By Glen Wunderlich
Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)
It’s never been more expensive to hunt. It costs more for related gear than ever before thus making it more difficult to get outdoors and to enjoy Mother Nature’s finest offerings. Folks wanting to improve their shooting skills quickly learn that requisite ammo is so expensive, that practicing is curtailed or ignored. It’s hard to justify trigger time at $2 or more per squeeze.
At the same time, there has never been a better time to begin handloading than today. Although the term “reloading” is commonly used to describe the activity of assembling specific components to develop customized ammunition, it is a bit of a misnomer. Simply stated, all homemade ammo is handloaded, but not necessarily reloaded. That’s because all new components are used in many instances, and if anything, the result is always unique – much more so than factory fodder.
Yet, surveys show most American shooters do not reload their own shotshells or rifle and pistol cartridges. Studies have shown that 83 percent of shotgunners and 74 percent of centerfire shooters reported that they do not reload any ammunition at all. Most shooters, who do reload their own ammunition, report reloading only small quantities – one to five boxes per month.
After the initial investment of a press, powder scale, dial calipers, etc. is overcome, dividends follow. The more basic tools still provide excellent results, although the production time is slower than with more elaborate and expensive gear. With instructional videos and quality loading manuals, getting started is easier than ever. Of course, having an experienced hand-loading friend can cut down on the learning curve even more.
The vast majority of my custom handloading work is performed in the winter. Down in the basement, while listening to the radio, a certain satisfaction develops with each finished cartridge that cannot be matched no matter how much is paid for the store-bought varieties.
No doubt factory ammo is better than ever, but custom loads tailored to a specific firearm can usually outperform even high-end, off-the-shelf loads. Again, it takes a little education and patience, and some trial and error, but unsurpassed accuracy can be achieved; lower costs are icing on the cake.
Obviously, the initial set-up costs will be hundreds of dollars and the notion of savings may not materialize for years, or even never. If the equipment is used sparingly, there may never come a time when the investment makes fiscal sense.
Conversely, having ammunition on hand in enough quantities to actually practice more at the range can spell better results afield. Shooters have more desire to shoot their own hand-built inventions and the resulting experience is naturally translated afield where “the rubber meets the road.”
Perfect shots come from perfect practice and there is no way to get around it. Plus, the self-satisfaction and self-sufficiency of handloading can be reward enough for many do-it-yourselfers who’ve taken the plunge.
