Hunting Ammo Poll

I just voted on the one answer but could have picked a couple.

I have always had a policy to have several (4 or more) boxes of hunting ammo per caliber for each rifle, whatever works well in the rifle in question. I generally just fire a few at prior to season each year to insure the rifle/scope is in good working order. Turns out, this was a good idea- I no longer have 4 or more boxes of hunting ammo per caliber, and haven't for the last 2 seasons.

I load my own, have years worth of HUNTING ammo.

I buy factory, on sale. Just to try something new (bullet). Give me a baseline, of what they are loading. Get the brass. ( that I don't really need.)

I haven't "struggled" with components, but I always check. My primers are low and I would buy, at a decent price.

3 options were possible, but 1 was most appropriate.

"Load my own and have enough components for years" (Decades IF I didn't practice as much).

The vast majority of my centerfires have never see a round of factory ammo. Long before this latest shortage occurred I started stockpiling components as I got caught short in one of the previous shortages. During that scare I had to cut down on practice and even missed some matches. It sucked.

Now whenever I feel like buying a new toy, I just check my inventory sheet. My new(ish) mantra is to be able to "enjoy what you have"....I've also got a standing agreement with my wife that when I get an "in-stock alert" on something I'm looking for..I'm pulling the trigger.

WisBorn said:

After two conversations about buy hunting ammo, I thought a poll question was in order.
One conversation was at the range, the other waiting in line at Walmart.

How do you buy your hunting ammo?

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Simple I buy quality well known components From companies I trust and I load Ammo I verify it shoots well in my gun then I hunt with it I may not have enough for decades but I have enough for at least 10 years if not longer ymmv

When I bought my bar in 270, 18 years ago I found out that it liked the federal 130 gr soft points so I bought 12 boxes. since I only use this gun for hunting I still have 3 boxes left. My 6.5 I only shoot handloads in and have enough loaded for probably 3 more years.

I still have factory ammo for my 30.06 and 30/30 . It's close to 10 years old best guess.

I have plenty loaded for range fun too.

Thankfully I spent the time between sandy hook and the onset of the present mess stocking up on components. If this nonsense never ends I will eventually have to learn how to load non tox shot shells, but otherwise I am good.

My answer is heavily dependent on which deer rifle I select. My 450 Bushmaster has never seen a round of factory ammo and I have sufficient supplied to hunt with it for many years to come. My 30 RAR has only seen factory ammo since I built it and I have sufficient factory ammo for years to come (I have dies for when that runs out). etc. I have a mix of factory and reloads for my 270 Win, 44 Mag. I could go on. I don't often just buy one or two boxes except for testing and then if I like it I tend to stack it deep.

I tend to only buy factory ammo to get more progress brass, have enough components to shoot to 3 times before hunting season starts.

My big issue with components is helping my friend and new reloaded with his needs as well as my own.

Having been through multiple election years, I learned a long time ago to keep a good supply of components. In fact, I just sold a pound of Varget to a friend and traded him some bullets last week. I could use some Accubonds for my Mauser, but the bullets that I have on hand will get me through this season. If I am not satisfied with their performance I will pull out another rifle. Life is good!

Reloader for 40 years. I don’t consider myself a hoarder (my wife’s opinion is irrelevant).
I can honestly say I’ve never had any anxiety over limited ammo supply or reloading components. Never.
At the end of the clay season, I still have 2 full cases of factory shot shells and I will sit down and load 500 this winter with supplies I already have on hand.

Since we're talking about hunting ammo...I load my own and have enough components to load for my main hunting rifle - for use for hunting - for decades. I have 27 rounds loaded and an unopened box of the TTSXs it likes, so at 5 rounds per year (3 to confirm zero and two harvested deer) that's 15 years. I can stretch that by only shooting one or two to confirm zero. I have decades more ballistic tip and TSXs as well. Now if the new TTSX load performs on game as well as it shoots, I will stack those bullets very deep. I also have 3 boxes of the factory ammo that shoots best in that rifle and a few boxes of other good ammo.

My second hunting rifle, the .25-06, I haven't gotten to loading for it. So I have two boxes each of three types of factory that all shoot very well in it, so about 100 rounds of very accurate factory ammo or about 25 years worth of hunting at the rate I use that rifle.

I chose "load my own and have decades worth" because that's what I've done for my main rifle and what I will do for the .25-06 as soon as I get to it.

I just get my hunting ammo in bulk. Occasionally I hand load special rounds, but generally it's off the shelf.

I am an active hunter year 'round (hogs). I order hunting ammo by the case or multiples of cases, LOL.

I have some rifles that a 20 round box of ammunition might last a number of years. One shot to confirm zero and another to bag the animal repeat x 10. At least that’s the concept. I always prefer to have more than I need, just incase, so I wind up with boxes with just 2 left over.



That said, I too reload and not sure the last time I took a non bird game animal with factory ammunition. Might have been out of the box above.

I have several rifles that probably have never fired a factory round. When I find my "pet" load I load 100 of them and put them in a dedicated MTM box. I don't shoot my hunting rifles all that much. Usually a 3 or 5 shot group to confirm zero and one shot per Deer, some years up to 5 Deer. But we occasionally have a friendly competition at camp, like a Turkey shoot or an Egg shoot.

I have 2 hunting rifles I can load for and those are 44mag and 45-70. Last year it was hard finding my powder for 45-70 and with gun season approaching in exactly 2 weeks I broke down and purchased 3 boxes of Hornady LE 325gr ammo. It shoots way better than any handload I could make. I checked the other night and have about 10rds left to check zero at 100yards and hunt for 9 days with. Have components to load 44mag but just haven't had time to do so. I did purchase some Win 300gr HP factory ammo on sale a few months back and cant seem to find them. Honestly, the little bit I shoot both guns and the accuracy I get from factory vs handloads and the unreasonable prices of components I think I am just going to buy factory ammo when I find it. I am kicking myself now for not buying the Win 45-70 ammo at Cabelas the other nice for under $40-box.

I reload my hunting ammo just because the prices are not what I want to pay & I can get better accuracy than factory ammo. I hunt deer with a 350 Legend AR & have found it very easy to reload.

AK Hunter said:

I reload my hunting ammo just because the prices are not what I want to pay & I can get better accuracy than factory ammo. I hunt deer with a 350 Legend AR & have found it very easy to reload.
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I really enjoy the 165 grain ftx bullet it’s what I load in my .350 legend

horsemen61 said:

I really enjoy the 165 grain ftx bullet it’s what I load in my .350 legend

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The 170sp is a great deer round & when I load it over 26.0gr of H110 it gives me this kind of accuracy at 100 yds.

AK Hunter said:

The 170sp is a great deer round & when I load it over 26.0gr of H110 it gives me this kind of accuracy at 100 yds.
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This coming spring I plan on working up a load with the 170s and lil gun (what I have on hand). The factory Hornady version was pretty accurate out pf my rifle, but I ran out. Grabbed a case of Federal Fusion 160s before the balloon went up on the ammo market, but it turns out they are not very accurate for me. So off to the bench I will go. If I can't get lil gun to play nice, I will have to hunt down some 110.

AK Hunter said:

The 170sp is a great deer round & when I load it over 26.0gr of H110 it gives me this kind of accuracy at 100 yds.
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I’ve seen bolt guns that can’t shoot that good great job and great results!