I reload, haven’t fired a factory center fire in 40 years, maybe 45.

I always bought factory shotgun slugs/sabots. I don't shoot enough shotgun to make it worth the expense to get myself setup to load them.

For centerfires I'll buy some factory to plink and burn up for the brass once in a blue moon if I find a deal, but anything I use to hunt or do any kind of serious shooting is handloaded.

As a rule I roll my own. Have bought some factory ammo here and there when it was an exceptional buy.

Factory here.

Loading all my own as far as metallic cartridges

I never got set up for shotshells

Yep roll my own.

Oh mercy, handloads all the way, for about the last 50 years. I honestly can't remember the last box of factory deer rifle ammo I bought. Heck, half of my hunting during that time period was with cast bullets too, and you surely won't find that stuff on the LGS shelves.

Handloads since about 1976. At least for rifles, I haven’t hunted with slugs in a long time but those were factory.

Dale

Handloads, always. Heck, I even load steel shot for my shotguns.

Hand load for the most part. If I'm not dedicated to a rifle/cartridge enough to hand load for them I'm not dedicated enough to them to waste a day hunting with them .. and it would be WASTE .. that could be SPENT hunting with something I do indeed care about enough to load for.

I can't swear to it but as I look back, I can't think of the last deer I killed with factory ammo, it'd have to be over 30 years and maybe over 40.

Tom

Other than a half a box of 375 H&H I haven't shot a factory CF round since 1991.

I load for the rifles and shotguns.

I do shoot factory at times just to test back when i worked on rifles.

It's fun when you make your own.

handload all my centerfire ammo for the family and myself for around 40 years , i load most of my trap and sporting clays ammo .also always built my own arrows for myself and family .

Factory. Buy/shoot. Sold all my loading equipment and set myself free. I love running a bolt gun and not gaf were the brass goes.

I hand load everything , always have
Cat

Reload rifle and handgun, buy shot, wads and primers, and a friend loads shot gun for me. My buddy is a sporting clays nut, and is always pumping out shotgun ammo!

Hand load for all my bolt guns

Factory.

Im lazy. Ive got all the stuff ( press, dies, primers, powder, brass, bullets) to load me own..

Just havent got around to it.

I reload all my center fire rifle cartridges now; not shotgun shells and not all handgun cartridges. I learned a few years ago to buy some factory ammo before committing to reloading for a new to me cartridge. I wasted a lot of money getting set up for new guns that I didn’t keep (.500 mag, .300 saum, etc).

Downsized from a big rambling Victorian house to a much smaller place. I now have problems finding places to neatly store my factory ammo. I’m not sure where I would put the equipment to load my own. Besides I already have too many other projects & pastimes. Factory is more than adequate for my modest needs. Having said that, I think I would enjoy reloading & one of my hunting buddies does have a press.

Depends on the gun. Loading is a chore to me, so I have no issues with factory. Some of the sh*t I shoot I have to load for.

.223 is a mix because before I had dies I bought a lot of factory match ammo. Now I hand load for varmints and use factory black hills 62 TSX for my son to use on deer.

6mm Creed I started buying ammo before I had the gun. Bought all kinds and hunted with Hornady Precision Hunter this year. Have 50 left of that and about another 50 of HSM and Gold Medal 107 Matchkings. I have powder dies and bullets.

7 Rem Mag, .30-06, and .300 are all reloads.

.25-06 is using Hornady American Whitetail I bought for my son to practice. Gun shot so well I bought 3 more boxes as soon as I could find them. This was also during Covid when you couldn’t find anything. Got lots of brass and planning on loading the Barnes 101 LRX for him this year.

Have not shot a a factory load on a animal since 1993. Enjoy the load development and field testing of bullets.

GreggH

Only rifle I have that I don't have any plans to reload for is my 30-30. Tried several handloads and nothing shot that well. Had a couple of boxes of factory stuff loaded with Barnes bullets that I'd traded into. Decided to try them and got a perfect 3/4 inch triangle at 100yds. Caught a few more boxes on clearance and bought enough to last me at least the rest of my life, considering how little I use that rifle.

Got a couple of others that came with some factory ammo when I bought them. The factory stuff shoots so well in those two that I plan to hunt with it until it's gone, then reload at that point.

Everything else I load for.

Factory, not fu.cking around loading 308 or 30-06 to shoot a whitetail under 200 yards (likely under 75)...laid into a lifetime supply of Leverevolution for the 35 Rem. before things went full retard on that front.

Both

With rifles and handguns I use mostly handloads. I do try to carry factory for CCW but duplicate them with handloads for practice.

I tend to try to match a factory loading at first. Then I load a cup and core(usually Hornady) bullet for practice and deer. then a quality premium bullet if hunting sheep, elk and antelope with the rifle.

For example with my '06 load I use 180 Hornadys for practice and deer, Partitions for everything else. It copies the 180 C/L PSP for trajectory. It is used in all my families '06 rifles.

In .338 I use 225 Hornadys for most things but factory TBBC's for bulls (I have a stash).

I haven't loaded shotshells for a while. I still have the Sizemaster but I don't shoot enough shotgun to bother. I have never loaded slugs but I would like to learn.

Handload everything centerfire. Ever try to buy a box of 40-90 2 5/8" sbn or 50-140 Sharps?.sure would hate to ever rely on American ammo production for the loads I use. Boy that sure would be pissing in the wind.lol lol . I am sure left to the left reloading would be done away with...mb

I reload all my centerfire rifle for the last 25+ years but shoot factory shot shells and pistol ammo....Hb

Both for all three.

All of my deer rifles shoot hand loads. When it comes to accuracy, "good enough" is not good enough for me.

Plus, for a couple (7X57 and 6.5X55, both "modern" rifles produced since 1980), I'm not willing to give up the 200+ fps MV that factory loads would limit me to.

Years ago, I even fired some Federal Premium ammunition through a 7mm08 Rem that chronographed over 200 fps slower than advertised. AND it was nowhere near as accurate, in my rifle, as what I can put together at home.

Both

Reload for myself and two of my hunting parners. Some view it as a chore, I enjoy it. Been at it for 50 years.

I haven't shot anything but my handloads at deer since I started loading in 2000.

Prefer handloads but component availability is about as bad as the ammo availability.
I use what is "at hand". Handload or factory.

reloads for all hunting and general shooting. I do buy ammo for pistol carry and for 20ga and 22rf

Handloads.
Like most here, I enjoy crafting and tuning the best possible ammo for optimal accuracy and performance, in specific rifles. Also, the satisfaction is akin to fooling a 26" brown or rainbow on a dry that I tied.

Both although most of the factory ammo has been slugs.

I thoroughly enjoy loading my own hunting ammunition for deer, antelope, elk, bear, coyotes and varmints as well.

Mostly I load for 6mm Remington, 25-06, 7mm Rem Mag, 30-30, 308, 30-06, 375 H&H & 45-70. Haven't used the 375 on deer yet, only bear. I have used those other cartridges for deer hunting.

Someone else stated that it was like catching a fish on a fly they'd tied themselves. Yes it does. At times I've also made my own bowstrings and arrows. There's a certain satisfaction in all that.

Regards, Guy

What is this "factory ammo" you guys speak of?

Reload.

Reload

Have not shot a deer/hog with factory stuff since 1975

I loaded my own for years, used mostly Hornady spire points for whatever cartridge I was using at the time, always new components. Moved and packed all my reloading gear and now just factory fodder, at least for now.

Hand loading hunting ammo since the early ‘70’s! It took several years to accumulate enough brass to start getting serious with my hand loading! memtb

I shot my first deer in 1965 with a borrowed .32 Win rifle and a factory bullet, and my first elk in 1966 with a borrowed .30-40 rifle and a bunch of factory bullets. Since then every big game animal that I've shot, here at home, in Africa, or anywhere else in the world that I've hunted, I shot with my handloaded bullets.

I bought my first centerfire rifle, a .30-06, in 1967, my first centerfire pistols, a .45 acp and a .357 mag, in 1969, and my first shotgun, a 12 gauge O/U, in 1970. Immediately after I bought each of these guns, I started reloading for them.

When I started my pistol reloading I also started casting my own bulllets. That also led me to start casting bullets for several of my rifles.

Shortly after I bought my first shotgun I joined a Trap shooting club, mainly to learn how to shoot my shotgun, but then I started to shoot in a Trap league, and eventually I shot in registered ATA Trap competitions and years later in NSSA registered Skeet competitions.

With my registered shotgun competitions I was shooting 10,000 shotshells each year and along with reloading all of those shells, I started making my own shot. At the height of my shotgun competitions I was making over 700 pounds of my own shot each year.

I reload and have never shot a deer with a factory round.

Started with Speer cup/core, then Nolser BTs, ABs and Partitions. I have used Hornady interlocks in .308 and .350RM when I couldn't get anything else.

The only factory loads I use for hunting are 10GA and 12GA steel and/or Heavy shot.

Mostly factory do load for a couple of rfles out of necessary like the 7x61s&h, and 35 wsl.

I’m the family ammunition source.

Handloads for the last baker’s dozen or so.

Reload or factory ammo depending on cartridge.

I have never shot anything but factory ammo.

I whitetail hunt with my brother back in Ohio. We use 870 shotguns---shooting 1 oz Winchester foster slugs.

Back here in Colorado. I've used both factory & hand loads for elk. Factory is so much easier & kills them just as dead.

+1
Casting boolits gives me the same satisfaction.

Several of my rifles have never chambered a factory round, obviously the wildcats but I'm talking plain ol 308, 260, 223 etc. Have only seen handloads.
I borrowed a 25-06 from my old man about 15 years ago to shoot an elk when I was home on leave. That was factory ammo I used I guess. Aside from that it's been 20 years for me since I used factory ammo to hunt, from a rifle anyway.

Reload.

Ron

I enjoy reloading. I started in 1972 using a mentor's equipment. Bought my own tools in '74. I'm not sure that I've ever shot a game animal with a factory round. Hmmm... I'll have to think about that....

For deer hunting I purchase ammo, just don’t shoot it enough. I do reload over 1000 rounds a year for benchrest and target shooting locally. I’ve got dies for all deer hunting guns so may start soom. Don’t reload shotgun shells, thinking about getting a 28 gauge for sporting clays. I would want to reload them

I reload rifle and handgun ammo, and have for about forty years. I don’t shoot a shotgun enough to warrant getting into loading my own.

The only rifle I shoot factory ammo in is my 6.5x55 Swede. It really likes the S&B load with the 131 gr bullet. It likes it so much I can't beat it with a handload and I laid in big supply when it was on sale for $9.99 a box (this was years ago) and I still haven't shot it all up. Someday I'll run out of factory ammo for it and have to reload for it but it is going to be years down the road.

Factory only. Never trusted myself enough to reload.

I bought my first centerfire in 1973 and started reloading then. Now when I buy a new firearm I order a set of dies if I don’t already have that caliber. I still buy factory ammo ( or did till things got crazy) if I stumble across a deal or need the brass. I don’t shoot enough shotgun to justify buying the reloading equipment.

I started handloading in 1973 and I have never taken a head of big game with anything other than a handload.

Handloads for the last 40 years.

Handloads all the way since about 1989…except shotgun ammo. Never got into reloading shotgun shells.

Been loading TSS turkey loads for 10 years but only started loading rifle and pistol in early 2021. I had a lot of premium factory ammo stashed away that I bought on closeout or sales years ago. Sold every bit of it to get my reloading started. I pretty much doubled my money on the factory ammo I sold in 2021 when ammo prices sky rocketed. That’s what help me pay to get into reloading my own.

I used to reload both 12 & 20 ga shotgun and centerfire. I do not shoot anywhere near the ammo now as I used to when I was younger. So I stopped reloading years ago. I haven't fired a shot in competition since 1980. Now I just buy factory. Its just easier for me now.

I used to reload back in the olden days when you could get powder and primers

Still reloading for decades now.

I been reloading my deer ammo since '87.

Reload for all my hunting rifles.

Probably 4 years ago, maybe 5, I shot a deer with a factory load (Federal Blue Box .308, 150 or 165 grain.) Prior to that, the last one I shot with a factory load was 1986 or 1987. Forgot one, I shot with a factory load (.303 Savage 190 grain Silvertip) late ‘90’s sometime. That’s 4 in around 35 or 40 years. All the rest, rifle and handgun, were killed with home loads. Killed quite a few with factory shotgun slugs in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. Back in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s also killed some with factory.222’s and .22 WMR.

Just getting started reloading. Pretty intimidating but I am looking forward to it.

Don’t be, lots of videos, plenty guys here to help

Yessir I’m counting on that. Appreciate it.

Funny this thread came up. It dawned on me , that I started reloading the 3rd week in Feb. 1986 , 37 yrs now. I only shoot reloads . Remember when there was a time when people thought the guns would blow up? Never had a problem.

It doesn’t have to be hard. You may make it more difficult as you progress but it’s Really not too bad if you’re sticking with the basics.

Reloads, about 34 years reloading now.

Roll my own 308 270 30-06 243 and 223

Reloads only since 1975 pistols by the 10s of thousands, rifles way less but I own several rifles that have never fired a factory round. More for accuracy and cost. some thing about dropping a monster moose with my own bullet.

9mm, 38Spl, 357Mag, 45Colt

30-06, 308, 303Brit, 300Savage, 6.5Mm Swede, 300WinMag, 45/70, 405Win, 243.

Just bought a 450 Bushmaster Ruger bolt gun, Factory loads are good and available. Around 1 1/4 groups. However, my handload of Hornady 250 FTX over 40 grs of Lil Gun is more accurate. Like one ragged hole accurate. Last, that load chronographed at an average of 2397FPS for 4 shots with a 22 inch barrel. No pressure signs observed. So, yes I will be handloading for that rifle .

I guess I'm no longer reloading for anything other than 300 Savage. I'm running out of primers so I have to prioritize

I've been reloading ammunition since I was ten years old. I can't recall ever having purchased a single box of factory ammunition. Ever. I got a free box of .30-06 ammunition when I bought a M70 Classic SS Featherweight. Other than that, I don't think I've ever chambered a factory round in any of my rifles.

I've been reloading since 1973, all of the big game that I've taken since then have been taken with handloads.

Mostly reload. 45/70 isn't something I'm buying as loaded ammunition.

I started shotgun reloading when I was 14 and rifle when I was 16. These days I don't shoot enough shotgun shells to justify reloading for them but rifle is another story. I have not bought a rifle round in 40 plus years.

I use both depending on the particular rifle chambering. I've lucked out a few times where I have gotten into a clearance situation where I could buy factory ammo substantially cheaper than I could reload it. In such cases I bought all I could get. I might not get quarter inch groups with it but 1" or so will kill deer just fine at woods distances.

I also had opportunities to buy "seconds" from Federal. These were great deals for cheaper than one could reload. Sometimes overruns were available where one could get specialty loads made for a specific entity. I picked up a few cases of 270, 30/06, and 300 Win mag ammo loaded with Speer Grand Slam bullets for half blue box went for. That was about the cost of the bullets alone at that time. Some were distributed for retail but not on a wide spread scale.

I reload almost all my pistol ammo these days, it is just too expensive otherwise. Gone are the days of $3 boxes of 9mm or 38 Spl for $4 on sale. I'll buy aluminum or steel case ammo for classes as reclaiming empties is a pain therefore I have no qualms leaving it lay.

I reload all my shotshells unless required by match rules. I'll reload some non-toxics but I'm well stocked with factory loads having bought them when on clearance. With the dearth of 410 shells reloading is the only way to go and it is the only means to reliably find 7/8 oz loads for the 12 ga.

Wasn't a doubt in my mind that most guys reload, I have never seen factory ammo compete with handloads, well actually not exactly, 22-250 vmax hornady ammo is darn close to my 55sierra loads but that's it, have been rolling my own for 15 years or so 308, 243,270, 357,38sp, 22-250, its a no Brainer , easy to do and very satisfying

Factory loads for me. Haven't reloaded at least 10 years. Whitetails are plentiful in my area and factory loads are more than sufficient.

Mixed bag. I reload for 7mm Weatherby, 7x57, .300 Bee, .300 Savage, 250-3000 Savage, .257 Roberts, .358 Win, and .35 Whelen exclusively. I don’t reload for my .30-06 or .308 often because I have some good factory loads and don’t shoot either very often. I don’t bother with 5.56 or handgun cartridges since I have ample supply and seldom shoot them.

I reload for everything I own. I don't trust factory ammo. I will shoot it on occasion, like when I get it given to me when I buy a new/used rifle. Just recently I had to use some factory ammo in a 30-30 I bought. I'll burn it up for the brass.

I use factory and always have. Toyed with the idea of reloading about 10 years ago but never acted on the whim. At 60 I probably got about enough factory ammo to pretty much see me thru to the end. I’m not a shooter just a hunter so I don't run thru much. I might need some 7mm08 in a few years if I keep on with that rifle.

Hanco: I have been Hunting for Deer for MANY decades now and that has been done exclusively with my trusted, tried and true handloads.
Years ago I bought one of my VarmintSons a new Remington 700 BDL-SS-DBM Rifle in 25/06 Remington caliber - it was his first Rifle and I decided to break him in" with some factory ammo. And then use that once fired brass to show him the ropes on reloading.
That Remington 100 grain PSP ammo we tried was/is SO accurate in that Rifle that to this day that is all we use in said amazing Rifle. That Rifle has a Leupold 4.5x14 A/O variable scope on it. He has taken both Whitetail Deer and Mule Deer with that set-up along with a dandy Buck Antelope. As best I can remember all animals harvested with that factory ammo and Rifle were one shot kills.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I have always bought factory rifle ammo. Where I hunt 75 - 100 yards is a long shot.

I do a lot of hand loading for Spreader and low pressure shotgun shells for my older shotguns though, in 10, 12, and 16 gauge.

I also load brass cases with black for the 10 gauge, and 2 7/8 inch specialty loads.

I don't load for my 9mm because I don't like messing with the small brass, but I do keep components for loading 9mm on hand in case of a shortage. My 10mm hard cast 220 grain loads come from one of the small boutique companies, but I load other 10mm loads. Other then that I roll my own.

Other than my Marlin carbine in 44 mag, all of my stuff is hard to find factory. Even my 358 Win.
The original TD carbine and Sharp's carbine require reloading. My 350 Rem mag and 358 Win are so expensive if you find factory ammo that I just started reloading as soon as I got the gun

I had two boxes of factory 350 Rem mag but I sold them.off to a guy that didn't reload.
At least components are becoming more available although Reloader 7 powder has still evaded me.

Load them. Since 1987.

Both.

-Jake

Factory. That's the best thing about the creedmoor's (excluding the 22 creed). Great factory ammunition.

Factory, I've found that in a hunting situation, it's seldom the gun or the ammunition, usually operator error.

I reload 375hh, .257wby, 7wsm and will be adding 6.5prc to the list

I shoot factory .45/70, 6.8spc, 308

Had a progressive 12 ga loader that I sold

Load my own. Other than .22 RF I haven't shot any critters with factory ammo in over 40 years.

I started reloading for my centerfire rifles about 2007. Then I started loading my handgun ammo soon after. I still buy factory shotgun ammo as the cost of components seems to go up equally to the cost of ammo. Started hoarding reloading supplies during the Clinton years and I still have more than I'll ever use up.

Handloader here.

I still hand load all the ammo for my center fire rifles. It is the only way I can get the best accuracy for each rifle. I haven't loaded shotshells or pistol ammo in decades. There is no longer any savings in loading those.

I handload for 95% of my rifles. I sometimes buy factory ammo for the brass and find it shoots too good to mess with loading.

I load all my centerfires (and for a few friends).

Same here. I just picked up 10 boxes of 25-06 in a trade to add to another pile.
I did the math, I'm likely 15 boxes too many on 25-06 alone.

I load for the cartridges I hunt with the most. Shoot factory in the others

I live in a much smaller place than I used to as well and essentially just load out my range kit full time now. Basically that just means all the tools being used day to day fit in the same small machinist chest that I use to load at the range.

Reloading at its core is a very simple operation, it only requires a few tools. I used to have a big bench and the endless piles of stuff everywhere but for the most part enjoy the simplified version more.

All reloads except buckshot.

I'll shoot factory for a good laugh. Then grab a handload.

On a new rifle, I'll generally buy a few boxes of factory ammunition to get an idea of what it likes and make brass with. For premium ammunition, it's always so close in cost to buy or reload, I'll take the good brass and not deal with reloading on the first batch.

All reloads

Both, a reload for the 450 Buchmaster, shotgun slugs are factory ammo.

Factory only for 25 years.

What I hunt with I load.

Other than using shotgun slugs I can’t recall having ever killed a big game animal with ammo I didn’t load myself.

I'm primarily a deer hunter, and my range time is really only for sighting in rifles, developing hand loads, and confirming zeros every fall. Have not shot factory ammo in years. I have a pretty good supply of components for the calibers I shoot, most of it purchased long ago, so it's just much cheaper to work up my own ammo. This year I got my first 25 cal, a .257 Roberts Kimber Montana, so I had to get brass and bullets. Luckily I had an unopened can of IMR4350 that I probably bought 15 or 20 years ago.

All my handgun hunting loads are reloads. The rifle cartridges I use both reloads and factory depending on the caliber.

I only shoot and hunt with reloads. The last deer I shot with factory ammunition was in 1989 and that deer went over 200 yards with a Core Lokt placed right behind the shoulder.

I was taught to load at the age of twelve by my uncle who purchased an original Wby MK V in 257 Wby in 1958, the year I was born. At that time there were no commercially loaded ammo mfr’s for Weatherby magnums. It was a purely roll-your-own investment.

I too, have loaded nearly every rifle cartridge & most handgun ammo I have ever fired. I did hunt with a 280 Remington for a couple of seasons that was purchased specifically as a back-up rifle for use with commercial ammo. Once the primary weapon was repaired the 280 went back in the safe.

I reload my handloads. Can’t recall the last deer I took with factory. Rifles come and go here without tasting store-bought.

Sticking to the basics and keeping schidt easy is something a lot of guys lose along the way. They try to complicate things, with hardly any gain at all. Unless you are a benchrest competitor or shooting for money, there is no reason to use a lot of the crap guys mention here a lot. Load straight ammo with as little fuss as you can and you will be way ahead of the game. Or you can go down the rabbit hole and get lost or lose focus. Keep it simple, is the approach I take..

hope the young guys on here learn to reload centerfire ammo ,its a great joy to use your own ammo you made for target shooting and for hunting . good luck,Pete53

I started reloading when I was 12. Will turn 70 next month. Have never killed a big game animal with a factory round. And everything my son and wife killed was with my reloads.

I reload all of my hunting ammo for both rifle and handgun. Been that way since 1997. Youngin’ I know 😎

Factory ammo has been a good source of brass. The 17 Hornet on the other hand is great from the factory. I have some factory 300 H&H ammo, but they have set on my shelves for a couple of years. Maybe if I run out of brass I’ll shoot them.

I spent part of the morning processing, sorting and sizing 30-30 brass. It's a mix of once fired Win, Rem, and Fed brass. I have come to the conclusion that Federal brass is caca. It is softer and the primer pockets are looser than the other two brands. I'll load it due to the shortage of 30-30 brass, but it will not be used again. I also have a bunch of Rem-umc brass that seem to last forever. They just don't make stuff like they used to.

Roll my own. Absurd prices on our shelves here for factory.

Only buy factory when it's the only way to get brass for a cartridge I don't already load and have brass for.

This is an interesting thread, would not have thought so many reload but then again this site is a magnet for gun nuts!! I've reloaded for 15 years, started with a Lee loader for my 308 savage 99. If I ever think that my rifle collection is out of hand, it's nothing compared to how my reloading equipment has grown. I shoot oddballs a lot like 284 win, 6.5-284, 358 win, 9.3x57 Mauser, 6.5x55 and 300 savage. If I'm going to practice much with any, I basically have to reload. Also shoot plenty of 30-06 and 308, even stated reloading for my daughter's 223. Being able to choose the correct bullet like trophy bonded bear claws I got for that 223 from a very generous member here on the fire makes me more confident in my gun's ability to perform its job. And I feel like the 223 is a prime example of a chambering that may be marginal for deer but when loaded with the correct bullet becomes very capable at reasonable ranges.

Oh yeah, plus it's fun.

MM

Me too, clean burr out of flash hole, full length size, because I have multiples of many cartridges, clean primer pocket, chamfer case,load and shoot.

All of my rifles have been fed handloads for the last two decades. I did pick up some ammo at Walmart when they were closing it out for less than $5 a box in 243 and 30-06.

I just started reloading for slugs. It’s been a lot easier than I expected. I bought primed shells from BRI and slugs from slugs r us. Used a roll crimper on the drill press. Found some green dot locally and put together a subsonic slug that shoots about 1.5” groups at 50 with a rifled choke in a Turkey barrel on an 870. Exactly what I wanted on my home property where I wanted to keep it “quiet” to not disturb the neighbors too much. Now just need a deer I want to shoot to stand in front of me.

Same. A lot of what I shoot is a bit oddball and there's not a lot to choose from here for odd ammo.

I have been deer hunting for 60 years and have never killed a deer with a rifle factory load. Started hunting with buckshot though, as a shotgun was the only gun I owned. Took off a few years from deer hunting when I was in college. When I started deer hunting again it was with a rifle. By then I was already reloading for varmint rifles, so it was natural to load for the deer rifle.

All hand loads,40 plus calibers

A couple cousins come up for Prairie Dog shooting annually. They bring factory ammo for their 223’s and 22-250’s. They take the brass back to Texas and sell them, normally. I asked to buy their 22-250 brass one year. They gave me a life time supply of brass in that one prairie dog shoot.

I have maybe a dozen partial boxes of factory ammo for 303 Brit, 6mm, 25-06, 270 & maybe some others. Sometimes at a gun show people will have sold their rifle and get rid of the factory ammo at less than brass prices. Over the years, I’ve bought maybe 4 partial boxes of 375 H&H ammo loaded with 300 grain solids for a song. Funny how they mostly had 15-18 or so loaded cases in a box I’m suspecting that in these cases the owner didn’t like the ammo for some reason. I love gun shows.

I hand load everything for the last 35 years or so but do it because it is something to do and fun... and after all these of buying and collecting brass, and powder - components, the cost now for me is much lower than buy factory

I reload for rifles only. In the past, I would for pistols too, but never shotguns. I stopped reloading for pistols because they’re not as accurate as rifles and I don’t think I’m a good pistol shooter. At least not as good as I expect to be. The other reason is that it takes too long to load for them with the set up I have. I might get back into pistols if I get a good deal on used equipment that can spit out a lot of rounds. My set up for rifles is pretty good. I keep up with technology in dies, dispensers, chronographs, and case prep. I’m engaged in loading every week. I’m not anti factory rounds, but don’t usually buy any. One time worth mentioning is when I just had to buy 300 WbY rounds because of circumstances and the factory Weatherby®️ cartridges were as accurate as any hand loads I made for that rifle. So much that I thought it was a fluke and bought more and found them to be just as accurate. I still hand load for it and they do fine, but I do it for cost purposes as I shoot it a lot.

I don't follow "conventional wisdom" very much...

Most of my brass for a couple decades has been picked up off the ground at our local range after people leave without even picking up after themselves.. What I don't use or can't use due to not owning a caliber in that chambering, I clean, tumble and give it to friends that have rifles in that chambering...

If I shot 100 rounds a day, I don't think I'd run out of brass for the rest of my days..

I tailor my loads to what I am after. I do things like extend brass life dramatically, use loads that have less recoil than factory stuff does, and also dramatically extend barrel life. I get a lot more shots out of a pound a powder, that most who load and get max velocity. I don't need a 500 yd elk load to take down a 100 pound black tail at 100 yds..

I shoot a lot of sage rats every season, which last 5 to 6 months....a minimum of several thousand a season.. sometimes as high as 8000 of them some seasons... with loads that I get 400 to 500 rounds or more out of a pound of powder...been using Unique a lot lately, as I have a bunch of it... plus started using other powders that are available...shot gun and pistol powders in 223 bolt guns.. 700 to 800 rounds out of a pound of powder, yet still can ring steel targets the size of my hand print at 300 and 400 yds...

handloading allows 1000 times more opportunities than factory ammo EVER could...and that stretch out barrel life spans way beyond most people would ever believe...

After reading this thread, there are a lot of folks I've never met, whom I'd like to spend an afternoon or two at their local range with.. shooting, talking reload techniques and experiences with...

this has been a nice thread.. for once...

The one Reloader on my deer lease got off. This is the only place I get to hear about reloading

I posted this topic over on Rokslide, it's interesting to me that the percentage of responders is noticeably higher that use factory. Still more handload than use factory by a large margin but it's not the same.

All I hunt with is my reloads. 35 Rem/30-30/45-70/280/30-06/44 mag..........Haven't used a factory load in years.

100% my handloads

I only have 1 gun that's ever eaten a factory round...and it was my dad's '06.

I run smaller batch factory stuff in my 45-70. Buffalo Bore is my go to. Way hotter then core-lockts and way more consistent than hornady.

I can’t remember the last time I fired a factory centerfire round in anything other than 6.5 Grendel.

If I were starting over, and just hunting this area, whitetails < 300 yards…I think one would be just as well off by finding an accurate Factory load and stocking up.

Factory for me.

Same here. I can't remember the last time I bought factory ammo.

I just like reloading my own. Don’t know if I save much, but don’t care.

Roll my own. Much better accuracy than factory.

I was reloading, but with work I got to busy so I started using factory,. Things are slowing down so I am back.to reloading.

Doesn't take long to load 20 rounds. I've never seen a deer season where we needed 20. Maybe 10 between the wife. and I. Thats for 8/10 deer.

Been reloading for ever. Since 89? Any factory ammo around here is 22 LR or shotgun shells.

Been reloading since late 70's hence most of my deer have been taken with reloads think I can recall 2 deer I have taken with factory ammo. Either will get the job done in most cases. Been a problem for some folks to practice enough for a long time Expect non proficient hunters due to lack of trigger time is more common than ever with current ammo pricing.

Came back to this thread this morning and it got me thinking (!). Handloading, which is mostly what I do as opposed to reloading, has multiple benefits. Cost is what’s mentioned most I think, followed by better performance, but the recent troubles have highlighted that rolling your own lets you keep shooting (and hunting) through periodic shortages, provided you have seen to it that your supplies are adequate in advance. Hopefully as things continue to ease in the supply chain, those who were caught short can get what they need, and when prices bottom out, what they’ll need next time this happens. Hard to say where the bottom will be, except it’ll likely be higher than before.

Just checked prices on bullets suitable for my 5.7, and there’s not much out there in the weight range I’m looking at, and prices are mostly pretty sporty, with a few exceptions. Gotta check the stuff on hand before I buy..

Seafire’s right, good thread

it`s a pride thing for many of us to as said : we roll our own /handload our own ammo . been reloading since late 70`s its been wonderful to have learned what i have learned
and helped others . i have shot many critters , deer ,antelope ,elk ,caribou ,black bears ,pigs all with my handloads or my arrows i made . would i handload my own ammo again always yes as said before its a pride thing for many of us.

I started out with the one-at-time little Lee Loader for a Ruger 357 at 17 or 18 I guess. Then, at one time loaded for everything from the 17 Rem to the 458 Lott. No hunters/shooters in my family and I’m closer to 74 than 73 now, so I’ve slowly been divesting myself (and my wife) of gear and components. I only reloaded shot shells for a brief period in my financially challenged youth.

I’m still stuffing cases for a 284 Win and a 358 Win although I have a good lot of factory ammo for the latter. The 284 needs reloading to come into its own, and I’ve whittled down the possibilities to a single load at this point, so no more experimenting for me.

Both. Just last season I killed one with a 6.5 Creedmoor factory load and one with a .30-30 handload. I normally don't like to load for my .30-30's but since ammo has been hard to find the last couple years and I stocked up on components years ago, I've been loading my own recently. I also load for my .223, .22-250 and .243 because I can get better accuracy than with factory from my home brewed varmint loads but for my deer hunting, factory ammo is more than satisfactory so that's what I normally use. I started reloading in high school to save money but I've always found it tedious and boring as hell.

I don’t think I’ve ever shot a deer with a factory round.

I have but it’s been close to 50 yrs ago.

I killed some deer with factory loads when I was 8-14 years old. All from a 300 Savage except for 1 deer killed with a Winchester Silver Tip from my 1st 270. I also killed a few deer and antelope with an AK in 7.62X39 using various soft points and hallow points about 10 years ago.
Other then those, all game I have killed in the USA were killed with my own hand loads. When in other countries I use the factory ammo that was available, but here in the USA I bet I have not killed more than 20 head of game with factory loaded ammo in 59 years of hunting. The game I have killed with handloads however, is beyond counting for me.

I load for my .270, but I don't bother with the .30-30. They've had 125 years to get it right, I figure they should have it figured out by now.

I've surely killed more deer with handloads than factory, overall, I've probably only killed 5-6 deer with store-bought ammo.

I hunt with a 250 Ackley Improved, a 300 Savage, a 30-30, and son a 375Win and a 25-20. Only one of those are a store bought item anymore, and I load for it anyways.
I'm looking into loading brass shot shells for my shotguns. Haven't got there yet.
Other than that, it's rimfire or black powder.

If I’m hunting deer, fox, bobcat, coyote and turkey. I load it myself. That includes handgun as well. Rabbit, coons and doves I’ll buy ammo.

Gonna load some 280, 32-40, and 375 Winchester today. It’s raining, can’t do much outside

I have rolled my own for about 15 years now.

I think I have finally caught up with the cost savings benefit having bought a bunch in the glory days. I enjoy the tinkering and being able to load up rounds to shoot whenever I please regardless of which retard is in office.

I bought a Chargemaster 1500 a few years ago. It make reloading a lot easier

Started handloading about 1967 or 68. Other than 410 and 20ga, I reload everything.

I only hunt with my reloads. In fact, I load for every gun I own be it rifle, handgun or shotgun. I even shot two Elephants with my reloads.

I have shot hundreds of critters with guns and bows and shotguns. I have never killer one with a factory manufactured arrow or cartridge. Kinda cool.

What is this "factory ammo" you speak of?

Growing up, my father was a handloader so everything was reloaded and I eventually learned and took over my own duties.
Outside of shotgun slugs, I've never fired a factory round at a deer.

Started reloading in 1971(with a Lee Loader!) and still going at it. No factory

I shoot factory in my .243 and .223. I can't really spend time and money and do better in a realistic sense, than blue box Federal or plain old AR ammo. Same way with shotgun. My time is worth too much to load shotgun shells. Otherwise I load all my metallic cartridges from 257R up to 375.

The only ammo I don't reload is 12ga 3 inch turkey shells.

I reload all my hunting ammo for rifle and handgun. I agree with the gentleman that made the fly/trout comparison earlier. It really does add some pleasure to know that I killed my best buck to date with ammo I made. Never have shot enough shotgun to get into loading for them. Just buy ammo for turkey or dove.

I reload all my ammo too. Whether it's .308, .30-06 or 8mm Mauser.

All I use is my handloads.

I do both. I’ve got enough factory for a lifetime at the rate I shoot, but I still tinker as I like to kill game with what I made.

Reload 20 Ga and several center fire calibers. Hunt mostly with reloads.

I usually buy mine.

Handloads. Bought my first press, I think it was during the Bronze Age. I’ve upgraded since!

Handloads only……since the early ‘70’s! And……since 1990, I have no other option! 🙀🤔😉memtb

I need to load some more 32-40’s, going to lease soon, maybe catch more piggies

Used to handload (not reload, all new components) for hunting, don't have the time now, factory fodder these days. If I shot more, I'd start loading again but I don't go through much ammo in a season.

... both

I have never shot a deer with a factory load. I'm sure i never will.

Hand load for my 250 Savage

Can’t really beat, nor do I need to, the accuracy of factory in my 308s

Wish I had started sooner for 35 Remington.

I did, but no more. I only meat hunt anymore and factory ammo does all I need. A hazard of being an oldfart.

Deer aren't all that hard to kill, still-huntin'.

Whatever's handy and the rifles are sighted in for.




GR

I’m a member of that club.

Me too

No factory loads since around 1970‘ish! 😉 memtb

I use both but overwhelming I reload for my guns.

If its something I won’t shoot very much, it doesn’t make sense to me to buy dies, components, spend the time etc. when I could buy a couple boxes of factory stuff and be good.

It also depends on what time I have. To just grab a box of factory stuff, sight in and go hunting is often all the time I have these days. If I haven’t gotten my load development work done by July 4th, I normally will appeal to factory stuff if I must use that gun, that year.

Have been handloading since I was 12 years old. I love it.

Some of our guns have never had a factory load fired in them……and several of them have never had a jacketed bullet fired through them! memtb

When I get some time I'll count them up reloads vs factory. Thanks for the responses and apparently I'm in good company with what appears to be overwhelmingly more handloaders.

P.S.
I also haven't worked up a deer in the field with a factory knife in over a decade, been making my own for that long.

Rifle and most pistol cartridges I reload. Shot gun shells I buy.

I started reloading when I was 12 because my primary 'chuck gun was a Marlin 336 SC in 219 Zipper. REM/WIN factory ammo was hard to find, so it was a case of either start reloading or stop shooting that rifle. Plus, the factory ammo was loaded with a round nose bullet and if I used the rifle as a single shot, so I could load pointed bullets and get a little flatter trajectory.

My Father reloaded for his 'chuck rifles, so all I had to buy were components and dies. My first press was a Lyman Spar-T, a birthday gift that came from the original Gander Mountain catalog.

These days it really depends of the rifle and cartridge. Some, like the 256 Newton, 40-55, and 40-82 are reload only cartridges and some are reload for accuracy and/or economy cartridges. Only a few are factory ammo only rifles either because they shoot factory ammo MOA or better or they are shot at such a low volume that setting up to load for them doesn't interest me.

Factory ammo = source of brass for me.

I never shot a game animal with a factory load. Have shot some varmints 17 Hornet, and 222 Rem because I was given the 222 ammo and I needed the brass for both.

I bought a box of 257 ammo in early 60’s because not enough 257 ammo. I had lent the 257 to a friend, but he never shot anything that trip.

Almost always reload. I killed a few deer and antelope about 10 years ago with some factory 7.62X39 ammo, but the last one I killed before that with any factory rounds was when I was 12 years old. At 12 I got my 1st reloading equipment.

Well over 1/2 a century ago.

All my kills with my dad's 300 Savage, from the time I was about 7 until I was 12 were shot with factory ammo.

1 deer was killed with a factory 130 grain Silvertip from my 1st 270 at the age of 12.

Also my 1st elk with dad's 300 Sav in Utah back in the 60s. Also 2 deer shot with factory 30-30 ammo when I was in my 20s

Other then those I can't remember any other big game killed in the USA with factory ammo, from handguns or rifles.
I have never killed any big game with a factory round from any hand gun. All were handloads

I have not use factory loads in probably 30 years and based on the quality I see in current mas produced ammo, I never will.

Same here. I got into reloading in 1983 and have used reloads for ~99% of my hunting ever since. I started reloading for accuracy, but now mainly for personal satisfaction.

another thought from me ,i have loaded my own ammo for around 45 years since then have never purchased any big-game ammo . so i would feel kinda bad/guilty if i didn`t load my own ammo for my family and myself , i guess for me its a pride thing maybe even a little braggin right thing. if you learned to reload someday you would understand what i am talking about , its even a little addicting too. have a great hunting season and be safe,Pete53

Been over 50 yrs since I've hunted with factory ammo other than 22 LR and 22Mag. Add 20ga too, don't have a 20ga press or a 410 press.

Have loaded rifle , shotgun , and revolver cartridges, never messed with the pistol cartridges.
Back at the time they were cheap enough and accurate enough didn’t see any need for it .
Don’t see anything wrong with factory rifle or revolver loads , have had some rifles and revolver’s that shot it pretty damned well .
Espeacially blue box federal and power points , once upon a time they were competitive price wise too .
Have seen factory stuff kill just as well also
My shotgun days were when I was slaying doves and bushy tails , loaded them to the max and had a ball shooting them .
Seldom use a shotgun these days , got an 18” over under stage coach gun I carry in vehicle for emergencies , whish I hadn’t let that beretta O&U get away , was a good looking scatter gun .
Belonged to the NYC swat team and was inscribed as such on the receiver .
Just thought it was a cool piece
20” barrels if I remember right
I like hand loading cause it gives me opurtunity to try loads you don’t encounter out of the box .
And love seeing how accurate I can get them
Every now and then I get lucky and get .5” groups from the get go , when I get something like that going on , I’ll load up nine rds of it , mark it and set it aside for hunting season . Get it out , try three rds and see if temp change has any bearing on it , If not , Chuck the other six ln my pocket and hunt
Kenneth

Reload .30-30 Win. and .30-30 A.I. for Contender pistols, .270 Win. for rifles

Reload for all big game hunting. 243ai, 6.5 prc, 270win, 6.5 rpm, 7mm-08, 280ai, 300wsm, 338-06 deer is mainly what I chase, but elk on occasion as well.

My parents gifted me a reloading press when I graduated from the 8th grade. I received a Lyman Tmag press and dies for a 44 magnum. A friend of my Grandfather's taught me to load 38 specials on a pacific turret press, and I moved to lead swc's from 44 mag brass for my Grandfather's model 29. Handloading was a beloved pass time for me, and would still be, but so many other things have filled my time. All these many years later, my handgun ammunition is more than adequately filled by factory ammunition. My hunting rifle ammunition is likewise supplanted by readily available loads for the 270 Winchester, and 308 Winchester. In my part of the United States, game animals can be readily taken with either of these cartridges. I do maintain dies and presses to handload for my other rifle, a 375 H&H. It is not that I cannot handload my ammunition, just that I choose to spend my time differently at this stage of my life.

Started reloading with my dad in the early 70's (he let me seat the bullets for his 222 Rem. & 308 WCF). I bought a Lee Loader in 1975 for my new Rem. 700 BDL in 30-06 and I was off and running.

I usually bought factory ammunition to get the brass for a new chambering that I didn't have existing components. Pre-COVID in purchased a Sako 85 in 7x64 and picked up a case of PPU ammo to get the brass.

I have mostly hunted with my handloads; there have been times where I've used factory stuff (like coming home on leave to hunt w/ no handloads available or coming in from the rig buy a new rifle then go hunting).

I always enjoyed the experimentation with working up the right combination for a particular rifle and game to be hunted.

That changed a little bit recently, I was starting to play around with the 6.5 Creedmoor before COVID in two different Tikka T3X's (one is a CTR and the other is Stainless Lightweight). I had purchased some factory Hornady ELD-X Hunter 143 grain and 140 grain ELD - Match to test the rifles and build up some brass. Then COVID showed up and I started working long days and six-day work weeks, there were several times I was doing 15 to 17 days straight at the hosptals. With that madness I didn't spend much time at the reloading bench or the range; I killed two deer for the freezer with my Tikka T3X and the factory Hornady143 grain ELD-X during that time.

My last five deer and three pig's prior was with handloads (6.5x55 w/ 120 Gr. BT, 7mm-08 w/ 140 gr. Sierra and 308 WCF w/ 150 Gr. AB).

Since I have recently retired, I will be spending more time at the bench and the local range to see what we'll be doing this fall.

StarchedCover

Reload - Haven't bought any factory loads in over 35 yrs.

I reload for my Ruger 77 .280 Remington for the last 20 or so seasons.

I don't reload so, factory ammo for me.

NYH1.

Reload. Haven't bought a factory round in a good twenty years.

I prefer to start with factory ammo, then start reloading once fired brass.

Reload. Mostly 270 Win, 308 Win and 300 WM.

Started reloading shorting after college after picking up 3 hard to find ammo for guns (257 roberts, 25/06, and 280). No one carried ammo for them. Some guns I own have never seen a factory round. Last gun I bought and used factory ammo for was a 280AI i picked up here mostly due to the lack of components available the last 3 years.

Reload mostly but still buy some factory ammo for a few calibers

I started reloading shotgun ammo when I was about 14-15. Rifle and handgun came a few years later. Shot my first whitetail around 1975 with ammo I reloaded. I have never shot a big game animal with a factory round. Neither has my son or wife. My reloads only.

I shoot my reloads in all my deer rifles.

ain't bought a factory round in over 30 years

Yes!

GWB

Have to buy factory every once in awhile for the brass I can't find. 307 ww , 7-30 Waters, 25-20, 35 rem etc.. bought a case of 6 C once primarily for the brass when I couldn't find any brass and it was a fair to midlin deal. Mostly load my own. Bought some 55 fmj m193 and 62 gr green tip a time or two just to compare accuracy with my loads. Like making my own..mb

Twice ever, 6mmARC and 30-30. (not counting shotgun slugs)
I load for both of those, just worked out that I had factory ammo on hand and it shot well.

(quick look at my notes says I've deer hunted with 36 different calibers, again not counting shotgun slugs or muzzle loaders. Or three pistols that while I have actually shot deer with them, I don't consider finishing them off hunting lol)