Do you spend as much time choosing the ammo as the gun

[gym]

We speak a lot on guns naturally, as this is a gun forum. But does the average CCW adapter know or understand enough about the ammunition that the are using?
It just occurred to me before as I was looking at guns ,"what else is new". Do most shooters do enough research into what they are shooting, or is it all about what gun they just purchased. Do new shooters even look into this at all, or is it on the word of the guy behind the counter, or what is least expensive?
Having seen how a budget can effect a firearm purchase, does it effect the purchase of premium ammo, for testing that new pistol, do most understand the differences and nuances, necessary to understand what they are shooting and why?
What do you guys carry, and what do you train with in your CCW pistol?

 

[herrwalther]

Of course I look at the ammo as much as the firearm. Take 9mm for example, some firearms really like 115gr, some like 124 and others 147. If possible, I look for ammo tests/reviews in the same or similar firearms based on barrel length.

When I was new to the game, I bought the cheapest ammo on the rack without taking into account anything other than price. No ballistic comparison, grain weight, brand...nothing. Just what was next to the $ sign. Sometimes I lucked out, I still use WWB for bulk practice rounds. But I have wised up a little now.

 

[Trent]

I practice with cheap reloads I make in bulk on my Dillon.

I carry premium factory defense ammo. Do a bunch of research and spend quite a bit to make sure what I choose shoots reliably.

 

[sakata8242]

Lol no I don't obsess over the ammo I shoot out of any of my guns except maybe my M1 Garands or if I shoot corrosive ammo thru my com-bloc guns.

For pistols it's whatever's the least expensive for training. Lots of steel through my SIGs and Glocks, and nowadays I pretty much only shoot reman ammo from Freedom Munitions. Carry ammo comes down what's available in the weight/pressure I want usually Speer Gold Dots or Federal HSTs. I don't buy into the gimmicky small manufacturer/boutique ammo with nose plugs or whatever for carry.

 

[40-82]

I'd say that in the area of choosing ammunition the new shooter is really up against it. He can read. He can research and run into all sorts of contradictory information and opinions. After over fifty of regularly shooting things with handguns much of what I read contradicts what I have seen with my own eyes. That doesn't mean that I know so much. I doubt that any one person's experience could possibly constitute a valid statistical sampling, and I certainly haven't tested the vast majority of the ammunition types available, but after seeing enough things shot I hope I have a reasonable idea of what to expect.

Even with a little experience its quite possible and even likely to misinterpret what you see. I've seen 800 pound animals drop instantaneously from one well-placed shot from a 22 revolver and then turned around the next day and seen animals much smaller soak up 44 magnums with no immediately obvious effect. Good enough placement of the shot will solve virtually any problem with almost any gun and ammo choice, but the experience to choose the right combination of ammunition and firearm will help.

I can easily see someone starting out believing that they can hedge the bet in their favor by buying the most expensive ammunition, but I have real doubts about how much that will help. Again, I objectively don't know. I've read about self-defense ammo that costs $4 a cartridge. I don't see why I can't duplicate that performance with my own handloads, and match it better to my gun, but until I break down and buy the expensive factory ammunition and use it on something any opinion I have will be conjecture.

 

[gym]

I am with your logic there ,40-82. I remember when Mag safe came out some 20 yrs ago, "you had to have them", and Super Vel before that, it can be confusing especially with "the ammo of the week" like that new razor looking stuff that just came out.
Just when you find one that works, some new thunder from down under comes out. I have stuck with Powerball and Hornaday Critical Defense, "the ones with the red plastic tip" for the most part, only because no one gave me a reason not to. Before that it was Hydrashock for many years. I like the idea of the plastic tip to prevent blockage, and feed better, with the 2, I mentioned first.
I also carry an ammo wallet, of FMJ's in the car, along with 2 mags, in my ammo holder.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Well my though process as changed over the years.

Yes I do use reloads for most of my practice with just about any defensive gun, be it .38, 9mm, .45, etc...

And yes, over they years I've used top quality factory ammo by the best makers.

BUT, I have found of you carefully reload, use fresh power, primers, and a good SWC, and the load shoots dead on with your carry gun, then it's not a bad CCW load.

My .38 snubs never fail with my 158gr SWC reloads. And at 20 yards with both my 640 and 649 S&Ws it shoots right on with the sights and shoots very very good groups!

My 9mm Glock 26 is still stuffed with Winchester T series +p+ 127s, and my Glock 33 has CCI Gold dots, and my Colt Commander still uses Remington Golden Sabers.

See I have lots of those here but for my .38 snubs it's another story.

Oh, district attorneys and lawyers?

Just make sure you have written down good logical answers as to why you use that load (that it it shoots right on with the sights, mimics some factory ammo SWCs, and you can hit with it very well.)

And notice, instead of paying $2 bucks a round you now pay .25 cents and you actually practice with that you carry and practice alot. And know exactly where it shoots at any range.

For you see, how many of you can practice, or even sight in a gun, with $2 dollar a round ammo? I can't!

But with my snubs and SWC reloads I can shoot the wings off a fly with that setup.

Deaf

 

[Panzerschwein]

I think some people, perhaps even the majority of peoples, will pick a carry load by the fanciest and coolest packaging that Wal-Mart has on the shelf, with little regard to actual performance. It's just marketing.

I could be way off base though!

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Like Deaf, I practice with reloads, and carry commercial. I picked based upon research, tested for reliability and then mimic the commercial ammo with my reloads.

I am probably more guilty of carrying old ammo since I don't shoot my carry ammo often. No point in but occasionally I dump the box and then open another. I made sure that my carry ammo is from the same lot I tested.

The last time I dumped my carry ammo I did this in reasonably rapid fire mode with it.



50 shots, 15 yrds, 2 hands and banging away quickly. The old PSP was HOT after that of but I was pleased with the results. So once it cooled down. I cleaned it, grabbed the next box and loaded it back up again. Good to go.

 

[vamo]

I usually go with whatever is cheap for my range trips. If for some reason I have a bad experience or my gun just doesn't like a certain type then I might go with a different "target load".

Defensive I choose appropriate defensive ammo. Though even then I'm probably going with the cheapest jhps I can find.

If it goes boom everytime I'm happy.

 

[Vodoun da Vinci]

My Wife and I are adamant about carrying/defending with what you practice with. Less surprises for the most critical moment in life....if I ever have to shoot to defend life, I want to have driven that *exact* loading thousands of times to exactly where I want it placed.

We only shoot our hand loads for SD or range and they are the same loading for each caliber. We have pet .38's, pet 9mm, pet .32, and soon pet .380 for range and SD.

VooDoo

 

[N003k]

I just picked up a .45 that I'm going to start carrying...in the next month or so I intend on buying several boxes of various types of Hollowpoints (Basically all reputable ones I can find in the area and online in stock) and put at least a box of each through the gun to see what functions and shoots best out of it.

I'd do it sooner but I'm waiting about another 2 months for the holster anyways haha.

As far as range trips go just for fun? Generally whatever's cheapest/surplus if it's one of the milsurp rifles...The ranges I go to are only 100 yards, no reason to have overly expensive and worked up ammo if I'm just going to have fun haha.

 

[sappyg]

I shoot mostly cheap range ammo or reloads.

I do keep up with ammo tests from the likes of tn9outdoors and others.

Not one SD gun is loaded with cheap range ammo or reloads.

All loads are tested for reliability.

 

[browningguy]

I shoot WWB or Remington UMC for practice. For carry loads I don't obsess over them. Any decent modern HP seems to work. If a specific gun likes a certain load then I use that.

 

[marv]

I find that with today's ammo situation, one can not be choosy. If you find some, buy it.

 

[JohnBiltz]

For range use, I use pretty much whatever is cheap. For real use I use I stick to high end manufacturers that have been proven in testing and by police on the street. I make sure it works in guns before it goes into rotation. I don't chase the newest and greatest. Hornady TAP for my HD AR is about as exotic as I get.

 

[Ed Ames]

Do shooters even look into this at all, or is it on the word of the guy behind the counter, or what is least expensive?

I think new shooters are actually the most likely to fall for the expensive sucker ammo. 5-round blister pack, 20 round "super deadly bullet" packs, and the like. Even against advice. They are trying to buy a protective talisman.

Having seen how a budget can effect a firearm purchase, does it effect the purchase of premium ammo, for testing that new pistol, do most understand the differences and nuances, necessary to understand what they are shooting and why?

Most people (not on THR, but in general) fall for two errors. 1) appeal to authority, e.g. "US Postal Inspectors shoot Magenta Claw, so that's what I want!", and 2) allure of exclusivity, e.g. " gun stores don't sell Magenta Claw, it's not even supposed to be sold to anyone but postal inspectors, so it's gotta be reaally good!"

Online types generally fall for the clique error. As in, "Shirley flames everyone who mentions using anything but Lake City 5.56 for home defense, and everyone else piles on, and I want to be in Shirley's clique because she's awesome so I'll say I use Lake City 5.56 and be awesome too!"

What do you guys carry, and what do you train with in your CCW pistol?

I carry whatever I think works best in that gun. That means a combination of some reading up on performance (chrono and gelatin reports) and some function testing in the gun itself. I practice with cheap bulk ammo or my own handloads.

 

[Ghosth]

I recently bought a pair of Mosin Nagant 91/30's and I spent at least as much time doing research on the caliber, the history, availability of different types of ammo as I did on the rifle.

Before I commited to the rifles I had also ordered 80 rounds of privi partizan 150 gr sp in good brass cases with boxer primers. Just so that I can reload them if I ever need or desire to do so. In fact I do intend to reload, and with my own cast boolit's as well.

To me in anything other than a .22lr caliber is at least as important if not much more important.

 

[gym]

Who are you guys "who don't reload", buying 9mm, and 45 cal from. It seems other than Wal-Mart and a few select gun stores, I still can't find a decent price online for ammo. I used to pick up that Remington HP sale box of 100 rounds real cheap but can't even find it anymore. Yesterday I attempted 3 times to buy 9mm and it was out of stock as soon as I got the email that it was in stock.
By the way, here is a free link I found online for tonight's fight, Don't know how long it will last, but I found it and it works, http://www.vipboxus.co/boxing/22069...erweight-championship-live-stream-online.html

 

[huntsman]

I think some people, perhaps even the majority of peoples, will pick a carry load by the fanciest and coolest packaging that Wal-Mart has on the shelf, with little regard to actual performance. It's just marketing.

I could be way off base though!

Don't forget all the "Research" done by the manufacturer's shills in 1/2 hour firearms infomercials on TV and the you tube warriors. Magic bullets make the ammo world go around.

 

[hartcreek]

My family practices with my casts and all SD is with my reloads. I use Hornady XTPs for all my pistol loads except for .40 cal and for that I used Nozlers because Cabellas had them in stock.

You can worry about attorneys after you survive the gunfight. Looking at my bullets the attorneys could tell no difference as XTPs were used for commercial SD rounds.

 

[vamo]

Who are you guys "who don't reload", buying 9mm, and 45 cal from. It seems other than Wal-Mart and a few select gun stores, I still can't find a decent price online for ammo. I used to pick up that Remington HP sale box of 100 rounds real cheap but can't even find it anymore. Yesterday I attempted 3 times to buy 9mm and it was out of stock as soon as I got the email that it was in stock.
By the way, here is a free link I found online for tonight's fight, Don't know how long it will last, but I found it and it works,

My local cabelas usually has target 9mm on the shelf and always has 45. The prices are pretty much pre-panic.

 

[Deus Machina]

Depends on the gun. My centerfire handguns basically get whatever I can find and shove in them. If something works better than others I just buy more of it later. I don't even know what my CZ likes, it just gets whatever's on the shelf for the range and HST for the holster.
My rifles I focus a little more on. My el-cheapo Savage Mark 2 will fire anything, but Golden Bullet's lucky to stay in the 6 ring from a rest 50 yards away, the expensive Wolf Match isn't much better than Federal bulk pack, but I could knock a dime off a fencepost with Winchester Dynapoint.

 

[1911 guy]

In handguns, whatever is on sale or comes off the reloading press is what goes downrange for both drills and for recreation. Federal Hydra-Shok goes in the mags for CCW and house gun duties.

Now for rifles.

.22 gets whatever it's accurate with. For a half dozen rifles, I've got four different brands of .22 cartridges.

"Business" AR gets cheap crap at the range for drills and recreation, then M193 for business. Varmint AR gets nothing but 60gr. handloads

Bolt centerfires get very little that isn't a handload.

So yes, there is thought that goes into my ammo selection. For real use, it must perform and be as accurate as I need it to be. For training or fun, the question becomes how cheap can I get away with.

 

[JohnBiltz]

I would wager most guns get bought with a box of ammo. Maybe a magazine gets fired and it gets put in drawer and sits there.