Do you load your own SD / EDC ammunition?

**luckoftheirishza** · 21-06-2015, 18:29

I don't have a few million dollars lying around to do proper R&D and testing on SD rounds.

With what is available locally, I can't see any reason to roll my own. Plus I think our range of propellants are not great enough for me to be happy.

**sa-shooter** · 21-06-2015, 18:33

Originally Posted by Slingshot

That's what puzzles me - if you load the rounds to the same speed or faster as listed on the manufacturer's website, the performance would be exactly the same as the factory ammo. Cost and reliability - knowing exactly what my bullets contain - is the reason I load my own SD ammunition.

That is a fair assumption and one that I agree with. However, it's still an assumption and I do not have the necessary equipment and "expertise" to preform the necessary tests to confirm that they are, in fact, preforming as they would from the factory. I believe that the manufacturers spend a substantial amount of money in the research, development and testing on a given cartridge, not just the bullet design, in order to make sure it preforms to expectation each and every time. I cannot do that, so I would rather carry what is freely available to us that has already been tested beyond what is necessary. However, I am to understand that some years ago we had a huge shortage of SD ammo, and in that scenario I would most certainly do my utmost to develop an SD round and load it myself. For now though, that is not necessary.

**flyinggun** · 21-06-2015, 18:39

I hear both side of the story, but I am on the othet side of the coin. I would like buy SD ammo, but as I live in one of the Free Republics in our beautiful country. Decent Ammo is not freely available, thus my decision to make my own.

I will rather trust my own as I KNOW there is Propellant in.

My 2c.

**Maroelas** · 21-06-2015, 18:41

I'm more than happy to let the ammo companies spend millions and millions and millions af millions and millions and millions and millions and (well you get the idea) on research and development. They have the budgets to do this.

They also have access to powders which we don't, such as flash reducing powders etc.

**griffin** · 21-06-2015, 19:38

Why do my own when I can get something decent from a reputable manufacturer and after testing know that they go bang as perform as per their specs.

**Pirate** · 21-06-2015, 19:46

I'll carry premium factory for as long as I have access to it. The day I don't, I'll carry my competition ammo without a second thought. Numbers-wise, they are by far the most-proven ammo in all my guns. And penetration > expansion in my books all day long, so I'll won't break my head about it.

**Gunservant** · 21-06-2015, 19:52

If reload reliability is anything like what I see during club-shoots and leagues, no thanks. I'm sure the factory which produces premium SD ammo does just fine, and my life is worth the price of the odd boxes thereof.

**Gunservant** · 21-06-2015, 19:54

PS. to the detractors of factory ammo: I've put around 6K+ of factory ammo through my pistols without a single failure. Not one.

**flyinggun** · 21-06-2015, 20:02

Originally Posted by Manservant

If reload reliability is anything like what I see during club-shoots and leagues, no thanks. I'm sure the factory which produces premium SD ammo does just fine, and my life is worth the price of the odd boxes thereof.

Those reloads are usually cost cutting, short cut reloading. If you load with decent components and following the process correct, Ammo will be reliable.

**A-R** · 21-06-2015, 21:00

Well, here is my explanation/excuse:

I actually do prefer proper factory ammo for SD. Trying to duplicate a Ranger T in a reload seems not quite possible to me, with the components available locally, or elsewhere. I also have a few packs of SD ammo from other makers, some better than the others.

But, and this is a big but, I shoot a lot of my carry ammo when on the farm. This involves shots at various errant critters, from venomous snakes in places they are not welcome and not readily removable, to the occasional rabid stray dog or crop raiding varmint. I would not like to waste my costly Ranger T's on any of these, as lesser (and cheaper) ammo can do the job well enough. So, on the farm, my carry ammo is made from once-fired, selected brass with a stiff load of MP200 and a Hornady 124gn XTP. I have shot hundreds of these over the years and find them 100% reliable.

When I travel, the mags get swopped for some filled with the T's. But is does happen that I forget to swap, or don't get the opportunity to. If the S should HTF while I carry the reloads, I still feel better armed than with factory FMJ.

Others will obviously have different needs and scenarios, so choices will differ.