Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Shooting othe people’s handloads.

Would you shoot other people’s handloads. Not me! I load for grandkids and son in laws, but I just won’t shoot other people’s. I’ve had some that came with rifles I’ve purchased. I pull the bullets, chunk everything, resize, carry on from there. I bought 12 boxes of new 270 Weatherby, I pulled them, because I didn’t know how old they were.

You talking to yourself or preaching to the choir?

Not unless I know the person that loaded them and trust their reloading abilities. I don't even shoot factory loads except for 9mm and 556!

Other people's reloads, N-E-V-E-R!!!!!!!!!!! Unless I load them myself I consider them to be an unknown commodity, I'm not willing to chance wrecking a rifle or worse yet risking personal injury.

Depends on who the other person is. But if they're unknown to me, definitely not.

Yes, but only from a loader I know well and trust. I have about a box and a half of .38 right now, that a friend of mine did several years ago. (Iirc) he did 6 or 7 boxes for me. Not a single issue with any of them. The gun, on the other hand, has been replaced with a 9mil.semiauto.

This.

When I knew "not so much" about the risks of making a mistake in a box of reloads, I would have used another reloader's products IF I trusted their thoroughness.

Now that I know "quite a bit more" (still learning) about the risks of reloading, I ONLY shoot my own reloads or purchase the rounds.

Not me. I've ended up with other guys' handloads a few times in swaps and stuff, but I never shoot them. Usually it's when a guy says "I won't be needing this and this and this," and throws it all in to sweeten the pot a little. I don't turn em down because I don't want to have the discussion with them, but I sure don't figure any value in someone else's handloads. The most use of any of it I've ever made was salvaging some brass.

There are two people whose loads I would shoot: one of my hunting partners and one of my sons who has picked it up loading with me. That's it.

I won't load for other people, either, unless I know them very well. I load for my Dad, my sons, and my daughter. If I don't know the other person's shooting habits, then I'm not handing them anything from my bench. Some fool could do something inexplicably stupid and blow up a rifle, then try to blame my hand loads. I know some guys who I like just fine away from firearms, but I've seen them shoot, and I don't trust them not to do something asinine (won't hunt with them, either).

There are only 3 people’s hand loads I’ll shoot, they have all taught me a lot about loading and shooting over the years.
I also will only load for a few people.

I would not unless i knew them well and had loaded with them to see their process etc

I have one buddy that is more OCD than myself when it comes to reloading. I showed him how to use all of his shiny new reloading stuff. I would shoot his without a doubt.

I load for family only, plus anyone who is shooting my rifles.

I don’t shoot anyone’s handloads but mine.





P

Same here. I helped a guy out a couple years back, and as picky as I am about some of my handloads, he makes me feel like a slob.

"You know, there's no need to really do that."

"I know, but it makes me feel better."

No. But, I do load for my brothers. Never for anyone else.

It would have to be from someone, that I had utmost faith in. Presently, I can’t think of anyone. Though, I have done some loading for friends and relatives! memtb

Nope

I will only shoot reloads from a chosen few. I'll do about anything, including telling a lie, to avoid loading for others.

Shot my dad's for many years. Now my son shoots mine. That's it.

I reload for my son occasionally, for my son-in-law, and a couple of grandkids. I don’t shoot any reloads other than my son’s or my own. Mostly my own.

Just 3 people....me, myself, and I

Depends. Reloads from a stranger without data never. A very select few who I know and trust, without question. Do you have the load data and can verify it by breaking down a sample of rounds? It all depends on the situation. If you ever shot the "white box" ammo you're shooting someone's reloads.

Hypotjhetical question for all you guys who say you'd never shoot someone else's handloads. Say you're up in Montana on a prairie dog shoot, using your .223 bolt action and you run out of ammo. You turn to your buddy and say "out of ammo, gotta go into town and buy some more."

So your buddy says, "I have plenty of .223, it's a mild load I worked up, well below max, works well in every rifle I've tried it in so you should be OK." Do you then say, "nope, sorry John Barsnees, I never shoot other people's handloads??"

It’s pretty easy to ask a few questions to see if the other person knows what they are talking about, or how much knowledge they have about reloading. If the answers to those questions don’t give me a warm fuzzy feeling then no, I won’t shoot them.

Todd

My late brother was an avid reloader. When he died, my sister-in-law asked me to help her sell all his collection of powder, bullets, and the like. He had a lot of reloaded ammo......308 and 223 mostly in the rifle category, and 9mm, 40, 45 ACP and 45 LC, 44 SPC pistol ammo. I sold a lot of the components, but wouldn't sell anyone the reloaded ammo. I kept it, and have shot some of it. He was a person who loaded more on the mild side than on the hot side, so I wasn't worried about that. But, I found that a lot of his ammo wouldn't chamber in my rifles, with the 308 being a prime example. He had a Remington 700, just as I did, but either he didn't full length resize, or something, but I ended up pulling the bullets and resizing all the cases. The pistol ammo all works just fine.

Had it not been his stuff, and I knew how careful and meticulous he was, I'd never have fired any of it. As for myself, I reload for sons rifles, and have also given a nephew some reloaded 270 rounds.

Never. Though I have reloaded for several friends provided they sit with me and participate.

I won't nor do I let others shoot my loads, with rare exceptions, mostly my sons.

With regard to liability, I often hear "I won't sue you if anything happens." You might not, but your insurance company sure as hell will and they won't ask for your permission. In case of an injury requiring medical treatment, for example.

Folks' naivete regarding legal matters never ceases to amaze me. I'm not a lawyer, never played one on TV, but I have had a fair amount of experience, including being sued in my professional capacity, and they also filed on me personally. You can bet a plaintiff's attorney will take a shotgun approach, no holds barred.

Paul

I have loaded for a lot of people. SOP for that practice is they bring me the rifle, I work up the loads for that rifle. They are provided the ammo, the data, written description of the rifle it is loaded for and explicit instruction not to shoot it in any other rifle or to share that ammo with anyone else. I do not shoot other people's hand loads. Not even shotgun reloads.

The things that scare some people never cease to amaze me. I've loaded for a few people who asked me to. If something happens to them, it won't be because I loaded the ammo improperly.