Do you use factory ammo in competition?

[Krag]

Now that 9mm ammo is so cheap I use nothing but factory ammo when I shoot Production division. Doesn't matter what brand - as long as it's on sale.

When I shoot .40 or .45 in Limited or L10 I still do reloads. Gotta tame that recoil somehow.

It's too bad some mfg. doesn't bring out "lite" .40 and .45 ammo for us USPSAers? :banghead:

 

[cadfael]

I use White box 9mm in both USPSA production and IDPA.

(I haven't gotten a reloading setup. I'll probably start it in the next 5 years or so. I'd like to try limited or open)

Adam

 

[Correia]

Reload all the way. I actually ran out of reloads a while back, and had to buy ammo. Holy moly! I don't know how you guys do that. Ouch. $

I do however buy rifle & shotgun ammo for 3gun. I only reload pistol. At under $100 a case for rifle, and $150 for cheap birdshot, I'm hard pressed to reload for less. Pressed... I wasn't even going for a reloading pun there. I promise.

 

[Jeeper]

I know a lot of people that shoot factory ammo in 9mm. I dont but it does make sense.

 

[Morgan]

In the latest Front Sight they mention a deal with PMC for people who fly to matches to have ammo on hand at the match.

PMC is to make a long loaded .40 and a downloaded .45.

I don't see why these loads won't be available for mail order, too.

 

[HSMITH]

I shoot reloads across the board. I build the ammo for the game and my guns.

 

[P95Carry]

Have to confess to some laziness - used to always load 9mm but IDPA for a bit have used some bulk factory stuff - plus it is marginally safer in case of a squib, tho I load carefully.

Will return to loading tho later on.

 

[ACP230]

When I shot an M1 and an M1A in NRA Highpower matches I used reloads (after the first few boxes of factory.)

In IDPA I shoot commercial or surplus 9mm. I don't like loading the 9 that much and it's cheap now.

For bowling pin matches and steel matches I used to shoot reloads.

In Bullseye factory .22s and then reloads in the .45. I used pin loads in a couple of matches. Got other shooter's attention because the brass flew so far down the line.

 

[Quintin Likely]

A friend of mine scored some Black Hills reman ammo with 77 gr. Sierras, only to find out they wouldn't shoot worth a hoot out of anything he owned. They worked fine out of my service rifle though, so a deal was struck. I recently ran out of that stuff though, so I bought some ammo to get me through my most recent match...holy cash register, Batman! $75 or so for 60 rounds of ammo? That's not gonna work, so I gotta get my act together and start loading.

 

[wanderinwalker]

Always use reloads shooting Highpower. For the quantities I was consuming last summer in practice and matches, roughly 150rds/week for 3 months, no way would I use factory! $25/20 Federal Gold Medal and I could make ammo to outperform it, plus 69s aren't much good for 600 yards anyway? Not a chance!!

If I was competing in pistol matches with a 9mm, I would probably be split 50/50 reloads/factory. But as I am a rifle shooter (maybe a rifleman, IDK), reloads are the way for me.

Edited: And that ammo consumption is on the light side compared to some of the really good shooters.

 

[Corey ACP]

Today in my club pistol match, www.udpl.org I shot Federal American Eagle 124 gr. factory 9mm in my Xd Tactical. Only cuz I didn't have enough reloads on hand, (I needed 199 rounds to finish the match). Usually I shoot my reloads either with hardcast slugs but sometimes jacketed or plated slugs.
In 45acp, its always reloads....(usually)

 

[XD Niner]

I use WWB FMJs for both my XD-9 production gun and SA Loaded Black Stainless Loaded 1911 for Limited 10. I just don't have the time to reload.

 

[otasan]

Pin Shooting Ammunition . . .

in .45 ACP and .44 Magnum is almost exclusively a handloading affair. Standard .45 ACP ammo is too weak for pins with three feet of table behind them, and the standard .44 Magnum rounds are way too powerful.

PF 215 is suitable for most pin shooting.

 

[Arc-Lite]

personally I find it hard to understand...why anyone would not shoot what you carry....find something that works well...and only shoot this ammo....this makes sense to me....shooting the cheapest or the ammo that fell into your hands... is usually just making noise.

 

[Chris Rhines]

Sigh.

Arc-Lite, we are talking about competition shooting. Not training for defense.

If you can afford to put 20,000+ rounds of Gold Dot downrange every year, go for it. Most of us are of lesser means.

- Chris

 

[Corey ACP]

I echo Chris....Not to mention Most here on this forum probably shoot many different guns in many calibers in all types of competitions. I have 2 guns I carry concealed or on duty, but I shoot lots of different guns in my sports.

 

[Arc-Lite]

You missed the point guys...again, point being : find something that works, and use it !!!

 

[Krag]

Factory ammo for pins

Otasan - I beg to differ RE pin loads. For many years I competed at Second Chance and used nothing out of my comp gun but Remington's .45 ACP 185 gr. JHP - the standard velocity load, no the +P - with excellent results.

 

[sturmruger]

I have been debating buying a reloading setup for some time now.

I have been buying the WWB at Gander Mountain for around $8.25 per box of 100. That is so cheap that I can't imagine reloading 9mm. I do go through a fair amount of other calibers such as .40 and .44 which I am going to want to reload.

 

[lycanthrope]

I've used CCI Bazer in .45 ACP for USPSA Limited 10 when I knew I couldn't retrieve my brass anyhow. It was liberating.

 

[kbheiner7]

I shoot WWB in .45 ACP for IDPA. I don't have time to reload.

 

[TaxPhd]

"$150 for cheap birdshot"

Oh my heck! If I was paying that, I'd be swilling Polygamy Porter just to take away the pain!

What size cases are you talking about? 10 box half cases (which seem to have become the new standard) should only be about $30 for the cheap stuff.

You should be able to reload the equivalent of AA's or STS' for about $2.25/box.




Scott

 

[HKGuns]

Reloads, tailor the load to the objective. I shoot lighter 9's or .45's for IDPA and they work great.

 

[faustulus]

You missed the point guys...again, point being : find something that works, and use it !!!

We have. It is called a Dillon 550.

 

[Jon Coppenbarger]

I use reloads myself but did see someone on Sat set a new national record with factory loaded ammo.
He set the 200 yard registered reduced course for overall score in our reduced colorado state championships.
The old record was 795 out of a possible score of 800.
He shot 797 and beat the record by 2 points that was set back in 1996.
he dropped 2 points in off hand and those were only out by like less than 1/2" and 1 point in rapid prone.
He shot a 6BR with factory Norma ammo.