Do you roll your own hunting ammo?

[Former11B]

I don't do a lot of hunting, but the factory game ammo I'd been consuming slowly for the longest time ran out so I started loading my own

I am loading primarily for deer, but would definitely drop a hog or coyote with either of these rounds:

.223 REM
Brass: Federal Gold Medal Match
Powder: 26.0gr CFE 223
Primer: Federal Small Rifle
Bullet: Winchester 64gr Power Point
OAL: 2.250"
Velocity: ~2850 from 24" barrel, 1:9 twist.
Also used successfully (minute of deer's head at 150yds) in an AR with 16" Rainier Match barrel, 1:8 twist

.308 WIN
Brass: Federal Gold Medal Match or Nosler Match
Powder: 43.6gr Reloder 15 or 45.0gr 2000-MR
Primer: Federal Large Rifle
Bullet: Nosler 168gr Ballistic Tip (Green, specifically for deer/antelope)
OAL: 2.835"
Velocity: 2740fps from Remington 700 with 20" heavy barrel, 1:10 twist


Share yalls hunting loads! Can be for varmints all the way to dangerous game!

[Jmcrips]

I load my own hunting ammo. My brother (who is also on here) loads a wicked .308 180 grain nosler round. I'm away from my load data but its loving around 2500.

[cjd3]

I've reloaded my hunting ammo for the past two years. Luckily for me, I've nailed a moose with one shot both years. Running 180 Nosler Paetitons. I load test for accuracy up to 300 yards. If the velocity falls below 1800 fps before 300 yards, I may retune. But so far, I've been getting sub MOA in my 30-06 with RL22.

[FortTom]

Due to a possible upcoming move, I disassembled my reloading bench. Prior to that, I learned how to reload circa 1977? Somewhere around there, I don't remember. After that, I don't think I ever harvested an animal with commercial ammo, if I did, I don't remember.

If I buy a new condo, I'll set things back up, but as far as hunting goes, I'm pretty much retired. Except for small game. I just don't have the folks around to share the meat of a larger game animal, such as a hog or deer, and can't eat enough of it myself, before it goes to waste. And Elk, Moose, and Bear are totally out of the question.

Other than that, to answer your original question, up to a point, "yes".

[Former11B]

Well, my 168gr Nosler Ballistic tip over 43.6gr of RE15 completely turned a coyote inside out and my .223 64gr Winchester Power Point over 26gr of CFE223 emptied a deer's nugget and it dropped like a rock. Looks like my ammo is accurate and good to go for hunting

[DutyUse]

Never. Sorry. I'd be to afraid of some minor mistake that would lead to injuring an animal causing UN-necessary suffering... Just heard/seen to many horror stories from hand loads.

For 5.56 I've taken truck loads of whitetails with 60gr Noslers

For 308 I use Hornady 165gr SST. Rarely use the bolt guns anymore though...

[Former11B]

Never. Sorry. I'd be to afraid of some minor mistake that would lead to injuring an animal causing UN-necessary suffering... Just heard/seen to many horror stories from hand loads.

For 5.56 I've taken truck loads of whitetails with 60gr Noslers

For 308 I use Hornady 165gr SST. Rarely use the bolt guns anymore though...

While I respect your personal decision on what ammo you use, aside from someone using the wrong bullet for the purpose or using too light of a powder charge to net proper expansion, I really can't see what minor mistake would lead to animal suffering besides poor shot placement, and that's an issue with any ammo. What kind of horror stories are you talking about?

My younger brother was using Hornady American Whitetail factory ammo in his Savage .243 (100gr Interlock BTSP) and dropped the hammer on a large 10pt and the firing pin hit the primer...click and no Bang. Deer ran off before he could get a new round in with his bolt gun (12yo got the big buck jitters and lost fine motor function). You could see the pin strike on the primer. We had zeroed his rifle with the same ammo, lot and everything, no issue. I realized no animal suffered here but factory ammo failed.

[DutyUse]

Light powder charges, accidental FMJ loadings, to light/heavy a gr bullet for the barrel to produce horrible accuracy. I've recovered a .243 hand load that had just barely punctured a bucks lung, so it probably suffocated to death instead of that desirable double lung heart shot instant kill.

Now most of these stories that I hear about our from redneck reloaders with much less skill then pros.

My personal opinion but I stick with a factory load, there are so many good choices why even bother?

[Ordnance]

Light powder charges, accidental FMJ loadings, to light/heavy a gr bullet for the barrel to produce horrible accuracy. I've recovered a .243 hand load that had just barely punctured a bucks lung, so it probably suffocated to death instead of that desirable double lung heart shot instant kill.

Now most of these stories that I hear about our from redneck reloaders with much less skill then pros.

My personal opinion but I stick with a factory load, there are so many good choices why even bother?

That has everything to do with the person reloading. If you know what you're doing to begin with starting with proper load development and ending with knowing your limits as a shooter then there is nothing about reloading that should be any different than using factory and actually should be more accurate if done properly.

[Ordnance]

I highly suggest guys look at Berger Hunting VLDs as well as Nosler Partition and Sierra GameKings. Furthermore, there are numerous advantages to handloading over factory. For starters handloading done properly produces more accurate loads designed around that particular rifles barrel harmonics. When you find the right node it also reduces your margin of error. I also can choose to load with properly prepped brass which means my loads will burn more consistent and therefore my DOPE will also be more consistent and accuracy with higher rate of success will be improved. Then there's the ability to use less temperature sensative powders and slower burning powders for heavier loads that will have greater energy transference. I'll be blunt though and say that I know a lot of handloaders who think they know how to reload but they know nothing about what a node is or even how to properly prep their brass.

[Ordnance]

Guys also keep in mind that sharing loads is great, but you need to remember that every rifle will have a different node and that means one great load for one rifle won't necessarily translate to the same result in another even with the same platform, twist, and barrel length. Even if it does produce a great group if it's not within the node a temp variance or over/under charge load difference of even a 1/10 could produce a flyer and turn a 1/2 MOA into a 2 MOA. I've seen hot loads at 100 producing 1/2 MOA groups but at 300 they exploded into 3 MOA, so make sure you test loads beyond the 5 shot groups at initial testing. I've also seen 3/4 MOA groups that were slow but at 1K they were still 3/4 MOA and consistent because they were properly developed.

If you guys post loads also post what the platform was and the barrel twist rate with the barrel length and the ogive measurement as opposed to the OAL which will never be consistent because the melplats are never the same but your ogive should always be the same.

[Former11B]

If you guys post loads also post what the platform was and the barrel twist rate with the barrel length and the ogive measurement as opposed to the OAL which will never be consistent because the melplats are never the same but your ogive should always be the same.

That definitely is worth saying but is also something any reloader should know. Proper load testing is paramount, however, some loads with popular powder (Varget for example) and projectiles (175 SMKs) can be a "Jack of all trades", which is how factory hunting or precision ammo generally works well or above average in most guns

I will say my loads were worked up using the OCW method and for each load I have about a page worth of calculations to go along with my testing for finding the best charge weight

[Former11B]

Light powder charges, accidental FMJ loadings, to light/heavy a gr bullet for the barrel to produce horrible accuracy. I've recovered a .243 hand load that had just barely punctured a bucks lung, so it probably suffocated to death instead of that desirable double lung heart shot instant kill.

Now most of these stories that I hear about our from redneck reloaders with much less skill then pros.

My personal opinion but I stick with a factory load, there are so many good choices why even bother?

I am not a professional reloader by any means but those stories can be events that occurred with people using factory ammo just as easily: loading the wrong ammo (target vs hunting), taking too long of a shot or poor shot placement, etc. Doesn't so much boil down to reloading so much as it does being a responsible hunter and sportsman all together.

And as far as not reloading because you can buy it....cost is a big issue. I can buy 100 projectiles (I chose 168gr Nosler Ballistic Tips made for specifically for deer/antelope)...and I already had the powder, primers, and brass, for what two boxes of an equal type. Having the ability to load so many rounds, I could adequately load test and then check my zero/dope at various distances. Couldn't do as much testing with less than half the rounds....and I wanted to test a lot since I haven't hunted this load before. If it was my "go to" over the last decade I'd feel less inclined to test as much every year as just test a few rounds in August for season prep.

I also control quality and can load very precisely as I am the bottom line in each step.

As I said, I do respect your choice of ammo, as I don't care to force my opinion on anyone. But I feel I am responsible and diligent in my efforts to prevent the very types of situations you describe

[Ordnance]

That definitely is worth saying but is also something any reloader should know. Proper load testing is paramount, however, some loads with popular powder (Varget for example) and projectiles (175 SMKs) can be a "Jack of all trades", which is how factory hunting or precision ammo generally works well or above average in most guns

I will say my loads were worked up using the OCW method and for each load I have about a page worth of calculations to go along with my testing for finding the best charge weight

I agree that everybody should know, but that's not always the case. As for factory ammo unfortunately that too is not always the case now. We've opened up 3 different lots of the same ammo and found 3 different powders. It's especially true in handgun ammo as you can read velocity on different lots of Hornady that are the same load but there will be as much as a 100+fps difference because they used a different powder.

I like the OCW method, but if you ever have the opportunity to do the ladder test method at 400+yd it's better IMO. It's not always practical though unless you have a good spotter and the range for it. I come across guys who have been loading for 20 years and not doing proper load development or knowing anything about harmonics and finding the node which is why I posted it. I just want to put it out there so others who may come across it can ask if they've never heard of it and hopefully we can educate and help them be better at it.

[Former11B]

^^ right on. There are exceptions to pretty much every rule in reloading so it is hard to list everything at one go lol. I've only been loading for a few years so I know I still have a lot to learn....at the beginning it feels like drinking water from a fire hose. I feel I'm in a pretty good spot knowledge wise but I still pick up new stuff all the time

I did the ladder method for my precision .223 load and an Army buddy of mine, a former sniper, suggested I try OCW. I sort of combined things I liked from the two methods and went from there