# Really crappy ammo from the factory?



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

When reading reviews for various types of ammunition I have read all kinds of reviews about crappy factory ammo people have had the misfortune of buying. Really bad experiences like several misfires in a single box, primers backing out of the shells and other things. I have been pretty lucky until lately.

Last year I picked up a box of 150 grain PPU ammo for my .30-06. It was cheaper than even core lokts, power points, and power shok by a couple dollars. I figured for the price I should try them out. They got mostly good reviews online also. I went out to some BLM ground with a safe backstop and fired one round. The empty case didn't want to eject and had to be pried out of the chamber after the extractors had ripped the brass off of the base (semi-auto action). The primer was partially backed out as well. I was nervous to shoot any more of these. I wrote a polite email to PPU about my disappointing experience and never heard anything back from them. 

My next disappointing experience with factory ammo happened today when I bought a box of 168 grain Winchester ballistic silver tips from the Cabelas in Lehi. Once I got out to the parking lot I pulled some cartridges out of the box to fondle some of these spiffy looking black and silver shells. The first one I pulled out had a pretty noticeable crack in the case neck. The next one I looked at it looked like somebody had taken a razor and carved a chunk out of the plastic tip. Some of the bullets didn't even look like they were seated in the brass straight. On several of the shells the top of the brass was taller on one side of the bullet then it was on the other. WTF, Winchester! I immediately took the box back in to the customer service desk and the good folks at Cabelas were pretty good about working with me once they saw the box of shells I had walked out the door with. I left them with the faulty box of Winchester shells and picked up a box of 165 grain Federal Trophy Bonded Tip instead. These one's have passed visual inspection. Hopefully they don't give me any dumb little surprises out at the range or in the field. Have any of you ever experienced anything like this?


----------



## fishreaper (Jan 2, 2014)

I have had a similar experience with the cracked neck casing on the ballistic silvertips in my .243 once. Kind of disappointing, but to be short one of them was a small issue. I still buy Winchester or Hornady any time I can just because I typically get the best results out of them.


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I might have to buy some factory ammo and take a look at it again. 

I haven't purchased any factory ammo in over 25 years.


----------



## mjensen1313 (Jul 29, 2015)

Yikes, glad you caught those hiccups! Good luck on the range

I load everything myself except for some of the same Federal you picked up for occasional practice.


----------



## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

Wow.... I have used them for several years in my 300 WSM, I will check some of the unopened boxes and check them out at the store before I buy them. They are very accurate and I have been happy with them. 

I haven't bought any for a few years since I still have a few boxes left.


----------



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

mjensen1313 said:


> Yikes, glad you caught those hiccups! Good luck on the range
> *
> I load everything myself except for some of the same Federal you picked up for occasional practice.*


Are you talking the exact same kind as in the Federal Trophy Bonded Tip or just the cheap Federal blue box stuff. Just wondering because the Federal TBT would make for some very expensive practice ammo! I'm gonna practice with cheaper stuff, get dialed in with the Federal Trophy Bonded Tip and the rest of them will be reserved for elk duty.


----------



## hondodawg (Mar 13, 2013)

PPU is a big seller because of the price. But it's cheap and we'll cheap. I've had good luck with federal fusion brand.


----------



## waspocrew (Nov 26, 2011)

I've had good luck with the Federal Fusion, Barnes Vortex, American Eagle FMJ, and others. Factory ammo can be hit or miss at times, but generally it's been fairly decent for me. Sorry to hear about your experiences!


----------



## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

colorcountrygunner said:


> When reading reviews for various types of ammunition I have read all kinds of reviews about crappy factory ammo people have had the misfortune of buying. Really bad experiences like several misfires in a single box, primers backing out of the shells and other things. I have been pretty lucky until lately.
> 
> Last year I picked up a box of 150 grain PPU ammo for my .30-06. It was cheaper than even core lokts, power points, and power shok by a couple dollars. I figured for the price I should try them out. They got mostly good reviews online also. I went out to some BLM ground with a safe backstop and fired one round. The empty case didn't want to eject and had to be pried out of the chamber after the extractors had ripped the brass off of the base (semi-auto action). The primer was partially backed out as well. I was nervous to shoot any more of these. I wrote a polite email to PPU about my disappointing experience and never heard anything back from them.
> 
> My next disappointing experience with factory ammo happened today when I bought a box of 168 grain Winchester ballistic silver tips from the Cabelas in Lehi. Once I got out to the parking lot I pulled some cartridges out of the box to fondle some of these spiffy looking black and silver shells. The first one I pulled out had a pretty noticeable crack in the case neck. The next one I looked at it looked like somebody had taken a razor and carved a chunk out of the plastic tip. Some of the bullets didn't even look like they were seated in the brass straight. On several of the shells the top of the brass was taller on one side of the bullet then it was on the other. WTF, Winchester! I immediately took the box back in to the customer service desk and the good folks at Cabelas were pretty good about working with me once they saw the box of shells I had walked out the door with. I left them with the faulty box of Winchester shells and picked up a box of 165 grain Federal Trophy Bonded Tip instead. These one's have passed visual inspection. Hopefully they don't give me any dumb little surprises out at the range or in the field. Have any of you ever experienced anything like this?


Man, have you even picked up a box of the Barnes to try yet after being strongly suggested?? Threads like this are why I will only buy premium factory ammo, all of the time and gas you wasted while trying save a few bucks end up costing you more in the end, and you have already experienced the headaches from trying cheap ammo. Yes, the Barnes are $2 a bullet, but knowing they shoot well is priceless. I 'wasted' $18 at the range yesterday, but every hole at 200 yards would have been a kill shot on an elk, today I will be going back with a cold barrel to tighten up my shot group to under 2 inches. Good luck though, I'm sure you will get there after some trial and error.


----------



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

30-06-hunter said:


> Man, have you even picked up a box of the Barnes to try yet after being strongly suggested?? Threads like this are why I will only buy premium factory ammo, all of the time and gas you wasted while trying save a few bucks end up costing you more in the end, and you have already experienced the headaches from trying cheap ammo. Yes, the Barnes are $2 a bullet, but knowing they shoot well is priceless. I 'wasted' $18 at the range yesterday, but every hole at 200 yards would have been a kill shot on an elk, today I will be going back with a cold barrel to tighten up my shot group to under 2 inches. Good luck though, I'm sure you will get there after some trial and error.


I haven't tried the Barnes yet, but it is still on my short list. I think you are off base though with the idea that I am trying to cheap out on my ammo selection. I already have a pretty good stash of cheap stuff in my closet that I know will work good enough under most circumstances so I'm not really trying to pinch pennies too much. The Winchester ballistic silver tips aren't quite as spendy as Barnes or some of those other premium bullets, but at $32 a box they are a good jump up from a lot of the cheap soft point stuff. The Federal Trophy Bonded Tip I ended up leaving with is a legitimate 2 dollar a shot, controlled expansion, premium bullet. It is built off of the highly regarded Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, but with a polymer tip and an enhanced ballistic coefficient. Provided that they shoot well out of my rifle (which I'm guessing they will) they will be as fool proof and dependable as pretty much anything else out there. I hope I end up loving them as much as you love your Barnes. If not then Barnes will probably be up next.


----------



## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

30-06-hunter said:


> Man, have you even picked up a box of the Barnes to try yet after being strongly suggested?? Threads like this are why I will only buy* premium factory ammo*, all of the time and gas you wasted while trying save a few bucks end up costing you more in the end, and you have already experienced the headaches from trying cheap ammo. Yes, the Barnes are $2 a bullet, but knowing they shoot well is priceless. I 'wasted' $18 at the range yesterday, but every hole at 200 yards would have been a kill shot on an elk, today I will be going back with a cold barrel to tighten up my shot group to under 2 inches. Good luck though, I'm sure you will get there after some trial and error.


I thought that the Balistic Silver Tips were some of Winchesters premium ammo.


----------



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

bowgy said:


> I thought that the Balistic Silver Tips were some of Winchesters premium ammo.


They are from Winchester's premium line of ammo. Kind of funny that I have bought umpteen boxes of the cheap Power Points and never had any issues to speak of, but I buy one box of the Winchester premium stuff and it looks like the bullets were loaded by a 5 year old with a hot glue gun.


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I have seen where someone will open a box of cheap ammo and place some premium ammo into it just to get the premium ammo cheaper and then put the cheap ammo into the premium box. A friend purchased some .300 Weatherby ammo and when he went hunting found some 300 H&H in it. He didn't know until I told him that he could of shot the H&H ammo in his Weatherby but he was pissed when he went back to the store and saw the price difference. 

You just never know. He now takes the box of ammo that he wants to purchase and has a counter person open it up so that he can inspect it before he even pulls out his cc.


----------



## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Got some Winchester "Universal" shotshells at walmart for the dove hunt... holy crap do they SUCK. My 1100 that feeds just about everything was having major issues with that junk. Had to disassemble the gun twice in the field where the fired shell didnt quite eject, fed itself back into the chamber, but it still kicked down the next shotshell from the magazine to be picked up by the action, which then wedged it self against the now closed action... which means you cannot cycle the action as it binds against the released shell.

Grabbed my Leatherman, pulled off the forearm, yanked the barrel, had my boy hold parts as I yanked out the magazine spring retainer, spring / plug and shell follower. Then I was able to dump the shells out freeing the action to finally remove the spent shell. Did that TWICE opening morning, switched back to Remington shotshells when we got back to the truck, not a issue after.

So yea, Winchester sux lately.

-DallanC


----------

