Ammo

SIG Ammo: A Reliable Choice For Range, Match, And Self-Defense

June 7, 2018 By Terry Nelson Leave a Comment

SIG Match Grade ammo in 308 — **SIG Match Grade ammunition in .308**

Sig Sauer is probably best known for its exceptional line of handguns and rifles. You may have even heard of the Sig Sauer Academy having been around now since the late 1980s.

However, some folks may not know that Sig has been in the ammunition business since 2013. Since its start in Kentucky the ammo part of Sig has now moved to Jacksonville, Arkansas. The ammo division now offers a full line of practice, defensive match, and hunting ammunition along with brass for the reloading enthusiasts.

Although I have yet to try all the offerings of SIG ammo, I have been testing some of their better known ammunition categories.

Practice

The Practice category was my first chance to try out SIG ammo and it did not disappoint. There were zero feeding or reliability issues. Offerings in the Practice ammo line include, 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 380 Auto, 38 Super, 9mm, 10mm, 357 Sig, 40 S&W, 45 ACP, and even .308 FMJ.

SIG provides another choice for the shooter when it comes to reliable training ammunition. The company describes this line as “manufactured to SIG’s exacting standards with durable copper jacketed bullets, solid brass cases, and dependable primers.”

Defensive

Defensive ammo from SIG, also known as V-Crown, is offered in the following; 38 Special +P, 380 Auto, 38 Super + P, 9mm, 10mm, 357 Sig, 357 Magnum, 40 S&W, 44 Magnum, 44 Special, 45 Auto and 45 Colt. New in 2018 is 365 Sig 9mm ammo, developed specifically for the also new SIG P365 pistol, a great combination for concealed carry. As SIG puts it when talking about their defensive line: “From bullet to brass to propellant, SIG V-Crown ammunition establishes a new standard in jacketed hollow point centerfire pistol cartridges.”

Match

SIG manufactures match grade ammo in the following calibers; 223 Rem, 300 Blackout, 6.5 Creedmoor and 308 Win. According to SIG “Our subsonic match rounds deliver increased downrange terminal performance and low noise for suppressed AR rifles, while supersonic rounds offer superior accuracy and minimal dispersion when suppressed.”

I have personally tested their match ammo in 308 Win and can say that it is both accurate and reliable.

All SIG ammo is characterized as Elite Performance — **All SIG ammunition is characterized as Elite Performance.**

Hunting

The hunting line of ammo offered by SIG is one I have not tried as of this writing. It’s available in the following calibers; 22-250 Rem, 223 Rem, 243 Rem, 300 Blackout, 6.5 Creedmoor and 308 Win. Obviously, it’s a good selection.

SIG states that their “HT superior hunting rounds yield consistent 1.8X diameter expansion using an all-copper projectile with optimized nosed geometry and premium nickel-plated shell casings, delivering consistently reliable accuracy for taking down game.” My intent is to try SIG hunting ammo afield, soon.

While I will continue use of other brands of ammunition that I have employed over many years of hunting, training, competition, and other special purposes, I have no doubt that the SIG lineup of ammo will have a place in my options for ammo use now and into the future.

Check out our in depth handgun ballistics chart.

3 Near Extinct Pistol Calibers, And Their More Popular Counterparts:

April 27, 2018 By Terry Nelson Leave a Comment

3 Near Extinct Pistol Calibers, and their more popular counterparts:

In recent years we have seen a dramatic rise in the popularity of some pistol cartridges. I have had personal experience with these but as is often the case with rifle cartridges, we are now seeing a decline in the demand for some more recently developed pistol calibers.

Before looking at what cartridges may go extinct, let’s confirm those that will most likely be around for the next millennium.

There is little doubt that 9mm (9×19 Parabellum) has been and will continue to be in high demand in the military, law enforcement, and concealed carry markets for many years to come. Many agencies that were utilizing other calibers for a duty pistol have now come full circle and back to the 9mm.

Along the lines of 9mm we cannot overlook the .380 ACP. It has been around for over a century and continues to be used as a backup and concealment cartridge for many and isn’t likely to fall off the map anytime soon, if ever.

The old .45 ACP has been around for what seems like eons. While its use as a duty cartridge or an everyday carry gun has slowed, it will always be a mainstay in the pistol world having been used in every war from WWI to present.

The .40 S&W is still on the shelf, but in the last few years its use in the law enforcement and carry gun markets have slowed, more so year by year it seems. Despite this, the cartridge will most likely be around for a long time to come as it has been in use far and wide since 1990.

Moving on to those cartridges that may not be long for this world:

.357 SIG —

The 357 Sig is essentially a bottlenecked .40S&W, with a narrowing of the case down to fit a .357 bullet. Developed in 1994, the .357 Sig was intended to replicate the performance of a .357 magnum in a semi auto pistol. I have carried this cartridge as a duty pistol during my tenure in law enforcement.

There is little doubt that it is a hot, flat-shooting cartridge. However, due to wear and tear on pistols and the issue of recoil for some shooters, the 357 Sig has lost its appeal for both the public or private sectors.

While this ammo is still readily available there is limited interest by civilians and much less use in the government sector. In several cases I am familiar with, law enforcement has traded their Glock or S&W M&P in the 357 Sig for other models in a different caliber, usually 9mm. Some dealers taking these guns on trade have been stuck with them for months, unable to find interested users.

.45 GAP —

I believe it would be fair to say that the .45 GAP (Glock Automatic Pistol) is nearing extinction. Developed In 2002 specifically for Glock and was a shorter case length than the 45 ACP, the cartridge initially enjoyed some acceptance by the law enforcement community.

It may have also had a following in the concealed carry market because of compact and subcompact models produced by Glock. Most law enforcement agencies using the .45 GAP have replaced it with the 9mm. In the many years I have instructed firearms both on a civilian and government level, only twice have pistols chambered in this caliber shown up on the range.

10mm —

The 10mm was designed in 1983 by Col. Jeff Cooper. For a time in recent years, it seemed the cartridge had was virtually dead and buried. It is however, currently experiencing a resurrection of interest, primarily in the hunting community. The 10mm Auto had a following when it was first introduced in 1983 and was adopted by the FBI Hostage Rescue Team.

But it never gained significant popularity, and there has been minimal demand for the ammunition for at least the past thirty years. As mentioned, it has gained some popularity among handgun hunters recently most likely due to production of the Glock Model 40 long slide chambered in 10mm. But, as a serious carry pistol, the 10mm has few followers. It remains to be seen if this cartridge will stand the test of time.

Most folks who have a pistol, pistol caliber carbine, or revolver for that matter that they enjoy shooting and intend to keep, have taken the necessary steps to have a long term supply of their favorite cartridge. If, however, you are on the road and far away from your precious supply of ammunition, you may want to consider the following:

Longtime instructor John Farnam wrote in one of his recent weekly “Quips” this criterion he considers important when selecting a carry gun: Will it pass the Walmart rule? In other words, when times are hard or you are in an immediate need for ammo, can I walk into a Walmart and find a selection of ammunition (or any at all) in the caliber you carry? If your answer to that question is no, perhaps you may want to give it some thought.

Lawman — **Will your favorite caliber be around for the long haul or in lean times?**

What’s in your gun? Let us know in the comments below.

Also, want to see handgun ballistics for all of the mentioned cartridges here?

Stock Up On Ammo While You Still Can!!

April 6, 2018 By Terry Nelson Leave a Comment

Well, the leftists and misinformed politicians are at it again. Recently the attacks against gun ownership have skyrocketed. But there is another sleeper concern, ammunition. Increasingly politicians are beginning to zero in on ammunition purchases and requirements for ownership of ammo. Take heed! I’m sure many readers have numerous firearms available to them. Good. But the long term concern, at least in my estimation, is the ammunition to feed those firearms.

While we are enjoying the right to keep and bear arms, it’s worth noting that Constitutional protection may not include ammunition. Ponder if you will the prospect of having firearms, but not ammunition.

While many readers are surely prepared in the ammo supply arena, from conversations with students, I’d venture a guess that most aren’t. The question is not just for you, but perhaps generations to come. Teaching students on an ongoing basis, I find it not uncommon for folks to struggle to come up with a couple hundred rounds of handgun or carbine ammo to conduct even baseline training.

Today’s political climate is yet again all about gun control and along with that ammunition is more and more the focus of restrictions. Consider in just the last few years there have been attempts to control or restrict ammo via several rationales. These include such as environmental, public safety, requiring your fingerprints to purchase (registration), higher taxation and quantity restrictions (to include internet purchases).

**22 rimfire is always sought in trying times.**

Let’s not forget the bare shelves of just a few years ago because of the political climate. The supply of 22 rimfire and many common handgun and rifle calibers have just again become reasonably available. Prices, also, are at last settling into normal levels.

So how much ammo is reasonable to keep and store? Well, it depends on what your primary, secondary, or other uses may be. That of course varies from person to person. Aside from the fact that many folks are very accomplished hand loaders requiring a good supply of powder, primers, casings and bullets in their own right, many don’t have the time or inclination for hand loading.

Here, grouped by purpose, are some thoughts on the reasons to build and maintain a good supply of ammunition.

Gun Training

This is where things could get interesting. Shooting well is a perishable skill (yes, dry fire can take place of live fire to some extent). I shoot almost on a weekly basis, at least handgun. That may not be sustainable in tough times. I focus most of my weekly handgun shooting on 9mm to keep it economical. I like to keep a minimum of 5000 rounds available if possible.

**Store several hundred rounds or more of your most-used calibers.**

Defensive use

I store several hundred rounds of good quality handgun, shotgun and rifle ammo that fits this category on hand … per caliber or gauge. A sub category here would be the battle rifle or fighting carbine, at which point there is no such thing as too much ammo.

Hunting

For most standard big game considerations, I could probably get by for quite some time with a couple hundred rounds. But thinking down the road for many years, I would like to have 500 to 1000 rounds per caliber of any hunting rifle. Small game means shotgun and rim fire, the round count here could increase substantially.

shot gun ammunition — **Don’t forget shotgun ammo.**

Sport/Competition

If it’s USPSA, IDPA, 3-gun, SASS, trap, skeet, silhouette, or others, start thinking in the thousands of rounds or even higher for the long term.

Bartering

The sky’s the limit. All common calibers and rimfire ammunition is in high demand even now. Imagine over-the- counter availability of ammunition being gone overnight! In really tough times or during a run on the supply, ammunition will always retain a high trade value. So the question is, how much do you need to have for yourself and family versus how much you can afford to sell or barter with?

Ammo Storage

It goes without saying that the cost, storage and transportation of ammunition may require logistical planning. Ammunition is heavy! Storage can have its own challenges. Basically, prioritize cool, dry, durable storage. The military style 30- and 50-caliber ammo cans or the sealed spam cans of ammo make good long-term storage options.

Finding Ammunition

Other than your local Wal-Mart or hardware store where might one find ammo today without breaking the bank? Some obvious choices may be your local gun shows (or similar events) and some online ammo sales sites (these sites have also been under fire in recent months). A few less obvious locations to find ammo at sometimes below wholesale prices are flea markets, estate sales and garage sales.

**Maintain a supply of several hundred rounds, or more, of your most-used calibers.**

How Old Can Ammo Get?

This may bring up the question, how long is ammo good for? In my experience, if it has been stored properly and out of the elements, it can be good for decades. I have shot military surplus that was 50-plus years old, without issues. Not to disparage any hand loaders, but I stay away from reloaded ammo that I do not know the source of. I say this because you will run across such ammo at flea markets and garage/estate sales.

**Military surplus ammo cans are great for safe, dry storage.**

Someone once called ammo the precious metal of the future. I couldn’t agree more … take heed, and stock up on your ammo while you still can!

(Author’s note: thanks to Federal Premium Ammunition and Sig Sauer Ammunition for sponsoring some of the ammunition that appears here).

Have You Ever Heard Of These Three Lesser Known Ammo Manufacturers?

November 13, 2017 By Terry Nelson Leave a Comment

Most folks who have been around the shooting world for any time at all know of the big names in ammunition. Winchester, Remington, Federal, and Hornady easily come to mind when talking hunting, training, competition, and defensive ammo. There are many others of course, including foreign companies that manufacture ammo.

A recent conference sponsored by Blue August, LLC marketing agency for gun writers in the industry, held at Defender Outdoors in Fort Worth, Texas, brought three companies to the surface that I suspect many shooters are not aware of, even though these companies have been around for quite some time.

Let’s take a look a more in-depth look at these companies, and then you can let me know at the bottom if you’ve used them before.

Doubletap

Mike McNett is the founder and president of Doubletap Ammunition. McNett started making his favorite ammunition, 10mm, in his garage in 2002. Since then the company has grown to be one of America’s largest, producing many loads that are branded under other names. Located in Cedar City, Utah, Doubletap Ammunition has rapidly gained a reputation for powerful, reliable and accurate ammunition. “We continue to be at the cutting edge of innovation from defensive ammunition to hunting ammunition” says Mike.

Quality control and precision craftsmanship are top priority at Doubletap. “Every single round that goes out the door has been touched by our hands and inspected by our eyes.”

The company currently offers 82 “mainstream” calibers and another 17 special order calibers. They can take any special order under certain quantity requirements, and Double Tap produces millions of rounds of ammunition every year. Additionally, the company offers brass and hard cast bullets to the general public.

Doubletap offers the following categories of ammunition:

DT Defense — both handgun and rifle offerings based on self-defense needs.
DT Hunter — again both handgun and rifle cartridges built for hunting.
DT Long Range — rifle ammunition specifically produced with the long range shooter in mind.
DT Safari — heavy rifle cartridges built for the African Safari.
DT Tactical — rifle and handgun ammo designed with tactical purposes in mind
DT Target — you guessed it, primarily built for handguns and target shooting, although 223 and 308 is also offered in this category.

The company also offers a more economical line of ammunition under the Colt name. Ammo under the Colt name is broken down into “Defensive” and “National Match” categories.

Are you an STI Pistol shooter? If so Doubletap has specific offerings for the STI brand of pistols.

Finally, a “Ted Nugent” line of ammo is available from Doubletap and is of course endorsed by Ted Nugent. It’s for both handguns and rifles and is ideal for a variety of shooting needs. Check out their website, here.

Desert Tech

If you have heard of Desert Tech, you probably associate the name with their bullpup design precision and modern sporting rifles. Their design also allows for easy switch out of barrels and calibers, but that discussion is for another day.

Most likely you’ve not heard of Desert Tech’s line of precision rifle ammo. It’s more than suitable for law enforcement, military, and competition applications.

The Desert Tech states that the accuracy and consistency of their match rifle ammo comes from “proprietary formulas and strict quality standards.”

The company, based in Salt Lake City, Utah and founded in 2007, produces match rifle ammo in the following calibers, .223Remington, 308 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, .338 Lapua Magnum, .375 CT, and .50 BMG.

Desert Tech also offers a full line of accessories, optics, range finders, precision rifle training, ballistic apps, and now offers the new MDR (Micro Dynamic Rifle), a bullpup design carbine. Check out their website, here.

Precision Delta

Based out of Ruleville, Mississippi, this company has been around since 1982, long enough that I’m embarrassed to say I should have known of them. The company is perhaps better known for ammunition components such as bullets, however, the company offers two distinct lines of ammo geared towards training and competition.

Their “Performance Standard” line is remanufactured, using only once-fired cases. This ammo has undergone an extensive case processing operation to bring it back to factory SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute) specifications. Precision Delta uses their own match grade bullet for this line of ammo. They produce it in 9mm, 40 S&W, 45 Auto, 38 Special, and 223 Remington. While pricing for this line is not at bargain basement levels, it is reasonable and sold in bulk quantities.

Precision Delta’s next line of ammo is the “Performance Pro.” This line uses the company’s own precision-made jacketed bullet and is engineered for optimum performance. They use new, high-quality brass for this load, specialized for precision and competitive shooting. The Performance Pro line is manufactured in 9mm, 40 S&W, 45 Auto, and 38 Special.

If you’ve not heard of Precision Delta you may want to check out their website, here.

We all have our long standing, favorite ammunition, but these companies could provide you with some unique options for your shooting needs. Whether it is defensive, competition, hunting, target, or match grade precision rifle … you can find it all with these three ammo makers. Take a look!

Now it’s your turn, have you ever used these ammo companies? If not, who is your go-to ammo maker? Let us know in the comments below. And, if you like Terry’s writing, make sure you check out this article on Pistol VS Revolver for EDC.