Home Defense Ammo

Fixxah

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Being relatively new to reloading, I was wondering what type of ammo most of you use for carry/home? The reason I ask this is because of the 1,700 target rounds that I've loaded, there have been 3 squibs. I have options in the home when it comes to weapons, but I am not sure if I feel confident in my reloads at this point. My defense ammo is JHP. So, reload or factory? Thanks for any input. John
 
Save the reloads for the range.
Find good factory JHPs that work reliably for you and your gun.
Then develop a similar load to practice with.

For example, I have 230g +P HST rounds in my .45s.
I worked up a load that hits the same point of impact at 15 yards for practice.
While the recoil is gentler and muzzle rise is less, the rounds are close enough for realistic practice.
 
I wouldn't trust my life to reloads.

I have the same as Big Daddy (Federal HST 230gr) in my carry guns. I used to use Corbon JHP 230gr but recently switched as the HST got great reviews and is cheaper ($23/50rds) allowing me to practice more with what I carry.
 
I would think hand loads in a home defence situation might create a problem in court.

Beat me to it.

Q. Why did you use this specific cartridge?

Answer A: I made them and loaded them to top pressures for knockdown power and penitration. (Wrong answerer)

Answer B: I just got what was on the shelf at Dicks it said protection on the box.
 
The only legal issue that has ever been documented as arising out of the use of handloads for self defense is the fact that a NJ court (IIRC) refused to allow handloads from the accused as evidence to do further ballistic testing to disprove the prosecution's assertions claiming that the accused was much further away from the victim than the accused claimed to be based on the lack of gunpowder residue on the victim. The accused's claim was that his handloads were significantly lighter than factory loads for recoil reduction. IIRC the judge did not allow handloads to be introduced as samples because the accused would be fabricating his own evidence.

Mas Ayoob uses this case to favor the use of factory loads for defense. Maybe some of the lawyers here can shed some more light on this?

Personally, that is why I use factory ammo for defense. Not because of the "deadly super whammo ammo" fantasies that some think will hold up in court. If you don't empty your gun there will be evidence for ballistics testing (including muzzle velocity) to shoot down any claim of excessive power.

Claiming that factory ammo is more reliable than handloads is specious as best. Unless one thinks that primers made for an ammo company's internal use are somehow of a higher quality than those sold as reloading components (and I do not), the chances of a malfunctioning primer are the same for both kinds of ammo.

On the other hand, all my ammo is handcrafted with the outmost care, which I know ammo companies cannot and do not do.
 
Speer Gold Dots. I line all rounds to loaded for SD use up on a perfectly flat surface. This will let me know if any primers are not fuly seated as the round will wobble and also gives me a quick check on overall length in case a round was not propperly seated. Sounds tedious, but only takes a minute.
 
For home defense I use off-the-shelf 12 ga, 2-3/4" # 1 Buckshot.

For carry, I use Corbon Powerball for the 10mm, and Remington 158gr LSWCHP in .38 +P.
 
The only legal issue that has ever been documented as arising out of the use of handloads for self defense is the fact that a NJ court (IIRC) refused to allow handloads from the accused as evidence to do further ballistic testing to disprove the prosecution's assertions claiming that the accused was much further away from the victim than the accused claimed to be based on the lack of gunpowder residue on the victim. The accused's claim was that his handloads were significantly lighter than factory loads for recoil reduction. IIRC the judge did not allow handloads to be introduced as samples because the accused would be fabricating his own evidence.


When your dealing with Judges like that, there is just about nothing you can do except wait for an appeal/different Judge. Thats doesn't even make sense.

9mm 147grn HST
 
I think that handloaded ammunition would be the least of your worries if you were in court over a shooting. So carry the handloads if you wantto, its not like you are randomly shooting into a crowd with them; if fired in self defense it should be fairly obvious that it was a last resort. Its like presenting a case for the debate between a baseball bat and a table leg, both objects bludgeon.
 
I have hydro shok 230's in the .45.....double tap's in the .40 & .38

Factory only for self defense / home

Keep Win Partition Gold in .45 Win Mag (260 gr.) available and ready in an L.A.R. Grizzly Mark I. Have had it since the mid-80's, use it a few times a year to make sure all functions are OK and to make sure I know how it feels and where it hits. Like, feel comfortable with, and enjoy the piece.
 
Aaaaaah!......Never heard DT in pistol course. Someone said "Keep shooting, it's gonna be messy." Someone is old school. It was "off the record"
 
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