Never buy reloads!!

[Matt52]

It says you don't trust your own abilities as much as you do the machinery and quality control practices of a large ammunition manufacturer. Like so many things in American society today, you are convinced that you cannot do something as well as a commercial vendor.

I do not buy reloads, but I buy all the components to reload my own ammunition. What I load is, first and foremost, SAFE. It is also functional, accurate, cost-effective and just plain EFFECTIVE. I do not understand why someone would learn to reload, study the characteristics of various bullets, and then choose to shoot factory ammo for self-defense. That shows a lack of confidence in one's ability or in the effectiveness of the bullet they chose to load with. That is incomprehensible, to me.

Well Ive never once had a bad factory round so thats pretty much a + in my book. Ive only been reloading a couple years so I dont feel my ability has surpassed ammo manufacturers who have been making ammo probably since before your grandparents were born. However in time I may feel more confident. I do believe I can make more accurate ammo reloading by custom tailoring ammo to my gun.

 

[XtremeVel]

Well Ive never once had a bad factory round so thats pretty much a + in my book. Ive only been reloading a couple years so I dont feel my ability has surpassed ammo manufacturers who have been making ammo probably since before your grandparents were born. However in time I may feel more confident. I do believe I can make more accurate ammo reloading by custom tailoring ammo to my gun.

Oh, I couldn't disagree more !

Who says that asswipe at Winchester who could only be there to collect a paycheck can produce better quality ammunition or safer ammunition than you ?

I would put more confidence in a noob reloader who was taught right, has the right foundation, and possesses the right qualities before any unknown stranger making mass produced ammo that I'm going to run through my gun.

 

[Matt52]

Oh, I couldn't disagree more !

Who says that asswipe at Winchester who could only be there to collect a paycheck can produce better quality ammunition or safer ammunition than you ?

I would put more confidence in a noob reloader who was taught right, has the right foundation, and possesses the right qualities before any unknown stranger making mass produced ammo that I'm going to run through my gun.

Ive just never came across a bad factory round so to this point I cant say that its bad or I could do better. Their are people out there just collecting paychecks at every major car manufacturer so why do we trust them with our lives?

 

[Beowulf]

Ive just never came across a bad factory round so to this point I cant say that its bad or I could do better. Their are people out there just collecting paychecks at every major car manufacturer so why do we trust them with our lives?

You clearly haven't shot Remington UMC rounds. I bought 500 rounds of .38 SPL "Leadless" (half regular and half +P). I finally finished off that batch, but I had nothing but problems with them. Consistently, I would have several rounds per box that wouldn't fire, despite multiple hits on the primer in multiple guns. I had others that wouldn't cycle through my lever action properly (while my Aquila hollow points work beautifully, I think the "Leadless" rounds, which did contain lead cores, were too short). I basically had to relegate that ammo to my S&W revolver. But even then, I still ran into the rounds that wouldn't fire. Granted, it was maybe a 6% failure rate, but enough that I will never buy that stuff again (or really any Remington rounds).

I currently don't reload, but I've been saving all my .38, .357, and .44 Mag brass (since it is really easy to police casings out of a revolver). One of these days, I'll buy myself a press and get into it. Especially for those .44 rounds. That stuff is crazy expensive ($30+ per box).

 

[bobzilla]

Ive just never came across a bad factory round so to this point I cant say that its bad or I could do better. Their are people out there just collecting paychecks at every major car manufacturer so why do we trust them with our lives?

Soooo.... you just started shooting then? I've run across many from many different manufacturers. Hell, my best percetanges are usually with reloads.

 

[Matt52]

Soooo.... you just started shooting then? I've run across many from many different manufacturers. Hell, my best percetanges are usually with reloads.

Nope Ive been shootin since I was 4 so thats about 21 years.

 

[bobzilla]

sooo... you only shoot a box of ammo a year then?

 

[Matt52]

sooo... you only shoot a box of ammo a year then?

Sooo... Do you assume much?? I shoot hundreds of rounds per year couldnt give you an exact count but Ill say once again Ive never had any defective ammo. Ive shot all brands various calibers .22lr to 50bmg and .410 to 12ga never once have I pulled the trigger and the gun not gone bang.

 

[mydoghasfleas]

I'll give you a hundred rounds of each. I'll put my money where my mouth is. Shoot it (with video) against any factory ammo you choose and post the results on INGO. Seriously.

Ill make it even better, I will supply the factory 45 ammo from a box of federal I opened about six months ago...Here is what I found.

 

[Matt52]

I do believe under the right conditions reloading can be better than factory ammo. However reloading requires buying factory components so if the factory screws up on their ammo the possibility of it occurring in their components is equal. Reloading only provides you with the ability to assembly loads to your specs. If you buy a bad batch of primers or just a couple in that pack were bad they could get in to your reloaded ammo and cause problems too. Problems that could show up in the worst of times.

 

[JetGirl]

Well Ive never once had a bad factory round

Oh, it does happen!

Seriously? Just wow!

 

[Beowulf]

Ill make it even better, I will supply the factory 45 ammo from a box of federal I opened about six months ago...Here is what I found.

Wow. Must be an extra secret prototype round that slipped out into the wild. You should keep it, it will have huge collector value.

 

[XtremeVel]

I do believe under the right conditions reloading can be better than factory ammo. However reloading requires buying factory components so if the factory screws up on their ammo the possibility of it occurring in their components is equal. Reloading only provides you with the ability to assembly loads to your specs. If you buy a bad batch of primers or just a couple in that pack were bad they could get in to your reloaded ammo and cause problems too. Problems that could show up in the worst of times.

There's much more to ammo than whether it goes "bang " or not that determines if it's quality ammunition...

Heck, the pic posted above would go " bang ".

While there is some merit to what you say above about primers, there are many other variables about ammo than just that... Actually there has been accounts of store bought ammo having primers inserted upside down...

The simple way I view loading my own vs factory ammo is I CONTROL what components I choose to use and I CONTROL how anal I want to be on consistency on such things on variance in my powder charges and OAL's, trim to lengths if applicable, crimp amounts, bullet tension, ect...

 

[mydoghasfleas]

I dont know but I think the bullet is in backwards. I should weigh them and see if its considerably heavier.


This is what happens with defects that we can see. If this round had been double charged or something instead of a visual mistake (or if I had not been paying at least some attention) I would/could have un-knowingly shot it.
I garauntee many improperly loaded factory rounds have been shot while the shooter was simply unaware.

 

[nucone]

Ill make it even better, I will supply the factory 45 ammo from a box of federal I opened about six months ago...Here is what I found.

Obviously a defective round - that bullet has a hole in it.

I experienced a squib from a Remington factory round earlier this year which lodged the bullet in the barrel. Fortunately, the condition was identified before attempting to tap and rack to clear the malfunction. Doing so would have been disastrous for me. Factory ammunition is not perfect.

 

[Matt52]

There's much more to ammo than whether it goes "bang " or not that determines if it's quality ammunition...

Heck, the pic posted above would go " bang ".

While there is some merit to what you say above about primers, there are many other variables about ammo than just that... Actually there has been accounts of store bought ammo having primers inserted upside down...

The simple way I view loading my own vs factory ammo is I CONTROL what components I choose to use and I CONTROL how anal I want to be on consistency on such things on variance in my powder charges and OAL's, trim to lengths if applicable, crimp amounts, bullet tension, ect...

What I meant by goin "bang" was that everything worked fine. You can control every variable when it comes to reloading I agree except for one and thats the primer and in my opinion its the most important because if it doesnt work nothin else will and primers are mass produced so basically you are still at the hands of the ammo companies from that standpoint correct?? Im sure their are people making primers that are just there drawing a paycheck and dont really care about what they are doing.

 

[XtremeVel]

What I meant by goin "bang" was that everything worked fine. You can control every variable when it comes to reloading I agree except for one and thats the primer and in my opinion its the most important because if it doesnt work nothin else will and primers are mass produced so basically you are still at the hands of the ammo companies from that standpoint correct?? Im sure their are people making primers that are just there drawing a paycheck and dont really care about what they are doing.

The primer is very important, and is just another reason I would defend quality reloads over store bought...

If a round doesn't not go off when the trigger is pulled, a " dead " primer would be the last thing I would suspect... I would suspect a primer that wasn't fully seated, a " harder" primer in a gun with weak or reduced springs, a headspace issue, or even a dirty firing pin channel on some guns...

As a reloader, it's in my control to make sure the primer is fully seated... it's also in my control to make sure the selection of the primer hardness fits the needs of my gun, it's also in my control to make sure the case length is correct to ensure proper headspacing. As a reloader, you control all these factors for the best reliabilty possible...

 

[Broom_jm]

What I meant by goin "bang" was that everything worked fine. You can control every variable when it comes to reloading I agree except for one and thats the primer and in my opinion its the most important because if it doesnt work nothin else will and primers are mass produced so basically you are still at the hands of the ammo companies from that standpoint correct?? Im sure their are people making primers that are just there drawing a paycheck and dont really care about what they are doing.

Do you have any idea what the failure rate is on primers? You act as though they are prone to fail. Would you agree that as few as 1 in 1,000 primers fails? It is certainly not much more than that and unless you're shooting quite rapidly, a single faulty primer is not a big deal. It is just as likely to happen in factory ammo as the stuff we handload.

How is the primer more important than any other component? If the case or powder or bullet is faulty, the possibility of a failed or dangerous load is just as great as it would be with a bad primer. For that matter, EVERY component in a metallic cartridge is "mass produced"...so what are you saying?

I'm just one of many reloaders who have put together thousands, and tens of thousands, of rounds of ammunition, with failure rates as low as .01%. Few things in life will ever be that certain.

 

[Matt52]

Do you have any idea what the failure rate is on primers? You act as though they are prone to fail. Would you agree that as few as 1 in 1,000 primers fails? It is certainly not much more than that and unless you're shooting quite rapidly, a single faulty primer is not a big deal. It is just as likely to happen in factory ammo as the stuff we handload.

How is the primer more important than any other component? If the case or powder or bullet is faulty, the possibility of a failed or dangerous load is just as great as it would be with a bad primer. For that matter, EVERY component in a metallic cartridge is "mass produced"...so what are you saying?

I'm just one of many reloaders who have put together thousands, and tens of thousands, of rounds of ammunition, with failure rates as low as .01%. Few things in life will ever be that certain.

Well someone suggested that because factory ammo was mass produced it was inferior so I figured I would remind them that primers were mass produced as well.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

Out of 2,000 9mm reloads. I have had two bad primers. As Broom has said countless times. As a reloader, you have control. Not someone working in an ammo factory. I have had factory ammo that was over/under charged before. My reloads on the other hand, are very consistent.