Howdy. I have a question on ammo. I always hear people recommend ammo based on what it will be used for (SHTF/defense, or practice/training/plinking).
My question is, do I really have to worry that much about this? I have a wide range of ammo as far as mfgs goes. But unless I’m mistaken, most of it is what I think would be on the plinking/practice/training side. But I think I could also reliably use it to stop or kill a bad guy in a defensive situation.
The way I see it, assuming you are using the ammo for home defense, if u get hit with a PMC or UMC 55gr 223, Wolf or Golden Tiger 124gr 7.62x39, Winchester 147gr 308, PMC 124gr 9mm, Am Eagle 115gr 9mm, Remington 12ga 7/8 oz birdshot, you are gonna be in a world of trouble. You might even die. I guess an argument can be made that in the winter if the intruder is wearing a heavy coat, ammo specifically designed for defensive purposes would do better.
And assuming you are using the above rifle rounds for a fire fight in a military situation, are they less potent than milspec ammo? I guess that question goes for all ammo above. Are the brands/loads I mentioned up there loaded with less powder to save money, for practice/plinking/training purposes?
Well isn’t that the point of shooting an aggressor–to kill them? Why would you leave that up to sub-optimally performing bullets? Of course one could be killed by any round, but if the bullet mushrooms or expands better then why would you not want to use it specifically for your carry/HD ammo, even if not in great quantity?
The case has already been made for shot placement and multiple good hits versus ammo selection, and even practicing more via cheap ammo. When it comes to ammo that you keep on hand for social use other factors come into play: quality control of premium ammo, better consistency and precision, and bullet design all factor into ammo choice. Military grade ammo is not the greatest ammo being that legalities are imposed on bullet design, but it does have higher quality standards than most of the examples you gave.
I think you are missing the point. If you get shot with #7 or #8 birdshot you may die. If you get shot with 00 buck or a 1 oz slug then chances of you dying increase greatly.
Will 55gr. FMJ kill people? Absolutely- but there are better options and that is where this takes us to- better ammunition.
It’s like cops who train with standard FMJ ammo, but use a similar hollowpoint load for duty use. They do so because it is cheaper to practice with, but not the best for causing a wound.
I keep several hundred rounds of TAP and similar loadings for cases where I absolutely know 100% that a threat is imminent.
Its about bullet design. Good bullets cost more, better QC costs more, sealed and or crimped primers cost more.
Anything is better than nothing but when you know you are going to need it to actually go band, you pony up and get the good stuff.
Questionable ammo is great for training. The reloads we eat up in .40 for training have made my fail to fire malfunction very very fast.
As IG mentioned any bullet can kill you. Defensive ammo isn’t about killing, its about incapacitation. Unfortunately for the bad guys death is often a side effect of being shot for incapacitation.
l dont stockpile sd ammo in pistol calibers, l have a few mags l keep loaded. The bulk of it is fmj for cheap practice.
Almost all my precision rifle ammo is now amax, since its basically the same as smk’s except performs better as well as being cheaper.
Just practice with the most cost effective stuff you can get. Keep atleast a few mags of sd incase.
BTW, of all the things to avoid shooting a person with birdshot would have to be the least effective. These two shootings happened recently around here. Squirrel hunter blasted his friend from close range on accident he was hit in the upper back shoulder with a 12g (l dont know the load details) guy hiked himself 2 miles then drove to hospital, minor flesh wounds. Then yet another hunter shot a friend on accident dont know the details but he was hit in the chest with a 410, he was fine his clothing stopped nearly all the shot, very minor wound.
Maintain a supply of premium, purpose-built defensive ammunition. Quantity is up to you. A few hundred rounds is likely plenty for most purposes, unless you’re the post-apocalypse type.
As you purchase and use training ammunition, watch for expanding loads that may be able to do double duty as contingency ammo, sub-optimal as they may be.
My question is, do I really have to worry that much about this?
I wouldn’t “worry,” but I would strongly “consider.”
But I think I could also reliably use it to stop or kill a bad guy in a defensive situation.
Well, “reliably” really is the bottom line here, because it’s all about odds. I think of it this way: If my appendix went bad right now, my vet, who has performed many surgeries on dogs, could probably successfully remove it. My doctor, who has performed many surgeries on people, is more likely to successfully remove it. Either one could have a bad day and botch the job. Having said all that, I’d prefer my doctor over my vet for that purpose because my odds are better.
You want to increase the odds that your ammo will function in your weapon, it will do the job, and you will survive. According to a variety of tests and testing methods, some ammo tends to perform better in the self-defense role than others. The better-performing ammo also tends to be more expensive. By purchasing cheap ammo for practice and the better ammo for self-defense, you tend to increase your odds of survival while keeping your expenses manageable.
