Posted on 03/01/2015 6:59:49 PM PST by RC one
Over the past six years, concerns about the possibility of restrictive gun legislation have sparked unprecedented spikes in sales of firearms and ammunition. And state wildlife agencies, all benefiting from funding flowing from federal Pittman-Robertson excise taxes on those items, are still raking it in. But high demand for some popular ammunition caused huge manufacturer backlogs that led to sharp increases in wholesale and retail prices and left many store shelves empty of the most popular ammunition, particularly centerfire and rimfire rifle ammo.
Over the past few months, that crunch has begun to ease. But problems finding ammunition - especially ammunition for some centerfire loadings - remains. And even stores with supplies of popular cartridges often severely limit the amount customers can purchase.
Some shooters are solving the problem by making their own ammunition using home reloading equipment. Reloading long has been popular with shooters and hunters, but it has gotten a boost in recent years. In a recent poll of recreational shooters and hunters, 85 percent of those who reload said the primary reason is "to save money."
With shortages of some types of ammunition in recent years, as well as the corresponding higher costs that arise when demand increases, it is no surprise cost savings are the primary reason many shooters choose to reload," said Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates, a Florida-based polling firm that gathers data for the outdoor equipment industry, government agencies and conservation organizations. But there's more to the story than money.
Multiple rationales
"Marketing efforts by smart reloading companies will acknowledge the other reasons why people reload," said Southwick in a written statement.
The poll, which permitted multiple answers, found that 67 percent of reloaders said the main reason they pack their own shells is to improve accuracy. Forty-four percent said they reload to get calibers or loads that are hard to find in stores. Thirty percent do it to reduce waste, and 15 percent cited other unspecified reasons.
In Pennsylvania, which boasts a high population of recreational hunters and shooters, hand loaders generally conform to the national trend, said Bill Schiff, who services reloading customers at Braverman Arms in Wilkinsburg.
But despite the recent interest in the cost benefits of reloading, Schiff said overall participation is trending down and young shooters aren't taking up reloading as enthusiastically as older shooters.
"I don't think the interest is as high as it once was," said Schiff, who's been reloading for 40 years. "The core group of reloaders are mostly older guys who don't do it to save money. They do it to get more accuracy than they can get from a factory load. I do it because I want to put five rounds in a circle the size of a dime at 100 yards. It's about precision." Rifle deer hunters who might fire a few rounds a year at a sighting target - and might get a shot at a kill zone the size of a pie pan - are less likely to see cost benefits in reloading.
It makes more sense for rifle hunters who need better accuracy on extreme shots, perhaps at mountain goats, big horn sheep or other trophy game.
"Shotgun reloaders are doing it to save money, but now you can get 100-round boxes (of shotgun shells), and it doesn't really pay," Schiff said. "Unless your gun shoots ammunition that's still hard to find, it may not be worth it."
Weekend target shooters - Schiff calls them "plinkers" - generally don't reload, despite the quantity of shots and high cost or unavailability of rounds. The most common caliber, .22 Long Rifle, remains among the most difficult ammunition for retailers to keep in stock, but rimfire cartridges aren't reloadable. High-performance, military-style semi-automatics can be expensive to shoot - some calibers are priced from $1 to $6 per round or more, Schiff said - but most plinkers don't reload.
"It's more casual shooting," he said. "It's about getting out and shooting, not necessarily the quality of the shot."
Aiming for precision
But in a complex science of powder granule geometries, burn rates, seating depths and ballistic coefficients, assembly line mass production of ammunition is too imprecise for the needs of competitive shooters and bench-rest perfectionists.
"I enjoy going for accuracy," said 30-year veteran reloader Edward Olsakovsky of Pitcairn, Pa. "I prefer to strive for that tight grouping - to put 10 shots in the same hole. To do precision work with cases and bullets and powder charges and seating depths until you can hit a quarter at 200 yards."
High-end hand loading can be expensive, but Olsakovsky said a functional starter kit can be had for less than $400. Schiff said some powders are still hard to find.
Ultimately, despite the recent spike in interest, Schiff suggested that hand loading is not being passed on to the next generation.
"Truth is, what I see at the store every day, young people want to buy a new gun every year for hunting, they want a scope on it, and they want it to cost under $300," Schiff said.
"It's rare that I see a reloading customer in his twenties."
Molds? I thought all of them were die pressed. What kind of consistency and accuracy can you get out of a 14-16 grain cast .22?
You shoot any Field target?
I use a MAC1 USFT in .177, currently with a 24X Accushot on it, but I just picked up a steal Nikko Sterling Diamond 10X50 I need to mount before the season gets underway.
I just shot my ~8th perfect varmint class silhouette with it today. My offhand sucked though, it’s definitely NOT made for shooting offhand without a jacket and harness.
I’ve got a Logun in .22 I’m thinking of keeping from an estate sale. Pretty nice setup for small game and plinking. I might plop the Accushot on it if it doesn’t fit on my M1A...
My experience is that the more a person reloads, the more he shoots, thereby making the total cost come out the same.
Is there some kind of ammo besides center fire and rim fire I am unaware of? Aren’t there any editors anymore?
I know write. You should right somebody a letter and give them a peace of youre mind.
Yes. One spends the same discretionary funds one way or the other. The handloader gets to shoot more, and potentially becomes a better shooter.
Demand has been through the roof for years now. I don’t see any manufacturers increasing supply. They like the super high margins.
Morgan Still owes Me money!
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