I’ve been thinking of taking a more in depth training class then the local courses I’ve been taking. I often hear that training classes frown upon reloaded ammuntion in their classes. Do any of the mainstream instructors (Vickers, Costa, Haley, Magpul, etc.) allow reloaded ammunition in their classes?
Find their website and see. I usually assume no reloads and brass preferred if steel isn’t outright banned.
I’ve trained with many of the more well known, and have seen students running reloaded ammo many times. I have also seen many shooters shoot steel cased ammo, and the instructors had no problem with it. But if you have a question, I’d send them an e-mail. They are pretty good about letting you know about any specific requirments beforehand.
I will add that if you spend most of your time fighting your rifle because it won’t run what you brought instead of learning to fight with your rifle, they won’t slow down or stop to get you squared away. So make sure whatever you bring is up to par and your rifle will eat it.
The local schools and instructors here do not allow the use of reloaded or re-manufactured ammunition. No issues with steel case, however some say no steel core ammo because it eats up their steel target much faster.
Contact the instructor or institution. If you are using a product from a commercial remanufacturer of ammunition (Black Hills, Georgia Arms, Ultramax, HSM, others) specify which manufacturer and load. There are instructors and institutions that will accept some vendors and not others, but will not publicize such information.
What he said.
FWIW I shoot , and have shot, steel cased .223 ammo in plenty of top tier carbine courses without any significant issues, and I always laugh at the guy shooting high dollar brass ammo next to me who on teh enternet will cry about “that guy” and doesnt perform any better.
I wont do it in pistol, as Ive yet to see it be reliable.
Either way, be CERTAIN your gun will run the ammo you take. Your paying a lot of money, and spending a good amount of time and energy to learn at a class. Dont get distracted and miss out on the experience to save a few bucks if you can help it.
The course description will have a list of required gear, which will include ammo. If there are any restrictions on ammo, it will be listed there. If you don’t see a restriction there, there is no restriction.
Agreed. I’ve run Wolf in most carbine courses, a few with Brown Bear and the last class in early Dec with PMC because I was breaking in a new DD Mk-18. People can talk smack all they want about it being dirty (FYI, there is no such thing as clean shooting ammo) or under pressured, but I came out high shooter a few times with just Wolf or Brown Bear.
I don’t run Wolf or steel cased stuff, but that’s my preference.
In the coming weeks and months, we may run into a situation where pistol and carbine class participation could be hampered by a commercial ammo shortage, combined with price spikes.
Even reloading is getting tough to do, with a shortage of bullets and primers. There seems to be plenty of brass and powder.
As a host for these types of training classes, I am concerned.
At this point, I would have no problems shooting my own reloads out of my own guns.
2 part answer.
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What everyone else said. First, make sure your instructor is OK with reloads. Commercial remanufactured ammo (like Black Hills) should be GTG.
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Make sure you trust your reloading source. Last year at T.A.P.S. I was 2 targets down from a guy who was shooting reloads.
TD1: blown primer locks up his bolt; couldn’t field strip it without considerable force.
TD2: hot load blew out the chamber of his Beretta 92. Catastrophic; we were all surprised he wasn’t hurt. In the end, he had to take 3 hours out of training to drive home, get a G17, and return. Lost gun, lost training time.
I’m not saying don’t use reloads if you’re allowed, but trust your source, otherwise it can lead to a false economy.
I wouldn’t run reloads at a class…why chance it? At least with factory ammo, if something were to happen you have an out.
We all know that classes, as helpful and fun as they are, eat up time, money, and ammo. I want to get the full experience and not worry about something stupid happening to impair my ability to learn in the class.
Some care.
Most don’t.
None will stop or slow down because of your decision to cheap out on ammo.
Make sure your gun will go bang with whatever you choose.
Larry Vickers and all the Alias Training & Security Services associated instructors allow reloaded ammo.
Just as long as you feel it is reliable.
We don’t care what ammo you use, just as long as it’s safe and reasonably reliable.
Paul