One of the neat things about hunting is that we each get to pick what part we specialize in.

Hunting to me includes scouting, practicing my marksmanship (about 90% of the rounds I fire are from hunting positions - standing, sitting, with sticks, etc.), researching areas to hunt, and on and on. Staying in shape alone takes about 5 hours a week. I do all my own butchering.

When I bowhunted, I had friends that were traditional archers. To many of them, the key fact was that you did not use a compound. Again, they specialized. Most of them hunted only from tree stands and did not do their own butchering. Not better or worse, just a different piece of the puzzle.

I chose to enjoy the whole picture of hunting, as I see it. Beacause of this I do not have the time to go into the level of detail described above on working up loads.

"I chose to enjoy the whole picture of hunting, as I see it. Beacause of this I do not have the time to go into the level of detail described above on working up loads."

Corax, I can't find anything to argue with there, but that's an entirely different question than the reliability of handloads question. There is absolutely no reason to avoid handloading for reliability concerns, unless you're careless and you don't sound like you are. As a matter of fact, no handloaders I know are careless, it's a discipline that doesn't lend itself to that.

I have a lot of different interests too, tying my own flies, fishing, practicing and hunting with my longbow, and my favorite, hunting with my muzzleloader. I hardly have any time left over to handload for my centerfire rifles.

But it is rewarding. And fun, especially the accuracy part. Kind of like tying your own flies. Catching fish with store-bought flies is great, but tying your own takes it to the next level.

You sound like a guy who could appreciate that. Definitely don't sell yourself short, reliability of your ammo. would be your smallest concern, your bank account is what you need to be concerned with.

My rifles are almost all wildcats, so must be handloaded. I work up all my loads, carry my rifle into the field, squeeze the trigger,and butcher the game. If I "blow it," it's my fault...but when it goes right, I did it! My "big rifle" is a .375/348 Improved, designed for grizzly at close range, so I'll be using handloads any time I go out.
So far, the most dangerous game I've chased is the southeast Alaska black bear, with a handgun. Does that count? I use an S&W M57 6inch .41 mag.

Like nevmav, just about everything I hunt w/ is either a wildcat or if it's a factory round, hard to come by. So for me it's always beend handloads.

I take the opposite tack. I want a cartridge that I can find in a hardware store in Challis, Idaho or Iliamna Alaska.

I have handloaded for a long time - rifle and pistol. I dont shoot enough shotgun ammo to make shotgun reloading worthwhile. I enjoy it and plan to continue.