(Long read warning, sorry, I don't summarize well.)
Many details to hammer out with associated costs, licensing and insurance, so I'm gauging interest in a product/service before I jump off the deep end.
Most experienced rifle shooters know that each gun has a "preferred" ammo that it shoots better than other brands/loads. Most also know that different bullets are designed to perform on different game, targets etc. Most know that the most accurate shooters only use custom loaded ammo, specifically tailored to their rifle. I've found that the number one thing I have done to improve the accuracy of any of my rifles (and a few friends' rifles as well) was to tune a load for the specific gun and its intended use. I've made guns shoot groups they shouldn't be capable of and I've made ammo that impressed a former military sniper.
All that tells me that excellent quality ammo is key to great accuracy, and ammo custom tuned to match the rifle is the ideal solution, except that the only way to get that is through reloading. Many folks don't have time to reload. Most don't have the equipment, and it is costly to get started. Many that I know are afraid they will make a mistake and hurt themselves, which is a legitimate concern for sure. Several of my friends are simply realists and know the limits of their patience, and understand that they are not good candidates for reloading. Above all, I think for many people, the idea of reloading is overwhelming, almost an "art", that requires knowledge and skills that they may or may not have.
I know that companies like Black Hills and a few others have hung their hats on excellent quality ammo, and their prices often are in line with the quality. Hornady, Federal etc. all manufacture some excellent hunting and target ammo, and the prices are all over the place from cheap to insanely expensive. Nobody, that I know of except maybe a few custom rifle builders that tune a load for the rifles they build, offers a custom tuned option. It's always one size fits.....some. Granted, Federal Gold Medal Match is the "gold standard" for .308 target ammo, but what if my gun doesn't like it? "Sorry, try another brand." (Been there, done that, have the targets to prove it.)
My idea involves custom tuning a load for your rifle. You tell me what you want to use it for, give me the gun for a short time (a few days max if I have the dies and components, a bit londer if I have to source components, but tell me in advance and I'll get them in before I have you bring me the gun), and I'll work up a load for it. Once I've developed the optimal load for that rifle and its intended purpose, I'll save the recipe and you can order a batch of ammo whenever you need it, bring the brass back for a discount. The first batch of ammo would cost close to the same or slightly more than premium off the shelf ammo, but subsequent batches would be cheaper, and they would be custom loaded for your rifle. I would save the recipe, and continue to load for you, as long as you own the rifle and the components are available. If/when you wear out the brass, simply buy more brass and we'll continue.
As an example of the benefits you would receive, consider the following:
The cheapest Federal Premium 300WSM ammo at Cabelas is $42 today, that's $2.10 per round. The first batch of ammo would be close to that price as I would have to buy brass (the most expensive component by a large margin), spend time and components working up a load etc, but subsequent loadings would be significantly cheaper as I would reuse the brass from the first batch, and wouldn't have to eat up time and components on load development. Another option would be for the customer to provide the first batch of brass from ammo that he had already fired, and I would simply charge a modest load development fee for the first batch of rounds.
Does this sound like a service/product that people would pay for? Here's how I see it:
You can buy several boxes of various brands of ammo, at full price, and find the one your gun likes best, then pay full price for that ammo forever until the manufacturer discontinues it, then you start over......
OR
You can buy one box of Premium Custom ammo from me, and I'll continue to make that custom ammo for you and your gun, at budget ammo price, for as long as the brass lasts.
With my service, you get cheaper ammo in the long run, and it's not only better quality more consistent ammo, but CUSTOM TUNED to YOUR RIFLE.
Many details to hammer out with associated costs, licensing and insurance, so I'm gauging interest in a product/service before I jump off the deep end.
Most experienced rifle shooters know that each gun has a "preferred" ammo that it shoots better than other brands/loads. Most also know that different bullets are designed to perform on different game, targets etc. Most know that the most accurate shooters only use custom loaded ammo, specifically tailored to their rifle. I've found that the number one thing I have done to improve the accuracy of any of my rifles (and a few friends' rifles as well) was to tune a load for the specific gun and its intended use. I've made guns shoot groups they shouldn't be capable of and I've made ammo that impressed a former military sniper.
All that tells me that excellent quality ammo is key to great accuracy, and ammo custom tuned to match the rifle is the ideal solution, except that the only way to get that is through reloading. Many folks don't have time to reload. Most don't have the equipment, and it is costly to get started. Many that I know are afraid they will make a mistake and hurt themselves, which is a legitimate concern for sure. Several of my friends are simply realists and know the limits of their patience, and understand that they are not good candidates for reloading. Above all, I think for many people, the idea of reloading is overwhelming, almost an "art", that requires knowledge and skills that they may or may not have.
I know that companies like Black Hills and a few others have hung their hats on excellent quality ammo, and their prices often are in line with the quality. Hornady, Federal etc. all manufacture some excellent hunting and target ammo, and the prices are all over the place from cheap to insanely expensive. Nobody, that I know of except maybe a few custom rifle builders that tune a load for the rifles they build, offers a custom tuned option. It's always one size fits.....some. Granted, Federal Gold Medal Match is the "gold standard" for .308 target ammo, but what if my gun doesn't like it? "Sorry, try another brand." (Been there, done that, have the targets to prove it.)
My idea involves custom tuning a load for your rifle. You tell me what you want to use it for, give me the gun for a short time (a few days max if I have the dies and components, a bit londer if I have to source components, but tell me in advance and I'll get them in before I have you bring me the gun), and I'll work up a load for it. Once I've developed the optimal load for that rifle and its intended purpose, I'll save the recipe and you can order a batch of ammo whenever you need it, bring the brass back for a discount. The first batch of ammo would cost close to the same or slightly more than premium off the shelf ammo, but subsequent batches would be cheaper, and they would be custom loaded for your rifle. I would save the recipe, and continue to load for you, as long as you own the rifle and the components are available. If/when you wear out the brass, simply buy more brass and we'll continue.
As an example of the benefits you would receive, consider the following:
The cheapest Federal Premium 300WSM ammo at Cabelas is $42 today, that's $2.10 per round. The first batch of ammo would be close to that price as I would have to buy brass (the most expensive component by a large margin), spend time and components working up a load etc, but subsequent loadings would be significantly cheaper as I would reuse the brass from the first batch, and wouldn't have to eat up time and components on load development. Another option would be for the customer to provide the first batch of brass from ammo that he had already fired, and I would simply charge a modest load development fee for the first batch of rounds.
Does this sound like a service/product that people would pay for? Here's how I see it:
You can buy several boxes of various brands of ammo, at full price, and find the one your gun likes best, then pay full price for that ammo forever until the manufacturer discontinues it, then you start over......
OR
You can buy one box of Premium Custom ammo from me, and I'll continue to make that custom ammo for you and your gun, at budget ammo price, for as long as the brass lasts.
With my service, you get cheaper ammo in the long run, and it's not only better quality more consistent ammo, but CUSTOM TUNED to YOUR RIFLE.
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