Having complete confidense in your reloads

[45_auto]

Too bad you don't trust yourself 45.....

LMAO!! I trust mine, I've probably gone through more in the last year than most people will in a lifetime. But I wouldn't trust a single one of yours!

On the other hand, if you want to give me some factory loads I'll shoot every one of those. I'll shoot the cheapest Russian steel cased factory stuff you can find before I will even think about shooting one of your loads.

Why? Because their quality control has earned my trust.

If you bothered to read the link I posted, you'll see that most reloaders agree with me.

No big deal if you don't, it's your gun, your hand, your eyes - shoot whatever you like!

 

[hovercat]

If you cannot trust your ability to reload a cartridge, you should not trust yourself to safely operate a firearm or automobile.

 

[45_auto]

Good analogy. Every one can reload, just like every one can rebuild brakes on a car. Takes fewer tools to rebuild brakes than it does to reload ammo, and all you have to do for either process is watch a youtube video, right?

Do you trust ANYONE to work on the brakes on your car?

If you don't trust your mechanical ability enough to rebuild your brakes, you shouldn't trust yourself to safely reload cartridges or operate a firearm or automobile.

 

[Match10]

Hmmmm....

How do you know that? You're using the exact same components the factories are. Only difference is you're introducing the possibility of human error at every step in the process.

I started in late 1963 with my grandfather Elmer in his gun shop....

I know it because I have 'eyes on' every round I make. Period. Machines make more errors than I have, judging from the amount of ammo recalls. My rounds are worked up for each weapon and are chosen for accuracy matching that firearm and the purpose.

There is a method to safe reloading. Ways of double checking your work. I am intelligent and a Mechanical Engineer. I have designed everything from weapons systems to produce warehouses and all manner of interesting things. None of those have fallen down either.

And .45...? I have no confidence in your reloads, either. I have no idea who you are, or what your methods are. Anybody who reloads with me, and I have taught many, have utter confidence in me. I never shoot unknown reloads, either. I do not expect you to shoot mine.

 

[BullfrogKen]

I trust myself to prepare raw food properly for dinner.

I trust my family to prepare a safely cooked meal, too.


Only times I've ever gotten food poisoning was going out to eat - in what are supposed to be kitchens properly run by people who know what they're doing.

Just saying'

 

[GLOOB]

It's not like you have to set down at your bench, come up with a new load, make exactly 15 of them to fill your CCW's magazine, then start carrying them around, untested. Just like the big manufacturers do, you can keep track of lots and figure out how trustworthy your ammo is, statistically speaking.

I have plenty of ammo that I trust for serious use. It's easy. I load and shoot thousands of rounds a year. By the time I've fired thousands of rounds of the same primer and powder lots, same loading procedure, etc, and they've all gone bang, I have pretty high confidence that the few hundred I socked away are also going to fire.

Once you have a stock of "99.9+%" reliable ammo, you have plenty for serious use. Unless you need live paycheck to paycheck and frequently have to dip into your last couple hundred rounds, you are good-to-go for years. Just keep your mags loaded, and fire off a mag or two each range trip. Then switch to your current-manufacture plinking ammo... which if it proves to be 100% reliable down the road, you have a new batch of trustworthy ammo.

Only once did I experience some failures... a particular lot number of Tula SPP. Obviously, I burned through all those reloads at the range.

 

[loose noose]

I load all my rifle cartridges on a single stage (RCBS Rock Chucker) due to the consistent accuracy I derive at long distance, never had a ftf/fte. I also use an RCBS progressive that is a 5 station for all pistol ammo, naturally I use the RCBS powder checker just before the bullet is seated. I've been reloading for over 45 years and never had a bad round with the handgun ammo or rifle ammo. I use only WW, CCI, and Federal primers and numerous different powders. When I retire to my reloading room I make certain that I won't be disturbed, and if I am I quit the reolading session until I can restart. I allmost forgot I single stage the .44 Mag, and the 357 Mag due to the type of powder and the pressures involved using WW296 and other magnum powders.

I'm sure you could say yes I have complete faith in my reloads, however as was previously stated I use Hornady Critical Defense ammo in all my personal defense ammo, due to liabilities.

 

[Adk Mike]

I've been in hunting camps and on trips all over the US. I always chuckle when the boys tell how much a fancy box of factory loads cost.
Except for my very first deer when i was young. All big game I've shot were with handloads that I loaded.

 

[beatledog7]

Every fail-to-fire round I've ever had was a factory round, and not all were rimfire.

I don't shoot other people's handloads because:

1) they are not loaded by a licensed manufacturer
2) they are tailored for a gun other than mine.

I do shoot factory loads sometimes because:

1) they are loaded by a licensed manufacturer
2) they are meant to work in any firearm chambered in that cartridge
3) a reloader can't buy Nyclad bullets

 

[orionengnr]

Starting with the OP and the original pretense:
I have never seen anyone state that they would not carry their own handloads due to a quality/reliability issue.

I repeatedly see people concerned (legitimately or otherwise) about carrying their own handloads due to a fear of overzealous prosecution in the result of a self-defense shooting.

I do not carry handloads, but it is really not for either of the reasons above. Rather, I do not have (reasonably economic) access to either the top end projectiles (such as the Barnes DPX all-copper bullets in a variety of calibers) or the low flash "mystery" powders used by Buffalo Bore, etc.

So...do I have "confidense" in my handloads?
Yep.

And if I did not have any factory JHP rounds, I would be carrying my handloads.

 

[wgaynor]

1 failure so far, and that was within the first few months. Had a squib ( I keep track of my ammo, so I can tell when I loaded it). I've developed some paranoid techniques since then. I now place the powder in the brass and immediately seat the projectile. If I am interrupted during this process, I empty the powder out of any brass that does not have a projectile and start fresh. Then, each projectile gets weighed to spot any obvious variations.

 

[SuperNaut]

I've been reloading for about 5 years, what I know at this point is that I know very little. My thanks go to the graybeards on this forum for being gracious enough to share their experience with us n00bs.

 

[rjinaz85308]

I think many use their own handloads with full confidence. My only reservation would be using someone elses


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BruceB]

45 Auto, pard;

You seem a bit lonely on your side of this fence, so....

You'n me, bud!

From the viewpoint of of almost fifty years' experience and hundreds of thousands of rounds handloaded, I DO trust my own loads implicitly. Even so, I only carry first-quality factory loads in my CCW guns. I inspect every round just in case, but it's factory stuff for me.

Full agreement on what ammo goes into MY guns, too.... if someone handloaded it, well, thanks for the offer but NO THANKS.

 

[Rollis R. Karvellis]

I, haven't had the chance to read all the post yet, but let me say this.

When I, was learning I, did make mistakes, and I'm glad I, did, because this is part of the learning process.

Now after 20 years if my product is not at least as good as the poorest factory load's, and they better be much better than those. I need to sell all of it. Then sit in the corner until Big Brother O, decides it is time for me to be "put to sleep". Because I, am of no use to my wife, country, or myself.

 

[gamestalker]

45_auto, you make a very good point, regarding not using someone else reloads, in very few circumstances would I so much as consider it. Unless I have personally supervised the person building the loads, I will not shoot theirs. Years ago I had several very close calls while shooting another persons reloads. I have taught a lot of friends and family how to reload, and everyone of them know, and practice, the proper manner in which to build a safe and reliable reload. But I am still not a proponent of shooting another person's loads, nor do I advocate it to others. I treat ammunition like a tooth brush, I won't use yours, regardless of how good your oral hygiene may be. I also would not take offense if you feel the same way about using mine.

But that is not the point I am trying to make in this thread, which all other respondents here seemed to clearly understand. My point was / is, that anyone who reloads must do it with a degree of respect, that coincides with trusting your life to them. It doesn't matter what you intend to use them for, self defense, competition, hunting, or just plinking, your life depends on them every single time the trigger is pulled, period! If you don't trust your own reloads to that degree, then it is clearly evident that you don't trust yourself. This hobby is not for everyone. And although it isn't brain surgery, it can certainly lead to needing brain surgery, if not afforded the respect it demands.

And I just wanted to add that I appreciate your response 45_auto, and that of everyone else. It helps to procure the point I was intending to make, in that, if we do not trust our reloads with our life, we may be in a hobby that requires more of us than we are willing to commit to.

GS

 

[gahunter12]

45_Auto: I trust my hand loads two fold over factory loads. All of my competition rounds are hand loads because my loads are A LOT more accurate than the factory junk. I am able to tune my loads to my specific gun. I had 13 rounds that failed to fire in a box of Winchester (100rnd) about 5 years ago. I have only had 1 failure out of about 95,000 rounds the last 4.5 years. I load about 2,500 rnds per month between .40s&w, .45acp, .38spl, and .223. All of my home defense, and carry ammo are reloads.

That said I will not shoot others loads. I want full control over my ammo load process. I also will not load for anyone else except my dad. I load some ammo for my dad, but I have tuned his rounds to his guns.

 

[blarby]

I agree.

There isn't much else to say.

In terms of using other peoples reloads..... Most folks use other peoples machine loads everyday.

Just sayin.

My ammo feeds a lot of chamber mouths, and I'd never let someone else chamber something I would not- its a pretty simple system.

Seems that none of the factory ammo producers have this same standard. Its a standard that works for me.

If anyone in the big ammo group of producers disagrees, I have a bin full of your ammo I'd love to watch you chamber and fire- please contact me by PM.

 

[Rollis R. Karvellis]

If the next time THR is upgraded can we have a thanks button added. About 9 out of 10 of the post in this thread are very good, to great and it would be nice to acknowledge them.

Almost anyone can get a licence to manufacture. Some insurance, an INS number from the IRS, and a business license in the correct zoning area of your town. You are now an ammunition manufacturer!

Come on down and get a shovel full from our Ben -O- Seconds.

The big boy's can, and do make good quality, but regardless of the type of machine you use, it is not hard to do better.

 

[gamestalker]

I read that link in the post "hand load poll" 45_auto, and it doesn't have anything to do with the topic at hand. Would I shoot ammunition that I know nothing about, as to it's origin? Of course not, and I feel I have clearly established that in my original thread, and others have as well. I am not discussing whether, or not, I would shoot someone else reloads, that isn't at all on topic. The post is about whether, or not, YOU trust YOUR reloads with your life," YOUR'S", over factory ammunition.

Regarding shooting someone else reloads, or ammunition of unknown origin, you made a very good point 45_auto, and I thank you for expressing such.

GS

 

[Doug b]

A few years ago I think it was Federal that started loading Sierra bullets and and called them premium loads. Then somebody else loaded Hornady bullets and called them premium or custom or what ever.Then somebody else loaded Nosler's and called them premium or supreme.There may be a reason the factories are trying to mimic what we do.Great post Gamestalker.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

All I will add is, I trust my ammo more than anything I can buy.

I'm also lucky because I seem to have a talent to be able to replicate many factory SD loads almost exactly.

I have shot a .314" 30-06 group with my ammo but have never even come close with factory loads. Get my point?

 

[TheSaint]

In almost thirty years of reloading I've had no FTF. The only reason I use commercial ammo for SD purposes is because I have heard that prosecutors can use reloads ("killer ammunition, your honor!") against you.

I take pride in the reliability of my reloads. I stay focused on the process and don't try for speed. Easy to do since I enjoy the activity. I've been able to help a few folks get started in reloading and it is satisfying.

Jeff

Has there every been a documented case where a handloaded round was deemed illegal for being to effective? Isn't that what any self-defense round is supposed to be? To the best of my knowledge, I've never heard of a case where someone has been charged in such a fashion. Those JHP's that are made by the factory can do some nasty work on internal organs. We're not shooting Nerf pellets here, we're shooting to get the job done.

 

[45_auto]

I have only had 1 failure out of about 95,000 rounds the last 4.5 years

OK, here's some quality data we can work with. Thanks gahunter12.

1 failure out of 95,000 gives us a failure rate of .0000105263.

Using Remington's production rate from 1992 (Post #14) of 1,500,000,000 rounds, that means that if Remington shipped less than 15,789 bad rounds in 1992 then they were producing better quality ammo than gahunter12. That's 315 boxes with a bad round for every state in the union, and you'd still have a better chance of getting a misfire from gahunter12's ammo than you would from Remington factory ammo.

Anybody have any reject rates from a major manufacturer? Figuring 235 working days per year, that means that in 1992 Remington could ship 67 bad rounds per day and still be producing better quality ammo than gahunter12.

No reflection on gahunter12. I've got 90,000 small pistol primers sitting in the closet right now. They've been shipped from who knows where in the back of several different trucks, subject to all kinds of vibration, bumps, and other handling factors. I would not be the least surprised if at least one had a cracked primer pellet that no amount of examination and checking will find. Loaded into a cartridge it's just going to produce a "click", no "boom". No big deal, that's why they make dummy rounds and in any decent weapons class it seems like you spend half your time practicing malfunction drills.

I can recall 1 misfire (at a GSSF match - did a tap-rack-bang and kept going) in the last couple of years out of about 4,000 rounds a month of handloads that I fire. So the quality of my loads is about the same as gahunter12's. The cartridge had a primer strike that looked perfectly normal. What happened? Who knows, bad primer, slow strike from a dirty firing pin, chamber dirty and the round didn't quite seat, whatever. I'm still not going to claim better quality than someone making BILLIONS of rounds per year unless I have some real data on a large sample of their product's performance.

 

[cfullgraf]

I have some guns that I have carried with nothing but reloads. My first priority is to know that the gun runs. 20 rounds of some designer SD ammo is not enough to give me piece of mind.

I agree with jmorris' philosophy.

Over the years, i have participated in competitive silhouette shooting, competitive skeet, and Service Rile competitions. All were shot with hand loads and the silhouette rounds were wildcats. I cannot remember an instance where a round did not perform.

I have confidence that my reloads will go "boom" when i pill the trigger. I know that my firearms will run with my reloads.

Factory ammunition is fine but I avoid the "designer" self defense bullets as i find they do not run reliably in my semi-auto firearms. I feel more than adequately protected with my hand loads.

It is in the attention to details.