Hornady's Superformance Wins Two 2010 NRA Golden Bullseye Awards

Hornady Manufacturing is smiling all the way to the 2010 NRA Annual Meetings in Charlotte, North Carolina this May, where its Superformance® will receive honors as 2010 Ammunition Product of the Year by both American Hunter and American Rifleman. Hornady notes that the criteria for winning include: products must be recent introductions and available to consumers; feature innovative design and function; meet or exceed field reliability expectations; and demonstrate style befitting the firearm industry as well as good purchase value.  There was no note as to how Superformance met those criteria, although the May issues of American Hunter and American Rifleman will showcase the ammo. See Hornady’s article on the award.

Hornady notes that by using specialized powders at normal charge weights, it can increase bullet speed by 100 to 200 fps without increasing felt recoil, fouling, muzzle blast, or temperature sensitivity. Hornady also notes that accuracy is not reduced.

Let’s look at what the customer gets for this.  Suppose you’re on a range, shooting with ammo that is just as accurate as your competition, but a little faster.  Do you get a prize for that?  Probably not.  Now suppose you shoot a deer or elk.  What does that extra speed get you? Hornady’s home page shows a nifty animation of a Superformance round revving like a race car.  Gee, I wonder if they’re alluding to anything.  Great comparison, any way:  Since my car has more than enough speed to move me from Point A to Point B, I don’t need a faster one.  If I buy a faster car, I may just be putting ego over performance.

A faster bullet could be more damaging to your meat:  particularly with deer, a slower bullet often performs better, with less wastage.  After downing my first deer with a 7mm Rem Mag, I switched down to a .270.

An article on American Hunter’s Web site notes that the increased speed of Superformance will push your 30.06 into Light Magnum range.  That could be an advantage if you’re gunning for trophy elk, bull moose, or some other large or dangerous game.  It could also be a benefit if you’re expecting (and have practiced) long-range shots.

With faster speeds, you might reduce bullet weight a bit, which is safe to do with weight retention bullets.  Of course, a lighter bullet usually won’t help you keep a grip on your pennies; the cost is usually the same.

Contrast Superformance with Hornady’s LEVERevolution®, which improved speed, trajectory, energy, and, most importantly for those pea-shooting lever actions, accuracy.  Personally, I’d rate LEVERevolution as the greater advance in ammunition.

The upshot:  Don’t buy just because it’s “new and improved.”  Determine your needs, and purchase accordingly.  You might buy Superformace, but for smaller game, you might want to stick with a slower round.