Many of you have probably reloaded for other people. I was just wondering if you guys could give me some advice on how or even whether to do it or not.

One of my stepdad's friends found out that I was loading my own for my 270, and he mentioned having me do some reloads for his 7mm Rem Mag. He only shoots factory loads and has been saving his brass.

I don't have a problem with doing the reloads so much as the whole load development aspect of it. I haven't sat down and talked to him about it yet, but I imagine he will want me to duplicate his factory loads. What would be the best way to approach this? I am just looking for some foresight from you veterans before I get too far into this.

Thanks in advance,
Amn Douglas

First of all I would not try to duplicate a factory round, you can handload a better round for the most part and use higher quality components, start bye picking a bullet that you want to use, make sure its for the game he is going to be hunting, most likely biggame. Once you have picked a bullet, look in your powder manual that has that bullet BC type, sometimes there is a sweet load for a cart, just seems to work well in most rifles, if this is the case, use it,Bye the powder and correct primer for the load, always start from the bottom of the load and work up to the max, looking for tight groups, not mark,also always check for pressure signs, especially with magnums. I for the most part use three shot groups, not to waist good bullets, don't go making twenty rounds of each load, its a waist. make six of each load. Once you have achieved tight groups, tune the scope. Write the load into your log for future reference and he will be ready to go. Aim small hit small. RAMbo.

P.S. If you have a Chrony thats a plus, check the FPS to the books spec's. if your within twenty feet or so, your in there.

Personally, I don't think I would reload for anybody else. For me, the fun in reloading is when you get to go out and shoot the bullets that you made yourself. If I am just loading some rounds for someone else, then it almost becomes like a job and not any fun for me anymore.

If anyone asks me about reloading, I encourage them to buy a simple setup and try it for themselves. Otherwise, they would be better off with Federal Premiums and let me load some stuff I can blow up myself.

Years ago when first starting out reloading, loaded ammo for my FIL and a few other folks and didn't give it much thought, as they wanted ammo I was already loading for my rifles.

Since then, I've only loaded for some people that bought a particular rifle from me that I had shot for a while and tailored a good load for. The past few years I've even given that up.

Due to the general mechanical condition of firearms, you've got to be careful what your handloads will be stuffed into. Everyone has good intentions and are on a friendship basis, but let an accident occur and see how fast liability attorneys can turn heads. My first inclination would be - don't do it. My second would be - personally inspect the firearm and do your own testing with start loads until you have assured the rifle can withstand the more pressurized loads with ease. Follow the recipes in the loading manuals AND DO NOT EXCEED.

It's nice to be a buddy and help someone out - just be aware your fanny is bared to the breeze when you make reloads for someone else.

A policy I've had in our house for many years is simply this: I won't load for ANYONE else! If a friend wants to shoot handloads I'll be happy to let them use my equipment, their components and I'll coach and teach as much as possible to assist the person in loading their ammo, but I simply will not do it for them!

As kdub has said, it's a litigating world, and you put yourself at risk if you load for anyone else. You might not have to worry about ol' Joe suing you if his rifle blows up. But, say ol' Joe gets mud in his barrel when tracking that buck he always wanted to kill, and then gets the shot and is killed himself when the rifle lets go.... using the ammo you loaded for him. Ol' Joe's family might have a different view than he did, and sue you out of house and home.

Best bet is to help someone help themselves.

Just my two-cents' worth.

God Bless,

NEVER a good idea....offer to have them over, to give them instructions, even to even sit next to them and have a cup of coffee while they reload with your gear, but NEVER load their ammo.

Are some people that no matter what goes wrong, it will suddenly be your ammo's fault....missed game, blown up gun, shot hunting buddy, you name it and they have someone to blame besides themselves.

I've done it, and regretted it. Laoded some .358 ammo for a friend's (soon to be an x-friend) newly found Ruger77. He supplied the bullets and the powder, I loaded the ammo for him.

During the hunt, he found the rifle wouldn't chamber the ammo. He cussed me a blue streak...told several people how I had ruinedd his hunt. When I got to him a day later, he was still angry, and the ammo still wouldn't fit in that chamber.

BUT...
Looking inside the chamber, I found a few strands of a cleaning patch pressed into the shoulder area. Remove the frayed string sof cleaning patch, the rounds chambered just fine.

Now...this guy caused his own problem, and may have figured the problem out quickly if he hadn't had a built in excuse (me). So insetad of doing what he'd have done if they were factory loads, he automatically had me to blame for his onw stupidity. And blame me publically in range of several others.

That is was his fault never entered his mind...he had a scape-goat in mind already...and if that rifle had burst becasue he plugged it solid with mud, I'm eually sure we'd have ended up in court.

ALL of these are extremely good posts.

I would like to add, however, that if you do decide to reload
for a friend anyway, to NOT accept payment. That increases
your liability a bunch.

Dave

Thanks to all of you guys. This is exactly why I came to all of you first. It never came to mind that I might get blamed for everything from a missed deer to an accidental death, even if it's not my reloads' fault, which it wouldn't be because I am always careful and conservative with my loads.

All I was really thinking about was what a pain it would be to develop loads in a rifle that wasn't even mine, especially if I loaded them and he tested them.

I think I will just try to convince him to do his own reloading with my equipment or with his if he wants to buy some. He might end up like me, start with a cheap $65 lee anniversary kit and end up with more stuff than he bargained for in no time at all. It's only been a matter of months and I am well beyond that initial $65.

Anyway thanks again to all of you guys for looking at this objectively. I appreciate it.

I reload for a few guys at work and make a decent little chunk of change on the side doing so. I start by asking them what they want to do with the rounds then go from there...ill load up 3-5 or so different combinations of bullets and powders and let them pick and choose what ones they seem to like the best, then ill load a bunch of those specified rounds for them. Havent had any issues with it and everyones been happy with their ammo...people always recomend against it, but if your a caution reloader, i see no more of a risk in using reloads than factory stuff...factorys do screw up ever now and then too ya know!

One thing I did not mention, I have been custom loading for hunters for years, but in doing so, I work the load using there rifle,Inspect the rifle as well, the only way I will do it, Once I achieved a good load, Chrono is on the money for the load I worked, tight groups, then I will give the rifle back to the owner and give him a target where the shots were hitting, this way he can tweak the scope or sights in, then he will be ready for action. I must say reading these posts, makes you really think how easy something could go wrong. I guess the best way to deal with reloading, pay attention to every thing you do, double check things, don't hurt, I use a single stage, and do everything one stage at a time, keeping close attention to details, I stay within load data at all times. Safe reloading to all. Aim small hit small. RAMbo.

I will only reload for close family members. For anyone else, I will offer to teach them how to reload for themselves.
My first concern is liability, both civil and social, for any problems real or imagined. My second concern is that I won't be able to produce ammo any better than factory unless I can keep the firearm and do some proper load development with all the time commitments that entails (to be honest, I'd rather spend the time working on my own firearms).
Finally, I don't know about the rest of you guys, but almost everybody that approaches me to reload ammo is really looking for free ammo. When I tell them where to purchase components, most of them lose interest. They assumed I'd just give them some of mine.

kdub, Marshall, and ribbonstone pretty well covered what i was going to say....and what i do, except i don't load even for friends. But it actually goes a bit further, in some states. If your ammo is used to commit a crime (even if stolen), you may be held liable. And sionaprhys' point about free ammo is also applicable in many cases........

I would like to point out that it is not legal to load for anyone other than yourself without a Federal Ammunition Manufacturing License........period! We have all done it over the years, but were skating on thin ice. Another item is Excise Tax. If you have a license, you collect no tax only if you use all their components. Some outfits get by using the customer's brass. Although they may be friends.......you can bet on a law suit if they are hurt or a gun goes! Even if one has a license, the customer should sign a release!
There is a shady area here.........if the person is using your equipment, his components, and doing the actual work with you supervising.....there is still some liability according to the Feds. I am a real pain in the butt......but there is is.....James

I don't even like to give out load data, other than to Quote from a manual, with the warning to start 5% to 10% lower than the recommended data, along with the data source and manual # used.

Lee L.

Very timely message this one....I agree with you all...As some of you know I am fairly new to the reloading end of this great sport of ours as I started in March or so this year. I have been reloading my own for my 38 spl/.357 GP100 and recently started loading for my new DW 1911 45ACP. One of my buddies has been gripeing about the cost of ammo for his 45 and has been dropping hints....I have told him if he wants to try reloads than I would be more than happy to assist him through loading his own, with his own components on my equipment. But that I will not take the responsibility for ammo in his gun. Thanks for not making me look like the bad guy....mack

I agree with these good folks. Over the years, I have loaded for a few very close friends and helped others turn out their own reloads. When I take friends taget shooting or hunting we usually use my reloads. I don't advertise the fact that I reload for others for several reasons. If you sell reloads, you should have an FFL and collect state sales taxes. Both the BATFE and state Deperamnet of Revenue (not to mention the IRS) will take an interest if you are engaged in a business without a license or tax stamp. All the best...
Gil

There would have to be a lot of trust & confidence to shoot someone elses reloads for me.

I would rather teach someone how to do it themselves. It can be fun and you have brought someone new into the sport.

I am teaching my son & son in law currently and they are taking to it like ducks to water...they are burning powder faster than I can buy it.

It like the old saying about giving a man a fish versus teaching him to fish...this is a great sport and there is room for more.


swede

i agree with you all, i wont load for anyone else unless their sitting there next to me and thats not very often. its the thought of the litigation that i could get ei dont even let out my recipes because whomevers gun isnt the same as yours so itll probably shoot different anyway. the best way to do it is to let them use yours or let them buy their own reloader and teach them

I only have one exception to me never loading for anyone else. I have a very close friend that I target shoot with a lot, and we'll go in together on buying the components and I load them all. He doesn't have the time and since I'm loading on a progressive and we're both shootig them it is no more work for me either way. I wouldn't however load hunting rounds for him to use in his rifle, nor would I load any type of magnum loads for him, only the weak 38spl loads that we use when we go and plink.

George

I haven't reloaded for anyone, but i have been encouraging several of my close shooting freinds to load with me. I won't do it for them but i am more than happy to help out and volunteer my equipment. I have never had a problem with my own hand loads but just yesterday i had a Federal .270 factory load blow a primer. so much for the excuse that factory is safer