Who You Going to Call? Ammo Myth Busters!

As with just about anything else in society these days, there are myths surrounding ammunition. Their origin is often unclear and increasingly difficult to dispel with the passage of time.

Time to shoot them up and aim for the truth.

The myth of steel-cased ammo scratching the chamber is exactly that. An annealing process allows the steel to cool slowly and frequently makes it softer than brass.

The next myth to be targeted is it doesn’t matter where ammunition is stored. Talk about firing a blank. Heat and humidity can damage a bullet and its casing. Ammo should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place.

Next in the myth firing line is that a bigger caliber equates to greater stopping power. A 9 mm hollow point bullet, for example, is more effective than an ACP full metal jacket bullet. Ultimately, the ability to control shooting and fire multiple shots trumps caliber size.

Lighter bullets “always” shoot flatter is another myth that needs to fall by the wayside. Tests of a number of calibers show that lighter ammo has a greater drop rate than its heavier counterpart.

Another common misnomer is bigger cartridges are “always” better for long range shooting. The hotter charge frequently results in greater accuracy at long distances, but firings show there are times when a smaller caliber is more effective.

The final myth that needs busting is the .223 Remington cartridge is the same as the 5.56 NATO. Although they look similar and could pass for fraternal twins, they’re not identical.

The NATO cartridge is loaded to pressures slightly higher than the .223 Remington.

Consequently, if a 5.56 cartridge is fired from a firearm chambered for the .223 Remington, it can result in damage to the rifle. It’s imperative to not mix these two cartridges and only use the one stamped on the barrel of the gun.

Who you going to call? Ammo myth buster!