Semi Custom/ handloaded ammo opinions

[CoHunter1991]

So I don't have the time to reload and am in a spot where I want to shoot Barnes LRX (139g or 145g) out of my 280ai. I am planning on ordering this ammo from one of many small batch shops online and wondered which ones you all thought produced the best quality, consistency and accuracy. It seems that all the shops I looked at are running about 100$ a box. Below is a list of shops I have looked at online but if I missed a good one let me know.

Choice
Hedershots
Custom Reloads of Dallas
Copper Creek
Unknown

Thanks for the help

 

[VAspeedgoat]

I've gotten stuff from hendershots and was pleased. It was one of their custom loads not my own recipe. I can't say anything about the others.

 

[Addicting]

So I don't have the time to reload and am in a spot where I want to shoot Barnes LRX (139g or 145g) out of my 280ai. I am planning on ordering this ammo from one of many small batch shops online and wondered which ones you all thought produced the best quality, consistency and accuracy. It seems that all the shops I looked at are running about 100$ a box. Below is a list of shops I have looked at online but if I missed a good one let me know.

Choice
Hedershots
Custom Reloads of Dallas
Copper Creek
Unknown

Thanks for the help

Be aware at that cost this is a expensive gamble.

I shoot the LRX out of different rifles. All of them are custom rifles that shoot very well. I’ve been reloading for 5 years now and have a good grasp on it.

Getting the LRX to shoot what the gun was capable of under 1 MOA, at the high end of velocity range, took some tinkering.

I bet I had 30ish rounds between velocity testing and then groups. That got me to where I was happy with 5 shot groups at longer distances to finalize the recipe. One rifle is seated .120 and the other is .065 off the lands. Seating depth is important on these bullets grouping well.

Using a standard load from a manufacturer may not turn out with the best results. I would ask for a test batch from them prior to buying a whole box. Or send your rifle in for load development.

 

[belshawelk]

Call Pendelton ammunition. I sent one gun to them for load development and use and their ammo in two of my guns. My .30 Nosler and my 6.5-300 Weatherby. Both shoot LRX.

Excellent quality.

Home

Pendleton Ammunition manufactures premium handcrafted ammunition for precision hunters and shooters.

pendletonammunition.com

 

[Wind Gypsy]

If you must shoot monos it looks like weatherby makes a factory load with 139 hammer too.

Choice, Hendershot, and Unknown seem to have satisfied customers on the internets.

If I had to pay $5/shot i'd probably just trade the rifle for one that wasn't so absurdly expensive to shoot.

 

[belshawelk]

If you must shoot monos it looks like weatherby makes a factory load with 139 hammer too.

Choice, Hendershot, and Unknown seem to have satisfied customers on the internets.

If I had to pay $5/shot i'd probably just trade the rifle for one that wasn't so absurdly expensive to shoot.

If its a bench gun then yes. But a hunting gun that hardly gets shot $5 is nothing. I am out exactly $5 this year with my deer I just shot. If I get an elk it wont be more then $10, should be $5. Unless I miss then maybe $15 Exact amount of ammo shot so far this year from my high end hunting guns- 1 round. Lots of other stuff in bench guns.

It is all in perspective though. A $500 hunting gun would be silly shooting $5 ammo. A high end gun deserves better. Like trying to put regular gas through a Mercedes AMG.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

If its a bench gun then yes. But a hunting gun that hardly gets shot $5 is nothing. I am out exactly $5 this year with my deer I just shot. If I get an elk it wont be more then $10, should be $5. Unless I miss then maybe $15 Exact amount of ammo shot so far this year from my high end hunting guns- 1 round. Lots of other stuff in bench guns.

It is all in perspective though. A $500 hunting gun would be silly shooting $5 ammo. A high end gun deserves better. Like trying to put regular gas through a Mercedes AMG.

I know from past posts that you and I have differing perspectives on this. I'd take a guy shooting a basic gun and $1.50/ea ammo who puts a fair bit of volume intentionally practicing with that gun every time over a guy with a safe full of expensive rifles and expensive ammo that dont get shot.

Either is fine as long as shooter has a base level of competency and takes reasonable shots. That said, those types of scenarios don't really justify some hot rod cartridge either.

 

[belshawelk]

I know from past posts that you and I have differing perspectives on this. I'd take a guy shooting a basic gun and $1.50/ea ammo who puts a fair bit of volume intentionally practicing with that gun every time over a guy with a safe full of expensive rifles and expensive ammo that dont get shot.

Either is fine as long as shooter has a base level of competency and takes reasonable shots. That said, those types of scenarios don't really justify some hot rod cartridge either.

We do agree. You should shoot and practice at all ranges you hunt at. That doesn't mean you need to shoot premium ammo every time you do. There are some advantages to premium ammo depending what you are trying to do. There are lots of good factory ammo just sometime guns do not shoot them well so you need to find something that does. For example, for my elk load I wanted a heavy for caliber solid copper bullet. Something that could break down an elk. Nothing was available that shot well. So I had one made up.

Its all in the perspective. We call argue speed vs. energy, vs perfect shot placement and all kinds of variables. For me for elk I like a heavy bullet, smoking fast that carries a crapload of energy. I like to have the ability to break shoulders on a animal if the shot makes sense. I got tired of seeing elk get hit really hard in the vitals and absorb like the never got hot only to take off. But that's me.

There is nothing wrong with a 30-06 shooting corelokts if the person wants. It what my buddy shoots and they work just fine. I shoot a bunch of corelokts in mine. But I hunt with a Hornady ELD-X in it. Nothing wrong with practicing with one round and hunting with another. Practicing is what makes you a better shooter. A 30-06 has probably killed more elk than any gun. But I like a little more energy and ballistic advantages when I hunt. I also like light guns that can be packed all day much easier. Carrying a 5lb gun on a 15 plus mile hike makes a big difference.

 

[CoHunter1991]

Okay ill reach out to Pendleton and see what the cost would be. Thank you all for the advice. Ill look into the weatherby hammers. I have never used hammers, do they perform as good as LRX's?

 

[longbow51]

Okay ill reach out to Pendleton and see what the cost would be. Thank you all for the advice. Ill look into the weatherby hammers. I have never used hammers, do they perform as good as LRX's?

Now you did it

 

[CoHunter1991]

Haha I knew I shouldn’t ask but why not. I’m trying to switch to copper bullets and since I can’t reload I’m semi limited. I have heard LRX bullets can be picky, are hammers or Etip/ trophy copper bullets less picky? Are TTSX less picky than LRX?

 

[BackofBeyond]

I’ve never used Unknown’s ammo, but have purchased components from them. Their customer service was top notch, and that goes a long way in my book.

 

[Addicting]

Haha I knew I shouldn’t ask but why not. I’m trying to switch to copper bullets and since I can’t reload I’m semi limited. I have heard LRX bullets can be picky, are hammers or Etip/ trophy copper bullets less picky? Are TTSX less picky than LRX?

Whatever you decide, stick with a tipped version. Copper hollow points can have mixed results.

Hammers are the least picky, then Barnes, then everyone else. IMO

 

[CoHunter1991]

Okay I’ll give hammers a look. Not sure how I feel about a bullet that is built to come apart but I’m open to the idea. Wasn’t aware they made a tipped version but I’m seeing they do now.

 

[Jbotto]

Haha I knew I shouldn’t ask but why not. I’m trying to switch to copper bullets and since I can’t reload I’m semi limited. I have heard LRX bullets can be picky, are hammers or Etip/ trophy copper bullets less picky? Are TTSX less picky than LRX?

In my very limited experience between Hornady GMX(now discontinued) Barnes TTSX, Barnes TSX, and Nosler Etip. My vote goes TTSX, TSX, GMX, and then ETip as far as least picky to picky. Struggled the most with the Noslers and after this last batch I did with them, I’m done with them as a component. I’ll be switching that rifle to TTSX’s.

 

[mdhunter61]

Okay ill reach out to Pendleton and see what the cost would be. Thank you all for the advice. Ill look into the weatherby hammers. I have never used hammers, do they perform as good as LRX's?

I tried some Pendleton ammo for the first time this year on my AK caribou hunt, when I was having trouble finding the ammo I like (225 grain Swift A Frame for my .338 WinMag). I don't have a fancy rifle, it's a Ruger M77 stainless synthetic with a Leupold 2.5x-8x on top.

They asked me some questions before starting the batch (barrel length, etc.).

The first three shots I tried at 100 yards with this ammo ended up being 0.8 MOA. Later that day moved out to 300 yards, 3 shots in a group less than 3 inches. Subsequent range sessions performed the same way.

Pretty impressed with the ammo they made for me, it was $100/box when I bought it.

 

[kiwi hunter]

Here in my take. I have two 22 hornets and the projectiles I wanted to use were hammer 33 gr. To do this I needed to reload myself so after a bit of search found that I could buy a lee whackamole for very little moneys, five minutes of watching utube I'm now on my way to reloading. It's just a bit bigger than my hand and the other components are the primers and powder, couldn't be simpler.
That's as long as it's possible to get in your caliber.
My 2c

 

[nhenry]

I bought some 145gr LRX loaded stuff from Unknown for my 280 AI and it shot great. ymmv

 

[CoHunter1991]

Okay I’ll give hammers a look. Not sure how I feel about a bullet that is built to come apart but I’m open to the idea. Wasn’t aware they made a tipped version but I’m seeing they do now.

I bought some 145gr LRX loaded stuff from Unknown for my 280 AI and it shot great. ymmv

Awesome, okay that's good news. do you know what velocities you were getting? I wish they loaded the 139g lrx, Barnes seems to think that bullet is the best LRX they make and the minimum expansion velocity is 200 FPS less then the 145g.

 

[nhenry]

Okay I’ll give hammers a look. Not sure how I feel about a bullet that is built to come apart but I’m open to the idea. Wasn’t aware they made a tipped version but I’m seeing they do now.

Awesome, okay that's good news. do you know what velocities you were getting? I wish they loaded the 139g lrx, Barnes seems to think that bullet is the best LRX they make and the minimum expansion velocity is 200 FPS less then the 145g.

I wouldn't shy away from Hammers either. I've used them the past couple years and they're also fantastic.

I was getting 3180 with a 24" barrel with the Unknown Munitions ones. I got 50 for 150 dollars, so it's a lot more affordable than getting a box of 20 somewhere else, especially for 280AI.