Do your reloads out perform top brand factory ammo?

[Stone14 9]

Taking 12g shotgun cartridges as an example, 28gr/1oz, looks to work out around £70-80 for enough powder (1lb), primers and steel shot to make 250 (plastics you can reuse to a point). Given that the cheaper factory ammo slab is around £55-60 and the top end stuff over £100, where do you find your reloads fit in interms of performance and value? Are they better than the cheap stuff? Is price on par with factory ammo or better?

Also for rifle rounds, ive read reloads are typically more accurate at longer ranges, but more accurate than what? The cheapest? The best factory ammo? Where do you fit your reloads in on the factory ammo performance scale?

Edited October 3, 2021 by Stone14

[Gav 1,708]

If you get it right, most definitely, thats what its all about, consistency 

[si brown 8,486]

top pick is 3 shots of .204 home loads and bottom pick is testing a new batch of 6.5 home loads, the one on the sticker is the last of a batch and the two next to it are the new batch at 100 yard

[KimE 487]

Premium ammunition

A box of 20 Norma Oryx .308w cartridges costs 860sek/£72.

A box of 100 Oryx bullets costs 1099sek/£91, a can of 500g powder 499/£41 (enough for about 180 .308w cartridges, 350 223rem), Primers 65sek/£5,4 for 100.

= £137,4 for 100 rounds of .308w ammunition, with range pick up brass. Accuracy 35mm /100m for my reloads never tryed factory. 

A box of Lapua scenar competition ammo costs 1250sek/£104 for 50 rounds. 

The bullet only costs 710/£59 for 100 my rifle will probably shoot them 25mm/100m as my reloads. I expect factory ammo to do about the same.

 

Edited October 3, 2021 by KimE

[Dervburner 2,549]

On 03/10/2021 at 14:54, si brown said:

top pick is 3 shots of .204 home loads and bottom pick is testing a new batch of 6.5 home loads, the one on the sticker is the last of a batch and the two next to it are the new batch at 100 yard

Never mind si, a bit more practice and you’ll get there eventually

[si brown 8,486]

1 hour ago, Dervburner said:

Never mind si, a bit more practice and you’ll get there eventually

hehe... must try harder!!

story of my life

forgot to price the last post... 32p a .204 round 75p a 6.5

beats the  out of shop prices

[Deker 3,478]

Can't comment on shogun loading.

Rifle reloads will (almost) always be better than factory as you can tailor them exactly to your gun/barrel and needs.  Materials and setup costs (and practice) will set you back a bit, but if you shoot to any extent, the costs will start to pay dividends in the long run, as long as you don't factor in your labour time!!!

Many reloaders are never happy either, its in the nature to keep tinkering, that can lead to loads of ongoing time, successes and failures, and that all costs of course!