Why are Hollow points so expensive.

[Xmark1]

they are if you dont count shipping cost. For adding the cost of shipping I can buy the same amount or close at my LGS right now and not worry about porch pirates or shipment delays. Thats always why Ive never tried them.

I buy my factory new ammo at SGAmmo or Bereli's, very inexpensive and shipping is always free. $3.50 extra for signature required.

 

[Xmark1]

How well do they expand?

As well as the sig, Sierra or Speer JHP's I sometimes use.

 

[Koda]

I wonder now how well those cheap LAX hollowpoints expand?

 

[Certaindeaf]

The lung knows.

 

[Xmark1]

Here are pic's of the RMR's I just received.

 

[Xmark1]

I wonder now how well those cheap LAX hollowpoints expand?

I do too. But I don't pay shipping. Even the RMR's are shipping included.

 

[Xmark1]

Here are pic's of the 357sig Montana Gold JHP's I just reloaded.

 

[Koda]

Here are pic's of the 357sig Montana Gold JHP's I just reloaded.
View attachment 1408578

Other than those LAX hollowpoints Ive never considered hollowpoint ammo for training practice due to their cost. I dont reload handgun ammo so Im stuck with factory ammo, and limited to what the stores stock. I typically buy a few boxes a year and run last years supply at some point but were talking like 20 or so rounds.
It would be really good to run several hundred to test HP functionality in semi auto pistols. Ive never heard of Montana Gold bullets but it looks like youve got a good thing going on there being able to shoot them for as cheap as FMJ.

 

[Xmark1]

Other than those LAX hollowpoints Ive never considered hollowpoint ammo for training practice due to their cost. I dont reload handgun ammo so Im stuck with factory ammo, and limited to what the stores stock. I typically buy a few boxes a year and run last years supply at some point but were talking like 20 or so rounds.
It would be really good to run several hundred to test HP functionality in semi auto pistols. Ive never heard of Montana Gold bullets but it looks like youve got a good thing going on there being able to shoot them for as cheap as FMJ.

I don't recall ever having a malfunction. But then again, I shoot and EDC mostly Glocks. Ugly, buy very reliable.
I appreciate beauty. But I demand reliability in my personal defense weapons. My Berettas are reliable too, but as I am old, the weight of a full-size Beretta is difficult at the end of the day. For ten years my EDC was a Beretta FS96. Before that I packed a 44Mag.

 

[Koda]

I don't recall ever having a malfunction. But then again, I shoot and EDC mostly Glocks. Ugly, buy very reliable.
I appreciate beauty. But I demand reliability in my personal defense weapons. My Berettas are reliable too, but as I am old, the weight of a full-size Beretta is difficult at the end of the day. For ten years my EDC was a Beretta FS96. Before that I packed a 44Mag.

I think most of the main popular pistol brands will eat anything reliably. I just recall that gun manufacturers do not design their guns around shooting hollowpoints because there is no standard on their shape. But I wont keep any pistol that doesnt run them all.

 

[bradsteen]

Every added layer of complexity adds cost to your product because it requires additional machining steps. FMJ is a simple, consistently shaped lead projectile encased in a harder metal jacket (i.e. copper), so you have two main steps - shaping the projectile and adding the metal jacket. A JHP will vary by manufacturer, but all have a recess carved out of the lead projectile, many have grooves cut into the jacket to improve expansion, some add polymer or rubber tips into the projectile's cavity to improve expansion rates... That's a lot of extra stuff on top of "lead projectile + copper jacket", stuff that must be executed by one or more machines with specific purpose, and those machines have to be purchased and added to the production line and operated by a team of people, which adds both time and labor to the manufacturing process, all of which increases the cost per bullet to manufacture, which in turn increases the price of the bullet in the marketplace.

And that's all before we even start getting into the economy of scale discussion. Now add to that the fact that most people use FMJ for practice (which may happen with regularity) because FMJ is inherently less expensive. And practice requires lots of ammo to be expended whereas JHP is only expended in specific circumstances (quals or addressing a threat). So maybe 50x more FMJ is purchased than JHP. The more you produce, the less expensive it is per unit. So, between the two, there's your cost difference.

 

[Koda]

Now add to that the fact that most people use FMJ for practice (which may happen with regularity) because FMJ is inherently less expensive. And practice requires lots of ammo to be expendedz whereas duty requires only ammo to be expended in specific circumstances. So maybe 50x more FMJ is purchased than JHP. The more you produce, the less expensive it is per unit. So, between the two, there's your cost difference.

whats interesting though is weve learned tonight that hollowpoints can be made virtually as cheap at FMJ.

 

[bradsteen]

whats interesting though is weve learned tonight that hollowpoints can be made virtually as cheap at FMJ.

Well, bear in mind many ammo manufacturers purchase the projectiles from other manufacturers. They purchase more FMJ than JHP, so they get better deals on FMJ. This means a small difference in cost per projectile is magnified by differences in purchase volume. They may also have separate tooling and equipment specifically for JHP manufacturing / assembly vs FMJ. If so, that's more equipment costs to factor in.

 

[Koda]

Well, bear in mind many ammo manufacturers purchase the projectiles from other manufacturers. They purchase more FMJ than JHP, so they get better deals on FMJ. This means a small difference in cost per projectile is magnified by differences in purchase volume. They may also have separate tooling and equipment specifically for JHP manufacturing / assembly vs FMJ. If so, that's more equipment costs to factor in.

However they do it this is cheaper than most FMJ even if we include shipping.

LAX Ammunition 9mm Luger 147 gr Hollow Point (HP) New 500 ct w/ FREE Ammo Can (Free Shipping! Orders $249-$2000)

500 Rounds of LAX Ammunition 9mm Luger 147 gr Hollow Point (HP) New. Includes FREE ammo can! *Product images are for illustrative purposes only and may differ from the actual product

www.laxammo.com

 

[bradsteen]

However they do it this is cheaper than most FMJ even if we include shipping.

LAX Ammunition 9mm Luger 147 gr Hollow Point (HP) New 500 ct w/ FREE Ammo Can (Free Shipping! Orders $249-$2000)

500 Rounds of LAX Ammunition 9mm Luger 147 gr Hollow Point (HP) New. Includes FREE ammo can! *Product images are for illustrative purposes only and may differ from the actual product

www.laxammo.com

Per their product page...

This bullet is not however ideal for home defense or law enforcement purposes.

Guessing it does not expand reliably. That being said, would love to see a ballistic gel comparison between this an other JHP.

 

[Koda]

Per their product page...

Guessing it does not expand reliably. That being said, would love to see a ballistic gel comparison between this an other JHP.

Thats interesting, so what is the point of IDPA etc. target shooting with hollowpoints if they arent recommended for self defense?

 

[nammac]

Per their product page...

Guessing it does not expand reliably. That being said, would love to see a ballistic gel comparison between this an other JHP.

I'd suspect they've not been engineered to expand reliably to dimensions that would be acceptable for self defense hollow points. Kinda akin to the Hornady HAP and XTP, with the XTP being suitable for self defense applications and HAP suitable for competition applications.

 

[ilostmypswrd]

They kill better

Thats cuz day r lung ripper outers..lolololol, because they can charge more and we is stooopid.

 

[Xmark1]

Thats interesting, so what is the point of IDPA etc. target shooting with hollowpoints if they arent recommended for self defense?

They are more accurate because something like the center of gravity is shifted further back from the tip.
Think about Nosler Custom Competition rifle projectiles, the ones I use almost exclusively. They are hollow point.
I even use 77gr NCC's in my AR15's, great BC and accurate.

 

[aasbra]

Per their product page...

Guessing it does not expand reliably. That being said, would love to see a ballistic gel comparison between this an other JHP.

Judging by the picture, that's a plated HP as opposed to a JHP. Yes, both HPs, but there are differences in construction and also likely how they will function upon impact.