Author Topic: Load Em All Up or Leave Em in Component Form? (Read 1740 times)

carbineman · « **on:** February 24, 2011, 05:46:53 AM »

You have you load down pat. You have lots of bullets, propellant and primers. Do you load em all up or just what you need at the time?

Personally I load all my components into ammo for my 9mm pistols and my 7.62x39mm rifles for eventualities.

I have quite a few practise rounds loaded for my 30-30 topper single shots but only keep about 40 loaded hunting rounds for my hunting needs.

I'm in the process of switching from premium to standard cup and core bullets for my hunting now and am starting to think if i should load a bunch up after I get my loads down pat or just enough to go hunting with?

Whaddya think? What do you guys do?

351 power · « **Reply #1 on:** February 24, 2011, 06:08:14 AM »

interesting post. i like to load a bunch too. only thing is it limits my chance to experiment

Wyo. Coyote Hunter · « **Reply #2 on:** February 24, 2011, 06:21:46 AM »

carbine man, have done it both ways..for me in the future it will be have the componets ready to load..couple winters ago I loaded over 1000 .223's..after getting them all loaded when I began shooting them, I found the bullets were defective..I sent a batch to the company and they said the jackets were too soft and barrel fouling was horrible..they made thing right with a new batch of bullets, but now I must pull the old ones and replace....

huntducks · « **Reply #3 on:** February 24, 2011, 06:41:00 AM »

It depends what i'm reloading and for what and which presses i'm using, if i'm loading small cal like 22 or 243 for plinking or sage rats P-dogs I load min of 300-500 ea and I have 5 diff 22 cal, if i'm loading for big game it's 40 rds at a time if i'm loading 30carb or 7.62x39 I try to fill an ammo can.

If it's pistol say 9mm 38/357 45 as many as I have brass for or until I get tired of looking at them or pulling the handle.

I use a Dillon SDB along with a 550 and a RCBS RC.

DANNY-L · « **Reply #4 on:** February 24, 2011, 07:34:51 AM »

I keep more than enough loaded for my rifles' for handguns I keep a couple hundred loaded (enough for a get together shoot). Lots of times I like to try different loads so I keep components seperate. It's also about the only way you could sell them if the time comes because all reloaders tend to like doing thier own.

drdougrx · « **Reply #5 on:** February 24, 2011, 08:01:25 AM »

Mostly in component form.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #6 on:** February 24, 2011, 09:20:20 AM »

It depends on your preceved need . Like an unloaded gun is useless when you need it so are componets . If you had lived in New Orleans at the time of the big storm or say now that we have seen the destruction that can happen. What would you want on hand in a time like that ? When we were young we would have thought someone was crazy to say 9/11 or such would happen. Today we could be forced to move in a hurry to avoid fallout or fires etc. Space alone in the vehicle you travel out of harms way can limit what you can carry. The same could be ask about loaded mags . Its all about your need .

drdougrx · « **Reply #7 on:** February 24, 2011, 10:17:24 AM »

You're right Shoot ... I usually load when I need it. My days of shooting hundreds of rounds in a morning are long over. That being said...I do have a couple cases of .223 XM-193 or somesuch designation.

Old Syko · « **Reply #8 on:** February 24, 2011, 10:49:13 AM »

I put 1240 rounds of 223 in a 50 cal can and 1460 45acp and so on. They're portable, stackable and sealed from moisture. Storing components, even though I do a lot of that also, becomes a bit more involved and as Shootall eludes to a natural disaster would be a major problem with components.

fatercat · « **Reply #9 on:** February 24, 2011, 02:08:53 PM »

i set a quart of jack black on the bench, when its empty i quit loading. sometimes i get enough done to fill up my shooter six.

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #10 on:** February 25, 2011, 05:05:32 AM »

As my inventory continues to spiral out of control, I kick myself for punching out 100 rd lots of the right componets that have proven to be up to snuff for hunting loads. This is because most of us like that hunting brass to be new or once fired so you do make good sense on keeping these lot's small with 40 to 50 rounds being ideal.

After much agonizing about breaking these lots up, my final thought was the same as Old Syko, I have good packaging along with temperature and humidity control so I am going to leave things as is.

Quote from: Old Syko on February 24, 2011, 10:49:13 AM

I put 1240 rounds of 223 in a 50 cal can and 1460 45acp and so on. They're portable, stackable and sealed from moisture. Storing components, even though I do a lot of that also, becomes a bit more involved and as Shootall eludes to a natural disaster would be a major problem with components.

pastorp · « **Reply #11 on:** February 25, 2011, 06:11:11 AM »

In the past I would get a new gun and work up a load for it then order 1,000 rds of brass & bullets and load em up. Usually at some point I'll sell or trade the gun and then I have all this ammo.

Now I just load up 50 or 100 rds as I need them.

Of course I have a stockpile of factory ammo put up for certain guns in case of emergency.

Regards,

Buckskin · « **Reply #12 on:** February 25, 2011, 06:36:53 AM »

Only problem with loading em all up is if you tweak your loading practice a little, then you have a pile of ammo that is all seconds...

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #13 on:** February 25, 2011, 07:49:49 AM »

maybe one should have soical ammo and target/hunting ammo with different rules .

GH1 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 27, 2011, 01:31:22 AM »

I usually load up a couple of hundred rounds at a time. I used to wait until I shot everything but then I'd be out of ammo until I could get everything reloaded again, and I don't like to be out of ammo any more than I like to be out of food or gasoline.
GH1

Land_Owner · « **Reply #15 on:** February 27, 2011, 02:20:20 AM »

I like to make hunting rounds, say 100, that are "cooked" to perfection for my deer rifle. When those are nearly depleted, I will "cook" some more for that gun with many many components on hand and ready to be made. I also put up multiple hundreds, and at times, multiple thousands of certain caliber rounds.

If the threat is upon us immediately, as in a disaster or attack, I have a sufficiency of rounds, both rifle, revolver, and pistol, to Repel Boarders. Certainly more capability than most in this neighborhood.

I also have a sufficiency of components (how much is "enough"?), not inexhaustible though, to ply away the nervous hours waiting for the next wave of the unimaginable to occur. At some point, we all run out, or the barrels melt. Each of us would eventually succumb to a sustained attack.

buck460XVR · « **Reply #16 on:** February 27, 2011, 05:01:02 AM »

If I shot one or two loads outta one or two guns, I probably would load everything up and be done with it. But I load for multiple guns in almost every caliber I own and shoot everything from mild to wild. For instance, I load .44 caliber for 7 firearms. 1 is a scandium snubbie, 3 are full size 629s, two lever carbines and 1 bolt carbine. Altho I can shoot the same ammo in all of them, depending on what they are being used for and who is shooting them at what, determines what ammo I use in them at the time. This varies by the weather, whether I'm huntin' or plinkin' and what it is I'm shootin' at. I generally have a coupla hundred rounds of everything loaded up, but keep the rest in components to restock whatever type of load just got shot.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #17 on:** February 28, 2011, 02:04:38 AM »

Landowner you bring up a good point neighbors . How would we treat neighbors who need ammo ?

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #18 on:** February 28, 2011, 03:29:41 AM »

Quote from: SHOOTALL on February 28, 2011, 02:04:38 AM

Landowner you bring up a good point neighbors . How would we treat neighbors who need ammo ?

Excellent question and I figure that ammo would be a barter item if things went down hard. The DIL's uncle, a batcholer, passed away in the summer of 09' and he was well set for a hickup in the system firearm n ammo wise. They also discovered that he had over 250 bottles of unopened hard liquor even though they knew he never touched a drop. They figured that this would be his #1 barter item which makes good sense when you think about it.

Sorry for blowing the post Stimpy as this probably belongs in the survival & self sustain forum.

huntswithdogs · « **Reply #19 on:** February 28, 2011, 10:25:00 AM »

Rifle ammo: I keep a box or 2 loaded with their prefered loads. Plenty of components though.
Handgun: I keep a box(50) of HPs and a box(50) of lead bullets.
Shotgun: I've got a lot loaded and a pee load of components.
I keep a whole buch of 22lr on hand at all times.

I like to play around with all kinds of different loads so loading all I can of one thing doesn't interest me.

HWD

teamnelson · « **Reply #20 on:** February 28, 2011, 12:15:04 PM »

My habit has been to have a minimum base stock of ammo on hand at all times. I then load over that for range shooting and if I need to tweak my load, the base stock gets rotated to range stock, and I replenish my base. I also keep my "social" factory ammo apart from the base count. I'm in a pickle this year as I'm scheduled to PCS in October, if Congress passes a budget, and they won't ship powder, primers or ammo. So I'm using up the powder and primers for a couple extra range days.

Eltweed · « **Reply #21 on:** March 01, 2011, 01:06:24 PM »

I enjoy reloading as a form of relaxation as well as a means of obtaining ammo. I generally load until I run out of components or get tired of looking at the same type of cartridge. I usually get more components when I run out so that I always have some work to do at my bench. I have thousands of empty cases that I have not yet had the time to process. I suppose I will get to them when I can. I stockpile loaded ammo more than I stockpile components.

Catfish · « **Reply #22 on:** March 01, 2011, 02:51:20 PM »

I have several different brands of primers on the shelf at all times. I have no idea of the number of different powders I have on hand or the number of different bullets I have. I like to play with alot of different cal`s. and have several different wildcats so I keep everything I don`t use for a future project. I just load the last 6 bullet from a box I got in a deal several years ago today, to try in a new 6-284. The amount of ammo I keep on hand depends the the round and how much I shoot it. I have several 1,000 rounds of 223 on hand but have at least 100 rounds for most of the other rifles, but a few have less.

dovehunter · « **Reply #23 on:** March 09, 2011, 04:54:42 AM »

I'll usually try to keep 200 handgun rounds for each caliber loaded up at time. With big game hunting ammo I'll probably try to keep at least 1 (maybe 2) boxes on hand. With varmint ammo (for groundhogs & crows) I'll try to keep at least a couple of boxes on hand, loading additional ammo as needed. Like some of you others, I enjoy reloading as a relaxing hobby in itself and do it frequently.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #24 on:** March 09, 2011, 05:02:08 AM »

i keep some brass in each caliber for load developement but what good are components. You cant shoot components just ammo

Old Fart · « **Reply #25 on:** March 09, 2011, 05:17:50 AM »

It has been for me from day one of reloading when I was a kid to load as I felt like it or needed.
I generally try and keep a healthy supply stockpiled of both loaded ammo and components.
Here recently I found it tough to get out when it gets cold so I try and leave my bulk reloading for winter.
I also usuallu do most of my casting in the fall in preparation for this.
Over the years I've managed to collect enough brass that I can get away with this.
All this is for the guns I shoot regularly, anything I onlt shoot a few thru a year I reload limited amounts.

rockshooter · « **Reply #26 on:** March 09, 2011, 02:45:52 PM »

Just something to think about- I used to have a huge stockpile of loaded ammo. One day my heart decided it was too tired to function. After spending some time in the hospital, I got to asking myself what my widow was going to do with all the stuff laying around here. Components are much easier to sell off than loaded rounds.
Loren

carbineman · « **Reply #27 on:** March 09, 2011, 04:19:41 PM »

Quote from: rockshooter on March 09, 2011, 02:45:52 PM

Just something to think about- I used to have a huge stockpile of loaded ammo. One day my heart decided it was too tired to function. After spending some time in the hospital, I got to asking myself what my widow was going to do with all the stuff laying around here. Components are much easier to sell off than loaded rounds.
Loren

Loren, No kids or grandyoungin's to pass them down to?

mrussel · « **Reply #28 on:** April 16, 2011, 09:05:25 PM »

Quote from: SHOOTALL on February 24, 2011, 09:20:20 AM

It depends on your preceved need . Like an unloaded gun is useless when you need it so are componets . If you had lived in New Orleans at the time of the big storm or say now that we have seen the destruction that can happen. What would you want on hand in a time like that ? When we were young we would have thought someone was crazy to say 9/11 or such would happen. Today we could be forced to move in a hurry to avoid fallout or fires etc. Space alone in the vehicle you travel out of harms way can limit what you can carry. The same could be ask about loaded mags . Its all about your need .

Im more inclined to think something like Katrina will happen than a total collapse. The question though is how much you need in that situation. I cant imagine needing more than a couple boxes of 45ACP and a couple boxes of 8x56R (I love my Steyr M95. The only problem is getting ammo,if I wanted that though,Id get a 30-06)

I just dont see a prolonged period of full on combat with no down time,and at the end of the day,you have to prepare for what is likely to happen rather than everything that might happen no matter how remote. I don't own a Geiger counter,and I don't have a gas mask either,but Im not really worried. In fact,the earth could be struck by a giant meteor kicking up so much dust that sun is blocked for years and the oceans freeze. That would kill all the algae in the oceans as well as the plants on land and potentially lead to dangerously low levels of oxygen in the atmosphere. I would need a power source that could run without oxygen and a stockpile of oxygen and some way to replenish it. Its absurd to plan for some possibility that remote,so I plan for those things that might realistically happen.

You need a few weeks of food and enough ammo to get you by. Water is most important. You can live for a very long time without ammo,if someone else doesn't shoot you,you can live for quite a while without food,but you only have days without water.

Justin10mm · « **Reply #29 on:** April 17, 2011, 05:06:11 PM »

I think it is a good idea when buying components to buy them two at a time. Say you need primers, you buy two boxes and put one box aside as a reserve and load the other box. Eventually you should have enough components in reserve to last you through most shortages or hard times. I've always subscribed to the idea that (worst case scenario) all you have is all you are going to have.