Posted: 6/1/2010 11:36:30 AM EDT
|
I read an article about carry ammo that was pretty solid. One of the options that was discussed really appealed to me but I thought that I would check here to see if anyone else took this route. The author discussed the fact that big game hunters will often more than one type of ammo in their gun at any given time. The idea for them being that your initial shot is likely to be at a distance and that you might have time for one follow up shot but the large pissed off animal will likely be on top of you quickly if you don't knock them down. So, the first two to three rounds will be more for knock down power at a distance and then the rest of the mag will be loaded with ammo that will provide the desired knock down power at a closer range.
Typically a ccw holder would actually go about this the opposite way since most self defense scenarios occure at close range and in a hurry. So, the first few rounds would be something like Mag Safe so that in the event of a close quarters miss it would hopefully minimize penetrating walls, cars etc. Assuming that if the first couple of rounds did not stop the bad guy there would now be additional space and potentially a barrier between you then you could load something like hornady self defense to go through the car door or whatever the bad guy has baracaded himself behind. Does this concept make sense to anyone else? Does anyone actively practice this type of a loadout? Why or why not? Thanks in advance for your feedback. |
|
I certainly wouldn't do this in a hunting application. Accuracy greatly differs between bullets with different weights, designs ect.
Having said that, I do often keep a magsafe safety slug chambered in my EDC G36 as it is also my bed side weapon. I have separate mags one for carry one for bed side. But I don't swap chambered rounds every time. Also when the applied clothing does not accommodate the Glock I pocket carry a NAA mini in 22lr. The first round is always a CCI shotshell. Only because that gun is worthless at distance and if I'm pulling it I am most likely very very close. Several test shots with the shot shells prove at distances under 10 feet, ya can't miss. Judging by what they do to tin cans targets ect a face/neck shot would be the quick deterrent to any lesser armed attacker. And with a gun of that size, surprise is easy. Having said all that, I would disagree with the concept for "almost" every application. |
quality defense ammo only (rangers for me  )
Now I do keep a marked mag in the AR for 55gr vmax. The rest of them are for 75gr bthp. If I had to use it in my crowded apartment complex I would load the vmax, but anything that warranted getting one would get half a dozen for good measure. |
|
Quoted:
quality defense ammo only (rangers for me )
Now I do keep a marked mag in the AR for 55gr vmax. The rest of them are for 75gr bthp. If I had to use it in my crowded apartment complex I would load the vmax, but anything that warranted getting one would get half a dozen for good measure. +1 I stick with Speer GDHP in my carry gun. If I ever need to fire my weapon I will more than likely be very close and want the most knockdown power. If the BG is behind cover or farther away, that is my opportunity to get the hell out of there. I keep a few AR mags loaded with M855, but would primarily use 75gr BTHP. |
|
Quoted: Things are likely to go down so fast that you won't even remember that you have a special mix of ammo, let alone remember what order they are loaded in the mag. What you describe is seriously over-thinking things and serves no purpose that I can determine. In addition, how do you know that the round you have under the hammer is what you've planned to use for the given situation, particularly in a fluid and dangerous moment? |
|
Quoted: Who ever wrote that article is a fucking idiot. Specialty fragmentation ammo is crap. Read the Best Defensive Ammo thread in the Ammunition forum. +1 Not only that but engagement ranges for handguns are typically very close. And wtf? Ammo for knock down power at a distance and close up?  Did the author have any idea how ballistics work? Any ammo that works well at a distance will work even better close up due to more energy/velocity. Get some Federal HST, Winchester Ranger T-Series, or Speer Gold Dots and worry NO further. Generally speaking, if you have a load in either of those types of bullets, you've got the best you can possibly use for any self defense situation. |
|
The only time I've ever set my pistol up in this type of fashion is for ginsing hunting. I would sometimes put 1 to 2 rounds of rat shot in the cylinder of my .357 mag for copperheads and rattlesnakes, then load the other 4 or 5 rounds with either HPs or jacketed soft points for 4 and 2 legged targets. |
| The only concept I can equate is my choice to have my reserve mag loaded with ball. In most pistols, the mag is the weak link so my reload is set-up to be as reliable and idiot proof as possible. If I have a malfunction for whatever reason, I want the reload to be as dependable as humanly possible. |
|
Quoted:
Who ever wrote that article is a fucking idiot. Specialty fragmentation ammo is crap. Read the Best Defensive Ammo thread in the Ammunition forum. Yes. There is a quantity of  in this thread.
Magsafes and Glasers are crap (that act like hardball after going through sheetrock, by the way, so those who carry them in the house might wanna rethink,) and "stacking" ammo only works on the range––-in real life you will have no idea what round is up next, as counting rounds is pretty much impossible when you are using a weapon for keeps. |
|
Quoted:
I wouldn’t do this, hunting or not. The exception maybe being Africa hunting dangerous game where I might for sure want solids for the last round. I carry quality defense-focused ammunition in my carry guns, period. No rotation of this or that. what he said. |
|
Ok. I take it that no one agrees with this methodology but don't shoot the messenger. I was just curious as to what you guys thought. Hopefully I didn't misrepresent the facts. The idea wasn't to load the gun so that you know what is coming out when and could shoot accordingly. The point was to load the gun with what you would likely face in a self defense strategy. Thus fragmentation ammo for up close on the first couple of rounds and normal carry rounds to fill up the clip.
I don't believe that this is overhinking anything. It is simply a different strategy that I hadn't previously considered. Pre-planning for the best possible outcome in a self defense scenario is never wasted effort in my opinion. Thanks for your feedback. |
Not shooting the messenger, friend.
I think the idea that you can "game" a gunfight or have an idea about how many "fragmentation" rounds you will shoot before you will need bonded rounds is just false. Your best bet is to use reliable factory ammo that has proven penetration depth and weight retention in the most different types of mediums (denim, auto glass, sheetrock, etc). Focus on trigger press and getting your rounds on target and if you use suggested ammo like Speer GDHP, Federal HST, Ranger T and the like, you will have the best possible results, IMO. Also check out the ammo FAQ for more info. |
|
Quoted:
Ok. I take it that no one agrees with this methodology but don't shoot the messenger. I was just curious as to what you guys thought. Hopefully I didn't misrepresent the facts. The idea wasn't to load the gun so that you know what is coming out when and could shoot accordingly. The point was to load the gun with what you would likely face in a self defense strategy. Thus fragmentation ammo for up close on the first couple of rounds and normal carry rounds to fill up the clip. I don't believe that this is overhinking anything. It is simply a different strategy that I hadn't previously considered. Pre-planning for the best possible outcome in a self defense scenario is never wasted effort in my opinion. Thanks for your feedback. It's a magazine. And it's a poor strategy. Go with the type of rounds that will be most effective in the most number of situations. Good quality JHP self defense ammo fits that bill. Trying to specialize isn't going to gain you any advantage. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
I wouldn’t do this, hunting or not. The exception maybe being Africa hunting dangerous game where I might for sure want solids for the last round. I carry quality defense-focused ammunition in my carry guns, period. No rotation of this or that. what he said. What they said. |
Win a FREE Membership!
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.