Quote Originally Posted by Turbolung View Post
BTW..is it really as easy to reload good quality ammo as it appears?
In a word, YES. Hand loading accurate, consistent, customized ammo is not all that difficult. Also, keep in mind that factory ammo is not necessarily low quality or inconsistent. What makes hand loading so "special" is it allows you to custom-build ammo that YOUR rifle/barrel likes. By playing around with different powders, bullets, charges, seating depth, etc. you find a combination that works well in your barrel.

I am only estimating here, but I would say, generally speaking, if you have an ordinary hunting rifle capable of shooting typical, factory made hunting rounds 1 inch or so at 100 yards, you can, with very little effort and no special, insanely anal hand loading practices and case prep build custom ammo capable of shooting 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards. THat's not a big deal, maybe, but that same gun will, therefore, likely shoot 2 inch groups at 400 yards, ( as opposed to 4 inches. ) THAT's where it makes a practical difference. Getting anything better than that does typically requires some pretty radical, obsessively painstaking effort, tools, equipment, knowledge, experience and luck. No always, but usually. So yes, I would say the average hand loader can get tremendous benefits from basic hand loading. How far you care to take it after that is up to you, but there comes a point where you start to hit " seriously diminishing returns" on your effort.

Besides all of that, it's FUN.

And, from a hunting perspective, can be VERY satisfying to take down a deer with a cartridge you assembled yourself.