Are handloaders better shots

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I am starting to doubt my manhood... am I a better shooter because I reload...or am I a better reloader because I am a gunowner...maybe...just maybe...it has nothing to do with either...
I AM JUST GREAT AT ANYTHING GUN RELATED...
 
With my full time labor intensive job + reloading lots of 9mm on a manual turret press, I have to be very careful not to induce overuse injuries. My press handle gets moved from right to left and back twice a week. Lots of hand/wrist/forearm problems will make you a bad shot.
 
Hartkopf said:
My press handle gets moved from right to left and back twice a week. Lots of hand/wrist/forearm problems will make you a bad shot.
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Close to 30 years of reloading over 650,000 pistol rounds (not to mention countless rifle rounds not tracked) with the ram lever only on the right side of the presses ... No hand/wrist/forearm issues.

Over 35 years of cooking (28 years of marriage essentially cooking all the meals) using cook's knives and cooking utensils only with right hand ... But I am ambidextrous when it comes to doing laundry and house cleaning. No hand/wrist/forearm issues.

And I can still dry fire without moving the front sight, even with just using thumb and middle finger for grip.

So I guess cooking and housekeeping also help you become a better shooter? :p
 
LiveLife said:
Close to 30 years of reloading over 650,000 pistol rounds (not to mention countless rifle rounds not tracked) with the ram lever only on the right side of the presses ... No hand/wrist/forearm issues.

Over 35 years of cooking (28 years of marriage essentially cooking all the meals) using cook's knives and cooking utensils only with right hand ... But I am ambidextrous when it comes to doing laundry and house cleaning. No hand/wrist/forearm issues.

And I can still dry fire without moving the front sight, even with just using thumb and middle finger for grip.

So I guess cooking and housekeeping also help you become a better shooter? :p
Click to expand...
Your wife loves you!
 
I started getting carpal tunnel symptoms in my right hand/arm when using a mouse, so I shifted to using the finger pad on my laptop at home, and using a mouse left handed at work, no more issues. Nothing else seems to bother it.
 
LiveLife said:
Close to 30 years of reloading over 650,000 pistol rounds (not to mention countless rifle rounds not tracked) with the ram lever only on the right side of the presses ... No hand/wrist/forearm issues.

Over 35 years of cooking (28 years of marriage essentially cooking all the meals) using cook's knives and cooking utensils only with right hand ... But I am ambidextrous when it comes to doing laundry and house cleaning. No hand/wrist/forearm issues.

And I can still dry fire without moving the front sight, even with just using thumb and middle finger for grip.

So I guess cooking and housekeeping also help you become a better shooter? :p
Click to expand...

I believe it's my 40 hour job that gives me most of the over use injuries. Reloading pushes it over the edge so I have to plan out every stage, including hand priming with my left.
 
Depends......

Do you reload for what reason?

Less expense per round?

More ammo to shoot (volume)?

Availability of ammo to shoot?

Accuracy?

Because you LIKE to reload?
 
dcloco said:
Depends......

Do you reload for what reason?

Less expense per round?

More ammo to shoot (volume)?

Availability of ammo to shoot?

Accuracy?

Because you LIKE to reload?
Click to expand...
Depends......

Do you reload for what reason?

Less expense per round? Sometimes.

More ammo to shoot (volume)? Seldom.

Availability of ammo to shoot? Absolutely - at least since covid.

Accuracy? Yes for rifles. Not so much for handguns.

Because you LIKE to reload? Yep. If I didn't like it, I wouldn't do it.

And one more reason: I like being able to tailor my ammunition to my guns as well as what I'm going to be using the ammunition for. What I mean is, I can load rip-roaring, bear stopping (hopefully) 45 Colt loads for my Ruger Blackhawk. Or I can load mild-mannered, snip the heads off Blue Grouse at 5 yards, 45 Colt loads for that same Ruger Blackhawk, or the Bond Arms derringer I've been looking for.;)
 
This post has me thinking… I mean, we ‘should’ be better shots because we have the ammo readily available to practice and shoot more. Or.. are we taking advantage of our good fortune and shooting more frequently and not putting in the time to hone our shooting skills.

I dunno, tough question. One thing is for sure, I love shooting and I love reloading.
 
I'm going to say that reloaders are better shots than non reloaders but not directly from pulling the press handle. Its probably because they shoot more and have more knowledge than most non reloaders.

I have a callus on my palm, back towards my wrist, from where the end of the press handle rides when I'm depriming and sizing brass.
 
Seedy Character said:
I shoot a whole lot more, because I reload.
I shoot with a guy who has never reloaded, buys only top tier ammo, shoots 500+ rounds per week, is fast and dead on accurate.

Amount of trigger time will improve skill
Natural ability cannot be faked
Reloading affects costs
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I only shoot for two reasons: put meat in the freezer and make empties to reload.
 
Varminterror said:
Correlation and coincidence aren’t causation.
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Yup.

I'll never know if reloading makes me a better shot because I've never NOT reloaded. I have bought factory ammo, when it was cheap and I didn't have a place where I could reload, and I did learn on a .22 single-shot rifle, but I've never not reloaded for my handguns and center-fire rifles. Wait.... Does that mean... Am I a lousy shot because I've always been a handloader? o_O:scrutiny:
 
Mario Andretti was Indy 500, doesn't mean he can build an engine.
Robert Yates builds awesome motors, doesn't mean he can drive a race car.

Apples and oranges

Handloaders TEND to shoot more. More trigger time would, should, could correlate to better scores.

There are great shooters, who do not reload.
I reload to Taylor my loads to my needs/wants/desires. My preferred bullet /load is not available in factory loading.
I reload to allow me more ammo to shoot.
I reload because I enjoy the process and the satisfaction of the results.
 
Seedy Character said:
Mario Andretti was Indy 500, doesn't mean he can build an engine. Robert Yates builds awesome motors, doesn't mean he can drive a race car.

There are great shooters, who do not reload.
Click to expand...
I have given this analogy some thought and OP's question of "handloaders" being better shooters some consideration.

It is highly likely that simple number of rounds reloaded does not automatically translates to improved shooting ability. So after reloading 650,000 pistol rounds (That's A LOT of trigger time folks), simple act of "reloading" likely won't make me compete at national, even at regional level on par with US AMU or Team Glock where these team shooters probably won't even reload their own match rounds.

But it may be the case where a "reloader" who transitions to "handloading" while learning more about improving "reloading consistency" may apply similar interest in improving "shooting consistency" and if that's the case, that particular reloader will likely become a better shooter (At least from the level the reloader was shooting from ;)).
 
A good shooter aka. "A good shot" can be made better with hand loads tailor-made to the gun, that is a fact....
But most of accuracy comes from within one's will and skill to make the good shot....
In order to answer your question there would have to be a science study done or a survey....one which probably wouldn't be conclusive enough evidence to prove or dis-prove the question.....
I think handloaders tend to shoot more rounds more often than do someone limited to factory ammunition, especially these days. (less the military, and some police)
I think the answer to your question, generally speaking, is yes. It's a characteristic or hallmark of a degree of "vestment" to the discipline, which says a lot.
But does this mean owners of Cadillacs are better drivers? That's a hard- NO.

If we went to your local range, and did a walk-in random competition....the first 10 shooters that are handloaders. vs the other 10 people that dont (probably 1/3 of them shooting a gun for the very first time).....
Who would you bet on? The handloaders would win.
Now, a competition of handloaders vs. the top tier (say top 10% best shots that DONT roll their own) shooters that don't handload....that would be interesting.

I'm going to get a lot of you that agree with me on this "handloading" forum.........But, if this were posted over in the "general handgun" section.......mehhh, probably some head butting.
 
I concur, Palladan

The line up;
A first time ever shooter
A person that carries everyday, fires less than 50 rounds per year.
A casual shooter, shoots less than 50 rounds per month.
A Handloaders, taylors his loads to his needs, shoots 200+ rounds per month
A shooter, using whatever factory loading they cam obtain, serious practice, 50 rounds per week.

Who are you going to bet on? The winner COULD be any. My $$$ is on the Handloaders.
Can you have serious practice without having accurate ammo? Not all factory loaded ammo is accurate in every gun.
 
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Seedy Character said:
I concur, Palladan

The line up;
A first shooter
A person that carries everyday, fires less than 50 rounds per year.
A casual shooter, shoots less than 50 rounds per month.
A Handloaders, taylors his loads to his needs, shoots 200+ rounds per month
A shooter, using whatever factory loading they cam obtain, serious practice, 50 rounds per week.

Who are you going to bet on? The winner COULD be any. My $$$ is on the Handloaders.
Can you have serious practice without having accurate ammo? Not all factory loaded ammo is accurate in every gun.
Click to expand...
Well, I will say the handloader is more likely to be able to handle a FFF/E better than the first three.
 
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