Ammo ranking

I have of late been lurking on gunbot.com There are all manner of good deals there, and I have bought some of them. TargetSportUSA had another 5.56 ammo sale, although a bit more expensive than their previous offerings. But it was green-tip 855 Lake City stuff, in stripper clips, in an ammo can. So I think it was something like 460 or so rounds for $200.

But my question is on 9's. I know most of the better stuff that one would use for SD. But on the stuff to just shoot for practice, usually 115 gr FMJ, ?is there a ranking of brands. I won't shoot any steel case stuff, and generally I won't buy any Russian stuff as I think mostly it's garbage and one can find American (or at least democracy-produced) stuff for just about the same price.

But I am lost about "Liberty" and any number of the other names I see on gunbot. I bought a couple K of reloads I think that have been flawless in function, but that will run out at some point. I DO have a decent amount of cases, so reloading is clearly an option.

?Anyone have opinions. ?Experience, good or bad, with different brands.

My 9mm is a Beretta 92FS and I shoot steel case all day in it~~nailed a case of Wolf from targetsports @ 9.99 per 50 free shipping a few weeks ago and split with a buddy on it...been shooting wolf in it since they came in the black box with the wolf picture and I could buy for 3.99 per 50 back in the "good ol' days" (late 90s)...

I have seen the aluminum cased Blazer right at 10.99 per 50 at targetsport on occasion that would be my next recommendation but as for a "ranking" I would expect none~~everyone's gun is going to shoot ammo differently; mine will probably like something different than yours sir

I don't like steel cases because I don't believe they expand like brass. As a result you won't get the seal you would expect from brass ammo.

I personally get nervous with steel anywhere inside my guns. If you've ever seen what a simple brillo pad does to a barrel, you would understand my concern. And since I don't HAVE to shoot steel, I simply don't.

I would think aluminum is a bit different. Seeing as it is more pliable, you could expect better chamber sealing, and probably less chance of any scaring.

But that's just me. I had a Glock I probably wouldn't care what I shot through it.

I've mostly been looking at powder on gunbot... trying to track down some 2400... Someday I will find it!

Cornmastah wrote:I've mostly been looking at powder on gunbot... trying to track down some 2400...  Someday I will find it!

?Do you even buy any ready made ammo anymore, Corn.

Devereaux wrote:

Cornmastah wrote:I've mostly been looking at powder on gunbot... trying to track down some 2400...  Someday I will find it!

?Do you even buy any ready made ammo anymore, Corn.

Rimfire ammo? Lol, I haven't bought any factory centerfire ammo in a very long time... years maybe?

I have a hard time anymore justifying reloading 9mm.  The price of factory ammo is pretty decent these days and the price differential for 9mm vs the other rounds I load just doesn't make it that attractive.  I've been finding decent prices on Geco and Speer Lawman and have purchased a couple thousand of each.  Freedom Munitions and Georgia Arms have been providing me with some very good reloaded ammo, also.  I have plenty of 9mm components to get up and running should things go sideways again with the ammo supply.  But today, I'll continue buying bulk factory ammo in lieu of reloading my own.

Otis2 wrote:I have a hard time anymore justifying reloading 9mm.  The price of factory ammo is pretty decent these days and the price differential for 9mm vs the other rounds I load just doesn't make it that attractive.  I've been finding decent prices on Geco and Speer Lawman and have purchased a couple thousand of each.  Freedom Munitions and Georgia Arms have been providing me with some very good reloaded ammo, also.  I have plenty of 9mm components to get up and running should things go sideways again with the ammo supply.  But today, I'll continue buying bulk factory ammo in lieu of reloading my own.

My feeling too. I don't basically like reloading. I consider it a necessity when either ammo is expensive or hard to find. I got into it initially because there wasn't (and still isn't) any .38 Super that makes major in ISPC.

9mm has been cheap. So has 5.56. So I reload .45 ACP & Colt. I reload .38 Spl because I have a particular cowboy round I use in my Navies. I will probably reload some rifle rounds, and .357 Sig when I get low on the frangible loads that I bought a couple K of.

What I've been buying most of lately is SD ammo. I figure I need enough to at least practice some with it. I have found, eg. that Critical Defense and Critical Duty shoot differently. Good to know.

But I'm always looking for some cheap practice ammo - which is why I started the thread.

I used to only reload 9mm when the price would go over about $14 per box of 50. With the cost of projectiles being what it is, it wasn't worth it to me to load 9mm if I could buy it cheaper than $14 per box. However, with the casting factor now, I either get lead free from certain sources, or I buy it for about $0.30 per lb. Sometimes I will buy some alloys for hardening up the lead for certain calibers and certain loads. Casting has made the powder my main cost of reloading (instead of the projectiles) for most calibers. I would have to do the math for the powder, but with a rough guesstimate I would say that for a box of 9mm it is costing me somewhere around $3 maybe $4.

I don't cast for .223, and I probably won't--but I still prefer to load my own .223 for accuracy purposes. The cheap PMC stuff just doesn't shoot as good as my hornady bulk bullet reloads.

A big difference though, dev, is that I really enjoy casting and loading. It is a very relaxing activity for me and a big de-stressor. It also (sort of) quenches the shooting bug for me until I can actually get out and shoot.

One thing I need to do, though, is start buying more SD ammo.

Corn, it's pretty obvious you enjoy the casting stuff. I would therefore presume you also like the reloading. I have seen your powder coated stuff; that takes energy to do, which you wouldn't have if you didn't like it.

I, OTOH, view this a lot like wrenching on a race car. It is necessary, but THE part is racing. So shooting is THE part, and if I can get away without reloading, I do. Problem is that if you shoot anywhere from 200-500 rounds in a session, you do gobble up some ammo. To some degree I make up for some of that by shooting several calibres, some of which I reload (like .45 ACP). Still, at some point you have to reload some. Just a necessary part of the game.

Plus right now I am having some issues with my Dillon (the primer feed). I am not sure just what is wrong with it, but it means I can't reload large primer cartridges until I figure that out.

I've been happy with the Geco. Most indoor ranges won't allow this, however, since it will destroy their backstops. But for outdoor shooting, pretty good stuff at a good price. SG Ammo is my preferred source for all ammo, especially defensive rounds as they normally sell the 50 round boxes.

http://sgammo.com/product/geco/1000-round-case-9mm-luger-115-grain-fmj-brass-case-ammo-geco-made-hungary

Cornmastah wrote: I would have to do the math for the powder, but with a rough guesstimate I would say that for a box of 9mm it is costing me somewhere around $3 maybe $4.


A big difference though, dev, is that I really enjoy casting and loading.  It is a very relaxing activity for me and a big de-stressor.  It also (sort of) quenches the shooting bug for me until I can actually get out and shoot.

My experiences exactly with 9mm handloads. I buy 125 grain LRN bullets from Rimrock, and a rough calculation tells me it costs around $5.50 per box of 50 to handload 9mm ammo.

I also find handloading to be a relaxing experience, but I find it MORE relaxing when I'm spending about a third of what I'd spend if I bought factory ammo.