Cheapskate's guide to cartridge selection

[howl]

This list comes from one of the most popular ammo sales websites. The cartridges are listed in order of sales from most to least. The least cartridges were available in at least three different loads. All had a load suitable for medium game. None cost more than $20/box.

1. .223 Remington
2. 5.56x45mm
3. .300 AAC Blackout
4. 7.62x39mm
5. .308 Win
6. .30-06 Springfield
7. 6.5 Creedmoor
8. 6.5 Grendel

Same thing with a $30/box cap, except none cost less than $20/box. (Note that if you limit to at least 5 loads available, 7mm Rem Mag and below don't make the cut.)

1. .223 Remington
2. .308 Win
3. .30-06 Springfield
4. .300 AAC Blackout
5. .270 Winchester
6. .30-30 Winchester
7. 6.5 Creedmoor
8. .243 Winchester
9. .22-250 Remington
10. .222 Remington
11. .350 Legend
12. 6.5 Grendel
13. .303 British
14. 7mm-08 Remington
15. 7mm Remington Magnum
16. .25-06 Remington
17. 7.62x39mm
18. 7.62x51mm
19. 7.62x54R
20. 8mm Mauser

You'd get slightly different results with different web sites. So, grain of salt, etc.

My take on this is if you don't start with 223, well, you suffer from some shade of masochism. For your big gun, if you bother, 6.5 vs 308 vs 270 vs 30/06 should probably be based on which rifle you shoot best with action length being a factor more than cartridge.

 

[std7mag]

I reload everything that I shoot, so it's a moot point for me.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I reload everything that I shoot, so it's a moot point for me.

70 grains of powder per round costs more than 23 grains. A 284 pill costs more than a 224 pill. Basically free brass (223) is cheaper than paying for brass..

 

[std7mag]

70 grains of powder per round costs more than 23 grains. A 284 pill costs more than a 224 pill. Basically free brass (223) is cheaper than paying for brass..

Oh, I have WAAAY more than just 7mm that I shoot.
I only have 5 different 7mm cartridges. 6 if you count the 7X57 Mauser that I load for my daughter.
And only my Rem Mag and 7mm WBY take 70gr of powder.

I have seven 25 caliber rifles.
223 Rem.
45-70 Govt.
9mm Luger.
30 Carbine.

Pistols I load 380 ACP for my niece.
9mm Luger for myself and my daughter.
38 Spcl again for myself and my wife.
357 MAG
45 ACP
45 Colt

All of which are on the shelf in my basement.


Throw in 243 Win, 30-06, 30-30, 300 Savage, 300 Win Mag for friends and family.
It's a wonder that I have time to work a full time job.

Add in the fact that I like my wildcats and obsolete cartridges.

Not many places you'll find 250 Savage loaded with a 115gr Berger VLD. Or a 120gr Partition.
Ditto the 25WSSM with the Berger VLD.
But you'll find them on the shelf if you walk into my basement.

Late invite to a hunt tomorrow, but I shot all of a specific ammo that I want to use while at the range today. No problem, give me an hour and I'll have another box pumped out.

 

[howl]

The easiest path to 250 Sav is 6.5 Grendel.
25 Creedmoor could get you into a shorter than short action like the 25 WSSM, right?

Hand loading is a hobby in itself.The way most people do it is not for cheapskates.

 

[17remhunter]

70 grains of powder per round costs more than 23 grains. A 284 pill costs more than a 224 pill. Basically free brass (223) is cheaper than paying for brass..

But the .223 is boring

 

[elevatorman]

The easiest path to 250 Sav is 6.5 Grendel.
25 Creedmoor could get you into a shorter than short action like the 25 WSSM, right?

Hand loading is a hobby in itself.The way most people do it is not for cheapskates.

I save 50% or more off the cost of factory ammo by reloading. It is indeed for cheepskates. It saves alot of money. It can also be a hobby. But still saves money.

 

[elevatorman]

Also that's by sales volume. And not surprisingly all the highest volume sales are for ar calibers. Because rounds go quick when your shooting an ar. I dont think thay has alot to do with being a cheapskate. A better idea is to walk into Walmart ans see the always stocked hunting calibers and cheapest ones there. Those are the ones folks always buy. Thr standards like 06, 270, 7rm, 308, 243

 

[belshawelk]

No wonder I am broke,

My rifles:
30 Nosler
28 Nosler
6.5-300 Weatherby
338 Marlin express

 

[Darkside]

No wonder I am broke,

My rifles:
30 Nosler
28 Nosler
6.5-300 Weatherby
338 Marlin express

. Yea me too

26 Nosler
27 Nosler
30/378 Wea Mark 5
300 Wm Ridgeline

I’m not sure if Wal M sales these. They mite.

 

[17remhunter]

.223 to me is just boring. Yes I do reload for it for other people. Soooooo many guys dont reload. Even guys with custom rifles. Makes no sense to me. I think they call it lazyness

 

[Wind Gypsy]

.223 to me is just boring. Yes I do reload for it for other people. Soooooo many guys dont reload. Even guys with custom rifles. Makes no sense to me. I think they call it lazyness

Process for loading and shooting a 223 is the same as loading and shooting any other cartridge. The novelty of a headstamp saying something unique wears off after a while for some folks.

Nothing lazy about factory ammo IMO. Life is about how you spend your time and time shooting is better than time reloading unless you're shooting a "wallop" cartridge, then its not as fun shooting a lot.

 

[D4570]

I can see why I can't stop at Starbucks on the way out hunting.

 

[17remhunter]

Process for loading and shooting a 223 is the same as loading and shooting any other cartridge. The novelty of a headstamp saying something unique wears off after a while for some folks.

Nothing lazy about factory ammo IMO. Life is about how you spend your time and time shooting is better than time reloading unless you're shooting a "wallop" cartridge, then its not as fun shooting a lot.

In all my years shooting and reloading if you want performance and ex stream accuracy reloading is an absolute I worked at a NRA Range one year. Guys would always ask me how can I improve my accuracy. Aside from human error, most guys wont abmit that they flinch the only way is to find your rifles sweet spot. I had a long range competitor tell me that you can complete in Long Range shooting and not reload but you will never be competitive. Most guy I observed were content with 2” groups yet im sure while out hunting would shoot at a deer 500 yards away. The vast majority of hunters in the field in a lot of respects shouldn’t be there in the first place. Wildlife deserves better than that. It deserves competent proficient accurate knowledge hunters those factors would eliminate 60% of the hunters So many shooters That I observed at the range had no business being out hunting

 

[17remhunter]

I can see why I can't stop at Starbucks on the way out hunting.

Factory ammo is expensive and will continue to go up and up. Whats crazy, when i was visiting a friend in California I was invited to go dove hunting. I had my shotgun but when I went down to buy some steel loads, didn’t have any steel, i was told that they couldn’t sell me a box of shells unless my shotgun was registered in California. Thats insane!!!!!! Reload and you can tell California to go straight to H…..L. Anyone who dosent relaod is putting themselves behind the 8 ball.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

In all my years shooting and reloading if you want performance and ex stream accuracy reloading is an absolute I worked at a NRA Range one year. Guys would always ask me how can I improve my accuracy. Aside from human error, most guys wont abmit that they flinch the only way is to find your rifles sweet spot. I had a long range competitor tell me that you can complete in Long Range shooting and not reload but you will never be competitive. Most guy I observed were content with 2” groups yet im sure while out hunting would shoot at a deer 500 yards away. The vast majority of hunters in the field in a lot of respects shouldn’t be there in the first place. Wildlife deserves better than that. It deserves competent proficient accurate knowledge hunters those factors would eliminate 60% of the hunters So many shooters That I observed at the range had no business being out hunting

Handloading is beneficial for a number of reasons but 99.9% of hunters are limited more by their competency than they are by factory ammo. Nearly all of us would be more lethal if all of the time spent reloading was instead spent becoming better rifleman.

 

[howl]

The majority of hunters can't shoot for %$#@! no matter how accurate the rifle. We really need to expand competitive shooting programs in schools.
Speaking of cheap, the A #1 thing you can do for yourself and your kids shooting is 5m BB competition. Usually people get involved via county 4H programs.

Daisy Nationals BB Gun Championship Match

The Daisy Nationals has been held since 1966, making it one of the longest-running youth shooting competitions in the country

daisynationals.com

 

[17remhunter]

Process for loading and shooting a 223 is the same as loading and shooting any other cartridge. The novelty of a headstamp saying something unique wears off after a while for some folks.

Nothing lazy about factory ammo IMO. Life is about how you spend your time and time shooting is better than time reloading unless you're shooting a "wallop" cartridge, then its not as fun shooting a lot.

I disagree. Because I reload I can shoot way more a lot more. I buy my powder by the 8 lbs. I anneal my brass so it lasts a whole lot longer plus shooting an extremely accurate rifle is so much more gratifying You can’t cut the price drastically if you dont reload the only way to cut your shooting cost is to buy junk ammo. For the time it takes you to drive to town to buy your ammo i can be all loaded up. When I go out to alfalfa fields in spring to shoot ground squirrels i have 500 17 Hornet rounds loaded. Id hate to have to buy 25 boxes at the going rate that would cost you $750. Plus factory ammo has a velocity of 3650. Because I reload my accuracy loads chronograph at 3817 and because i developed an accuracy load through different cartridges changes my rifle consistently shoots under .5 moa. Thats with a factory rifle i paid $600 for. CZ 527

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I disagree. Because I reload I can shoot way more a lot more. I buy my powder by the 8 lbs. I anneal my brass so it lasts a whole lot longer plus shooting an extremely accurate rifle is so much more gratifying You can cut the price drastically if you dont reload the only way to cut your shooting cost is to buy junk ammo. For the time it takes you to drive to town to buy your ammo i can be all loaded up. When I go out to alfalfa fields in spring to shoot ground squirrels i have 500 17 Hornet rounds loaded. Id hate to have to buy 25 boxes at the going rate

You're looking at ammo cost as the limiting factor. I'm looking at time as the limiting factor. Time is money, unless you're retired and dont have wife/kids with needs from you.

Finding factory ammo that shoots inside 2 MOA with 10+ round groups is common. Actually being able to shoot inside 2 MOA from common field positions with a hunting rifle is uncommon.

It's almost 2026, aint no driving to town to buy ammo. It gets delivered to the front door.

Here's some groups shot from a factory barrel with $1.1/ea creedmoor ammo. Suppose a guy could load up something similar for $0.85 in components and save $0.25/rd. Said guy could also likely recoup most of that cost gap just by selling ounce fired brass. How many rounds an hour are you loading and what's your time worth?


$0.60ea factory 223.

 

[17remhunter]

The majority of hunters can't shoot for %$#@! no matter how accurate the rifle. We really need to expand competitive shooting programs in schools.
Speaking of cheap, the A #1 thing you can do for yourself and your kids shooting is 5m BB competition. Usually people get involved via county 4H programs.

Daisy Nationals BB Gun Championship Match

The Daisy Nationals has been held since 1966, making it one of the longest-running youth shooting competitions in the country

daisynationals.com

Your right that most shooters can’t shoot worth %?#^*+. Thats why for anyone to get a hunting license they should have to demonstrate a high level of competency with the weapon they plan to hunt with. That would mean that only competent knowledgeable responsible skilled hunter would be in the field. If someone’s 15 year old cant pass then they need more practice until they can. I cant even imagine how many game animals and game birds die horribly agonizing deaths because od hunters who have no business being out in the field