I'm assuming reloads aren't as good as new ammunition, more FTF, FTE, etc., but I figure GOOD reloads would be better then most Wolf ammo.  I've had experience with wolf, shot fine, but too dirty for me, I prefer not to have to clean my gun that much.  I have some good new ammunition but it's too costy for range plinking, so I wanted to know a few good places/brands of reload ammunition that is good, won't jam up... will shoot fairly accurately, and is goodly priced and constantly in stock.

There's SO many different types of ammo, it's confusing.  I've checked the ammo stock/availability sticky thread too, it doesn't seem to give me the info I need.

I use Black Hills reloaded/remanufactured ammo, but they are about the only ones I feel comfortable doing that with.

goodly?????

I now load about 90% of my ammo, never had any problems.  Black hills is good stuff.

Check out Georgia Arms, $160/1k.

reloaded ammo can be just as accurate if not more accurate.

Talk to the competition shooters. 9 times out of 10 they relaod their ammo.

All the AR kabooms I have seen were due to reloads.

Quoted: All the AR kabooms I have seen were due to reloads.

How'd ya miss this thread?  www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=118&t=260335

(note: IMO, though this was new Federal ammo I have a sneekin suspicion that "set-back" was the root cause here)



As to reloads, all my long range 77grn. 223 rounds are reloads (loaded by myself or dad) and all my SHTF M4 ammo is re-man'd Black Hills, so I don't have a problem with 'em.

Mike

ps - while the possibility of a bad load exists with any ammo manufacturer's ammunition (new or reloaded) sticking with a company like Black Hills for your re-man'd ammo is a safe bet in my book.

Quoted: Quoted: All the AR kabooms I have seen were due to reloads. How'd ya miss this thread?  www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=118&t=260335

I saw that thread, I just did not personally witness the kaboom.

Properly assembled reloads are equal to factory ammunition in reliability and safety.  Does that mean all reloads are "properly assembled?"  Not on your life.

A "remanufacturer" like Black Hills is in the business of doing things right, so their products should be expected to perform very well.  A good handloader can do the same thing, but it takes time and effort.  And it's easy to be a "not good" handloader; all it takes is some inattention.

The biggest thing I can think of that could go wrong with home reloaded ammunition is not taking enough time to thorougly clean and inspect the empty brass before getting started.  Say you have a nice big Dillon setup; it doesn't "require" the brass to be carefully inspected because it's hard to hurt the press or the dies.  But QUALITY does require careful, thorough inspection.  

The brass should be cleaned before it's inspected so range crud doesn't hide problems, and it should then be 100% visually inspected.  Then it should be deprimed - don't be surprised when you find a rock in a case! - and cleaned and inspected again.  A large percentage of FTFs come from bad priming, which can be cured by CLEAN primer pockets and consistent primer seating.

Yeah it takes extra time and effort, but that's what it takes to produce consistent, reliable ammunition.

I've loaded over 150,000 rounds, in various calibers in my career, and never had a Kaboom of any type. I find it hard to believe that anyone using appropriate powder could ever have a Kaboom, because you can't get that much powder in the case...if you're using the correct powder.

Anyway, IMHO...reloads are a very economical, and safe way to go. always use 1st rate components, and established reloading practices, and there should be no problems.

Commercial reloads from Black Hills are top notch. The only difference in their quality from NEW ammo is that the brass has been subjected to prior firings. This can have some impact on quality if the brass has been fired too many times. I.e., primer pockets get loose and the primers don't stay seated. Other than that, everything in the process is the same.

YMMV

Tack

Any good places to pick up the black hills reloads?  by the 500rnd/1000rnd?

Quoted: Any good places to pick up the black hills reloads?  by the 500rnd/1000rnd?

I bought most of mine from Midway.

Mike

Most guys will wrench their family car (brakes, oil change, etc) but heaven forbid they reload.

Most kabooms are from improperly made ammunition... factory or otherwise.  

If factory ammo was kaboom-proof they wouldn't need all that insurance now, would they???

Properly made reloads are every bit as good as new ammunition, the hitch is exactly who makes quality reloaded ammo?  Most of the reloaded ammo on the commercial market is junk, the only commercial reloaded ammo I would trust is Black Hills.

Quoted: All the AR kabooms I have seen were due to reloads.

Amerc ammo is known to have KB'd some AR's, and Amerc is new ammo, poor quality, but still new.

Quoted: All the AR kabooms I have seen were due to reloads.

tack i did not get my first bad reload untill my 650 hit the 200,000 mark (squid load) on 40 cal ammo. When you shoot a rifle long enough it is not a matter if I am going to have a bad round, but when. Commerical ammo spreds out the whens betweeen a lot more people.

I still reload for the 40, its the only way I can afford IPSC.