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Thread: Why should I homeload?

  1. #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by Turnup View Post
    1) Quite difficult to use with a consistency which would compare with a weighed load (in fact probably impossible).

    2) If you want to develop a load which is as accurate as possible then you will probably find that the sweet spot is not one of the scoop sizes but somewhere in between. Accuracy is not only for target shooting, most hunters want the best accuracy they can achieve so that they have the best chance of a humane kill (or can shoot at longer ranges with confidence).

    not impossible at all
    actually it is very easy to throw consistent weights
    it is also easy to adapt a scoop to get inbetween should there not already be a scoop combo to get what you want

    scoops can be modified with card discs inserted into the bottom.
    very satisfying to work up a load, know that a corresponding scoop is exactly what you need, no faffing ,no weighing, just charge and load

  2. #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by bewsh View Post
    not impossible at all
    actually it is very easy to throw consistent weights
    it is also easy to adapt a scoop to get inbetween should there not already be a scoop combo to get what you want

    scoops can be modified with card discs inserted into the bottom.
    very satisfying to work up a load, know that a corresponding scoop is exactly what you need, no faffing ,no weighing, just charge and load
    here you go
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  3. #48
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    Remember one thing.......If you *Muck up, it's very easy to destroy a perfectly good gun & possibly seriously injure yourself.


    Why do I say this????? Well, this year alone, I've seen TWO rifles damaged/destroyed by bad handloads! Luckily only minor injuries to one guy & Red face to the other!
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  4. #49
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    too true

    but more often down to basic mistake like wrong powder, wrong data. pistol powder in a rifle, wrong bullet weight for charge....

    match your powder, bullet and case combo and it should be impossible to overcharge enough to blow up a rifle

    slow the powder choice down so your best option is a 85-95% case fill
    doesn't matter whether you scoop or trickle then!

  5. #50
    Parabuteo is offline My Chrony has bought it a couple of times...
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    I shoot CSR and historic.

    Typically we burn through 100 plus a match/practice of 556 or 303.

    GGG comes in at circa £42 per 100, even using Sierra matchkings and IMR/CCI primers I can hand load ammo with half the group size for 39p a pop (around 34p a pop with muron primers and wildboar...same group size).

    Use cheap PPU bullets and the price drops further for practice out to say 300yds

    303...70p a pop factory, home loads 50p or less. This is the biggest saving.

    Decent 308 again down to about 60p a pop.

    You can adjust depending on your source of brass.

    You also have to factor in the likely better performance.

    So yes, to me, reloading is a no brainer in all calibres I use. I don't buy the "If you are only using 20 rounds a year" hunting comment.

    Many hunters I know practice as well
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  6. #51
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    Hmmmm a few disagreements about how to go about things. I guess I'll see how it goes without all the expensive stuff. Bottom line is, If it works and is cheaper then it was worth it.

    Like someone mentioned, I can always buy extras as I go along.

    Cheers chaps
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  7. #52
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    Quote Originally Posted by Parabuteo View Post
    I shoot CSR and historic.

    Typically we burn through 100 plus a match/practice of 556 or 303.

    GGG comes in at circa £42 per 100, even using Sierra matchkings and IMR/CCI primers I can hand load ammo with half the group size for 39p a pop (around 34p a pop with muron primers and wildboar...same group size).

    Use cheap PPU bullets and the price drops further for practice out to say 300yds

    303...70p a pop factory, home loads 50p or less. This is the biggest saving.

    Decent 308 again down to about 60p a pop.

    You can adjust depending on your source of brass.

    You also have to factor in the likely better performance.

    So yes, to me, reloading is a no brainer in all calibres I use. I don't buy the "If you are only using 20 rounds a year" hunting comment.

    Many hunters I know practice as well
    I had to go buy some factory .223 today as I've not done the load development yet for the 'hunting' load and Kenny's coming up tomorrow to shoot 1200 acres of stubble. £21.00 for 20, God it was painful I could load over 50 rounds for that!!
    Thanks for looking

  8. #53
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    Quote Originally Posted by Boydy47 View Post
    I had to go buy some factory .223 today as I've not done the load development yet for the 'hunting' load and Kenny's coming up tomorrow to shoot 1200 acres of stubble. £21.00 for 20, God it was painful I could load over 50 rounds for that!!
    And they'd be more accurate!!
    Thanks for looking

  9. #54
    Turnup's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bewsh View Post
    not impossible at all
    actually it is very easy to throw consistent weights
    it is also easy to adapt a scoop to get inbetween should there not already be a scoop combo to get what you want

    scoops can be modified with card discs inserted into the bottom.
    very satisfying to work up a load, know that a corresponding scoop is exactly what you need, no faffing ,no weighing, just charge and load
    I agree that it is possible to develop a consistent technique with scoops, but with no scales you have no way to know if you are achieving consistency. Never tried it myself but I would expect that to get +- 0.1 gn would take quite a bit of care.

    And, yes, factory ammo is charged using a volumetric dispenser - which is one of the reasons why a home loader can achieve better consistency than factory ammo.

    And yes, scoops can be modified to dispense intermediate charges, and this probably works OK once you have found the sweet load, but load development would be a massive faff if you have to add a disc to reduce the scoop volume by some indeterminate amount try it, add another disc to try another indeterminate load et ever so very cetera. Exactly what thickness of disc is needed to reduce the charge by say 0.2 gn, and even if you knew that, where would you get such a thing from? So much easier with scales.

    The OP has all he needs to make ammo which goes bang, [and a superfluous mallet]. Scales will assist greatly in load development, and probably pay for themselves by allowing him to zero in on the sweet load much more quickly (less wasted trial loads) - if he is so inclined that is - I knew shooters who were entirely happy with scooped loads and not much bothered with ultimate accuracy.....nothing wrong with that.
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  10. #55
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    Quote Originally Posted by bewsh View Post
    sorry but .
    no factory ammo is charged by weight. None, they are all done by volume

    Every single final load I produced for four calibres across .222, .243. .270 and .308 loaded only with scoops shot well under MOA
    some shot in the 0.2-0.3's
    I have the targets

    unless you have done it don't discount it
    if you have tried it and failed ask someone who can

    I started checking scoops mainly down to niggling thoughts from comments like this
    my scoop technique throws charges with less than +/-0.1gr
    most electronic scales cant measure that and you will get more inaccuracies through poor sizing and inconsistent neck tension than you ever will with +/-0.1gr charge

    add to that the fact that most people can't replicate the accuracy of their own rifle when in the field and the scoops are not the first place to look
    Yup, which is why homeloads can be more consistent than factory. And I'll bet that the factory routinely samples those loads and weighs them.

    With no scales how can you (the OP) possibly verify this?
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  11. #56
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    Quote Originally Posted by Turnup View Post
    Yup, which is why homeloads can be more consistent than factory. And I'll bet that the factory routinely samples those loads and weighs them.

    With no scales how can you (the OP) possibly verify this?
    shoot the bloody things out of a rifle and see how they group FFS ! no need to make it more difficult than it has to be the poor sod is only looking to make a few rounds here and there for Stalking
    seriously sometimes I think Ackley was a moderate
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  12. #57
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    Quote Originally Posted by kennyc View Post
    shoot the bloody things out of a rifle and see how they group FFS ! no need to make it more difficult than it has to be the poor sod is only looking to make a few rounds here and there for Stalking
    seriously sometimes I think Ackley was a moderate
    Kenny, help me to understand:

    I have already stated that the OP has what he needs to make functional ammo, and can proceed on that basis.

    It is claimed by others that scoops can deliver loads consistent within 0.1 gn. I asked how he could verify that his scoop technique was that good without scales. You now advise that he should shoot some and see how they group. We all know that it would be a miracle if his first efforts produced good groups. Let's say that they will most likely group less well than the best possible homeload. What do you now recommend he does? Go back and use a different scoop technique in the hope that he has accidentally found consistency, make some, shoot them, see how they group? This is groping in the dark (bear in mind that there are other variables which can also affect group size) and unlikely to home in on a good homeload in any reasonable time.

    To reinforce - HE HAS WHAT HE NEEDS TO START MAKING FUNCTIONAL AMMO. HE DOES NOT HAVE WHAT HE NEEDS TO FIND THE MOST ACCURATE LOAD FOR HIS RIFLE - but that might be fine with him.....
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  13. #58
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    Quote Originally Posted by Turnup View Post
    Kenny, help me to understand:

    I have already stated that the OP has what he needs to make functional ammo, and can proceed on that basis.

    It is claimed by others that scoops can deliver loads consistent within 0.1 gn. I asked how he could verify that his scoop technique was that good without scales. You now advise that he should shoot some and see how they group. We all know that it would be a miracle if his first efforts produced good groups. Let's say that they will most likely group less well than the best possible homeload. What do you now recommend he does? Go back and use a different scoop technique in the hope that he has accidentally found consistency, make some, shoot them, see how they group? This is groping in the dark (bear in mind that there are other variables which can also affect group size) and unlikely to home in on a good homeload in any reasonable time.

    To reinforce - HE HAS WHAT HE NEEDS TO START MAKING FUNCTIONAL AMMO. HE DOES NOT HAVE WHAT HE NEEDS TO FIND THE MOST ACCURATE LOAD FOR HIS RIFLE - but that might be fine with him.....
    go back to the original post, the initial impetus towards home loading was to reduce the cost of ammunition,not to make bench rest quality ammo, if you really want to make the OP squirm ,then suggest he invest in a chrono as that will tell you more than a set of scales will as to verifying, I think you will find Bewsh has done that with scales to satisfy himself, the OP doesn't have to do that, he has to make ammo that is cheaper than factory that shoots satisfactory for HIM, and the Lee loader has a history of doing just that. which brings us back to my point, shoot the damn stuff and see
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  14. #59
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    Boys boys boys

    Some people seem to get acceptable results using a scoop. As stated, this isn't benchrest target shooting it's stalking. A previous poster suggested I am willing to put up with less accurate ammo as it is only for stalking (I am paraphrasing but that's the suggestion).

    I am not daft. I have been shooting S1 for a long time and would never take a shot I am not confident of a humane kill but let's face it, a kill zone on a fox/deer is several inches in diameter. I don't want this to go off onto another tangent but if I am not happy I can hit this I won't take the shot.

    I will use the scoop method to start with firing at targets. If I am happy I will crack on with live quarry. If not, I will invest in scales and look at how I am making the stuff to see how it can be improved.

    No need for arguments, it's all good stuff and we all have our own ways of doing things.
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  15. #60
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    Quote Originally Posted by phil384 View Post
    Boys boys boys

    Some people seem to get acceptable results using a scoop. As stated, this isn't benchrest target shooting it's stalking. A previous poster suggested I am willing to put up with less accurate ammo as it is only for stalking (I am paraphrasing but that's the suggestion).

    I am not daft. I have been shooting S1 for a long time and would never take a shot I am not confident of a humane kill but let's face it, a kill zone on a fox/deer is several inches in diameter. I don't want this to go off onto another tangent but if I am not happy I can hit this I won't take the shot.

    I will use the scoop method to start with firing at targets. If I am happy I will crack on with live quarry. If not, I will invest in scales and look at how I am making the stuff to see how it can be improved.

    No need for arguments, it's all good stuff and we all have our own ways of doing things.

    That's fighting talk, that is!
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