Premium Ammunition Consumers

[Warp]

I probably qualify as a buyer of premium ammunition. Speer Gold Dot, Federal HST, Buffalo Bore, mk262 (black hills 5.56 77gr SMK), Hornady match ammo, Wolf Match/Extra, etc. Nothing exotic or hyper expensive, but bottom end to middle of the road premium I suppose.

#1: Why do I choose it? Because for defensive purposes, and sometimes competition or bragging rights purposes, I want something better than run of the mill bulk ammo.


#2: What sets them apart? Long-earned reputation of quality and performance + living up to expectations in my guns when I try some myself.


#3: Evaluation process? It usually starts on forums. Depending on what I'm researching I look on here, M4C, GT, RFC, arf.com, Midway reviews if it's offered there, and any other resources of opportunity. Then I get some to try, and see if it lives up to my expectations, for me, in my guns. And I continually keep an eye out for feedback on anything I have invested in. For defensive pistol ammo (by far the most money I spend on premium ammo is this category) I look for something with a proven street record, not just something that tests well in gel, even if the FBI says it tests great)


#4: Frequency and volume is rather sporadic. I don't usually buy premium stuff in much volume, because I use inexpensive bulk type ammo for the majority of my shooting due to costs. The most premium ammo I ever bought at once was a 500 round case of a premium 9mm JHP, though I have had a lot of orders of 250-300 rounds, total, of premium pistol JHP. My biggest premium rifle ammo order was for 400 rounds of mk262 (that crap is $1/round for pete's sake!!).

Generally when I get into a premium round for potential defensive use I buy at least 150 initially, so that I can run 100 through one particular pistol, and if those 100 work flawlessly I'll load up a few carry/spare magazines with the remaining ~50 rounds. Then I'll probably go out and buy another 150 or so, so that I can either test them in a different (or new) pistol without running out, or so that I can periodically rotate the mag in the gun through and replace with new (not that I have concerns with the ammo, but just to keep getting the round count up for testing purposes and to make sure I stay familiar with it).

Now, for rifle and shotgun, I don't buy premium ammo very often. For rifle I haven't bought match ammo or anything like that since last year, at least. I haven't bought premium shotgun ammo for, hell, maybe a couple years (premium meaning, like, Hornady TAP, Federal flight control wad LE/PD ammo, Brenneke slugs, and the like)

.22lr...lol. Yeah.


#5: Cost...cost is always a factor, but for the premium defensive ammo I am willing to spend some money if I believe it is clearly a better choice. I am more than happy to pay for Gold Dots or HST (50 round boxes online!) instead of getting, say, Remington or Winchester 'value' type JHP at Walmart. But I'm not going to pay ridiculous prices. If I had to buy Gold Dots at the LGS 20 round boxes pricing, for example...I probably wouldn't. It would just be too damn expensive, I'd hope to be able to stock up on something like 9BPLE, or, failing that, Winchester Silver Tips, or something, for example. More of a mid level offering.

.22lr...lol. For me the cost/benefit stops paying out after Wolf M/T or M/E. I know I could spend more and get noticeably better ammo, say the truly premium Lapua or Eley stuff...but no way I'm paying thsoe prices.





Hopefully something in my rather specific ramblings above is helpful.

 

[blarby]

Hopefully something in my rather specific ramblings above is helpful.

To this end, every word is helpful.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Premium ammo...

Blarby--I get most of my ammo from Smokey Joe's Reload Shop. It is as high-quality in every way, for its purpose, as I can manage. I couldn't possibly afford to shoot as much as I do if I bought my ammo.

Pistol & rifle--All home-made.

The only exception is my waterfowl hunting ammo--I don't have equipment for steel or bismuth shot, and one fires relatively few times when actually goose hunting. So I pop for the (expensive) bismuth-shot commercial cartridges. Practice shotgun rounds, however, get loaded up by me with ordinary Pb shot.

I was astounded to learn that most of the guys in my bullseye pistol league, do NOT reload. No wonder they don't practice much!!

On second thought, of course all my rimfire ammo is factory-made. FWIW, I spare no expense to get the ammo that my benchrest .22 rifles like. The "just banging" ammo usually is el cheapo stuff. Competition other than benchrest is somewhere in the middle.

 

[blarby]

I was astounded to learn that most of the guys in my bullseye pistol league, do NOT reload.

Be nice to have that kinda funding, wouldn't it ?

Use it to your advantage ! Round count always wins in the end

 

[blarby]

TTT for more input.

 

[blarby]

TTT !

More input requested !

 

[RustyShackelford]

High end brands; new styles.....

I'd look into the "wildcat" or hard to find calibers. That may be a niche market.
.357sig, .50AE, .41AE, 10mm, .41magnum, .327federal, 9x23Winchester, .40Super, .50GI, etc.
You can also look into the exotic or pre-fragmented loads; www.drtammo.com www.magsafeonline.com www.shopcorbon.com www.atomicammunition.com www.doubletapammo.com www.buffalobore.com .
As noted, a open source for top brands like Winchester Ranger T/T series, Speer Gold Dot, Hornady TAP & Critical Duty, Remington Golden Saber(bonded), DPX/Corbon, etc could be good.
Ranger T 127gr +P+ 9x19mm JHPs are really hard to buy.
The new Winchester T Series in .40/.357sig/.45acp is tough too.
You might look at the new .380acp & 9mm RIP ammunition. It's been discussed at length on many gun forums. I think they have a deal thru DRT Ammo but I'm not sure.
I'd avoid Extreme Shock USA & RCBD/Le Mas. They are unstable & shown to be junk in most T&Es. There are a few smaller firms with frangibles too but I haven't shot or used them.
Rusty

 

[plmitch]

I don't buy premium factory ammo for hunting. I load my hunting ammo only with Hornady GMX bullets. I don't reload 9mm and .45acp anymore, cheaper to buy then waste my time on it.

 

[Blue Thunder]

There are lots of ammo types that are hard to buy now. This is why I bought in Bulk early in 2008 before the Democratic convention and tons of powder and primers in 2010. I have 5000 primers in a couple of cases from Federal that have a sticker on them that says $44.99 in 2008, and powder that is $19.95 per pound. Sometimes you have to read the Tea Leaves. I have yet to pay too much for ammo, as I have not spent any on factory since 2008. I also reload for classes and range time.

 

[Agsalaska]

I have been meaning to add my two cents.

 

[tuj]

I buy almost exclusively premium ammo.

22lr: I use Eley Match, Eley Tenex, and Federal Ultramatch UM22 in my benchrest rifles. For 22lr pistol shooting (bullseye), I use SK Pistol Match.

.223: I use mostly Federal Gold Medal 77gr, or ASYM Precision 75gr and Black Hills 75gr. These loads are the most accurate in my target AR. When I shoot, generally I am trying to be as accurate as possible and the ammo is often the weak link.

.45ACP: I use ASYM Precision Practical Match FMJ 230gr on the short line (bullseye) and their National Match 185gr JHP for the long line. Or I use handloads for practice that average 750 fps.

9mm: This is my SD cartridge and I use ASYM Precision Tac-XP solid copper HP loading. The Barnes bullet is a proven stopper. For practice, this is the only time I use cheaper ammo, FMJ Winchester white box or similar.

.17HMR: No one is making a match round in this caliber yet. CCI makes all the ammo except for Winchester's, which is notorious for cracking at the case mouth.

 

[blarby]

*takes notes*

 

[barnbwt]

*buys up all the ammo*



TCB

 

[Agsalaska]

Rifles-I have always used Remington Core Lokt. I guess its cheap, but it keeps good groups and I have always found it devastating on everything I have ever shot with it. I am not saying that high end or expensive hunting bullets don't do more, especially as you reach the margins of the abilities of the cartridges. But I never approach those with south Texas deer. The CoreLokts pull the rug out.

Pistols-I am not much of a pistol shooter. I don't really care much about good or bad range ammo. I keep a few hundred rounds of whatever range ammo I can find. I keep Buffalo Bore in my 38 and some Winchester or Speer Gold Dots in my 9mm. Obviously in SD situations you are always operating on the margins with any pistol ammo so I think it makes since to buy the best.