Writing this basic primer on reloading recently forced me to think critically about my own exploits into handloading.
I don’t reload as much as I used to, thanks to limited free time, but equally at fault is the fact that factory ammo has become so good. This is especially true when it comes to match-grade ammo.
One benefit of reloading precision rifle ammunition is the ability to customize loads for your rifle. Benchrest shooters are renown for this level of exactness. They’ll weigh out cases and bullets and discard any component that doesn’t fall within their self-imposed tolerances.
I don’t take it to this level. For one thing, I’m not a benchrest shooter. I enjoy banging steel or shooting IDPA targets at long range. At six football fields distant, I celebrate when I shoot a respectable MOA-sized group.
For handgunning, I still like to reload the .44 magnum. My favorite handgun load for deer is a genuine 250- or 300-grain “Keith-style” lead bullet design. These suckers kill big game today just like they did in the good ‘ol days for Elmer.
I can buy ammo loaded with the little sledgehammers — and I just might if time gets any tighter — but for now I’ve got an accurate recipe and the dies are all set up just right. So, go ahead and make my day.
Meanwhile, my .280 Ackley Improved requires .280 Remington ammo be shot for fireforming, after which it is then reloaded at Ackley levels. Having done my fair share of this, it’s refreshing that I can buy Nosler Custom .280 AI ammo that just happens to be extremely accurate in my gun.
For defensive handgunning, much shooting can and should be done to improve proficiency. An easy-going target load cranked out on a progressive press would make this endeavor more affordable. Unfortunately, reloading components — just like AR-15s and Glocks — are in short supply.
So for now I’m scrounging factory handgun ammo just like everyone else.
Which has inspired this thought: Factory ammo has gotten so good in recent years that a case could be made that it eclipses the benefits of handloading.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and tell me your thoughts.
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Thank you for talking about loading precision rifle ammunition. I want to get a gun for the first time this summer. I will find a reputable gun reloading supplies store as well. https://kygunguys.com/reloading/
I’m looking to get into reloading 9mm, 5.56mm & .243
I have one more loading that requires mention. It’s for my Hi-Power in 9 mm.
It uses a 115 gr. JHP from Sierra (although the Hornady version seems to work just as good). I use 4.9 gr. of HP-38 powder for an average velocity of 1263 fps, as standard deviation of 11.04 and extreme spread of 33.26 fps. This is also an extremely accurate, extremely consistent loading that produces wonderful accuracy. Recoil is pleasant, but quite sharp and abrupt — no big deal.
One might note that I seem to have a real liking for Hodgdon’s HP-38 powder. I do like it a lot in the 9 and the .45. It works for me. I’ve been told by many people that it’s actually identical to W-231. I know its a very fast-burning powder, almost as fast as the old standby Bullseye. In fact, I use it a lot in my .45 Colt SAA with 255 gr. Keith bullets for a gentle 750 fps and great accuracy.
I should also add that I cast all my bullets in two distinct alloys. One is the classic #2 alloy, which is fairly hard and resists leading. My other casting does use a softer alloy, with a bit less antinomy and tin. These bullets WILL EXPAND from my Hi-Power or 1911 and still not lead the barrel.
I don’t “hot-rod” any of my handguns. If I need more power, I simply go to a bigger or more powerful gun. After all, that’s why God and Elmer Keith invented the .41 Magnum!
I should add to my previous comment that I’ve began handloading in 1972 when I was 14. A neighbor introduced me with his RCBS Rock Chucker press. Since 1981, I’ve done all my loading on a Lee turret press, an excellent (and grossly under-rated machine). I wore out that press after 20 years of hard use and nearly 400,000 rounds. Since that press served me so well for so long, I bought another one just like it in 2004, although I struggled with buying the 4-station model, but was reluctant to have to buy a bunch of new turrets. I also decided I didn’t need the “progressive loading” features. I batch-load everything. I just like the turrets since I never have to adjust dies once they’re set properly.
Also, on the loads I previously commented on, all were loaded in Winchester cases with standard Winchester primers.
I have a load for my 9mm Hi-Power using a 125 gr. LRN bullet using 4.0 gr. of HP-38 which consistently yields an average velocity of 1063 fps, with a standard deviation of ONLY 6.63 and extreme spread of ONLY 21.7 fps. And I can consistently shoot sub-1-inch groups at 25 yards with it. I routinely shoot an 18″ x 24″ steel plate target at 75 yards in fairly rapid fire, and I rarely miss. It is also 100% reliable. I wouldn’t hesitate to rely on this load for self defense. After all, I’ve NEVER seen factory ammo of ANY kind as good as this load.
Likewise, I have a load for my 1911 using a 225 gr. LRN using 5.0 gr. of HP-38 that averages 851 fps, a standard deviation of 8.71 and extreme spread of only 30.2 fps. It also produces extremely small groups at 25 yards. I don’t think factory ammo could possibly match this load. And after 35,000+ rounds, I’ve only had one minor malfunction with this load, and it was after firing about 1,000 rounds in a single session, and the gun was dirty when I began. The round failed to fully chamber. All I had to do was bump the back of the slide and things went smoothly thereafter.
While components are definitely much more expensive than they were 30 years ago, I can still shoot a lot more with home-rolled ammo than even bulk commercial ball ammo.
It is tough to beat commercial 5.56 mm ammo, so I don’t load much for it since I don’t save enough money to justify handloading, but that steel-cased Russian 7.62×39 mm is impossible to beat except for a highly customized AK I have, and I use only American nickel-plated cases for it. I can shoot 6-7-inch groups at 600 yards with it.
Overall, I still prefer handloads.
I reloaded on single-stage press only for about two years; it’s now reserved for rifle, seldom-loaded pistol calibers. My Dillon has had well over 600k .38/357’s through it. I cast a fair share, buy some cast bullets, some jacketed for the rare instances jackets are needed. I was fortunate to have stocked up on both powder and primers for my primary calibers, and have sufficient brass to go a few years minimum. I use factory ammo only for self-defense and the occasional shotgun deer slug, buckshot loads for the house guns; otherwise all reloads. One darn good reason for wheelguns; they’ll run what fits, from 500 fps. to 1500+, as appropriate to gun. Only centerfire rifle is a 30-30 single shot Topper that I have enough brass, powder and primers, as well as 110 gr. bullets for, molds for 170’s. Thank heaven for Unique!
In a cost-per-round comparison, hand loads win hands down over factory ammo, especially today in Obamaland, but in terms of total expenditure, it’s probably a wash, at least that’s been my experience.
When I first started shooting seriously on a regular basis, my shooting time was limited by the cost of factory ammo. So, I started reloading. Reloading significantly reduced my cost-per-round, as intended, so I started shooting more, much more. In the final analysis, I was spending at least as much (probably more) money as I was when I was shooting only factory ammo.
I look at it this way, the more I shoot, the better shot I (should) become, and that’s what it’s all about for me. That said, I’m all in for hand loading, big time.
I`m the “Match Director”,for our local rifle range,in Alaska,where we shoot rifles matches every Sunday evening,in the Summer Season. We alternate between shooting 22 rimfire at 50 & 100 yards,and “Varmint For Score” at 200 yards. The 10 ring at our 200 yard target is .9″ or 9/10″ in diameter. If you don`t reload,you don`t stand a chance of ever winning. It takes 25 record rounds,to complete a 200 yd Rifle Match,and unlimited sighters.Factory Ammo will do 1 M.O.A. in a good rifle,and if that satisfies you,that`s great. But I `m the type who`s never satisfied,and always looking at ways to make smaller groups,not just one 5 shot group,but an “Average or Aggregate”. It helps come Hunting season,when that trophy animal is only going to give you one shot,and you`ve been shooting all summer & have the confidence to take the shot,Humanely,and the trophy home too.Factory Ammo has come a long way,but the smallest groups are always with “Handloads”,Mike Kerwood
Reload. Heck you can’t buy the stuff. I have reloaded since 1979. After becoming a very accurate shooter, it is the next step, being able to recycle used cases into new rounds especially when you can make them function as good or better than factory stuff. There is no reason to put full velocity loads through your firearms just to shoot paper targets. Makes the firearms last a lot longer doing it that way. I load .38 Spcl/.357, 9mm, 45 ACP, 45 AR, .45 Colt, 380, and .30 carbine now. Might get into .308 if I decide on the Springfield M-1A. I hope the people who are hoarding ammo and components lose their shirts on it when the supply catches up with the artificial demand.
It depends on many things, but cost is a big factor for me. I reload for the 45/70 and have a much wider range of bullet types and weights to choose from than you ever find from a manufacturer, especially with cast bullets. Load with a light bullet and powder charge for short range plinking or max out a monster slayer just in case. At around $1.50 per shot for commercial ammo, you save so much per-shot that it is easy to pay for the cost of reloading equipment and supplies from the cost savings in just a few hundred rounds!
I originally got into relaoding due to the high price of ammo to feed my Jap Type 99s and Type 38s (I collect them heavily and regularly shoot and hunt with them). Norma of Sweden was the only commercial loader at about $40 per box in the 1990s! But,now Hornady makes a nice loading using Prvi Partisan brass that sells for $25-$30 per 20 rounds. However, loading the old Norma ammo peaked my interest. I got into it and I was hooked. I found that I am still able to get a quality customized round for what I would pay for standard factory loaded fodder. I now reload .30-06, .308 Win, .35 Rem, .270 Win and the dies and bullets for a few others. Contrary to what I have read here, there is still some components available. Cabelas has components in their stores. Powder and bullets most times. I find primers 1 out of every 4-5 visits. There is also components on the on-line gun auction sites (you know the ones), albeit, at inflated prices. You need to do some shopping. I still purchase factory loaded ammo when I find it because every box has a future as reloading brass. I constantly add to my component supplies in order to keep me and my family shooting, hunting and protecting ourselves long after the commercial ammo sources dry up or are cut off.
Good the Nosler Ackley brass worked for you, it hasn’t for all loaders. SAAMI made some changes to the original design mainly in the shoulder area. Some loaders have reportede case head seperation on the first firing. The problem isn’t SAAMI or Nosler but some of the older chambers that were cut to different dimentions due to lack of any standard.
Started loading in the early sixtys and still going strong. The problem I find with factory ammo is that one lot may work very well in your gun but buy a couple boxes next year and they may not be the same powder/priomer and your gun may not like them. You could burn through a lot of different manufactures rounds looking for one that your rifle likes. Except for 22LR/mag, none of my rifles or handguns shoot factory ammo.
I have loaded over 30k rounds, in seven calibers, since Aug of 2010. I shoot in several different competitions and could not shoot in any if it were not for reloading.
Welcome to the club!!! Make sure you keep detailed, accurate records for every batch and round you load and keep lots of notes as well.
To assist your efforts, you should buy a chronograph and keep detailed records of your loading results as well. It will greatly assist you in building great loads.
My records indicate I’ve loaded well over 1.3 million rounds since I began as a kid. However, many of those rounds went to my Dad, my three kids (ages 33 to 30) and many friends.
I load for the .32 ACP, .380 ACP, 9mm Parabellum, .38 S&W, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .41 Magnum, .44 Special, .44 Magnum, .45 Colt, 5.56mm NATO, 7.62x39mm, .30-30 Win., 8mm Mauser and the .45-70 Govt.
Like you, I’d be sitting at home wishing I was at the range rather than being at the range and pushing lead downrange.
This has rapidly become a moot question. There is no factory ammunition to be had, period. It’s been almost 4 months now since any common handgun ammo has been seen on the shelves of any local, or on-line reseller. That leaves one option only, reload your own. Now the trick becomes finding primers (there aren’t any) and powder (there isn’t any). The ammunition people that have resaponded to my numerous e-mails all claim to be building and shipping millions of rounds every day (Blazer/CCI and Remington both actually responded) but they claim that “the hoarders” are taking it all. I have an opinion on that; horders cannot hoard if nothing ever gets into a store, and that’s what’s happening, so I’m inclined to believe there is something else at work here. There is zero Alliant Bullseye powder, and not a single box of any small pistol primers to be found, and I jsut checked 6 local selleres, and 19 on-line sites.
Perhaps I’m lucky. Perhaps I was also smart.
I began hoarding primers years ago, when they were still selling for $20 per thousand. They currently sell for $30-$40 per thousand when you do find them.
When I began handloading back in the early 1970s, primers could be had for $10 per thousand!!!
I saw the price trend, so I sacrificed a lot just to build a stockpile of primers. I was still buying them when they hit $30/thousand, saving my stockpile. I’m so glad I did.
What I didn’t foresee was the high prices brass casings now command. Thankfully, I hoarded a butt-load of cases when they were either free or extremely cheap.
Powder is also an issue, but not as bad. In the early 1970s, a pound of Bullseye or Unique went for less than $10/pound. heheheheheh. Look at the prices today.
Scarcity of components is indeed an issue today, and they are much higher than they used to be. But they are out there.
And yes, factory ammo is hard to find, and prices are through the roof. But components can be found if you look really hard. Just be prepared for sticker price shock.
Handloading is still cheaper than factory stuff if you shop hard for components, and that isn’t always easy. Today;s factory ammo is tough to beat for accuracy, but I do it all the time. Homework, homework, homework and lots of research is all it takes.
Factory or home made that is the question. I look at it this way. I buy store bought fodder for back yard shooting but, I also reload to keep my skills up and my supplies up to date. With the way things are going there may likely come a day that ammo is even harder to get than it currently is. I reload several pistol and rifle loads. In reloading I have learned to identify most powder types, Bullet sizes and shell casings. I know that when ammo gets hard to get if all I own is a 223 I know I can take the bullet from a 22-250, easily press out the primer and use a little less of the powder to make one more 223 round. IF I HAD TO. Same thing goes for other ammo. If all I have is a 38 and empty shells, I can make them from 357 rounds. I know a lot (If not all of you) are saying this guy is insane. But, when push comes to shove. The knowledge is worth the effort.
I can not afford factory ammo, so I have to reload. I quit shooting about a year ago and there is a great shortage of ammo and reloading supplies. I am slowly getting all of my brass reloaded. When we get rid of the fraud in the Whitehouse and the damocrats and rinos we will be able to buy at a reasonable price. Heck we might even be able to find a Job!!!!!!!!!!
I have been reloading for 58 years. I load for pistol, rifle and shotgun, plus I cast my own bullets. I love it. In fact I still have my original cartridge press I started with. It is an “H” design, called a Dunbar.
Jim
Well with no factory ammo to buy anywhere at any price .. my reloaded ammo is the way to go…keep checking but NO FACTORY ammo around… and i reload pistol and rifle and get good ammo for the buck too…….
I reload for .38Special and .357Magnum. I also cast my own bullets- Elmer Keith’s design with the Lyman 358429 Mold for .38s, and the Lyman 358477 mold for midrange .357s. It costs me a mere to $4 to $6 for a box of 50 rounds, including my electricity and bullet lube to do that. If I use factory bullets, It costs me around $10. I also reload assorted shotgun shells. Buckshot, Target loads, and field loads. Costs vary a bit. Buckshot is slight savings, Target loads are basically a $1 less than garbage non-reloadable target loads, Field Loads are half price. I have a decent supply of components.
I reload even MORE now that ammo is so hard to get especially .223 and 9mm !! A dolar a bullet in bulk ?? that is absurd!!
I must say, that I have seen both good and bad with factory loaded ammo. A lot comes down to the rifle. In my Remington 7mm Ultramag, Remington factory Core Lokts, will group less than 3/4″ at 100 yards. Problem is the $55 price per box. Then again, this is not a rifle you want to shoot a lot, anyway. the load is so hot, at 3425 fps, that the barrel will shoot out, if not allowed to cool, or shot too much. Load testing on this caliber, can be hard on the barrel and your wallet, so, it might be easier on some, to just use factory ammo.
And, as Chuck pointed out, there is not any factory ammo available right now.
With no exceptions, my reloads outperform factory ammo – especially for my rifles.
I started reloading in the 1980’s with a Lee Load All, purely out of financial necessity. As time went on, I would buy and store components when I saw a good deal. Equipment can be costly, but if you reload for a long time, you’ll recover your costs, depending on how you value your leisure time. I’ve reloaded .38. ,.357 Mag, .357 Max, .45 ACP, 9mm, .308 Win, .223 Rem and 12 gauge.
Some of my loads performed better than factory loads. In fact, you could not buy commercial .357 Maximum rounds. Still, for most informal shooting purposes, the ammunition did not account for the variations in my performance. I reloaded mostly for cost savings and the pure fun of the process.
For the last two years, my casual shooting needs have mostly been met by factory ammunition. When per round costs are within 10 or 20 cents of my own costs, I’ll buy commercial. But everything changed in the last six months. Factory ammunition and reloading components are scarce or quickly snapped up, even online. Prices are unacceptably inflated even for .22 rimfire calibers. If I want to shoot now, I have to reload.
In today’s “Obama scare” frenzy, I find it is either reload, or don’t shoot, since NOBODY has any ammo, not even .22LR! Luckly I stocked up on a lot of stuff PRIOR to the election……
While the quality of factory loaded ammunition has improved over the years so has cost. The recent craze of hording has not only hampered our purchasing of factory ammo, but also has hit the reloading component supplies as well. The AR’s .224 bullet for example, is hard to find and when you do prices are jacked up to over triple the normal cost. Powder and primers have become critical as well.
I still reload all my center fire ammunition for Bullseye
Matches where factory ammo is just to hot for one handed shooting.
Handloading your own will never cease to be the prime source of of avid shooters ammunition.
Go varmint shooting and use up 1,000 plus rounds of 22-250, 243, 204 and 223 ammo, what’s the cost? With prices jumping up everyday I can have 4 times the ammo as the factory loads.If you don’t shoot but a few hundred rounds per year then by all means buy the factory. (I am not going to compare imported steel case ammo as it doesn’t even come close to the quality of what I reload)Since I buy bulk on everything from primers to brass and bullets I haven’t been affected by the ‘hoarders’or the shortage of ammunition. My family members and friends I reload for have no shortage and are not affected by the huge spikes in ammo prices. I reload well over 2,000 rounds of different platforms per year. No empty shelves at my ammo supplier! No complaints about inconsistent ammo either.
As good as factory ammo has gotten it is still not as good as a load worked up for one particular rifle. I guess it all depends on if you want the best accuracy or good enough accuracy.
I reload for bench, works best.
I reload for pistol. At todays prices $25 for a box of 45 on sale kills me since I can reload for the price of powder and primer and my own cast bullets. Since I shoot 300 rounds a weekend,I am not spending $150.00 for ammo.
Gotta say $3.00 for a reloaded box of 45 is only costing me time.. But I find it a relaxing hobby. My Dillon cranks out some fine ammo..
I also have to mention I use Factory made rifle ammo to establish a benchmark which I challenge to do better.
If you only shoot a limited number of times or with only a few guns then factory ammo fills the bill, however go varmint shooting and go through one thousand rounds in several rifles and count up over twenty dollars (sometimes much more) per box and it is quite expensive. Unless you are Romney wealthy reloading gives great enjoyment not only for the shooting experience but it rewards you with greater knowledge and appreciation for the understanding of ballistics, weaponry and shooting skills. I reload on average two thousand rounds a year for no less than 12 different platforms. Admittedly, I am retired and have the time to involve myself in this great pastime. Those that I have helped reload or reload for all admit that their final recipe for their weapon is nothing short of excellent and it helps their accuracy at a minimal cost.
I will always reload because I enjoy it. Very relaxing. Commercial ammunition getting harder and harder to find in my area right now. Even places like cabelas limiting to 10 boxes now, if they have what you’re looking for, and a lot of the gun shops running low or out. Government buying most of popular handgun calibers and some rifle calibers. Reloading is the only way to put together any quantities right now. Can’t shoot without ammunition, and I like to shoot.
Reloading has always made sense. In the current environment it makes a LOT of sense. A well set up reloaded will have control of the type of ammo on hand and when it is available. Currently the cost savings is the widest spread in many years!
Until I can walk into a shop and be certain that I can buy 147 9mm rounds that just exceed the minor power factor, 40 S&W that just makes the major power factor, hot jhp rounds for .21 a round and accurate .223 for the same ( not counting my labor) – reloading makes a LOT of sense. I but 22LR and 12 gauge. The rest I make to my specs with (IMHO) great results!
I agree with a couple of the submitters in that casting my own bullets and reloading can save quite a bit of money especially for my handguns – 44 and 45. But, I do not reload as much for all my rifles because I can get very good accuracy from commercial ammunition. I do still keep components around and reload and shoot for practice and cost savings.
All factory ammo is, is re-loading done on a bigger scale.
We can make the same loads as defensive ammunition at a much reduced price. You can just about re-load a box of ammunition for half the price as factory. This alone works for me. My re-loading gear paid for it’s self years ago.
The cost factor way out weighs the factory availability. All of the panicked masses are buying up everything they can. I can load most of ammunition needs with what I have stored over time.
Casting handgun bullets is also an alternative that many hand loaders over look.Copper cups for gas checks are not real cheap any more for the hot loads but, they still allow loading of magnum rounds. I feel there is always time for re-loading. Instead of sitting in front of the idiot box as many do, get out the supplies and get busy. Practice as much as possible as shooting requires tons of it. Muscle memory and other skills need constant work so the skill level stays up.
Unfortunately, factory ammo just isn’t that good … the factories (to my admitted incomplete knowledge) measure powder based on volume, not weight, and a large number of analyses show that can vary by as much as 10%. Plus, bullet selection is based entirely on commercial considerations.
That may meet a lot of shooters needs, but …
Actually factory ammo is pretty darn good these days, especially the premium stuff from Black Hills, Hornady, Corbon, Buffalo Bore & others. They also have access to components that we as handloaders just don’t. That’s why in many cases handloaders can’t safely match the muzzle velocity of many factory loads; they use special blended powders that require a great deal of time & expensive equipment to develop, and just aren’t available to us.
The only advantages to handloading come first & foremost in cost. You can shoot more for the same amount of money spent. Beyond that you can also shoot cartridges that are no longer commercially available, and you can tune a load to your specific rifle possibly achieving better accuracy.
One thing you should NEVER do is use handloaded ammo for self-defense! That can come back to bite in a bad way!!!
I guess you have had issues with your reloads misfiring or not performing. I have been reloading for 30 years and have never had a metallic cartridge misfire. On the other hand, in that same time period, I have had 3 factory load misfires. The bottom line here, is that you can have a misfire regardless of who loads it, but I trust mine more than anyone elses.
I agree with you about not reloading your own defensive ammo, but I think you are giving the factory ammo too much credit. I LOVE Black Hills ammo, or at least I did until I started checking it. This is supposed to be MATCH grade ammo and you pay a premium for it. My most recent case of .308 175gr was an interesting revelation. Have you ever checked the “match” ammo for bullet runout? Go grab yourself a Hornady Concentricity Tool and check your ammo. 80% of my “match” ammo was had bullet runout of greater than .002. Some were SIGNIFICANTLY wacked. Now I check ALL my rifle ammo for runout and don’t trust that just because it came from Black Hills it’s going to be perfect. If you are trying to squeeze long range accuracy out of every shot, EVERYTHING matters and factory ammo doesn’t simply cut it or replace the tolerances of hand loading your own ammo.
If you count STRICTLY and ONLY the financial part of reloading, reloading USUALLY won’t make sense. Many of us however, just as in any other hobby, enjoy the challenges, advantages, and satisfactions of rolling our own and that makes it worthwhile.
I strongly disagree. Most people don’t actually save a lot of money reloading, but that’s generally because that (like me) they shoot more! By reloading my own ammo I can shoot anywhere from 3-5 times as much for the same amount of money spent even if I were buying the least expensive ammo available. There are exceptions to that of course. Some imported ammo is cheap enough that it doesn’t really make a lot of sense to reload for those specific cartridges (5.54x39mm for example), but overall you will get to shoot more if you reload!
Ummmm, I think that’s the point hubcap was making. 🙂
You can reload .338 LM for less than half the cost of a box of 20 Rounds (those’ll run ya $130/box if not more). You’re statement is conditionally true and probably only true for small rounds. I can reload my Match grade .308 ammo for half the cost as well.
I’d say that it depends on the individual rifle and if you can get better accuracy than with factory loads. Plus, there are a lot of different bullets that are not loaded for all calibers. But, if your rifle fires factory rounds in the bullet your want, then I would agree that you need not reload. In four of my six rifles, I get better accuracy with handloads I’ve developed.
In terms of pistols, the biggest advance since the 1911 design have been in the form of ammunition advances. The ammo that I shot as a kid in the 70s is not even close to the effectiveness of the advanced ammo out today. In terms of defensive ammo, you just don’t get the same results with walmart brand target ammo as you can with Hornady Defensive ammo. Wouldn’t most reloads be closer to the target ammo
You can’t put Hornady defensive loads like Critical Defense or Critical Duty in the same category as Walmart target ammo. What makes them more effective is the advances in ballistics and terminal performance, specifically in the bullet. Target ammo won’t have hollow point, much less technology like FlexTip.
So hand loading can give you the best of both worlds. Want cheap plinking or USPSA ammo? You buy lead / molly round nose. Your tolerances don’t have to be exact from shot to shot and using a progressive press cranks the target ammo out in a jiffy.
Want bench rest accuracy and performance? You buy premium components and hand load to the EXACT grain by measuring every grain on every case MANUALLY. You double check case length, neck sizing and headspacing with micrometers and you load every round on a single stage nice and easy. It’s not about quantity at this point, it’s about quality. And that quality, in the handes of a competent hand loader, will ALWAYS exceed the quality of ANY factory load by the mere fact that no assembly line operation can have the exact tolerances of hand loading.
I currently reload .300 ultramag,30-06,7mm-08,30-30,.44 magnum,.45 acp, 9mm,357 magnum and .38 special plus 12 gauge shotgun