Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

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Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by teedo » 12 Feb 2015, 3:31 pm

Just picking a common example of the top of my head.

Talking about hunting calibres someone says get a .308, someone else says get a 7mm.

First someone says finding projectiles and brass for 7mm is harder and .308 is easier to get stuff for.

Anyone gone the less common option and found it so hard to get stuff for they gave it up and went for something more common?

Just two example calibres there.
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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by North East » 12 Feb 2015, 3:34 pm

I say get a .30-06. :drinks: :drinks:
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T3 Varmint .204 Ruger...Meopta Meostar 4-16X44
T3 Lite .30-06 Sprg...Aimpoint Hunter 1X red dot

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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by Jack V » 12 Feb 2015, 4:12 pm

In the past I have dropped 22hornet ,222 Rem , 303 and 303 / 25 to eventually move too .223 Rem , .243 W , 308W and 30-06 Spr. Reasons are varied but the .257 bullets are not as well represented as 6mm and .308 are , and cases harder to find .
I am even thinking of dropping .223 and going 6mm BR so that all I will need then is 6mm and .308 projectiles and the 6 mm BR . 243 and 308 all share the same parent brass .
Last edited by Jack V on 12 Feb 2015, 4:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by Westy » 12 Feb 2015, 4:29 pm

You can do it ?Jack get the 260 and you'll have the trifecta

6.5mm Rules :lol: :D :lol:
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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by yoshie » 12 Feb 2015, 4:47 pm

I load 223, 260, 30-06 and 9.3 as well as a 7mm wildcat based on 30-30 and I used to load 243. .30 and .22 is defiantly easier to find components but 6mm is easy too. 7mm is probably next easiest then 6.5mm isn't too bad, cases are a pain but I make them from 243 cases. 9.3 is a pain and expensive! 35 Whelan/358 Winchester would be easier.
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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by Jack V » 12 Feb 2015, 4:57 pm

Westy wrote:You can do it ?Jack get the 260 and you'll have the trifecta

6.5mm Rules :lol: :D :lol:

The 260 is good but I can't make a 6.5 mm bullet and it's a bit big for a spot lighting rifle which is what a 6mm BR would replace .
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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by Westy » 12 Feb 2015, 5:52 pm

I don't know if you own a 6mmBr but they aren't the nicest hunting round as the don't feed real well from a Magazine.... A savage I have that I had converted into a 6 mm BR is a great shooter but a ****** hunting rifle!!!!!
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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by Bills Shed » 12 Feb 2015, 6:39 pm

I haven't given up a calibre, but more the rifle. I keep the dies, just in case. I did move to a common case for my currency rifles. I run the hornet variants. Having all the same cases, (.22hornet, K, and .17) makes life a bit simpler. Then it is a matter of swaging pills to the weight I want. It was fun to have bits a pieces for a few different cals once, but now I just try to keep it as simple,as possible.

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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by Oldbloke » 12 Feb 2015, 8:22 pm

North East wrote:I say get a .30-06. :drinks: :drinks:


me too. There are plenty of commons rounds to choose from. So why pick one that may be expesive to run or componants are scarce.
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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by Oldbloke » 12 Feb 2015, 8:22 pm

North East wrote:I say get a .30-06. :drinks: :drinks:


me too. There are plenty of commons rounds to choose from. So why pick one that may be expesive to run or componants are scarce.
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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by brett1868 » 12 Feb 2015, 8:30 pm

I've gone the opposite direction and shooting more and more of the less popular rounds. Recently purchased a .257 Weatherby Mag, loaded rounds are non existent and the best I could do was buy 120 factory cases. Was lucky to find dies easy enough and I can still find 25cal projectiles in dusty boxes at the back of the shelf in some shops. I've settled on 100Gr Sierra HPBT Match Kings which are achieving consistent 1/2 MOA groups. .416 Barrett Brass was non-existent so I bought dies and made my own from 50BMG, .375 Cheytac is also difficult to source but I got some. I must be a sucker for the underdog cartridges cause next up I'm considering .300 Weatherby Mag which is another hard to source round. I like to be different which is also why I don't have any tatts :)
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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by Oldbloke » 12 Feb 2015, 8:41 pm

Brett, love your hair cut. But not as cool as mine. :)
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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by North East » 12 Feb 2015, 8:44 pm

brett1868 wrote:I've gone the opposite direction and shooting more and more of the less popular rounds. Recently purchased a .257 Weatherby Mag, loaded rounds are non existent and the best I could do was buy 120 factory cases. Was lucky to find dies easy enough and I can still find 25cal projectiles in dusty boxes at the back of the shelf in some shops. I've settled on 100Gr Sierra HPBT Match Kings which are achieving consistent 1/2 MOA groups. .416 Barrett Brass was non-existent so I bought dies and made my own from 50BMG, .375 Cheytac is also difficult to source but I got some. I must be a sucker for the underdog cartridges cause next up I'm considering .300 Weatherby Mag which is another hard to source round. I like to be different which is also why I don't have any tatts :)


I've got tattoos and am 57 years old....that why use a .30-06. I just can't be stuffed mucking around with a wonky caliber. The .30-06 works and will keep on working.
Browning BL-22 lever action...open sights
T3 Varmint .204 Ruger...Meopta Meostar 4-16X44
T3 Lite .30-06 Sprg...Aimpoint Hunter 1X red dot

....that will do me
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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by cruze82 » 12 Feb 2015, 8:49 pm

I cant do it any more :crazy:

North east loves 30-06 we all get it
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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by Jack V » 12 Feb 2015, 9:02 pm

Westy wrote:I don't know if you own a 6mmBr but they aren't the nicest hunting round as the don't feed real well from a Magazine.... A savage I have that I had converted into a 6 mm BR is a great shooter but a ****** hunting rifle!!!!!

I know about feeding issues in short fat cartridges but from a hinged floor plate it would be better than most magazines. Bit of work but it can be tuned to feed ok .
I would not use it as a stalking rifle anyway and as a spotlighting rifle I only ever feed one shot at a time anyway so a single shot action might be the go also.
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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by Chronos » 12 Feb 2015, 9:17 pm

nope, I shoot a 7mm, 2 in fact, and i'm building another one. Yes bullets are more expensive than .30 cal but who cares? i chose my first 7mm for it's retained energy at 500m, i don't need that energy anymore but that hasn't changed my feelings for the caliber. Plus it would be silly to waste everything i've learned during that time about the 7mm to throw it all away and buy a 6.5 and start all over again :lol:

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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by Jack V » 13 Feb 2015, 9:16 am

I agree the 7mm's ballistic efficiency has a lot going for it . Dropping a short range cartridge for just spotlighting is different to changing a long range cartridge that you have invested a lot of time and money in and know it's performance well . I try to steer new shooters to a 7mm 08 as a good all around cartridge and in time we may even see the 7mm supplant the 308 in Military use . They have considered it but the cost of changing over is huge. I would be happy to run a 7mm projectile if I could make one .
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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by Warrigul » 13 Feb 2015, 4:12 pm

teedo wrote:Just picking a common example of the top of my head.

Talking about hunting calibres someone says get a .308, someone else says get a 7mm.

First someone says finding projectiles and brass for 7mm is harder and .308 is easier to get stuff for.

Anyone gone the less common option and found it so hard to get stuff for they gave it up and went for something more common?

Just two example calibres there.


I had an offer for my TIKKA in 7/08 and dies and took it up as it did nothing overly special and was harder to get projectiles for. There are a lot of fad calibres out there.
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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by Wes » 13 Feb 2015, 6:57 pm

Just tell your LGS you want 1,000 rounds before you'll buy the rifle :D
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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by brett1868 » 13 Feb 2015, 9:21 pm

Wes wrote:Just tell your LGS you want 1,000 rounds before you'll buy the rifle :D


How about 1000 cases?..heheheheh

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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by veep » 14 Feb 2015, 3:09 pm

"uncommon"

You can barely get .308 brass these days and bugger knows when 2208 will be in stock anywhere...
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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by Wes » 14 Feb 2015, 3:09 pm

brett1868 wrote:How about 1000 cases?..heheheheh


I like your style Brett :lol:
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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by Jack V » 16 Feb 2015, 4:32 pm

veep wrote:"uncommon"

You can barely get .308 brass these days and bugger knows when 2208 will be in stock anywhere...

I think the Worlds uneasy military situation is causing some shortages . The USA is sucking up a lot of production of the stuff we use even the powder we make. Maybe we should all convert to 7.62 x 39 because there seems to be plenty of that around the World .
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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by Lorgar » 16 Feb 2015, 6:32 pm

It's hardly the rarest cartridge in the world but I have few problems getting ammo for my 7mm.

Might be 6 few months between purchases but buy in bulk at the time and no drama.
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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by Jack V » 17 Feb 2015, 8:03 am

Lorgar wrote:It's hardly the rarest cartridge in the world but I have few problems getting ammo for my 7mm.

Might be 6 few months between purchases but buy in bulk at the time and no drama.


What is happening is the production of some civilian ammo components is being reduced to make more capacity to produced other military stuff .

Like Hornady stopping production of certain projectiles to free up machines to make larger amounts of Military calibres .

It has to have an effect on the market .
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Re: Anyone given up reloading a less common cartridge

Post by Lorgar » 18 Feb 2015, 4:22 pm

Buying pre-emptively and stocking up blunts the problem I guess.
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