I’m home from Canada’s Lake Wollaston, but I wasn’t able to get this Saskatchewan adventure completed by press time. Look for it next week. In the meantime, I’ve spent many enjoyable hours this past year at my reloading bench, and it got me to thinking about the pros and cons of reloading one’s own ammo.

I’m in a great position to speak to this question as I’ve loaded my own for 53 years. Back in 1966, Gene Webster of Mitchell’s Leader Hardware offered a package deal. For the then princely sum of $99.95, I bought a Savage Model 340 bolt-action rifle, a Lee Loader kit, a pound can of IMR 3031 gun powder, a box of primers, and a box of ammo. I’ve been at it ever since.

Reloading your own ammo requires a financial investment. Today my reloading bench includes a Versa-MEC shotgun shell reloader, An RCBS “Rock Chucker” press, A Lyman powder scale, a Lyman case trimmer, a Lyman bullet sizer-lubricator, a case tumbler, at least a dozen different dies, a grand assortment of powders, and a copious supply of various bullets. Out in the garage I have a lead melting pot and an assortment of bullet molds. This equipment has paid for itself many times over.

The question of whether to reload or not is far more difficult to answer today than it was fifteen years ago. Bullet development has come a long way. Today’s bullets are far more lethal and humane than they were 15 years go. The technical bullet advances by Barnes, Federal, Hornady, and Winchester to name a few have changed the game. 15 years ago these hi-tech bullets were not available in factory loaded ammo. One had to load his/her own to take advantage of them.

Reasons for buying factory ammo

Today most of the premium bullets are available in factory loaded ammo. One doesn’t have to reload to get performance. There’s one big drawback. These premium factory loads are expensive. $30-$40 for a box of twenty is typical. So, if you don’t care to reload or you can’t spare the time, the good stuff is available. For most of us, target practice with this expensive stuff is beyond our means. However, cheaper ammo is available, but we’re still looking at $15 a box.

In summary, cost of reloading equipment, and not having the time to reload are good reasons for not taking the step into reloading. If you don’t do much shooting or target practice, factory ammo would be your best choice.

Reasons for loading your own

If you like heading to the range and enjoy target practice, loading your own makes it affordable. Many rounds/calibers are no longer readily available in factory ammo. This is especially true for the old black powder cartridges and the early smokeless powder cartridges such as the .30 Remington and the .303 Savage. This is where reloading saves big money. I have old Colt pistols in .32-20 and .41 Long Colt calibers. I cast my own bullets and shoot these venerable handguns for very little cost. The same is true for my Springfield .45-70 rifles that require low pressure loads as well as my Springfield .30-40 Krag.

Reloading also enables one to fine tune a rifle by experimenting with bullet seating depths, different powders, and different bullets.

There’s personal satisfaction. I take pride in my reloading, and I take pride in taking game animals humanely with my own reloads. I also enjoy reloading. I find it almost therapeutic to sit down at my reloading bench and put on some good music.

Just how good is modern factory ammo? Before heading to Africa in 2014, I was pressed for time, so I bought a box of twenty .30-06 rounds loaded with 180 grain Barnes Triple-X copper bullets. How did these rounds perform?

In 2014, I bagged three African plains antelope, a gemsbok, and a blue wildebeest with six shots - two at the Wildebeest. In November I dropped a West River buck and an East River buck with one shot kills. I never fired a shot in 2015 as I didn’t see a deer I wanted. 2016 saw me hammer a British Columbia bull moose with one shot. In 2017 I nailed a West River buck, an East River buck, and an elk all with single shots. In 2018 I dispatched an East River whitetail buck and a Wyoming elk with single shots. Today six rounds remain in that box. It’s obviously good stuff.

See you next week.