Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

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It sounds like you need to get into hand loading your own (if you don't already).

Handloading FTW

Just curious: how much do you actually save by hand loading?

I get the impression from the internet that hand loading is more about heavier powder loads & special bullets than it is about economy. Myself, I only hand loaded shotgun shells when I was a teenager.
 
Just curious: how much do you actually save by hand loading?

I get the impression from the internet that hand loading is more about heavier powder loads & special bullets that it is about economy. Myself, I only hand loaded shotgun shells when I was a teenager.

Back when a box of 9mm was $7.xx at Walmart, I could load a box with purchased cast lead bullets for under $5.00. I had more time than $$ then, so it was worth it. If you shoot a lot, that $2 per box adds up.

During the great ammo shortage of 2008-2016, if you could find the components, hand loads were significantly cheaper, and sometimes the only way to get the ammo you wanted/needed. I got into bullet casting during that time period because I couldn't find bullets for the calibers that I shoot.

Now that I have more $$ than time, I buy my Sunday afternoon blasting ammo. When I have time, I will batch load a few hundred of whatever for the weekend (blasting grade ammo). Otherwise, I load only my hunting ammo and anything that I want that is not a "standard" factory load (I have some dandy sub-sonic loads for 223 and 308) :innocent:.
 
Just curious: how much do you actually save by hand loading?

I get the impression from the internet that hand loading is more about heavier powder loads & special bullets that it is about economy. Myself, I only hand loaded shotgun shells when I was a teenager.
Mucho!! When I got a 41 mag barrel for a contender The cost of the dies, 100 bullets, 100 primers was less than 2 boxes of cartridges. After that it is less expensive replacing perishable components. At that same time , by casting my own bullets, 357 mags were less than .22 shells per shot. Plus the load can be tuned to the firearm for best accuracy.

I really visited here to let folks near St. louis ; of a tree service giving away firewood, cut to length, loaded with bobcat IIRC. Requires 7,000 - 14,000 capacity trailer to get it all at once I suppose. Says it is white, red or black oak 20" - 40" diameter. I look for millable logs & found this offer Erwin @ 314-435-1741 on St Louis C list will have smaller in future for those w/p'up & trailer in the area I am 85 miles away & I'd get some to mill :( if my van was up to it:cry:
 
Just curious: how much do you actually save by hand loading?
That greatly depends on what caliber you are shooting and what type of shooting you are doing. A box of twenty 338LM's is around $90. They dont make 87gr target loads for 243. Those are the calibers I load for. I have loaded 9mm but will never do it again because NATO calibers are super cheap. (223/556/308...) Buying loaded 9mm ammo is way better in my situation but buying loaded 338LM is not, especially since the loaded ammo may not shoot well because it is not tuned to MY gun. My 243 situation is weird so I have to handload for that regardless.
 
I'm a firm believer, if something seems too good to be true, it isn't true. So, in 10 days time I expect to test out Amazon customer service for a refund. I just ordered a 550xp with 15" b+c from an Amazon seller.... my local (and usually very very competitive on price) dealer want £505 for one....I just paid Amazon £223. If one does turn up, I will be sending copious photos to Husqvarna to check its genuine and not stolen. if it does check out (which it won't) WTF am i going to do with it!!! I have a 30cc saw, and a 70 cc saw...and i used to have a 1 saw plan. oh **** its going to have to go.....or else its hopeless CAD!

I actually hope it doesn't turn up!
 
I'm a firm believer, if something seems too good to be true, it isn't true. So, in 10 days time I expect to test out Amazon customer service for a refund. I just ordered a 550xp with 15" b+c from an Amazon seller.... my local (and usually very very competitive on price) dealer want £505 for one....I just paid Amazon £223. If one does turn up, I will be sending copious photos to Husqvarna to check its genuine and not stolen. if it does check out (which it won't) WTF am i going to do with it!!! I have a 30cc saw, and a 70 cc saw...and i used to have a 1 saw plan. oh **** its going to have to go.....or else its hopeless CAD!

I actually hope it doesn't turn up!
any links to the saw neil
 
Just curious: how much do you actually save by hand loading?

I get the impression from the internet that hand loading is more about heavier powder loads & special bullets that it is about economy. Myself, I only hand loaded shotgun shells when I was a teenager.
I dont reload but take the 10mm I talked about earlier. The original Norma loads were,
200gr@1200fps
170gr@1300fps
165gr@1400fps
Most factory 10mm today won't come close to those numbers. For the 10 reloading is as much about getting real 10mm performance as it is about saving money. If those factory Norma loads will run in a g20 and not even produce glock smiles on the case there still not approaching the top end of what 10mm is capable of. Why cant they load them from the factory like that any more:sucks:?
 
Reloading for unusual calibers can save you a lot of money (I have both a 348 Winchester and a 220 Swift), factory ammo was limited an pricy.

Now, for things like my 30-06, it not only saves some money, but I can improve accuracy and load premium bullets, or reduced loads, or hot loads, etc.

When I neck size my 06 brass, I cut group size by 1/2" at 100 yds.

Several of my guns have never seen a factory load.
 
20180907_152856.jpg I got a bunch of the big rounds at my current scrounge spot split up today and yesterday.20180907_163005.jpg Took a load home and still have enough split to get another one like this tomorrow if I catch a break in the rain. Theres hickory here but they all seem to have survived the hack falling job that busted up some smaller oaks and a maple.
 
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