Reloading or factory loads for Dangerous Game?

[WAB]

Anyone with a heavy recoiling double who reloads could do a test to see if crimping is needed or not. I can find no reason for not crimping any hunting ammo. Load a batch for range practice but don’t apply a crimp. Load both barrels but only fire one. Open and load the just fired barrel. Do this two or three times. Check the OAL length of the round that has been subject to the recoil but not fired. Compare that length to the OAL all the rounds were originally loaded to. Recoil is subjecting the unfired round to inertial pull that may increase its OAL. The only thing stopping the bullet in the unfired chamber, if it is being “pulled” by recoil, is the bullet’s ogive shoulder at the shank contacting the lands in the leade. I think a variable OAL caused by inertial pull would not be the best for accuracy and may increase pressure if the ammo is loaded for some freebore jump and inertial pull forces the second barrel, unfired bullet into contact with the lands.

This phenomenon is common in revolvers and one of the reasons revolver ammo is always crimped.

Additionally, crimping prevents bullets from being setback during rough handling.

The LEE FCD is the best tool for applying a consistent crimp and will not decrease or cause variable neck tension as common roll crimping sometimes can when done by the crimp shoulder in the bullet seating die.

I have never crimped .375 and lighter. I have not had an issue to date. If I loaded for my Lott I would definitely crimp.

 

[Green Chile]

I crimp some loads and some I don't. Depends on the gun. If you don't crimp heavy revolver loads you will eventually lock up your cylinder and that's not easy to free up.

 

[Frederik]

At the moment I dont have a Crimp for my Lott so I roll crimp it but I also seat very long so there is not too much movement space in the magazine seems to do the trick.

 

[grand veneur]

I have never crimped the cartridge 460 WBY-Magnum, for example. I mainly loaded it before with the classic 500gr SP Interbond bullet from Hornady, and now with the 500gr PP bullet from Woodleigh. Nevertheless, I have never noticed that due to the recoil something in the magazine moved. Only the rounded lead tips of the SP bullets are often flattened. Maybe the compressed Load also keeps the bullet in the right place, but the cases of the cartridge 460 WBY-Magnum have thick walls so that the bullets are very good seated.

Different with other big bore cartridges where I trust them all less and therefore crimp it. Meant the cartridge 12,7x70 Schüler and in all cases the cartridges 577 Nitro Express and 600 Nitro Express whose cases are very thin walled.

The cartridge 11,2x72 Schüler is a special case, because I would like to crimp it, but I cannot because the bullet that is still available firstly has no crimping groove and secondly, for various reasons, it has to be seated so deep that crimping is no longer possible . For this reason, the weapon can only be used to a very limited extent for hunting DG. A topic in itself as far as this cartridge is concerned.

 

[Longwalker]

I’ve only been on three dangerous game hunts so far. I used a rented rifle during two of those hunts, so the ammo was factory loaded as is appropriate. When I could bring my own rifle on a buffalo hunt, my first shot was a factory load, the second shot a handload. I prefer my own handloads when appropriate bullets aren’t available in factory loads. During my research, I decided the very best bullet available for a follow up shot on a buffalo was the NF cup point solid. It was not available in a factory loaded cartridge for my .450-400 3” The solution was obvious. The results, satisfying.

 

[Green Chile]

I used the same NF cup point solid recently in a .416 Rigby for elephant, eland and zebra. Zebra hit brought a huge cloud of dust off the shoulders and back and broke both shoulders...big eland was hit in the tail and penetrated 5 feet to the offside shoulder going down in a few feet...50 lb elephant was hit in the shoulder and physically buckled the bull. He died in 30 yards and about 5 seconds. All of this resulted in the PH calling it the Rigby hand brake.

 

[Dewald]

The only large calibre factory ammo I have shot was Hornady Outfitter 250gr GMX. Not on DG though. At 2800 fps it is devastating, but so is the meat damage. The joy in shooting a poacher’s dog with that it nigh indescribable though…

Every Buffalo I have shot was with Woodleigh or Dzombo reloaded ammo, in which I have 100% confidence, and will continue to do so.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I am a very amateur reloader, I use Hornady bullets and VV565 powder for my Heym 450/400. I have hit a sweet spot with that and what I am amazed by is the difference that even a few grains of powder can make, even one grain is discernible. Maybe I am wrong, but I doubt factory ammo used in the regulating at a different altitude and temperature would be the same here on my hunt in the Save heat. The question is - is it consequential, does it matter? It is moot because I will probably never get factory ammo anyway.

 

[fourfive8]

Trying to roll crimp a bullet using the crimping shoulder in the bullet seating die can actually either reduce neck tension or cause variable neck tension thus becoming counterproductive if the die is not properly set and/or the case trim length varies. Also I cannot come up with a good reason to not properly crimp a bullet for most all hunting ammo, DG or not. A proper, special type crimp is certainly required for auto loader handgun loads and a normal crimp for revolver and all tubular magazine loads. Any stacked magazine rifle can suffer recoil induced bullet setback that may be cumulative over the number of rounds fired for the cartridges sitting in the magazine. Obviously crimping may not be required or desired for many single shot applications. I don't crimp ammo for most single shots... like falling blocks, rolling blocks and break action type single barrel rifles. And attempting to crimp, especially a roll crimp, into the straight shank wall of a jacketed bullet that doesn't have a crimp groove will usually be very unsatisfactory and likely end up reducing neck tension. For those bullets without crimp groove best to rely on enough neck tension which results from difference between neck ID and bullet OD during sizing operation. Up to about .002-.003 difference will yield about max tension for most brass. Any more difference exceeds brass memory and will not increase tension.

The Lee Factory Crimp Die (pic below) yields a superior crimp and is nearly fool proof. If using the Lee FCD, remember to adjust your bullet seating die out a couple of turns to avoid any contact between the case mouth and the crimp shoulder inside the bullet seating die. The FCD crimping step is the last one done when re-loading.

 

[WyoBull]

I have been reloading for 45 years and I trust my reloads as much, if not more, than factory ammunition.

 

[Rare Breed]

without question i will always trust my reloads over factory loads. i am incredibly meticulous to the very grain per bullet. i trust my life to my own hand loads some machine

 

[Rare Breed]

versus

 

[fourfive8]

I used the same NF cup point solid recently in a .416 Rigby for elephant, eland and zebra. Zebra hit brought a huge cloud of dust off the shoulders and back and broke both shoulders...big eland was hit in the tail and penetrated 5 feet to the offside shoulder going down in a few feet...50 lb elephant was hit in the shoulder and physically buckled the bull. He died in 30 yards and about 5 seconds. All of this resulted in the PH calling it the Rigby hand brake.

I’ve had similar results with the NF cup point solid. Excellent bullet

 

[fourfive8]

Crimps in cannelured jacketed shank and grooved monolithic using Lee FCD

 

[Marcos Rodriguez]

I

without question i will always trust my reloads over factory loads. i am incredibly meticulous to the very grain per bullet. i trust my life to my own hand loads some machine

I feel the same

 

[Rule 303]

I have had as many problems with factory ammo as with handloads. When I bought my 416 Rigby, Hornady Solids and soft nose where a good price. However subsequent research showed they did not have perform as you would expect. I believe Hornady has rectified the problems. I would not have used their ammo on a DG hunt regardless of reputation as they did not use the bullets I use.

I have far more faith in my reloads then in factory loads. I practice with the brass, powder, primer and projectile I will be using, any sign of a problem then it is a new batch or change of component. Doing this has resulted in no ammo malfunctions on a hunt. Not saying it can not happen but I believe I reduce the probability to the smallest margin possible.

 

[Sideshow]

One word of caution on reloads, some countries don’t want you to bring them in. I actually ordered blank boxes from midway and put stickers on them for ‘my custom ammo shop’. Factory boxes would work just as well but I’ve been reloading for so long I don’t have any.

Good idea. Would you mind throwing up a pic cheers

 

[pilar]

Having a 375 ruger , hornday is the only game in town for factory, I am reloading a bunch of 235 ttsx and 270 ttsx for general hunting for PG & buffalo , deer & elk , but will have some factory solids underneath my home rolled when in Africa

 

[WyoBull]

Good idea. Would you mind throwing up a pic cheers

I reload Barnes 399 gr TSX for my 375 H&H. I called them this past spring before my trip to hunt Cape buffalo and had them send me 3 empty factory boxes. That is what I put my reload in. I paid them for the boxes and they very willingly sent them to me.

 

[steve white]

If the idea of hunting DG won't motivate you to get your reloading quality control up to snuff, nothing will!