Ammunition is one of those things you have to have as a gun owner. After all, you can’t run your gun without it, right? Most gun owners go straight for the factory loads that fill the shelves at their local gun stores or online. But there is more to gun life than factory ammo. There are a few options out there, like factory ammo, reloads, and handloads. We’re going to consider the pros and cons of factory loads versus reloads and figure out which option is likely to give you the best bang for your ammo bucks.
What is factory ammunition?
Factory ammunition is a blanket term used to refer to ammo that’s manufactured from start to finish in a factory. This is the ammo that’s ready to use right out of the box. Not all factory loads are created equal, of course. Quality varies rather wildly between manufacturers. Not all factory ammo will even reliably cycle. It depends on the brand and your gun. But that’s a topic for another day.
What is reloaded ammunition?
Reloaded ammunition refers to ammo that’s loaded—usually by you—using spent brass. Typically, that means the spent brass was collected after a day at the range and then taken home to be cleaned and reloaded. Many shooters reload their own ammo for the sake of saving some money. Others reload their own ammo because the specific cartridges they’re using are hard to find as a factory load. In the latter case, the reloader is usually able to find the components, such as primers and bullets, easier than completed factory loads. Reloading also allows you to fine-tune the ammo a bit according to your needs and your gun’s preferences, which can result in improved precision.
The downsides of factory ammo
If you’re thinking there are no downsides to factory loads because you can simply grab a box and go, you’re mistaken. There are many downsides to factory ammo. Sure, it’s convenient, and when it’s loaded correctly, factory loads can be great. However, there have been, and will continue to be, plenty of incidents where factory ammo has had all kinds of problems, including:
- Improperly seated bullets
- Faulty primers
- Poor quality control
Then, there’s the fact that ammo shortages are a real problem, making it flat-out impossible to find certain calibers on the store shelves at any given time. That used to be a less common phenomenon, but variations of it have been happening with greater frequency in recent years.
The downsides of reloaded ammunition
As for reloads, there are pros and cons to those as well. Some of the downsides of reloading ammo include:
- Cost of setting up reloading equipment
- Maintaining reloading equipment
- Learning curve of the reloading process
- Catastrophic failures due to failure to follow proper reloading steps
- Weak spots in spent brass creating failures such as ruptured cases
- Improperly seated bullets
- Failures to feed for various reasons
- Voids factory warranty of most firearms if something goes wrong
And, as with factory ammo shortages, there have been a lot of reloading component shortages lately. Primers continue to be tough to find, and now there’s a nitrocellulose shortage that’s severely hampering the ability to get good powder. Shortages happen, and there’s no way to know how long they’ll last or how they’ll permanently impact prices. It’s never a bad idea to have a good supply on hand ahead of time.
What about handloading?
We’re focusing on factory ammo vs. reloads here, but we’ll mention a few things about hand loads. There’s often some confusion about the difference between reloads and handloads. They are technically two different things (although the terms are often used interchangeably). If we’re being specific, hand loads involve new brass, and loads are created according to exact specifications for superior performance.
Dedicated hand loaders are likely creating the ideal load for their specific rifle. I’m not saying they never reload spent brass; they’re also using new brass and loading it to create a precise load—not necessarily to save money. Your hand loaders are also people like Elmer Keith, who tweaked cartridges to create magnum loads. Wildcat rounds and new cartridges can be credited to the experimentation of dedicated hand loaders.
Should you get factory ammo or reload your own ammo?
For most shooters, it’s far more cost effective and reasonable to simply purchase factory ammo. It’s ready to go and doesn’t require the setup and maintenance of a reloading bench, let alone the time dedicated to learning and hopefully perfecting the craft. But if you’re going to reload, do it right. That means following SAAMI guidelines for reloading specifications, having the correct equipment, and knowing how to use it.
The positive side to reloading your own ammo is that it gives you a better understanding of the intricacies of how ammo works. There’s a difference between knowing the components of ammo and understanding the nuances of bullet weight and powder. Reloading can be done safely, and it can be quite a rewarding experience.
Only shoot the reloads that you reloaded. It’s rarely smart to use someone else’s reloads in your guns. Whether that’s the guy at the gun show with a table of value-priced reloads or your buddy who reloads for fun, just don’t. If you want to use reloads, do it yourself so you can be confident about how they were made.
What if I just want factory ammo?
There’s nothing wrong with sticking to factory loads. Figuring out which brands work best for you and your purposes can be a bit of a challenge at first. It shouldn’t take long, though, to get the hang of it. You can usually deduce which brands are better by product reviews and discussions among experienced shooters on social media (notice I said experienced shooters, not random guys in some Glock group). Keep in mind that some guns are ammo finicky and that ammo that works great for someone else might not be ideal for you.
Speaking as someone who does some reloading myself, I understand the interest and desire to reload. It can be almost therapeutic during the process. Before you leap into reloading, though, stop and figure out exactly what you need to set up a good reloading bench. It’s a wise idea to understand the full cost of setup alone because it takes time before you can really claim reloading is saving you money. In reality, it may never save you money—or not much money—it’s more about being able to do it yourself. Being a reloader means you have the knowledge and tools to keep your guns fed, and that’s important. But whether you choose to reload or use factory ammo, do stock up. The time to have a substantial supply of ammo on hand is now, not later, not after shortages happen (because then it’s impossible or seriously cost-prohibitive). There’s no such thing as too much ammo.
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