Economics: I didn't really save any money; I actually spent more... but I shot more...which is like saving money over factory ammo.
Pick My bullets: I could load what I wanted and when I started hand loading the best game bullets available were not loaded by the factories.
Consistency: My hand loads, back when I started,were "better" than factory.
Convenience: When I bought a new rifle, I never worried whether the ammo I wanted was available from the factories. I bought dies and brass and was ready to go.
Confidence: I could trust my ammo on hunts. A few thousand rounds a year meant I knew the rifles,kept them zeroed,and knew them well from so much shooting. This paid off on hunts.
It was a simple choice.
What Bob said, years ago.
The bonus is, by the time my kids were of an age to start centerfire, I was plenty experienced enough to get some good starting point information from a couple of the guys here and develop ideal reduced recoil loads for them. The equipment has more than paid for itself in quality time dividends and economy.
