How many do you load up?

[dave-t.]

When you've found your load that you want to stick with, how many do you make up? Until you've exhausted your remaining components, 40, 70..?

I'm to the point with my 300wm that I've duplicated my standby factory load that I used for 12yrs, 180 hornady@ 2960+fps, which was my goal. My original intent was to load up every bit of brass and every bullet until I ran out and be done with it.

Now I have 40 loaded up, and am wondering if that is the right move, or if I should look into other projectiles and loads, just to mess around as much as anything else. I'm on the fence.

The only other possible load I'm interested in would be 130grn-150grn ttsx loaded for deer going stupid fast. 3,300-3,500fps. (breaking into 270 wby-7mm wby speeds here) If I couldn't get accuracy with those projectiles at those speeds, then I really don't care to shoot any other load than my old standby's.

What do you guys do in this situation.

[Sidekick]

When I find a load that I like I load all my components and stick with it.

[rimrock]

I generally load 80-100 cartridges ., Ill use for a hunting trip, and rarely fire more than a check sighter once we get close to camp,or two and one/two on game ,I bring the rest home but rarely more for HUNTING RIFLES
hand gun calibers . several hundred to a 1000 or more at a batch

[dave-t.]

Thanks guys. This should have been in the reloading section, but I guess we'll run with it.:o

I have 90 or so pieces of brass left for the 300wm. I haven't had any issues with shooting far with the 180grn load, in fact I've made all of my long range shots in practice and in hunting with that load. With the new miracle Barnes bullets, I'm interested in turning this thing into a barn burner, since I use it for deer 99% of the time. I also can't hardly imagine how long it would take to use up 130+ 300wm shells for a typical hunting guy like me. Should last a decade or so.:rolleyes:

I know the trajectory of my pet load pretty darn well, but a 130ttsx at lightspeed cuts the bullet drop in half out to almost 400yds.

[Gil Martin]

I usually load about 100 rounds of ammo that works well in my rifle. All the best...
Gil

[Sidekick]

I don't know how your 300 Winchester will act but I tried and tried to make a super flat shooting load with my cousins 300 WBY and it just didn't want to cooperate. Nothing under 165 would group well. It might just be the rifle but 180's is all it likes.

[Hi Ball]

I learned a long long time ago, that my .300 Win mag and most others just don't like those light bullets once you dip past the 165 grain bullet weight. My Belgium Browning back in the 60's would shoot 3/4 inch goups with my handloads and those were Sierra 180 grain bullets for target work. I used Nosler partitions for hunting big game animals.

I always loaded up at least a 100 rounds at a sitting for that particular rifle and caliber. I tried to get those loads as accurate as possible! Now days, I have the ability with a new XL-650 Dillion press to be able to crank out several hundred rounds an hour but I just don't have the want to for more than 20 rounds at a time while at the bench. So a 100 rds will last for several sessions. I still shoot that Nosler partition bullet in the 180 grain weight.;)

Now if I am wanting to shoot my FAL-.308 or the wifes Mini-14, I will indeed crank out several hundred rounds in an hour (800) for the .308 and likewise for the .223 caliber mini-14. We don't hunt with these rifles, just target shoot at the club or back 40.:)

[dave-t.]

I'm thinking I'll load up everything but 25-30 cases or so, and leave those to play with. I have the 180's for this season, and will not get into the faster loads until later anyway. It'll give me something to play with over the winter/spring.

I have those 180grn hornady's shooting to good right now to not have a good supply on hand. ;)

My rifle has always shot the 180-190grn bullets better than other weights, but I still want to mess around with the lighter bullets. Those Barnes bullets are longer for their weight than standard cup and core bullets, to that may help with accuracy a little.

[billt]

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/79/ammo4uy1.jpg

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/6236/ammunition556mmpq9.jpg

I load as many as I can in one shot. It makes life a lot easier. Naturally I don't load this many in my larger magnums, but this is 2,350 rounds of .223 I pumped out some time back. It's mostly gone now, so the process starts all over again. This is what happens when you have a wife that likes to shoot as much as you do. Bill T.

[dave-t.]

Lord Almighty!:eek:

I don't shoot that much.:o

[southtexas]

Wow. Me neither!

[jbmi]

A new box of 20 each season, same load, same components, just like to keep them fresh.

[Scout]

For big game guns....once I've got the load I want...I load up a run of 50. Depending on the gun....that amount can last me from 2-5 years. Things like switching scopes are the only instances where I shoot very much with my big game stuff. Checking zero and hunting each year lets me use from 5 to 10 bullets.

Varmint guns are a bit different. When I find the load the gun likes, I generally load up 200 or so rounds. When I was shooting much more...the number was closer to 500.

My AR has about 1000 rounds of reloads loaded for it...

[President Obanana]

If it is a load I plan to stick with, I load up 200 rounds or so. Then I am good for several years of sighting in and hunting.

[Indy]

I can't see any point in loading up more than 40 or 50 for a big game hunting rifle, usually doing so just before a hunting trip, or loading enough to make 50 total counting old ones. I don't practice with my bjig game rifles. I practice with a .223. The skills are transferrable.