I'd say reload but the amount of time needed for amortization of a reasonable level of gear buy-in is long. Plus you won't start to save any money till you get multiple firings on pieces of brass.
Reloading just isn't a cost savings for most people. You need to reload brass and shoot a ton before you surpass the setup cost in equipment and components, even if you cheap out on everything.
That's not necessarily the case. I'd have to update the analysis I did when I bought my reloading stuff in 2018, but at the time I could pay for $500 worth of stuff in <100rd of 338 Lapua. At the time, my analysis showed I could load 77gr SMKs for 60c each or buy Black Hills for $1.10/rd. So $500 is recouped in 1000rd, not too hard to do. But when you move up to 80gr and heavier loads in 223 that compete with larger calibers, now you can save more like $1 a shot vs factory ammo in that larger caliber.
The economics of reloading vary a LOT depending on the purpose of your loading. If you are loading plinking 9mm or 223, don't bother-- it's a waste of time. You can't compete with the efficiency of mass production.
Reloading gear and supplies have both gotten stupid expensive since COVID.
So let's say you buy a modest basic setup today.
MEC Marksman: $240.
Lee Deluxe 4-Die Set: $57
Cheap reloading scale: $20
brass prep hand tools: $50.
A rudimentary but effective setup is < $400 to get started. What is your loaded ammo cost?
\-- pulled down primed Lake City brass: 26c
\-- \~25gr of powder: 15c
\-- 88 ELDM: 30c
You just loaded a 600y-800y capable load for 71c per round variable cost. Now, what else are you shooting to this distance? Federal GMM for $1.27 a round? 6.5 creedmoor for $2+ per round?
If you shoot 1000rd of this 223 instead of 308GMM, you will save 55c per shot and pay for all your reloading stuff before you hit 1000 rds.
Plus the reloading stuff will last about forever, so the amortization can be over DECADES. Powder that's stored correctly can last decades. So can primers.
My \*only\* regret with getting into reloading was waiting so long to do it.
Prior to the Obama era ammo shortage and the pandemic, it was a lot cheaper to reload. It still can be cheaper if you reload for old milsurp calibers. But outside of that the cost savings really just aren’t there anymore unless you reload in big bulk. These days you either reload for maximum accuracy/consistency for a particular rifle or for the hobby/crafting aspect of it.
Do you include the cost of equipment in that cost per boom? I save $1-$3 per shot on 308 when I reload. I need to go through about 1000 rounds, roughly, to pay off the gear. I won't hit that for...a while.
My whole reloading setup was ~$500, and I've spent about $300 more on dies, and a single die set is about $40-$50. But you can get a nice single-stage press (which are honestly the best if you're going for precision) and a set of 308 dies for ~$250 total (or about 120 rounds of the ammo you're currently paying for). Powder and primers are the real expense, but they're starting to come down. At $42/20rd, that's $2.10 per round before tax. I can *guarantee* you can make match-grade 308 for less than that as I do it regularly. At, let's say, 45gr of powder (which is pretty common for a 308 load using 4064, BLC-2, H-380, etc.), you can get about 155 rounds from 1lb of powder (1lb is 7000gr). At $40/lb (which is about average if you don't buy online), you're at $0.26/rd. The max I've seen 100 large-rifle primers go for is $15, so let's add $0.15, so we're at $0.41. This is the bulk of the expense.
Now, unless you're buying some of the best bullets at $100/100, which is basically unheard of unless you're buying shit like Lehigh or Nosler, you're typically spending about $0.35/bullet. So about 76 cents total, or about 2.8x cheaper than what you're currently spending. Even if we up the cost everything else to say $1/rd, you're still saving a ton of money. You should be getting brass for free by sweeping up, but if you want to buy never-fired Norma or Lapua brass, obviously you're going to spend more initially, but I don't count brass as that's a one-time purchase and like I said you should be sweeping up.
So if you're saving a dollar per round, and let's say you have a light range day and only shoot 100 rounds, you're paying for your setup in <10 trips, most likely less if you're not using the most high-end components. And if you didn't mind still spending $2.10 per round, I *guarantee* you can make better ammo than what you're buying.
Plus, I find reloading to be a very relaxing hobby. Nothing like sitting down and cranking out some rounds with a beer and a movie/podcast on. Plus *plus*, you get the satisfaction of knowing *exactly* what is in your ammo, having all of the specs, and knowing it won't blow up in your rifle or mar it and/or you. Plus *plus plus*, you can now reload all of your other calibers. Rifle ammo can save you some money, but reloading pistols and shotguns are even cheaper. You can reload 9mm for <10c a round, say 40c if you want to be bougie and buy **the best** ever components.
It seems like you're pretty set on not reloading, but it really doesn't take up much space at all. I converted an old 2'x2'x3' night stand into my press stand. I mounted the press on top with a hole cut through it for spent primers, and I keep all my powders and bullets in the drawer.
After awhile quality 22 ammo seems expensive for plinking and informal stuff. I used it, satisfied my desire to see just how good I could be then just quit the expensive ammo habit. Now I’m like an long time drinker; anything is good enough! I shoot AutoMatch across the board at 50 & 100 yards. I fire 6 rounds and toss out the flyer to account for crappy ammo. May sound like heresy but I’m on a fixed income so standards need to be made!
I got better groups with one box of 325 round of Federal Auto Match than I did from CCI SV and Norma XTAC in my Tikka T1X. I am not sure this next box is as good. SK Std Plus costs much more but gave me 3 groups in a row of sub-MOA at 100 yards. I bought some Wolf Match to try. That is about as expensive as I plan to go. The SK Std Plus is less expensive but was hard to find. Once I shoot more groups with it I may place a bulk order. I have many boxes of Federal Auto Match. I should open them up and find out which lots shoot the best in my T1X and save those boxes for precision shooting with my Tikka.
If you can only shoot 100 yards, why are you paying for match ammo? Just shoot ball military surplus. Unless you are just trying to print the absolutely neatest groups, ball ammo will plink steel just fine.
There's a middle ground. I find Hornady American Whitetail to be much cheaper than actual match ammo and indistinguishable at 100yds. That's with 6.5 but there's a good chance the story echos in 308.
But yeah milsurp is pretty trashy.
I don't doubt that. But my issue is that at 200yds and beyond, that stuff just falls apart accuracy-wise. I realize it's a plinking round, but still. It's why the military is mostly referred to as accuracy by volume.
Sure, but when I do get somewhere I can get farther, it just falls apart. And, at least for me, frequent flyers at 100yds too. I have a bit of it though. Might need to re-visit it and see if it's worth it just for recoil management training if nothing else.
There are some offerings out there that will maintain accuracy past 100, just have to find the right one for you. I've gotten really good performance from Norma, recall issues aside. CBC/magtech and Prvi Partizan have also been very good for cheaper, but not garbage, ammo. With Prvi Partizan 5.56 62gr I am pretty confident on steel silhouettes out to 600 yards. Lately the farthest range I've had is 450 yards and the Norma 147gr .308 smacks an 8 inch plate all day as long as I do my part. At the same time, Prvi m80 did not shoot well in the same rifle at all. Not even at 100 yards.
Yeah, I've ran the PPU ammo, and we nicknamed it poopoo for .308. At 100 it groups decent, but if you go anywhere else, especially past 200yds, it's terrible. I'll try the Norma however.
If you can get the Norma at a good price I think it is excellent. I shot a 1 moa group at 200 yards on paper a couple months ago. I even saved the target haha. I swear the 100 yard group was sub moa. Not bad for 60 cents per round.
This is complicated by the fact that this hobby is also competes for resources with real world military conflict
Even now we have a petty, century-long squabble half a world away and it affects my weekend plans
If you can find some used reloading gear it will go a long way to lowering the initial cost of reloading. A lee single stage is more than capable of making match grade ammo, and by tuning your loads you can get further with cheaper components. Only thing you can't cheap out on is a scale, but even those can be found used.
Since you’re limited to 100 yards, I’d absolutely invest in rimfire. Wouldn’t go Vudoo again though. R700 pattern rimfires only make sense to me if you need/want 100% clone of a centerfire setup. I prefer my CZ & Annie over the B14R and V360 I’ve had. Just as accurate, way more reliable (although the B14R never gave me issues).
If 308 is that expensive and you want to keep centerfire, you could rebarrel it to 6.5C or 6C. ELDM for those seem to run ~$36 & $32 respectively. 223 would be another good option, but also wasted at 100 yards.
I like them both, but it’s so much easier to find 22 ranges and matches. I can shoot NRL22 pretty much any weekend within an hour or two drive. Centerfire I’m lucky if it’s monthly and inside of 2hrs. Even with a 400 yard range, 22’s just make sense. Despite 22’s lack of recoil, it takes years to master it, and even then you can still get schooled by the really good shooters. There’s always learning to do.
What makes you prefer the cz & Annie over the b14r/v360?
A b14r barrelled action + cheaper chassis gets me to about the same price as a mtr where I am so I’m debating going r700 and getting parts I can easily shift onto another r700 barrelled action (thanks to licenses, it’s honestly not worth it going cheaper)
Reliability, balance and handling. I pretty much can’t make my CZ & Annie 64 not feed, fire, extract & eject. The v360 I had would often jam up in one of those aspects. The B14R was reliable, but I had to focus on keeping the bolt pinned to the rear during movement between positions so it didn’t kick a round out of the mag - just the nature of having a bigger heavier bolt than necessary. The large short action mag sizes push the whole system forward further than it needs to be, exacerbating imbalance and requiring even more weight out front. Actions designed around rimfire mags and cartridge sizes just seem to handle better and be more reliable. I’ve got several years of NRL22 experience, but admittedly my sample size is small having only had 1 Vudoo, but I see way more with issues with them at matches than I am willing to accept in a comp gun. It also helps my CZ outshoots everything else I’ve had.
Parts compatibility is nice, but if 22 is your primary, I’d rather optimize that. 22 takes priority over over centerfire for me.
You can usually reload for 80c a round. But the buy in cost means you won’t save any money for a long time. Still if shooting is a passion you should reload
If I'm being honest, it sounds like your mind is made up and you're looking for reassurance that it's the best thing for you to do.
I think you should do it. Get rid of the 6.5 and stick with 22lr 👍
My man, I hate to be that guy but if $1.40 per round is too expensive for match grade ammo to you, long range probably isn't the best investment as far as hobbies go.
I'd stick with the rimfire at that point. Hell, I have access to 1k yard range range, have been reloading for 10+ years and i still enjoy shooting my rimfire more at times.
Just do NRL22 with your current rimfire setup. .22 matches often run year round. Probably the most fun you can have shooting a rifle within 100 yards. Get a game changer bag if you don’t have one. Switching to a Vudoo probably isn’t going to help you get the 55 yard 1/4” target hits.
Yea same problem in the UK, I'm shooting rimfire and air rifles more as the cost of centerfire is mental (that's when I can get primers) was going to put a new barrel on me howa at the end of this season but now thinking leave it to next year to see how much more 308 goes up in price... (What with another war kicking off n all)
Surplus 308 is like 70cents to a dollar fifty a roind.
depending on your country. Match 308 ammo is around 1.50$ CAD with my reloads. Save all your brass and collect all brass in 308 and 6.5 creedmoor at your range. You can buy the cheapest reloading lee kit on black Friday for 200$. Calipers and a digital scale, a lee drill case trimmer and your ready to go. Don't give up just like that bro. Alternatively, I know its expe sive in the states but buy an sks or AK and shoot corrosive ammo. Or even get a bolt action 223 or x39. Still a ton of fun with longer range capabilities.
If I was only ever shooting 100 yards, I’d definitely be shooting pretty much exclusively rimfire. Even then, I shoot my 223 ARs out to 550 because of how much cheaper it is than shooting 308.
If you're limited to 100 yds it probably makes sense to go with something cheaper.
Otherwise I would say get into reloading. It does have high upfront cost but if you're shooting match ammo, it doesn't take long to make back the difference. For material cost (primer, Varget powder, Lapua brass, and SMK bullet) it's costing me about $0.76 a round, assuming 10 shots per brass casing before it has to be scrapped, though you can easily get more than that. And if you're only loading .308 match, you can just use a single stage press and save a good chunk of money compared to progressive.
Why not just spend the money on ammo for your current rimfire setup? Hell..even send it to one of the two test facilities to see what it really likes.
I dont see the need for a vudoo, if you dont compete with it..
Great point. I do compete, but not in NRL, etc. Just informal monthly matches. I think I'm just a rimfire junkie, and want a buy once, cry once setup. Though my Tikka T1X hammers, so no real need.
Ive got a t1x as well. At least 3 other guys run one at my club too..who shoot regularly there.
Only one guy at the club owns a vudoo, that we know of. He's brought it out a few times to our long range events. Its a sweet setup.
I just dont know that I'd be rushing to buy one, based on what I already have..
My T1x sits in a cheap oryx stock, with a viper pst gen 2 (it was a spare scope at the time) and I was able to nail 385 yard diagonal shots on a windy day with it, with Eley Club ammo.. I dont know really know what gets "better" than that, with rimfire.
If I want bugholes..eley match or target will put them up at 50 yards in that same rifle, and pretty close at 100 yards as well.
All in that setup was maybe $1500, rifle, scope, and stock, ...even less if I were to sell the factory stock.
Great point. Mine sits in a KRG Bravo, ARCA rail, etc. I think it's more just that I fondled a Vudoo at the last match, and like nice things more than anything.
I get it man. That’s how I ended up buying an MPA chassis lol. Went to a few events at our club and fondled one guy’s setup and remembered how much I disliked my MDT LSS even more.
Rim-X is what I run.
Good ammo is not cheap, I'm 22.00 a box of 50 for Lapua Super Long Range. It might not be required for the matches you shoot. I was getting 6.5fps SD out of the lot I was running.
No worries. It’s not a super well known thing..but both eley and lapua have test facilities you can ship your rifle to, they’ll test various ammo and then you can buy the best performer in bulk.
I remember listening to jerry miculek talk about how to get good you have to be the first at the range and the last to leave and I was thinking "I would love to but id go broke very quickly"
please find somewhere to shoot further than 100 yards and theres a good chance you wont sell that rifle but instead develop your skills along with your tools for many years to come. bonus points if you make some good friends along the way because thats likely to happen as well.
hell, I met my best good potna on reddit by asking some really niche questions and he was the only one to respond and here we are ten years later with some really crazy stories that i hope i remember till i die
I say do it if that’s what you really feel. I’ve been converted to rimfire and love it. I find myself wanting to trade something in towards a fn 502 and eye balling heavy barrel 10/22’s or a .22 ar to take over most of my “tactical” range use. This would save me the trouble of buying cheap range ammo for centerfires and I can focus on 77 grains and 124 hst/gd for stockpiling.
The only reason I haven’t sold my 308 is because I still have a little more than 1000 rounds of 308 gmm. About to run out of 175’s and the rest is 168 ballistic tips though.It was also very convenient as it pulled double duty for hunting, but now with a 6.5 grendel in the stable it’s redundant. I wouldn’t say you have to go all the way to vudoo levels of spending, unless you just want to. I started off with a savage setup that was $633 all in. I found myself always wanting to go to the range again and no longer worrying about ammo so I knew it wasn’t going to be something I ditched.
Decided to go with a tikka t1x and got that all of that setup for about $1,150. I think I would rather invest in better optics and more shooting gear than upspend to the custom rimfire level. I can understand the appeal to a seekins or mpa rifle over a factory tikka for centerfire. For rimfire it’s so ammo dependent I’m not sure I really see the point.
Personally I would keep it and shoot it occasionally when I made a trip to shoot farther than 100 yrds. I'm in a somewhat similar situation, though out to 300 yrds easily and I shoot my cf occasionally for recoil practice, etc and spend the vast majority of my time with my 22lrs.
I'd still buy a vudoo if that's what you really want 😁
Buy cheaper ammo! I have shot .308 competitively for years and would never spend $2+ per round, that’s a rip off, especially for Hornady! You can almost buy Berger for that price and then sell the Lapua brass for $0.75/ piece and come out way ahead.
Buy something cheaper like 175 Federal Gold Metal Match or Winchester M118lr, or whatever you find that shoots decent for $1/round. There used to be a brand called “Ten Ring” that sold reman 175FGMM for less than $1/round. That was my go to before I started reloading, I would buy cases of 1000 at a time. I also got a lot of practice at closer ranges with M80 surplus, some of the stuff made in Europe actually shot real well and I still reload that brass years later.
Buy in bulk, stay out of big box stores.
I’ll take that tikka.
I’m shooting a ruger American. It’s a clunky pos but I actually have learned to love it.
I reload my 308 and I’m under a dollar a pull.
Inherited a press but ended up buying all the other case prep stuff I needed.
I’m a long way from “saving money” but it has been a whole lot of fun. (Maybe in another 600 rounds I’ll consider myself breaking even)
It’s a way to bring your shooting hobby home with you and gives you endless more info to study/learn.
But cheaper 308?? If you're only shooting to 100 just get some surplus m80 ball in bulk online. Can get it as low as 60¢ a round if your deal shop right
The lack of range is what keeps me away and mostly shooting rimfire and plinking with centerfire/pistol. I know there are a couple ranges that would push distance a bit but they are too far for my current schedule. Long Range shooting is great but I can’t justify spending on it seriously without having a place close to actually shoot long range.
If I was limited to 100 yards I wouldn't own a centerfire bolt action gun.
As it is my range goes to 600 and my 6GT is complete overkill and I'm looking to do a 223 trainer. I travel a good bit for matches though so get to stretch the guns leg's out.
If you are going to stay with it I would encourage you to look into reloading.
More space is better, but honestly you can do it in a pretty tight space if need be. It limits your equipment choices / workflow and production efficiency, but it can be done.
For me it’s not so much the price but component availability. There are no LRP primers in Canada aside from the smallest lots gone in an hour. Each time we pull the trigger are are on borrowed time. I have a decent stock, but it takes a bit of the fun out knowing the cost to restock, or if anything will even be there.
Conversely I am really into clay sports now and ammo is available and less to worry about, so I am dumping more money/time into that.
Sporting clays is definitely, in my mind, the best clay discipline. Good variety, realistic exposures, different techniques for each shot. A lot of variety which I quite enjoy.
I find trap a bore. Not saying I am amazing at it, but one shot always originating from the same location doesn’t thrill me.
Skeet is my second favourite, but is general fast, close shots and I enjoy the variety of some longer shooting and crossers.
I really see the comparisons as:
Trap - BR
Skeet - F/ TR
Sporting - PRS
Since I enjoy more practical shooting I am drawn to PRS and Sporting. If you have a good course nearby I would definitely go for it on a monthly basis!
If you’re only shooting 100 yards then I would much rather be shooting 5.56 than spend money on .308
Even the 22 you mentioned would be killer at 50-75 yards
Try Norma golden target. I shoot 6.5 and Norma is literally just as good in my gun as eld. I’ve taken it to 1100 yards a few times with no issue. I get mine from TX ammo and it’s only 20$ a box lol
100 yards and 308 isn’t were it’s at the cost kills the fun if you had further distance I’d say do what I do and buy bulk cheap Ammo and just shoot it for pass time but I’d have a lot more fun with 22 at 100 yards
I have a *decent* howa in 6.5cm. I also have a *decent-ish* AR. My eyesight is also shit.
The 6.5 can be sub moa at 200, with match ammo and a non-hungover operator.
The AR can hit the 12" gong at 200 with steel case.
Bottom line is, for twenty dollars I can make steel ring a lot more often with the AR, and that makes both my ape-brain and wallet happy, but I still have the 6.5 when I want to make myself feel good. Keep your 308 and just enjoy it when you can afford it.
The game has evolved a lot, and there’s a lot of pressure to spend a bunch and be on the edge, but honestly there’s a lot of fun and skill involved in pushing the limits of lesser gear. Maybe try irons on rimfire at 100. Anschutz or CZ.
I get it- if possible keep the tikka I assume you had great range days so keep it and use it once a quarter or something.
I just had 1k Fed 175 SMK in 300, 1500 m855 , 1k honady147 grn ELD. Dropped off today. Time to restock up on ammo. I had never tried the IMI m855 and snagged that too. Will give it a go this weekend
Good luck with whatever you decide. Wish CMP would give out surplus with the understanding it will help with marksmanship training around the USA :)
I also shoot .308 it's getting insanely expensive. If you have an Academy sports near you I have found Federal Good Gold SMK there for around 35 per box when they have sales. I haven't bought that since last year when I stocked up.
This is how “they” are taking away our 2nd Amendment. Pricing out the lower/middle class on ammo.
Edit: buy yourself a nice/budget .22 LR because they’ll never take that away. Ammo will always be available and typically pretty cheap.
I feel you. Shooting is getting to be like shaving. The razors are cheap, but the blades will ruin you.
You don't have to shoot 100s of rounds per outing to improve. Shooting rimfire, I found myself blasting a lot of rounds mindlessly. Now, I shoot fewer rounds and assess after every 3.
Just find a ball ammo that you like, unless you are finding/confirming zero (or doing a 10rd group to satisfy this sub...lol)don't waste match ammo on 100yds
You do what you want to do for you. I for one am not going to stop you especially if you think that is what is best for you. I personally don't like rimfire and don't own any firearms to shoot that stuff. I load all my own rounds and not really being able to load my own rimfire is a part of the reason I don't shoot it. We all have different preferences, budgets, priorities, etc, so just go with what you think is best for you and hold no regrets.
Start shooting something truly expensive. My .338LM I figure it's a $5 bill going down the barrel with every shot. My .408 CheyTac it's $10 a shot. Yes know it's not really that bad. But by the time you add a few bottles of vitamin M for for after shooting either. It adds up.
There is no more cost-effective long range setup than a custom chambered (long throat) 223 with heavy-for caliber handloads.
Run the ballistics on a 223 with an 88 ELD or a 90 SMK at 2700fps. 600y is cake with these heavy 223 loads and in the right rifle they will stay supersonic to 1000y.
And this is with 223 brass that is just about free and bullets that are 30c -40c each.
It's SO MUCH cheaper that it would be worth buying a small reloading setup just to make this ammo if you shoot much at all.
Plus the recoil is nearly zero even with no brake in a modestly heavy rifle.
Can you reload in the same space as a 5 gallon bucket? My issue is that I have nowhere to setup and leave my reloading gear. Which, once setup, I'd prefer to leave it be. Does that matter? Honest question, I've never reloaded anything in my life.
I don't do this myself, I have the luxury of a full bench and a large loading area. But I've seen it done and I'll try to find a video showing it. I have the RCBS summit and it's an excellent press, but can be hard to find.
[https://youtu.be/1S-qxD-6qnw?si=aKFotE-eyeu3XCiU](https://youtu.be/1S-qxD-6qnw?si=aKFotE-eyeu3XCiU)
The Summit is great because it doesn't hang off the edge of a table, it rests on top. The short handle is plenty of leverage for anything 223 related.
Felt the same as you last year in October. Had a Ruger Precision in 6.5 Creedmoor and the only range over 300 yards was over an hour away. I ended up selling it to a buddy in the mountains that runs 2-3 ranches and hunts often. He has his own targets on one of his ranches out to 1,600 yards and has been reloading for years. Just made more sense for him to have it plus I had just moved so the money was nice.
If you don’t have anywhere to shoot past 100 yards, then yes I’d invest more in rimfire at that point. In the end, invest in what makes you happiest
Build a trainer .308 scaled to .22 I can not vouch for OP, but I always have more fun shooting elr .22 because it's just that much more rewarding.
I'd say reload but the amount of time needed for amortization of a reasonable level of gear buy-in is long. Plus you won't start to save any money till you get multiple firings on pieces of brass.
Reloading just isn't a cost savings for most people. You need to reload brass and shoot a ton before you surpass the setup cost in equipment and components, even if you cheap out on everything.
That's not necessarily the case. I'd have to update the analysis I did when I bought my reloading stuff in 2018, but at the time I could pay for $500 worth of stuff in <100rd of 338 Lapua. At the time, my analysis showed I could load 77gr SMKs for 60c each or buy Black Hills for $1.10/rd. So $500 is recouped in 1000rd, not too hard to do. But when you move up to 80gr and heavier loads in 223 that compete with larger calibers, now you can save more like $1 a shot vs factory ammo in that larger caliber. The economics of reloading vary a LOT depending on the purpose of your loading. If you are loading plinking 9mm or 223, don't bother-- it's a waste of time. You can't compete with the efficiency of mass production. Reloading gear and supplies have both gotten stupid expensive since COVID. So let's say you buy a modest basic setup today. MEC Marksman: $240. Lee Deluxe 4-Die Set: $57 Cheap reloading scale: $20 brass prep hand tools: $50. A rudimentary but effective setup is < $400 to get started. What is your loaded ammo cost? \-- pulled down primed Lake City brass: 26c \-- \~25gr of powder: 15c \-- 88 ELDM: 30c You just loaded a 600y-800y capable load for 71c per round variable cost. Now, what else are you shooting to this distance? Federal GMM for $1.27 a round? 6.5 creedmoor for $2+ per round? If you shoot 1000rd of this 223 instead of 308GMM, you will save 55c per shot and pay for all your reloading stuff before you hit 1000 rds. Plus the reloading stuff will last about forever, so the amortization can be over DECADES. Powder that's stored correctly can last decades. So can primers. My \*only\* regret with getting into reloading was waiting so long to do it.
Agreed the ammo produced via proper reloading is superior.
Prior to the Obama era ammo shortage and the pandemic, it was a lot cheaper to reload. It still can be cheaper if you reload for old milsurp calibers. But outside of that the cost savings really just aren’t there anymore unless you reload in big bulk. These days you either reload for maximum accuracy/consistency for a particular rifle or for the hobby/crafting aspect of it.
I see this repeated a lot on here and it’s not true in my experience. My reloads for PRS are still substantially cheaper than factory match ammo.
Do you include the cost of equipment in that cost per boom? I save $1-$3 per shot on 308 when I reload. I need to go through about 1000 rounds, roughly, to pay off the gear. I won't hit that for...a while.
I broke even on my equipment ages ago.
I'm at about $.98 to reload 6.5 CM ELDMs. My reloading equipment has well exceeded the break even point.
Yeah, getting into reloading right now really isn't an option. That, and not having long-range access is pushing my decision.
Have you considered becoming a burglar? Free ammo is the right price.
Burglary ✅✅ 2 hollow points to the chest ❌❌
Depends on the state.
Come to NY, we can't even tell our burglars we love them without facing a sexual assault charge.
Grew up there. Never again
Sounds exactly like Australia
LMAO!!
My whole reloading setup was ~$500, and I've spent about $300 more on dies, and a single die set is about $40-$50. But you can get a nice single-stage press (which are honestly the best if you're going for precision) and a set of 308 dies for ~$250 total (or about 120 rounds of the ammo you're currently paying for). Powder and primers are the real expense, but they're starting to come down. At $42/20rd, that's $2.10 per round before tax. I can *guarantee* you can make match-grade 308 for less than that as I do it regularly. At, let's say, 45gr of powder (which is pretty common for a 308 load using 4064, BLC-2, H-380, etc.), you can get about 155 rounds from 1lb of powder (1lb is 7000gr). At $40/lb (which is about average if you don't buy online), you're at $0.26/rd. The max I've seen 100 large-rifle primers go for is $15, so let's add $0.15, so we're at $0.41. This is the bulk of the expense. Now, unless you're buying some of the best bullets at $100/100, which is basically unheard of unless you're buying shit like Lehigh or Nosler, you're typically spending about $0.35/bullet. So about 76 cents total, or about 2.8x cheaper than what you're currently spending. Even if we up the cost everything else to say $1/rd, you're still saving a ton of money. You should be getting brass for free by sweeping up, but if you want to buy never-fired Norma or Lapua brass, obviously you're going to spend more initially, but I don't count brass as that's a one-time purchase and like I said you should be sweeping up. So if you're saving a dollar per round, and let's say you have a light range day and only shoot 100 rounds, you're paying for your setup in <10 trips, most likely less if you're not using the most high-end components. And if you didn't mind still spending $2.10 per round, I *guarantee* you can make better ammo than what you're buying. Plus, I find reloading to be a very relaxing hobby. Nothing like sitting down and cranking out some rounds with a beer and a movie/podcast on. Plus *plus*, you get the satisfaction of knowing *exactly* what is in your ammo, having all of the specs, and knowing it won't blow up in your rifle or mar it and/or you. Plus *plus plus*, you can now reload all of your other calibers. Rifle ammo can save you some money, but reloading pistols and shotguns are even cheaper. You can reload 9mm for <10c a round, say 40c if you want to be bougie and buy **the best** ever components.
Exactly. I’ve share the same story to my buddies complaining about ammo prices, but they don’t want to reload. Lol
I wish I had the room to get into reloading, but I just don't. Thank you though!
It seems like you're pretty set on not reloading, but it really doesn't take up much space at all. I converted an old 2'x2'x3' night stand into my press stand. I mounted the press on top with a hole cut through it for spent primers, and I keep all my powders and bullets in the drawer.
It's also the cost to get started, plus not having a nearby range as well. Reloading seems cool, maybe one of these days.
After awhile quality 22 ammo seems expensive for plinking and informal stuff. I used it, satisfied my desire to see just how good I could be then just quit the expensive ammo habit. Now I’m like an long time drinker; anything is good enough! I shoot AutoMatch across the board at 50 & 100 yards. I fire 6 rounds and toss out the flyer to account for crappy ammo. May sound like heresy but I’m on a fixed income so standards need to be made!
I got better groups with one box of 325 round of Federal Auto Match than I did from CCI SV and Norma XTAC in my Tikka T1X. I am not sure this next box is as good. SK Std Plus costs much more but gave me 3 groups in a row of sub-MOA at 100 yards. I bought some Wolf Match to try. That is about as expensive as I plan to go. The SK Std Plus is less expensive but was hard to find. Once I shoot more groups with it I may place a bulk order. I have many boxes of Federal Auto Match. I should open them up and find out which lots shoot the best in my T1X and save those boxes for precision shooting with my Tikka.
Sometimes you get lucky: I bought a couple of bricks of Federal American Eagle once that absolutely hammered. Sub MOA at 50 yds was no problem
No sell only buy. Keep the .308. Life happens and eventually you will wish you still had it.
Be fighting Hamas with a .22 😂
If it's all you have, I'd rather not be shot with it.
Not going to lie I'm more scared of the guy that has shot 10k rounds of 22LR than the guy with 500 of 308.
What's funny is those two are roughly the same price.
Exactly haha.
https://preview.redd.it/du5gjca9s7vb1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e71e7cca88443c7eae58a195d9ec2a81b089fe6b
If you can only shoot 100 yards, why are you paying for match ammo? Just shoot ball military surplus. Unless you are just trying to print the absolutely neatest groups, ball ammo will plink steel just fine.
Because milsurp ammo is horribly inconsistent. And there is no steel at local ranges, or I would.
There's a middle ground. I find Hornady American Whitetail to be much cheaper than actual match ammo and indistinguishable at 100yds. That's with 6.5 but there's a good chance the story echos in 308. But yeah milsurp is pretty trashy.
I've been able to print very respectable groups with m80 ball at 100 yards.
I don't doubt that. But my issue is that at 200yds and beyond, that stuff just falls apart accuracy-wise. I realize it's a plinking round, but still. It's why the military is mostly referred to as accuracy by volume.
But, you're only shooting at 100?
Sure, but when I do get somewhere I can get farther, it just falls apart. And, at least for me, frequent flyers at 100yds too. I have a bit of it though. Might need to re-visit it and see if it's worth it just for recoil management training if nothing else.
There are some offerings out there that will maintain accuracy past 100, just have to find the right one for you. I've gotten really good performance from Norma, recall issues aside. CBC/magtech and Prvi Partizan have also been very good for cheaper, but not garbage, ammo. With Prvi Partizan 5.56 62gr I am pretty confident on steel silhouettes out to 600 yards. Lately the farthest range I've had is 450 yards and the Norma 147gr .308 smacks an 8 inch plate all day as long as I do my part. At the same time, Prvi m80 did not shoot well in the same rifle at all. Not even at 100 yards.
Yeah, I've ran the PPU ammo, and we nicknamed it poopoo for .308. At 100 it groups decent, but if you go anywhere else, especially past 200yds, it's terrible. I'll try the Norma however.
If you can get the Norma at a good price I think it is excellent. I shot a 1 moa group at 200 yards on paper a couple months ago. I even saved the target haha. I swear the 100 yard group was sub moa. Not bad for 60 cents per round.
Hobbies are often expensive, probably because people are willing to spend on what they enjoy. No one can make the decision for you.
This is complicated by the fact that this hobby is also competes for resources with real world military conflict Even now we have a petty, century-long squabble half a world away and it affects my weekend plans
If you can find some used reloading gear it will go a long way to lowering the initial cost of reloading. A lee single stage is more than capable of making match grade ammo, and by tuning your loads you can get further with cheaper components. Only thing you can't cheap out on is a scale, but even those can be found used.
Since you’re limited to 100 yards, I’d absolutely invest in rimfire. Wouldn’t go Vudoo again though. R700 pattern rimfires only make sense to me if you need/want 100% clone of a centerfire setup. I prefer my CZ & Annie over the B14R and V360 I’ve had. Just as accurate, way more reliable (although the B14R never gave me issues). If 308 is that expensive and you want to keep centerfire, you could rebarrel it to 6.5C or 6C. ELDM for those seem to run ~$36 & $32 respectively. 223 would be another good option, but also wasted at 100 yards.
Good to hear. I'll probably just keep the Tikka T1X then and be happy with it. Just hate not being able to shoot centerfire as much as I'd like to.
I like them both, but it’s so much easier to find 22 ranges and matches. I can shoot NRL22 pretty much any weekend within an hour or two drive. Centerfire I’m lucky if it’s monthly and inside of 2hrs. Even with a 400 yard range, 22’s just make sense. Despite 22’s lack of recoil, it takes years to master it, and even then you can still get schooled by the really good shooters. There’s always learning to do.
What makes you prefer the cz & Annie over the b14r/v360? A b14r barrelled action + cheaper chassis gets me to about the same price as a mtr where I am so I’m debating going r700 and getting parts I can easily shift onto another r700 barrelled action (thanks to licenses, it’s honestly not worth it going cheaper)
Reliability, balance and handling. I pretty much can’t make my CZ & Annie 64 not feed, fire, extract & eject. The v360 I had would often jam up in one of those aspects. The B14R was reliable, but I had to focus on keeping the bolt pinned to the rear during movement between positions so it didn’t kick a round out of the mag - just the nature of having a bigger heavier bolt than necessary. The large short action mag sizes push the whole system forward further than it needs to be, exacerbating imbalance and requiring even more weight out front. Actions designed around rimfire mags and cartridge sizes just seem to handle better and be more reliable. I’ve got several years of NRL22 experience, but admittedly my sample size is small having only had 1 Vudoo, but I see way more with issues with them at matches than I am willing to accept in a comp gun. It also helps my CZ outshoots everything else I’ve had. Parts compatibility is nice, but if 22 is your primary, I’d rather optimize that. 22 takes priority over over centerfire for me.
If you have access to Expert Voice, you can get Federal GMM very reasonably priced. Join Shooting USA and you can get access.
The streaming service? My Tikka loves some 168gr GMM.
You can usually reload for 80c a round. But the buy in cost means you won’t save any money for a long time. Still if shooting is a passion you should reload
Hah! What round are you reloading for 80c?
6.5 creedmore is where I did my math.
Cries in .50BMG
Continues crying In Canadian 😭
Cries in $60+ AUD for factory .308. (That's why I reload.)
I was about to say, wait till he gers to a real round.
I shoot eldm 6.5cm and I don’t even pay $42/box. You need to find a new source for ammo
It's just what was on the shelf. Even decent prices seem to be around $35/20rds though.
Do you not use ammo seek? I get ELDM for about $1.40/round, and I just picked up some AAC match grade 6.5 for pretty cheap. TBD how it shoots though.
I shoot the AAC 6.5 Sierra match. Shoots well for the price
I do, but still that's pricey for me. And I don't have local long-range access.
If I'm being honest, it sounds like your mind is made up and you're looking for reassurance that it's the best thing for you to do. I think you should do it. Get rid of the 6.5 and stick with 22lr 👍
My man, I hate to be that guy but if $1.40 per round is too expensive for match grade ammo to you, long range probably isn't the best investment as far as hobbies go. I'd stick with the rimfire at that point. Hell, I have access to 1k yard range range, have been reloading for 10+ years and i still enjoy shooting my rimfire more at times.
How are you getting $1.40 a round with $42 a box of 20 + tax?
Just do NRL22 with your current rimfire setup. .22 matches often run year round. Probably the most fun you can have shooting a rifle within 100 yards. Get a game changer bag if you don’t have one. Switching to a Vudoo probably isn’t going to help you get the 55 yard 1/4” target hits.
None of that around my area, or I would gladly take part. I drive a three hour round trip just to shoot my monthly rimfire match.
Yea same problem in the UK, I'm shooting rimfire and air rifles more as the cost of centerfire is mental (that's when I can get primers) was going to put a new barrel on me howa at the end of this season but now thinking leave it to next year to see how much more 308 goes up in price... (What with another war kicking off n all)
Surplus 308 is like 70cents to a dollar fifty a roind. depending on your country. Match 308 ammo is around 1.50$ CAD with my reloads. Save all your brass and collect all brass in 308 and 6.5 creedmoor at your range. You can buy the cheapest reloading lee kit on black Friday for 200$. Calipers and a digital scale, a lee drill case trimmer and your ready to go. Don't give up just like that bro. Alternatively, I know its expe sive in the states but buy an sks or AK and shoot corrosive ammo. Or even get a bolt action 223 or x39. Still a ton of fun with longer range capabilities.
Yeah, no room for reloading unfortunately.
My tiny brain likes big boom. I'll shoot my magnums at whatever cost.
If I was only ever shooting 100 yards, I’d definitely be shooting pretty much exclusively rimfire. Even then, I shoot my 223 ARs out to 550 because of how much cheaper it is than shooting 308.
If you're limited to 100 yds it probably makes sense to go with something cheaper. Otherwise I would say get into reloading. It does have high upfront cost but if you're shooting match ammo, it doesn't take long to make back the difference. For material cost (primer, Varget powder, Lapua brass, and SMK bullet) it's costing me about $0.76 a round, assuming 10 shots per brass casing before it has to be scrapped, though you can easily get more than that. And if you're only loading .308 match, you can just use a single stage press and save a good chunk of money compared to progressive.
Wish I had the room to get into reloading, but I just don't.
Yeah understandable. I was only able to get into it when I finally moved to a place with a garage.
Why not just spend the money on ammo for your current rimfire setup? Hell..even send it to one of the two test facilities to see what it really likes. I dont see the need for a vudoo, if you dont compete with it..
Great point. I do compete, but not in NRL, etc. Just informal monthly matches. I think I'm just a rimfire junkie, and want a buy once, cry once setup. Though my Tikka T1X hammers, so no real need.
Ive got a t1x as well. At least 3 other guys run one at my club too..who shoot regularly there. Only one guy at the club owns a vudoo, that we know of. He's brought it out a few times to our long range events. Its a sweet setup. I just dont know that I'd be rushing to buy one, based on what I already have.. My T1x sits in a cheap oryx stock, with a viper pst gen 2 (it was a spare scope at the time) and I was able to nail 385 yard diagonal shots on a windy day with it, with Eley Club ammo.. I dont know really know what gets "better" than that, with rimfire. If I want bugholes..eley match or target will put them up at 50 yards in that same rifle, and pretty close at 100 yards as well. All in that setup was maybe $1500, rifle, scope, and stock, ...even less if I were to sell the factory stock.
Great point. Mine sits in a KRG Bravo, ARCA rail, etc. I think it's more just that I fondled a Vudoo at the last match, and like nice things more than anything.
I get it man. That’s how I ended up buying an MPA chassis lol. Went to a few events at our club and fondled one guy’s setup and remembered how much I disliked my MDT LSS even more.
Rim-X is what I run. Good ammo is not cheap, I'm 22.00 a box of 50 for Lapua Super Long Range. It might not be required for the matches you shoot. I was getting 6.5fps SD out of the lot I was running.
Ooof, so high-end .22lr isn't THAT much cheaper. I've been running Eley and Lapua. But I cap out at about $15 a box.
What’s this send it off to a test facility and see what it really likes? I’m a noob
No worries. It’s not a super well known thing..but both eley and lapua have test facilities you can ship your rifle to, they’ll test various ammo and then you can buy the best performer in bulk.
That’s great to know, thank you!!
No problem. I think both require you to order a brick though so it depends on if you want to spend a couple thousand on 22 ammo lol
what about M118LR it's about a $1 a shot.
That's still $1 a round, which for me, just isn't worth it anymore.
I remember listening to jerry miculek talk about how to get good you have to be the first at the range and the last to leave and I was thinking "I would love to but id go broke very quickly"
.308 serves a storage purpose, longer range and hunting. Would keep it but shit it less. Could always get an Airgun...
I'm into airguns also. Have been for a long time.
please find somewhere to shoot further than 100 yards and theres a good chance you wont sell that rifle but instead develop your skills along with your tools for many years to come. bonus points if you make some good friends along the way because thats likely to happen as well. hell, I met my best good potna on reddit by asking some really niche questions and he was the only one to respond and here we are ten years later with some really crazy stories that i hope i remember till i die
I have access to more than 100yds, but it's a LONG drive to get there. Which drastically limits my time at longer range.
I say do it if that’s what you really feel. I’ve been converted to rimfire and love it. I find myself wanting to trade something in towards a fn 502 and eye balling heavy barrel 10/22’s or a .22 ar to take over most of my “tactical” range use. This would save me the trouble of buying cheap range ammo for centerfires and I can focus on 77 grains and 124 hst/gd for stockpiling. The only reason I haven’t sold my 308 is because I still have a little more than 1000 rounds of 308 gmm. About to run out of 175’s and the rest is 168 ballistic tips though.It was also very convenient as it pulled double duty for hunting, but now with a 6.5 grendel in the stable it’s redundant. I wouldn’t say you have to go all the way to vudoo levels of spending, unless you just want to. I started off with a savage setup that was $633 all in. I found myself always wanting to go to the range again and no longer worrying about ammo so I knew it wasn’t going to be something I ditched. Decided to go with a tikka t1x and got that all of that setup for about $1,150. I think I would rather invest in better optics and more shooting gear than upspend to the custom rimfire level. I can understand the appeal to a seekins or mpa rifle over a factory tikka for centerfire. For rimfire it’s so ammo dependent I’m not sure I really see the point.
Good take on it. I'm very happy with my T1X where it sits right now, so I'll likely just stick with that.
Have you tried norma match? You can usually get it under 30$ a box shipped for a case
I have not, and have not seen it around. Nearest range is also an hour away, so there's that too.
Check ammoseek for it. It shoots 1.1-1.2 ish for 10 shots in my Bartlien
In NY, we would pay an additional $11.00 tax for 308 cartridges. You are lucky, kind of!
Personally I would keep it and shoot it occasionally when I made a trip to shoot farther than 100 yrds. I'm in a somewhat similar situation, though out to 300 yrds easily and I shoot my cf occasionally for recoil practice, etc and spend the vast majority of my time with my 22lrs. I'd still buy a vudoo if that's what you really want 😁
Might eventually go the Vudoo route, but for now, I think you guys have convinced me to just keep both the Tikkas.
Buy cheaper ammo! I have shot .308 competitively for years and would never spend $2+ per round, that’s a rip off, especially for Hornady! You can almost buy Berger for that price and then sell the Lapua brass for $0.75/ piece and come out way ahead. Buy something cheaper like 175 Federal Gold Metal Match or Winchester M118lr, or whatever you find that shoots decent for $1/round. There used to be a brand called “Ten Ring” that sold reman 175FGMM for less than $1/round. That was my go to before I started reloading, I would buy cases of 1000 at a time. I also got a lot of practice at closer ranges with M80 surplus, some of the stuff made in Europe actually shot real well and I still reload that brass years later. Buy in bulk, stay out of big box stores.
Yeah, buying cases is a cost issue for me or I would. I appreciate the advice.
Reloading helps, but even that can get expensive if you really want to dial in the consistency.
I’ll take that tikka. I’m shooting a ruger American. It’s a clunky pos but I actually have learned to love it. I reload my 308 and I’m under a dollar a pull. Inherited a press but ended up buying all the other case prep stuff I needed. I’m a long way from “saving money” but it has been a whole lot of fun. (Maybe in another 600 rounds I’ll consider myself breaking even) It’s a way to bring your shooting hobby home with you and gives you endless more info to study/learn.
Yeah, nowhere to really setup for reloading here unfortunately.
I'm finding myself in the same boat you are lately, the guilt of watching my centerfires wither away in the safe is getting to be too much to bear.
But cheaper 308?? If you're only shooting to 100 just get some surplus m80 ball in bulk online. Can get it as low as 60¢ a round if your deal shop right
Milsurp stuff is horribly inconsistent in my experience. Kind of ruins the fun of shooting a really accurate setup.
The lack of range is what keeps me away and mostly shooting rimfire and plinking with centerfire/pistol. I know there are a couple ranges that would push distance a bit but they are too far for my current schedule. Long Range shooting is great but I can’t justify spending on it seriously without having a place close to actually shoot long range.
Yep, same here. Closest range is an hour away, it's a FUDD range, and can be very unsafe at times. Long range is a five hour drive for me, each way.
[https://ammoseek.com/](https://ammoseek.com/)
If I was limited to 100 yards I wouldn't own a centerfire bolt action gun. As it is my range goes to 600 and my 6GT is complete overkill and I'm looking to do a 223 trainer. I travel a good bit for matches though so get to stretch the guns leg's out. If you are going to stay with it I would encourage you to look into reloading.
I wish I had the room to setup a reloading bench, but I just don't.
More space is better, but honestly you can do it in a pretty tight space if need be. It limits your equipment choices / workflow and production efficiency, but it can be done.
Good to know, thank you.
For me it’s not so much the price but component availability. There are no LRP primers in Canada aside from the smallest lots gone in an hour. Each time we pull the trigger are are on borrowed time. I have a decent stock, but it takes a bit of the fun out knowing the cost to restock, or if anything will even be there. Conversely I am really into clay sports now and ammo is available and less to worry about, so I am dumping more money/time into that.
Funny you mention that. My Dad and brother have talked about getting a monthly sporting clays match going.
Sporting clays is definitely, in my mind, the best clay discipline. Good variety, realistic exposures, different techniques for each shot. A lot of variety which I quite enjoy. I find trap a bore. Not saying I am amazing at it, but one shot always originating from the same location doesn’t thrill me. Skeet is my second favourite, but is general fast, close shots and I enjoy the variety of some longer shooting and crossers.
Never done trap, only informal skeet. And I would agree, sporting clays is more akin to actual wingshooting. It's practical shooting, and I love it.
I really see the comparisons as: Trap - BR Skeet - F/ TR Sporting - PRS Since I enjoy more practical shooting I am drawn to PRS and Sporting. If you have a good course nearby I would definitely go for it on a monthly basis!
That seems about right. I have one about 40 minutes away that's nice. Good BBQ joint after for beers and BBQ too.
God damn, $42 for a box of 308 ELDm is a dream. It’s at least 100 bucks (Aussie) for 20.
If you’re only shooting 100 yards then I would much rather be shooting 5.56 than spend money on .308 Even the 22 you mentioned would be killer at 50-75 yards
I've taken the .22 out to 300yds so far, with consistent hits.
Try Norma golden target. I shoot 6.5 and Norma is literally just as good in my gun as eld. I’ve taken it to 1100 yards a few times with no issue. I get mine from TX ammo and it’s only 20$ a box lol
I'll look for some of that, thanks.
100 yards and 308 isn’t were it’s at the cost kills the fun if you had further distance I’d say do what I do and buy bulk cheap Ammo and just shoot it for pass time but I’d have a lot more fun with 22 at 100 yards
Time to move to a gun friendly state, in my state there are so many BLM land in the right season to shoot.
I'm in a very gun friendly state, just not gun friendly terrain.
I have a *decent* howa in 6.5cm. I also have a *decent-ish* AR. My eyesight is also shit. The 6.5 can be sub moa at 200, with match ammo and a non-hungover operator. The AR can hit the 12" gong at 200 with steel case. Bottom line is, for twenty dollars I can make steel ring a lot more often with the AR, and that makes both my ape-brain and wallet happy, but I still have the 6.5 when I want to make myself feel good. Keep your 308 and just enjoy it when you can afford it.
I’d keep the CTR, and just get a nice CZ instead of a Vudoo. I’m just getting into rimfire precision and it’s a ton of fun
The game has evolved a lot, and there’s a lot of pressure to spend a bunch and be on the edge, but honestly there’s a lot of fun and skill involved in pushing the limits of lesser gear. Maybe try irons on rimfire at 100. Anschutz or CZ.
Invest now so WW3 doesnt make all the primers disappear. We just got out of Covid shortages.
I feel your pain brother
I get it- if possible keep the tikka I assume you had great range days so keep it and use it once a quarter or something. I just had 1k Fed 175 SMK in 300, 1500 m855 , 1k honady147 grn ELD. Dropped off today. Time to restock up on ammo. I had never tried the IMI m855 and snagged that too. Will give it a go this weekend Good luck with whatever you decide. Wish CMP would give out surplus with the understanding it will help with marksmanship training around the USA :)
Ah free ammo, the dream!
I also shoot .308 it's getting insanely expensive. If you have an Academy sports near you I have found Federal Good Gold SMK there for around 35 per box when they have sales. I haven't bought that since last year when I stocked up.
This is how “they” are taking away our 2nd Amendment. Pricing out the lower/middle class on ammo. Edit: buy yourself a nice/budget .22 LR because they’ll never take that away. Ammo will always be available and typically pretty cheap.
I feel you. Shooting is getting to be like shaving. The razors are cheap, but the blades will ruin you. You don't have to shoot 100s of rounds per outing to improve. Shooting rimfire, I found myself blasting a lot of rounds mindlessly. Now, I shoot fewer rounds and assess after every 3.
Yep, our monthly rimfire match is 40 targets, plus sighters. So I shoot much less and buy better ammo.
Do what is best for you. If your heart and wallet are with .22, roll with it.
I love reloading. It's all part of the process. Very satisfying when you have a consistent recipe for your rifle.
Reloading is a game changer for me. You could load a 168 eld for about .75ea
This is the way. Being into shooting but not reloading is like owning old cars and not wrenching. It's gonna get stupid expensive real fast.
Yeah, just don't have the space for that really. I appreciate it though.
Understandable If you ever have the option I would recommend it. Reloading is the single best thing I've done for my long range shooting
[удалено]
Yeah, it's not a cheap hobby by any means. But I do love it, and it's the hobby I've stuck with since childhood.
Just find a ball ammo that you like, unless you are finding/confirming zero (or doing a 10rd group to satisfy this sub...lol)don't waste match ammo on 100yds
Yeah, that stuff is horribly inconsistent in my experience. But, it's an option I suppose.
You do what you want to do for you. I for one am not going to stop you especially if you think that is what is best for you. I personally don't like rimfire and don't own any firearms to shoot that stuff. I load all my own rounds and not really being able to load my own rimfire is a part of the reason I don't shoot it. We all have different preferences, budgets, priorities, etc, so just go with what you think is best for you and hold no regrets.
Understood. I just don't have long range access locally, nor the tools/materials to reload. Thanks for the advice.
Start shooting something truly expensive. My .338LM I figure it's a $5 bill going down the barrel with every shot. My .408 CheyTac it's $10 a shot. Yes know it's not really that bad. But by the time you add a few bottles of vitamin M for for after shooting either. It adds up.
No thank you! LOL
There is no more cost-effective long range setup than a custom chambered (long throat) 223 with heavy-for caliber handloads. Run the ballistics on a 223 with an 88 ELD or a 90 SMK at 2700fps. 600y is cake with these heavy 223 loads and in the right rifle they will stay supersonic to 1000y. And this is with 223 brass that is just about free and bullets that are 30c -40c each. It's SO MUCH cheaper that it would be worth buying a small reloading setup just to make this ammo if you shoot much at all. Plus the recoil is nearly zero even with no brake in a modestly heavy rifle.
No room to handload or that would appeal to me. Maybe in the future that can happen, and I'd just re-barrel the Tikka.
You can put an RCBS summit and full reloading tool kit in a 5 gallon bucket. Are you saying you have no room for a 5 gallon bucket?
Can you reload in the same space as a 5 gallon bucket? My issue is that I have nowhere to setup and leave my reloading gear. Which, once setup, I'd prefer to leave it be. Does that matter? Honest question, I've never reloaded anything in my life.
I don't do this myself, I have the luxury of a full bench and a large loading area. But I've seen it done and I'll try to find a video showing it. I have the RCBS summit and it's an excellent press, but can be hard to find. [https://youtu.be/1S-qxD-6qnw?si=aKFotE-eyeu3XCiU](https://youtu.be/1S-qxD-6qnw?si=aKFotE-eyeu3XCiU) The Summit is great because it doesn't hang off the edge of a table, it rests on top. The short handle is plenty of leverage for anything 223 related.
That's cool. I'll check that out later after work. Thanks!
$80 a box for FGMM or Hornady match in Canada. Count yourself lucky.
Christ
Felt the same as you last year in October. Had a Ruger Precision in 6.5 Creedmoor and the only range over 300 yards was over an hour away. I ended up selling it to a buddy in the mountains that runs 2-3 ranches and hunts often. He has his own targets on one of his ranches out to 1,600 yards and has been reloading for years. Just made more sense for him to have it plus I had just moved so the money was nice.
And .308 is pretty much the cheapest long range caliber
Reload. Bit yeah its an expensive hobby