I use factory loads but I have heard that a lot of PHs don't recommend hunters use handloads on African game.

I would like to start reloading but if that is not a good idea for Africa maybe I will confine my reloading to ammo I will use here in the states for varmints and deer.

If you have been lurking around here like you have said you would have realized 75% if not more reload for africa

quote:

Originally posted by thors460:
If you have been lurking around here like you have said you would have realized 75% if not more reload for africa

Huh? I'm just asking a question. I've done a lot of hunting but I've never reloaded. If it's not a good idea for African hunting then I may rethink getting into it.

We have been using nothing but reloads in Africa - and all for wildcats we have developed ourseoves.

Never had a problem with any PH or anyone else.

I shot a few birds and small game with factory loads in a shotgun and .22. All large game, predators, and most varmints were shot with my handloads. I shoot pretty everthing with handloads though.

I prefer the term "handloads" to the term "reloads" b/c loads being tuned to my rifles. I can't remember using a factory load anywhere. I use properly headstamped brass.

I handload all my ammo in all my calibers for all hunting all over the world.

I get more accuracy and trajectory with my taylormade ammo.

I`m also more free to use a bulletmake, and bulletweight wich don`t ofen apear in factoryloads

I also use hand loads but feel that if Norma Premium ammo suits your rifle then that would certainly be an option if you don't want to kit up with reloading gear.

I also use handloads exclusively. I keep the headstamp the same. In RSA the ammo has to match the rifle and I also pack them in identical factory packets. I doubt anyone will ever really check what I have but I use the KISS principle.

If I had to take factory ammo it would be RWS or Norma.

There is "Reloading" and "Hand Loading"--two different terms altogether. If one reloads, one sits down at a progressive and loads a thousand 45 acps for practice at the range, 400 per hour or so.

Hand Loads are carefully crafted ammo, normally for rifles. Not loaded by the 1000!

Now these are my terms and thoughts, there are exceptions.

I have never gone to the field with "Factory Ammo", nor have I polluted my rifles with such! Not to mention that the vast majority of my rifles are wildcats and there is no factory ammo to begin with. But back in the days of 458 Lott, 458 Win and 416 Remington, never gone to the field with factory ammo.

But when loading for a hunting situation, much the same as a defensive situation, you must take time and care with your hand loads, reliability is a must and proper steps should be taken to obtain that reliability. Hand Loading is no big mystery, common sense, no distractions, pay attention, don't be in a hurry, make sure every piece of ammo feeds and functions in the gun, those sort of things. When properly attended to, there is no better ammo in the world and you can tailor fit your ammo for the mission at hand! Can't do that always with factory ammo, even though todays factory ammo is as good or better than it has ever been.

Michael

It's been 30 years since I last bought a box of factory ammo.

I doubt you'll get a true comparison of what percentage use handloads on a forum named ACCURATERELOADING. Saeed, this forum's founder, actually lathe cuts his own mono-metal bullets, for goodness sakes! His success in the field is a testament to how well home-crafted ammo can work, even on the biggest toughest critters that walk this Earth.

But your reloading operation doesn't have to rival his to feel confident in using quality handloads on African, or any other, game animals.

Whackemandstackem (adrook),
Handloads exclusively for me, a passion that began for all my calibers after I started shooting a .470NE. I've seen no basis for the thought that a PH doesn't welcome a hunter that shoots superior ammo on a hunt.

Have not ever hunted Africa, and probably never will, but have hunted in Canada twice and used handloads on the critters I hunted up there.

If I won the lottery and was able to go to Africa, all I would be taking would be hand loads.

I started handloading back in 1968 and with the exception of about 100 rounds of factory loaded 257 Roberts ammo that a friend gave me a couple of years back, fully 95% of the game my wife and I have killed in our combined hunting careers have been killed with hand loads.

I don't know where you heard or read the "Advice" of PH's about not using hand loads, but I have seen that same recommendation a couple of times in various articles.

I attribute that "Advice" toward some one that does not hand load or because of some "Bad" experience they may have had with a hand load, which was probably due more to actual shot placement than the quality of the hand load. JMO.

I'nm leaving for Botswana in 10 days and I will be taking my own handloaded rounds. 300 TSX bullets using RL15 for the 375 H&H and 200 grain Nosler Partitions and 4831 for the 300 H&H.

Whackemandstackem,

I've gotten mixed reviews with PH's on handloads. If they have seen handloads perform well in the field they usually don't care what you shoot but if not they are suspicious of any ammo not from a factory. One squib load that lodges the bullet in the barrel when the leopard is in the tree is apt to put a PH off on handloads.

As long as your loads are carefully prepared with good bullets and anal attention to consistency the PH should have no complaints. On the other hand if you find that your not really all that interested in it stick with premium factory fodder from Federal, Superior, Norma etc. Modern factory ammo is very good and much better than 20 years ago.

I just read your introduction post and with that much expereince you should have received quite a bit of feedback on handloads or most anything else safari related. What have your PH's said?

Mark

Handloads have been standard fare since '72 in Africa and '62 else where. Never heard a complaint. I think you have read bad information. I have used some factory, but not on regular basis, You don't know how it's been stored and I have had factory misfires and hangfires, once with factory .475 #2 bought in Kenya on cape buff. Exciting!

I'm pretty conservative so I only take once fired brass in my reloads. Take all your loaded factory or reloaded ammo to the range before you leave and chamber every round to be sure it functions smoothly through your gun. I always check the overall length of my loads before leaving on a trip.
A knowledgeable gun nut PH told me the only problem he ever had with reloads was in a 458 Lott that had a jam because the ammo was not crimped properly. I invested in Lee crimp dies for anything over 300 magnum and have had no problems. To be honest most of my big bores shoot factory ammo but I do load some as well when I can't find the bullet I want to use factory available or highly priced.
I went overboard some years ago shooting silhouettes and trap so I think I'm beyond enjoying reloading now.

I only have 4 trips to Africa under my belt, but I have NEVER shot an animal in Africa with factory ammo! I have, and do, spend considerable time working up my loads and ensuring consistency and accuracy.

quote:

Originally posted by LJS:
I'm pretty conservative so I only take once fired brass in my reloads. Take all your loaded factory or reloaded ammo to the range before you leave and chamber every round to be sure it functions smoothly through your gun. I always check the overall length of my loads before leaving on a trip.
A knowledgeable gun nut PH told me the only problem he ever had with reloads was in a 458 Lott that had a jam because the ammo was not crimped properly. I invested in Lee crimp dies for anything over 300 magnum and have had no problems. To be honest most of my big bores shoot factory ammo but I do load some as well when I can't find the bullet I want to use factory available or highly priced.
I went overboard some years ago shooting silhouettes and trap so I think I'm beyond enjoying reloading now.

Like LJS I use a mix. I handload what I need to to get the bullets or performance I want and don't when what I want is availble from the factory. On the PH's, most I know handload their own ammo, or have a friend who does it for them.

BTW, I strongly second LJS's comment regarding running through your rifles all of the ammo you'e taking. You might be suprised at the numer of rounds not quite right, even out of a factory box.

JPK

(Looked at the price of .470 NE ammo lately? Who can afford big bore ammo? Sure isn't me!)

I just don't buy factory loaded ammunition. I hunt with carefully built handloads ... all weighted charges and all chamber checked before the trip.

Have never had a failure in the field that wasn't caused by the guy who pulled the trigger

huh what are factory loads?? do they go off??

Whackemandstackem, I suppose by now you have found that most serious big game hunters use very carefully crafted "HANDLOADS" fo all their serious hunting.

As someone above has stated there is difference between "RE-LOADS" and "HANDLOADS".

Re-loads indicates brass that has been use one or more times and is simply salvaged by re-loading. Re-loads are usually used for fireing range practice, and are simply a cost saveing practice that really saves no money, but rather lets you shoot a lot more for the same amount of money.

Hand loads, OTOH, is a practice of loading very well loaded ammo that gets the best from a particular rifle. The HANDLOAD is ammo that is tuned to your rifle, and is matched as much as is posible, and shoots better than any factory ammo in that particular rifle. The reason for this is, the recipe is worked up for that particular rifle, and allows one to select the exact bullet he wants, fired at the speed he wants, and that every shot will be exactly the same. Each cartridge of properly handloaded ammo will even weight the same when loaded and weighed on a powder scale. This is certainly not the case with factory ammo.

The only way to get the absolute best from any rifle is to handload custom ammo for that rifle. This is true of any rifle, but especially true of double rifles. Consistancy is the key word here. Properly loaded for a particular rifle one can pick five round from any 100 rounds of custom handloads and fire them at a target, and the groups will be as close as they can be to any other five round from the 100.

Factory ammo is loaded by the gang press oppertation method, with brass being dumped in a hopper by the thousands, bullets in another hopper by the thousands, and the powder in a metering bin where a metered load is dumpednto the cases as they pass on the assembly line with bullets being seated in the next step, then the loads dumped in anothe belt where they are packaged. With this method a box of 20 rounds may have each cartridge loaded on a different press, and the powder charges will likely be slightly different as well. Then each piece of the brass my weigh different as well. All this causes a domino effect. If the bullet is one or two grains different, and the powder charge is different, and the brass is heavier, or lighter then the load is not going to be the same. Even though these rounds are very close, the difference in all it's componants in the end product are vastly inferior to properly matched, and loaded ammo of a HANDLOAD.

The key word here is "PROPERLY", however!

Thanks for the replies. To be honest I've never really been a gun nut I just like to hunt so I've always used factory loads. I don't know that I've ever really discussed handloads with a PH because I had never really considered getting into it until now. I'm thinking of maybe getting into it because the price of premium ammo is so outrageous and I am worried that the democrats will start trying to tax ammo to the point where it is unaffordable so it would be nice to be able to load my own.

I won't quibble about the reload/handload terminalogy. I have 4 progressive Hornady/Pacific 366 shotgun presses, and a Dillon progressive rifle/pistol press. I guess after I "work up" a handload I then reload that load until I want to "work up" something different.

Most of my guns have never chambered a factory load. I have big game hunted for over forty years in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, Canada, and Africa. All animals except for my first couple of deer and elk were shot with handloads.

I have never had any problems with my handloads either in performance, with airlines or customs.

Whm&stkm,

Do you prefer dining out all the time or do you enjoy a home cooked meal... I like eating out occasionally,but I prefer a good home cooked meal...
To me this goes right along the lines of handloading... Home made!!! One can be as particular as you want to load... Seeing the exact powder going in each casing and checking out all casings and bullets as you load them...
Cant be better them that... That is what premium loads are better quality control and there are every now and then some kind of slip up...
After loading I then try all rounds in rifles...

Mike

On my first three safaris, all I shot were handloads. This trip, only because of convenience and being strapped for time, I'm taking Federal Premium factory loaded ammunition. I've always had great success shooting handloads, and other than one time, have never had any problem with handloads at all. Unfortunately, the only problem I ever had with handloads was when shooting a very hot load in a .458, with a wounded bull elephant at 10 yards! The gun jammed, don't know if it was the load or the rifle, but I sold that gun as soon as I got home. I've never had a problem other than that, before or since.

Other than a box of 20 gauge target loads for Grandsons introduction to trap shooting, I have not used/purchased factory ammo for over forty years

I have not used a factory load on my hunts for over 20 years; the only exception is bird hunting.

Aziz

I only use handloads for hunting when I can't find exactly what I want in a factory load.

With the variety of calibers and the excellent bullets now being loaded by the factories, there are fewer reasons to handload now than there used to be.

Plus, the factory stuff is very consistent and accurate nowadays, or at least it is in my rifles.

And let's face it, hand loading is very time consuming.

Still, in some calibers, most notably my .500 A-Square, I must and I do hand load in order to get precisely what I want.

Also, just as an aside, I always use properly headstamped brass and advise others to do the same. You don't want to give some PITA government official an excuse to confiscate your ammunition.

There are many good loads from factories for the .375 H&H and I have used a couple for hunting in Africa. For my 404 Jeffery and my 416 Rigby I handload.

Must say I handload or, as the Brits say, homeload, for everything from .470 Nitro, 500/450 Nitro, 450/400 Nitro, .375 flanged and .375 belted, 350 Rigby No. 2, 7x57 and, now, .303 Brit as well as 10 gauge shotgun, both lead and bismuth.

Fully agree with running every round into the chamber, having loaded with extra care to check primer depths and charges of powder in all brass (made mistake in each earlier in reloading days. Results: one click no bang, and one very funny sounding bang that did push the bullet out of the barrel some few yards 'tho...).

Regards

Please see the attached Survey !!!

I don't make enough money to hunt Africa AND buy factory centerfire ammunition.

Rich
Buff Killer

I've been once, my uncle and cousin 3 times of safari. All handloads for all of us on all hunts. No problems. Not saying this is how it's done just my and my families experience.

Only handloads in my .30-06 and .375. Bullets are mainly Nosler Partition.

http://www.kapstadt.de/schindlers-africa
Sorry, website is not in English but German...

Began handloading @ age 14 by necessity, (cost and odd calibre) .
Routinely take my handloads,
however have killed numerous animals with factory loads.
The new"Premium" loads from most manufacturers are quite sufficient and Quite accurate in general.

On occasion have had to use borrowed weapons and "standard" off the shelf ammo with reasonable results and a few notable failures.(Guns and ammo do fail to arrive on time ,in spite of best efforts and plans.)

While most of us here would ,IMHO, be considered" gun-nut" or "gun-crank" or "wildcatter" and as such believe our methods superior in results;
the facts are: DAY IN AND DAY OUT around the world the majority of game falls to "off the shelf" ammo.

That fact will not change the minds nor practices of most of us here; WE ENJOY CRAFTING OUR OWN.
Because of that, and our perceptions that our loads are better and becauseof COST of factory premium loads , one should not expect anything to change any time soon.

Therefore, I suggest you learn handloading,for the satisfaction,the cost, and the knowledge; not necessarily for the terminal performance gains that were Quite real in the past ,yet perhaps only minorly so with today's Premium products.

I only used factory ammo once in Africa and that was because my rifles didn't make it to Bulawayo.xEnded up shooting my biggest bull ele wirh a 458 Win borrowed from Lou Hallamore and only used one 500 grain TB Sledgehammer factoery soild.

465H&H

Whakem,,,,I used to shoot a great deal and "reloading" made the cost much easier to deal with. Friends reloaded and we would work up loads and then we got more in to the custom "handloads". I had a great place to handload, store, and get away from the phone when I did it. Unfortunately, as I had less time to handload, I went back to shooting more factory loads. Realistically,, shooting 2 deer a year,,how hard is that with factory.
When you become more interested in the african game, especially dangerous game,,,, precise, well suited ammo for the rifle is extremely important to most hunters here.
You can get tremendous advice on possible loads to start with here from people that really know their stuff. If you are going to consider taking handloads to Africa,, or anywhere, you need to get a lot of practice in handloading and build confidence in your skills as a handloader. I got my first rock chunker press probably 30 years ago. It is not rocket science but it takes concentration and paying very close attention at all times without distractions to what you are doing. Customizing your loads, building confidence and knowing what your rifle will do at the range equals success in the field. If I was a Ph and a hunter shows up and pulls out a box of factory ammo and asks,, "what are you shooting'? and the hunter says "remmingtons",,,, or the hunter pulls out a plastic case of handloads and he ask what you shooting and he names of the powder, brand, grains, bullet type , weights, velocity at muzzle and 100 yards etc,,,, I know which one I want to hunt with,,,, and most of the time right now I shoot a premium off the shelf factory bullet. Just watch the outdoor chanel and you will see a Midway TV addvertisement by Larry Potterfield and he sums up why you should be handloading pretty well. Like most guys on here that handload,,, they love to do it,,and they take pride in their results. At 200 dollars a box for my 416 Rigby,,, I may be looking at a new die and fresh brass...

Whackemandstackem

You have seen that the general consensus is that handloads (and I too differentiate between handloads and reloads, one indicates care, crafting and the other indicates lower costs to me, not bad just different purposes) are acceptable. But here is the caveat that I would offer. You state that you have not reloaded and would be getting into it in preparation for Africa. I would suggest that you be sure to give yourself ample time to learn the art, load some testing loads, experiment etc and generally get a good comfort level before you load some up for a hunt, especially if dangerous game. This is a great hobby to find someone as a knowledgeable mentor to help you out. With care and thought you can load cartridges with high degrees of accuracy in your individual firearm though if you get into it in any way it will not necessarily be cheaper...probably the opposite. I've taken handloads on 3 out of 4 of my safaris including my 416 Rigby for buffalo last year with full confidence. It would have been 4 out of 4 if it had not been for me buying 300 Weatherby Federal Premium ammunition discontinued by Federal and sold for $12 a box from Midway in 2006. Monitor the Reloading forum too for more background.
Good luck

Paul