do you feel safe to use if you buy handloaded ammo?

V

vince weng

New member
I juse purchased a few boxes 308 ammo. The ammo was handloaded by owner. There was a description about the bullet type and gun powder. my question is - will they be safe to use? how do I know they are of as high quality as factory ammo?


vince
 
There is no way to be sure Vince. About the best measure is how well do you know the person you bought the ammo from, and how safe and through is he? Would he take the same loads and shoot them in HIS rifle? That is another guage. You can also try to break down a few rounds weigh the powder and bullet, and compare that to a reputable loading manual. Looks of the ammo can also tell about the pride that went into re-loading it.
 
The truth of the matter is that you don't know. Unless you know the individual that loaded them. It's pretty much a crap shoot when it comes to buying someone elses reloads. If they in fact gave you all the reloading information such as bullet wieght, type of powder and the amount of powder. You can look it up in a reloading manual to check and see if the loads fall within specs. Still you have the human factor of making mistakes. I normally don't reload for other people or sell reloads because of the liablity factor.

If you decide to try and shoot these reloads please becareful. After the first round check the casing for stress marks. If you have shot your rifle before with factory loads pay attention to see if these loads feel any different. If there is any question as to the quality of the reloads after shooting a few it would be best to stop.

Good luck and be careful.
 
FWIW, I never buy home handloads. I do buy and use the loads from reloading facilities if they look good, but I still pull a sample to be sure the stuff is good.

I would also avoid any ammo that looks sloppy, like primers marred by a dirty primer seater, uneven bullet seating, uneven crimping, oil dents, etc. All show poor control of the reloading process and cast doubts on the product.

Jim
 
If I didn't load it myself, I buy straight brand-name factory ammo. It's just too risky to shoot someone else's handloads, unless you know them REAL WELL!
 
why shoot reloads

i think keenan is on the right track, it becomes a matter of trust, do you or don't you...inspect everything and check chamber/case after first shot

i would never "buy" .308 reloads when you can buy factory fresh 7.62x51mm for < $150/1k from PMP or spend a little more and go with hirtberg(austrian) or radway-green(UK)...i wouldn't be able to replace my FN Fal out here in CA :mad:
 
Vince, There is something in your post that has be a bit curious
The ammo was handloaded by owner.
Click to expand...
Did you purchase this ammo from the person who sold you the firearm? The only times that I have fired handloads that I did not produce was when purchasing a rifle from one friend who was letting it pass through his collection to mine. These handloads would come with the rifle, the data, the dies and quite a bit of trust.
 
I only shoot ammo I loaded, no one elses. And I won't sell or give ammo I loaded to anyone.

It's just not worth it.
 
NOPE, I got a box of reloads for my 45/70 from a friend. He uses these in his, I thought, no problem. I shot about 5 rounds and was having extraction problems. A few days later I turned it in to have it converted to a co-pilot and they informed that my bolt was toast. From now on its factory or my own handloads.
 
thanks guys. I purchased the ammo from auctionarms.com I attached the description as follows

<------------------------------------------------------>
308 AMMO 6 Boxes 100+ rounds No Reserve!!!!!!!!!!!
SIX BOXES of 308 AMMO. FIVE Full boxes of 20 rounds each, and one box with 15 rounds. 115 rounds in all. These are from an estate where the fellow died. He was and active reloader and shooter. These are 150gr. soft points over 46grs. of IMR 4064. 2700 F.P.S. This fellow could shoot the eye out of a fly at 100 yards. Yes He was a friend of mine. All charges were weighed on an RCBS digital scale. Buyer pays actual shipping and must send copy of drivers license as proof of age with payment. Payment is to be by Bank or Postal Money Order Only! OR USE "PAYPAL!"
<------------------------------------------------------>

I feel leery because the owner died!!!
 
CHECK THAT DATA!

I know a guy whose .30-06 load of 49 gr 4064 behind Sierra 168s was borderline too hot.

Even going down to a 150-gr pill, that 43-gr charge *sounds* too large of a charge for a .308 load. I may be wrong. However, the "advertised" velocity is in the ballpark.

That the guy died is not by itself a problem. _How_ he died could make a great difference.

You may have just purchased some slightly used reloading components.

Check the data, and pull one bullet and weigh the charge yourself. 4064 can meter =/- up to a full grain at that weight, IME.
 
I purchases some reloads and had some problems with feeding and a couple of squibs. The ones that had feeding problems had visible problems with the cartidge. The squibs had no external signs.

A visible examination of the ammunition, all of it, will give you a decent idea of the quality of the loads. Stand them all up on a table in a series of lines point up. Be sure they're all uniform. Carefully inspect anything you see which appears out of place.
 
I would not shoot those loads. Hodgdon #26 lists 45 grains of IMR-4064 as a maximum load for the .308 Winchester wiht a 150 grain bullet. I am not saying that 46 grains is too hot a load but to just start with that load is a definite NO NO. It may be Ok but should be worked up to VERY CAREFULLY.
 
Vince, I have shot IMR 4064 in both .308 and 30-06 for over twenty years. My M14SA, Win 88 and 100 all use 150 gr Nosler bullets with 48 gr of 4064. I use a Lyman 45th edition reloading book that states a range of 43 to 48 gr of IMR 4064 for use with 150 gr bullets. Data books and pamplets from manufactures don't always agree and I have noticed quite a lot of variation of load data over the years as well. What are you going to shoot the ammo with? MWT
 
The question is not only the type and amount of powder, but the bullet manufacturer as well, a 150 grain is not necessarily the same as another maker of 150 grain, and by that I mean PRESSURE!
 
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