If one is a firearms enthusiast for long enough, it is almost inevitable that they will eventually reload. Hunters, however, have a very specific use case that doesn’t necessarily include high volume round counts that drive recreational shooters towards hand loading. Still, many hunters find a lot of value in taking their carefully crafted ammunition into the field. Why do many hunters hand load, and is it a smart decision?
Drawbacks
First off, let’s cover a few of the reasons why one might not want to hand load. First of all is the start up cost. Purchasing the reloading equipment can be expensive. In many cases it can be around five hundred dollars to get a basic single stage set up for rifle caliber cartridges. For many people, this can be as much as their rifle! When a box of Remington CoreLokts can be had for $27 at the local sporting goods store, spending this much on ammunition can be hard to swallow.
Next, reloading can be time consuming. Building quality ammunition on ones own requires patience and attention to detail. Mistakes at the reloading bench can potentially damage firearms and injure shooters. As such, it is pertinent that one is alert and attentive at the reloading bench.
Advantages
Despite these drawbacks, reloading is incredibly popular. This is because it also comes with a number of advantages over buying factory ammunition. In fact, in order for your rifle to perform at the very top of its accuracy potential, reloading is close to a necessity.
Performance
First of all, reloading allows you to get better quality ammunition. The ammunition that can be produced through careful a hand load is of the same quality as the best of the best premium factory offerings. However, hand loading still offers another advantage that can help you shoot well. That is because not only are hand loads high quality, they can also be tailored to your firearm.
Rifles are individuals, and much like people different rifles will shoot ammo differently, even if they are of the exact same model and chambering. Reloading gives one the ability to experiment and find a bullet and powder combination that is perfectly suited to getting the best accuracy from their firearm of choice. This is different from factory ammunition, because unless you get very lucky, it is unlikely that there is a premium factory offering that just happens to be perfect for your gun.
Economical
Next, hand loading can provide economical benefits. Even with the high start-up costs, after reloading enough rounds the hand loader will come out ahead. I hesitate to say that hand loading is cheaper than shooting factory ammunition, because this is likely not true. What reloading does do is manufacture premium quality ammunition for a budget ammo price. This means that although most end up spending the same amount of money on ammunition, the quality of the ammunition that their hard earned dollar gets them is much higher.
Also, reloading allows hunters to get exactly what they want. For example, I recently wanted a load tailored for mountain goat hunting, where long shots are the norm and the animals are tough. I planned to take my Tikka T3X in 30-06 because of its light weight. In order to get that 30-06 to be flat shooting for the alpine, I crafted a hand load that pushes a 130gr Barnes TTSX at 3250fps. This nearly mimics the performance of a 270 without requiring the purchase of a new firearm. It would be difficult to find such a load in a factory offering.
Availability
In addition, hand loading lets you worry less about ammunition supply. This is particularly relevant recently where elections and the Covid-19 pandemic have caused a surge of demand for ammunition. If you have components, you can manufacture whatever caliber you need with your reloading equipment. This also allows one to shoot cartridges that are specialized for a specific role, even if they aren’t as popular. For example, ammo in less popular cartridges like the 280 Ackley Improved are more difficult to find than the 7mm Remington Magnum. However, once you have brass, it is no more difficult to find the components for a 280 AI than it is for a 7mm RM. In fact, many of the components are identical.
Relaxation
While loading ones own ammunition can be time consuming, this isn’t always a bad thing. Loading ammunition can be very relaxing and somewhat therapeutic. It forces one to focus on the task at hand and allows one to get away from the hustle and bustle of mundane life. Oftentimes, this escape is healthy from time to time.
Immersion in the Experience
The final advantage of loading one’s own ammunition is the immersion in the hunting experience. Hunting in and of itself is an exercise in self sufficiency. We take to the woods in order to provide for ourselves and our families instead of relying on someone else. Crafting the ammunition to do so is just one more way to became ingrained with the process. As most experienced hunters will tell you, the process is more important than the result. There is a special feeling the first time you take a big game animal with one of your carefully crafted hand loads.
Concluding Thoughts
In closing, reloading your own cartridges comes with advantages and disadvantages. If you’re short on free time, rarely take shots past 200 yards, or are one of those fellows who sees their firearm as a tool and nothing more, perhaps reloading is not for you. However, if you want to eke the very best performance from your rifle, reloading is for you. The specialized loads and cartridges, more affordable premium ammunition, and increased accuracy will optimize your rifle for the best performance in the field. Will this matter next time you get the opportunity to shoot at an animal? Probably not. But it might.