Quote:
Originally Posted by CO_Kid
It's because you could not use loading data as evidence. Say you whipped up some mild handloads for defense because you're injured, you want your wife to be able to defend herself, whatever the reason. Time comes that you have to shoot a guy who is rapidly approaching you. He was 2 feet away when you shot him, but he says he was 15 and posing no threat. Because of your mild handload, the gunshot residue is very light on him, seemingly confirming his version of the distance, and the prosecutor goes after you. You cannot introduce your loading data showing why the GSR was like that, because you literally manufactured the evidence. With factor rounds, the factory's data CAN be used as evidence. Without getting up to go look through the book, I believe that a like scenario happened the the case of Daniel Bias. His wife died by a gunshot. He said she was holding the gun to her head, he grabbed it, they struggled, it went off and killed her. The GSR was very light, because he made mild handloads for her. The prosecutor's argument was that with the GSR being that light, the shot had to come from farther away, and that he murdered his wife, not her killing herself.
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Also, if you use gonzo super hot, or even mildly hot, home brewed self-defense rounds you can find yourself being portrayed as some sort of whacko vigilante or unstable "gun nut" by either the prosecution or the plaintiff's attorney during the ensuing civil trial. In this case, the other side is going to want your loading data, and you'll find yourself having to explain why you thought you needed to load self-defense ammo beyond the specs used in law enforcement or military issued ammo.
Best bet is to use factory ammo that is currently used, or has been used in the past, by local or federal law enforcement. It's easier to defend than either gonzo home brews or any sort of faddish commercial ammo that goes overboard in its description of its own stopping power. Frinstance, we might know that the Hornady Zomby load is a funny marketing stunt, but it could become a nightmare for you in civil court if you ever had to use it because it allows the other side to paint you as a "gun nut."