# What is your ammo preference??



## PrepConsultant

What is your go to ammo? I have always liked Winchester,Speer,Fiocchi and Barnes to name a few.. But the past few years I have become a HUGE fan of Dynamic Research Technology ammo. AKA DRTAmmo. It is a frangible round and probalby the best hunting and self defense round I have ever seen.. I know several years ago frangible rounds were kinda gimick rounds. DRT have made it where theirs also get great penetration. They use a compressed powder core that expands when it connects to soft tissue. It will do thru a windshield and not fragment UNTIL it hits soft tissue or something harder than the bullet itself. It is great for not having overpenetration too. You could shoot someone and it would not pass thru them.

I had a friend of mine and my brother tell me about them years ago and I was kinda leary. I bought some .223 to try out and have been a fan ever since. I have killed deer at several hundred yards with .223 with DRT and I would not even try it with other brands. Now I have it in .45,.223.308 and 300 win mag. I started buying their bullets and reloading my own now. EVERY weapon we own is loaded with DRT. It is a little on the expensive side so not really used for target practice but I would recommend it over ANY other ammo for hunting and self defense.. You would think that way I go on about it I am some type of advertisement for them. I am not!! It is just how much I like their stuff!! Check out soe videos and ask around. I have seen where people talk bad about them because they are frangible but have never used them so don't really know what they are sayin. I have used it and would recommend it to anyone!!My fiance keeps her .45 loaded with it and I want her to have the best! I posted a few videos from youtube, they are pretty good.


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## rice paddy daddy

Unless I want to drive an hour into the city, or order online, I'm limited to Winchester and Remington, with a little Hornady for hunting rifles.
This is at the Ace Hardware in town.


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## PrepConsultant

Most times, online is the best way to go anymore..


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## wesley762

I can see this turning into a which is better Ford or Chevy, Honestly I can not really tell a difference between one brand to the next, I just buy the cheapest rounds I can get.


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## PrepConsultant

wesley762 said:


> I can see this turning into a which is better Ford or Chevy, Honestly I can not really tell a difference between one brand to the next, I just buy the cheapest rounds I can get.


I buy tons of cheap rounds too. I am just sayin for huntin and self defense, this is the best brand I have found for MYSELF.. Anyone can take it or leave it. It is just my opinion.. I don't really want the CHEAPEST rounds I can find in my EDC weapons though! Not sayin they wont work, they are just not the ones I want to trust my life with.. That's just me.


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## PrepperLite

wesley762 said:


> I can see this turning into a which is better Ford or Chevy, Honestly I can not really tell a difference between one brand to the next, I just buy the cheapest rounds I can get.


Well, its all in what you want. As per the videos one is a through and through and the other break up inside you. Ideally in a self defense scenario you would want the latter as it would inflict the most damage. With ammo being the way it is now, sometimes hard to get, I agree with you mostly on the point of buying cheapest. Is it better to have 100 rounds of FMJ or 50 rounds of HP? When I hit you in the chest with .45 ACP it wont matter much which one it was.


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## Nathan Jefferson

I like Lake City. As far as pistol self defense rounds I go with federal HST, in bulk they cost less than I can get cheapo HP's from any store around me.

And to go a little further, all the super duper rounds that people are coming out with anymore are mostly bells and whistles. A standard HP vs. super HP in the same caliber will have ballistics similar enough to not justify the high price tags I see.


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## rice paddy daddy

Hunting deer you want thru and thru - leaves a nice blood trail to follow.
There is nothing wrong with Winchester Super X or Remington Core Locked.


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## PrepConsultant

rice paddy daddy said:


> Hunting deer you want thru and thru - leaves a nice blood trail to follow.
> There is nothing wrong with Winchester Super X or Remington Core Locked.


I would rather have them drop on contact than follow a blood trail.. I have killed at least 10 deer and elk with these rounds and have only had to track 1 of them. That was only about 150yrs...

This isn't a hollow point round. It is a frangible round. It is a compressed copper powder that "explodes" on contact with soft tissue. There is no ballistics that can be traced either!!


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## Rigged for Quiet

PrepConsultant said:


> Most times, online is the best way to go anymore..


I find this true if you have the money to buy bulk, but not so much in limited quantities for me. I have yet to find a business that can sell me rounds, with shipping, that is notably cheaper than I can find locally. It is ALWAYS the shipping that kills it for me.


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## Moonshinedave

For self defense, I carry Hornady, Critical Defense in my pistols. For practice ammo, whatever is cheapest, I try to stay with brass ammo mostly, with some exceptions. Not trying to say Hornady is the best, just what I use. I will however take a look at DRTAmmo, sounds interesting.


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## wesley762

PrepConsultant said:


> I buy tons of cheap rounds too. I am just sayin for huntin and self defense, this is the best brand I have found for MYSELF.. Anyone can take it or leave it. It is just my opinion.. I don't really want the CHEAPEST rounds I can find in my EDC weapons though! Not sayin they wont work, they are just not the ones I want to trust my life with.. That's just me.


I guess it did not come out as elegant as I would have liked lol, I was at work when I posted that. I was not trying to be negative I was just multitasking a little to much. All is good


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## csi-tech

Duty=Federal Hydrashok 
Personal defense=Golden Saber 
Home defense and duty 12 gauge=Federal Tactical 00 buck and slugs (I got a great deal on some Fiocchi slugs last week though)
Deer rifle=150 Grain Nosler ballistic tip Federal Vital Shok. (This is all that goes through my Parker Hale *excellent* stuff)
AK 47=cheap russian stuff
Duty AR 15=Hornady TAP and PMC Bronze for practice/qualifying (really any brass cased reloadable round)
Muzzle loader= Pyrodex pellets pushing .50 Hornady MZ sabots (talk about your double lung blood trail!)


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## PrepConsultant

wesley762 said:


> I guess it did not come out as elegant as I would have liked lol, I was at work when I posted that. I was not trying to be negative I was just multitasking a little to much. All is good


No worries.. I have always liked certain brands of ammo myself. Especially for my rifles. It was hard to beat a SMK BTHP. I am the kind of person that has an open mind. If I have some ammo I think is great, I am still open to try something else. Just because what you have is great and works awesome. Doesn't mean there isn't something better out there. If someone told me about some ammo that was better than what I am using. You can better your happy white ass I would try it..I just know I have seen it in use and have not found anything YET that works better. It is the most evil ammo I have ever used!! I have shot deer,elk,antelope,coyote,prairie dog, a dog and even a cow with it..If you see a box in the store or something, pick it up and try it out for hunting..You will be glad you did! Until someone shows me something different, this is the best hunting/self defense round on the market IMO!


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## Alpha-17

For rifle rounds, I've been very impressed by the Mk 318 and Mk 319 SOST rounds. Sadly, it seems like they're becoming harder and harder to find.

For pistol, my current favorite is Winchester Ranger Bonded/PDX-1. Great expansion on the bullet's I've recovered (water expansion), and excellent weight retention. If I try anything else, it would be the HST rounds.


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## rice paddy daddy

PrepConsultant said:


> I would rather have them drop on contact than follow a blood trail.. I have killed at least 10 deer and elk with these rounds and have only had to track 1 of them. That was only about 150yrs...
> 
> This isn't a hollow point round. It is a frangible round. It is a compressed copper powder that "explodes" on contact with soft tissue. There is no ballistics that can be traced either!!


I should have qualified my statement - here in the pine forest of North Florida/South Georgia a deer can disappear in 30 yards, lay down, and without a blood trail you may never find it. Unless you are set up over a clear-cut.

FWIW - although I enjoy the heck out of venison, my tour of duty in Vietnam spoiled me for hunting. So a good friend of mine gives me a deer each year and I in turn keep him supplied throughout the year with fresh eggs and produce. He handloads his own - he uses .270 Winchester. I may be wrong, but I believe he uses Barnes bullets.


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## Infidel

I can't say I have a favorite brand of ammo. In defensive ammo it's whatever passes the FBI standards and shoots well in my guns. For everything else it's reloads or in the case of my Com Block guns steel cased ammo (surplus for the x54R and Wolf for the x39). In my deer rifle I've yet to find a factory round comparable to my reloads although factory loads for the 6.5x55 Swede are few and far between.

-Infidel


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## PrepConsultant

rice paddy daddy said:


> I should have qualified my statement - here in the pine forest of North Florida/South Georgia a deer can disappear in 30 yards, lay down, and without a blood trail you may never find it. Unless you are set up over a clear-cut.
> 
> FWIW - although I enjoy the heck out of venison, my tour of duty in Vietnam spoiled me for hunting. So a good friend of mine gives me a deer each year and I in turn keep him supplied throughout the year with fresh eggs and produce. He handloads his own - he uses .270 Winchester. I may be wrong, but I believe he uses Barnes bullets.


I know what ya mean about the thickets of Florida/Georgia.. I am from Florida and have had many leases in the bend/panhandle area.. It is hard to find places thicker than the Perry,Fl area! Great huntin too...

On a side note, I remember a bait shop in Perry that sold goldfish as "pets" back in the day.. They even had a sign for it out front.. For those that don't know, using goldfish for live bait is HIGHLY illegal.. And here was a BAIT SHOP selling goldfish! My brother and I walked in and there was I'll say a "heavyset girl" behind the counter. I asked her if they sold goldfish for real. She said "yup, they make good pets. and bait shhhh". I swear to this day she had a dip in her mouth too..Needless to say, we bought a dozen!!


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## Go2ndAmend

I have less than a hundred "premium" rounds for my hunting and self-defense guns. As for stockpiling, I like the American Eagle brand put out by Federal. I also like CCI Mini-Mags and Maxi-Mags for .22 rounds. I have quite a few pmc brand for .223. I just can't bring myself to stock the very generic rounds for fear their quality and longevity isn't there.


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## dwight55

Personally, . . . I prefer my ammo like my coffee, . . . make it myself.

Just got a new Hornady LNL/AP press, . . . soon as summer begins to quiet down, . . . those coffee cans of MT's will become coffee cans of reloaded rounds, . . . providing of course I can find enough components.

May God bless,
Dwight


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## PrepConsultant

dwight55 said:


> Personally, . . . I prefer my ammo like my coffee, . . . make it myself.
> 
> Just got a new Hornady LNL/AP press, . . . soon as summer begins to quiet down, . . . those coffee cans of MT's will become coffee cans of reloaded rounds, . . . providing of course I can find enough components.
> 
> May God bless,
> Dwight


I like you have started reloading.. It kind of surprised me that DRT actually sells bullets you can reload..


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## PaulS

I haven't found any commercial ammo that is as good in my guns as my reloads are. I use Speer and Sierra bullets, CCI and Winchester primers and nothing but Hodgdon powders. All my rifles shoot sub MOA (less than an ich at 100 yards) and my revolvers keep me happy at one inch groups at 25 Yards.


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## Infidel

PaulS said:


> I haven't found any commercial ammo that is as good in my guns as my reloads are. I use Speer and Sierra bullets, CCI and Winchester primers and nothing but Hodgdon powders. All my rifles shoot sub MOA (less than an ich at 100 yards) and my revolvers keep me happy at one inch groups at 25 Yards.


By far my best loads for all my rifles have been with Sierra bullets and those Gameking SPBT's put deer down like they were hit with a sledgehammer when properly placed. For a target round it's tough to beat the Matchking HPBT's. I have yet to use the Pro Hunter bullets on game but they seem to shoot very well, I imagine terminal performance will be excellent in my .35 Rem.

For handguns I tend to buy bulk bullets and have had good luck with the Ranier plated bullets in my .45 ACP

-Infidel


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## Smitty901

No madder the name on the box a lot of it comes off the same line as other names.
For my AR's I prefer Lake City, but will shoot just about any thing.
AK,SKS what ever is on the self ,the limited range and use of them it does not madder
Hand guns Go down the list any of the major brands work just fine


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## rice paddy daddy

Buffalo Bore makes some interesting ammo.
For example a 44 Special loaded to standard pressure for use in Charter Arms revolvers using low flash powder pushing a 200 grain hard cast lead full wad cutter at over 900 fps out of a 3" Charter Arms Bulldog. Right now I'm carrying 185 grain Winchester Silvertips, I might just have to get some BB.
They also have a standard pressure 9 MM 147 grain Gold Dot hollow point at well over 1,000 fps from a 5" barrel. I might have to dust off the old Walther P-1 (the only 9 I own) and get an IWB holster for it.
They make 45 Colt, just for Ruger Blackhawks, that are more powerful than a 44 magnum.
And they do rifle ammo as well.
Check 'em out. Serious ammo for serious use. http://www.buffalobore.com/


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## Verteidiger

I prefer Hornady TAP FPD for self-defense rounds. I use the 75 grain rounds in 5.56; the 168 grain in 7.62; 00 buck in 12 gauge; and also use the 110 grain in .308.

For training or general use I use Federal XM193 55 gr.; XM855 62 gr. and XM856 64 gr. tracers.

I use Remington UMC 55 gr. for .223 range use or .223 only rifles.

For serious target shooting, Federal Gold Medal Match. 69 and 77 grain in .223; 168 and 175 SMK BTHPs in .308 and 7.62.

For the .308 shots I do not want to miss, its the rare and prized Federal XM118LR 175 gr. or even rarer TRU 165 gr.; for .223 it is Black Hills 77 gr. (Mk262 clone) which is also hard to find now....

The right ammo makes all the difference.


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## Alpha-17

Verteidiger said:


> The right ammo makes all the difference.


Yes it does. Way too many people forget that. Good selection you've got there.


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## rice paddy daddy

Of course, for my Mosin Nagants (91/30 & M44) I've got several cans of 1954 Bulgarian Light Ball. 
Kill a man just as dead as any other.


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## Doc Holliday

My ammo preference is making my own! I cast my own "boolits" (lead projectiles) and load my own. I dont like factory ammo because they have to make it work in any type of gun out there. I want my ammo tailored to my guns so they shoot the best that they can. Now for my Mannlicher Schoenauer 6.5X57 I pick up any factory ammo I can because it is so hard to find. 


Doc


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## www.BigBugOutTrucks.com

After I realized how much better some ammo's work in particular rifles that it does in other it lead me to tailor pork infused paint as a product that you apply to your guns favorite ammo! Please don't forget to add the terrorist cure to the tip of the rounds your are going to use for home and home land defense fellas! Pork laced rounds are my new favorite rounds but not because im the owner of this product but because You have just added magic bad mojo sauce to the terrorist if you have to some day use it for that!


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## bigdogbuc

The kind coated with PORK!!!!!!!!!! ::clapping::


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## sparkyprep

I am a big fan of CorBon hollowpoints.


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## exmilitary

I reload so for personal pref. I like 40 s&w for pistol and for hunting 378 weatherby mag. Lots of balls! :wink:


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## PrepConsultant

I am a HUGE fan of this ammo. I have been using it for some time(actually before it was available to the public) and it is by far the best ammo I have ever seen.. My fiance,brother,several friends and myself all use this ammo. I hear guys sat they have great hollow points and such and they will work fine.. I'm sure they will. I am the kind of guy that if someone show me something even better than what I am carrying, I am not so full of myself to give it a try for myself.. If someone shows me a better round, I am all about trying it for myself.. Until someone does, this is my ammo.. Check out this link, it's a good read..
http://shwat.com/Home/tabid/56/EntryId/30/DRT-308-vs-200-Pound-Wild-Boar.aspx

http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/bi...-rifle-ammo-leaves-animals-“dead-right-there”

I like how they don't dump their energy until they hit soft tissue...


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## BeefBallsBerry

I don't care as long as its the rite caliber and I can get it


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## Doc Holliday

I reload for both pistol and rifle and have not purchased a single round in over a year. I actually sold 400 rounds for what I paid for them (i hate price gougers) 
I have enough primers, powder, cases, and lead to keep me in bullets for the rest of my life time and into my kids life. Hopefully they will take up my hobby of reloading.


Doc


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## PaulS

It has been thirty plus years since I bought any ammo. I like to "roll my own" for the best accuracy. I like Hodgdon powders, winchester and CCI primers and Sierra, Speer and Nosler bullets. They have always performed well on targets and game for me.


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## PrepConsultant

PaulS said:


> It has been thirty plus years since I bought any ammo. I like to "roll my own" for the best accuracy. I like Hodgdon powders, winchester and CCI primers and Sierra, Speer and Nosler bullets. They have always performed well on targets and game for me.


I am loading my own now also.. I'm glad DRT sellt just bullets for reloading.. Although I do have other brands as well for reloading..


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## Carp614

preferably...available...just sayin'


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## ekim

My preference on ammo is more of all the calibers I have weapons for. I'm not a sharp shooter and I don't care what the bullet does to the target after it hits it as long as it stops the target. I want it to go bang when I pull the trigger and as long as I do my part to the best of my ability it hits the target I'm aiming at.


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## 71Chevrolet

Ammo preference? Reloads!


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## brimstone

I like to roll my own and Barnes Bullets is local to me. Barnes makes outstanding bullets and I like supporting them, but I use less expensive bullets for target rounds.


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## PaulS

I roll my own too but I have to use the same bullets because the point of impact is different with different bullets. And once I work up a load the accuracy changes if I use a different bullet too. I like getting to know a round and rifle combination and the only way to do that is to shoot it. Even with the seven ballistics programs that I have the only way to know for sure where that bullet will land is to shoot it.


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## jimb1972

I am a big fan of the 168gr Sierra BTHP, that and a healthy dose of Varget make me happy.


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## PaulS

jimb1972 said:


> I am a big fan of the 168gr Sierra BTHP, that and a healthy dose of Varget make me happy.


I'm gonna guess a *3006* or 308....... right?


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## jimb1972

PaulS said:


> I'm gonna guess a *3006* or 308....... right?


Yep, both but .308 mostly. I like the Sierra 139gr. SP over H414 in my 7x57.


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## 1895gunner

I am a reloader myself - I shoot a lot almost every weekend (primarily lever action big bores). I'm like Doc, plenty of components for my lifetime (but I keep buying) and I load everything except 22 of course including shotgun. I enjoy reloading as much as shooting. If you don't reload almost any factory ammo is good enough. If you are hunting dangerous game then premium factory ammo would be my move if you don't reload.

YMMV,


1895gunner


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## BigCheeseStick

Hand loads!

Like Burger King says.
View attachment 2729


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## 9UC

Trying to nail down ammo preference is like trying to nail down a mad rattle snake. I generally default to the "what ever you think is best for you and your gun". My personal preference, if stocks are readily available is by caliber, where it's made and intended use. I use two different carries for my day to day CC. One of my BT-380s or my 9UC. When I first bought, the brand specific forum I followed recommended first and foremost, American made, brass cased, round nosed (projectile) known quality ammo in all calibers for target. Same basics except for "round" nose for JHP when gun was broken in. For target and general use ammo I'm not stuck on a brand, I researched various brands on line and use several different ones. When it comes to the self defense rounds I'm a little more picky, in the 380 I am using up the last of one well know JHP and will switch to Corbon DPX as the ballistic ratings in both formal and independent testing are rated higher for both projectile spread and penetration than the brand I've been using. By the time I got the 9UC broke in, I had already done the research and Federal Premium 147+P had the best testing results so there was no fishing around. On my sole defense rifle, an M1 30 cal Carbine, does not have that much affordable choice until recently lower price availability on the soft points. I'm rethinking the Carbine issue and giving thought to selling and getting 5.56 or 7.62. For personal privacy and safety, I try to limit online purchases and local credit card purchases and stick to cash where I can. I don't keep a mountain of a supply, but I don't want those who would hack, whether government or non governmental criminals following my purchases.


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## Doc Holliday

Ya know Gunner, I really need to try reloading for shotgun!!! 
I cant find anyone around my area that does.


Doc


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## bigdogbuc

Doc Holliday said:


> Ya know Gunner, I really need to try reloading for shotgun!!!
> I cant find anyone around my area that does.
> 
> Doc


It's not all that difficult. And no one ever saves their hulls. Trash cans at the range are full of them. I reload them without any equipment, aside from an antique roll crimper, and that was a luxury I purchased literally because it looked cool and I had some extra cash. And it works. Win-Win. I'm set up so I can literally reload at the range or in the field. Check out Duelist1954 on YouTube. He has a three part series on it using "nothing" to "minimal" hand equipment. In his fourth video, he shoots them. This guy is the Black Powder Editor for Guns of the Old West Magazine and knows his stuff. I reload plastic hulls and brass both, with zero "traditional" equipment.


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## Gunner's Mate

loaded Ammo is my preference


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