Factory Ammunition or Custom Hand Loads

Mark458

Mark458

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While posting on another thread earlier today I started wondering about this. How many of you out there are happy using factory ammunition for your rifle if it is readily available, and how many of you prefer custom hand loads whether you do it yourself or have them loaded by someone else.

This question is not just for dangerous game rifles, but throughout your arsenal.

Are you factory ammo for some and hand loads for others, and what is your reasoning for each.

For me personally I use factory ammo in my 338 Win Mag (Norma Oryx 230 gr.) and my 6.5 PRC (Hornady ELDX 143 gr.). These both shoot great out of my non custom rifles and work wonderfully on plains game.

For my dangerous game rifles (404J - 416 Rigby - 458 Lott - 500J) I have them custom loaded as I don't hand load myself. My reasoning is I usually go heavy for caliber so even if there are factory options they will be standard for caliber or lighter.

If you like please mention make and model of rifle for each selection. One of my suspicions is that higher end custom rifles will be used more with custom ammunition. Prove me right or wrong.

Curious to see the responses.
 
I don't shoot factory ammo except for rimfire cartridges.

I custom load for everything from competition up to the National Matches, practice, backfield woodchucks, deer hunting, and African plains and dangerous game. My custom loader for the past 50+ years is me, Mark's Ammunition. :)

My reasoning is I can load equal to or better than bulk factory loads. I also think my ammo is equal to custom loaders. I will howvever bow to competitive benchrest loaders...

PS: I have a case of a factory loaded round without a primer flash hole. It is from a 5.7 x 28mm. I guess that's one centerfire cartridge I don't load for. Their too tricky as the factory dry lubes the exterior of the cases.
 
I’m happy to use factory ammo. I have shot a lot of hand loads done by someone I trust, but for what I want I don’t need them. Federal, Norma, Barnes are all quality ammo and have good bullet choices. Pendleton ammo is also very good. I watch for sales, rebates, free shipping and buy what I need. My hunting is inside 300 yards (maybe 400 yards max) and generally all ammo I’ve shot gives me good hunting accuracy with my 300 Win and 375 H&H.

If I enjoyed shooting more I’d probably reload to save costs, but if I didn’t hunt I probably wouldn’t even shoot. I only shoot enough to know I’m proficient for the hunting I want to do.
 
Like Mark above, factory ammo in rimfires. All my centerfires are custom barreled with a few wildcats so everything else is reloads.
 
Mark458 said:
If you like please mention make and model of rifle for each selection. One of my suspicions is that higher end custom rifles will be used more with custom ammunition. Prove me right or wrong.

Curious to see the responses.
Click to expand...
I recently built two higher end rifles specifically to shoot factory ammo. Some factory ammo has become at least as good as my handloading ability and I prefer to hit the easy button. Most recent example was built on an Impact NBK action, 20" Bartlein 3b 1:11.25 twist, in a Peak44 Bastion Stock chambered for .308 Winchester. I built this rifle to shoot FGMM and Barnes Harvest ammo. It shoots the former into 1/4" groups and the latter into 3/8" groups consistently. Very successful build from conception to end result.
I also built a very similar rifle to shoot a combination of Barnes Harvest 6.5CM and the new Federal Plus Peak factory ammo. Jury is still out on how the Plus Peak will perform as I am waiting on delivery.

I do have several rifles that I either handload for (300saum) or buy custom ammo (Rigby Big Game and Highland Stalker .416 and .275).

Basically which ever method gets me the best performance with the least effort!!!
 
Mark A Ouellette said:
I don't shoot factory ammo except for rimfire cartridges.

I custom load for everything from competition up to the National Matches, practice, backfield woodchucks, deer hunting, and African plains and dangerous game. My custom loader for the past 50+ years is me, Mark's Ammunition. :)

My reasoning is I can load equal to or better than bulk factory loads. I also think my ammo is equal to custom loaders. I will howvever bow to competitive benchrest loaders...

PS: I have a case of a factory loaded round without a primer flash hole. It is from a 5.7 x 28mm. I guess that's one centerfire cartridge I don't load for. They’re too tricky as the factory dry lubes the exterior of the cases.
Click to expand...
X2

I trust my quality control infinitely more than factory ammo.
 
Handloads only. The process of developing a load and loading for the hunt greatly increases my level of satisfaction. It also gives me an excuse to shoot more.

No custom rifles here. Stock pre-64 30-06 for most American hunting, Safari Express 375 and a Chapuis 450/400 for Africa. Yes the Chapuis is my most expensive rifle but bottom rung for double rifle prices.

I started hand loading in college and have throughly enjoyed loading for myself and father and brothers over the years.
 
I start with factory loads to see if the rifle likes any especially well. I reload for special circumstances and hunts. Also if I can’t get satisfactory groups with factory loads I start testing different bullets and powders until I get a load the gun likes.
 
I handload for every rifle and handgun centerfire I own. I’ve quit handloading shotgun shells and buy shotgun shells by the pallet and buy rimfire by the thousands. I enjoy the technical aspects of handloading and it opens up a universe of bullet options. All my rifle brass are kept with its specific rifle by serial number because I partial neck size until time to bump the shoulder back. All my handloaded DGR (.500 Schüler, .470 NE, .416 Rigby) ammo are test-run through the rifle before safari. I believe the most important aspect of rifle handloading is brass preparation.
 
I hand load all centrefire cartridges, some of my rifles you can’t buy factory for, and if you do find it the price is stupidly high ( 280N.E. A$32:00 a round last ones I saw, and they had to be imported from the us.) and some you can’t get brass for so I need to reform other things to suit (32-35, they stopped making ammo in the early 30’s). And I also enjoy loading ammunition, tweaking it to suit the rifle
Gumpy
 
I develop custom loads for most of my rifles, however if I find some factory ammo that shoots well, I occasionally use it.
 
I basically only shoot factory ammo, I have custom loads for my .275 Rigby from Hendershots because I wanted correct headstamped brass and I don’t care for most Hornady ammo as it doesn’t shoot well for me usually and the .275 Rigby Hornady offering is not a bullet I want to use.
I only buy rifles in common calibers for which factory ammo is readily available. Handloading has just never been of interest to me, I can generally always find a factory loading I like that shoots within 1-1.25 MOA which is good enough for my hunting purposes at the ranges I’m willing to take a shot.
 
280 ai - handload, I bought the rifle right before covid and could not find ammo so got into reloading due to that. I also take great pains to get good accuracy as this is my main hunting rifle.

416 rigby - hand loads, factory ammo is too spendy.

308 - factory, run it mostly in a m1a and would take too much time.

Inherrited a pile of 2506 and 338 win mag factory ammo, so use that. Accuracy is great.
 
For hunting since my first big game animal I’ve only used handloads.
For components or practice and plinking I’m fine with cheap factory stuff.
Because I’ve never taken game with anything other than handloads and I take just a next level of satisfaction the data I gather I am going to try to continue that until I die.
Realizing some factory stuff may be better in some calibers I own , in others like my 35 whelen it’s not even possible to buy some of the stuff I make.
 
For my 275 Rigby I have hand loaded and purchased 156 grain Norma Oryx loads from Hendershots as my go to whitetail and pig load. Recently i purchased 500 of the factory 150 grain Norma Whitetail cartridges. The factory loads shoot just as accurate.
 
Mark458 said:
While posting on another thread earlier today I started wondering about this. How many of you out there are happy using factory ammunition for your rifle if it is readily available, and how many of you prefer custom hand loads whether you do it yourself or have them loaded by someone else.

This question is not just for dangerous game rifles, but throughout your arsenal.

Are you factory ammo for some and hand loads for others, and what is your reasoning for each.

For me personally I use factory ammo in my 338 Win Mag (Norma Oryx 230 gr.) and my 6.5 PRC (Hornady ELDX 143 gr.). These both shoot great out of my non custom rifles and work wonderfully on plains game.

For my dangerous game rifles (404J - 416 Rigby - 458 Lott - 500J) I have them custom loaded as I don't hand load myself. My reasoning is I usually go heavy for caliber so even if there are factory options they will be standard for caliber or lighter.

If you like please mention make and model of rifle for each selection. One of my suspicions is that higher end custom rifles will be used more with custom ammunition. Prove me right or wrong.

Curious to see the responses.
Click to expand...
I shoot factory ammo
 
i mostly shoot hand loads. i have used factory loads for a 3006 and a 300 win because it was an easy button, great bullets and good speed and performance.

my DG guns, i load by hand. i want to know exactly what is going to happen when my bullets hit meat. factory loads today are VERY good today if you shop around. that said, hand loads give you EXACTLY what you want, which has some value as well.
 
Except for my .17 HMR and my .22 Long rifle, I use hand loaded ammunitions in my centerfire rifles. I buy a box of factory ammunitions from time to time, but it doesn't happen very often. It's a bit tasteless to shoot factory ammos when you love reloading.
The only one I'm very eager to try, if I find a box, is the new 6.5 Creedmoor Peak Alloy.
 
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