Did some shooting in the rain and wind yesterday and came back with more questions than answers, and I am starting to wonder if reloading if worth the trouble.

I started the day before by cleaning the fouling from my barrel, but not the copper.

Loaded up some 52 grain A-Max over 8208XBR, neck sized brass, sorted by length. Shot 3 round groups into separate targets but started by shooting 3 rounds of off the shelf American Eagle 50g tipped ammo that I use to foul my barrel prior to shooting the new load.

The hand load ammo shot respectably, max group .470 at 100 yds, min group .335. All seated .015 off lands. Pretty consistent.

At the end of my day, I finished off by shooting 3 more rounds of the same American Eagle ammo. The first 3 rounds I shot at the start of the day from a cold, clean barrel grouped at .232 inch. The last 3 with a warm, dirty barrel grouped .180. Oh, and I shot them from the magazine without pause. The all others were shot with cool down time between.

Those American Eagle rounds make a huge jump to the lands. Case is (of course) new, not sized to my chamber. Bullets seated very firm into the case. Velocity is 3240 fps. Powder charge is not very consistent by weight, I've checked.

My cost to load my ammo is pretty close to what I paid for that A. Eagle which cost 50 cents a round, on sale, and it shot better .

Hence, my dilemma. To load, or not to load.

Someone please tell me to keep trying!