Special reloads or Quality factory SD ammo?

[Dragon55]

Would you feel more comfortable with your specially prepared self defense loads or a good quality factory self defense load?

[SQUAREKNOT]

I have been trying to duplicate the Speer 125gr ballistics in my S&W 638 with
no luck. They Chrony @ 880 or 890 FPS with the 1 7/8" barrel. For now I'm using the factory stuff as their shooting records are better than my 158gr
cast SWC loads.

[kwells6]

if you shoot someone with a reload, you'll loose in court no matter what.

plain and simple. for SD stay with factory ammo

[Fullthrottle]

For now I chose factory loaded ammo, particularly Extreme shock rounds, for reduced over penetration, I have a 40S&W as a SD gun. Not preaching that brand but I feel more comfortable in my particular state with that round in that cal. as a SD round!

EDIT: I will say, you may or may not lose with a reload, In my particular state I wouldn't want to chance it! Other states may very well not care, as some states, you have the RIGHT to defend your home(not just life)!

[kwells6]

by all means you ahve the right to defend, but not with "potentially inhumane" ammo. most states will consider it premeditated

[Hook686]

I really see no advantage to either, both seem acceptable to me. This is because I chronograph a factory SD load and then buy the same bullet and load it to that velocity. I practice a lot more with the reloads and it really does not excite me if the speed loaders have the reloads, or the factory loads in them should the SHTF.

I have no idea what "potentially inhumane" ammo is. I figure all ammo is designed to stop an adversary and can be argued as "Inhumane" by some folks. Actually if you practice shooting those same folks might argue that your practice indicates you were intent on killing someone simply because you wanted to make sure your bullets hit the deady spots. Thus the more you practice, the more intent you are on killing someone. You must be a real danger to society.

[griz]

I handload special "humane" ammo. This I accomplish by filling the hollowpoint with a mixture of antibiotic, quick clot, and a healing herbal remedy recipe passed down from my Grandmother. I care so much that no jury will convict me.

[sixxgunnernick]

I like the idea of a hollow point for not over penatration..plus with a little lighter load charge on top of that..

[Sport45]

I choose premium store-bought stuff for SD.

All of my reloads are specially prepared. At least I don't know what I'd do different if I was reloading for SD.

[snuffy]

If you shoot someone with a reload, you'll loose in court no matter what.

Plain and simple. For SD stay with factory ammo.

Really? Of course you have a reference to that,,,---fact!? Just because Mas Ayoob says it, don't make it a fact. He has yet to be able to find one case that was decided by whether a person defending himself was using his own handloads.

By all means you have the right to defend, but not with "potentially inhumane" ammo. Most states will consider it premeditated.

Shooting anybody is inhumane. I sincerely hope I never have to, but I'll do it to defend me and mine. I certainly won't worry if the ammo I have loaded at that time is my own handloads.

If I use a commonly available hollow point in a commonly available cartridge, what's the difference?

[CraigC]

Really? Of course you have a reference to that,,,---fact!? Just because Mas Ayoob says it, don't make it a fact. He has yet to be able to find one case that was decided by whether a person defending himself was using his own handloads.

EXACTLY, THANK YOU!!! This nonsense gets repeated so often that most people actually believe it to be true. When pressed for factual data supporting it, all you hear is crickets. As of yet, it is only a theory.

If I use a commonly available hollow point in a commonly available cartridge, what's the difference?

I'm sure someone will be along shortly to try to adequately explain the difference with nonsense about GSR but rest assured it will not be based in reality.

[farmerboy]

I handload special "humane" ammo. This I accomplish by filling the hollowpoint with a mixture of antibiotic, quick clot, and a healing herbal remedy recipe passed down from my Grandmother. I care so much that no jury will convict me.


All you really wanted to do was to STOP the person/s from causes harm to you, or others, WHAT A GUY!!!!! That is a Good One,griz

[azredhawk44]

I handload special "humane" ammo. This I accomplish by filling the hollowpoint with a mixture of antibiotic, quick clot, and a healing herbal remedy recipe passed down from my Grandmother. I care so much that no jury will convict me.

I mix pufferfish feces, rattlesnake venom and Coumadin (anti-coagulant) into a pasty compound. I embed that compound into my handloaded hollowpoints and place a primer into the cavity, then seal the whole thing with unsanitary wax rendered from rodent fat. I take a razorblade to the bullet's jacket next and cut through it along the bearing surface so I'm guaranteed to get jacket/core separation. Then I load the cartridge to 15% above SAAMI standard pressures.

Disclaimer: Of course I don't do this and neither should you. But it was fun to write.

[Dragon55]

You definitely get the prize for the most 'specialist' combo so far.... but seriously...

I appreciate all the responses. I have an opinion myself but tried very hard to refrain from divulging my bias in the wording.

So far I find it interesting the factory ammo has a higher comfort zone.

[m&p45acp10+1]

From the legal stand point here in the Great State of Texas. I would not hesitate to use my hand loaded hollow points in selg defense. From the practical stand point if I were in a pich I would not hesitate to. I load practice rounds as close to my carry rounds as I can to keep in tune with them.
The legal stand point in Texas is if you use deadly force you will go before a grand jury. Facts will be presented, and a decision reached. Either justifiable which will prevent any civil suits from being filed agains you(Part of the castle doctrine). Or non justifiable which if it is that case a civil suit is the least of your worries, as you will now be indicted on criminal charges.

[James R. Burke]

If your life depends on it, and I mean your life or someone else use whatever it takes. For myself it would be the one's I made. Simply you know they work, and should work the best out of what your shooting.

[Doby45]

I personally carry handloads in my SD weapon. There is absolutley no reason not to, unless you think your own loads suck and are not worthy to save your life. The whole "a court" thing is the largest pile of rubbish I have seen in my life. This all started when the internet was born and you had one twit that heard it through another twit that "them boys will hang ya" if you kill someone with one bullet over another. Dead is dead, if it was caused by a factory load, a handload, a ball bat, an ice pick or a slightly thawed road kill possum.

EDIT:

One other thing kwells6, I think your sig speaks volumes to this thread.

[Fullthrottle]

Unfortunatly certian states(my nazi state included) don't look to positively on reloaded ammo! You (I) can thank the lawyers for that crap! Sadly enough! There have been more than a few in my state that I have seen in publicated magazines about the use of "deadly force" and it seems to come down the the judge and jury(likely not understanding reloading at all) who make the final choice!

On the flip side of that I am with Ted who said "I don't need a law to tell me I have the right to defend myself(and family)"!

[Doby45]

Unfortunatly certian states(my nazi state included) don't look to positively on reloaded ammo!

Site your source..

[whiplash]

"Either justifiable which will prevent any civil suits from being filed agains you(Part of the castle doctrine). Or non justifiable which if it is that case a civil suit is the least of your worries, as you will now be indicted on criminal charges."

Thats what I am talking about! Gotta love common sense states. If you made the right choice in the first place (defending whatever for whatever reason), the whole civil suits doesnt even come into play. If you are in the right, then it doesnt matter if you used handloads or a hammer. Whats next, "sorry Mr. Doe, but your hammer has two claws on it, thats inhumane."

[kwells6]

don't kill the messanger. Im just saying what was told to me by a hometown sheriff

Doby45, chill... don't take things so seriously... Arguing here on the internet, even if you win is like winning at a staring match. What do you get from it?

do you even know the author of the quote?

[chris in va]

Sheriff huh. Did he ever attend a SD shooting case that involved reloads? What was the outcome?

Don't repeat stuff unless you do your own research. You'd be surprised how much of it is BS. I've been guilty of doing it, now I try to at least contact the source or talk with the individual in question.

It's like saying someone was convicted of murder because they defended themselves with a rifle instead of a 9mm.

[kwells6]

yes, he had dealt with several homicides...

wow... mob mentality here

[CraigC]

Sorry kwells6 but you can't attack myths like this one about handloads for self defense by repeating something you heard from a cop. No offense intended to those present but they are a poor source of legal advice. Unfortunately their job does not require them to be a legal expert any more than it requires them to be a firearms' expert. Even though it requires them to enforce the law and carry a gun.

The truth is that there are NO cases that can be cited where the use of handloads was a deciding factor. Only one case has been cited where it was an issue and that was a suicide.

[Dragon55]

Since we've pretty much established the whole

'Since you used reload ammo instead of factory ammo you're in more trouble' is BS

because on this thread and others no one has cited any actual case(s) where it was

relevant.....

let's think about it purely from a life or death scenario. Which ammo do you trust more or as stated in the poll question... makes you feel more comfortable?