Reloaded ammo for self defense?

[tarosean]

Whatever floats your boat..

I am using an FBI approved ammo. Just in case a Grand Jury questions why I am using xxx ammo.


I am always reminded of Harold Fish who spent years in prison and way over half a mil on defense. The procecutor argued his use of 10mm (among other things) in a pretty right leaning state.

Basically stack the deck in your favor. Dont start out with one armed tied behind your back.

 

[RikSors]

I trust my handloads but I don’t trust my life with it.

Being the legality and practicality, it is factory ammo for me..

 

[Kleanbore]

I can't see why reloaded ammo vs self defense ammo would be an aggravating circumstance that would generally make a difference in a otherwise good shoot.

It won't--but it could prevent the defendant from presenting evidence that could prevent a jury from believing that it was not an "otherwise good shoot".

Has there ever been a case where someone using reloaded ammunition in a shooting had their equipment seized as evidence?

Irrelevant.

There have been cases involving analogous legal factors that have been all the way to the US Supreme Court. The rulings in those cases established important parts of the rules of evidence that would effectively keep a jury from ever seeing any test results from a defendant's hand loaded ammunition. Should the results of such testing be important to contradicting unfavorable testimony or other evidence, the use of hand loads could be what cooks his goose.

if it's a legally justified shooting, you should not be prosecuted.

Tit has to be established whether it was or was not a "legally justified shooting".

Since no one was there except interested parties and possibly unreliable witnesses, that will depend on piecing together what incomplete evidence that can be found after the fact and that is admitted into court.

 

[Styx]

To each their own. I guess hypocritically, what if, speaking a procecuter could make an issue out of carrying hollow points, using an evil AR15 or the like, owning an arsenal of guns, having thousands of rounds of ammo, using an evil "high capacity" magazine, carrying extra ammo and/or a backup gun, having a threaded barrel or red dots on your on your gun, owning silencers, installing any aftermarket parts, being Trump supporter, being a NRA member, having premeditated discussions on gun about shooting people in self defense before the incident in question, wearing white after Labor Day, so on and so forth. I guess anything our imaginations can conjure up....

IMHO, it's all a bunch of fear mongering that's not a real issue worth being worried about. Most people on this forum do most of the aforementioned which, IMHO, would have a greater affect and will more likely be brought up by a procecuter who's grasping for straws vs reloaded ammo being an issue or even a factor in a good shoot or any shoot...

 

[DocRock]

The claims about handloads complicating your defense in the event of justifiable homicide are not borne out statistically in court records.

 

[Styx]

The claims about handloads complicating your defense in the event of justifiable homicide are not borne out statistically in court records.

I agree. I can understand how having certain pant jobs, "The Punisher" and other backplates, and the like could be an issue, but whether the suspect was shot/killed with reloaded vs factory ammo being an issue just doesn't pass the common sense test with me. It's a pointless detail unless the case involves whether the round was armor peircing or otherwise illegal to own/carry... Just more internet folklore.

 

[wagonburner]

Saving a couple of hundred bucks on ammo is not worth the potential risks to my defense in court afterwards.

The threat does not end when you drop your attacker by shooting him/her. That’s when it starts.

 

[Styx]

For those of you who are worried about legal ramifications, your opinions are noted; however, I respectfully and strongly disagree with the merits your fears. Nothing I've seen, read, or data that has been presented thus far will change my mind.

For those who reload their carry ammo for semiautos, I you use hollow points or any specific recipes? How often are you shooting your reloaded carry ammo vs other range ammo?

 

[JR24]

Being able to shoot hundreds to thousands of rounds down range with what I carry without going broke

That's relatively easy without going the full carry reloads route. I always tailor my range ammo to mimic my self defense ammo in recoil and POI as closely as possible. I don't always use JHP for the range ammo, especially once my gun is vetted and I know it will run my carry hollow points fine. Even then if you want, RMR "multi purpose" JHP are cheap and shoot well.

I am always reminded of Harold Fish who spent years in prison and way over half a mil on defense. The procecutor argued his use of 10mm (among other things) in a pretty right leaning state.

I believe that was also the case where one of the jurors was quoted as saying they didn't like he used hollow points because "those are designed to kill". Being able to say "I used what the local LEO use" or "I just grabbed a box on the shelf labeled Self Defense" might have helped him, or it might not have.

 

[Robert]

Do as you see fit. We've been down this road many times in the past. I don't see any new or compelling reason why we should do it again.