Reloading Defensive Ammunition?

Bubba613 said:

OK, so you assume that all cartridges perform about equally in all guns for all shooters....

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And of course, I didn't say anything of the sort. I said, in effect, that there are, "...commercially available cartridges from reputable manufacturers ... suitable for self defense purposes." And if you wish, you may interpret my statement, "You are merely assuming that a handload will offer better practical performance and a surer result than available commercial products...." as an expression of an opinion that handloads won't necessarily offer better practical performance or a surer result. But neither statement is equivalent to an expression of an opinion that all perform the same for all people in all guns.

To clarify, it is my opinion that:

[1] Ammunition fully satisfactory for self defense is available commercially from reputable manufacturers.

[2] Differences in technical performance characteristics between roughly comparable factory loads on one hand and handloads on the other in a given cartridge will not translate to notably different street results. There are too many variables that affect street results, including, but not limited to, the circumstances of the encounter, the physical characteristics of the alleged assailant, the clothing worn by the alleged assailant, shot placement, number of shots fired, and whether the alleged assailant is under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

[3] A particular load with a particular bullet in a particular cartridge may have a likelihood of producing a better result under one particular set of circumstances. But a different set up may have an advantage under different circumstances. Since, you can't know in advance how your emergency, if it even happens, will unfold, you can't know what will be the best cartridge in the best loading with the best bullet for the particular event. All ammunition choices are to some extent a compromise.

[4] There are no magic bullets.

[5] I find no material advantage to handloads.

Posted by Bubba613:

It is the issue that auto accidents happen daily, often through no fault of the driver. I see them every day on my way to and from work.
If self defense shootings happened as frequently, and ended up in court as frequently I might rethink my position.
But they don't.

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People drive daily. Many, many of them. Not surprising that there are accidents, don't you think? But, what is the likelihood that an individual will have an accident? Isn't that what will drive his risk?

Should a self defense shooting occur, should said shooting occur at short range, and should it end up in court, would there then be a material risk for that shooter if certain evidence were not admitted? Isn't that the real question?