I can't imagine enjoying shooting half as much with factory ammo. I cringe every time I walk into a place and look at the price of factory ammo. Pulling the trigger at $2 a shot would suck all the enjoyment out of it for me.
I cringed too, until I found
http://ammoseek.com. Some pretty good deals come up there if you keep an eye on it. For instance, right now they have American Eagle FMJ 30-06 for $0.68 per shot. That's about the cost of components, plus you don't have to sit there pulling a lever all night to get it.
I can save a fair amount by getting components online, but shipping eats into the savings.
There are also factors beyond cost. When I travel by air to hunt, I only take rifles for which factory ammo is widely available because I expect the airlines to lose my gear. At least in 30-06, the cheap stuff is still very accurate and powerful enough for most of my needs, and I can use a 338 for everything else. Handloads might bump the performance a bit, but at the cost of the logistical edge that was a reason to choose those cartridges in the first place.
Handloading also isn't always the cheapest way to go if you're starting with a new rifle or cartridge. Sometimes it's cheaper to buy a couple of cases of factory ammo and have a bunch of new/once-fired brass from the same lot number going forward. Then you get two shots for the labor of one.
Finally, you'll never enjoy anything if you focus on the cost. Even handloaded ammo is expensive if you do that. I believe that the money I spend on factory ammo buys me extra time to spend on the millions of other things that people expect me to do and need me to do. I realize that may not work for everyone, but it's working for me for the moment.
Okie John
