From The Powder River Examiner

Thanks to the efforts of a fairly well known local guy, shooting enthusiasts and hunters alike won’t have to go far to find top-quality, hand loaded ammunition that is now produced at a nearby facility.

This local fellow, who for obvious reasons wishes to remain somewhat anonymous, is well known to the readers of the Examiner’s occasional earth science column.

He made a significant ammunition delivery to Copps Hardware this past week, where the business now has an extensive selection of calibers previously unavailable without going to a larger town. 

His ammunition has been available in four major cities in Wyoming but this is the first it is being offered for sale in Montana. He has available some 30 different calibers, in two to eight different varieties per caliber available. 

 “I loaded more in the past week than 99.9 percent of all loaders load in their whole lives,” said the reloader. “Most people hand-load 100 at a time. I load 5,000 of most loads over a day or so and have done batches of 10,000 and more before.”

His trademarked brand is “Extremunition,” with each cartridge featuring a premium bullet design by either Nosler™, Barnes™, Hornady™ or Sierra™; Companies, “deadly for varmints, mule deer and antelope.” Plus, each is “very consistent because of the nature of handloads”.

 “I buy truck pallet quantities of components factory direct now and wholesale to a sporting goods chain and several independent sporting stores now.” 

He generally does not sell direct to the public.

Another specialty round is now available for varmints of “two  or four legged variety.”

 “I use Barnes Varmint Grenades™, and they are just amazing.” These all copper lightly jacketed bullets filled with compressed copper powder expend all their energy within a few inches causing what ever you hit have a really bad day. These bullets go in one side and instantly break apart doing serious internal damage but they don’t usually come out the other side, often protecting valuable pelts on coyotes from unnecessary damage.” 

Thirty caliber versions are available for Long Range Defensive use.

Certain Specialty High Power loads are labeled on the box for use in only certain listed firearms. Weak or antique actions should not be used with them. “If you use them with some other gun not listed on the box, you’d better call 9-1-1 before you fire it.”

Accuracy along with consistency is paramount with all of his rifle loads. Defensive Pistol Loads are typically loaded HOT but there are lighter versions available for new, older shooters or lighter framed guns.  “You will find Extremunition™ is priced better than other Premium Custom Loaded Ammunition even shopping for it on the internet,” he said

This ammo is available in both rifle and pistol calibers including: .380 ACP, .357 Sig, 9mm Luger, 38 Special, .358 Magnum, 40 Smith and Wesson, 10 mm, .41 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .45ACP, .45 Colt, .454 Casull, .460 Smith and Wesson, .500 Smith and Wesson, .223, 243, 257, 25-06, 270, 308, 30-06, 300 Winchester Mag, 300 Weatherby Mag, 300 Winchester Short Magnum, .338 Winchester Magnum, 338 Lapua Magnum, .458 Socom, 45-70 govt,  45-100 and the massive .50 Browning Machine Gun Round.  More are in the making.

His loading machines are top of the line, too, Dillon models, and they are capable of reloading up to 1,000 rounds an hour. By necessity, he velocity checks and personally sends out at least 100 rounds a day for accuracy and velocity testing purposes.

“It was getting to the point I was doing so much of it on a smaller scale that I decided I might as well be doing it commercially. Plus, it’s something I really enjoy doing.”  I’ve been loading ammunition for my own use for 35 years, have been a police officer, a firearms/self defense trainer for 25 years, and have even trained US special forces (among others from civilians to police) for long range shooting on our two established rifle courses.  We have even hosted several international level rifle competitions on ranch. 

“My motto is: “Once the bullet leaves the barrel, all you have working for you is that bullet.  Better make it a good one. I only use the best bullets I can buy, not the cheap stuff.

“Why put a 25 cent bullet in a $1000 rifle. Extremunition™ is not the cheapest stuff you can buy but is quite competitive depending on the bullet used in the construction.  Some quality bullets cost me more than some cheaper brand foreign made whole cartridges.

 “I’m convinced you get what you pay for and the performance of these high grade bullets more than makes up for the slight premium for the handloading.”

In total, Extremuntion™ offers some 150 different items – variations on different loads. He is able to use the Nosler™, Barnes™, Hornady™, and Sierra™ label with their permission on those cartridges loaded using their bullets as he has gone through the process required by those different companies to be an Original Equipment Manufacture for them.”

In explaining his process and equipment, he said: “I have 12 Dillon Progressive Cartridge Presses, two progressive shotshell presses, a single stage RCBS rock chucker and 2 – 50 BMG presses that do other things as well as 50 BMG.  The Dillons are 4 or 8 station presses that do 8 things at once but are hand (arm) powered.  I have to handle each bullet and can feel if something goes wrong with the process during the loading.

 “ I load 99 percent new components, not reloads with very few exceptions like 50 BMG brass.   These are very high-end machines, some of which are dedicated to certain calibers where others can quickly change over to another caliber by exchanging the tool head.  The process is very precise, takes much attention to detail and is by no means boring as I am so often asked.  I multi-task quite well and on any one day I might load 10 different calibers to some quantity.  

“My typical days are 2000 round days but I personally have loaded over 4000 rounds in a single day.  When family kicks in, we can do up to 7000 rounds a day.  Pistol rounds go quick as the powder fills the case quickly but skinny necked rifle rounds fill slowly and often take a 4 count (1.2.3.4…) at the bottom of the machines stroke to give the powder time to fill the case volume.  My right arm is quite strong from the numerous repetitions and my left forefinger and thumb are quite dexterous being able to pick up and properly orient almost any shape and size bullet quickly.  The smallest bullets cramp me up the fastest with .380ACP being the worst. “

“I decide what to make day by day based on my supply of components balanced against orders I have from my buyers and buffered by my instinct of what will sell at a particular time of year.  Obviously, I am not going to be making varmint bullets during big game season for instance.

 “I try to start production of seasonal items about 3 months before they are needed,” he continued.  

“A large production run for the Big Dillon Presses is around 10K rounds of any particular type.  I vibra-tumble the cases clean of sticky lubrication after they are assembled with very absorbent walnut media.”

 Then the rounds are boxed, labeled and cased for delivery based on orders or piled up for future order fulfillment.  “They sell out fairly quickly now days.  I am working quite hard to keep up with demand,” he said.

“Needless to say, Extremuntion™ will continue to grow it’s product line in both breadth and depth as local shooters become aware of the accuracy and the various attributes that were previously unavailable to them, the reloader added. “Before we started building some of these bullet, brass, powder, primer combinations, these kinds of loads were only available to the hobbiest loaders out there.  Now they are available to the general public.  We take great care in our quality control and have several hundred thousand highly specialized hand loaded rounds under our belt so to speak.  Ask for us in the sporting stores if you please.”