Where can I find small quantities of reloading supplies?

bowhuntmontana

bowhuntmontana

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I keep thinking there has to be a way to get small amounts of reloading components while a guy is experimenting and working up loads. Rather than buying a box of 50 bullets, is there a way to get 10 or 20? Or rather than a pound of powder, can a guy get a few ounces? I want to work up a few different loads with different components without ending up with a shelf of powders and bullets I don't want and an empty wallet. I was thinking there might be a classified section in a reloading forum or something that I am not aware of. Anyone in the same boat or found a way to get just a few of something to try while working up loads? Feel free to point me in the right direction.

Thanks.
 
I've seen bullet packs before. Not recently though. Hodgdon used to sell a powder sample pack. Ordering powder and having it shipped is expensive. If you want to try Hammer bullets, they will sell you a sample pack. LRH has a good component classified section that has different bullets for sale. Just me but I wouldn't purchase any open powders. mtmuley
 
Google Nosler sample packets. Many places sell these packs of 12 bullets.
 
I don’t understand the sample bullet pack idea. To test your powder charge and seating depth it’s gonna take IMO at least 25-30 bullets once it’s all done and fine tuned.
For powder depending on what cartridges and bullet weight many times you can find a suitable powder to use in multiple loads.
What cartridges you loading and bullets are you looking for?
 
When I started loading I had the same initial thought, but didn't find any solutions for what I was looking for. But then after working up 3 or 4 loads I realized that I wasn't sure if a given bullet was a shooter or not until I went through 40 or so.

By way of example, I wanted to shoot 110 grain TTSX in my .270 for pronghorn. Used 10 bullets to find the velocity nodes, then 6 bullets to test 3 rounds each of the two nodes (16 down). But the data looked crappy so I tried a second powder - another 16 bullets. Found one combination that wasn't great but had some hope so tried 3 rounds each at 4 different seating depths (12 more down). At this point it still didn't meet my needs and I had used up 44 bullets. I switched to 130 grain TTSX did the first screen (16 bullets), found a good candidate, messed with seating depth (12 bullets) and was happy with the final round - SDs of 9-10 and .75MOA. Loaded up the remaining bullets, zeroed the rifle at elevation and shot an elk, still have rounds left over for next year. A box of 50 bullets seems about right.

With hindsight I am not sure 10 packs get you much. But YMMV
 
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Just buy the bullets you want to try and if you decide you don't want to use them you can throw them up in the classifieds and sell them. This won't work with the powder as I would never sell or buy an opened container of powder.
 
Good points on not buying used powder and on the number of bullets it might take to settle on a load. I am loading for my 300 WM. I am currently shooting Hornady Interlock SST 180s over 68 grains of H4350. I get really good accuracy out of that load, but I am not crazy about the bullet fragmentation I get. Don't get me wrong, things die, so the bullet works, I am just not crazy about the lead fragments. I have been thinking about trying copper or other non-lead options. When I first started reloading a few years back I picked up some Barnes TTSX 168 grain bullets. I still have about 20 rounds of that bullet loaded up over RL22. I also have about 25 bullets that I can use to try some loads with the H4350 powder I have. But it is this tinkering prospect that got me thinking about wanting to try different bullets and powders and looking at smaller quantities. For example, I am interested in the Nosler e-tip and the Hornady GMX, but I don't think it will take me 50 rounds of each to see how my gun shoots them. Maybe I am wrong. I'll check out the other forums mentioned. Other suggestions are certainly welcome. Thank you.
 
I agree with others, I have never been able to develop a load with 10-20 bullets. I usually start develop my loads by testing 5 shot groups. Each of those groups will have various powder charges and a variety of seating depths. So I usually end up with 9-10 different loads with 5 shots each load...that's 50 bullets right there. Sometimes I'll have 2 or more loads that look promising after the first test, so I will load more of those and test again. Perhaps that's a bit more in depth than most, but that's what I do.

As for the powder, If I don't like it I just use it up for plinking ammo/fouling shots or use it with another caliber.
 
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It's easier than ever to do a little research and then pick a bullet,(in a weight you want for the size game you will use it on most), then choose an appropriate powder that lists good velocity for that bullet.
After that, the accuracy is up to the reloader and the shooters skill with a good rifle.
Load development normally takes actuall rounds down range and usually more than a few.
The .300 win mag is easy to find loads for, as it's been around and is extremely popular.
It also uses a lot of powder. At 65-80 grains a shot, a pound gets lighter by the second.

I never have seen a need for sample packs of bullets, or especially small cans of powder.
I like the alliant powders alot, myself. The R-22, R-23, go well with 165-180 bullets. The R-25 is great with 200+ bullets.
I only load 180gr. bullets these days in my .300 wm, as it covers all I will need from deer to elk.
 
I've seen different sample packs of bullets, just can't remember where. Maybe Midway..
They serve me no purpose though. Load development usually takes me 16+ rounds.

That and i shoot a lot year round. 300+/- out of my Rem Mag. Many more out of my standard calibers.

Millsworks,
Try RL26. About same velocities as RL25, but with much better accuracy (lower ES/SD), and it's not "temp sensitive".
 
Sawtooth said:
Google Nosler sample packets. Many places sell these packs of 12 bullets.
Click to expand...

What in the world is 12 bullet's any good for when working up load? A box of 50 cup and core is gonna be less than $30, quite a bit less in some case's! You must have some idea what weight bullet you want to use, get them. Of course if your talking about premium bullet', the price about double's. Premium bullet's don't do a thing for me!
 
Don Fischer said:
What in the world is 12 bullet's any good for when working up load? A box of 50 cup and core is gonna be less than $30, quite a bit less in some case's! You must have some idea what weight bullet you want to use, get them. Of course if your talking about premium bullet', the price about double's. Premium bullet's don't do a thing for me!
Click to expand...

Couldn't tell you what Nosler thinks someone could use just 12 bullets for. I was just helping the OP with his request. Sample packs of 25 or 30 would make more since to me, as that would make working up a load a bit more possible.
 
I haven't had an issue with getting the bullet I want to use to shoot accurately in my rifles. However, I only load for 7 rifles.
 
VikingsGuy said:
When I started loading I had the same initial thought, but didn't find any solutions for what I was looking for. But then after working up 3 or 4 loads I realized that I wasn't sure if a given bullet was a shooter or not until I went through 40 or so.

By way of example, I wanted to shoot 110 grain TTSX in my .270 for pronghorn. Used 10 bullets to find the velocity nodes, then 6 bullets to test 3 rounds each of the two nodes (16 down). But the data looked crappy so I tried a second powder - another 16 bullets. Found one combination that wasn't great but had some hope so tried 3 rounds each at 4 different seating depths (12 more down). At this point it still didn't meet my needs and I had used up 44 bullets. I switched to 130 grain TTSX did the first screen (16 bullets), found a good candidate, messed with seating depth (12 bullets) and was happy with the final round - SDs of 9-10 and .75MOA. Loaded up the remaining bullets, zeroed the rifle at elevation and shot an elk, still have rounds left over for next year. A box of 50 bullets seems about right.

With hindsight I am not sure 10 packs get you much. But YMMV
Click to expand...

Same story here for me. I think it would definitely help to have a reloading buddy to go in with you or to reload for a couple different rifles at the same time. Additionally, if you could find smaller batches, I would imagine that the cost wouldn't be as reasonable for a smaller batch.
 
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