Shooting someone else's reloads

barnfrog said:

I know how we all technically SHOULD answer this question. I'm wondering how folks WOULD answer it.

As some of you know from the "Yard Sale Finds" thread, I just had the opportunity to buy a heap of stuff from an estate sale my brother in law is handling. Among the items are 1200 rounds of reloaded .357 ammunition. I obviously don't know the person who reloaded it. But he reloaded at least eight different calibers from what I can see, and he used a Dillon press to do it. Neither of those facts are definitive, but they SUGGEST that he was experienced.

Would you buy and shoot that ammo? I don't shoot .357, so I have no reason to buy it, but I have two friends who are interested in it. My advice to them is that while it's very tempting to get that much ammo for what will probably be around $0.30 a round, it's a pretty risky proposition.

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I'd buy them for the cost of the brass, bullets and primers but certainly wouldn't shoot them.
$0.30 for reloads of unknown origin is a ridiculously high price IMO.

I have shot a number of folks reloads through their firearms. I know a number of folks I wouldn’t shoot their reloads at all and a very few that I would trust their reloads in one of my firearms.

Reloads from an unknown source? Not a chance.

kidneyboy said:

$0.30 for reloads of unknown origin is a ridiculously high price IMO.

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That was my first thought, never mind the 'someone else's reloads' part.

If the load data was with each box of ammos... suggesting a more meticulous loader, that keeps track of what they are doing... and I decided the load was a mid-range load (not something loaded with H110 at the edge of load data, for example) I might consider it. I'd have to pop a few bullets and check the powder and charge weight to validate the data.

I often wonder about this question. I have thousands of handloaded rounds, covering about 12 different cartridges. I've always wondered... if I keel over today, what would my family do with all that ammos? Granted, there is data for each box of ammos, and I have a journal of everything I've loaded. In reality, I would expect my brother to shoot my handloads... I already handload for him, but it seems like a very strange idea that they would have a garage sale... and sell my loaded ammunition to some stranger.

If the loads were documented in detail, I would break a few of them down (10%) to confirm. If confirmed and not at max load I would test a few in a old beat up gun. If any thing was a miss, I would break them down.

Normally, I don't shoot any ones else reloads. There are a few neighbors that I taught to hand load I may consider, since I helped them get started. Then there are a few I would not touch them with a 10' pole.

My answers to would, could or should questions are always the same.

If zombies running around, yes, I would take a chance, and test. Any other time, no, not at that price.

The only reloads I will shoot are mine. I am not a gambler.

No way. You would have no idea what type of powder is in them or what charge.

barnfrog said:

I know how we all technically SHOULD answer this question. I'm wondering how folks WOULD answer it. Would you buy and shoot that ammo?

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NO!

There are only a selected few whose ammo I will shoot. Any others, No!

I probably wouldn't take these for free. Pistol bullets are usually hard to pull and 1200 are just too many to use a hammer type puller on. If one needed the brass, you might buy them for cheap.

Charlie98 said:

If the load data was with each box of ammos... suggesting a more meticulous loader, that keeps track of what they are doing... and I decided the load was a mid-range load (not something loaded with H110 at the edge of load data, for example) I might consider it. I'd have to pop a few bullets and check the powder and charge weight to validate the data.

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Slow powder has much less of a chance to blow you up than something like Bullseye, 231, Titegroup etc. Just saying.

At first I did not see the part about "buying."

I might take them for free for the sole purpose or throwing out everything else except the bullet and the empty case, to be used when I had nothing else in the way of components. On second thought it would not be worth carrying them home.

I wouldn't shoot them. The thing you have to consider, is that the non reloaders have no idea what's involved to make safe ammunition. With a shortage under way, no wonder there are folks chomping at the bit.

barnfrog said:

Would you buy and shoot that ammo?

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Maybe and No.
IF the price was right (no more than a couple of cents per round) and IF the ammo appeared to be in good shape (no corrosion or anything like that) I might buy it, break it down, and salvage the bullets and cases - I'd probably bury the powder and primers out in the pasture.
Would I shoot it? No.

Nope. As others have said, break down the cartridges for components if you want to bother with them.

I won’t even shoot factory ammo if I don’t recognize the brand.

I would definitely buy it break it down and reuse the components at a price of about $0.05 around or less. In this time or it's hard to find components I'm willing to do the work but I'm not willing to just pull the trigger

barnfrog said:

I know how we all technically SHOULD answer this question. I'm wondering how folks WOULD answer it.

As some of you know from the "Yard Sale Finds" thread, I just had the opportunity to buy a heap of stuff from an estate sale my brother in law is handling. Among the items are 1200 rounds of reloaded .357 ammunition. I obviously don't know the person who reloaded it. But he reloaded at least eight different calibers from what I can see, and he used a Dillon press to do it. Neither of those facts are definitive, but they SUGGEST that he was experienced.

Would you buy and shoot that ammo? I don't shoot .357, so I have no reason to buy it, but I have two friends who are interested in it. My advice to them is that while it's very tempting to get that much ammo for what will probably be around $0.30 a round, it's a pretty risky proposition.

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I have no problem shooting the reloads of some friends of mine whom I brought into the reloading game or my family members who taught me. We have a mutual trust and they're smart, meticulous individuals.

I wouldn't shoot the reloads of a stranger, though. Too many bubbas out there.

I have a few handguns, but I don't think I'd risk ruining one with a bad handload. But there are guns I own the only get my handloads, and not even factory (My Garand, 629, and Puma get my handloads only as these are "special" to me guns). Most of the reloaders I know have been at it for several years and none have had a major OOPS!, but I have never had the opportunity to shoot their handloads, never was offered, never asked. Yard sale ammo? Might buy it for components (primed brass, bullets for melting to cast. Powder? nope).

There's only one other person whose reloads I trust, because he's the guy that got me into shooting/reloading, and I trust him and his processes.
There's no way I'd shoot unknown reloads. I've got a couple hundred 357 and 38spl rounds I got with a 686 a few years ago. I'm fairly certain they're Georgia Arms commercial reloads, but they aren't in the original package and I have no way to find out for sure. So I plan to eventually pull them down for the brass and bullets.

Hell no.
That would be like buying Sushi at a gas station.

I have a box of 357’s My Dad loaded 30+ years ago. He passed 20 Years ago. I know He knew what He was doing and I still haven’t shot them. Actually was looking at them the other day considering it tho.
I have no doubt they are fine. But will probably just keep them on the shelf as a keepsake. But in NO way would I shoot something that I have no idea who loaded it or what they put in it.

I’ve only ever done it once, for 3 shots. A group at the range was shooting a steel target a few hundred yards away. One guy had been hitting steel with his rifle consistently and offered if I wanted to shoot the rifle. I asked a few questions, what powder, what bullets, etc because I could tell they were hand loaded. He explained he reloads for many rifle calibers. I checked the spent brass and all looked fine. All 3 shots were good to go. Looking back, I probably wouldn’t do it again. But these were .308 rounds in a bolt gun from what seemed like an experienced hand loader.

Otto said:

Hell no.
That would be like buying Sushi at a gas station.

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What's wrong with gas station Sushi?

There’s actually some of my own reloads I won’t shoot! This is my motivation to bury them somewhere or put them in the landfill.

Nope. I need to keep all of my body parts. I've had them a long time.

No Reload Fear here! Just look at the crimp and see if the reload looks quality! FIRE AWAY!