What do you shoot first?

[tominboise]

Like many of you, I am an avid reloader and have an adequate supply of components and reloaded ammunition on hand. I also have an adequate supply of factory ammo. For a caliber like 9mm, what do you shoot first? I tend to shoot the reloads and keep reloading the brass, and only occasionally shoot a box of new ammo in the mix. The shooting I am referring to is target shooting or plinking. I use new ammo for my carry pistols.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

This might sound mercenary, but at this point in time that factory loaded ammo is worth a bunch of cash. Of course, there may come a time when ammo demand is such that your reloads will be worth a chunk.

For now I'm shooting my home-rolled, and while doing so I am closely monitoring my primers and powder supplies.

 

[lrrifleman]

Considering the scarcity of factory ammo, I shoot my hand loads first. Fortunately, I only shoot one event per year that mandates the use of factory ammo. In all honesty, I've been reloading for almost 45 years, and it wasn't until maybe the last 4-5 years that I even purchased any factory ammo. Hand loads with home cast bullets meet the majority of my needs.

 

[Green Frog]

I usually warm up shooting bulk 22, having followed the advice to “buy ‘em cheap and stack ‘em deep” after the last “panic.” Then I like to shoot reloads in various handloaded iterations of 32 in one or more of my 32 revolvers. Then maybe some 38s, mostly through my venerable K38 or my Baby Chiefs Special. I occasionally break out my AR 15 or 9mm Franken-Smith and fire a small amount of factory ammo (which I can reload but currently don’t) to keep my hand in with those two guns.

Obviously then, I do most of my shooting with abundant rim fire and well stocked reloads, and save the factory stuff until more seriously needed or until once again more readily available.

Apropos of nothing, when I saw the title to this thread I thought maybe the OP was asking about my shooting sequence, ie how do I warm up during a session at the range? The answer to that is contained above... I start small and work up to large. On the rare occasions my 44 or one of my 45s get shot on the range, they are toward the end of the session... if a flinch starts to develop, I want it near the end of the session, but I find if I “start small” I’ll be less likely to suffer “flinch-itis” when I get to the big boy guns. YMMV

Froggie

 

[Hair Trigger]

Hand loads are almost all I have, I don't think I have a full box of factory stuff for any gun I have. Got lots of brass for all my calibers, a fair selection of bullets and powder, what I am getting short on is primers. I just shoot less than I usually do when I go to the range, and keep a minimum supply held back for the EDC.

 

[Sevens]

Outside of rimfire, the only factory ammo I ever have is high dollar defense ammo. I never shoot factory ammo.

For me, basically ANY and EVERY range trip is a chance to test nee handloads or do more proving of already established great handloads.

I have no interest in factory ammo.

 

[Liftrat]

Handloads most of the time, along with rimfire. I used to shoot a lot more factory, and saved the brass, but handloads fill most of my needs these days. Save the factory stuff for the bitter end, though it's nice to have at least a small stash of it.

 

[Dave Lively]

When I was reloading I always shot reloads first. Reloads are hard to get rid of if you get tired of a caliber or have to quit shooting for medical reasons.

This doesn't apply to those that never sell a gun but over the past 20 years I have consolidated calibers and sold all my guns in 17 M2, 22 WMR, 243, 30-06, 338, 380, 10mm and 45. Except for the rimfire calibers I had reloaded ammo for all the other calibers and delayed selling the guns until I shot all the reloads. Components or factory ammo can be easily sold or given away. Breaking down reloads is so slow and tedious shooting them and then selling the gun made a lot more sense.

 

[glenwolde]

Reloads first. The factory ammo is, and always has been for me, emergency back up or held in reserve for family and friends.

It's a lot more interesting shooting one's own reloads.

 

[PPS1980]

Can't legally sell the reloads without special permission from the ATF, so the factory OEM stuff would be held in reserve.

 

[rwsmith]

I avoid....

I avoid shooting factory ammo as much as possible.

Of course I shoot some .22.

I used Tullammo for my SKS because the cartridges flew all over. Now I'm thinking about making a deflector and reloading.

 

[cadmike]

I do keep a small supply of factory ammo in most but not all of the calibers i shoot regularly. I usually only shoot the factory stuff when I want to work up some hand loads and am using a chronograph to compare and work up loads equivalent to factory.
I usually only hand load enough ammo in any particular chambering to last a year or maybe 2 tops. Sometimes I hand load just enough for one shooting session. That way if my tastes change, I’m not stuck with a particular loading and still have the components to tailer to suit.
As a hand loader it’s fun for me to have options. I’m not going to load up 2000 rounds Of the same load that may take me 4 years to shoot thru the same boring old ammo, when I can load it fresh for the task at hand, to my own tastes and desires at the time. Maybe one day I want to shoot some 125 grain plated .38 at 750 FPS. Maybe the next day I want to shoot the same 125’s at +p with a different powder. Options are good, and as stated earlier components are easier to sell than reloads.

 

[max]

I have shot 9mm factory for the past several years as it was cheap. I spent my time reloading .45 acp. I just recently started reloading 9mm again as the factory ammo is worth so much.

I usually shoot a few .22's each time I go to the range.

 

[Rpg]

I use the same hand loaded 45acp for practice, competition, sd, and wandering in the field. Over the years I’ve purchased Commercial and surplus 45acp when I’ve run across it at an attractive price, so I have a bit, but rarely shoot much of it.

Likewise, I hand load 38 special as well as the center fire rifle calibers I use and buy commercial loads in these calibers when I run across it at good prices.

Over the years I’ve followed this practice which has resulted in being pretty well sheltered from the cyclical vagaries of ammo prices and shortages.

I’ve not inventoried my ammo holding recently but I’m pretty sure I have plenty.

 

[Model52guy]

I alway shoot my reloads and save the factory stuff for ???? In the past few months Ive had a lot of neighbors and friends who ask if I have any XX caliber shells, they really need them. For christmas I gave two of the neighbors shells they needed and one good friend. Most of what I gave away, I either don’t shoot very much or have the capacity to reload many more for my needs.

 

[Valmet]

I’ve always had a tendency to shoot my reloads first before getting into factory ammo. With that said I also can be OCD as I keep track of how many times I’ve fired my brass.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Actually, I still have some old reloads.
But mostly I have factory ammo.
I shoot a lot of 38 Special and I have a bunch of Ball.
Ball goes down range.
Will occasionally shoot a few Hollow Points in my self defense - carry guns.

 

[max503]

I have very few factory rounds. Why buy them if you reload?

 

[tominboise]

I am an inveterate handloader and load for all my guns save the .380. I generally shoot 100-200 22 rimfire every time I go out, along with whatever I am shooting centerfire wise. I generally shoot only my own handloads, but I have some factory ammo in most calibers (except 357mag, for some reason). I have been buying bulk ammo when I saw a good deal on it over the past few years. Factory ammo for plinking with the AR15's. Also bought several thousand 30-06 rounds for my Garands when it was available cheap from the CMP and other sources. But even there, I shoot more handloads in my Garands than anything else.

 

[Arub01]

I run only home loads through my handguns. Do have a case of .40S&W and some .45acp on hand that I bought when a local gun shop went out of business.
For my ARs, I shoot only store bought ammo that I acquired several years ago and still have a few thousand rounds on hand. Don't shoot the ARs much and the store bought was only a few cents per round more than I could hand load for.