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When is enough, enough.....

Wichasa said:
I fear I'm doomed to forever hunting with the same 270 and 7mm forever...I simply can't leave these guns at home and hunt without taking a piece of my old man with me in the field.
Click to expand...
Yeah, but you know the old saying about a man who only has one rifle, he might actually be good with it.

Better something you enjoy than the latest fancy wizzbang you don't like.
 
Hi my name is Phil, and I'm a gunpowder addict. For the last 10 years I have maintained 28 different powders in inventory. I never used to worry about any particular powder until the last pound jar was half empty…in the past year, I'm always searching for good deals or availability. I have to have 3-pounds of most, and 8# of h4350, 1000, Varget and Retumbo. I've got my final shipment of powder arriving this week. Guess what? I'm short on bullets😬
 
Wichasa said:
Hello everyone,
Long time listener, first time caller.
Question...where does a guy stop reaching for more stuff to buy, more equipment to try etc ect. I started reloading in an effort to try to create better ammo than the factory **** on the shelves. I consider myself an intermediate reloader who shoots factory rem/win/brn rifles...nothing fancy- certainly not a target or bench guy.
Where do you draw the line for a hunter/plinker? I started out adding a digital scale, then a bullet comparitor to up my odds for improvement. Now I'm waiting on bushing dies, micrometer seater dies, shoulder comparitors and am about to dive into more stuff to measure concentricity....having not fully mastered the bench full of items I currently own!

Where's a decent stopping point for a hunter and casual shooter? I feel like a crack whore jonesing for her next hit.....I can barely find enough components to complete a cartridge let alone think about getting into serious reloading.

Thinking I should have taken the blue pill...
Click to expand...
Never blue pill it, always red pill. I would focus on being happy and enjoying the hobby. Clearly this has captured your attention, which is rare considering that few people find a hobby that can stimulate their drive and passions to make them genuinely happy. Even Neo took some time to adjust to his new surroundings after taking the red pill before gaining control of the matrix.

Once you get a handle on reloading, you will get into tuners and barrel harmonics, barrel lengths vs powder burn times, progressive barrel twist rates, the Coriolis effect... by the time you die, you should be able to fill a 40x60 pole barn with all your equipment. This is perfectly normal behavior for someone who only intends to occasionally shoot animals and plink out to 500 yards.

All of the items you are thinking about buying, you should buy and enjoy them, with lots of emphasis placed on the enjoying part. The only advice you need to hear is to get off youtube and play with your toys. Dont just chase the dragon, grab it by the horns and ride that sum-bi-tch.
 
I think I'm close to having "enough". I only load for two calibers, 22-250 and 260 Remington and have micrometer seating dies for both, a bushing full length sizing die for the 260. Nor being a high volume shooter I use a old Rockchucker, a 5-0-5 scale I bought in the early 90's and a old RCBS powder measure. I have the tools to measure all the critical dimensions needed fro where I'm currently at.

My rifles are Savages with the exception of my mdl 70 in 30-06 that I bought when I was in high school in 1977. Being a LH shooter and shooting RH guns all my life I decided I wanted a couple LH rifles. In the end I bought a LH mdl 11 in 308 and rebarreled it with a Shilen SS Select match in 22-250. Then I bought a mdl 10 LH action and installed a Shilen SS Select Match 260 barrel, have yet to work up loads for it and still have a little work to do on the 250.

While working on loads for the 250 I was having problems with inconsistent shoulder bump so I built a annealing box using a propane torch and a rechargeable drill. It works well enough for who it's for and the volume I do.

I've also bought a couple used Leupold scopes that I like. My heavy barrel Savage mdl 12 FVSS 22-250 has a 6.5-20, SF, 30mm tube with a Varmint hunter reticle and I wanted one for the lighter mdl 11. I found one on another forum, the same guy had another 6.5-20 with the same reticle only it was a 1" tube with adjustable objective. I bought it for my Anschutz 1712 .22 rimfire.

With the three calibers I have I'm good for anything I'm going to hunt so I'm good on CF rifles, I do have a weak heart for Winchester 52's though, LOL. Most of my reloading stuff was bought used and if I find a full length bushing die for the 250 at a reasonable price I may buy it. Other than that I can't think of anything that I can't live without.................... for now.
 
Wichasa said:
Thanks all for your 2 cents. The rifle I'm putting my resources into is one I inherited from my Dad. My mother gave it to him in 1975 as a 25th wedding ann. Gift so he could hunt Canada/Alaska...its a 7mm Rem mag BDL. Before he passed and on the last hunt together he slipped with it and I believe he got snow in the barrel and bulged the barrel tip and never knew it. I replaced the barrel through a smith who accurizes Rems., found a new factory barrel. While I was at it had it floated, bedded, bolt face trued.....the easy stuff. It now is capable of more than my skills can get out of it..currently. All of my hunting firearms were gifts from him and for now want to get the most out of them I can before stepping up. I fear I'm doomed to forever hunting with the same 270 and 7mm forever...I simply can't leave these guns at home and hunt without taking a piece of my old man with me in the field.

Living and hunting in South Dakota has taught me the meaning of long distance lol....I would be very happy to be able to consistently hit an orange (or cantelope) out to 500 yds. Looking forward to your posts.
Click to expand...
Hitting a Cantalope at, 500 yds is probably very doable with, the 7mm mag using, the "right" bullet and load "work up".
Do you have, a Concentricity fixture / dial indicator, "set up" ?
Personally, I'd try some, Berger 168's and IMR 7828 SSC and get, the concentricity / TIR of the Bullet down to .004 / .005 Max. TIR.
Don't go crazy buying, needless "Chit" but, I value setting my Bullets, to a LOW TIR reading, very high, on my list.
And, I LIKE, Forster Dies, to get "this", Job, done !
My 2 slightly Modified, Factory "Hunting", Tikka's, both shoot, SUB, 3/4 MOA, reliably and I'm getting 6" dia groups at 700 Yards
( mild winds of, course ! ) with my .270 wsm, so IT,.. can be, done with reasonable and careful reloading.
Does your Remington have, a "good" 1.5 to 2 pound, crisp, Trigger pull ?
 
Last edited:
Idaho Lefty said:
Hitting a Cantalope at, 500 yds is probably very doable with, the 7mm mag using, the "right" bullet and load "work up".
Do you have, a Concentricity fixture / dial indicator, "set up" ?
Personally, I'd try some, Berger 168's and IMR 7828 SSC and get, the concentricity / TIR of the Bullet down to .004 / .005 Max. TIR.
Don't go crazy buying, needless "Chit" but, I value setting my Bullets, to a LOW TIR reading, very high, on my list.
And, I LIKE, Forster Dies, to get "this", Job, done !
My 2 slightly Modified, Factory "Hunting", Tikka's, both shoot, SUB, 3/4 MOA, reliably and I'm getting 6" dia groups at 700 Yards
( mild winds of, course ! ) with my .270 wsm, so IT,.. can be, done with reasonable and careful reloading.
Does your Remington have, a "good" 1.5 to 2 pound, crisp, Trigger pull ?
Click to expand...
My trigger is closer to 3 lbs. (Just under) Which i don't mind...often I have to shoot with light gloves in the nasty winter prarie wind...this helps not having a too light of a trigger.
 
I think you have everything to create reliable hunting rounds. The annealing part can be done with a little research here and everywhere. A drill, socket and cheapo soldering torch setup will do that. You're not churning hundreds of rounds if you're just hunting.
When you "quit" is when you can drop 10 rounds into a kill zone at a max distance you're comfortable with. That's really your call/your limit at some point
I really enjoy sneaking in on pronghorn. It's my favorite hunt of all, on center fire or muzzle loader. I could go farther with my 7RM but it's just too much fun not to, lol!
 
Excellent point...in my humble opinion the ability to shoot an animal in a different zip code is a poor substitute for hunting skills. Having said that...I, like every other hunter has watched deer/elk walk because they were just out of our comfort zone. Archery serves me plenty of humble pie annually...I'm ready to extend my reach lol......
 
The only comparison I can think of is salmon fishing. Which is why I have 5 full spoon boxes and fish with 5 spoons all the time. Reloading is a gadget sport/hobby/ADDICTION that is not curable once you have taken the "plunge". The only cure is for you to send me all your reloading supplies and I promise I will not send them back no matter how much you beg from withdrawal.
 
Pdyson said:
Hi my name is Phil, and I'm a gunpowder addict. For the last 10 years I have maintained 28 different powders in inventory. I never used to worry about any particular powder until the last pound jar was half empty…in the past year, I'm always searching for good deals or availability. I have to have 3-pounds of most, and 8# of h4350, 1000, Varget and Retumbo. I've got my final shipment of powder arriving this week. Guess what? I'm short on bullets😬
Click to expand...
So Phil: How are you doing on primers? LOL
 
Deputy819 said:
"I can stop whenever I want to….I'm in total control" 😂. I only browse the Classifieds to pass the time…..
Click to expand...

You know what we call that right? Yup, we call that bull$# 😂😂😂

It's never enough. There is always something new or better that draws us to be even better shooters and hunters. Well at least for me.

New bullet, new rifle, new scope, etc, etc.

Unless you have complete total self control then you can stop when ever you want. Now, why would you want to stop? I have no clue! 😂😂😂
 
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