Preferred Ammo Brand?

[scoobysnacker]

I agree with using a more inexpensive ammo for practice but I always unload AT LEAST one magazine of my EDC ammo.

To each their own, and I mean no offense.

But once you've confirmed that your defensive ammo runs, I just don't see the point of shooting it off frequently. At short-range distances, you're not going to see a difference in point of impact vs range loads, and if you run a decent full-power FMJ load you're not going to see significant recoil changes either.

Maybe if you get wet or dirty (or otherwise compromise the ammo, potentially), go ahead and use em up and load some more. But just my opinion, in most cases it's just burning money.

 

[Nevada Ed]

This thread got me to thinking about my SD ammo.

Here is a piture of my "New" 9mm SD ammo.

Holly cow...........
it is now over six (6) years old.

 

[BearBio]

This thread got me to thinking about my SD ammo.

Here is a piture of my "New" 9mm SD ammo.

Holly cow...........
it is now over six (6) years old.

Wife carries that in her G43 and G17)

 

[GypsmJim]

I load for all my guns, so my handloads would be preferred. If we're talking about rimfire, my preference would be CCI. If my only option turned out the be factory Remington, I'd go fishing instead.

 

[scoobysnacker]

It depends on the caliber. Some companies produce great loads in some calibers and junk in others. Remington is a good example of that in my experience. And to complicate things some foreign brands are just a name. Every few years the brand may be manufactured in different countries by different makers.

This does tend to be good advice...

I like S&B, and it's what I consider to be "best of show" for range use. But that's going to be handgun, 9mm mostly.

I've heard that some of the brands I would normally avoid are really preferred in some revolver calibers, for example. And some brands I respect and wouldn't have issue with, are not so good in some of the wheelguns.

Now, if you're gathering ammo right now- take that with a big grain of salt, and consider yourself lucky to find affordable ammo at all.

If you come across an unknown brand, do some research- we're seeing a lot of stuff that normally doesn't come out over here, because we're importing anything that goes bang.

Just because it's unknown, doesn't make it bad. Mesko for example- it's Polish. I think it's what their military uses. If so, and if it's a military caliber (9mm, 556, 7.62x39 etc), I assume it's pretty high quality. A lot of these central European countries don't make a bunch of recreational ammo, they make stuff "for real", and we're getting some of their surplus in exchange for cold hard US dollars.
Same thing with Belom- I understand it's the Serbian M&P stuff.

 

[BabaBlueJay]

This does tend to be good advice...

I like S&B, and it's what I consider to be "best of show" for range use. But that's going to be handgun, 9mm mostly.

I've heard that some of the brands I would normally avoid are really preferred in some revolver calibers, for example. And some brands I respect and wouldn't have issue with, are not so good in some of the wheelguns.

Now, if you're gathering ammo right now- take that with a big grain of salt, and consider yourself lucky to find affordable ammo at all.

If you come across an unknown brand, do some research- we're seeing a lot of stuff that normally doesn't come out over here, because we're importing anything that goes bang.

Just because it's unknown, doesn't make it bad. Mesko for example- it's Polish. I think it's what their military uses. If so, and if it's a military caliber (9mm, 556, 7.62x39 etc), I assume it's pretty high quality. A lot of these central European countries don't make a bunch of recreational ammo, they make stuff "for real", and we're getting some of their surplus in exchange for cold hard US dollars.
Same thing with Belom- I understand it's the Serbian M&P stuff.

Not only available, but affordable. Looking at buying a CZ-75 being sold on here because S&B 9mm is solid stuff and only 300$ for 1,000 rounds. For 1,000 rounds of their .357 its a little over double that and harder to find. Plus the idea of Czech Ammo in a Czech gun just seems right. Although the shiny CZ-75B I want is around 1500$ so I'd have to eat the upfront cost, but may end up being worth it for the reasons you mentioned.

 

[BabaBlueJay]

Well after a lot of research I went with a bullet I've fired in .38 special already and now trusting their .357 in Gold Dot Short Barrel 135 grain.

It came down to Gold Dot Short Barrel and Hornady Critical Defense FTX. I liked the expansion better with Gold Dot, and shot them better in .38 so I want to go with them for .357 magnum now.

Bought 3 boxes of 20. One to practice/sight with, one to load up my revolver and night block with two speed loaders (18 rounds) and one box untouched for my travel Pelican. Don't anticipate needing any more than that unless heaven forbid I have to use it.

Now I can go back to stockpiling my S&B for range days and have the 60 defense rounds until I need them or they expire. Here's to hoping neither of those things happen in the roaring 2020's!