Gimmick Ammo – Are You Buying Snake Oil? (article)

[Raggedyman]

Another article I wrote. As always, please share any criticism you have.

"It slices! It dices! It'll bake you cookies and rub your feet! But wait, there's more! Order in the next five minutes and..." Certain ammo companies promise the world. They claim that their Extreme nytrillium trocars forged in the fires of Valhalla will instantly vaporize gorillas on PCP and that Space Shuttle air marshals carry this special $5/rd ammunition so you should too. And why shouldn't you believe the person that is selling the product? I mean, who would know more about it than the company trying to take your money? If you're some sort of antisocial paranoid skeptic like me, though, you might question whether those claims are entirely accurate. Does the ammunition actually do what it claims? Is any of this gimmick ammo suitable for home defense? Even if it is suitable for defense, does it perform so much better than Gold Dot or HST that it justifies the sort of pricing that usually comes with an Apple logo?

The rest is here if you're interested.

[sqlbullet]

Most shooters like to buy into bad ammo because it is an easy excuse for poor shots when hunting.

Buy cheap ammo.  Learn to put bullets where you need them when it counts.  You will increase you effectiveness orders of magnitude more than extreme nytrillium trocars ever will.

[Centimeter]

Great article! Couldn't agree more. Snake-oil salesmen will tell you anything and promise you the world because it doesn't bother them if they don't deliver, it only bothers you. Training is the most important investment you can make in becoming more proficient with your firearms. No whiz-bang accessory or ultra-deadly ammunition will do you a lick of good if you can't work your gun and put those shots where they need to be. It's sad, but not all that surprising, that there are still companies (or individuals) out there that are still trying to peddle inferior products out there based on hype and flash and marketing. Especially when it comes to matters that are, legitimately, life-and-death.

[The_Shadow]

It is what I have said that the eccentric ammos were more hype than what is was worth for years even back when they made the "BLACK TALONS"...  Cor-Bon Pow'r Ball, super light hypervelocity projectiles, and a whole host of others.  About the best projectiles I have liked was the Barnes copper projectiles...SST, TAC-XP, etc. for what they bring to the table.  They seem to provide a good balance of reliable performance where the "NO Lead" hunting bands exist.  Others companies seem to be tapping into this market looking for the gimmick niche...however!  One thing is that I am seeing, is the shift to 100% copper projectiles, as the industry may be understanding the real possibility of Greedy Government Gone Wild, pushing yet another infringement to the rights of firearms ownership and uses, as they continually push the "lead band" issue, forcing the EPA to consider this naturally occurring element to a hazardous materials all out band.

Gold Dots have to be about the best ballistic performance bang for your buck with the bonded core along with a few others close behind.

One thing is for certain, the real world performance of cast bullets, has a very proven track record without the extreme prices that we are seeing with this new fangled ammo...The reason I started casting so many years ago.  For me I'll continue to buy, what I find works with the price point in mind and load my own stuff.

[Rojo27]

Good article Andrew.   

When you referenced the amazing and magical "trocar" I half expected you to tee up the R.I.P.OFF brand ammo.  (And hell no I don't want to get shot by one....for that matter; nor a .22, BB or air soft gun while we're on the topic). Hard to image a current $3 or $4 per round over hyped  gimmic (my opinion) without naming it. 

Otherwise I think your article is spot on.  I particularly liked the comparison to "snake oil".

Lehigh Defense has a couple of interesting new machined (next big thing) projectiles.  Time and independent testing will prove if they're worthwhile or not however, for now I'm sticking with the Gold Dots, XTPs, TAC-XP, Critical Duty, HSTs, Trophy Bonded, Hard Cast for personal protection.

[Raggedyman]

I didn't include the RIP (Relatively Ineffective and Pricey) because I haven't personally tested it, but there is so much testing out there on it that it is very clearly junk.

I've been watching the Lehigh stuff with interest. Some is junk and fails to penetrate adequately, if I remember from other tests. Others look really promising. If everything goes well, I'll be testing the 10mm Lehigh that Intercooler sent me today.