By Joe Ferronato
When it comes to shooting, it can take a lifetime to go through the vast options available for guns, optics, and ammo. When it comes to hunting, the ammunition options also seem endless. So how are you supposed to know what to pick?
Well, due to better manufacturing practices and upgraded technology, most any box of ammo is going to perform well off the shelf. As long as your rifle likes it that is. But for those who seek perfection in accuracy, even the premium ammo offerings today may not cut it. So handloading is really the only way. But it takes a lot of time and a lot of equipment to do it effectively.
Offerings from Barnes, especially in the VOR-TX LR line, are incredibly dependable. It’s ammunition that all of us have used, and will continue, to use in the field. Barnes has a reputation of loading a premium product, the highest grade offerings deliver premium accuracy, and the loads are precise, delivering standard deviations well surpassing the acceptable level for premium accuracy.
Barnes Reserve Handloads
If that’s not good enough for you, though, now Barnes is taking it to the next level by offering handloaded options that will be delivered straight to your door. Reserve is taking the work out building your own precision loads. It is meticulously loaded by ballistic experts to ensure that your loads will deliver the best performance possible.
Initially, the Reserve line is offered in cartridges that are traditionally hard to find like 6.8 Western, .300 WSM, .300 SAUM, 7 SAUM, 6.5-284 Norma, and .257 Weatherby. But I would be willing to bet that we will see an expansion of the line to more of the common-place cartridges in the near future.
While I haven’t had the opportunity to test standard deviations, I can say that the 6.8 Western loaded with the 155-grain LRX is accurate. I will report back when I’ve had the chance to test it further. So if you have one of the more niche chamberings in your safe, you’ll want to check out Reserve for this hunting season.
Cost: $99-$120 per box.
Pros: Handloaded, accurate ammunition that is loaded with quality components by Barnes’ experts.
Cons: Pretty expensive for a box of ammo.
