Federal: Gould Brothers Break World Record

ANOKA, Minnesota – There is a new distance record for breaking a clay target with a shotgun load following an epic day at a rural Minnesota farm. Federal Ammunition sponsored shooters Steve and Aaron Gould, who make up the popular Gould Brothers exhibition team, broke their own record not once but twice outside Osakis, Minnesota on a cold and windy day this spring.

“We are always trying to push the limits of what is possible, and we knew that Federal’s TSS would be the round to make it possible to break a clay pigeon at further distances than we had in the past,” exclaimed Steve Gould.

The previous record was 160 yards set several years back by the duo of brothers. Now with Federal, and having the world’s leading shotshell manufacturer backing them, a new record was ready to be set. The Gould Brothers teamed up with Federal’s Adam Moser, lead shotshell engineer, to better understand the capabilities of Heavyweight TSS in both 7 and 9 shot sizes at extreme ranges.

“The #7 TSS has a significant advantage at 170 yards over the #5 lead at 160 yards. Three times the pellet energy and 100+ more pellets in the payload,” stated Moser, when explaining the differences between Heavyweight TSS and the previously lead load used to set the record. Read more

Berger’s Emil Praslick Hosts Kestrel Ballistics’ Wind Reading Class

Mesa, AZ – Berger’s Mil/LE Business Development Manager and “Wind Wizard”, Emil Praslick, will join Kestrel Ballistics to host a virtual Wind Reading class on Tuesday, May 25 at 3PM EST.

Kestrel Ballistics offers virtual classes to help shooters learn how to make the most of their Kestrel weather meters, maximize their time at the range, and advance their shooting capabilities to the next level.

“I am really looking forward to this class and discussing how to best use the powerful capabilities of the Kestrel. There are a number of different strategies used to determine your wind and engage targets, and I’ll talk about how the Kestrel complements those processes,” commented Emil Praslick.

For more information on Kestrel Ballistics’ Virtual Classes and to sign up for the Wind Reading class with Emil Praslick, visit kestrelballistics.com/classes.

About Berger
Berger manufactures precision projectiles and match-grade ammunition for Target, Hunting and Tactical applications in Mesa, AZ. Berger is part of the Capstone Precision Group, the exclusive U.S. distributor for Berger, Lapua, Vihtavuori and SK-Rimfire products. For more information, visit Bergerbullets.com.

Winchester Ammunition Awarded U.S. Army Contract

EAST ALTON, Ill. — Winchester has been selected by the U.S. Army as the second source provider for small caliber rifle ammunition. This most recent contract is for 5.56mm, 7.62mm and 50 caliber ammunition with an initial order of $37 million and is the third consecutive second source contract Olin Winchester has received.

“Winning this contract, combined with being selected as the operating contractor at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, solidifies Winchester’s position supplying small caliber ammunition to the U.S. military,” said Brett Flaugher, president of Winchester.

“Winchester has proven time and again that we can meet and exceed the exacting standards required by our military customers,” said Kevin Noonan, director of military programs and strategy. “The reason you see Winchester continue to win these contracts is because we are delivering quality, cost-effective products on time.”

Winchester is the world leader in the development, production and supply of advanced, high-performance small caliber ammunition. Since World War I, Winchester has been the U.S. Army’s largest commercial supplier of small caliber ammunition and has met the needs of law enforcement and U.S armed forces with decades of support at the highest levels.

CMP Ammunition Warning

Dear CMP Family,

The CMP advises to not use .30/06 ammunition in M1 Garands, 1903s, and 1903A3s that is loaded beyond 50,000 CUP and has a bullet weight more than 172-174gr. These rifles are at least 70 years old and were not designed for max loads and super heavy bullets. Always wear hearing and eye protection when firing an M1 Garand, 1903 and/or 1903A3 rifle.

This warning is an update/addition to the Ammunition section in the Read This First manual enclosed with each rifle shipment (M1 Garand manual-page 6 and M1903 manual-page 10).

Civilian Marksmanship Program

The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearm safety and marksmanship training and to the promotion of marksmanship competition for citizens of the United States. For more information about the CMP and its programs, log onto www.TheCMP.org.

NovX Pentagon-Series Personal Defensive Ammunition

Available First Exclusively at Midway USA

NovX™, the industry leader in advanced-technology ammunition, has launched a new line of personal defense handgun ammunition, available first exclusively at Midway USA. The Pentagon defense cartridge was developed to provide maximum terminal performance for defensive, concealed carry applications.

Building on the NovX reputation for innovative, field-proven personal protection ammunition for civilians and law enforcement, the just-released Pentagon cartridge establishes new benchmarks in terminal performance for handgun ammunition.

The Pentagon line of handgun ammo centers on a monolithic copper hollow point design specifically engineered for controlled expansion on impact, maximizing penetration while delivering optimal hydrostatic shock. These environmentally safe, lead-free projectiles deliver petal expansion up to twice the bullet diameter. The Pentagon’s higher velocities and greater impact energy than conventional composite bullets are credited to the monolithic copper bullet’s lighter weight and the NovX patented 2-piece stainless steel cartridge case design. The net result is a defensive cartridge that is lighter to carry concealed, easier to shoot, provides for fast sight picture acquisition on follow-up shots through reduced muzzle flip, and superior terminal performance to quickly end defensive engagements. Read more

Federal Ammunition Introduces New 22 LR Punch Personal Defense

ANOKA, Minnesota – Different shooters have different needs, different limitations, and different firearms. Yet for all those variables, 22 Long Rifle has never really been an option for personal defense—until now. Federal Premium introduces Punch 22 LR, a new load using a first-of-its-kind 29-grain nickel-plated lead-core bullet, pushed at maximum velocities for the deepest penetration through short-barrel handguns. Shipments of this product have begun to arrive at dealers.

“Self-defense isn’t one size fits all. So, whether shooters want to carry a 22 LR handgun as a backup gun, do not feel comfortable with centerfire pistols, or simply want to get more versatility from a rimfire handgun,” said Federal’s Rimfire Product Manager, Dan Compton, “Punch makes the 22 LR cartridge a viable defensive choice for the first time ever.”

The Punch 22 LR bullet is a departure from standard 22 LR design. It features a flat nose and utilizes a heavy nickel-plated jacket around a lead core. So not only does it travel faster than competing 22 projectiles, but its design also deliberately minimizes expansion and retains weight to maintain sufficient straight-line penetration. That is a lot to ask from a .22 bullet, which is why other manufacturers have shied away from the challenge. But Federal’s engineering team pulled it off, giving America’s favorite cartridge a chance to prove itself for protection.

“We’ve talked about making a 22 LR defensive load for some time. We finally decided that people are already carrying 22 LRs, so we might as well build a .22 bullet optimized for protection,” said Compton. “After much research, we decided that for a .22 LR defense bullet, penetration was more important than expansion.” Read more

Remington Ammunition is Back

Lonoke, Arkansas –  Remington Ammunition, America’s outdoor brand known around the world for generations by outdoor enthusiasts for its iconic green boxes, today announced the much-anticipated brand homecoming and factory reboot at its Lonoke, Arkansas facility. Hundreds of American workers are now working around the clock under the highest quality standards to meet the ammunition needs of shooters and hunters across the country.

The company just released a video featuring Remington Ammunition President Jason Vanderbrink showing firsthand that Big Green is Back. Vanderbrink tours the plant, talking about his plans to dramatically ramp up production, overcome supply chain issues, and demonstrate that the storied ammunition company is working overtime to address the needs of customers around the world.

Vista Outdoor, the new steward of Remington Ammunition and the Remington brand, took ownership of the “Big Green” Arkansas manufacturing facility last October after acquiring select Remington assets. Under Vanderbrink’s leadership, Remington has been working 24/7 to retool and reopen the plant, hiring hundreds of skilled American workers to revitalize operations. Read more

Everyone is a Communist About What They Want

Everyone knows that communists are disgusting fools who promote an ideology that killed hundreds of millions of people and still threatens to destroy freedom and prosperity, but did you know that you—yes, you—are also a filthy little commie puke?

British historian Robert Conquest (correctly) opined that “everyone is conservative about what he knows best.” This fundamental truth applies even to those on the left, particularly the activist class. While they may call for higher taxes, for example, they do everything they can to protect their own money from the government. Likewise, most people simply don’t take massive risks with their own lives, money, property, etc., despite many being willing to demand that you take risks with yours. One glaring example is the fact that employees of labor unions are often forbidden from…forming a union. Why? Because the union knows darn well that having a unionized workforce is bad for management, so when management is them, workers’ rights be damned. But this law of politics is not the subject of this article.

I would posit an additional law, one that is arguably the inverse of Conquest’s. It is thus: “Almost everyone is a communist about what they want.” I didn’t fully comprehend this fundamental truth until the Great Ammunition Crisis of 2020-2021 hit.

Around the fall of 2020, I started to see forum comments, social media posts and reactions, remarks on web articles, etc.—and I mean tons of it— from upstanding, law-abiding, patriotic Americans. Virtually all of them were whining about first the lack of availability of guns and ammunition, and soon after the increased prices of both.

To start, virtually every single one cried foul about the lack of supply. Despite a healthy dose of reporting on the subject in shooting media outlets and even coverage in the mainstream media, almost everyone who commented about the issue insisted that there must be some conspiracy restricting supply. The fact that there was a pandemic that made work conditions less-than-optimal for production and disrupted supply lines, or the fact that five to 10 million new gun owners entered the market in a period of about 90 days did not matter. There must have been some sinister force at play.

Balderdash.

The supply problems were entirely due to an unprecedented increase in demand combined with COVID social-distancing measures and some resultant hiccups in the supply chain. But that was merely the start of seeing how fine Americans who likely identify as conservative or libertarian—but certainly not leftist, socialist or, with apologies to P.J. O’Rourke, puke-gutted-bolshevik-rectum-eater—slowly morphed into dirty, filthy communists.

Around the beginning of 2021, the complaints began to change as the ammunition supply began to increase and inventory started to show up on retailers’ shelves, albeit at prices most would consider ridiculous, like $50 for a 50-round box of Russian steel-cased 9 mm. I get it; that commie garbage should be like 15 cents per round, not a buck per shot. But, why might prices have increased?

Because. Of. Demand.

I will say it again: because of demand. Everyone knows that the whole damn country is buying or wants to buy ammunition. The pandemic, violent rioting in our cities, cuts in law enforcement budgets, calls to eliminate the police and hateful, eliminationist rhetoric directed at supporters of the 45th President of the United States are but a few reasons why many—if not most—Americans thought 2020 would be a good year to arm up to protect hearth, home and family. As mentioned, between five and 10 million people bought a gun for the first time in 2020. They probably figured out that the gun is fairly useless without ammunition, so they bought at least a couple of boxes of the bangy stuff, too. Add to that the 80 to 100 million Americans who owned guns prior to 2020 also recognizing that things weren’t (and indeed still aren’t) looking all that safe or stable and therefore it might be time to add to their ammo stockpile, and you can see how an increase in demand in the neighborhood of literally billions more rounds of ammunition hit like a meteor between March and June of 2020, continuing through the rest of that year and into 2021.

Supply could not match that demand, no matter how many shifts or machines were added to manufacturing capacity. When demand goes up while supply either stays the same, decreases or increases at a slower rate than demand, prices increase. This is not even Econ 101; it’s like the first discussion on the subject that one might encounter in their freshman year of high school, or maybe even earlier.

But many otherwise conservative, libertarian or just not-soulless-pinko-commie Americans simply would not accept this basic principle of economics. “Price gouging!” They cried. “Unfair to the working folks!” They bellowed. “Something must be done to stop the price increases!” They demanded. “Boycott retailers who jack up prices!” They shrieked. Why? Why would otherwise reasonable people who recognize the dangers posed by statism, socialism and wretched-filthy-revolting-pig-monkey communism demand with full voice and passion that ammunition be doled out from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs?

Because almost everyone is a communist about what they want.

And therein lies a major problem, because communism is a disgusting evil that needs to be blotted from the universe, but the people I used to think were most inclined to do so are actually closet bolsheviks. You want price controls on ammo? Fine, but why stop there? Why not have price controls on other things that people need, like food? After all, the Soviet Union was known for producing massive grain surpluses and having so much food that no one had to wait in line at a supermarket to buy endless options of every kind of food one could imagine, right?

Oh, wait. No, that’s the opposite of reality. Those communist swine had to import grain from the hated imperialist Americans, and some Soviet citizens were lucky enough to get to wait in a line stretching from Gorky Park to Dzerzhinsky Square to buy whatever meat was available on Thursday, which was your day to maybe buy miscellaneous cattle offal for your table, if there was enough to go around.

But prices were stable, comrade! Well, they weren’t, because things people actually wanted were sold on a very-capitalist-indeed black market. Purchased nalyevo, on the left, was how ordinary people got “luxury” goods like pantyhose, blue jeans, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, etc. in that stinking commie rathole.

Apparently, many people want that same situation to apply to ammunition and firearms in our beloved country. And I get it. Times are tough. Heavy-handed lockdowns and social-distancing mandates during the pandemic have cost millions of jobs and destroyed significant sources of income. People who were just minding their own business have been faced with 400- to 500-percent price hikes on ammunition at a time when spending-money is in short supply. Having some imaginary wicked force to blame is comforting, even if that blame is misplaced, incorrect and ignorant of how the economy (any economy) operates. Demanding someone or thing come fix the problem by force—because all laws are threats to use force to obtain compliance—is, sadly, an all-too-common, but understandable reaction to discovering a difficulty getting what one wants, when one wants it, for a price one considers “fair” (which for a great many people is “free”).

That reaction is why communism remains a threat despite being thoroughly discredited in the last century. And almost everyone has that reaction when something they want gets hit with a price shock. Because almost everyone is a communist about what they want.

As a result, I weep for the future.

— “Koba”

Koba is a pseudonym for one of the industry’s well-known writers and observers. The piece was written “after answering no fewer than 150 emails from people telling me about ‘the ammo conspiracy.’”

ELR Shooter Ryan Cheney Hits 2.35-mile Shot with Hornady A-TIP Bullet

(Grand Island, Nebr.) — Hornady® congratulates Ryan Cheney on his record 2.35 mile shot on March 27 at the Spearpoint Ranch in Barnard, Kansas.

Cheney’s shot is the longest impact ever shot and recorded in competition.

Cheney was shooting Hornady .338 cal. 300 gr. A-TIP® bullets in his custom-built GA Precision rifle chambered in 33 XC.

“Half the battle in ELR is seeing your impacts and correcting” said Cheney. “These bullets have incredible splash and in 20+ mph winds, A-TIP bullets performed phenomenally,” added Cheney.

Cheney, a 41-year-old competitive ELR shooter from Conway Springs, Kansas was able to hit a plate at 3,592 yards – which itself was a record hit for a .33 caliber projectile, but then managed to drop a shot on a piece of 6-foot-by 6-foot steel at 4,134 yards, which is 2.35 miles. Read more

Lapua Introduces New Naturalis and MEGA Hunting Cartridges

Sedalia, MO – Lapua, world-renowned for producing the finest cartridge cases and ammunition, announces new hunting ammunition offerings for .223 Remington and 6.5 Creedmoor loaded with Lapua Naturalis projectiles.

Lapua 223 Remington 50 Grain Naturalis

One of the most popular cartridges in the US, the .223 Remington 50 Grain Naturalis is a great choice for small to midsized game for anyone looking for high performance without wasting meat. The Naturalis projectile offers superb accuracy and best-in-class terminal ballistics for today’s small game hunter. Like all Naturalis cartridge offerings, it includes Lapua’s new AirLock technology, securing the cartridge from moisture and debris to provide uncompromising results in inclement weather.

Naturalis bullet technology allows for a perfect mushrooming effect, expanding the bullet diameter up to twice the original size and creating a devastating would channel. Its construction provides exceptional performance and penetration capabilities with up to 100% weight retention. A must-have for any .223 Remington enthusiast. Read more

1 33 34 35 36 37 157