Lokt was considered a premium bullet.  The .308 165 grain Hornady Interlock SP is my go-to bullet for about 6 of my deer rifles including 308 WIN, 30-06, and 7.62X54R. 
3)  You won't save money by reloading.  What you will find is that you will shoot more.  There's a considerable investment in equipment, labor, etc.  but that is offset by cheaper rounds, greater accuracy, and the ability to tailor rounds to your needs and your rifles.

[shadow]

$63.00 for 2 boxes of 30-06?
Yes NH Deerchaser, you need to start handloading. Or at least buying reloads from a local source.
As was said you will not initaly save any money if you start handloading because you'll need to buy the equipment , but after the inital cost of buying everything you will save a large amount of money.
 
Even if you only buy reloads from someone locally, purchase them. Save your money, a 165 grain soft point on a bullet you made, a reload that was bought or on a 31.00 box of premium ammo will all kill deer.
 
I buy my bullets in bulk from Cabela's and the powder and primers from a local gun shop. If you buy the powder and primers from a local dealer and not through mail order you will not only save on the shipping costs but also on the 15, 20, or 25 dollar haz-mat charge they charge for shipping them.
Also if you belong to a gun club or have friends that shoot find or get empty brass from them.
 
If you shoot lead bullets, cast your own! Its not only enjoyable but you save money there too!
Knowing that I made a bullet gives me a greater satisfaction when I'm out there hunting or getting good groups at the range.
 

[8uck5nort]

I am all for it.

I just got into reloading earlier this year for 8mm mauser which makes an excellent deer cartridge. However, Indiana only allows pistol cartridges for use in rifles for deer hunting so I did not initially do this for the deer hunting.

I have acquired a .44 mag rifle that I will now start to load by hand for a legal deer rifle in my neck of the woods. It just goes to show you there are a variety of calibers that are effective for deer, but not considered typical deer cartiridges.

I can use the 8mm mauser to hunt coyotes, go figure.

[jacannon63]

I am for it also. I have been reloading everything I shoot except 22s for years.

[nhdeerchaser]

I can't afford to get into reloading myself, but I am looking into buying custom loads for my BAR. Even Rem corelocks are going for 20.00 a box!
The problem is that she is finiky, and likes plastic tipped bullets the best. I don't know why. One thought I had was that when I first started shooting, I was'nt very good. I don't have flinch problems, but I think I was just overthinking it, and never shot with an experienced rifleman.
I have vastly improved my shooting skills, and I now wonder if what I thought was bullet problems was really ME problems, and the gun shooting premium bullets better than regular bullets was just coincidence.
This is making my head hurt.............
Anyway, thank you for all the imput. I am going to look into custom loads instead of off the shelf stuff.
Shaman said it best. Deer are not that hard to kill, and I know they are not worth the price I'm paying for premium ammo.

Mike

[shaman]

If you're certain about this plastic-tipped bullet thing, then you've definitely not gone deep enough.  Sometimes just backing off a grain or two of powder, or switching powder or changing the depth of the bullet seating by a few .001"  gets you where you want to be.

I had a finicky  Rem 742 that only liked this off-brand South African ammo.  I bought as much of it as I could-- I still have a few boxes left.  Anyhow, as soon as I got into reloading, I tried a load in it that was originally built for my M1 Garand.  Bingo!  It was a tack driver all of a sudden.  What's more, I tried 2-3 other loads in it and found it was a fairly accurate rifle overall.  It just liked a moderate powder like IMR4895.

You know, you MIGHT actually be able to afford reloading.  Check this out:

http://www.realguns.com/Commentary/comar142.htm

Now, that would not be all you'd need, you would still need dies and consumables, but . . . you see my point.  You could get into reloading for one caliber for just the cost of a couple boxes of that fancy ammo you're buying. 

Here's the book that got me started:



The ABC's of Reloading by Bill Chevalier

[vipertech]

I voted yes.  I don't reload and I know next to nothing about the art. I've been wanting to get into it for quite awhile now.  The very first thing in the new forum should be a sticky on the basic tools one should get to start reloading.
 
I've saved just about every single piece of brass I've shot from my 9mm, 7mm-08 and shotgun just in case someday I did start reloading. I've got quite a nice collection of once-fired brass and cases.

One question I have is:  Can you make/reload shotgun sabot slugs?  IE:  could I make a sabot slug which is pretty much just like the 12g Hornady SST sabots I shoot now?  My gun seems to love these rounds.

[shaman]

You probably can't reload those exact sabotted slugs, but you can probably find a reloadable slug that will do the job.  I've known guys that swore by their home-brew slugs and claimed they were better than anything that came from the factory.

[rem700]

yes you can reload shootgun slugs. i have a video on youtube of me casing shotgun slugs  the video is (12ga shotgun slugs) by TheRem700308win .......next video i will be loading them.   

[rem700]

see if we can get this one going for the new guys