elevatorman
Active member
Piss poor factory ammo is the reason I started reloading. This is especially true of all the "old" magnums like 357, 44 mag, 7mm rem mag. Those all came out a long time ago and I think manufacturers are scared those older guns out there might blow up so they've watered ammo down. My reloads, within book specs mind you, are substantially more powerful than any factory ammo in those calibers. I think more modern cartridges like creedmors etc are not watered down, there was more accurate modern pressure data and all the guns made are new and no worries of handling the pressure.
All that said, I don't waste my time or money starting at the lowest "starting load" and working up in super small amounts. I dont worry my gun will handle the book max load so i start somewhat closer to it than starting loads. My 7mm rem mag load is something like 74.5 grs of 8133 under a 162 gr pill. I probably started around 73 or 73.5 and bumped up half gr at a time. I also will stay lower on a powder charge if more doesn't equal higher velocity. Highest velocity with good accuracy is the goal of reloading, well to me anyhow. Revolvers it's either balls to the wall power loads, or dirt cheap plinking loads. Factory ammo is right in the middle and expensive.
All that said, I don't waste my time or money starting at the lowest "starting load" and working up in super small amounts. I dont worry my gun will handle the book max load so i start somewhat closer to it than starting loads. My 7mm rem mag load is something like 74.5 grs of 8133 under a 162 gr pill. I probably started around 73 or 73.5 and bumped up half gr at a time. I also will stay lower on a powder charge if more doesn't equal higher velocity. Highest velocity with good accuracy is the goal of reloading, well to me anyhow. Revolvers it's either balls to the wall power loads, or dirt cheap plinking loads. Factory ammo is right in the middle and expensive.
