how often do you fire off your ccw load?

[novaDAK]

I carry a revolver normally and I've had the same +P 158gr LSWCHPs in it for almost a year now. Shot enough of them to know it works, and I realized that they have the same recoil and POI as the plated 158gr flat points I practice with.

[The Great Mahoo]

It depends on the gun for me.

In my 357 Revolver, I keep the same rounds for a while, a few months I would figure. I tend to shoot 4:1 on boxes of 38's to 357's. Usually its a box of 38's with a load or two of 357's. I generally keep the same ammo in my gun and loaders, though, shooting new but cheaper 357 rounds to stay sharp with em. The actually carry rounds get fired off about once or twice a year.

In my 45 auto, much more frequently. I stopped carrying +p ammo as much, as I am confident in regular 45 ACP JHP or FMJ. Because I'm not shelling out the money for Corbon's, and due to the ammo cycling so much, I shoot it off very frequently, generally every or every-other trip to the range with it to get some fresh rounds loaded up. I also tend to cycle my mags to minimize wear on any one of them, or the rounds they contain. I keep 3 mags loaded in my pistol safe, and swap which I am using every so often.

[mavracer]

probably every 6 months to a year.I have several carry guns when I'm at the range (I shoot at least weekly) if what im carrying hasn't been shot for a while it gets shot.

[troy_mclure]

surplus military ammo is alot different than civilian daily cary ammo.

the surplus is designed to be handled roughly and stored for long periods and it sits for it.

the ccw ammo is not usually designed for rough use, plus its being moved and jiggled daily not sitting for long periods like surplus

[FireForged]

It will take me 5 years to cycle through a box of carry ammo. Anything that is not in the revolver is kept in a sealed ammo can with a desi-pack and stored in a cool place. After I cycle through the whole box i will go down to the range and fire it off.

On viability of ammo: While cleaning out my garage I found an old box of norinco ammo that had fallen behind my work bench. I only bought norinco once and didnt like it. I know that box of ammo had been sitting there in the hot humid and cold cold of the seasons. 15 plus years in totally unprotected (but dry) conditions. I took that ammo to the range and fired the whole box without any problems. I know that 15 years isnt all that much by ammo standards but it demonstrates that if kept dry it isnt fragile. It had to have gotten pretty humid in there because the ammo box was slightly wrinkled.

[KD5NRH]

Considering the number of times I've fired old ammo or seen it fired in cases where a deceased relative had left a gun loaded in the safe or sock drawer for decades, (usually a matter of pulling the gun out, unloading it, cleaning off rust or de-gunking it from old oil, then relaoding it with the same ammo) and only seen misfires from rimfire. I don't worry too much about my carry ammo lasting a year or more.

As for staying familiar with it, one of the first things I do when I change my carry ammo (or the manufacturer changes the design) is to work up a load that feels the same and has a substantially similar POI from 3-15 yards. It usually isn't my most common practice round, (I mostly carry a .357 snub, so in the interest of not having a sore hand for weeks after a 2-300 round session, I practice mostly with .38+P loads in .357 hulls.) but I do try to shoot through 20-50 of them per range trip.

[JimAmentler]

I shoot my carry ammo once a month. I also try to find FMJ's with a POA/POI that's as close as possible to my carry ammo to practice with.

[Erik]

"how often do you fire off your ccw load?"

At least once a quarter.

[Kline605]

I change out my ammunition approximately every 6 months. I use to shoot up all of the old ammuntion, but I also have started stocking up my reserve.

[chrisbarcelo]

Every 5 or 6 months. Replace your ammo and always use factory loaded ammom buy american (Im from the Philippines and Im using hornady, corbon or the like). If your using a semi auto, have a spare mag to rotate your mag and dont fill it to capacity as they tend to reduce the tension of the spring. And dont use that penetrant that comes from the blue can (i dont want to name the brand) as it will sure give you two or three sizzlers, it can penetrate the primer and render it a dud.

[FALPhil]

Wow. I guess I am unique, listening to you guys.

I believe you should train like you fight. Anything less can lead to unpredictable results. Therefore, I shoot my carry ammo first thing when I go to the range (at least weekly). It's a handload. I train with handloads, therefore I carry handloads. They are accurate (competition quality) and powerful (IPSC major).

I don't understand why I would be incented to do anything else. And don't start up that bogus garbage about handloads exposing you to liability. That was debunked years ago.

[Tacman]

When I am stateside I carry everyday and when I walk out the door I go straight into the backyard where I have a small target aray set up (My BIG range is in my back 60). I keep two IPSC cardboards posted and two quarter size IPSC steel targets there.

I also have a small ammocan with a few decks of old playing cards all mixed up but face down in it and some spray glue.

I go out every morning, go to the ammo can, pull out the glue and spray a small spot on the target. Then without looking at the face of the card attach it to the target and walk away. Cards have a hit value, Ace is 1, Duece is 2, 10 is ten, face cards represent failures to stop, multiple target engagment, support hand only use, transition to another weapon, etc.

I shoot from a different location everyday and until I turn and identify my threat I do not know how many rounds I will need. Once I turn Identify and engage I am determining my "HIT" count. Not shot count. counting rounds is the hard part not concentrate on. You want to learn the rhythme of your shot strings.

*Note on shot strings (practice a drill called "sixes"). Six rounds, close range, 1.5-2.0 sec (use a timer) from the gaurd and you can cover them with the end of a soda can. Heavy price to pay in ammo to learn this but very worth it. Good trigger reset and follow-through are a must.

You can dress it up with movement drills, multiple targets, utilizing a back-up gun etc.

Then I top off my mag(s) and go about my day. Some mornings I shoot 1 round some days I gotta go back to my home office and get ammo. I buy in bulk so it helps. Also, I know my carry gun works on the ammo I am using. I have seen certain ammo performance with certain guns be dismal while in other weapons working perfectly.

[matthew temkin]

I really should do it every 3 months, but once a year ( .38 revolver) is the norm.