Amt of Premium Defense Ammo On Hand?

[BerettaNut92]

It's easy to keep a reasonable amount (bare minimum 1000 rds rifle, 500 rds pistol) on hand assuming practice ammunition, but what about defensive ammo? 1000 rounds for a $20 box of .308 150gr Ballistic Silvertips and 500 rounds of $12 box of 9mm 147gr Hydrashoks can get expensive real fast.

How much of the premium ammo do you keep on hand, or do you stick to the military ball type ammo?

 

[jsalcedo]

Just a couple of mags loaded up with alternating glaser, BAT, and hyroshocks. Probably a total of 25 rounds or so.

They are too expensive to practice with.

 

[DMK]

Pistols are where defensive ammo costs you. In 7.62x39 for example, HPs and SPs don't cost all that much more, if anything, than FMJ.

Interestingly you probably wouldn't need all that much pistol ammo on hand anyway. If things get so bad that you need a thousand rounds of 45ACP, you probably should have grabbed the rifle or Shottie a long time ago.

For pistols, I've got about 1K combined of HPs in .40 S&W, 45 ACP, .357 Mag and 45 ACP.

For longer guns, I've got about 3K of 7.62x39 HPs and about 400 rounds of Federal 12 gauge Hydrashok slugs plus another 600 rounds of #00 and #4 Buckshot. I've got maybe a hundred rounds of 7.62x54R SP on hand, but do need to get some .308 in an expanding round.

 

[dude]

only two
-a box of Winchester 147g subs for Mr P
-a box of Winchester softies for the .30 Carbine


There is some hunting load stuff for some of the revolvers but that is for daily woods carry, mostly they eat realods........and LOTS of mil-surp hardball for the rest!

 

[HSMITH]

I reload, so massive quantities of quality HP ammo costs me less than a third of what it costs you, AND it is tailored to my guns. I keep a couple boxes of premium commercial ammo on hand for carry and nightstand guns, but only after they have digested several hundred rounds of it without a single glitch. New guns that are defensive candidates are where premium ammo gets expensive.

 

[Oracle]

Do you guys really look at a .308 firearm as a defensive gun? I mean, I like my FAL as much as the next guy, but am I going to use it in any defensive capacity outside of repelling boarders? Not really. I keep some 165 grain SPBT on hand, but that's mainly for hunting, not for self-defense.

For self-defense, I mainly rely on 12-gauge and 9mm. I keep about 100 rounds of buckshot on hand for my 12-gauge, and about 200-250 rounds of good defensive ammo on hand for my 9mm. That's why I really like the Winchester USA9JHP ammo, it expands and penetrates just as well as any other "premium" 9mm defensive ammo, but it only costs around $10.50 for a box of 50 at Wal-Mart. At those prices, even I can afford to stock up, and I can get it at the same place that I get my 9mm practice ammo.

 

[jsalcedo]

------HSMITH

I used to carry reloads in my 1911 until a cop that helps run a CHL class
told me it was a bad idea.

He said an antigun prosecutor would jump at the chance to say that you had "hand tailored killer bullets" that you were itching to use on someone.

Being a paranoid type person I went ahead and took his advice.

Anyone else have views on handloads for self defense?

 

[Moparmike]

A question occured to me as I read this post: Has any one ever considered the idea that a govenrnment official might be posing as an inquisitive visitor for intel gathering? Stuff like types of weapons, # of weapons, amount of ammo, etc?

Just a thought. (No skunky, I dont think you are a government official, unless they hired a crazy person to stay on THR 24/7 and handed him a digital camera in an FBI armory.)

 

[Fly Navy]

My SIG has a magazine each of Ranger-T, Black Talons, and Hydra-shoks. My AR-15 has good ole fashioned 55gr milsurp

 

[benewton]

jsalcedo:
I'm loaded with 155 XTP .40 reloads in my USPc carry weapon, and will use 110 XTP's in the .38 CDS during the winter. Practice rounds are, as you'd expect, cast, sized and lubed lead.
I do get cheap, at times, though, since the practice/carry load for the Charter Bulldog is the 245 cast lead SWC at, I guess, about 750 FPS or so.
I figure that, in lineotype, it isn't going to expand, but I doubt that it'll stop either, and a pair of 1/2" holes has just gotta slow you down a bit.

I use standard load data, normally at least one full notch below the maximum value, minus a bit. Since I'd be in defensive only mode, I've an incoming target at 7 yards or less, and I can deal with a 50 fps velocity loss without a problem. Also, since I load on a Dillon, I prefer some space between me and max.
I doubt that there'd be a problem using handloaded ammo in a "good shoot", nor do I doubt the bullet or the reliability of the reloads. Somewhere around here there's a thread on the legal issues, and it seems not to be a problem.

Good luck pasting the "hand tailored killer bullets" crap on me: I've not fired any factory rounds, .22 RF excepted, since I got the USPc four or five years ago, and I bought then only because I hadn't set up for the .40 and it is a simple impossibility for me to bring a new weapon home and not fire it.

Anyway, I feel the risk is in the reliability of the rounds that you produce and the bullet you load, not the legal side. 'course I'm not a liar, whoops, legal professional, so the worth of my advise is zero, but, if the situation ever comes up, I start a thread and post the result.

 

[jsalcedo]

I made my own premium defense ammo once.

I was at a pawnshop and found an old box of .451 165 grain semi jacketed
hollowpoints scored down the jacket. I think it was 100 or so of them.

I loaded them up with 4.8 grains of green dot in GI cases.

They were low recoil, low muzzle blast and accurate as heck out of my sistema. I shot a waterjug and it literally exploded I found pieces of copper jacket in what was left of the bottom of the jug.

I still have some left for a rainy day.

Sorry didn't mean to hijack the thread

 

[BerettaNut92]

Just a thought. (No skunky, I dont think you are a government official, unless they hired a crazy person to stay on THR 24/7 and handed him a digital camera in an FBI armory.)

I can't, the feds don't hire blind people!

If I was FBI, believe me, I would have already had an 'insert a caption' with an MP5 chambered in 10mm. Reeehaw!

 

[sm]

I run a min of 500 usually 1k of any defense load before I carry it. I keep anywhere from 100 -500 rds. I do have some for guns I don't have--typical right?

I have commercial rounds and reloads. Yes I've heard the arguments about using reloads, and only JHP...I used to assist with CCW.

If the shoot is good, its good.

My experience from life experiences and being on jury duty--have a better lawyer and character witnesses. Document and have credible sources. Assertive to the point of agressive, have the other side looking stumped and not organized.

Ammo, must be reliable in that gun everytime. Do everything to avoid, but if it starts/life threatened-end it.

Some of the better "premium' loads I use are reloads. I don't worry about it. Some reloads like WESHOOT2 are better than commercial anyway. IMO
Then one gun prefers the WW white box JHP 45ACP...if it stops it stops. Define "premium", what's in name...its what the end result is in your gun. $ doesn't always buy performance, whether its ammo or gun ...or buying targets.
Hey, I used factory ammo to get hulls and cases...then reload a better round.

As far as this board and others being watched-yep they do it, so what? Names on a list , Mine already is as far thats concerned. Signed and made public...come and get them.

 

[WhoKnowsWho]

I have plenty of 5.56 for the AR, about 260, but only three mags to fill up.

And a box of Hydrashocks in 9mm, .40, and .38 Spec.

And of course, my P32 ammo is S&B FMJ, and I only have 300 of that.

7.62x39, Still working on the case, I think I have about 440 left.

7.62x54R, only 100.

Everything else is normal range ammo.

 

[Bowlcut]

poor little old me. i only have 2 mags worth of hydrashocks.

but do have bout 100 rounds in 7.62x54, and another 200 in 9mm. but if im going to those....im probaly dropping the pants...

 

[Doc]

Skunk:

Isn't ammo ALWAYS cheaper by the case? so either 500 or 1000 rnds.

I get virtually all my ammo from Natchez Shooters Supply in TN.
As for premium CCW ammo, I wait until I am down to 100 rnds
then reorder.
The other two suppliers I use are Black Hills and Pro Load from
whom I order direct.

Doc

 

[10-Ring]

I don't buy my defensive ammo all at one time. At a bare minimum, I've got enough for 3 mags.

 

[popbang]

I also reload my ammo right now I have about 1,000 rounds of .45 Colt loaded with 230 grain Remington Golden Saber bullets, 200 loaded with 230 grain Speer Gold Dots, and 800 loaded with 255 grain lead semi wad cutters. Any of the three loads can be defensive loads depending on the places I am going.

 

[jsalcedo]

//chris rock voice// How much for a box of hydrashocks?

Thuty five ninety nine? Dayyyum!

How much for just one bullet?

//chris rock voice//

 

[Oracle]

Popbang,

What .45 Colt gun are you using? Just curious, I don't hear about many people using a .45 Colt as a carry gun, even though Taurus makes a nice one, I hear.

 

[popbang]

If I tell you what I carry you will probably laugh, but oh well. I carry a Ruger Bird's Head Vaquero with a 3-3/4 inch barrel. The loads I use are pushing the 230 grain bullets ~920 fps and the 255 grain bullets ~900. I have two holster for it an IWB and OWB. The gun can be effectively concealed under an untucked polo shirt or another untucked shirt. This choice may not be the best, and I wouldn't tell others to carry it, but I like it and am comfortable with it.

 

[Oracle]

That's the exact reason I was asking. I have one of the Birdshead 3 3/4 inch barreled Vaqueros in .45 Colt as well, and have been thinking about carrying it concealed on occasion. I've even loaded up some Speer Gold Dots for it, I don't have a chrony, but they should run at a little over 900 fps.

Great minds think alike, I suppose

 

[popbang]

Starline brass, WLP, 9.7 gr. N340 and 230 gr. Gold Dots get you 920 fps average

switch to 9.0 gr. Universal Clays with other components the same and I get an average of 906 fps

What load are you using Oracle?

Oh for a real nice holster try:

http://www.mernickleholsters.com/

They make some real nice conceal carry holsters for single actions.

Sorry for taking this thread someplace it shouldn't go.

 

[M2 Carbine]

Best guess is 9,000+ JHP/SP rounds in 32ACP, Makarov, 9mm, 38, 357, 40 S&W and 45 ACP.
About 3 times more practice ammo.

Not counting rifle ammo.

 

[blades67]

Anyone else have views on handloads for self defense?

I load my own defensive ammo. I've been told the same Ayoob crap about having to defend my "killer bullet loads" if I ever had to use them. Have yet to be shown a case where that happened.