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I carry a .357 magnum light weight J-Frame. It is no fun to shoot .357 magnum rounds in. .38 Special are fun to shoot, but 755 fps with a 158 grain bullet strikes me as at the low end of warm and fuzzy. I reload 158 grain Gold Dot hollow Points at about 900 fps and though these 'rock my boat' I find them manageable. I have heard people say do not carry with reloaded ammo. What are your thoughts on this ?
 
I've heard the same thing regarding handloaded ammo in CCW and home defense. Possible liability issue. So, for HD, the handguns get factory loads: 230gr Win XPDI hp in my .45acp, .357 mag gets Hornady 125 HP[Critical Defense]. For range use, I handload.
 
If you have to use your firearm to defend your self or loved ones you don't wanna give a prosecutor any ammunition to use against you, pardon the pun. Like isn't it true you built these cartridges to kill, you knew these were deadly when you built them to kill. Personally I carry Civil Defense rounds when I'm working or in town, while hunting I carry my reloads 125 grain Barnes in my nine, I know these are very effective on game/varmits and would do just fine in a defensive scenario. Well that's my two cents
 
I used to, back in my SD revolver days. Since I've carried autoloaders no.
My attorney has advised me not to carry reloads, a number of years ago in fact!
 
I never "carry" with reloads.
I'll shoot my carry guns with tons of my reloaded stuff at the range, but they ONLY have factory loaded Self Defense ammo in them when on "carry" duty. I don't have any FTF issues with my reloads at all. I just don't want any place for an attorney to gain leverage in court should I be forced to defend myself. I ONLY want whatever the local LEOs carry for ammo. If it's good for the cops to defend themselves with - it's good enough for me.
 
no, I want stuff made by "experts"
I consider myself an expert . I have 30 years experience as a handloader. I can turn out much better ammo than any factory production line!

There have only been a couple court cases involving reloaded ammo and both I am aware of had nothing to do with the reloads being deemed "More Dangerous"!

The most famous was a case where a wife committed suicide. and the PD's investigator said he could not test the ammo because it was a reload. They tried putting the death on the husband. He was acquitted.

As long as you are not building explosive rounds, poison tipped bullets, etc... If the SD shoot was a good one, what kind of bullet I used will have nothing to do with it..

I tend to collect old and oddball guns. A lot of them the ammo makers don't even make defensive ammo for. So I handload my own. A lot of times I'm using plain cast bullets that these guns were made to shoot!
Let some lawyer try to spin a plain cast lead bullet as Extra deadly, or built specially to kill! I would just agree with him. and remind him that they have been made like this since 1873! Nothing new here. DR
 
That's nuts! :eek:
If I remember right the revolver was loaded with really light target loads, and The PD Investigator claimed that the ammo did not leave enough "Stippling"[?] [ powder burns around the wound] to have been fired at close range, and therefore the husband must have fired the gun from across the room.
Once they were forced to test the remaining ammo it became clear why there were no powder burns [stippling].

There was one other case involving reloaded ammo, but again the case was about whether or not it was a true SD shooting, The reloads had nothing to do with if the shooter should have or not have shot the guy! DR
 
If I remember right the revolver was loaded with really light target loads, and The PD Investigator claimed that the ammo did not leave enough "Stippling"[?] [ powder burns around the wound] to have been fired at close range, and therefore the husband must have fired the gun from across the room.
Once they were forced to test the remaining ammo it became clear why there were no powder burns [stippling].

There was one other case involving reloaded ammo, but again the case was about whether or not it was a true SD shooting, The reloads had nothing to do with if the shooter should have or not have shot the guy! DR

Interesting! Thanks for the additional info.
 
Lawyers will probably tell you, don't give prosecutors any "extra ammo" to use against you in a self defense shooting. I would say, if you do use reloads, only use ones you made yourself.

I watched an very interesting video on youtube about an Alaskan backcountry guide who told this story. He had some reloads in his gun, given to him by a buddy. He had 2 close encounters with bears in 2 days, but did not fire his gun. He did use another guide's weapon, which was closer at hand, to put down the second bear attack. Then he wanted to test his gun the next day, and the very bullet he had in his gun when facing down the 1st bear misfired. Those kinds of errors can cost you your life.
 
I carry a .357 magnum light weight J-Frame. It is no fun to shoot .357 magnum rounds in. .38 Special are fun to shoot, but 755 fps with a 158 grain bullet strikes me as at the low end of warm and fuzzy. I reload 158 grain Gold Dot hollow Points at about 900 fps and though these 'rock my boat' I find them manageable. I have heard people say do not carry with reloaded ammo. What are your thoughts on this ?
I have reloaded for twenty or more years, and tend to load mostly practice ammo. I think the plan for any ammo is optimal accuracy. After all, placement is prime and bullet construction secondary. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a good copper jacket hollow point, but their too expensive to make a habit of. I have carried reloaded solid lead semi wadcutters in my personal defense .45 while out and about. Should the need arise, I am VERY CONFIDENT, that the 200 grain flat point will discombobulate what ever it strikes. And like others, I would take an attorney to task to try and claim it is designed to kill. Wondering what bullet isn't?
 
forgive the observation here, but you have just been involved in SD incident, you prevailed and the bad person is severely wounded, disabled, or deceased; therefore, (do not care where you live) you have committed a significant felony or worst case there is a minimum charge of homicide as you might be sitting in jail as the nice LEs are investigating your situation.

now the nice LE's are clearing up a few detail(s) and the discussion centers around the 'hot' rounds you reloaded yourself, nice LE ask if you can you explain, so can you please tell us in detail how your reload, assure your load isn't 'hot', ad nauseam.

bottom line, why put yourself through this dog and pony discussion, for the record, during an investigation where you are being judicially put through the wringer over your recollection of how you reload.

why on earth would you put yourself through this type of twenty questions scenario which can be used against you in court when all you would have to state to the nice LE's my SD handgun is loaded with exactly what my community's LE carry!

your tired derriere is stilling in jail, or out on $$$bond paying an $$$$$attorney to get you properly defended.

i'm personally not that wealthy or curious to see what it is like sitting in jail or going to court to defend myself cuz some silly prosecutor believe they can make a name from my using SD reload ammo as pre-meditation killing.
 
forgive the observation here, but you have just been involved in SD incident, you prevailed and the bad person is severely wounded, disabled, or deceased; therefore, (do not care where you live) you have committed a significant felony or worst case there is a minimum charge of homicide as you might be sitting in jail as the nice LEs are investigating your situation.

now the nice LE's are clearing up a few detail(s) and the discussion centers around the 'hot' rounds you reloaded yourself, nice LE ask if you can you explain, so can you please tell us in detail how your reload, assure your load isn't 'hot', ad nauseam.

bottom line, why put yourself through this dog and pony discussion, for the record, during an investigation where you are being judicially put through the wringer over your recollection of how you reload.

why on earth would you put yourself through this type of twenty questions scenario which can be used against you in court when all you would have to state to the nice LE's my SD handgun is loaded with exactly what my community's LE carry!

your tired derriere is stilling in jail, or out on $$$bond paying an $$$$$attorney to get you properly defended.

i'm personally not that wealthy or curious to see what it is like sitting in jail or going to court to defend myself cuz some silly prosecutor believe they can make a name from my using SD reload ammo as pre-meditation killing.
First, your gonna be investigated in every cavity you have anyway. You like short answers, well here is mine. I don't load hot rounds as I have too much respect for my weapon. Second, I use lead bullets that are cheap and easy for practice. Third, they are ballistically inferior to hot police ammunition. Forth, my only intention is to stop the action that initiated my defense.
And last but certainly not least I am a twenty two year veteran of the local police department. Retired in excellent standing with an impeccable record. I might also add, I did two years as a stand in Municipal judge in the local courtroom. I feel little fear from the officers I trained. But yes, attorneys are a different matter. But there job is to convince a jury your intent was to kill kill kill. What ammunition you use, makes no difference.
 

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