Newfound Reloading Apathy

[Gomer]

For me, handloading/reloading used to be such a nitpicky and laborious effort. I tried to eek out every last bit of accuracy. But then I had an ah-ha moment: a properly bedded action into a stable stock, a free floating barrel, and a properly mounted scope will be accurate enough for any big game hunting with just about any consistent ammo out to 300 yards, sometimes 400.

So now, reloading is purely to use the bullets I want at a lower price compared to factory ammo. I don’t have the time or resources to get good enough to realize the benefit of being nitpicky. Now, my barometer for accuracy is the pie plate. As long as I can keep them on a 9” pie plate at 300 yards, I’m good. This is pretty easy to achieve. Sometimes I can stretch that out further and that makes me happy.

I don’t obsess about seating depth, nodes, or weighing individual components. I only get fussy about not changing components and I weigh every charge within 0.1gr. This alone gets me much better SD/ES than factory anmo.

I just open the bag of brass, lube/full length resize, trim and chamfer, prime, pick a charge about .5gr under max, seat the bullet on the cannelure or at the OAL the book says, and that’s it. I load a few batches of 10 cartridges, each batch using a bullet that works for my purposes and pick the one that groups the best.

 

[Miletic]

Hi Gomer!
I am a perfectionist and I adjust my fillings to the smallest detail. I'm obsessed with precision. But I also think that your way of filling is excellent. Just relax and enjoy.

 

[uplander01]

That’s pretty much what it’s come down to for me as well. I’ve tried all the “intricate” processes like kneck turning, annealing, yada yada. At the end of the day, reloading for big game at reasonable distances doesn’t have to be a mind bender. I have enjoyed this transition and focus more on efficiency and consistency of operation with processes of small batch loading.

Nothing quite like the feeling of showing up on safari knowing exactly what your ammo is and what it will do. But, I am the guy that after I do bench zero, I only practice off sticks, the same sticks I take with the rifle on safari.

 

[Daggaboy375]

I reload to a standard that I can still enjoy the process.

DB

 

[farmer_john]

I reload to a standard that I can still enjoy the process.

DB

I agree I think its about having reasonable expectations.

Like outside a benchrest or palma competition weather your getting .25 .5 or .75 inch groups is all going to have same real world effect

 

[Pheroze]

Preach brother! I agree. Being able to roll up a few cartridges to shoot something at under 200 yards is peaceful! As much as I would
Like to, I am not trying to pin an insurgent red squirrel at 800 yards!

 

[Longfeather1]

I've been reloading like that for years for the most part. When it comes to the powder charges, I am very particular about them being exactly the same for each round (at least to the accuracy of my powder scale) and to a somewhat lesser extent to the seating depth of the bullets. Other than that, I don't obsess with anything else.

 

[Gomer]

I've been reloading like that for years for the most part. When it comes to the powder charges, I am very particular about them being exactly the same for each round (at least to the accuracy of my powder scale) and to a somewhat lesser extent to the seating depth of the bullets. Other than that, I don't obsess with anything else.

Exactly. For anyone who thinks factory ammo is consistent when it comes to charge weights, here is a spread from the same box of ammo:

 

[deewayne2003]

@Gomer ive come to the same conclusion, but I still wan’t 1” groups; I’ve just realized that milking every last FPS of velocity is a waste of time on game.

I’ve found best accuracy usually comes somewhere between 0.5-1gr of powder under max published load.

Years ago I also came to the conclusion that heavy for caliber bullets at modest velocity are much more effective on game than velocity.

 

[Miletic]

Preach brother! I agree. Being able to roll up a few cartridges to shoot something at under 200 yards is peaceful! As much as I would
Like to, I am not trying to pin an insurgent red squirrel at 800 yards!

 

[Longfeather1]

I used a Lyman reloading manual when I first started reloading 50 years ago. They used to list a "most accurate" load for every bullet weight. Wish the new manuals would list the same.

 

[steve white]

I only turn necks until a little over half is showing turned. I do uniform primer pockets and flash holes, chamfer etc. Don't know that it makes that much difference, but once set up, it is easy to do a bag of brass. I have diaries that chronicle best loads/powders for my guns. I'll stick with those unless I take a notion to try the new copper fouling limiting powders.
I have never chronoed factory ammo. Probably would be eye opening given the inconsistency. OP example was eye opening. But when I am lazy, I sometimes use Light Magnum. I really think I have bought my last box and will return to reloads. Except for S&B 8X57 R--that stuff is crazy good.

Did the vast majority of my loading before I ever even heard of ladder tests.

 

[MTJumbo]

Don't forget to chronograph your shots. I started working up a load for a new (it took a few years to get it built) .416 Rem. Mag. I started with RL-15 76 grains, which is 0.5 grains less than the recommended starting load in the 5th Ed. of the Hornady reloading handbook. I'm using Hornady 400 grain RN bullets and Fed. 215 primers. The muzzle velosity was 2400 fps, which is around the 81 grain maximum load listed in the manual. So, I'm starting over. I already reached the velosity I wanted for this rifle. Arnold Erhardt, Missoula, MT built a great rifle for me. Once I get through the barrel break in procedure, I plan to move to A-Square bullets or Woodleigh bullets. I will stick with the Barnes solids though. There are many nuances you will find in reloading. In my opinion, be careful, and be exact as much as possible. Enjoy your shooting.

 

[PARA45]

I own several Weatherby cartridges, and other non-Weatherby, and I do not load them to max. I look for accuracy up to 200 yds. If I can keep my reloads within 2 inches or less at 200 yds, I'm happy. Those 2 inches will put me on the kill zone of any NA animal. None of the animals I've killed have complained about the lack of velocity.

 

[Gomer]

Don't forget to chronograph your shots. I started working up a load for a new (it took a few years to get it built) .416 Rem. Mag. I started with RL-15 76 grains, which is 0.5 grains less than the recommended starting load in the 5th Ed. of the Hornady reloading handbook. I'm using Hornady 400 grain RN bullets and Fed. 215 primers. The muzzle velosity was 2400 fps, which is around the 81 grain maximum load listed in the manual. So, I'm starting over. I already reached the velosity I wanted for this rifle. Arnold Erhardt, Missoula, MT built a great rifle for me. Once I get through the barrel break in procedure, I plan to move to A-Square bullets or Woodleigh bullets. I will stick with the Barnes solids though. There are many nuances you will find in reloading. In my opinion, be careful, and be exact as much as possible. Enjoy your shooting.

I chrono my loads to check SD/ES. I don’t shoot any cartridges that are new enough to push PSI. Most are throttled down to avoid issues in older actions. I will say that I follow a slightly different process for 7mm RM, 300 WM, and 338 WM. I don’t need flattened primers, so I back off even more. Heck, I have a 7mm RM that only pushes 160gr bullets at 2815. It’s plenty good enough for deer and elk. I live “out west” and think way too much lore exists about “western” rifles and loads. Some people can shoot ethically at long range, I’m just not one of them. Last 5 deer and the last elk I killed were within 50 yards.

 

[Rare Breed]

For me, handloading/reloading used to be such a nitpicky and laborious effort. I tried to eek out every last bit of accuracy. But then I had an ah-ha moment: a properly bedded action into a stable stock, a free floating barrel, and a properly mounted scope will be accurate enough for any big game hunting with just about any consistent ammo out to 300 yards, sometimes 400.

So now, reloading is purely to use the bullets I want at a lower price compared to factory ammo. I don’t have the time or resources to get good enough to realize the benefit of being nitpicky. Now, my barometer for accuracy is the pie plate. As long as I can keep them on a 9” pie plate at 300 yards, I’m good. This is pretty easy to achieve. Sometimes I can stretch that out further and that makes me happy.

I don’t obsess about seating depth, nodes, or weighing individual components. I only get fussy about not changing components and I weigh every charge within 0.1gr. This alone gets me much better SD/ES than factory anmo.

I just open the bag of brass, lube/full length resize, trim and chamfer, prime, pick a charge about .5gr under max, seat the bullet on the cannelure or at the OAL the book says, and that’s it. I load a few batches of 10 cartridges, each batch using a bullet that works for my purposes and pick the one that groups the best.

View attachment 769944

Good post. For me over the years I still want great accuracy just because it is still fun for me. However, having said that I have found just having the exact powder in grains and seating depth with COAL at the advertised recommended for COAL I have been so lucky to get great groups on all of my rifles...just lucky I guess.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

I hunt almost exclusively with older lever actions. Read: not normally sub MOA candidates. When I load it's for the bullets I want or for uncommon calibers. My goal is always minute of moose/caribou.

 

[Sika98k]

I used a Lyman reloading manual when I first started reloading 50 years ago. They used to list a "most accurate" load for every bullet weight. Wish the new manuals would list the same.

Nosler do this.