This gun is sweet, I picked it up on Saturday, this is a nice looking rifle. The iron sights are one of the few that I like, compared to some other iron sights I have seen. The size of the ammo is a bit overwhelming, and a little intimadating. However with a 140 grain Core Loct load, it is very managable.

I guess my question is, with the cost of ammo so high, where do you draw the line, when you start to reload your self?.. I picked up a box of the above, and it appeared to be the only place that carried it for $39.99 a box :eek: and only in that load, which is fine for most of my hunting; white tailed deer. But I do plan on using this rifle for bigger game, such as elk. And would like a little heavier grain bullet.

Thanks,

I'm not sure about USA prices, but it shouldn't cost anymore than $10 to reload a box of 20. So you save $30 per box and 10 boxes reloaded = $300 saved, which will buy you a very nice reloading outfit.

Bye
Jack

If you think that price is bad, look for some Weatherby ammo or even .458 Win Mag.

It is too high... I'll agree. But that's because it's new. Most generic Remington ammo would be somewhere in the $15 - $30 range depending on bullet used and caliber.

Being a cheapskate (witness my small collection of old guns nobody else wants), I draw the line at .22 long rifle. Seriously, if you like to shoot and hang out with shooters, you must reload. Beyond the savings in reloading - which is minimal because we all end up just shooting more - is the satisfaction of doing it yourself and the ability to produce something that isn't available commercially. E.G., I'm messing right now with weenie-loads (gallery loads for fossils even older than me) for my Krag-Jorgensen, seeing if I can make the tiny 81-grain bullets I cast for my .32 ACP work in the Krag. Sure, I had to clean some lead out of the barrel, no big deal, because my guess at a powder charge put them up over 2000 fps. But, I can continue to shoot a rifle that dates back to the Spanish-American War and I can do so without the least worry of wearing it out with high velocity jacketed bullet loads or promoting any hairline cracks in the bolt or receiver. However, I still have the option of shooting high powered loads; I harvested a pronghorn last year with this gun (iron sights) and a hot 150-grain bullet load, almost 2700 fps.
Sure, that kind of performance won't attract much attention to someone looking at the paper specifications but that little pronghorn can't read and never knew the difference.
My point is, the major manufacturers are in the business of selling guns. They must keep introducing new and attractive baubles for us to buy. Otherwise they won't stay in business. Anything new and desireable will attract buyers, driving up the prices they can charge. So, when you buy the gun-dejour, expect them to charge whatever the market will bear. Remember that guns are no longer considered a necessity for survival but a luxury and a hobbie. (A friend of my Dad bemoaned staying in the heating oil business for so many years before branching out into recreational equipment. The same customers he carried for long periods because they were too broke to buy heating oil to keep their children warm we also the people who could pay cash for a snowmobile. And he no longer felt guilty about demanding payment.)

I've run on too long, again.
Blessings of this season, Hulk!
91

This is a little off the topic but can you use Hornady Dies in a RCBS press, or vise/versa????

Hulk, yes, generally they are all interchangable. The industry has pretty standardized on a thread size of 7/8"x14tip (I think) for dies.

I have Redding, RCBS, Lee, Lyman, and Hornady dies and use all in an RCBS press without problems.

Most dies are 7/8-14 thread. It's probably easier to list the incompatible ones. Old Lyman dies for the 310 nutcracker, threaded 5/8-30. Dillon Square Deal dies. Lee dies, until recently, were too short for Dillon tool heads. There's at least one old one that escapes me right now.

Quite a few presses, including most RCBS models, have a too short stroke for the RUM cases. The latest Rockchucker is OK.

Bye
Jack

Hulk,

I did not read what weapon you bought BUT your $39.99 a box price tag told me it was probably not a .243, .270, or 30-06 OR a Lazzeroni. ALL of those calibers, save the Lazzeroni, can be had for $10.96/box of 20 in most common bullet grains by both Winchester and Remington at Wal-Mart in standard ammo mass produced loads.

I looked at a Savage/Lazzeroni package before buying my Weatherby in 30-06. The Arizona Ammo Factory wanted $258 for a box of 20 rounds of Lazzeroni ammo...Warbird, Patriot, etc...all about the same.

I have also read where the magnums and Lazzeroni rifles tend to burn up barrels, regardless of your load, at an alarming rate...something like every 1,000-1,500 rounds. Thats about 3-4 years for me. I have never had to rebarrel a weapon in any of my rifles. Whatever turns you on...

I am NEW to hand loading. Within the past 45 days I have bought a New Lee Classic Reloading Kit in 30-06 AND a new Lee Classic Cast Iron Press. In hindsight I would NOT have bought the little $13 Lee Kit in 30-06 ONLY because it does NOT put a crimp when seating the bullet.

Also, the method for seating a new primer WILL eventually result in a primer going off. Those who have and those who are going to...

The fit is completely and totally a compression fit. I have had 4 rounds now, out of 28 reloaded, see the bullet lose its seating and fall into the case. Why do you think they make those 'Bullet Remover' doodaas? I don't have one and a little shaking and my Leatherman have worked fine. Start all over and the bullet usually stays put.

However, Lee specifically states that you should NOT hunt with ammo that does NOT have a crimp on the bullet...go figure.

I have not used my new cast iron press with Lee Pacesetter Dies because I am in the process of painting and setting up my work area. I hope to reload my first rounds this week.

What I do encourage you to do is Hand Load your ammo. A guy I used to fly guns with once told me that 'A man will reload to save money BUT hand load to achieve accuracy.' I wholeheartedly agree.

I have fired 24 of my first handloaded 30-06 rounds through my Weatherby Vanguard and the accuracy, compared to mass produced ammo, is superior. 2" groups at any range is good for me on sand bags while wearing bifocal glasses.

Also, I always used to wonder how a perfectly boresighted rifle used to shoot a bullet 3-5" away from the rest of the group. Now I know. Do it for the consistent and predictable accuracy Hulk.

I can hand load 20 rounds of 30-06 for $8.20 using Hornady 150gr SPs and my once fired 30-06 brass. OK, so I am a little anal about the cost of hand loading BUT you have to compare YOUR cost to handload to the $39.99 a box ammo and NOT the $10.96 a box ammo.

I ended up buying the Weatherby in 30-06 because I knew I could handload for anything from a 55gr Accelerator round to a 220gr SP for about $8/per 20 rounds.

My entire investment in the cast iron single stage press, dies, 2 different 1lb. tins of powders (for either light bullets or heavy bullets), both Hornady and Sierra hunting bullets, 100rounds of new Winchester brass, Winchester Large Rifle Primers, and ammo boxes came to $120.

I do not have everything I will eventually need just yet. However, I will NOT go ballistic, literally, in my very limited quantity new hobby. Also, I will not buy the exotic bullets. My son and I hunt. I decided that I would only load ammo for the game I would be hunting.

The experience is addictive. I find handloading both very relaxing and an enjoyable. It is also a great way to spend an hour with my children both helping and learning.

At the range I am learning what my rifle likes and doesn't like. You will learn the same. Fortunately, I have not fed my 30-06 Weatherby anything that it did not like to eat and spit out accurately. I hope you have the same positive experiences.

Good Luck and Welcome Aboard,

One Shot, One Kill

JP

Jack - Believe the old Herter dies had a different thread size.

Hulk -

First, What caliber is your gun???

Second, to your question about where do I draw the line on reloading, well, it depends. I reload ALL my hunting and defensive loads. The ONLY factory loads I buy anymore are:
Loads for a new cartridge I'm not set up to reload (bought ONE box of Remington for my .45-70 when it was new, and ONE box of Federal for my .257 Roberts when it was new - just couldn't wait to pull the trigger on live rounds! 9mm Luger plinking loads. I can buy 1,000 rounds for under $100 - at that price its not worth my time to reload that many on my single-stage press.Here's what some of my rifle reloads cost, per box of 20:

$ 3.39 .22-250/52g - Hornady BTHP/Varget/3579fps

$ 7.18 .257 Roberts - 75g Hornady VMAX/H4895/3605fps
$11.63 .257 Roberts - 115g Barnes Triple Shock/H4831SC/2936fps

$ 6.41 7mm Rem Mag - Hornady 162G BTSP/IMR4831
$10.11 7mm Rem Mag - Speer 160g Grand Slam/IMR4831/2857fps
$13.61 7mm Rem Mag - Barnes 160g XLC/IMR4831/3020fps

$ 2.52 .45-70 - Oregon Trail 300g Hardcast/HS-6/1167fps
$ 9.81 .45-70 - Speer 300g UCSP/H4198/2247fps
$23.98 .45-70 - North Fork 350g Bonded/H4198/2183fps
$ 6.06 .45-70 - Remington 405g JSP/Reloder 7/1982fps
$ 6.53 .45-70 - Cast Performance 460g Hardcast/Benchmark/1812fps
$92.95 .45-70 - Speer 500g Tungsten AGS/Reloder 7

The only "plinking" load shown above is the .45-70 load at $2.52 per box - and that load is deadly accurate. I call it a "plinking" load because of the trajectory (like a .22LR) and the fact that it generates a little over half the recoil of a .30-30, meaning I can shoot it all day.

Note that the cost of reloading the Speer 500g Tungsten AGS is $92.95. That is NOT a typo, in fact its a BARGAIN. Garrett sells a box of these babies for $180. I don't really shoot these, although I split a box of 25 bullets with some friends from Marlin Talk and have 5 loaded and ready to go should Godzilla come knocking.

Newbie...

I missed seeing the caliber too. You will save money in some respects but the bottom line is that you will more than likely shoot more.

In relation to my last statement, access to a range or property where you can shoot is almost a must with that reloading equipment. You are going to shoot more!