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What are your thoughts on Winchester Ranger Ammo

Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 10:58 am
by TheGasMan
I'm looking for a new round for my bedside pistol. Currently using a Glock 22. I have an opportunity to buy some Ranger ammo at a decent price. Have you used it? Does it perform as advertised? Better round choices? Thoughts in general? Thanks for the insight

Re: What are your thoughts on Winchester Ranger Ammo

Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 12:05 pm
by joe817
I'm not familiar with it. What's the real world price on it, and does it come in JHP version?

Re: What are your thoughts on Winchester Ranger Ammo

Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 12:10 pm
by MoJo
Ranger is Winchester LE ammo it is good stuff works as designed. It's not the bullet in the gun but where you put the bullet that counts.

Re: What are your thoughts on Winchester Ranger Ammo

Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 12:26 pm
by TheGasMan
joe817 wrote:I'm not familiar with it. What's the real world price on it, and does it come in JHP version?
http://www.winchester.com/lawenforcemen ... atalog.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There's some info on it. I have a guy that has a couple boxes for $27/box, which seems reasonable. I don't know what it was going for prior to the big jump in prices over the last year.

As for the bullet placement, I agree to a point. I work in a pretty busy trauma center, and I can tell you that bullet design is very important to tissue damage. While nothing replaces good shot placement, even good shot placement with a suboptimal bullet can leave your target still in the fight.

Re: What are your thoughts on Winchester Ranger Ammo

Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 12:31 pm
by garcia946
I use the Ranger LE in my CC G27 , like the stuff , I got it my a Cop friend of mine.
Have it also in a hidden home gun G22 also have a box of it for my G19 but in the Ranger SXT
I like the stuff , just my thoughts

Re: What are your thoughts on Winchester Ranger Ammo

Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 12:43 pm
by Carrots
The Ranger T stuff is excellent. I have shot it in 9, 357 & 45.

Re: What are your thoughts on Winchester Ranger Ammo

Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 12:53 pm
by nitrogen
Winchester Ranger SXT has a great reputation, but it's getting harder to find, at least for me.

I've been using Federal Premium HST when I can't get Ranger SXT.

Re: What are your thoughts on Winchester Ranger Ammo

Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 1:19 pm
by killerfly128
TheGasMan wrote:
joe817 wrote:I'm not familiar with it. What's the real world price on it, and does it come in JHP version?
http://www.winchester.com/lawenforcemen ... atalog.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There's some info on it. I have a guy that has a couple boxes for $27/box, which seems reasonable. I don't know what it was going for prior to the big jump in prices over the last year.

As for the bullet placement, I agree to a point. I work in a pretty busy trauma center, and I can tell you that bullet design is very important to tissue damage. While nothing replaces good shot placement, even good shot placement with a suboptimal bullet can leave your target still in the fight.

50 round boxes?

I just ordered 150 rounds of the stuff. If they are the 50 round boxes and of newer manufacture let me know if there are any left.

Re: What are your thoughts on Winchester Ranger Ammo

Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 1:28 pm
by ELB
Winchester Ranger ammo in the 9mm loading (127gr +P+) has a particularly good rep, which is why I bought 500 rounds of it (before the big ammo price spike). I would prefer to use Corbon DPX, but I cannot stand the price of burning enough rounds to qualify it in my carry gun.

I read on another board that Winchester is requiring distributors and retailers to agree to NOT sell Ranger LE ammo to non-LEO customers. AFAIK Ranger ammo has always been marketed as LE-only, but the market adhered to this in varying degrees. Apparently a new push on... If you want it, get it. Speer Gold Dot is also excellent, as well as of course Corbon DPX.

Re: What are your thoughts on Winchester Ranger Ammo

Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 8:04 am
by Paladin
Ranger ammo is Excellent

Both Lab and Street proven

It's what I carry.

Just make sure it runs in your gun.

Re: What are your thoughts on Winchester Ranger Ammo

Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 1:31 am
by Voonman
Its not a bad choice..I sure as hell wouldnt like to get shot with it..But there are alot of other choices out there with better expansions..Here is a little report that i did with the Winchester SXT..

Re: What are your thoughts on Winchester Ranger Ammo

Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 4:10 am
by Mike1951
All Ranger isn't the same. I bought two cases of RA40155HP at $12.50/50, which was less than half price.

I bought it at Sportsmans Outlet in Humble just before the fire. He certainly had a pallet or more left when it burned down.

This is .40 S&W 155gr JHP. Afterward, I saw it deeply discounted at other vendors.

The box reads "Winchester Ranger Law Enforcement Ammunition".

I found this unconfirmed statement on the S&W forum, "I have read that the Winchester Ranger 155 gr. 40S&W round was developed for a run at a few LE and Fed contracts that specified a 155 gr. round. (Possibly the U.S. Border Patrol, which currently uses 155 gr.) It was dropped due to testing that revealed constant core/jacket separations through certain barriers. Now, I don't know how reliable that source is, but since the 155 is no longer offered, it makes some sense. I still think it would serve the needs of civilian self-defense just fine though."

This criticism, if valid, does not apply to Ranger T or Ranger SXT and may not apply to other Winchester Ranger Law Enforcement Ammunition loadings.

Since the problem is barrier penetration and since I have 1000 rds of it, I intend to carry it. I will, necessarily, buy something else when this gone.

Re: What are your thoughts on Winchester Ranger Ammo

Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 7:34 am
by Paladin
More info here:

http://ammo.ar15.com/project/Self_Defen ... /index.htm

"The Ranger “T” series has shown to be the best load available in virtually every caliber it is available in." -2003


"Please note that all of the recommended pistol loads listed below have been personally tested and vetted by Dr. Roberts. THEY ARE NOT IN ORDER OF PERFORMANCE, SO ANY BULLET ON THE LIST IS CONSIDERED ACCEPTABLE.

9mm

Barnes XPB 115gr HP (35515) loaded by Cor-Bon (DPX09115)

Winchester Partition Gold 124gr JHP (RA91P)

Winchester Ranger-T 124 gr +P JHP (RA9124TP)

Winchester Ranger-T 127gr JHP +P+ (RA9TA)

Winchester Ranger-T 147gr JHP (RA9T)

Winchester Bonded 147gr JHP (RA9B/Q4364)

Speer Gold Dot 124gr JHP +P (53617)

Speer Gold Dot 147gr JHP (53619)

Remington Golden Saber 147gr JHP (GS9MMC)

Federal Tactical 124gr JHP (LE9T1)

Federal Tactical 135gr JHP +P (LE9T5)

Federal HST 147gr JHP (P9HST2)


357SIG

Federal Tactical and HST loads.

Speer Gold Dot 125gr JHP


.40 S&W

Barnes all-copper bullets (140 & 155gr) loaded by: Cor-Bon (DPX40140)

Winchester Ranger 180gr JHP (RA40T)

Winchester Ranger 165gr JHP (RA40TA)

Winchester Partition Gold 165gr JHP (RA401P)

Winchester Bonded 180gr JHP (Q4355)

Speer Gold Dot 155gr JHP (53961)

Speer Gold Dot 180gr JHP (53962)

Federal Tactical 165gr JHP (LE40T3)

Federal Tactical 180gr JHP (LE40T1)

Federal HST 180gr JHP (P40HST1)

Remington Golden Saber 180 gr JHP (GS40SWB)


.45ACP

Barnes XPB/TAC-XP 185gr HP loaded by:

Cor-Bon (DPX45185)

Taurus (TCB45ACP185HP)

Winchester Ranger-T 230gr JHP (RA45T)

Winchester Ranger-T 230gr JHP +P (RA45TP)

Federal Tactical 230gr JHP (LE45T1)

Federal HST 230gr +P JHP (P45HST1)

Federal HST 230gr JHP (P45HST2)

Speer Gold Dot 230 gr JHP (23966)"

Re: What are your thoughts on Winchester Ranger Ammo

Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:36 pm
by Gearheart
Does it perform as advertised?
While it doesn't live up to the hysteria that the media stirred up when it was marketed as black talon, it is a good brand of JHP.

I like them because they chamber reliably in my P6, which tends to be picky about hollow points. Smaller opening and rounder tip I guess. The 9mm made me happy enough that I got some .40 and .45 also.

I haven't personally tested their expansion, (very nice picture there Voonman) but I have seen a .45 black talon that a guy dug out of some roadkill.

Image

Deer shot in the head at point blank. Bullet went through the neck, along the skin, came out past the ribs, and lodged itself in the back leg.

Not much deformation of the bullet there for how far it traveled.

Re: What are your thoughts on Winchester Ranger Ammo

Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2009 12:22 am
by Voonman
Thanx..I have a few Black Talons for my .45 ..i must test them out and see if they will give good expansion...As for the Ranger Ammo..It is good stuff. but i would advise anyone to buy a few boxes of various Hollow Points and do there own Civilian Testing..Only then you can know for sure what suits you best..