Reloading - What about the components that DON'T work?

[Kevin1094]

I'm a very new reloader. In fact, I have the equipment, have cleaned and primed some once fired brass and am building my bench now. I enjoy reading about everyone's "pet loads" and, like rifles, there are almost an infinite number of combinations of powder, bullets, cases and primers. So, since you buy cases and bullets by hundreds, powders by pound and primers by 1000s, what do you do with the extras if you don't find you pet load with a given combination? Set em on a shelf and hope your next rifle likes them better? Ok, probably don't have primers sitting on shelf for years but bullets?

This newbie is curious. Your words of wisdom will be greatly appreciated.

[82boy]

Are you asking what do you do with loaded rounds or just left overs. Loaded rounds I pull apart. Left over componets I sell, or let them sit.

[GaCop]

Shoot long enough and get hooked on building more Savages, you'll find a use for surplus components, they won't go to waste.

[twarren]

+1 on GaCop

[Slowpoke Slim]

So, since you buy cases and bullets by hundreds, powders by pound and primers by 1000s, what do you do with the extras if you don't find you pet load with a given combination? Set em on a shelf and hope your next rifle likes them better? Ok, probably don't have primers sitting on shelf for years but bullets?

Yup, that is exactly what I do. I have some bullets that I've had for decades. You never know when they'll come in handy, either for myself, or a shooting buddy. And yes, I've had primers, and even powder on the shelf for years too. It comes in handy when you have a new rifle to develop loads for. Before I moved, between my shooting buddy and myself, we had just about every combination you could think of covered. Came in real handy when one or the other of us had a "problem child" we needed to run up some different loads for.

[Kevin1094]

Thanks for all of the responses. I will design my shelves accordingly ;D

[darkker]

As to the "stockpile" of loaded ammo, it depends on how you load...
If you reload FOR A GUN, then the ammo may well NOT chamber in the next rifle. IF you are loading to SAAMI/book specs, then fine.
I personally load for specific rifles, they all have different throats, etc. So if I get rid of a gun, or get another one, I do a different load, or pull apart the components and re-use them.
My 308 and 25-06 are perfect examples.
308, has the longest Factory throat I've ever seen.
25-06 has a shorter throat than I've seen. The book OAL is too long in this gun for certain bullets.

Load for YOUR rifle, or at the very least; CHECK for your rifle.

[stevec]

I have thousands of bullets(different cal and wieghts) All different kinds of powder and different size and brands of primers out the wazzoo. Every time I aquire a new gun, I have somthing to try in it. I even buy bullets in calibers I dont own(yet!) just because they were cheap

......and no, I dont ask my wife how many pairs of shoes she has ;D

Steve

[Blue Avenger]

don't load so much test ammo for one.
find a kid to take with you, they will use it up.
they also work well for fire forming .30-06AI

[Eric in NC]

They turn into projects down the road, trading material, ways to help a buddy out, bright ideas, etc. All long term handloaders have a little bit of hoarder in them (may be very well organized and have records kept etc. but still hoarders!).

Heck - those 2,000 cast 230 grain round nose .45 bullets that wouldn't shoot in your 1911 may be just the reason to get a S&W Model 25 in 45 Colt. I still have about 200 60 grain 6mm HP flat base Sierra bullets from 1979 or so that I never could get to shoot in my Ruger 77 in 243. Now looking to get a 6x45 upper for my AR. Bet they will work dandy in that! Glad I kept them!

[243LPR]

Use the offending bullets for barrel break-in.

[AKShooter]

You might suprise yourself when you take your left over components and throw them together to burn them up. I've found more than one of my favorite loads that way. Otherwise I'll use them for sighters,foulers, practicing different shooting positions or whacking steel way out there.

[SMK Shoe]

You might suprise yourself when you take your left over components and throw them together to burn them up. I've found more than one of my favorite loads that way. Otherwise I'll use them for sighters,foulers, practicing different shooting positions or whacking steel way out there.

+1 Foulers and sighters. I also use them for those raining and cold days where I just feel like thumping the steel plates. Also good for those guys that want to try a couple rounds thru your rifle to decide on a new one for them.

Can also load up some not so accurate ammo for your shooting friends, and when you shoot the "good stuff" compare groups and tell them with practice they can be as good of a shot as you ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Blue Avenger]

You might suprise yourself when you take your left over components and throw them together to burn them up. I've found more than one of my favorite loads that way. Otherwise I'll use them for sighters,foulers, practicing different shooting positions or whacking steel way out there.

+1 Foulers and sighters. I also use them for those raining and cold days where I just feel like thumping the steel plates. Also good for those guys that want to try a couple rounds thru your rifle to decide on a new one for them.

Can also load up some not so accurate ammo for your shooting friends, and when you shoot the "good stuff" compare groups and tell them with practice they can be as good of a shot as you ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

MY little brat learned that one, When the boys try her Ruger Charger she gives them Vipers and she finds a box of Wolf for herself.

[psharon97]

As others have said, nothing really gets thrown away. Reloading components have a habit of being recycled. Think green!!!! ;D

[GaCop]

You might suprise yourself when you take your left over components and throw them together to burn them up. I've found more than one of my favorite loads that way. Otherwise I'll use them for sighters,foulers, practicing different shooting positions or whacking steel way out there.

+1 Foulers and sighters. I also use them for those raining and cold days where I just feel like thumping the steel plates. Also good for those guys that want to try a couple rounds thru your rifle to decide on a new one for them.

Can also load up some not so accurate ammo for your shooting friends, and when you shoot the "good stuff" compare groups and tell them with practice they can be as good of a shot as you ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

That's soooooooo devious! ;D

[kelbro]

It's just the nature of the beast. Start loading pistol and rifle and if you are not careful, the powder bottles really accumulate. Befor ethe internet, I did fine with W748, W231, W296, IMR3031, H4831, H4350, Unique and Bullseye. Now there are probably 10 or more bottles of new powders out there!

[SMK Shoe]

it gets worse ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
I have found components for a really good price and stock piled then.........

ordered a barrel so I could shoot them ;D ;D ;D

[Blue Avenger]

LOL I just bought dies for a .222 mag. no plans to own one, just to cheap to pass on. couple other boxes of something or other I don't even remember

[Blue Avenger]

good thing there were only 3!

[SMK Shoe]

Had same thing happen to me last year. Worked up a great load shooting 77 grain .223 match bullets. Worked great in a fast twist Bolt gun. Didn't work as well in a 1-14 twist TC Encore 14" Barrel. ??? ??? ??? ??? ;D ;D ;D ;D

[efw]

I have a couple of things I do w/ leftover components.

First, stockpile. Nothing wrong with lots of variety of bullets & powder.

Second, trade. If I buy a rifle in a new bore diameter and am short on test fodder, I just go into the classifieds of a certain site and trade my stockpiled stuff off.

Third, blasting. The way I see it the best accuracy matters most at longer ranges and on live targets (lets face it... you 2 MOA is perfectly acceptable for kill shots on big game out to 250-300 yrds, but I digress) so I will load stuff I don't care that much about up and use it for field practice on reactive targets like steel & water-filled recyclables. That actually ends up being a lot more valuable than bench-shooting anyway, and I don't have to feel too terribly guilty blowing through lots of ammo... or about missing... crumby inaccurate loads MUST be to blame, don't you know... :)