Why don't more people sell handloaded ammo?

ego235

ego235

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Aug 24, 2010
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North Carolina
#1
I'm really just getting started with longer range shooting (300 yd limit). I bought a Remington 700 5R in .223 a few months back.

My question is why don't more people sell handloaded ammo that they prepared themselves? I hear there is quite an advantage in cost from loading, and I assume many people on this forum reload their own rounds.

Right now I buy mostly boxes of Federal AE223 whenever it is on sale online, usually between $5-6 dollars a box. It isn't great, at 300 yards I'm getting about 1 MOA but at 55 grains it is a little light for my liking.

I would love to have some higher quality ammo to shoot with, not necessarily paying for Black Hills @ $25+ a box. I'd be interested in maybe going for something in the $8-12 mid-range 62-69 grain bullets but am kind of surprised not many experienced reloaders on this forum would advertise to sell ammo they produce for the purposes of making money selling to the public.

Is this mostly a safety issue where buying handloaded ammo from a stranger could have potential problems? Or maybe it just isn't worth it for the person preparing it to spend the time to crank out the rounds? Are the margins too lean? Does it take too much effort to build positive reputation?

Whatever the reasons may be, can someone provide me some insight as to why not many people sell ammo they make especially in popular calibers like .223 or .308?

Thanks!
 
#2
Re: Why don't more people sell handloaded ammo?

A general rule with handloads is you roll your own and don't use anyone else's. It's a liability issue kind of like how you check to see if a gun is loaded even after someone hands it to you and tells you its not loaded. I sure as hell would not want to put something in my expensive rifles that I haven't loaded myself or wasn't loaded by a professional.

Aside from that most people develop loads tailored for the guns they are using or a specific application this is the major drive to hand load. A lot of firearms even though they are identical models don't like the same ammunition.

If you are looking for some reloads to get match grade ammunition for a cheaper cost check out South West Ammunition here on the hide. For factory loaded stuff try palmetto state armory for Federal Gold Medal Match.




 
#4
Re: Why don't more people sell handloaded ammo?

Hmmm...this is NOT a simple matter and anyone who is thinking of doing this had better stop and think real hard first, or you will quickly find yourself overwhelmed with lawsuits and various government agencies beating down your door. All kinds of legal and liability issues are involved with selling ammo to the public, or with selling any "manufactured" product to the public. You can't just post an ad to sell ammo that you have "manufactured", unless you have first started a business to do that and addressed all the legal issues that are involved.
 
#6
Re: Why don't more people sell handloaded ammo?

I see, so legal issues pretty much make it illegal to try and sell handloads to the public. That explains why I don't see too many private individuals selling it on the forums
smile.gif


In regards to safety, for a reloader with experience, is really that risky to shoot some ammo they make for my gun? The reason I ask this is I have few friends who got into shooting at the same time as me and we all have the same caliber. We were considering pooling resources together and getting one reload set so we could make rounds for all of us. I figure at one point, everyone was a newb at reloading, and I haven't really heard of too many reloaders blowing themselves and their guns up unless they were trying some strange experimental loads.

The only reason we're even considering doing this is due to the lack of good options available for commercial loads. I know many people on this site have no hesitation buying match grade ammo, but I'm not at that skill level which requires the need such high quality rounds. Is there anything in between the $5.50 dollar per box Federal AE223 and Federal Gold Medal Match which makes a 62-69 grain bullet good for target shooting? I don't really need hunting bullets. It just seems so expensive to go from that AE223 ammo which is good for 1 MOA at 25 cents a round and going to a dollar or more for maybe a 1/4 MOA improvement.

Oh one more question although its a bit off topic, I know many people discuss and test their handloads extensively to figure out many factors like how far to seat their bullet, types of powders to use, etc. to figure out what their guns prefer. If these factors are so sensitive, how come the one size fits all commercial match grade loads like Gold Match or Black Hills do well in a majority of different types of rifles? Do good handloads even beat the accuracy obtained from match grade ammo?
 
#7
Re: Why don't more people sell handloaded ammo?

Pooling your resources is a great way to get into reloading, as long as you trust your friends to treat the equipment like you would. For a lot of guys, handloading helps to reduce the cost of ammo. Go to your local store and price out bullet, primers, powder and maybe brass (which of course you can re-use many times) and you'll see the cost advantage. But, remember to factor in the equipment cost (dies, press, all the extras) and the time involved to load. Depending on your equipment, the time can be considerable, but rewarding. Not to mention the accuracy benefit potential.
If your rifle shoots 1moa with AE now, maybe you should wait until you have a need for better performance, and in the meantime save all your brass.
 
#8
Re: Why don't more people sell handloaded ammo?

Thanks for the info. I have been saving all the brass so far. I will be trying some of the 62 grain USA Ammo brand .223 which is part of Winchester. The prices seem good around 15 bucks for 50 rounds. I'll see if it has any marked improvement over my 55 grain Federal AE223.

One of the things holding me back from getting a reloading kit, even though I am interested to try, is that handloading crosses a sort of personal imaginary boundary. Right now I'd consider myself a recreational shooter. Once I start loading, I feel like I've stepped over into the threshold of becoming a hardcore enthusiast. At the moment I am comfortable to not yet take that next step, especially while living in New Jersey, but may very well at some point in the near future.
 
#10
Re: Why don't more people sell handloaded ammo?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Musef</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

The only reason we're even considering doing this is due to the lack of good options available for commercial loads. I know many people on this site have no hesitation buying match grade ammo, but I'm not at that skill level which requires the need such high quality rounds. Is there anything in between the $5.50 dollar per box Federal AE223 and Federal Gold Medal Match which makes a 62-69 grain bullet good for target shooting? I don't really need hunting bullets. It just seems so expensive to go from that AE223 ammo which is good for 1 MOA at 25 cents a round and going to a dollar or more for maybe a 1/4 MOA improvement.
</div></div>

You pay for what you get and theres certainly a huge difference in surplus ammo (which is what AE223 is) and match ammo. I personally wouldn't waste the barrel life of my rifle shooting that crap, I really don't know how your getting MOA from it but thats good shooting if you are. Match loads would cut your groups in half and be a whole lot more consistent too.

Being as your rifle is a 1:9 I'd stick to 69's but you could try 75's or 77's, they may stabilize. I would suggest trying the black hills blue box and red box. Their load with the 69SMK shoots great in just about everything. You may also try their 68gr load, its a generic bullet and sometimes shoots ok but it never shoots as good as the 69SMK does. The HSM ammo also does pretty good too and it would be worth getting a box to try aswell. The nice thing about BH and HSM is it comes in 50 round box's and it's by far the cheapest good match ammo out there.

Either way get or load some good ammo and quite wasting your barrel life just spraying lead downrange.
 
#11
Re: Why don't more people sell handloaded ammo?

I know that i am probly gonna get flamed for this comment, but you can get a whole LEE single stage setup from midway usa for less than 200$ add in just a little more and get a case tumbler with it.

i started loading on a 20 year old lee pro 1000 setup that i bought from a guy at my local range complete with 5 die sets for 60 bucks, over 10 years ago, and i still use it for 9mm and 45acp, i also load .308 on my single stage lee press, dont believe everything you hear about lee being junk, it just takes a little more finesse to use.

not all of us are blessed enough to be able to afford a big blue!!!
 
#12
Re: Why don't more people sell handloaded ammo?

Good point Jeepguy. Reloading, like shooting itself, is about the individual doing the reloading itself.

I suggest go with what can get you started. But try to buy the best you can (or can save to within a reasonable period of time) so that you don't wind up (like I do so many times) of upgrading thus adding to the overall expense. I usually tell myself, oh I'll sell this one and buy the better product later. But what really happens is that I justify keeping both products.

Bottom line is to enjoy the sport.
 
#13
Re: Why don't more people sell handloaded ammo?

I agree with a lot of what's already been said here about safety, liability, and regulation. I'd be pretty nervous about shooting ammo from someone I didn't know. Years ago I made a reloading mistake (double powdered one) and did significant damage to my rifle.
 
#14
Re: Why don't more people sell handloaded ammo?

radar, you hit it on the head, i am up to 4 presses now, i have justified keeping the lee's by setting them up for the calibers that my daughters shoot, when they get a little older, i hope that they will want to take up loading their own, then i will have to justify buying more presses to make loading faster LOL, but i will probly just keep the lee's and continue to load pistol on them.
 
#15
Re: Why don't more people sell handloaded ammo?

Find someone in your area that is already setup to reload. I won't personally load anything for anyone other than myself but have no problem letting friends come over and use my equipment so they can see if reloading is for them or not.
 
#16
Re: Why don't more people sell handloaded ammo?

If you want cheap, accurate ammo for your .233, try the PPU match. I have it in 69 and 75 grn. My 1/7 Noveske SPR barell LOVES the 69 grn. It shoots it every bit as well as Black Hills, SSA, etc. Plus it is a fraction of the cost.

I think your original question has been answered but...
I once bought some reloaded 7mm mag from a guy at a gunshow. I was young, dumb, and cheap (now I'm just older). After firing about 15 rounds, I noticed that EVERY case on the ground had spilt open after I fired them. Now I don't know nearly as much about this stuff as alot of people on here, so it could have been perfectly safe, but I still consider my self lucky that my gun and/or face didnt explode.
 
#17
Re: Why don't more people sell handloaded ammo?

LongCut, I was doing a little more research last night and actually stumbled upon that PPU Match 69 grain as well. Lots of people had good reviews for it and it was about a third the price of Federal Gold Match.

I saw some posts the other day as well from other sites (Calguns) of a guy trying to sell handloads and he got reminded by like a dozen others that it wasn't legal so that definitely cleared up my original question.

Also, the 1 moa I claimed was from a spinning Big Dog Steel target which measures 4" - 7" 25% ISPC torso shape which I'm averaging about 18 hits per 20 round box fairly centered chest groupings (no frame or joint hits yet :)) from 330 yards which is the max distance at my range, line to berm. I've shot about 10 boxes at it now in mixed conditions so I can't really say anything bad about the Federal AE223.
 
#18
Re: Why don't more people sell handloaded ammo?

One MOA at 330 yards is 3.3 inchs. If all your bullets are not hitting a 4x7 in target you are no where near 1 MOA. Distance can be fun but develop fundamentals at 100 with centerfire rounds. Better yet, try 25 yards with a 22. When they are sitting on top of each other start moving back. Save some money and take a class, get a databook or just a notebook if money is tight. I find the defining line between a shooter and a gun owner is documentation. Find out where you lack, work on that. A log book will help you keep track and let you start where you left off. If I am coming off as dick, I apologize. I am no hathcock or other super duper sniper guy, so take it with a grain of salt.

Charlie
 
#20
Re: Why don't more people sell handloaded ammo?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Musef</div><div class="ubbcode-body">In regards to safety, for a reloader with experience, is really that risky to shoot some ammo they make for my gun? The reason I ask this is I have few friends who got into shooting at the same time as me and we all have the same caliber. We were considering pooling resources together and getting one reload set so we could make rounds for all of us. I figure at one point, everyone was a newb at reloading, and I haven't really heard of too many reloaders blowing themselves and their guns up unless they were trying some strange experimental loads.</div></div>

It may or may not work, but be REAL CAREFUL. No offense to you or your friends, but you have to be real sure of them before you get “in bed” with them. How many of you have see guys who hang out together in colleague and have a great time but when they decide to rent a house together and one or more of them are real pigs and they end up being the biggest enemies.

Remember, if you load or have someone load ammo for you, you are taking some significant responsibilities in terms of life and limb. Unless you are all anal to about the same level, bad things are going to happen. What if rounds loaded by you or your friend ends up blowing up a gun or screwing up a big match. This can get very personal very quickly. Have seen it more than once and it is not pretty.
 
#22
Re: Why don't more people sell handloaded ammo?

I never realized I should be so worried about the potential dangers of other people's handloads. If its a legal issue okay I accept that. There is a level of responsibility and financial liability of any product being sold to the general public.

However, I wouldn't hesitate if a trusted neighbor or friend who was knowledgeable with loading offered to make me a fresh batch of rounds. I would of course use personal judgement. I might like the guy as a friend the guy, but if its the first time he's loading, definitely no thanks. I may be completely wrong in my thinking, and correct me if I am, but aren't the majority of reloaded rounds safe, as long as it is prepared by a guy who knows what he's doing? Is it any more dangerous compared to cheap bulk commercial ammo?

Last trip out, I found a .223 round that was missing half the copper jacket on the bullet. The lead core was exposed. Obviously I had the common sense to throw that one away.

I also had a batch of Automatch .22LR rounds that WOULDN'T EVEN FIT INTO THE CHAMBER in my semi. It caused an out of battery explosion that rattled me and blew my extractor and spring to Neverland. The company didn't offer me any reimbursement for damages, just replaced the box with another one.

I have not used other people's handloads up to this point. But based on my experiences with commercial ammo, I'm certainly willing to try it. Why do I keep buying such crappy ammo? I'm really cheap...I'll admit it. I'm the guy that's willing to spend 3k on a gun, but not want to put expensive ammo thru it. I know it doesn't make sense, I can't help it.
 
#23
Re: Why don't more people sell handloaded ammo?

You might be OK but then perhaps not. There are many way you can get into trouble reloading, some of it due to carelessness, and some of it due to just lack of experience, and it happens to most people. However, being at the end of one of these problems when someone else is doing the reloading, or worse when you reload and someone has a problem with it can have an effect on your friendship especially if it happens more than once. Ask the guys who reload for their spouses. This is the reason why people who jump out of a perfectly good aircraft in the air usually like to pack their own parachute.

And yes, the majority of reloaded rounds are safe but it only take one to blow up your gun and your face……… Even cheap bulk commercial ammo maker have QC which is something many green reloader knows nothing about.
 
#24
Re: Why don't more people sell handloaded ammo?

Many hand loads are sold everyday. They are not sold as loaded ammo to be fired. As stated upon the box that has the load data info with a orange sticker saying, this ammo sold for "Components an material recovery only".
 
#25
Re: Why don't more people sell handloaded ammo?

Ended up just eating my words, bought 1000 rounds of Black Hills 69 grain MatchKing Blue Box today. So no more cheap ammo for me at least for a while...Pretty good price too, $500 shipped.

I'm glad I have a nice slow bolt action. My buddy blows thru 200-300 rounds of 5.56 every range trip.
 
#26
Re: Why don't more people sell handloaded ammo?

Handloads are cheaper, but you need the equipment to do so and you buy every component in bulk. Which makes it expensive to start up. It's tedious work too.

But non the less, not alot of people sell handloaded ammo. Some vendors at gunsl shows sell hand loads as they have the proper ammunition manufacturing permit.
 
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