Need to vent a little bit...

[Kelemvor]

Just went to a gun store (that shall remain unnamed because the owners are so friendly) to pick up some 9x19mm. I ask them what they have and they tell me they have some Hornady Critical Defense and some Independence "target ammo". I'm not the most savvy, but I immediately think, "okay, either I can get defense loads or some match grade stuff...but wait, why is that ammo in that crappy looking box with a generic name 'target ammo'?" So I ask them, "Target ammo? Is it frangible or something?" (surely it couldn't be some crazy nice match ammo.) In return I receive blank stares from everyone in the store.

"Frangible?" They all start repeating to themselves.

"Yeah, like, it explodes when it hits the target. You know, it turns into dust, it's like a door breaching round..." I attempt to explain.

"No, that's the Hornady Critical Defense, it literally explodes when it hits you," the owner says. At this point I give up and ask how much the target is and they tell me it's like $12 (expensive, I checked when I got home). So it's "plinking" ammo. Why didn't he say so in the first place? I pay for it and weep softly inside.

I want so badly to do business with these people, but every conversation I have with them causes me to lose more faith.

P.S. I was going to buy 200rds of federal .223 from them, but they were going to charge $100, so I went to Wally World instead and paid $90. They make me do these things.

Whew. I feel a little better.

[macville]

Just went to a gun store (that shall remain unnamed because the owners are so friendly) to pick up some 9x19mm. I ask them what they have and they tell me they have some Hornady Critical Defense and some Independence "target ammo". I'm not the most savvy, but I immediately think, "okay, either I can get defense loads or some match grade stuff...but wait, why is that ammo in that crappy looking box with a generic name 'target ammo'?" So I ask them, "Target ammo? Is it frangible or something?" (surely it couldn't be some crazy nice match ammo.) In return I receive blank stares from everyone in the store.

"Frangible?" They all start repeating to themselves.

"Yeah, like, it explodes when it hits the target. You know, it turns into dust, it's like a door breaching round..." I attempt to explain.

"No, that's the Hornady Critical Defense, it literally explodes when it hits you," the owner says. At this point I give up and ask how much the target is and they tell me it's like $12 (expensive, I checked when I got home). So it's "plinking" ammo. Why didn't he say so in the first place? I pay for it and weep softly inside.

They may be friendly, but stupid. The Hornady Critical Defense (that's what I carry) doesn't "explode", it's just a hollow point. What it does is expand fully pretty much 99.9% in tests. They were probably thinking of the extreme shock ammo that turns to dust.

Matthew

[gregintenn]

You'd think that people who sell guns and ammo for a living would educate themselves on the products they peddle. Sadly, this often isn't the case.

[JeffL]

Target ammo != match ammo.

[Hidalgo]

You'd think that people who sell guns and ammo for a living would educate themselves on the products they peddle. Sadly, this often isn't the case.

"OFTEN" is a charitable term. I would prefer to say it is not the case "REGULARLY". Now ... before I get bashed, I will be the first to say that there are some very, very knowledgeable gun shop owners and employees. But more often than not intelligent staff are only found in the higher-end shops and the independently owned stores.

"....it literally explodes when it hits you" !?!?!

My advice is this: If their prices are great, keep buying there and don't ask any more questions. If their prices are poor, then quit patronizing them. They are obviously extremely short in the knowledge department.

[Chief07]

Ditto Hidalgo.

[Guest louderthebetter]

Do your homework before you go for ammo and know what your looking to buy.

Way to much info out there to not know.If the store owner doesn't know what

he's talking about,chances are some vendor overcharged him on the front end

and he's just passing cost + to the customer.

They may be friendly but,business is business..You want a friend,get a puppy dog.

[Kelemvor]

They may be friendly but,business is business..You want a friend,get a puppy dog.

LOL. I like this.

[Guest HexHead]

Target ammo is typically just ball ammo, hardly match quality. The cheapest Winchester sells, the infamous white box stuff says "target" on it and I'd hardly consider that "match".

Self defense loads are typically hollow point. Don't go reading too much into the "labels".

[Kelemvor]

So now I know, target=ball=fmj.

[Hidalgo]

So now I know, target=ball=fmj.

Well, yeah ... usually ...