Handloads for EDC

PepNYC

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Ok, First off let me say I know this topic has been beat to death all over the place. Just like "to crimp or not to crimp". I've looked in several different forums and the consensus is quite divided. This is not really a question if you agree or disagree with using handloads for self defense but feel free to express your opinion. My question here is if so many disagree with carrying hand loads because of the possible legal ramifications for self defense why would I buy any type of the more expensive self defense projectiles such as FMJ-HP or the like? I ask because I did buy a bunch and now I'm wondering if if's worth the risk carrying them or did I just unnecessarily blow extra money on range ammo.
 
You will get opinions both ways on it. My take on it is that it should not matter in criminal court - either you were justified or not, type of ammo irrelevant. If you end up in civil court (family sues for wrongful death) then it may become an issue. I have never seen anyone post any information where the type of ammo had anything to do with a decision, or if it even came up during a trial. I am not a lawyer, so my opinion is worth nothing.

I carry factory ammo in my EDC. But, I do have some handloads made just for SHTF scenarios.
 
I feel like I'm better off with a round i have practiced with thousands of times than a technically superior bullet but that i cant afford to practice with.
 
From what I've read some had concerns that if they had to replicate the forensics of the bullet it would be impossible because handloads vary as compared to a factory round.

But yes I agree with all of your points. If it's justified it shouldn't matter. If shtf I'm not going to care what I use and I'd also feel more comfortable using my own ammo that I've used way more than expensive ammo I don't plan to buy hundreds of rounds..
 
I buy name brand SD ammo for my carry guns, but mostly shoot handloads. I do load ammo that would be suitable for SD use, but I haven't shot up enough SD ammo yet for me to need to turn to handloads yet. A few boxes of SD ammo a year don't break the bank.
 
Ok. So this is for all of you that buy factory rounds for SD, putting price aside. Why? Not saying there's anything wrong with it. Just curious as to why factory over handloads if a handload is just a normal 124gr FMJ-HP. Nothing crazy.
 
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Ok. So this is for all of you that buy factory rounds for SD, putting price aside. Why? Not saying there's anything wrong with it. Just curious as to why factory over handloads if a handload is just a normal 124gr FMJ-HP. Nothing crazy.
Because I don’t have to guess, wonder, or worry about whether my load matches the specs of the bullet and will result in optimal performance.
 
I would be more worried about reliability and performance.
But handloading allows me to use perform a higher level of quality control.

I have some 80gr loads that you can buy at ~1350 FPS (IIRC), but the manufacturers also sell projectiles and load data to get 1500 FPS, so I'll handload and get my additional 150 FPS. This is a non-expanding projectile, so I'm not worried about jacket separation at high velocities.
 
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I don't just buy one box of factory ammo to load up my magazine and call it good, I buy a few hundred rounds and shoot enough of them (at least 200 rounds) to make sure they function reliably in my gun. I mainly practice with my own handloads, and try to have a load that at least duplicates the same point-of-impact. I am not recoil sensitive, so I am not worried as much about duplicating the same velocity and recoil. As a standard procedure, about every 6 months I will shoot the factory rounds I have carried and load up fresh rounds.
 
I'd carry them. I have carried them.

If you won't carry them, then you've bought a pile of projectiles for the collapse of society, dispatching animals, or loading rounds to prove your carry guns can handle whatever bullet profile and length. They can be nice for punching paper, many are super accurate when you get the charge and everything else right, may not be at SD type velocities.
 
Ok. So this is for all of you that buy factory rounds for SD, putting price aside. Why? Not saying there's anything wrong with it. Just curious as to why factory over handloads if a handload is just a normal 124gr FMJ-HP. Nothing crazy.
I have factory in 357sig and 9mm. My 45acp stuff is handloads.

I bought small amount of factory HSTs when decent component bullets took effort to find when I still had an inclination to load. Now I buy more if the price is right and I want to, keeps me stocked. In 9mm it saves working up a load and changing die settings for a small run. 357Sig I just don't enjoy loading in any sort of volume.
 
Ok. So this is for all of you that buy factory rounds for SD, putting price aside. Why? Not saying there's anything wrong with it. Just curious as to why factory over handloads if a handload is just a normal 124gr FMJ-HP. Nothing crazy.

I have no issue with people who load their own, and have spent the time, money, attention, and invested in the equipment and resources to test all of the velocities and so forth with their ammunition. I haven't. Hornady, Federal, Speer, and so forth have. So when I watch testing on specific loads they have produced and see repeated results I can rest pretty assured that I will get similar results out of comparable firearms.
 
I have handloaded Speer Gold dots...because its cheaper to replicate factory HP's to practice with and for seeing if they work in your guns. Other than that...the only reason to load defense ammo is for end of the world scenarios. And for that...I have a hollowpoint mold, that I have cast, tested, and know for a fact that if I have the right kind of lead, it will open up and assume flying ash tray status upon impact. But, I will not use them for anything other than practice or competition until the world goes to Hell. So...maybe a month from now seeing as the country is speeding towards Gomorrah. Other than that, I always default to the "my time, my gun, my money, my life...I'm a grown man and I'll do what I want" anthem, and I extend that to other people as well.
 
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