Hot New Ammo for 2016

February 25, 2016 By Joel J Hutchcroft

This year's SHOT Show brought an incredible amount of new ammo, products and innovations to the firearms world. Many great companies rolled out new ammo or updated existing lines with more options. Take a look at our roundup of some of the best new ammo on the market for 2016.

Black Hills Xtreme Defense

Black Hills has new ammo for .38 Special and .380 ACP loadings in its Xtreme Defense ammunition line. The 100-grain .38 Special +P offering produces 1,000 fps out of a snubnose revolver and 1,250 fps from a 6.0-inch barrel, and the .380 ACP 60-grain load produces 1,150 fps out of a pocket pistol. The sharp-edged homogeneous copper bullets penetrate deeply and produce large temporary cavities in tissue by cutting and redirecting the tissue radially rather than by expanding.

MSRP: Not available at presstime

Browning BPT

Browning recently announced an entire new ammo line, including rimfire, centerfire and shotshell offerings. One of the new shotshells is the BPT Performance Target sporting loads, which are offered in 12, 16 and 20 gauges. Loaded with either No. 7½ or No. 8 shot, the 2.75-inch shells produce 1,145 to 1,300 fps, depending on the gauge. The loads feature premium, hard lead shot and smooth, sleek, high-strength hulls.

MSRP: $7.75 to $8.50

CCI Big 4

Centerfire handgun shotshells have long been highly practical options for close-range pest control. CCI's new Big 4 loads extend the range and capabilities of these downsized shotshells thanks to a payload of No. 4 lead shot. The resulting energy and patterns enable the Big 4 loads in 9mm, .38 Special, .44 Special and .45 Colt to take down larger pests at longer distances.

Eley has just introduced its new High Velocity Hollow .22 LR ammunition. According to the company, High Velocity Hollow produces world-class accuracy, penetration and expansion, making it perfect for hunting any small game. Loaded with a 40-grain hollowpoint bullet, the new loading is rated at 1,250 fps muzzle velocity and 139 ft-lbs muzzle energy.

MSRP: $9.99

Federal Fusion MSR

One of Federal's new rifle loads for 2016 is the 6.8 SPC 90-grain Fusion MSR loading, which generates a muzzle velocity of 2,850 fps. Designed specifically for hunting with AR-type rifles, the new Fusion loading uses a primer, powder, bullet and case that are optimized for AR actions. The bullet features a skived tip and a molecularly fused jacket around a pressure-formed core.

MSRP: $29.95

Hornady Precision Hunter

Hornady's new Precision Hunter line of rifle ammunition features the innovative ELD-X bullet with patented Heat Shield Tip. Initial chamberings include 6.5 Creedmoor (143 grain), 7mm Remington Magnum (162 grains), .308 Winchester (178 grains), .30-06 (178 grains), .300 RCM (178 grains), .300 Winchester Magnum (200 grains), .300 Remington Ultra Mag (220 grains) and .30-378 Weatherby Magnum (220 grains). Precision Hunter ammo is offered 20 rounds per box.

MSRP: $42.88 to $126.85 depending on caliber

HSM Varmint Blue

HSM Ammunition has been producing an extremely wide variety of handgun and rifle ammo (currently, 950 different selections) for nearly 50 years. The ammunition is well respected among hunters, law enforcement and the military. Specialty lines include Trophy Gold and Varmint Gold, which feature Berger bullets; a full line of Cowboy Action loads and the exclusive big-game hunting Bear Load line.

One of the company's new ammo offerings is the recently announced Varmint Blue. The initial offering is a .223 Remington load that carries a proprietary 55-grain blue polymer-tipped bullet. The load is rated at 3,120 fps muzzle velocity, and according to the company, it provides great expansion and amazing penetration. Other varmint calibers will be added in the near future.

MSRP: $20

Remington American

Remington has a brand-new line of American Clay & Field Sport shotshells. All loads feature 100 percent High Antimony hard round lead shot, Power Piston wads, and STS unibody hulls. A variety of 12-, 20-, and 28-gauge and .410 Bore loads are offered with No.7½, No. 8, and No. 9 shot. Rated velocity is either 1,185 fps or 1,200 fps depending on the specific load.

MSRP: $8.50 or $10.37 depending on the load

SIG SAUER HT

SIG's newest rifle ammo offering is a .300 Blackout supersonic loading that's specifically designed for hunting. The new SIG HT load features a 120-grain all-copper bullet, nickel-plated cases, flash-reduced powder and premium-quality primers. Muzzle velocity from a 16-inch barrel is 2,250 fps, and the resulting muzzle energy is 1,349 ft-lbs.

MSRP: $28.75

Winchester M-22 Subsonic

Winchester's new ammo, the M-22 Subsonic .22 LR ammo, is made for semiautomatic rimfire guns fitted with sound suppressors. Loaded with a 45-grain black-plated lead roundnose bullet, the ammo produces a muzzle velocity of 1,090 fps. M-22 Subsonic ammunition is offered in boxes of 100 rounds or bulk packs of 800 rounds.

MSRP: $10 (100 ct.), $60 (800 ct.)