-Dan

as far as jackets go...FMJ is good for basic target practice and CAN be used to defense but best if done as a last resort kinda thing.

Jacketed hollowpoints or JHP's are used for defensive or hunting purposes for the slight edge in energy upon impact and lessened potential for over penetration.

Total Metal Jackets (TMJ) aren't encountered often but are used to indoor ranges where ventilation is insufficient to filter all of the lead residue from the air that might build up.

Expanding Metal Jackets...a relatively new bullet design, blends the aspects of an snag free, easy loading FMJ with the ballistics of a JHP. looking at one of the bullets, you can usually see very fine cuts in the jacket to help the expansion.

Soft Points and Lead Wadcutters - these were the earliest designs of bullets due to the low temperature in which lead melts made it easy to mold as it was also soft enough to not damage rifling in early barrels. both still see use in period style competitions (think cowboy) or for cheap target rounds.

then we have Hardcast. Hardcaste are lead
bullets that are harder than usual...I really don't know much about the process but they're a preferred load in big game hunting due to the higher penetration and heavy weight compared to more conventional types.

– Evan Tanner, 2007

-Dan

they're used to dry fire a pistol and not cause undue stress to a firing pin.

it's either a platic or metal replica of a cartridge that has a spring loaded primer cap for the firing pin to strike.

What about brands... Like, I know there's gotta be good and bad stuff, not just to shoot, but for the gun? I'm assuming it's like different brands of gas for a car... In which case I probly just have to try different stuff until I find stuff I like huh?

-Dan

there's also higher pressure loads too, the boxes will be marked with +P or +p+

check the owner's manual of the gun before buying these though as some won't handle it.

-Dan

I've had excellent results with Cor-Bon ammo. This is carry ammo and it is quite powerful, albeit expensive. The Federal Hydra Shok is a highly proven JHP and would serve you well in both .40 and .45 loads. For practice ammo I have had good experience with PMC and Remington. I had some trouble with Winchester white box in .45, but none in .40 or 9mm. I think it was probably the pistol with the .45, but a buddy had trouble with it too in a Kimber, so who knows.

Some people get hung up on a magic bullet. Guess what? There isn't one. Pick a quality JHP that is accurate and feeds well and then work on shot placement. Over and over and over...

right now, I've got just regular whitebox Winchester JHP's in the Taurus I keep loaded.

not one of the cool super ultra high tech rounds, but I keep them because I can hit within 6 inches at 40 yds with them.

I just shot an IDPA competition with the standard target Winchester Target/Range Ammo 9mm 115 grain FMJ. No problems. A few guys firing the same caliber had problems with their Blazer Ammo. A few dudes and one that mis-feed in the clip. I like the Winchester Target Range Ammo for that application. Its super cheap (I usually buy it from WalMart) and pretty reliable.

Stuff I have used with no problems:

Winchester:
Cowboy Action Loads 45 Colt 250 grain Lead Flat Nose
Super X 45 Colt 225 grain Silvertip Hallowpoints
Super X 454 Casull 250 grain JHP
Partition Gold 454 Casull 260 grain JHP
Georgia Arms 454 Casull 300 grain JHP- currently what I am using, great stuff
Personal Protection .357 Mag 110 grain JHP
Target/Range 40 S&W 165 grain FMJ
Target/Range 9mm 115 grain FMJ

Fiocchi:
38 S&W Special 158 grain FMJ

Corbon (My personal defense ammunition)
.357 Mag 125 grain JHP
9mm 115 JHP

I in by no way advocating that these are the paradigms that you must follow. I am just indicating that these brands have given me successful ammunition when shooting my handguns. I tend to buy my ammunition in bulk and need to do so next gun show.
bud

-Dan

just use FMJ's. Sellior and Bellot is usually cheap and a clean burning and generally accurate brand.

Wolf isn't bad if the gun doesn't mind a steel casing and a little dirt.

CCI Blazer too, the cases are aluminum, and like steel, can't be reloaded, but you probably don't care about that right now. UMC/Remington makes good target stuff....just about any FMJ you can find will be a good target load to try.

god...if I could make good money owning a gun store I'd be all over it....

good stopper, it comes with a proven track record.

if the guns shoots it well and you can handle it, I don't give a crap what it is, load it.

This is pretty much all I use for target shooting. For carry, I like the the HydraShocks, but they're far too expensive for the range... Pretty much anything Mr1der and repo-man says as far as guns goes is gold.

Help me get Dale Davis back for stealing Jaymee's car!! / VG30DETT into 1989 240SX

I still need to go to an actual range and check out the 240gr I've got for my XD and see how well it likes it.

My son's 40 smith and wesson has zero problems gobbling it up and our other guns have no issues with the 9mm and 45 stuff as well.

I'm now reloading and saving most of my brass from the HSM and its working out quite nicely. HSM (Hunting Shack Munitions) brass is cheaper than steel/aluminum cased Blazer.

OMG EDITED FOR CONTENT.!!

Quote, originally posted by Jesda »

gulatimagic (12:57:15 PM): wow, I have New Kids On The Block on my iTunes library

Quote, originally posted by JimmyMethod »

Obviously I'm gay

Don't think I've ever heard that phrase before. I'll have to look for HSM.

I was at Sportsmans Warehouse this past weekend and it was 6.99 for a box of brass 9mm, 7.99 or 8.99 for .40 brass and 10.99 for 45acp. Its either the same price or a tiny bit cheaper than blazer. I like it because it brass and not steel or aluminum cased and I'm reloading now.

I've shot reloaded stuff from a local place and found that it's inconsistant as hell.

The HSM has been around a long time and the police force here uses it for practice ammo. The practical/tactical shooting team uses that ammo for their events and they are happy with it.

I have been reloading myself lately.

I wish my backyard were bigger though...it's nice to not have to worry about going to a range.

I want a dillon 650 with all the options like the auto case feeder and stuff. Around 1200 bux but reloads several hundred rounds an hour.

They are pricey though, and I'll have to second cor-bons if you don't like either of the two I mentioned.

Quote, originally posted by Mr1der »

dumbass doesn't have an age limit.

some prefer heavier bullets with more kinetic energy though.

and they're usually cheaper...magsafe and glazer are freakin' high...

How much force does it take to ignite a primer in, say, a 9mm round?

not all primers are the same...

sometimes surplus ammo won't work good at all in guns that have had action/trigger work because they just don't have the force to pop the primer hard enough.

I dunno if the shooter's bible would have something like that in it or not...

I wanna load some baking goods into shells....

who wants to don the glasses and get blasted with some double ought candy sprinkles?

I have no idea how to respond to that.

Quote, originally posted by Looneybomber »

For the most part, it sounds like everyone buys their ammo. Repo said he once reloaded but doesn't any more. Does anyone reload?

And I still would, but the press I had was just a little, single stage Lee press that was highly aggravating to use. I am going to get a Dillon progressive and stock up on components before the next POTUS takes office. I have a good amount of brass and bullets right now, just need a load of powder and primers. If it weren't for this damned car habit, I would have all this stuff by now. It's just money, right?

But it all depends on what you're used to. Back in the day, my dad and I would mold our own muzzle loader bullets. We'd have to clean all the lead, cut it into pieces small enough to fit in the melter, and then pour it into the hand held mold, let it sit for a few seconds, tap it twice and drop the bullet onto our soft catch towel that wouldn't burn/melt. After it was all said and done, you may get 50-60 bullets made and easily spent over two hours. (I pretty much did all the lead cleaning...without gloves or any other safety precautions. Maybe that's why I'm going bald now?)

Quote, originally posted by bobotech »

I'm not a bench rest shooter so I'm not looking for the perfect round. I'm happy with ammo that goes bang for cheap prices and lands pretty much where I told it to go.

Varmint hunting is where it's at! There's a lot of times you'll have a coyote or prarrie (sp) dog 400-600yds out. The longest kill my dad's made on a deer was 630yds with the range finder, using the bipod. We typically can never bench shoot since you really can't bring a bench with you hunting

If you can't tell, I prefer Cor-Bon ammo.