Why are hand-loads more accurate than factory?

[soundwave]

As we all know, hand-loads tend to be more accurate than factory ammo in general.

Why is this so?

Consistency, TLC, dumb luck?

Your thoughts.

[AdamN]

Well there are times when a person can find factory ammo that is as accurate as anything. Take Federal 45 target for example. Well know for being super accurate, $35.00 to $40.00 a box of 50 ...........Yikes:yikes: it oughta be.:dita: http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=464716&t=11082005

You can say the same for rifle, buying premium ammo put together with quality bullets can get some fine "factory" accuracy.

Many times each individual gun can have little differences that make it like certain loads better than others. The handloader can find what works in their gun and equal or ever better the accuracy available even from premium ammo.

Most guys will compare their reloads to bargain basement ammo where the accuracy differences can be quite large.

[GLOCKENNBOOMER]

You can tune the loads to what you are going to be shooting them in.

[MakeMineaP99]

The same folks who make American cars make factory ammo, 'nuff said.

[colorado4wheel]

The same folks who make American cars make factory ammo, 'nuff said.

They also drink a lot of Vodka and make Kimchi. I wonder when Japan will start sending ammo our way in a friendly manner?

[keoking]

As we all know, hand-loads tend to be more accurate than factory ammo in general.

Why is this so?

Consistency, TLC, dumb luck?

Your thoughts.

Large ammo manufacturers crank out cartridges by the millions. If anyone knows how often they take a measurement (powder charge, OAL), I am definitely curious. I crank out cartridges by the hundreds. I weigh the powder charge a lot more often than every 1000, and at least 1 per hundred goes into the case gauge.

[MONTEGOD7SS]

The same folks who make American cars make factory ammo, 'nuff said.

Mexicans and Canadians?

[MakeMineaP99]

Monte got that one right.

I'll take Japanese or German quality over the "domestic automakers" any day.

[soundwave]

Monte got that one right.

I'll take Japanese or German quality over the "domestic automakers" any day.

Ditto. Although I did have a little Ford Ranger that lasted a long time. These days, it's foreign for me. Someones gotta burn the rice.

[Anvil]

Monte got that one right.

I'll take Japanese or German quality over the "domestic automakers" any day.

Yeah, but would you rather shoot swiss handloads or american handloads?

[Hatman1793]

Handloads are not always better than factory. Case in point is the Federal match 38spl wadd cutter ammo. Always top quality and superbly accurate. For a guy who wants the best and doesn't reload, this fodder can make a match.
Besides, most shooters like to use once-fired brass to make really good competition loads. That once-fired stuff starts off as factory.

[MakeMineaP99]

Yeah, but would you rather shoot swiss handloads or american handloads?


That's a tough one.

If it's handguns, probably Swiss, seeing as how I have SIGs and other imported handguns (don't own any American handguns.)

If it's long guns, almost all of my long guns are US, so I'd have to go with American handloads.

[thorn]

My amateur opinion - based only on my own shooting - is that the difference is consistency from lot to lot, especially with the value-pack WWB stuff. My first reloads were easily twice as accurate as WWB; i'm not kidding, i was completely shocked.

I've always had decent shooting with Blazer, but my loads have generally been even more consistently grouping for me.

thorn

[918v]

Americans do make superb products, although they are expensive. Case in point: The Springfield Custom Shop or the S&W Peformance Center or Freedom Arms, all make products that are of equal or better quality than the best Swiss or Japanese brands.

Conversely, the Swiss and the Japanese do in fact make some crap. The Sphinx AT-84 is a piece of **** as well as the Japanese replica of the Winchester 52. The Chinese tend to make more crap as a whole, but some of their guns are serviceable.

As far as cars are concerned, I can tell you that the quality is equal between all brands. Where the Japanese and Germans shime is in the fit and finish of the interior plactics. I have owned one Jeep and three Fords and they all have been reliable. I sold my last Mustang with over 250,000 on the original motor, and it still ran fine. My current Mustang has been absoulutely reliable for 50K miles so far, despite having a 6 PSI blower forcing another 80 RWHP out of the engine.

The Japanese vehicle I drive daily is a general POS. It broke down four times in four years and had to be repaired at a cost well in excess of $5000. I have had electrical, transmission, and structural problems. Japanese cars are too fragile for LE work.

Generally, you get what you pay for.

[ISUSteve]

Swiss made a car once. Didn't go anywhere. Wouldn't shift out of neutral.

[Jayhawker]

Swiss made a car once. Didn't go anywhere. Wouldn't shift out of neutral.
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[creophus]

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:+1 That was a good one!

My handloads are more accurate, I believe because I have them tuned to my particular guns and I make sure my loads are consistent.

[gokyo]

Other have said it.

You can tune the load to the harmonics of the rifle barrel.

However having said that I have yet been able to make a load that shoots more accurately then

Federal matchking 168 grain sierra HPBT

I want to but I can't yet.

Damn that Blue machine and my own ignorance.

I need help.

[GLOCKENNBOOMER]

I have a old French rifle. It has never been shot but it has been dropped twice.

[Crazy4nitro]

I would say that the Ammo is Tuned for the specific gun.
Plus Consistency is superb. I used to go the the range and shoot good one day and Horrible next week. I was buying whatever was cheap so brands were random. Now in 15 years I'll be able to shoot the same load I was shooting WAY Back.

Plus Factory Ammo for Magnums is for wussieshttp://static.flickr.com/68/197293471_df8db8d435.jpg....Nuff said

'Nitro

[Steve Koski]

Factory ammo SUCKS!

[Steve Koski]

On a more serious note, I think that handloads can be more accurate than factory loads because they are commonly downloaded, kick less, and induce less shooter fear and flich factor.

[freakshow10mm]

I agree.

[chewy]

Why are hand-loads more accurate than factory?

Becuz God told me to.:skep:

[Glooooock]

I remember buying a new gun and black hills ammo . It was as close to a perfect load as you could buy for a range test . It was hard to beat with reloads .
Now its hard to find cheap lead reloads at clubs - range target ammo. There is a "SAFE" OAL standard , that we can change to suit our chamber . Generally most ammo is close to full power , accuracy is behind power as a goal in ammo manufacturing .

[D. Manley]

On a more serious note, I think that handloads can be more accurate than factory loads because they are commonly downloaded, kick less, and induce less shooter fear and flich factor.

It's true not all factory ammo is created equally and there IS some incredibly accurate stuff to be had. It's also true that handloads can be adapted (tuned) to the gun and gain some precision in the process. All that aside, I think Steve nailed the most common reason squarely on the head. Truth be told, most handloads are more pleasant to shoot and less less recoil, noise & blast, translates into better shooters at the firing line.

[BigSlick]

Noslers are very, very good bullets, as are XTP's and Sierra Match bullets.

Unless you really hose a load up, they're going to be more accurate than most of the 'Premium' ammo out there

Plated bullets are a whole different story, as is cast, but with enough work, you can find a combination that works particularly well in a given gun.

Keep good notes when you do and eventually you will have an array of loads that generally do pretty well.

I've been using one .40 handload that is the most accurate load I've ever fired out of a handgun for about two years now, maybe a lil longer. It is consistently better than any factory round I've found.

Runs consistently in the 1075 fps range with single digit spreads using same headstamp brass. Change any component and groups and spreads open up.

Shoots well in any of the guns I've tried it in.

Haven't been able to duplicate the accuracy in any other caliber, or with any other bullet.

So, accuracy is out there, ya just gotta find it.

I tripped over the load because I was out of the components I was usually loading for 40 at the time and decided to use something different so I would have a can to shoot for the next range trip. Started working with it a little in the course of a normal workup and it came to the sweet spot all at once.

I still load other stuff for 40, but that load will always be in my rotation from now on.

[Shibumi]

As far as cars are concerned, I can tell you that the quality is equal between all brands. Where the Japanese and Germans shime is in the fit and finish of the interior plactics. I have owned one Jeep and three Fords and they all have been reliable. I sold my last Mustang with over 250,000 on the original motor, and it still ran fine. My current Mustang has been absoulutely reliable for 50K miles so far, despite having a 6 PSI blower forcing another 80 RWHP out of the engine.

The Japanese vehicle I drive daily is a general POS. It broke down four times in four years and had to be repaired at a cost well in excess of $5000. I have had electrical, transmission, and structural problems. Japanese cars are too fragile for LE work.

Generally, you get what you pay for.


Now HERE is a man's man. :thumbsup:

My 87 Mustang GT I bought new, ordered it and had to wait 6 months for it- fully loaded (except leather) with T-Tops and the optional 3.08 rear instead of the 2.73.

Got 105,000 out of the original CLUTCH, and this is driving it like God intended when He designed the car! Engine has 119,000 on the clock now, uses NO oil between changes (chrome-moly rings on a then-$14,000 car) and starts with a roar the first time you touch the key no matter if it's 20 below.

Yeah, I still love this car, even though I passed it on to my son for a graduation gift. I just didn't drive it since I bought my Suzuki Hayabusa.

0-150 in 10 seconds, and an indicated 201 MPH on the dyno is hard to compete with... :sifone:


Threadjack off, but you said "Mustang" so it's NOT my fault... :lol:

[Vulcanese]

Noslers are very, very good bullets, as are XTP's and Sierra Match bullets.

Unless you really hose a load up, they're going to be more accurate than most of the 'Premium' ammo out there

Plated bullets are a whole different story, as is cast, but with enough work, you can find a combination that works particularly well in a given gun.

Keep good notes when you do and eventually you will have an array of loads that generally do pretty well.

I've been using one .40 handload that is the most accurate load I've ever fired out of a handgun for about two years now, maybe a lil longer. It is consistently better than any factory round I've found.

Runs consistently in the 1075 fps range with single digit spreads using same headstamp brass. Change any component and groups and spreads open up.

Shoots well in any of the guns I've tried it in.

Haven't been able to duplicate the accuracy in any other caliber, or with any other bullet.

So, accuracy is out there, ya just gotta find it.

I tripped over the load because I was out of the components I was usually loading for 40 at the time and decided to use something different so I would have a can to shoot for the next range trip. Started working with it a little in the course of a normal workup and it came to the sweet spot all at once.

I still load other stuff for 40, but that load will always be in my rotation from now on.

This is beyond the scope of this thread, but would you mind sharing this recipe? :)

[BigSlick]

Yeah, but repeat after me here:

'if I blow myself or my gun to kingdom come it ain't Slick's fault. He's dumb enough to load on the edge with 40 SW and I know better than to do that. So, if I blow myself an my gun to bits, it's my own fault for being as dumb as Slick. I know better than to copy some reload recipe off the internet and just use it without a proper workup. I also know loading 40SW is also inherently dangerous and just thinking about it might cause my whole house to spontaneously explode, so it would just be a whole lot safer if I just don't consider using this recipe for a load at all'

5.6gr Titegroup
1.115 OAL (yeah, I know, way to short)
155gr Hornaday XTP
WSP
Winchester brass

[GLOCKENNBOOMER]

I think I'll just stick with a .45.....I got big meat hooks anyways.