Why Do Some People Reload Their Own Ammo?

GW:  I’m into handloading (not reloading, thank you), because my home-brewed ammo cannot be found in stores.  For example, try to find a 300-grain tipped Barnes in a .45-70 round.  You won’t find it, because it would be dangerous to sell to someone who may put it in a conventional tube-fed long gun.  It could exploded in the magazine under recoil!  However, for a single-shot firearm, such as a Thompson/Center Contender, no problem. 

Plus, it can be loaded longer to, thus closer to the lands in the bore – again, something factory ammo cannot duplicate, because factory ammo must fit in everything, and therefore, must be shorter.  This factors into the accuracy equation, as well, because in my opinion, loading rounds closer to the firearm’s lands produces consistent accuracy.

  And, finally, making ammo that is less expensive, as in the above example is totally irrelevant, because it does not exist anywhere else on Earth.

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — While today’s gun store shelves are filled with all manner of ammunition for every caliber and every type of shooting, many shooters are not content to go with over-the-counter production ammo. Many, in fact, prefer to handload their own cartridges. But there are many reasons for reloading and ShooterSurvey.com recently polled recreational shooters and hunters to find out exactly what the top reasons are.

 

By far, the top response was to save on the expense of buying production ammunition, which can sometimes cost several dollars a round. In fact, 85 percent of those surveyed cited “to save money” as the main reason they handloaded.

 

Sixty-seven percent of those polled cited improving accuracy as a top reason, while 44 percent do it to obtain calibers or loads that are hard to find in stores. Lastly, 30 percent reload to reduce waste and 15 percent cited other, unspecified reasons for handloading. Respondents could chose more than one answer as many have multiple motivations for loading their own ammunition. Read more

Ammunition

Shorebird Listed as Threatened by USFWS

American Bird Conservancy (ABC), Defenders of Wildlife, and the Natural Resources Defense Council welcomed today’s decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to formally list as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) the highly imperiled rufa Red Knot, a shorebird that flies more than 9,300 miles from south to north every spring and repeats the trip in reverse every autumn-one of the longest migrations in the animal kingdom. Though the decision to list the Red Knot was hailed as an important victory by the three groups, they urge FWS to quickly designate critical habitat to better protect the bird. Read more

Wildlife

Ohio Senate Passes Landmark Firearms Legislation

COLUMBUS, OH – The Ohio Senate passed substitute H.B. 234 by a vote of 8-2. The bill now heads back to the House for a concurrence vote and on to the Governor.

As passed by the Senate, Substitute H.B. 234 makes a significant number of changes, such as allowing the use of suppressors while hunting, aligning concealed carry with laws for firearm possession, allowing active military to carry handguns, correcting the definition for automatic firearms, and much more. Read more

Firearms, Hunting

MI DNR finds 2014 firearm deer harvest down from last year

The 2014 firearm deer season wrapped up Nov. 30, and challenging conditions and lower deer numbers in some areas likely have led to fewer deer being taken this year. Each year the Department of Natural Resources generates preliminary estimates of the firearm deer harvest shortly after the season closes. Those estimates are later replaced by a rigorous assessment of harvest and participation over all deer seasons using an annual hunter mail survey.

The 2014 firearm deer season harvest appears to have decreased in all regions this year, but particularly in the Upper Peninsula. Experiences can differ widely within regions. DNR biologists estimate that, compared to 2013, the harvest was down approximately 30 to 40 percent across the Upper Peninsula, decreased perhaps as much as 10 percent in the northern Lower Peninsula, and was down about 5 percent in the southern Lower Peninsula.

Deer populations in the Upper Peninsula are down after two severe past winters. The DNR significantly reduced antlerless quotas prior to this season and has invested in habitat improvement and research assessing the role of predators, habitat and weather conditions in driving U.P. deer abundance. The 2014 deer season forecast indicated hunters should expect to see fewer deer in the region, and some locations also saw more than 40 inches of snow accumulation before the firearm season opened, making hunting access challenging and driving deer to migrate out of such areas earlier than normal.

“The number of deer brought to our check stations declined as much as 60 percent in some locations, though hunter success was somewhat better in areas with higher deer densities,” noted Upper Peninsula Regional Supervisor Terry Minzey. “Winter severity has moderated since then, but we’ll continue to monitor conditions and regional deer populations through the months to come.”

Deer harvest did not decline so dramatically in the Lower Peninsula. “The tough winter last year did not impact deer populations below the bridge as it did in the Upper Peninsula,” noted Ashley Autenrieth, Wildlife Division deer biologist for the northern regions. “But reduced antler size this season indicated deer condition was affected.”

Concentrations of standing corn that provide secure cover for deer contributed to adverse hunting conditions in some locations. Brent Rudolph, Wildlife Division research specialist, also shared that “department research in one southern Michigan study area indicates deer numbers are still only slowly rebounding following an extensive outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease several summers ago.” The research project is being conducted in collaboration with Michigan State University, with assistance from many hunter volunteers, and also has received financial support from Safari Club International.

Rudolph also stressed the importance of cooperation with Michigan’s hunter harvest survey, what he called “a vital tool for Michigan’s deer program, and another important way in which data provided by hunters contributes to our information base.”

Hunters who do not receive a survey in the mail but who wish to provide their hunting and harvest information may visit www.michigan.gov/deer and select the “Complete a Deer Harvest Survey Online” link. Hunters should only provide this information once they have completed all of their 2014 deer hunting activities.

For more information about hunting opportunities or deer management in Michigan, go online to www.michigan.gov/hunting or www.michigan.gov/deer.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.

Contact: Brent Rudolph, 517-641-4903, ext. 248; Ashley Autenrieth, 989-732-3541; or
Ed Golder, 517-284-5815

Hunting, Wildlife

Modern Hunting Optics

Review by Glen Wunderlich

In a newly released book, John Barsness has done all the research necessary for thoughtful hunters to  understand hunting optics in his book, Modern Hunting Optics.  Ever had trouble sighting in a firearm and thought the scope was at fault?  It could be, but more likely, the issue is with “farmer tight” installation of scope rings.  But, how tight is too tight.  It’s in the book.

So is a compilation of modern scope comparisons’ brightness.

Spotting scopes, binoculars, hunting scopes (including red dots) are all explained, along with how to sight in guns.

A great Christmas gift to any avid hunter or shooter.  For an in-depth review and ordering information, click here…

Firearms, Hunting
1 … 1,601 1,602 1,603 1,604 1,605 … 2,056