Custom loads for non-reloaded

[Huntforthesoul]

Hey all, first post here

So, in the past 5 years I’ve really gotten into elk and Mule Deer Hunting. I grew up whitetail hunting from a stand in Wisconsin, but that never really tripped my trigger past having delicious meat on the table. Since moving out west in 2015, and getting into mountaineering I was introduced to elk hunting by someone in the mountaineering community who had been very successful with elk for 25 years. I was hooked.

Anyways, now I am bow hunting, and rifle hunting and diving deep into both areas.

One limitation I’m finding is factory ammo. I have a Seekins Havak Element in 7prc for elk, and a PH3 NRL for Muley. Both shoot lights out with factory ammo, but the limitations lie in SD’s at distance for vertical spread. I can’t shoot past 750 or so with any confidence for an ethical shot on animals. I’m finding spreads of 40-70 fps on the best ammo so far. That just doesn’t cut it.

Not that I want to make those shots, but I want to be comfortable if I run into a 350 bull 800 yards away 15 minute before sunset and I can’t get any closer… in any other situation I am going to work to get closer.

Anyways, I don’t reload. I don’t have the time to learn how to do every aspect myself at this time. Have people had luck with having someone develop a load for their rifle for them, and then learn the reloading process for their specific round and rifle? My goal is consistency and I have a feeling this may not be the end game if I don’t have any experience reloading.

Thoughts?

 

[WeiserBucks]

Have people had luck with having someone develop a load for their rifle for them, and then learn the reloading process for their specific round and rifle?

Do you want to buy ammo or reload?

 

[Pharmseller]

Have you projected the drop differential of 40 fps at 500 yards?

Just wondering what the drop difference is between two bullets with SD of 40 fps.





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[madcalfe]

could always get some ammo from unknown munitions id imagine their SD are closer probably

 

[TaperPin]

Have people had luck with having someone develop a load for their rifle for them, and then learn the reloading process for their specific round and rifle?

Sure, lots of guys have a friend or family member reload for them and they see how easy it is (even many high school kids are good reloaders) and they get set up. In reloading families, that’s the natural progression - kids grow up watching pops work up loads for the kid’s rifle and when they are old enough they only have to get equipment to get the benefits of the work pops put in.

There is a misconception that reloads are automatically going to be better if enough time is spent. You could pay someone, or try it yourself and get loads worse than factory ammo. There’s no guarantee. Even a good shooting load can go south as the barrel wears, or different lots of powder are used, and it need adjustment.

On the other hand if your rifle is accurate finding a good load can be done with one bullet, one powder, 5 shots with incremental powder charge get a max load, and 10 shots at the max charge to confirm accuracy. My most accurate rifles have met my accuracy goal with the first load tried and it continued to be the load used for the life of the barrel with minimal adjustments, so in that case there’s no reason to keep refining it.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Have you projected the drop differential of 40 fps at 500 yards?

Just wondering what the drop difference is between two bullets with SD of 40 fps.





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Quick calculation on a 180 ELDM 2800 vs 2840 is a difference of 1.5" at 500 yards.

 

[Pharmseller]

I’m not that good at 500 yards.





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[EastHumboldt]

Not that I want to make those shots, but I want to be comfortable if I run into a 350 bull 800 yards away 15 minute before sunset and I can’t get any closer… in any other situation I am going to work to get closer.

You asked for thoughts so here goes. I’m not trying to be a Debbie downer or a jerk. I’m trying to use my many years of experience to gently dissuade you from thinking the above proposition is a good idea.

My personal opinion is that no one should be “comfortable” making a 750 yard shot, especially right before dark. If you wound the animal, which is more likely than killing it, you hardly have time to find the last known location let alone track it.

500 yards and up is a sketchy shot under field conditions. Wind, ballistic variation with altitude, Adrenalin, less than ideal rest for your weapon…. All these contribute to a high likelihood of a bad outcome. As the distance increases variables become exponentially more unpredictable. Even with perfect ammo, say an SD of < 10 it’s still a low percentage shot. I can’t recommend it.

I can recommend getting into reloading. Even doing it as you described, you’ll find that there may be variables between your process as executed, and the process that you were shown how to do. In the journey of learning to reload and working up a load, an attentive shooter will learn a lot about how rifles work, how cartridges, work, and how reloading equipment works. It’s a fascinating rabbit hole, all its own.

 

[madcalfe]

You asked for thoughts so here goes. I’m not trying to be a Debbie downer or a jerk. I’m trying to use my many years of experience to gently dissuade you from thinking the above proposition is a good idea.

My personal opinion is that no one should be “comfortable” making a 750 yard shot, especially right before dark. If you wound the animal, which is more likely than killing it, you hardly have time to find the last known location let alone track it.

500 yards and up is a sketchy shot under field conditions. Wind, ballistic variation with altitude, Adrenalin, less than ideal rest for your weapon…. All these contribute to a high likelihood of a bad outcome. As the distance increases variables become exponentially more unpredictable. Even with perfect ammo, say an SD of < 10 it’s still a low percentage shot. I can’t recommend it.

I can recommend getting into reloading. Even doing it as you described, you’ll find that there may be variables between your process as executed, and the process that you were shown how to do. In the journey of learning to reload and working up a load, an attentive shooter will learn a lot about how rifles work, how cartridges, work, and how reloading equipment works. It’s a fascinating rabbit hole, all its own.

500 yard shots aren't that hard if you practice regularly.. nor are 600...
what's the common denominator in that video.... there all using vortex vipers
now someone that shoots regularly at extended ranges probably wouldn't be using vortex....

 

[OXN939]

My personal opinion is that no one should be “comfortable” making a 750 yard shot, especially right before dark.

+1 all day long. The kind of precision required to consistently kill animals ethically at 750 yards from field expedient positions in a real world environment is very, very hard to achieve even if you do reload.

Remember, when watching videos of influencers shooting at 1K, that posting misses doesn't get clicks.

 

[NMJM]

When you say you are comfortable taking a shot on an animal at 750 what are you basing that on? The reason I ask is based on my experience if you are at a range you regularly practice at, off a bench my guess is in the field you will find 750 yards much more challenging. I am a member at a range that has steel out to 1000 yards. When I take my steel to the mountains I find it a lot more difficult.

 

[WeiserBucks]

When you say you are comfortable taking a shot on an animal at 750 what are you basing that on? The reason I ask is based on my experience if you are at a range you regularly practice at, off a bench my guess is in the field you will find 750 yards much more challenging. I am a member at a range that has steel out to 1000 yards. When I take my steel to the mountains I find it a lot more difficult.

Not everyone shoots from a bench at a range. Field practice and repetition should dictate someone's personal limits.

 

[WeiserBucks]

When you say you are comfortable taking a shot on an animal at 750 what are you basing that on? The reason I ask is based on my experience if you are at a range you regularly practice at, off a bench my guess is in the field you will find 750 yards much more challenging. I am a member at a range that has steel out to 1000 yards. When I take my steel to the mountains I find it a lot more difficult.

Not everyone shoots from a bench at a range. Field practice and repetition should dictate someone's personal limits.

 

[Yoder]

I would just get closer.

 

[Pharmseller]

If he’s 501 yards away he’s safe from me.

Give a shit about his score.





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[Presis Skyter]

Back to the original post. I know you said you don’t have time to learn reloading… but to me it’s one of my favorite hobbies. There are a lot of rabbit holes to go down with reloading but if you do the basics it’s essentially resize (with deprimer), prime, charge, and seat the bullet. I recommend giving it a try.

If you truly don’t want to, then I’d only let someone I’m positive has extensive reloading experience do it… and if they say they will load some up without asking to use your gun for the process, then count them out.

 

[Dawg In Montana]

Hey all, first post here

So, in the past 5 years I’ve really gotten into elk and Mule Deer Hunting. I grew up whitetail hunting from a stand in Wisconsin, but that never really tripped my trigger past having delicious meat on the table. Since moving out west in 2015, and getting into mountaineering I was introduced to elk hunting by someone in the mountaineering community who had been very successful with elk for 25 years. I was hooked.

Anyways, now I am bow hunting, and rifle hunting and diving deep into both areas.

One limitation I’m finding is factory ammo. I have a Seekins Havak Element in 7prc for elk, and a PH3 NRL for Muley. Both shoot lights out with factory ammo, but the limitations lie in SD’s at distance for vertical spread. I can’t shoot past 750 or so with any confidence for an ethical shot on animals. I’m finding spreads of 40-70 fps on the best ammo so far. That just doesn’t cut it.

Not that I want to make those shots, but I want to be comfortable if I run into a 350 bull 800 yards away 15 minute before sunset and I can’t get any closer… in any other situation I am going to work to get closer.

Anyways, I don’t reload. I don’t have the time to learn how to do every aspect myself at this time. Have people had luck with having someone develop a load for their rifle for them, and then learn the reloading process for their specific round and rifle? My goal is consistency and I have a feeling this may not be the end game if I don’t have any experience reloading.

Thoughts?

I started out knowing nothing and without someone to show me the ropes, so I learned exactly as you stated - got a nice rifle with a recipe from the builder, and followed that. Once you get comfortable with things you can start to vary different inputs to see how it responds.

It really is a lot simpler start that way IMO if someone does not have a mentor.

 

[Pharmseller]

OP, where you at?




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