How much H/W do you do on your Ammo selection?

My h/w consists of,

  • Read reviews – buy a whole bunch anyway and test it all at the range for function

    Votes: 8 12.5%

  • Read reviews – pick one or two then buy that to see how it functions

    Votes: 18 28.1%

  • Go to the store – buy a bunch of random stuff and run with what worked

    Votes: 2 3.1%

  • Buddy’s a Seal – I use what I was recommended

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • You know … whatever is on hand

    Votes: 13 20.3%

  • Other

    Votes: 23 35.9%
  • Total voters
    64
  • Poll closed .
I prefer Speer and Hornady products. I just make sure that one of these company's loads work in my gun. So far they always have.

Whenever possible I practice with Speer Lawman and load my SD/HD guns with the comparable Gold Dots. Speer purposely loads Lawman to mimic Gold Dots in recoil and feel.

I love Hornady TAP products, especially in 5.56/.223. Additionally, although much maligned on gun forums, Hornady's Critical Defense round never fails to expand for me (or in tests that I've seen) and is one of the most accurate brands of ammo that I've ever shot. YMMV
 
I test fire/function test any ammo I load for SD...especially in my semi's.

Ok, I do pick ammo for testing that I have read good reviews etc. I get down to two or three choices for carry.

My present carry:
Remington Express +P 158g SWLHP .38 spl.
Gold Dot 135g +P HP .38 spl.

Hornady Critical defense 185g .45ACP
Gold Dot 230g HP .45ACP
 
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Mr. Blue I also love Speer. The gold dots are excellent and their ammo is very accurate. I used 230gr. Ball Lawman as well. I stick to that mostly.
 
I always check with my accountant first. He usually accompanies me in my hip pocket, and holds my driver's and firearms licenses, a couple credit cards, etc. My current accountant is a tri-fold

When I go to the funstore, I confer with my accountant before every purchase. If I have 20 dollars and say Remington 230 gr 45 ACP is 17 dollars, I buy a box. If there is more expensive ammo on hand and I have 20 dollars, I always follow my accountant's advice and I don't purchase any.

I once had more money than necessary to purchase a box of ammo, and my accountant advised against spending more money than needed. I did not heed his advice and I paid 28 dollars for ammunition that was of higher quality. It made the same holes in the paper as the 17 dollar box of ammunition
 
@TylerD45ACP - Great minds think alike. Speer Lawman is also very competively priced. It is GREAT practice ammo. In about 10,000 rounds I have only had one bad round, a bullet setback.
 
Voted other. I use a good dose of common sense followed by past experience and knowledge gained via research. Then, if looking at factory ammo, I'd buy different ammo's that fit into the parameters I've set and then run what worked and what is the most accurate.

But then again, I reload and have only bought 290 rounds of factory loads (150 .357, 120 .32 H&R, 20 .243) to shoot off or to have on hand in the last 4 or 5 years. And of coarse for the brass too. Right now I only have one box (less 12 or 18) of Remington 125 jhp's to shove in the .357 in case of emergency and a handfull of 85gr Fed, jhp's for the .32. And that's all the centerfire factory stuff I have including for rifles.
 
As I shoot revolvers exclusively I don’t have to much to worry about when it comes to finding a round that will function in one of them. Also I shoot .357 Magnum Smith and Wessons’ 99% of the time so there is not much difference in the way rounds group from one revolver to another. So my normal range time is 100 rounds 38 special 125Gr. +p or 147Gr. +P+ followed by 50 rounds of 158Gr. .357 Magnum ammo.
 
@ Mr. Blue I agree its a good practice ammo. When I fired the 230gr. Gold Dots I couldnt help but notice they felt like the Speer Lawman 230gr. Ball. I think it is a good practice ammo as well and its accurate. I shoot great groups with my S&W 1911 45ACP. Gold Dots expand nice too and I hear they are some of the most relaible. I did some wet phone book tests even through a pair of jeans and they expand nice. I would like to try some Federal HST's but can't find any in 45ACP. Ill stick to trusty Speer.
 
It really depends on the gun and specific use. For all of my SD/duty autos, I'm pretty much convinced just about any and all premium defense loads work about the same and that one doesn't have much advantage, if any over the other. Generally all of my SD/duty ammo is Speer Gold Dots as it works in all my pistols in all the calibers I have.

When it comes to outdoor pistols and revolvers then I start to get really picky, because they will be called upon to make clean kills at ranges longer than what I would expect to be engaged in a SD situation and under much different circumstances.

I want all of my .45 Colt heavy-hitter hardcast loads to print tiny groups. Although it's primarily my tent & sleeping bag gun, it may be the only thing I have on me when I see that moose or caribou out to a 100yrds and I want to be confident when I squeeze the trigger on it.
 
Before I started reloading. I just bought whatever was on sale.

Pretty much the same thing now except for some "premium" hunting rounds recommended by friends.
 
I do a lot of reading. That reading includes OIS reports since I work for a department. I also talk to officers that have been in OIS situations. I base my decision on a combination of lab tests, reviews, and real world use. Then I buy it and test it through multiple layers of either denim or khaki pant material in water.

I have come to the decision that Federal Hydra-Shok, Ranger T, Ranger Bonded, Speer Gold Dot, and Federal HST all do the job very well.

Some do certain things better than others. Ranger T has jacket seperation issues going through barriers, Federal Hydra-Shok can have issues with heavy clothing, and so on and so forth. So far the most consistent performer from my research is the Federal HST.
 
I agree with all the types you said MikeNice81. However I also think Remington Golden Sabers, Corbon's, and Hornaday Critical Defense and FXT are nice.
 
Golden Sabers that aren't bonded and corbon standard JHPs do have problems with jacket separation. Which is why they usually aren't reccomended.
 
My issue with Golden Saber is that they appear to be velocity sensitive. The .380 has had a lot of issues with not expanding in pocket guns. That is just my experience.

If you like it test it and see if it works. That is my advice to everybody about every bullet.
 
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