How many of you NEVER shoot factory ammo?

[Float Pilot]

Back before I retired from Law Dawging I had to shoot issued ammo in my hand-guns and duty long-guns. But I never shot factory ammo at home.
The other day I realized that I have not shot any factory ammo for nearly 11 years. Except for some testing comparisons... and even then I did not buy it...

I hand-load for optimal preformance / accuracy. Plus I like to hand-load just as much as I like shooting.
Therefore, I would not care if it actually cost me more to shoot hand-loads than factory ammo, I would still shoot my hand-loads.

 

[jwrowland77]

Well, I haven't been reloading very long (march 2012), and since then, I have not shot any factory ammo. Just what I've loaded up and I've enjoyed every minute of reloading as I have unloading. .

 

[rikman]

Don't reload what I can buy pretty cheap. 9mm & 22LR. I also haven't loaded much 223Rem though I have all the dies. Only loaded heavy 223rem for longer distances. Not bothering with 7.62x39 for my AK47.

 

[TheCracker]

It's funny I was just thinking about this yesterday! I've been loading about 5 years now and have 2 guns that have never had a factory round through it except for the test firing the factories do

 

[dragon813gt]

Well apparently I shot up all my 9mm SD ammo so I had to pull out some HydraShoks I've had for awhile. I technically haven't shot them but the pistol is loaded and ready to go.


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[Reefinmike]

answered handloads only. Kind of lied though as I shoot a six round mag of hydrashoks out of my 380 every 3 or 4 months to ensure they cycle properly. otherwise, its nice to know 4/6 of my guns haven't seen factory ammo. cant reload 22lr economically so the 10/22 and beretta 21a get factory junk

 

[cfullgraf]

I shoot a little factory ammunition. I like to "calibrate" my guns with factory ammunition with a chronograph. It helps indicate if the gun shoots fast or slow when compared to reloading information. It gives another data point for two for the fire arm.

I have a few guns that I have never put a factory round through. They are either wildcats or obsolete cartridges.

I sometimes buy factory ammunition to get the cases, particularly if ammunition is available and cases are not. I do this most when adding a new cartridge to my inventory. Once I have a supple of cases on hand, I usually can wait to buy more empty cases when they are available.

When I shot competitive skeet, I would shoot factory ammunition in the matches and reloads for practice. Shooting the factory ammunition in matches eliminated the worry of having my ammunition checked and it generated empties for practice.

 

[FROGO207]

In 30 years I have not shot factory loads in anything that I can reload. I sometimes will buy factory ammo and take it apart and reuse the components to make my ammo but other than .22 I do reload all my ammo

 

[sellersm]

I mix in some factory stuff, as has been mentioned already, to 'baseline' new calibers or compare against. But for more than 90%, it's handloads.

 

[minnesota]

My mixed in ammo is 22lr though.

 

[.22-5-40]

Other than the ones I bought used, all have had only handloads thru them..other than . rimfire & shotshells.

 

[gamestalker]

The only time I run factory ammo through my firearms is if it has been given to me. In all my years of shooting I have never had one single mis-fire with my hand loads. As for factory ammunition, I have had numerous problems, including, but not limited to mis-fires.

GS

 

[witchhunter]

handloader for over 40 years, shot the box of factory that came with a 25/06 I bought in 1972, rebarreled it to.257 Weatherby in 2012 and bought factory ammo from midway for the brass, shot a box for baseline and pulled bullets from the rest and loaded it with 115 partitions. I will shoot factory pistol rounds upon occasion though.

 

[DM~]

Well, i had an ammo mfg. license for many years, so my handloads WERE FACTORY LOADS. lol

I never say never, but it's true that i rarely shoot "factory" loads and never for hunting...

Now, after having said that, my dad gave me about 8 or 10 boxes of factory 30-06's and i plan to start shooting them up soon! Maybe i'll save a few for hunting??

DM

 

[esheato]

Hardly ever these days.

I'll say it this way, my guns haven't seen factory ammo in years. I, on the other hand, have and it's mostly trying out a friends gun or 22LR.

 

[esheato]

Double tapped...sorry.

Delete me.

 

[1SOW]

I reload, except for my .22 and shotgun.

 

[Kachok]

I take great pride in my handloads, but when I first get a rifle I buy a few boxes of mainstay factory fodder to try out (core-lokts, power points, Ballistic Tips) so if I ever am in a pinch for ammo I know what shoots decent in that rifle. 99% of my rifle shooting is handloads and all of my hunting.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Although the majority of my shooting and hunting is done with my reloads there are rare times I shoot factory ammo so that's how I voted. In reality I shoot very little factory ammo so I guess I could have actually voted that way too...

 

[Tim the student]

The only centerfire I shoot factory in is in my M1 carbine. I rarely shoot that gun, and don't reload for it.

 

[grumpy66]

I shoot "store-bought" ammo occaisionally in my bolt-gun....when I need some more once-fired brass for my chamber.

For my M1a, I have a couple of cases stocked up along with several cases of reloads.

For my .45 Colt, .45acp, and .357 nothing but hand loads.

My FAL gets a steady diet of surplus.

 

[erikk8829]

Been reloading since early 50's & other than 22's & a box or 2 0f 12GA slugs haven't shot factory till last month when I bought some Federal 100's at Wally World on sale to get some brass

 

[thump_rrr]

My reloading setup arrived before my first pistol did.
Neither one of my pistols has ever fired a factory round other than at the factory.

I have put exactly 20 rounds of factory ammo through my AR and Savage 10BA because I wanted to chronograph the factory ammo.

I even reload for my SKS which gets soft points.

 

[armarsh]

In 35 years I can recall the 14 boxes of factory ammo I have purchased. Ten of those boxes were 7.62x39 that came with an SKS. I could not begin to imagine how many reloads I have shot.

Probably the only thing I do not reload for is non-toxic shotgun shells. The small quantity I use does not justify getting into it.

 

[beatledog7]

Though I reload now, I typically buy relatively inexpensive factory ammo for each new acquisition and shoot a little of it before any handloads. It makes sense to me to do the initial (for me) firing of any gun with ammo that's certified, warranted, etc. Besides, I can use the brass again.

I bought a fair amount of .38SPL, .357Mag, .40 S&W, and .223 Rem before I started reloading, and I still have a bunch of it around. I compare prices and will, for the right price, take advantage of bulk offerings at shows or on line. But I'm more likely by far to spend those dollars on components than built rounds. Now, when I shop for a gun in a new-to-me cartridge, I consider the cost of dies, brass, and appropriate bullets in the price equation (I already have primers and probably at least one suitable powder).

I don't reload shotshells, but unless I get into trap or skeet I doubt if I'll run out of 12ga shells in the years of life I have remaining.