A rather amazing discovery

[BBQJOE]

I have been reloading all my ammo for the last 6 or 7 years, with pretty good luck. I haven't shot any factory ammo since I began reloading.
Recently I came across a box of Fiocchi 9mm I had put away a few years ago and decided to shoot a few.
Holy moly! It's like everything went into fast forward. The slide, the bullet, the recoil and the kaboom were a world apart from what I have been loading these last years.
I don't have a chrony, but I'm betting these bullets flew much faster than anything I have been loading for years.
It was on the edge of scary. I'm also betting the slide operated almost twice as fast.

What does this tell me? I'm not sure, except that factory ammo appears to be a lot hotter than what I/we may be loading.

[Iowa Fox]

Thats exactly why I have been reloading for over 50 years.

[Sgtonory]

I know what you mean. I have a lot of factory ammo but never shoot it since i have been reloading. Its a lot nicer to shoot mild 9mm and 38special loads. That and my brass drops at my feet on my 9mm dont have to run all over the range picking it up.

[NoZombies]

lower powered loads also tend to reduce wear and tear on the guns (well, there's still the potential for sliding wear, but nothing a decent gun oil wont fix)

[dverna]

I have "plinking" ammo that is fun to shoot. I also load stuff at the same level as factory for "when it matters".

Reloading allows us to tailor our ammo to our needs/desire.

[BBQJOE]

I have "plinking" ammo that is fun to shoot. I also load stuff at the same level as factory for "when it matters".

Reloading allows us to tailor our ammo to our needs/desire.
Yes. I had just forgotten how hot some factory stuff is.

[jcwit]

Absolutely, being as Arthur likes to settle in my wrists the mild hand loads are the way to go.

[captaint]

I don't think I have loaded a round anywhere near max in probably 25 years. Just don't see the "need" anymore !! I'm happy this way. Mike

[Scharfschuetze]

I'm with you guys. For my recreational shooting it's downloaded reloads with cast boolits for the most part. For my carry revolver and home defense pistol, I fire a few factory rounds now and then to rotate ammo and check the zeros.

[Smoke4320]

"Absolutely, being as Arthur likes to settle in my wrists"

that and his dang brother Ridus

[ku4hx]

I have some 1967 vintage 357 Magnum ammunition (Federal 158 grain JSP) that are quite hot. But I didn't get into hand loading to make super hot stuff, I got into it to save money (you could actually do that in the '70s) and to create more accurate and more reliable stuff. In 1970, factory fodder did not have a very good reputation. Having started out with 357 Magnum and 44 Magnum I did load those two hot, but in relation to all cartridges I loaded then and now, they were a small percentage of the total.

It didn't take long to realize the accuracy potential of what I assembled was very high and everything could be customized to individual guns. For the past 40 years that's generally what I've done. Frankly, I purposely load down. I still struggle a bit with that in 44 Magnum but with a resurgence of interest in the 44 Special, I'm even beating that little pointed-eared devil.

[358 Win]

Absolutely, being as Arthur likes to settle in my wrists the mild hand loads are the way to go.

You're correct! I know all the Ritus boys and Arthur is the worst of the bunch!
358 Win

[wv109323]

The people that shoot hot 9MM ammo are the potential buyers of .454 Cas., 460 S&W and .500 S&W handguns. Besides some people enjoy pain.

[jonp]

Same here. I have a closet full of factory that I rarely shoot. I target with boolits and carry Federal Low Recoil Factory Jwords.

[1Shirt]

Reloading to less than max capacity is compareable to driving a car at 60 when it will go over 100. As stated, less wear and tare on the gun and the shooter.


Compairable to driving a car at 60 that will do 100. Less wear and tear on the gun and shooter.
1Shirt!

[cummins05]

Yeah I really only load to what the gun seems to like start at the suggested starting and work my way up the scale until I see accuracy getting worse than it was previously and then stay around that area of powder charge then start eliminating other variables and owe by the way not a one of my guns like to shoot a max charge all are well below that