Should You Start Reloading?

Most hunters will not save money by
reloading, but that is not the only
reason to reload. Customizing ammo
to fit your firearm or hunting situation
can be an important part of
your hunting experience.

The recent rise in the cost of ammunition, and the scarcity of some calibers, led one friend to ask if I thought he should start reloading. Since he is still using the same box of .30-06 ammo he bought three years ago, and he only shoots 4-5 rounds a year, I told him that I thought he’d be OK staying with factory ammo.  Then I got the same question from someone else I know. Reloading is a great hobby, but not for everyone. Let’s take a look why.

What is Your Motivation?

Reloading can offer a number of benefits, but if those benefits don’t apply to you, there is no reason to reload. Forget what I do, or your neighbor, or some guy at the range. If it doesn’t help you, it’s a waste of time and money. Remember that saving money may not be the best reason to reload.

Penny Wise, Pound Foolish?

The “pound” in that old saying refers to British money, and reloading can be a great way to spend dollars to save pennies. It all depends on volume. I started reloading decades ago because I was shooting a lot of handgun ammo and couldn’t afford to shoot as much as I wanted (that hasn’t changed over the years). I was able to ‘pay’ for my reloading gear with money saved on ammo in the first year. Unfortunately, I didn’t really put that money in the bank. Overall, I’ve just shot more, and spent more money on other guns and additional reloading gear. You will find that you will either become overwhelmed, bored, and find reloading too much trouble, or you will gradually get more involved, start loading more calibers, and need more gear.

Do The Math

After you start reloading you will discover that there is
a plethora of additional gear that is helpful, necessary,
or good to add to your process. This can result in
you spending more money, and reduce the amount
you save on ammunition. 

If you think you will save money, first put a pencil to paper. A very basic starter kit, plus supplies and one set of dies, will run you $500-$700. A decent setup with some additional gear will add $300-$500. So let’s say $1,000 to get going (and you will spend more in the future). You can expect to save 30-70% over factory ammo (perhaps even more right now, with the recent shortages and price increases), depending on the cost of primers, powder, and bullets (and whether or not you have to buy brass), but let’s say you can save 50%. Let’s assume factory ammo is $1.00 a round. At a bare minimum you’d have to reload 2,000 rounds to make the breakeven point. A serious shooter can do that, but I know a lot of hunters who won’t shoot that much in a couple of decades.

Other Reasons to Reload

When you reload you will be able to
select components to achieve
specific performance objectives
 from your firearms.

But don’t be discouraged, because saving money is not the only motive for reloading. You can fine-tune your ammo to produce the most accuracy possible from a particular rifle, produce ammo to meet specific performance requirements (very light or very heavy loads, for instance), produce ammo for hard-to-find calibers, or have the satisfaction of using ammo you manufactured to take that trophy animal. You can use different powders and different weights and styles of bullets to make your deer rifle suitable to take anything from varmints to elk, and you will receive an extensive education on ballistics.

Is Your Personality a Match?

A single-stage press can produce perhaps 50 finished rounds an hour. Do you have the patience and attention to detail to do the same thing, exactly the same way, hour after hour? You have to be careful, precise, and methodical – there is no margin for error. If you leave the powder out of one case, fail to properly seat one primer, or double charge one round, the results can range from problematic to catastrophic. You must keep careful records, compare loads, examine spent cases for signs of stress, and fully understand what you are doing, and why you are doing it. All of this will take a lot of time. You will also need a clean, dry, well-lit area in which to reload, with a solid, secure bench where you can bolt the reloading press. Make sure you can safely and securely store components when not in use. Be honest with yourself – if this is too much for you, stick with factory ammo. If this is a good fit for you – then get some catalogs, save some money, and start reloading.

Dan Vogt Passes on The Hunting Heritage

By Brandon Butler

Dan Vogt is a field director for Whitetails Unlimited, covering Missouri and Arkansas, and he pretty much eats, drinks, and sleeps whitetails 365 days a year. So when Dan told me he had experienced the hunt of his life last season, I knew I had to hear about it.

The story wasn’t what I expected. He didn’t tell me about a double drop tine booner closing inside 20 yards. It wasn’t a story about a state record, or some big nasty freak animal. In fact, it wasn’t

about antlers at all. The story of Dan’s best hunt ever was of his 8-year-old son, Jacob, killing his first deer.

Jacob Vogt with his first deer.

Jacob Vogt, who is now nine, is your average boy. He enjoys spending time with his daddy, going to school, and playing video games. Deer hunting doesn’t consume him (yet), but since it is so important to his dad, Jacob has gravitated toward it. When he recalled to me the story of killing his first deer, a big healthy doe, there was excitement in his eyes, especially each time he looked up at his father as if to reconfirm the admiration being bestowed.

Like many young folks, and quite a few of us older guys too, Jacob doesn’t like sitting still for long. So when Dan and Jacob decided to call it quits on their ground blind hunt, they figured their chances of success were over. But on the way back to the truck, they jumped a group of deer from a ditch. They formulated a plan to sneak up on them and it worked.

“I was like 50/50 on whether or not I should take the shot, but I did, and I got her,” Jacob said.

Dan said it was really a pretty close shot and Jacob made it count. To young eyes, 60 yards is a mile. Consider buck fever and shaking hands, and it’s easy to understand how the youngster was hesitant to pull the trigger.

“I was so excited because I shot and I thought right away that I got it. I started calling all my family. I called grandma first because she’s the closest, just across the street,” Jacob said.

Dan said it was hard to put into words how much it meant to him to pass the tradition of hunting on to his son. Here’s a guy whose career is based on turning people into deer hunters and deer hunters into conservationists, but his ultimate reward was passing the flame to his own son. “When I grow up, I might work for my dad, maybe. If I’m not a professional swimmer,” Jacob said.

Well, whether or not Jacob ends up working for Whitetails Unlimited really doesn’t matter much. What matters is that at 9 years old, he’s an advocate with a story to tell. A story he’ll recount to his friends that may create a desire in them to venture into the deer woods. Hopefully, they’ll create their own stories too.

Each of you has an opportunity to connect with a child through nature. It doesn’t have to be deer hunting. Take your child fishing, or squirrel hunting, or just for a long nature hike. You don’t have to ban them from video games to inspire a love of being outdoors. Encourage a balance. You’ll be giving a child the gift of a lifetime, and you’ll never be more satisfied with yourself than when they look up at you and smile about nothing more than the pure joy of being outdoors.

Analog Fire

The Long Burn Matches can burn for close
to a minute, on a wooden stick that starts out
 at about 3-3/4 inches long. Photo by Jeff Davis.

Fire.

One of the four classic elemental forces.

Used by humans for untold thousands of years, it is the transformative foundation for nearly everything civilizations have created throughout history. And yet, starting a simple campfire is sometimes a chore that is beyond my skill.

That may change now, after I stumbled across an obvious solution – longer matches.

At about 3.75 inches long, the Long Burn Matches from Industrial Revolution easily reach into a grill or lantern, or under campfire kindling. The long-burn matches will generate flame for 45-60 seconds, depending on conditions. This is four to five times longer than a standard match, and I don’t burn my fingers. Even I can get tinder going in that much time.

Matches were first sold 185 years ago, but the simplicity and utility of the device has changed little. Lighters seem to fail for me on a regular basis, so I now have a box of Long Burn Matches sealed in a heavy-duty Ziploc bag in my car, daypack, tackle box, with my basic hunting gear, and in the garage. In a digital world, don’t overlook the analog solution.

Long Burn Matches are available at outdoor retailers, including Cabela’s, REI, and MEC. The UCO website is www.ucogear.com.

The Nose Knows

The Nose Knows

Deer use their noses for a number of tasks, and protecting themselves from predators, including humans, is the primary task. Running an important second is finding a mate. If you can control and reduce your human scent you will be a more successful hunter. If you can learn how to present odors that are attractive to deer, you will be on the road to those trophy bucks. Our friends at Wildlife Research have a DVD available with solid information on both human and seer odors, called Scent Secrets. This is a preview, visit www.wildlife.com for more details.

It’s In The Air

Deer constantly check the air for danger, and they are fast to respond if they find anything they think is a threat. If you control your human scent, you can be a more effective hunter. It is almost impossible to completely eliminate your scent, but if you can reduce your smell to a small amount, the animal will not be alarmed, because it will think you are either far away or long gone.

First Time Is The Charm

The first time you hunt on a stand is often the most effective, and one reason is that human odor molecules can build up around a stand, and increase every time it is used. In addition, your walk to and from the stand can contaminate the trail, alerting deer to your presence. Your boots, pants, and body parts brushing against foliage can leave human scent as you walk through the woods. The more often you are in one area the more likely it is that the deer will detect your odor.

Keep It Clean

Wash all of your hunting clothing (not just your coat and pants) with a detergent designed to leave no human scent. Then store and transport your hunting clothing in a clean, airtight container or plastic bag. Hang clothing outside, away from car exhaust, camp fires or barbeque grills. When you shower before hunting, use scent-free soap and shampoo designed for hunters, and use a washcloth and towel washed in scent-free detergent. Don’t use your normal shave cream, deodorant or aftershave; there are deodorants designed for hunters and you really don’t need to shave.

Keep Looking, And Sniffing

Use an anti-scent spray on all your clothing (gloves, hat and boots, too), and avoid tobacco smoke and food odors. Start looking at everything as a potential odor problem, and the nuttier you are about cutting odor the greater your chance for success. How about your watch, glasses or wallet, and what did you step in with those boots in the last few months?

What Kind Should You Choose

There are several types of scents, and deer respond to them differently:
Territorial or Challenge type scent – urine, or a scent from the same animal that you are hunting, which will be seen as a challenge to a resident buck
Hunger scent or food scent  – use early or late in the season, and for does during the rut
Curiosity scent – other scents that deer find interesting, most effective early in the season, or anytime for does
Sex-type scents – most effective for bucks, two weeks before rut to end of season.

Drip, Drip, Drip

The method of dispensing scent can improve success. There is a wide variety of wicks, drippers, foams, and solid scent dispensers. Scrape drippers can be set up to drip only during specific parts of the day, day, forcing bucks to visit during daylight.

Cover It Up

Cover scents imitate plants, food, urine of other animals, or earth. Their smell is fairly strong, but not offensive to deer. Red fox urine, coon urine, or plant extracts, like pine or cedar, work well.

Scrapes

Hunt over natural scrapes that you locate, or create mock scrapes. When creating mock scrapes, use a stick from that area, rather than scraping with your feet. Your boots can impart odor to the earth that deer can easily detect.

Read The Instructions

There are many scent and scent elimination products on the market, and they all have instructions on how to use their products. Wildlife research has a DVD available with solid information on both human and seer odors, called Scent Secrets. Visit www.wildlife.com for more details.

Deer Camp Tickets Now Available

The Whitetails Unlimited Deer Camp Tour is ready to kick off January 14 and tickets for the first Deer Camps are already going fast!

Invitations for the early events have gone out the door from WTU national headquarters, and several thousand tickets have already been sold via the WTU website. New this year is the ability to print event tickets at home from the website, making the process even easier.

 

The first Deer Camp will be the Michigan Tri-Cities, on January 14 in Essexville, Michigan. The tour ends four months later, after 19 more events in nine states, with the Wisconsin Packerland Deer Camp in Green Bay on April 21.

There are single events in Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois and Texas. There are two Deer Camps in Ohio, Michigan, and Minnesota, three events in Iowa, and seven Deer Camps in Wisconsin, where the events started.

A complete list of dates and locations, ticket information, and invitations in PDF format are available on the WTU website. Click here for more information. Deer Camps are held in great venues, with great food, outstanding prizes and once-in-a-lifetime hunting and fishing trips. Last year, at some Deer Camps one out of every seven people attending won a gun. Everyone attending will receive the 2012 Deer Camp Tour shirt.

Industry support of the Deer Camp Tour has been outstanding, resulting in high quality merchandise, travel destinations, and outdoor artwork being available in record numbers. There are custom-engraved firearms, art from the country’s top artists, merchandise that every deer hunter can use, and great adventure travel packages. Deer Camp sponsors are featured on the WTU website and on the Deer Camp invitations.

Twenty events, nine states, one great time. Attending a Deer Camp is a great way to cure the mid-winter blues!

Deer Camp dates and locations:

Tri-Cities (Michigan) Deer Camp, January 14, Essexville, Michigan

Western Iowa Deer Camp, January 21, Council Bluffs, Iowa

Wisconsin Northeast Deer Camp, January 28, Kimberly, Wisconsin

Minnesota Southeast Deer Camp, February 4, Red Wing, Minnesota

Missouri River Deer Camp, February 4, Sioux City, Iowa

Wisconsin East Deer Camp, February 4, Germantown, Wisconsin

Wisconsin North Deer Camp, February 4, Stevens Point, Wisconsin

Eastern Nebraska Deer Camp, February 17, Omaha, Nebraska

Michigan Deer Camp, February 18, Lansing, Michigan

Wisconsin Southeast Deer Camp, February 18, Kenosha, Wisconsin

Iowa Deer Camp, February 25, Pleasant Hill, Iowa

Mid-Missouri Deer Camp, March 3, Columbia, Missouri

Wisconsin West Deer Camp, March 3, Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Minnesota Lakes Deer Camp, March 17, Alexandria, Minnesota

Central Ohio Deer Camp, March 17, Columbus, Ohio

Illinois Deer Camp, March 24, Peoria, Illinois

North Texas Deer Camp, March 29, McKinney, Texas

Big Buckeye Deer Camp, March 30, Cambridge, Ohio

Wisconsin South Deer Camp, March 31, Madison, Wisconsin

Wisconsin Packerland Deer Camp, April 21, Green Bay, Wisconsin

WTU's My First Deer Program Celebrates Hunting Success

Program celebrates a life-long memory – a hunter’s first deer.

A hunter’s first white-tailed deer is an important part of their personal hunting heritage, and Whitetails Unlimited’s My First Deer program is ready to celebrate that rite of passage with them. As deer seasons come to an end across the country, when you (or someone you know) take that first deer, remember to go to the Whitetails Unlimited website to celebrate a successful season.

The My First Deer program celebrates a life-long memory – a hunter’s first deer. While oriented strongly toward youth, the program acknowledges a hunter of any age entering into a very special hunting fraternity of sportsmen and women. This special group of hunters can trace its roots all the way back to the Native Americans and early European settlers in North America.

To participate, a hunter need only submit a photo of their first deer, along with a short narrative (250 word maximum) about the hunt that resulted in their first deer.

To mark the occasion, Whitetails Unlimited will provide the successful deer hunter with a personalized color certificate, suitable for framing, and a Cabela’s shooter’s cap to wear with pride. In addition, everyone who participates will be entered into a drawing for one of three gift cards, generously donated by Cabela’s. First prize is a $300 Cabela’s gift card, second prize is a $200 Cabela’s gift card, and third prize is a $100 Cabela’s gift card. The drawing will be held January 3, 2012, with winners posted on the WTU website.

“This is a great way to mark this special deer hunting experience, and provide the successful hunter with a permanent reminder of that memorable day,” said Kevin Devault, WTU’s manager of conservation funding. “It’s a day and a moment in a hunter’s life that I promise they will never forget.”

Whitetails Unlimited introduced My First Deer as a pilot program in the last part of 2008, and it was an immediate success. As a result, WTU has run the program every year since then.

“Just ask any deer hunter, young or old, about their first deer and they will relive the entire experience as if it just happened yesterday,” said Devault. “Responsible hunters today, as in the past, continue to play a vital role in determining the fate of our nation’s deer population and the sport of regulated hunting. Honest, ethical hunters are the true conservationists in today’s society.”

For complete details on the My First Deer program, visit the WTU website at www.whitetailsunlimited.com.