So who's packing cast boolits in their daily carry gun?

[7Acres]

A lot of people think people reload cast boolits just because it's cheap. Some even consider cast to be inferior to jaxketed. We know this not necessarily the case and a skilled boolit master can get better performance out of cast than j-words.

So who here is so confident in your cast boolits (and your reloading skills) that your daily carry gun(s) is loaded with your own cast reloads? Please include details about why you are convinced your cast reloads are more reliable and/or will perform better than commercially available jaxketed self-defense ammo. Mold, lube, case, powder & charge you use, etc. would be fascinating to learn about too. I look forward to learning a lot from your responses.

[Dan Cash]

Any thing I tote except a .380 pistol has my bullets in it, rifle or pistol. That includes .30 Mauser and a bunch of .30 rifle cartridges, .35 Rem and .38, .41, .44 and .45 auto and Colt. Why? 1. I won't spend the money for something that does not perform significantly better than what I make. 2. See reason one.

[JIMinPHX]

I've carried cast many times.

[6bg6ga]

I carry 230gr round nose in my 45acp

[357maximum]

I normally carry an old cosmetically challenged Smith model 36 ...I.W.B most the time. It is stoked with somewhat soft 358156 that have minimal HP's, they sit on top of a 2400 charge that would make alot of the old gunwriters and gurus very happy. If I could not change badguys mind with 5 of them.....I should not have tried to change his mind in the first place. It matters not whether they are wrapped in copper cladding or not....I do not see an issue at self defense ranges what you put in the gun cast/jacketed.....use what you have confidence in and what works. Your query is a moot point in my eyes.

[Frozone]

I shoot my cast in everything Except what I carry.
I carry what the local LEOs carry (or as close as I can get).
I do have cast equivalent loads (weight/speed) that I practice with.

But I keep a mag full +1 for the chamber of factory made exclusively for carry.

Way I look at it is, IF I ever need to use the thing, why give a DA even one extra question to ask.

[1845greyhounds]

My CCDW is in-process. I will likely carry a Springfield XD-S in 45 acp with a cast 200 or 230 HP boolit. Shooting cast will allow me to tailor the boolit to the lower velocity I'll get from the XD-S. Carrying reloads, in general, will allow me to shoot more of my specific carry ammo through that gun, so I'll be that much more confident and competent with the combination. It will also allow me to rotate my carry ammo frequently without it otherwise costing a lot (compared to commercial ammo). As for concern that carrying reloads may be a legal black eye, I'm of the mind that as long as a firearm's use is justified, it doesn't matter. If the firearm's use was NOT justified, then you're F***** any way.

[waksupi]

I use the BD45 in my daily carry guns. I don't trust jacketed bullets, and sure wouldn't trust a hollow point! I'm convinced cast is better, because I have killed lots and lots of stuff with cast. Jacketed bullets are just wannabe's.

[dragon813gt]

While I do hunt with them. I don't use them for SD rounds. My reloads with XTPs in my 9mm perform better. It's one less variable that I have to worry about. And when it comes to SD I want every advantage I can get.

[jmort]

Using cast bullets just makes sense as noted.

[jmort]

I have had the don't use reloads argument too many times. What we know for a fact, is that no one, ever, in the history of the United States, has been convicted of a crime for using reloads for self-defense. What we also know for a fact, is that a jury convicted a man in a self-defense shooting, and relied on evidence that the defendant carried a 10mm which was too "powerful," and had lots of guns and ammo, and took advanced firearms training. So if we know that certain evidence has been used to convict, why carry a 10mm, or have lots of guns and ammo, or get advanced firearms training? If you are scared of using reloads, the advice of using exactly what your local LEOs use and changing when they change makes sense. For me, I'll take a handloaded cast bullet with a large meplat that makes two holes, one in and one out, every time. I like serious straight-line penetration.

[7Acres]

Waksupi! I've had the same thought. Jacketed SD bullets with multi-sided expanding petals seems complex. Your signature explains my sentiment exactly. Why fool with complex mass-manufactured copper jacketed hollow point expanding petal SD ammo... when simple lead will always reliably mushroom and lose no mass while transferring its energy to the threat?

[randyrat]

I've been warned against carrying anything hand made for SD by people that have a lot more "lawering up" than i do. Personally I don't understand how using my fine cast boolits for SD would matter even one baked bean. I ponied up and bought a box of factory HP for my SD gun. I didn't say, i like the idea one bit.

[Kansas Ed]

When I took my CCH class in order to get my license, our instructor insisted on the use of HP ammo. His logic was that if overpenetration ever hurt a bystander the liability would be ugly. He even told us that if we ever had to defend our actions, that the DA would likely call him to testify, and if we used other than HP he would state that it was against his recommendations.

Agree or disagree, is really a moot point in my case now. It's water under the bridge and I am saddled with my choice of instructor. What has happened has happened, and I'm stuck with conventional JHP ammo.

Ed

[Bullshop]

Nothing but! My current cary gun is a Colt police posative special in 32/20. It is loaded with the 115gn Lyman fn.
My companion hide out gun is a Bond Arms Texas Defender with one barrel loaded with a 410 gauge #4 shot and the other barrel loaded with a 460 S&W case with a tri ball load. Three 45 holes should drop oil pressure perty quick.

[40Super]

I don't carry daily, but my truck gun and any gun that I keep loaded at home have mostly my cast in them. I do have a bunch of plated loads also the look like factory rounds that are in some mags for those guns, if I have to use them I won't tell them they are reloads. I'm not to worried about being charged for something because I used my own loads, it hasn't happened yet in the states so why worry?
I want my boolits to expand greatly and not go through. The one thing that I don't want is to hit anybody behind the BG.

[jmort]

"...our instructor insisted on the use of HP ammo. His logic was that if overpenetration ever hurt a bystander the liability would be ugly."

One of my favorite canards. For sure, this is a line of fire issue. If you miss, what is the difference? You are likely to miss. LEO hit rates are around 33% or less. I would rather take a hit on a through and through shot than a miss. People are made to be scared by this "logic." Your instructor would be best advised to tell you all to shoot straight and know your line of fire. Most of this is a line of fire issue, plain and simple.

[Kansas Ed]

Note that he said "overpenetration". An errant and missed shot is another situation entirely.

One other thing to consider here, how many people have been financially ruined defending themselves from an overzealous DA? You may be right, and totally within the law, but defending yourself in court may cost you your financial freedom and future, even if the jury finds in your favor.

Ed

[warboar_21]

I spoke with a prominent lawyer where I live. He has represented a few defensive shootings. His recommendation was to use factory made ammo and if possible use what local law enforcement use or close to it. This is also something that my CCW instructor said was a good idea. I have followed this advice.

[jmort]

"...how many people have been financially ruined defending themselves from an overzealous DA?"

No one that I know of for merely using reloads for self-defense. Unfortunately for Mr. Fish, his 10mm, and large amount of guns and ammo, advanced firearms training, and get this - use of hollowpoints, all bit him in the **** big time and left him in a enormous financial hole. Warboar, your attorney's advice ignores all common sense, i.e. that no one, ever, in the history of the United States has been convicted of a crime for using handloads in a self-defense shooting. I respectfully disagree.

http://www.haroldfishdefense.org/