Reloading Rifle Shells

[crop/hail]

I have a savage 270 that I bought just to take Mule Deer hunting in New Mexico. I have it dialed in using hornady 130gr bullets (makes about a 4in group at 200yds). Got a Mule deer 2 out of the last 3 years with it. I have a neighbor that reloads shells (he's retired and its his hobby) that offered to reload some for me. Should I mess with reloads or leave well enough alone. Also, I have heard that reloads can mess your gun up (too hot).

 

[dun]

Some people always try to "improve" velocitys and frquently goose the loads way to hot. Unless they are nutty hot they won;t hurt a quality gun. That all said, one cardinal rule is "YOU NEVER SHOOT SOMEONE ELSES RELOADS". I would stick with factory stuff

 

[Ol' 243]

Some people always try to "improve" velocitys and frquently goose the loads way to hot. Unless they are nutty hot they won;t hurt a quality gun. That all said, one cardinal rule is "YOU NEVER SHOOT SOMEONE ELSES RELOADS". I would stick with factory stuff

^^^^^^ what he said, unless you REALLY trust the guy. I have been reloading for about 30 years, and I won't shoot anyone else's reloads, even though I do reload for two of my hunting buddies. The goal in reloading is not to make a "hot" round, but to develop a load that works for that particular rifle. A round that works well in one gun, may shoot like sheit in another rifle of the same make. It takes a lot of time to develop a load for a particular rifle, if your friend is not gonna take the time to do that, stick with factory ammo.

 

[dun]

Some people always try to "improve" velocitys and frquently goose the loads way to hot. Unless they are nutty hot they won;t hurt a quality gun. That all said, one cardinal rule is "YOU NEVER SHOOT SOMEONE ELSES RELOADS". I would stick with factory stuff

^^^^^^ what he said, unless you REALLY trust the guy. I have been reloading for about 30 years, and I won't shoot anyone else's reloads, even though I do reload for two of my hunting buddies. The goal in reloading is not to make a "hot" round, but to develop a load that works for that particular rifle. A round that works well in one gun, may shoot like sheit in another rifle of the same make. It takes a lot of time to develop a load for a particular rifle, if your friend is not gonna take the time to do that, stick with factory ammo.

A good friend of mine reloaded and tried to turn a 223 into a 22-250 and a 220 swift into whothehellknows what. This was a guy that always preached moderation. He still was overcome by the desire for just that little more. When he died I got a bunch of his ammo from his wife. Looked at the data on the box and promptly pulled every round, dumped the powder and reloaded with rounds that I was satisfied with.

 

[talltimber]

I have a good friend that reloads 223 for me. I wouldn't trust anyone else I know right now to do it. His OCD is over the top. Very particular and thorough. Be careful about who is reloading for you. I plan to reload myself one of these days. I don't shoot a lot right now, and I'm very comfortable with him doing it for me.

That said, we took my rifle, Savage 10 PC, from a .4 to .5 grouper with factory match to a solid .3" shooter, with a best group of .252" so far. These are 3 shot groups at 100.

Every rifle is different, but I think you might be able to cut that group to 1 moa, which would be 2" at 200. Savages I've been around have been shooters with reloads. Pre accustock models may need to be bedded to get much better than that in a 270. What you are shooting now is good for a close deer rifle. If it is worth the work/time/components will depend on what you want it to be able to do.

 

[hillbilly beef man]

Reloads are like underwear, never use someone else's. With that being said you might want to look at doing it yourself. You can get everything you need for about $200, and most people, myself included, enjoy reloading more than shooting.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Some people always try to "improve" velocitys and frquently goose the loads way to hot. Unless they are nutty hot they won;t hurt a quality gun. That all said, one cardinal rule is "YOU NEVER SHOOT SOMEONE ELSES RELOADS". I would stick with factory stuff

I completely agree Dun.
Now I reload pistol,shotgun and rifle but I am a weird duck.
I prefer a 16 gauge with double aught, still shoot a 32-40 hunting load find that at your local sporting goods.
Never have found a hot load that was super accurate in my experience it has always been
10 to 15% below max.

 

[Ol' 243]

You can get everything you need for about $200,

LMAO

 

[Caustic Burno]

You can get everything you need for about $200,

LMAO

I wish you might get by with one caliber using a Lee single stage,one set of dies.
By the time you buy bullets,primers and powder you are over 2 bills.
It would scare me to start adding up what I have in reloading supplies.

 

[hillbilly beef man]

You can get everything you need for about $200,

LMAO

I wish you might get by with one caliber using a Lee single stage,one set of dies.
By the time you buy bullets,primers and powder you are over 2 bills.
It would scare me to start adding up what I have in reloading supplies.

I said what you need, not what you want. I could buy a decent truck for what I have in mine, but I got by for years with just the basic Lee press and dies.

 

[crop/hail]

Thanks for the input guys. I think Ill leave well enough alone and just stick to Hornady ammo. Hell its taken down 2 mule deer bucks at 300 plus yards each time. I could go to a larger grain bullet but I find that my rifle isn't near as accurate at 200 with anything larger than 130(probably the case with most of em). I know what my gun will do with that load and I know what it wont do.