Shell Tech Ammo Review: Faster, Lighter, Reliable and More Accurate

Shell Tech rifle and pistol ammunition is totally different. Utilizing a two-piece case manufactured from a chrome steel alloy physique and both a stainless or aluminum base, Shell Tech is ready to create ammo that’s lighter, has the next muzzle velocity, will be extra correct and extra dependable with no additional put on on the gun. This isn’t your conventional brass case ammunition.

I do know what you might be pondering. We’ve all tried non-brass ammo. The cheap aluminum and metal case stuff that our pockets likes, however our weapons don’t. It hasn’t all the time been an excellent expertise. Years in the past, I assumed I used to be being good by shopping for actually low-cost metal case 5.56 NATO from a Russian producer. You understand the stuff. The lacquer coating seems like Soviet snot and as positive as snot it gummed up my BCG and induced FTE (failure to eject) jams. I wanted a cleansing rod to faucet an empty case out of the chamber. I had higher outcomes with metal case 9mm ammo. My G17 Gen3 may have cared much less what sort of ammo I used to be utilizing. It all the time went bang, and it was all the time excessively soiled. I discovered my lesson, so once I was requested to strive Shell Tech ammo, my expectation was low. What I found is Shell Tech ammo lives as much as it claims. Shell Tech talks the speak and walks the stroll. The price of Shell Tech is akin to brass case ammo.

The Shell Tech NAS3 case is the important thing. The wall thickness of the case is extra uniform than brass, which suggests 1 to eight p.c extra powder will be loaded than conventional brass. The case physique additionally makes use of a flash gap that’s bigger in diameter so it ignites the powder extra effectively than the standard brass flash gap. You understand how brass expends after being fired? The Shell Tech case doesn’t. The metal alloy is extra elastic so it springs again to almost its unique measurement. Meaning no caught circumstances within the chamber. It additionally cools quicker than brass and you know the way a freshly ejected brass case can really feel on naked pores and skin. The distinctive two-piece case design additionally types a seal towards each stress and moisture whereas permitting greater stress than brass. The surface of the case is slicker than nickel-plated brass, too.

For reloaders, the circumstances are magnetic so they’re simpler to be picked up and due to the stainless alloy case physique, cartridges will be loaded extra instances than brass. Solely pistol circumstances are reloadable, nevertheless. A particular die is required that has a spring contained in the die that pushes the case out of the die, as an alternative of pulling the case out through the base rim like conventional brass dies do. 

I used to be supplied a number of bins of Shell Tech ammo in 5.56 NATO, 300 BLK and 9mm. And the very first thing I seen was how gentle the 20-round bins felt. You won’t suppose that gentle weight is a helpful attribute, however a micro 9 filled with Shell Tech is noticeably lighter to hold. 

Shell Tech makes use of bullets which can be fitted to coaching and self-defense. I used a Ruger SR-556 Takedown AR-15 that’s geared up with a piston-driven system. Barrel assemblies will be swapped out, so each 5.56 NATO and 300 BLK will be fired out of the identical rifle by simply altering the barrel meeting. I used a S&W M&P Protect, Glock G43 and a Springfield Armory Hellcat Professional Comp to check the 9mm ammo. A Garmin Zero C1 Professional Chronograph recorded muzzle velocity and muzzle vitality. 

Shell Tech 5.56 NATO ammo was loaded with a 55-grain all copper hole level bullet with manufacturing unit information of three,150 fps for muzzle velocity and 1,212 ft-lb for muzzle vitality. Out of the 16-inch barrel Ruger, my lot of ammo had a muzzle velocity of three,232 fps and 1,275 ft-lb of muzzle vitality. Often manufacturing unit ammo information is greater, however in the true world, ammo clocks loads slower.

I used to be shocked to see the Shell Tech ammo had the next velocity.

I ran some Lakeshore 55-grain FMJ-BT brass case ammo only for comparability and located the Lakeshore ammo had a muzzle velocity of two,865 fps and 1,003 ft-lb of muzzle vitality. I additionally suppose the brass gods have been offended at me as a result of I had a FTF (failure to feed) situation with the brass. I had no situation feeding or ejecting the Shell Tech ammo. I used open sights and three-shot teams at 50 yards to gather accuracy information. The Shell Tech had a greatest group that measure 0.49 inches and a mean of 0.80 inches. The Lakeshore had a better of 0.09 and averaged 1.19 inches. And it’s true, the Shell Tech circumstances cooled extra shortly than the brass.

Transferring to the 300 BLK, the Shell Tech rounds have been loaded with a 125-grain all copper hole level. I swapped barrel assemblies and shot a greatest group that measured 0.24 inches and averaged 0.47 inches. I used to be proud of the outcomes particularly capturing iron sights. All of the 300 BLK ammo cycled flawlessly. 

Transferring to the 9mm ammo, Shell Tech loaded a fluted polymer/copper 65-grain bullet. This bullet is similar size as a 124-grain FMJ bullet, so I ran some Panther 124-grain 9mm ammo towards it to check information. The Shell Tech 65-grain had a muzzle velocity of 1,505 fps and muzzle vitality of 326 ft-lb out of the Springfield Armory Hellcat Professional Comp. The 124-grain Panther had a muzzle velocity of 1,101 fps and muzzle vitality of 333 ft-lb out of the identical pistol. Accuracy with each rounds averaged about an inch. Recoil with the Shell Tech was simple to regulate with the Hellcat Professional Comp. Recoil with the small Glock G43 and Protect was very controllable. I additionally ran the Mozambique Drill at 7 yards utilizing the three pistols. Two pictures to middle of mass and one shot to the pinnacle. What shocked me was how correct and controllable the Shell Tech ammo was out of all three pistols. The loaded weight of the pistols was noticeably much less with Shell Tech ammo. In comparison with a 124-grain 9mm spherical, the 65-grain Shell Tech spherical is nearly half the burden. All of the 9mm ammo ran with no points.

I used to be very glad with the efficiency of the Shell Tech ammo. A lot in order that I stored seven rounds of the 9mm ammunition to make use of in my Glock G43 for on a regular basis carry.

You should buy Shell Tech ammo on the Shell Tech web site. You can even subscribe to obtain an ammo cargo each month. Subscribing saves you 15 p.c on every field of ammo. If you’re devoted to coaching, it is smart to subscribe to save lots of money and time and have ammo arrive in your door step.