Is there still an advantage to hand loads for varmint hunting?

The decade following World War II ushered in the golden age of hand-loading centerfire rifle cartridges, as bullets from Speer, Sierra, Nosler, Hornady, and other new companies became available. Reloading presses, dies, and other tools also became available, and tons of military-surplus powder were sold in smaller canisters to handloaders.

While the primary purpose of hand-loading may have been to save money, it also enabled shooters to tailor loads to their rifle that would maximize accuracy, increase velocity, and improve terminal performance. Many big-game hunters turned to hand-loading so they could use premium bullets that weren’t available in factory ammunition.

But those who set their sights on small varmints and predators turned to hand-loading in a big way due to the sheer volume of ammo burned during a weekend in areas with high varmint populations. Varmint hunters from east of the Mississippi regularly travel to the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, and other western states in the spring to help reduce the prairie dog population on ranches where their burrows can cause injury to cattle and horses, and damage to machinery.

Each shooter can expend hundreds of rounds per day on these and other varmints, including rock chucks, jackrabbits, and a variety of ground squirrels.

MORE COVERAGE FROM MINNESOTA OUTDOOR NEWS:

Number of Minnesota wolves trapped by feds peaked in 2023

Minnesota DNR brings felony charges in illegal spruce tops case

Early, pre-opener license sales tick up from 2023 ahead of Minnesota’s firearm deer season

Economic advantages

Not long ago, a guy could use the same components as the premium ammunition brands and hand-load his own ammo far cheaper than it would be to purchase it. Slowly but surely, that price gap has shrunk as the cost of bullets, powder, primers, and brass has inched upward, while the performance of factory ammo has significantly improved.

However, hand-loading can still save money, while offering other advantages. It’s difficult to put a standard cost savings on hand-loading because different cartridges bring differing values, but, on average, you should cut costs in half. By recycling the brass, you have to buy it only once for four to as many as 10 reloads, depending on how “hot” you load.

Handloaders can build more accurate ammo than factory loads by tailoring them to their particular rifles. Factory ammo must be built to universal standards to fit every rifle.

Yet every rifle and bullet/load shoots its best with just the right combination of primer, powder, bullet, and bullet seating depth. Seat a bullet a fraction of an inch deeper or longer and group size might shrink dramatically. Sizing cases to your rifle, weighing and segregating, neck turning, and other “tricks of the trade” also aid accuracy

Top varmint rounds

Suitable varmint cartridges range from .17 to .24 caliber. The .17 Hornet (necked down from the .22 Hornet case), is really economical to load, burning less than 15 grains of powder. With a .243 Win., you’ll need to load more than 40 grains of powder.

The .22-250 and .204 Ruger (a necked-down .222 Rem. Magnum) are excellent varmint rounds, but .204 ammunition may not be widely distributed. That’s also a problem with some other, older rounds such as the .222 Rem. and 6 mm Rem. You may also find limited ammunition choices with newer rounds like the .22 Nosler, .224 Valkyrie, and .22 ARC.

Cartridges in the .22-250 Remington to .243 Winchester class may be unnecessarily powerful for most varmint-shooting settings where the vast majority of shots are presented at 150 to 250 yards.

Standout .223

Without question, the .223/5.56 is the most efficient and affordable varmint cartridge regardless of whether you reload or shoot factory ammo. Differences between the two are small, but important. The 5.56 is loaded to a higher pressure and has a longer throat. It’s safe to fire a .223 round in a 5.56 chamber, but firing a 5.56 in a .223 could cause safety issues.

The .223’s affordable nature hinges on its status as the U.S. military’s cartridge of choice, as well as the proliferation of civilian AR-15s. Oncefired military brass is abundant and affordable, sometimes costing nothing, with AR enthusiasts depositing copious freebies at many popular shooting sites.

An 18- to 24-inch barreled precision semi-auto or bolt gun is a very solid option. Suitable varmint bullets range in weight from 35 to 77 grains, and with a 225-yard zero provides a very flat shot out to 300 yards.

Save on generic bullets

Bullets are where the biggest savings are generally realized. Popular brands such as Sierra’s BlitzKing, Nosler’s Ballistic Tip, Hornady’s V-Max, or Barnes Varmint Grenades, are excellent on varmints. But you might realize significant savings on generic soft- and hollow-point projectiles from outlets such as Midway USA and others.

Primers and powder are generally MSRPs, although you might find deals by watching sales circulars, especially during end-of-year, inventory-reduction periods. Sporting-goods outlets prefer to keep fresh product in stock, so often discount last year’s merchandise to make way for upgraded packaging or simply to rotate merchandise.

Reloading tools

Anyone new to reloading will need a few tools, starting with a press to resize cases and seat bullets. Specific die sets are needed for each cartridge to push the brass cases back to the proper size so new bullets can be seated.

A scale is essential for measuring precise doses of powder. A powder dispenser, various shell holders, case tumbler/polisher, case lube, priming tool, shell holder trays, powder funnel, case trimmer, chamfer, and deburring tool will aid in reloading.

Probably the most important reloading tool is a reloading manual. Print editions are available from bullet makers, powder companies, and companies that make reloading equipment. These manuals offer complete instructions and thousands of recipes. In fact, buy one of these first and study it so you’ll have a better grasp of what’s coming. Reloading data are also available online.

Is reloading for you?

If you meet the following criteria, you’ll probably like reloading your own ammo:

• Are you detail-oriented?

Paying close attention to details is a must for safe reloading.

• Are you mechanically inclined and do you enjoy figuring out how things work?

You’ll need to be patient because the work is, in some ways, pretty painstaking. And you’ll need to have enough spare time to reload correctly and safely.

Reloading is a great way to continue your interest in shooting sports during the offseason. Even if the weather’s not cooperating or it’s not the hunting season, reloading provides a second hobby that allows you to stay indoors.

Many reloaders find experimenting with different loads and custom rounds just as fun and rewarding as a day at the range or in the field. Plus, being able to work with your hands as you customize your own ammo can be therapeutic as well.

Perhaps the least discussed advantage in loading your own rifle ammo is that most reloaders become better shooters. This happens because the ammo is less expensive, so you can shoot more without going broke. But there’s also the incentive to shoot more just to see what your custom ammunition can do on the range and in the field.