Ammo where to buy VS quality?

[Tripwire]

I am starting to do more serious shooting - 2-3 boxes once in a while...

besides my local shops ( expensive) where do you guys go online for .40 caliber hollow points? i will pay more for higher quality ammo as im only practicing and not cutting down trees.....

I tend to buy brand names like Winchester or S&W or am i wasting money? i want the same performance practicing as well as real life situations ( god forbid)

Trip......

[namsag]

Hey man good to see you shooting regularly.

I will first not answer your question directly and tell you that if you want to shoot alot you should start reloading. It's an initial investment but you will be able to shoot a lot more and it's fun too, and more versatile. If you are just wanting to load and shoot pistol calibers a Dillon Square Deal B is a great way to start.

For ammunition, you do not need to practice with expensive hollowpoints. Practice with the cheaper stuff and buy it in bulk. My favorite sources are Ammoman.com and Lucky Gunner. You can get 1000 rds of practice ammo from either source for a reasonable cost and save the brass for when you start reloading. Lucky Gunner has remanufactured ammunition from an outfit called MBI that is very affordable and is good stuff. I ahve used it in training classes and never had a problem. Others brands are Remington, Federal and Winchester "white box" economy loads, and Aguila, PMC, Fiocchi, Armscor, Prvi Partizan. I have used all these economy brands but I prefer Aguila and Prvi. Great practice ammunition. They will be a bit dirtier than premium brands and you will have to clean your pistol a little more often but I have never really had a problem with any of them although I do not like Sellier and Bellot. I would stay away from the steel cased stuff but I am sure someone will come along and say they use it all the time no problem. That stuff is VERY dirty.

Get just a few boxes of good hollowpoints and shoot enough of them to make sure that brand functions well in your pistol if you are going to carry. Some will go as far as to strip the pistol and individually chamber each round they intend to carry.

You can shoot alot more for less per round if you reload or buy in bulk.

[rockrollin]

I wouldn't be practicing with HPs first off. I use a good amount of 45acp, and I look for PMC & Fiocchi, Winchester is decent as well. Practice on paper with the RNs then run a couple of mags of the TAP rounds you decide on to make sure they cycle correctly, and adjust to the difference in trajectory (if any). It might be worth a search for some reload (remanufactured) target ammo as well.

[babywag]

Walmart has the best prices around here ~$35/box.
Selection is limited but don't need anything special when blowing through a 100 round box for fun.

[JeepsAndGuns]

I agree with the above. If all your doing is practice, don't waste good HP ammo. Just regular ball ammo will work fine and be cheaper.
If high quality is what you are after, I also agree and say reloading is your best bet. Like mentioned, there is a higher initial setup cost, but after than it gets cheaper.
With reloading, you can pick what components go into your ammo. What brass, primers, powder, and bullets. When you load your own ammo, you can carefully watch each load of powder you put in each case and consistency is what makes for quality and good shooting ammo. Also what powder you use can make a big difference. I load 45 acp and my loads shot better out of my gun than any off the shelf ammo I have tried.

[Tanker]

I would not use hand loads for self defense. If used it can be used against you,prosecute,why did you load a hot load? Why did you use brand x hollow point? Are you a killer,wheres your war face? Needs work,Im not scared. Ive seen several people get screwed due to hand loads. With law suits going crazy stay with factory.

[Revhendo]

Practice with FMJ, it will save you money in the long run. Find a JHP round for defense that works for you and in your weapon and stick with it. I like Ranger Ts. That is just me, though. When you are practicing, mix in a mag of your SD rounds and see if you actually notice a difference in your shop placement. You can set your mags on the bench in front of you and it's good practice to not look at them when you mag dump and reload. (You won't be able to see them at night is a self defense scenario, so this is good practice, also.)

Speaking of practice, do you use snap caps? Mix a few in when you load your mags, (don't watch when you load)(also good night scenario practice). It will show you any bad habits you may have, like anticipation of trigger or flinching.

Reloading is a good skill to have. I love the Dillon equipment. If you go with them, you might look at the 550. The square deal is a great piece, but if you get hooked on reloading, you will want to be able to adapt to other calibers.
I am currently using a Lee Classic Turret. A great budget machine.

[Carnuck]

They just tacked 5 cents a round and $25 per gun sale here in Seattle today to "stop the gun violence!"



No comment needed. My point is taxing the chicken feed to keep the foxes and skunks away does NOT work!

[bmax65]

Trip/Carnuck/Tanker

Trip-

Maybe DHS will be dumping some of that ginormous order...what was it supposed to be, '2 billion rounds' of SW 40 HP's? Gosh if that's even half true, they could generate some revenue with a fire sale...'ammo stimulus', anyone?

Have no clue what pistola you got, but some of the press claims that lead bullets will load up the grooves if you have polygonal rifling. One of the guys I worked with really liked Hornady stuff, have you tried their hollow points with that red poly tip?



Carnuck-

You got something against protecting children/unicorns? Next thing you'll tell us is that you're against one-party rule and hate Saul Alinsky's writings!



Just recently saw "atf cameras" on light poles in the Central District, on the local news....'for public safety'. Uncle Nanny IS here

Tanker- would you know if that's nationwide? I have read sorta both sides of your comment, that some folks got nailed just due to handloads, and others didn't- believe it or not, one handload guy's stuff was lower powered than stock, guess with his choice of bullet he didn't need 'hot' powder.

Of course the media and the general public mostly get anything 2nd Amendment related, wrong.

[Carnuck]

1989 just arrived later than expected.

Moving on though. They also added a $500 fine if you don't immediately report a stolen or lost gun.

Factory powder has been devolved to only being good for 2 years maximum. How long ago did they buy all those bullets? KYHLAPD!

[Tanker]

Was involved in 2 shooting due to job,I'm not police either. One of the first thing the DA looked at was trigger pull weight. Light ,factory or what. Second was ammo, handload or factory. My first shooting they frowned on the Black hills frag able hollow point. But it's factory so let go. The second shooting ammo was checked and released. This was in south FL. Is it nation wide don't know,I feel that's a mater of DA state an county law. The second the DA was more relax not gun hoe like the first. The first was trying to get me on back ground firing with out a stop. Well the. 45 can go so are you sure you didn't hit anything any past your victim . We're you trying to kill or wound,the list goes on. Thank god my boss had lawyers ready. Just trying to past the no ledge on. If my 12 gauge was used I mite have had a problem, supper ball an buck n ball,with 3 inch mag slug with titanium core. Engine killers.

[bmax65]

Carnuck/Tanker

Carnuck-

Yeah, the death of a thousand cuts....frog in the pot...the gradual, inexorable, usurpation of freedom and God-given rights. But hey, if we all have ipods/farce-book and a hot latte, everything's ok, right? Never mind that man behind the curtain

Tanker- wow. It's good nothing bad happened to you.

I've been pulled on/threatened in lovely south Seattle a few times, luckily nothing happened. Funny, back then I never owned anything. Looking back 20/20, childhood was way liberal...never heard the word, though. Things that went boom were evil, and Uncle Sugar was the answer to every ill...and everyone pulled the donkey lever come November.

Yeah, guess it just depends where you live, and who's driving the legislative bus.

Well, I guess if you'd want to 'make sure' that factory was tough enough, you could try packing a 454 Casull/460 SW/500SW....years ago I got to try a really weird revolver up in Alaska, called the 'SW Survival'. Stainless steel, 5 round cylinder, 2" barrel, and big, ugly, ORANGE Hogue overmolded grips.
The guy let me run both 454 and 460 through it, a few cylinders worth of each.

I'm not gonna lie, at that power level thru a 2" pipe was brutal...the noise and fireball was amazing. It actually left a discolored bruise stripe on my palm. Attempting rapid fire was ridiculous, probably a 5" circle....but I guess if you could dump all 5 into a torso target repeatedly, the perp should be taking an unscheduled nap.

Yeah, I think factory loads of 454/460/500 would be 'sufficient'....no modding necessary

If your attacker still gets up after getting one of these deposited in him, guess that zombie apocalypse junk has a grain of truth

[Ristow]

lol,i want a .454 Alaskan to keep in my cabover.

[Revhendo]

Tanker, just for reference, if anyone asks you if you shot to kill, the answer is NO. You shoot to stop a threat.

Bmax. Those big rounds are great for bear and big game, but not self defense. Hot loads aren't good defensive rounds either. The .40 is a great defensive round especially in a hollow point. What you want in a defensive round is to be able to follow up your shots and not over penetrate.

Tripwire, I have used Cheaper than Dirt for purchases, (they're not). You may want to check Ammoforless and LAX Ammo. I will try and check my computer later for online sources I've been told about.

[Revhendo]

Tanker, just for reference, if anyone asks you if you shot to kill, the answer is NO. You shoot to stop a threat.

Bmax. Those big rounds are great for bear and big game, but not self defense. Hot loads aren't good defensive rounds either. The .40 is a great defensive round especially in a hollow point. What you want in a defensive round is to be able to follow up your shots and not over penetrate.

Tripwire, I have used Cheaper than Dirt for purchases, (they're not). You may want to check Ammoforless and LAX Ammo. I will try and check my computer later for online sources I've been told about.