Ammo-Cheap or Good???

[10Seconds]

I would take 1000 rounds of cheap ammo over 500 rounds of whatever fancy ammo you can find.

More ammo = longer I can fight, hunt, etc. Im not going to be competing at 600 yrs. Im going to be shooting 100 yrd or less and most cheap ammo is good enough out that far for me.

 

[540Z28]

I am going to get as much ball as I can for practice and then keep brass for reloading. I will keep on mag loaded with HP for protection.

 

[shooterdave]

I think you guys/gals are missing an important part of this discussion. That is QUALITY CONTROL!! Many of yall know I'm an SDA instructor and do all of our counties LE quals. That means I see a lot of different types of ammo. The one thing I have determined from watching students shoot everything under the sun is this: Its not what you are, but where you were made... What I mean is the majority, vast majority, of FTF's I see are from non-US made cartridges. After reading a bit on the subject I'm convinced that it's is all about quality control, or lack or it as the case may be.

So, whether your a FMJ guy, a hollow point guy, looking to reload brass, or just shopping on the cheap remember that none on it is worth a piss if it don't go BANG! Buy American save yourself what really matters... Some grief.

Also, a word on .22lr ammo. You get what you pay for. We have shot tens of thousands or rounds of it in the past year and the cheap stuff is just too unreliable to count on for self defense. It's too the point now that I give a special plea to those in SDA classes about not betting your life on something you KNOW is going to fail. When we go to the range, it is a rare occasion that doesn't have a least one ftf from the .22 shooters. Generally it is several per day. What I have seen is that .22 ammo that is stored vertically in its packaging like CCI mini mags is a lot less likely to go click than bulk pack stuff. Do some reading as to how the primers are charged and it will make sense why...
Anyway, my .02

 

[JGreen]

I think you guys/gals are missing an important part of this discussion. That is QUALITY CONTROL!! Many of yall know I'm an SDA instructor and do all of our counties LE quals. That means I see a lot of different types of ammo. The one thing I have determined from watching students shoot everything under the sun is this: Its not what you are, but where you were made... What I mean is the majority, vast majority, of FTF's I see are from non-US made cartridges. After reading a bit on the subject I'm convinced that it's is all about quality control, or lack or it as the case may be.

So, whether your a FMJ guy, a hollow point guy, looking to reload brass, or just shopping on the cheap remember that none on it is worth a piss if it don't go BANG! Buy American save yourself what really matters... Some grief.

Also, a word on .22lr ammo. You get what you pay for. We have shot tens of thousands or rounds of it in the past year and the cheap stuff is just too unreliable to count on for self defense. It's too the point now that I give a special plea to those in SDA classes about not betting your life on something you KNOW is going to fail. When we go to the range, it is a rare occasion that doesn't have a least one ftf from the .22 shooters. Generally it is several per day. What I have seen is that .22 ammo that is stored vertically in its packaging like CCI mini mags is a lot less likely to go click than bulk pack stuff. Do some reading as to how the primers are charged and it will make sense why...
Anyway, my .02

I am not denying your expertise by any means. But I have shot a lot of cheap ammo, american as well as non, and in my better gun it has been as long as I can remember since I have had a FTF with pretty much any ammo. But my gf shoots a cheaper 9mm and her gun seems to be willing to have an issue with most any ammo. So I am definitely on the boat of having a real quality sidearm in SHTF and worry less about ammo quality. Unless, obviously, I find something that my gun just does not like at all. This is just coming from my own experience with cheap guns and ammo

 

[swampratt]

My guns must be much more picky or maybe i am picky..For my pistols cheaper federal FMJ 45acp ammo has 12" groups at 15-20 paces
My reloads that are made with wheel weights that i cast shoot much tighter groups..I will not buy that cheap stuff.

Same for my savage 10fp .308 15-22 bucks a box and my groups are in the 4-8 inch range at 100 yards..That will not work for me at all.
Handloads that cost about 8 bucks to make will stay in the .3"-.7" at 100 yards depending on the wind.

Store ammo just pisses me off..I feel the only thing it is good for is brass.

OH and when you need components do not rule out the steel and aluminum boxer primed cases..These ARE reloadable.
At least the 45acp ones i have used..on round 3 with some aluminum cases.

 

[JGreen]

I have not started reloading yet, but I am looking to buy a setup soon. Just waiting for the right one to come along with a good price. Are you saying that you can reload with steel cases....I was under the understanding that you could only reload brass.

 

[turkeyrun]

I appreciate the input so far! For the sake of example I want to compare two different types 9mm ammo. I can buy Federal American Eagle for about $12-$13 dollars a box or I could pay a little over $20 for a cheaper hollow point. Assuming that my gun works great with either, is it worth paying close to double for hollow point or is the target stuff still pretty effective for self defense. Keep in mind that this is a SHTF scenario, where you will want a good supply of ammo.

cheap and good are not neccesarily opposing sides. As far as American Eagle ammo goes, this is the civilian equilant of what our military uses = 'nuff said. I believe what you are asking is quantity vs. quality. I say buy as much of the best quality ammo you can get, I make a monthly purchase (or at least I did before the insanity of 2013) of what is on sale, be it .22lr, .45ACP, .223, 12ga, 20 ga. The highest price doesn't guarantee best quality, just as lowest price doesn't mean low quality. The one thing I normally consider is reloadability.