Does the average hunter save $ reloading?

[JohnSWA]

Hi guys,

I'm looking at buying either the old standby .300 Win mag or possibly the Weatherby .300 mag. I'm wondering if it makes a tremendous difference for the hunter that uses his rifle for strictly hunting. I won't be shooting boat loads of rounds trying to find out which one knocks down buildings, I usually shoot factory loads and have been satisfied with them.

I know that this is kind of a hard question to answer, but do you think I would be better off buying the setup for loading my own?

Thanks for you ideas!

 

[Delw]

unless your shooting more than 200 rounds a year I would say nope not worth it.
for a weatherby more than 50 rounds a year then buy one($40 a box of 20 )


dont get the weatherby john the ammo is to expensive, get a .300 win mag

Delw

 

[JohnSWA]

Thanks Del! That was kinda the direction I was heading.

 

[wilecoyote76]

I agree with Del. Initially, the reloading equipment is expensive but in the long run you can save depending on how much you shoot your rifles. My dad gave me all his RCBS reloading gear so for me it wasn't such an in initial investment. I just get more satisfaction knowing that the bullets I reload are tuned to my guns and if I do happen to get lucky and shoot an animal that it came about through hard work with accurate loads. Besides, what else are you going to do when there's nothing else better to do than reload!! Killing whistle pigs at 200 yards with a 22-250 gets my blood pumping and that alone keeps me reloading.

 

[Woodrow]

Ditto what Wilecoyote76 said!

 

[danr55]

Now you guys all know that's not the truth.. You never save any money reloading.. You may save money on a per/round basis, but you just shoot more.. Then you catch the "load developement" bug and start playing with different powders and different primers and different case/powder/primer/bullet combinations.. It's a vicious circle to get into and sometimes takes years to get out of.

John, if you want the WBY, go for it. You can load 300 WBY ammo for about $0.23 plus the cost of the bullet/per round.. You can also shoot lots of different loads and find one for Elk, one for deer far away. One for deer close up. One for big deer. One for small deer. One for antelope. One for weekends. One for sunny days.. One for morning. One.. get the picture??

 

[Nut]

I remember the advice you gave me Dan. It was good for me also since I am not able to do alot of shooting.

 

[1_pointer]

I think the best part about reloading is that you'll want to and will shoot more. Plus, it's fun! I know I've gotten quite a bit better at shooting my .338 the last couple of years, much of which I attribute to reloading. The rounds are accurate in MY gun and not a crap shoot like with factory loads, plus their cheaper! And you don't have to worry about Wal-Mart not having the one factory load that your gun likes.

 

[Wally Dog]

The ONLY thing I have conclusively saved any money on is .410 & 28 ga shotshells. Shooting competitive skeet requires firing many thousands of rounds. Most of my practice is either 20 or 28 ga. I reload everything I shoot rifle or shotgun. I primarily get the satisfaction of knowing what I'm shooting. It's also somewhat therapeutic for me as well. I can escape to my shop and build inventory, smoke a cigar and have a cold one and not answer the phone.
If you are considering getting set up, don't be afraid of watching for an opportunity to pick up some used equipment at a discount.

WD

 

[Handloader]

You can't save much money reloading, but you can have full control over the bullets you want to shoot and taylor the loads to the rifle.

 

[T Bone]

If you're looking for a hobby its great fun. No money saved.

 

[Horn Seeker]

I look at it this way....I am reloading top notch bullets and reloading them to exact tolerances everytime. To buy a box of premium 300 win you will be spending 35$+. 60$+ for the Weatherby. Once I have the brass (once fired factory ammo) and all the equipment (these are your biggest expenses by far!!!) then reloading DOES save me lots of money and gives me deep satisfaction. I can reload the Weatherbys with premium bullets for about $15 a box! That is a big savings. If you dont shoot alot it really doesn't matter though!

If you are going to shoot 1-3 boxes of ammo a year forget about it and be happy with factory ammo!!

Good Luck

 

[craigrmiesse]

Not really a matter of money. I reload my whby 300 just to see how many different places I can get groups to go. About the time I think I have my powder figured out for the 180 grains Nosler, I change to a 200 grain bullet and put myself back in the dark again. Great thing is, I have a bucking good time. Hopefully buy opening day I'll have a load I'm comfortable with. If not, I'll shoot factory. I'd not suggest re;oading unless you really enjoy making your amo.