Trainers: How many of you are changing your ammo policies?

[pax]

i dont get the problem with reloads

My liability policy will not allow me to knowingly let students use reloads in my classes.

Personally, I don't have a problem with reloads. Even though there are a surprising number of incompetent reloaders out there, it's not really my problem. If you come to class with equipment that doesn't work, that's on you.

But I do want the insurance policy to keep working, so ...

***

To answer the main question, I have gone through my outlines to reduce the round count as much I could in good conscience. There's only so much you can do on that score.

pax

 

[ClydeFrog]

Pax's post, reloads...

I concur with Pax.
It's not meant as a insult or to be hostile over reloads/hand loaders but QC is a issue sometimes & not all reloaders may be skilled or able to have good ammunition 100% of the time.

EXAMPLE;
About 8 years ago, the range I often to use to do re-quals had reloaded .38spl rounds for the students. The range officer/safety manager swore up & down the loads were great & the guy was a top reloader.
I did a string on the range with a standard 4" barrel .38spl DA revolver; BANG-BANG-BOOM-BANG-BOOM-BOOM.
The reloads were all over the place!
From then on, I made a effort to just use high quality factory loads or good ammunition for re-quals.
Clyde

 

[Dragline45]

You should be practicing with what you carry and fresh rounds should go in every time you shoot your last load.

I wish I had the money to do that, but school loans will make sure I wont for a few more years. Until then cheap WWB ammo will be what I shoot at the range.

 

[nixfix]

The problem is panic and ammo hogs. The latter is a beast I see camped out at the stores. They buy all the ammo to flip. They don't shoot it. I tried to get some ammo for competitions at Bass Pro. Guys were there and scooped up boxes of ammo. They brought their wives to beat the limits. I asked one point blank if he shot it. He, looking down, said that he stashed it and his wife said they don't shoot.

Don't be an ammo hog. If you don't shoot much- if you have a decent supply of your SD or hunting ammo - don't buy it. Let the supply chain return to normal. If you buy to flip - I understand the free market but if you claim to support the RKBA - your 'free market' greed will help weaken the Second Amendment.

100% agree. I wish more people understood this. If the majority of folks stopped bulk buying the shelves would start having ammo again. And I really don't understand the sentiment in the first place. Not like anyone is even talking about banning ammunition.

 

[ClydeFrog]

Guns & Ammo...

To me(and this is my take NOT the NSSF or NRA or the gun firms), the big problem with factory rounds now is the fact that like any other product(wine cigars coffee computers cars etc) US consumers(new shooters) want the very best or what they can buy that meets their standards. Many of the top LE grade rounds or duty/protection type loads are produced in low #s or limited pre-Sandy Hook/new gun laws(2013).
The panic & hysteria just make it worse!
I don't think it's some evil plot or a lack of plans-oversight on the shooting sports industry but this is the "new normal" for ammunition & firearms makers.

Clyde

 

[Dragline45]

100% agree. I wish more people understood this. If the majority of folks stopped bulk buying the shelves would start having ammo again. And I really don't understand the sentiment in the first place. Not like anyone is even talking about banning ammunition.

You are completely right, although we live in a time where ALOT of people just don't think rationally anymore. Some people actually think zombies are going to attack and as a result are stockpiling ammo and guns. Others just think the world is going to plain end and society will collapse and want to live out their Mad Max fantasy, so again they are stockpiling guns and ammo. Rationalizing with these people is not an option, because they are just not rational thinking people. Their kids are going to be happy as hell when they inherit a safe full of mint guns that have barely been shot and pallets full of ammo from 40 years previous.

Most of us on here are casual shooters. We have ammo put aside to shoot so we don't have to drive to the store or reload a bunch of ammo every time we go to the range. I like to keep a couple hundred rounds for each caliber put aside for exactly what is happening now, and am thankful I did.

 

[pax]

< Moderator Hat >

Please get back on topic, folks. The question was for trainers: Have you changed your ammo policies as a result of the current shortage?

Thanks.

</ Moderator Hat >

pax

 

[Old Grump]

Back on topic and my answer is no. I always had my trainees do most of their shooting with 22's till they get to a certain level of competence and then only enough centerfire loads to get a handshake acquaintance with the exercise and then back to 22.

Part of it has always been cost because I don't have any rich shooters and part of it is I stress marksmanship first foremost and always right after safety, no chest thumping magnumitis in my classes because my shooters tend to be new shooters and often women shooters.

Haven't had any classes since last fall so the program wasn't affected but I have a class starting next Saturday and fortunately I have a good supply of 22 on hand.

 

[1-DAB]

1000 rounds?

think i'd look for different training.

if you are just rolling around in the dirt and firing from different positions, you could do that with a bb gun, or just yell 'bang'.

seems like a pointless use of ammo to me.

 

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I'd disagree with that - the reps are needed for recoil control and habituation to the noise, etc.

I do practice with a SIRT. In fact, FOF with airsoft and SIRTS are quite reasonable. But we do need the ammo.

A long time ago and I can't find it again, I read a study where they compared training with 22s and transitioning to 38s (similar SW revolvers) vs. just starting the 38s and found no difference. Whether this is true - I don't know and haven't seen it since.

I start folks with a 22 first. Don't want to go off subject, Kathy. Just wanted to respond to the need for ammo.

 

[seeker_two]

A long time ago and I can't find it again, I read a study where they compared training with 22s and transitioning to 38s (similar SW revolvers) vs. just starting the 38s and found no difference. Whether this is true - I don't know and haven't seen it since.

I see one difference....training with thousands of rounds of .22lr is far more economically feasible than using thousands of rounds of centerfire ammo. Less wear & tear on your carry gun, too.

 

[Old Grump]

I see one difference....training with thousands of rounds of .22lr is far more economically feasible than using thousands of rounds of centerfire ammo. Less wear & tear on your carry gun, too.

Especially when you are training rookies and the department doesn't furnish training ammo. It took some convincing but eventually I had all my regulars shooting 22's, some pistol some revolver and it didn't make a lick of difference. A few sessions with their duty gun over the course and when it came time to qualify they all scored high and one just missed high score for the department by 1 point. The man who beat him was the chief deputy and former trainer and he got his extra point with a head shot.