How many here trust their life to your own reloads

[Ron Padilla]

if it came to it and all we could get was the brass and powder and had to make our own lead boolits would you put your life in their hands and would become an ohshite moment for you, just curious hope to hear back from a lot of different people.

[173rdABN]

Absolutely. My home defense ammo is my reloads. And my other guns around the house for a grab and go situation are all loaded with reloads. Even better, every single mag (and I keep them all loaded), is loaded with reloads.

The only thing that isn't a reload, is my daily carry ammo. That's literally it.

[Ron Padilla]

why not the dlc as well ?

[173rdABN]

It's a court battle I don't want to fight.

[Ron Padilla]

Gotcha thanks look forward to more good night

[nightrunner]

I don't reload yet but plan to start in the near future and plan on trying to duplicate and improve the factory loads for carry. I would have no problem using my personal hand loads.

I would rather have a jacketed hollow point but if lead is all we have available, that's fine. Just a lead round nose mushrooms enough to be effective. And then there are the lead hollow points.

[ArmyBrat61]

I do and have....while living out west I found myself targeted by a pack of rather large coyotes. I was hiking thru the desert way outside of Salt Lake and Mr.Browning's eternal design propelled some rather recent reloads and rid the world of 3 yotes. Wheel weights, tin and Zip...that's the ticket. :up:

[10-Ring]

I'd trust them but I wouldn't run handloads for self defense. It's asinine but if you were to ever have to stand trial for using them it's just one more thing the prosecution could use against you.

[Jamie Jackson]

I can handload much more accurate rounds for my AR (5.56) and AK (7.62x39) than I can afford to purchase.

 

I do carry handloads for my J-frame 640 in .38 spl. These are the Cirillo/Fletcher "Safestop" duplicates...same powder,primer, bullets, OAL etc.

 

All of my practice (handgun) 9mm rounds are from bullets we cast and powder coat (thanks to Dolomite on that!). Eventually we plan to work up some hollowpoint powder coated cast rounds and see how those function and expand...but that's still in the planning ( i.e. need the mold) stages at this point.

 

I have heard the argument before about the potential issues with using homemade loads in a self defense shooting and there is definitely some validity to that concern...but I've never read of an actual case where it has been a deciding factor in the verdict. There may be one, I'm just unaware of it.

 

I do carry factory self defense ammo...9mm Black Hills loaded 124 gr +P Gold Dots fwiw.

 

But if push came to shove I'd roll my own. And be able to articulate why I did so.

[RED333]

How many here trust their life to your own reloads
Started by Ron Padilla, Today, 12:27 AM

 

 

Me

[Dolomite_supafly]

David, DLM37015, will tell you to carry factory ammunition because he had to go through the court's antics after he was involved in a shooting. Prior to him telling me the story I carried hand loads, 147 grain 9mm at 1,200 fps, but now I carry factory ammunition. Personally I felt my 147 grain Gold Dots at 1,200 fps are more effective than anything else on the market at the time. A lot of people think 147 grain bullets can only be used for subsonic but that is not the case.

 

This also begs the question if a shooter were to modify their firearm in any way could they not get scrutinized in the same way? Almost all of us here, at some point, have carried a modified gun. Some could argue that those night sights were installed to make it easier to kill someone, damn right, and because of that it shows you went out looking to do harm to someone. We all know it is all BS but in today's society the defendant's attorney want to vilify the victim.

 

BTW, I carry a modified handgun loaded with factory ammunition. Am I worried? Not particularly because if it is a good shoot, it is a good shoot and what I have done to the gun should not even come up. Now if it is a bad shoot then I have a whole lot more to worry about than the modifications I have done to my firearm. Now it might come up in a civil trial for wrongful death but I am a lot more worried about loosing my freedom than being sued by poor little Johnny's mother who said he was a good boy and that he could not have tried to harm anyone.

 

I know I am sending mixed opinions but in the end if the shoot is good you should be fine regardless of the gun or ammunition used. The road to the end might be a little bumpy but if you know in your heart what you did was right then a jury will see the same thing.

 

BTW, if you end up shooting someone expect to be sued even if you don't kill them. I know we are immune to civil suits if the shoot is "justified". But a lawsuit can still be brought and it MUST be heard by a judge. No matter the expected outcome I would NEVER find myself standing in front of a judge without a lawyer. So even if the shoot is 100% justified expect to be out of pocket $3K-$5K to retain a lawyer. So even if the shoot is good expect some hardships.

[Ron Padilla]

Thanks for all the reply's there is some great info here.

[camp]

I have had more issues with factory ammo than my reloads , that being said I carry factory ammo to avoid any issue if I end up in front of a judge

[Omega]

I carry with factory, and reloads both cast and jacketed, what ever I have left over after I go shooting.  I have never heard any prosecutor bringing up what type ammo was used, only if it was justified or not.  Besides, my reloads are no deadlier than factory ammo and would think most non-reloaders would find reloads inferior to factory.

[JeffL]

I've got my Glock 29 loaded with my own reloads. Factory Gold Dots for all other carry guns.

[gregintenn]

The legal aspect of this question is a dead horse that has been sufficiently flogged for a LOOOOOOOOOONG time on the internet. I've yet to see proof of this being an issue a single in a self defense court case.

 

That being said, I'm just as comfortable, if not more so, with my handloaded ammunition than factory loaded ammunition.

 

There's no magic in a loaded round of ammunition.

 

Ever wonder how old west cowboys and Indians got factory ammunition for their muzzleloaders and long bows?

[Jonnin]

I load my own and trust it more than factory.  

I just made 50 & shot up what I had in my guns.  The stuff in my guns was several years old, been carried daily,  often been taken out of the mags and put back in, often been racked in and out ... every round of it fired and cycled. 

 

That box of 50 cost me less than half of what a box of 20 "defense rounds"  cost in the store.   I can make them all day to practice with if I wanted, though I have a duplicate load with cheaper projectiles for that.   It does not get any better than being able to practice with virtually exact duplicates of your carry load.

[maroonandwhite]

I'll be reloading my own soon as well once I do some lengthy testing.

[tnhawk]

I wouldn't have a problem trusting my reloads for self defense.  I primarily load .45  and buy factory ammo for other calibers.

Edited May 22, 2015 by tnhawk

[Dolomite_supafly]

Like I said DLM37015 came under scrutiny when he shot someone using hand loads in his 10mm. Not sure how long ago but for a person who reloads everything to use factory ammunition it must have been a significant event.

[TNMTBik3r]

My .45s are loaded with reloads (daily carry). 185gr XTPs.
My bedside gun is a 9mm and was loaded with reloaded 124gr Gold Dots, but I recently loaded it with factory HSTs.

I have no problem with my reloads. Any bullets that make good defense or hunting rounds I spend extra time loading and make sure everything is very consistent. After working up and testing load accuracy of course. Edited May 22, 2015 by jonathon1289

[Caster]

I don't know that I have a single round of factory ammo anymore.

[Clod Stomper]

I seem to have heard a couple stories about hand loads being an issue in self-defense shootings. And Dolomite has mentioned David's incident.

I know it probably WON'T be an issue, but I'd like to make it one less factor.

That said, if I happen to be carrying one of my oddball rounds for some reason, I'm not gonna run out and buy some expensive factory ammo for that occasion. I'll carry my handloads.

And, yes, I trust my handloads just as much as or more than factory rounds.

[Ron Padilla]

I truly appreciate all of the responses to the question that I posted, the gist behind my question was and still is Who would trust their own life with the reloads that they create.  To the point several answered in the affirmative.  I know that it is a question that has bee asked before but, most probably with a little different twist.  The questions asked in the past most likely had to with the legality of it, which is not what I was asking.  I did call David, as Dolo mentioned David was in a legal quagmire many years ago over a shooting incident, however it was a frivolous law suit.  David did say he still carries store bought ammo, but did say that it is not illegal to carry and use hand loads and for that info I am grateful.  But again it is not the issue or question at hand, I have not been reloading that long but very anal at what I pursue and will read and test to make sure what I am doing is correct and will not bring harm to myself or my family.  I or anyone can be sued for farting in public it is the nature of the world we live in today, it is a very sue happy society, but to that, them, what ever that cant get blood from a rock, they can try but I aint got nothing they would want.......   Thanks again I still hope to hear more. 

[RED333]

 anyone can be sued for farting in public it is the nature of the world we live in today,

As I do this on a daily bases do not start giving any body any ideas!!! :rant: :rofl: