Walt Berger began making his own bullets by hand in his garage in 1955, which he credits with helping him shoot his way into the Benchrest Hall of Fame. Over the last sixty-five years, what started as one man’s part-time hobby has flourished into a thriving full-scale business.

When it comes to picking a self-defense round, the age-old debate of 9mm vs 45 ACP instantly comes to mind. I’m almost certain there are a few guys already rushing down to the comments section defending their carry round. I’m sure you’re probably wondering where this is going so I’ll give you some background on how this article came into existence. Earlier in the week, I was checking out a local gun shop, keeping my 6ft distance, and managed to hear an older man tell a young woman she needs to carry a 22 LR pistol for self defense. The guys behind the gun counter as well as myself all immediately had a confused look at his caliber choice as an adequate round.

If you’re in the long-range precision shooting game, by now you’re likely to be well familiar with 6.5 Creed. Designed by Hornady for Creedmoor Sports in 2007, the 6.5 Creedmoor is essentially a necked down .30 TC. A few years ago, USSOCOM (i.e. US Special Operations Command) performed a comparison test between several long-range rounds, including 6.5 Creedmoor, using SR-25, M110A1 SDMR, and Mk 20 SCAR rifles. They found that 6.5 Creed outperformed the rest – including the well-established 7.62x51mm NATO – by approximately doubling hit probability at 1000 meters, increasing effective range by almost half, negating about a third of wind drift, and doing all of this with less recoil than the 7.62×51. FN also makes an Mk48 light machine gun in this caliber, and it has also found a good deal of popularity in the civilian market among many long-range competitive shooters and some hunters. You can even get a lever-action Henry for it, dubbed the “Long Ranger”. Suffice it to say that 6.5 Creedmoor is here to stay.

Black Aces Tactical, one of the most shotgun-oriented companies in the industry, is further expanding its product line by entering the shotgun ammunition market. They have recently announced the release of a  12 gauge 9-pellet 00 buckshot load. Reportedly, this ammo is made for Black Aces Tactical by the Italian shotgun ammunition manufacturer Clever SLR.

Welcome to part two in our series in Precision Rifle Reloading for the Beginner (read part one here). We are now taking the second step in our journey to achieving a more consistent point of impact. We have narrowed down the brass we want to use. Now comes probably the most important, and the most talked-about step. I am sure the comment section will be on fire because of it. The powder drop. Ya, “dropping the load”. First a quick word on primers.

The U.S. Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command plays an important role in guiding the future of our warfighters’ lethality and survivability. Their mission statement is “To provide the research, engineering, and analytical expertise to deliver capabilities that enable the Army to deter and, when necessary, decisively defeat any adversary now and in the future.” To this end, they engage in scientific pursuits like advancements in weaponry, exploring quantum communication, improving electronic warfare effectiveness, and working on new ways to purify water in the field. At the heart of these endeavors lies the Army Research Laboratory. These military scientists have been responsible for many breakthroughs in areas such as grenade-launched drones and better 3D printing. Now they have teamed up with academic scientists at Purdue University to develop lead-free explosive material that could be used to produce nontoxic ammo, as announced in a July 16th press release from Purdue.

3D printed firearms, emptying 3D printed magazines to fire 3D printed bullets against targets protected by 3D printed armor. It looks like the only element missing from the equation is to be able to 3D print gunpowder. Now, fittingly again thanks to China, we may see that too. However it may take a while, if ever, for this to become another tool in the toolbox of 3D printing gunsmiths across the world. Let’s see why.

Nosler Inc. has published a press release notifying that 18 loads of their ammunition products have been renamed and transitioned to new Nosler ammunition lines. The products themselves are not changed. The changes are merely related to the names and packaging. As Nosler puts it, “New Look, Same Trusted Products“.

Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report. In this ongoing series, we explore, discuss, and review the various aspects, history, and firearms of the rimfire world. This week we’re paying homage to an all but obsolete rimfire cartridge – the 22 WRF (22 Winchester Rimfire). First designed a mere 6 years after the iconic 22LR, the 22 WRF cartridge promised more power for hunters of small game. So why exactly did the 22 WRF fall out of favor?

Federal has just released their new Hydra-Shok Deep .380 Auto bullet design meant for .380 micro-guns and compact pistols alike. This adds a whole new dimension to the micro-handgun caliber giving users more effectiveness. Federal Ammunition claims that this .380 offering is the first to offer consistent penetration beyond the FBI recommended 12-inch minimum in bare gel and through heavy clothing.

Welcome back to another edition of the  TFB Round Table sponsored by  Ammunition To Go! For those who are first joining us, this is a multi-part series where TFB discusses the characteristics of great ammunition for specific applications. This could vary from big game hunting, plinking, precision rifle matches, small game hunting, or even pistol competitions. Chances are there is someone here at TFB who can offer you advice on buying the right round for your task at hand. This week I return on TFB Round Table to take a look at the thunderous yet mysterious 450 Bushmaster cartridge to see why it even exists and how it could be beneficial to adding one to your personal arsenal. Many of us understand that it is a large round, but why another big-bore cartridge when there are so many already? Let’s dive in and see how this cartridge came to be and if you might want to join the drove of people who are already tremendous fans!

The Federal Custom Shop which was announced at NRAAM 2019 (NRA Annual Meetings) is now expanding the amount of rounds they will hand-tailor produce to 14 new cartridges for big game hunters. This will include some of the most popular reloading tips a handloader could choose: Barnes Tipped TSX, Berger Hunter Hybrid, Hornady ELD-X, Nosler AccuBond, Nosler AccuBond Long Range (ABLR), Nosler Partition, Sierra MatchKing, Federal Premium Terminal Ascent, and Federal Premium Trophy Copper.

Welcome back to another edition of the  TFB Round Table sponsored by  Ammunition To Go! For those who are first joining us, this is a multi-part series where TFB discusses the characteristics of great ammunition for specific applications. This could vary from big game hunting, plinking, precision rifle matches, small game hunting, or even pistol competitions. Chances are there is someone here at TFB who can offer you advice on buying the right round for your task at hand. This week I return on TFB Round Table to discuss and overview one of the most popular all-around cartridges for hunting, recreation, and precision rifle shooting – 6.5 Creedmoor. Some people have jumped onto this bandwagon whole hog and believe it is better than sliced bread while other shooters are slow to come around. Regardless of any individual’s opinion, the round does have merit if it suits the task you are looking to accomplish. Let’s dive in and see how this cartridge came to be and if you might want to join the drove of people who are already tremendous fans!

Who doesn’t enjoy shooting suppressed .22s? Terrifically quiet, smooth and easy-shooting, and far less expensive to blow through rounds than probably any other gun you own except a Daisy Red Ryder. Tons of people enjoy hushed plinking for fun, and many shooters also use .22 firearms for more purposed endeavors like small varmint hunting and rimfire competitions. TFB publishes the Rimfire Report which routinely hits on suppressed .22 fun, and Silencer Saturdays frequently delve into this baby bore as well. One potential issue with .22, however, is that it tends to run quite dirty. But now  CCI Ammunition has declared they have come up with a solution to this: Clean-22 Suppressor ammo.

Barnaul Cartridge Plant has announced that the  steel-cased 300 Blackout ammunition which they first introduced  at the end of the past year, has now arrived at stateside and is available for purchase. Currently, depending on the quantity you buy (20 or 500 rounds) this ammo will cost you from $0.41 to $0.43 per round (Brownells prices). That is $8.59 per box of 20, or $205.99 for a 500-round carton.

Winchester has been producing 22LR rimfire ammunition for quite a long time. I would consider Winchester to be one of the leaders in rimfire ammunition production along with giants such as CCI and Remington. They have just released their new Wildcat Super Speed 22LR cartridge aimed at semi-auto rimfire shooters.

During January’s pre-SHOT Show frenzy, TFB reported on several new ammo options that would be coming out over the course of 2020. At SHOT, TFBTV went a little more in depth with Speer about their new additions. Now in a June 18th press release, Idaho-based ammo manufacturer Speer has announced that their Gold Dot G2 Carry Gun ammunition, specifically optimized for compact handguns, is heading to market. Your current options are 9mm, .40, and .45 +P. The release reads as follows.

Winchester Ammunition have confirmed that they have been awarded a substantial $38 million contract to provide frangible 9mm ammunition for close-quarter battle and indoor/outdoor CQB training. The firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract awarded by the Department of Defense, on behalf of NSWC Crane, also has the option of of an expansion up to a value of just over $62 million.

Welcome back to another edition of the  TFB Round Table sponsored by  Ammunition To Go! For those who are first joining us, this is a multi-part series where TFB discusses the characteristics of great ammunition for specific applications. This could vary from big game hunting, plinking, precision rifle matches, small game hunting, or even pistol competitions. Chances are there is someone here at TFB who can offer you advice on buying the right round for your task at hand. This week I am back on TFB Round Table to discuss and recommend a cartridge that is obscure but also still available today in the firearms industry. The cartridge in question is that of 38 Smith & Wesson. Do you have an old British service or Colt police revolver chambered in this itty bitty lead tipped cartridge? Are you finding yourself pondering why it’s not chambered anymore? Stay tuned! Let’s dive right into the old school 38 S&W and some  ammunition options and information to bring your old gat back to the range!

A worldwide leader in ammunition, Federal, has announced an addition to their Black Cloud line with a new 20 gauge option for waterfowl hunters. Their Black Cloud TSS product offers a 60/40 mix of Tungsten Super Shot pellets, which are a blend of powdered tungsten and iron, combined with Federal’s elliptical “Flitestopper” pellets. Adding Federal’s rear-opening “Flitecontrol Flex” wad, which purports to provide exceptionally tight patterns, the Minnesota-based ammo maker intends to help hunters bring down ducks and geese with ease. The official press release reads as follows.

For several years, many shooters looking for bulk premium remanufactured ammo turned to Stand 1 Armory. The Dallas, Texas-based bullet farm was first incorporated in 2013 and soon became a popular source of ammo for shooters of many different calibers and styles. Offerings included a variety of 9mm, .40, .45, .223, .308, 300BLK rounds, and more. Stand 1 Armory struck a particular chord in the competitive shooting community, with their “chubbies”. These 147 grain 9mm reduced power (-P) loads were purpose-built for events like 3 Gun, USPSA, IDPA, and others in which such a load could prove advantageous. The -P characteristics were intended to allow shooters to still knock down steel plates during matches, but provide decreased felt recoil and enable faster reacquisition and followup than with punchier loads.

Good afternoon suppressor fans and welcome back to another Silencer Saturday segment brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the Turbo K 5.56mm suppressor. Last week we talked about subsonic 9mm ammunition choices for pistol caliber carbines like the H&K SP5 and I’d like to continue the conversation with some 185gr 9mm from Seismic Ammo. With these massive bullets we are entering subsonic 300BLK territory. How do they sound? Stick around to find out.

Earlier this week we reported that Hornady have introduced a brand new round, the 6mm Advanced Rifle Cartridge or 6mm ARC. Barrett, Hornady and OSS have now confirmed that they have partnered to provide the US Department of Defense with a new rifle chambered in 6mm ARC.

Hornady Manufacturing, widely regarded as one of the top ammo companies in the industry, has made quite a splash with their June 3, 2020 announcement. TFB recently hinted at a new SAAMI accepted cartridge, and now it’s here. Meet Hornady’s newest player: the 6mm ARC, or Advanced Rifle Cartridge. Purpose-built to optimize the capabilities of AR-platform firearms, the basic idea behind this new caliber is an attempt to find the sweet spot between the smaller traditional 5.56 NATO/.223 Rem, which is sometimes criticized for being perhaps a bit anemic, and larger calibers like .308 Win, which can raise issues such as increased weight and felt recoil with decreased mag capacity. With the 6ARC, Hornady believes they have landed on that happy medium – claiming that it “does what much larger cartridges can and everything that smaller cartridges can’t”, and “delivers optimum all-range performance and barrel life”. Hornady’s official press release reads as follows.

Welcome back to another edition of the  TFB Round Table sponsored by  Ammunition To Go! For those who are first joining us, this is a multi-part series where TFB will discuss the characteristics of great ammunition for specific applications. This could vary from big game hunting, plinking,  precision rifle matches, small game hunting, or even pistol competitions. Chances are there is someone here at TFB who can offer you advice on buying the right round for your task at hand. This week I’m at the helm on TFB Round Table to discuss and recommend a cartridge that I had no idea existed. The cartridge in question is that of 307 Winchester.  Do you have an old Winchester chambered in this round? Are you finding yourself pondering the purpose of such a change to 308? Stay tuned! Let’s dive right into the 307 Winchester cartridge and some ammunition options to bring your lever gat back to the range!

Good morning everyone and welcome back to another edition of TFB’ Silencer Saturday brought to you by our friends at Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the Turbo and Turbo K line of suppressors. Last week we discussed some buying tips for silencer newbies and many of you added advice from your own personal experiences in the comments section. Guidance like don’t wait for wait times to drop before buying, the market for used suppressors is almost non-existent and suppress the caliber, not just the gun, that you shoot the most, is all solid advice. As always, thank you for reading and sharing your knowledge. This week I wanted to touch on selecting ammunition for longer 9mm platforms. Specifically, H&K SP5 subsonic ammunition choices. Easy, right? Just pick a subsonic round and go to work. Hang on, we’ve got a bit of velocity estimation to do first.

National Police Ammunition has just announced the latest addition to its ammunition lineup. The new 115grain 9mm +P ammo will make use of NPAs H.E.L.O (High Expansion, Law Enforcement, Ordinance) bullet which is already in use with several law enforcement agencies.

Vista Outdoor has announced the CCI brand of ammunition will feature easy-to-pour cartons for three of their rimfire offerings.  CCI will be currently offering their easy-to-pour cartons for their VNT and Maxi-Mag lines in .22 WMR, and .17 HMR cartridges, packaged with 125 rounds each.  TFB’s Miles briefly covered this at the 2020 SHOT Show, and the representative said that the cartons would be collectible with a variation of different varmints printed on each carton.  CCI’s press release can be seen below:

Speer is introducing a new line of Gold Dot Rifle ammunition for owners of rifles in 223 Rem., 300 BLK and 308 Win. As the brass is nickel-plated it has the special look you can see in the pictures. The following ammunition is going to be available from the start. Note the heavy 75-grain bullet in .223 Rem.

Welcome back to another edition of the  TFB Round Table sponsored by  Ammunition To Go! For those who are first joining us, this is a multi-part series where TFB will discuss the characteristics of great ammunition for specific applications. This could vary from big game hunting, plinking, precision rifle matches, small game hunting, or even pistol competitions. Chances are there is someone here at TFB who can offer you advice on buying the right round for your task at hand. This week I’m at the helm on TFB Round Table to discuss and recommend a cartridge that I myself was not entirely familiar with. The cartridge in question is the 7-30 Waters. Do you have an old Winchester chambered in this wildcat round? Are you finding yourself pondering the purpose of such an upgrade to 30-30? Stay tuned! Let’s dive right into the 7-30 Waters cartridge and some ammunition options to bring your brush gat back to the range!