Not from BHSS, however.
Aisles between the stations were so tight I had to time my step between press strokes.
A shipping container outside held components and finished ammo.
Punching well above its weight class, Black Hills ammunition has earned an enviable reputation for extremely high-quality ammo. Image: Black Hills Ammunition
The Hoffmans first efforts at cartridge manufacture were reloads for the RCPD.
I quickly found we couldnt compete with Winchester, Remington and Federal, Jeff admitted.
Wed have to offer something they didnt.
The ruggedly beautiful Black Hills area of South Dakota has proven to be fertile ground for the founding of one of the country’s finest ammunition makers. Image: Black Hills Ammunition
Expenses were eating into our savings while we tried to come up with a plan.
A big order from the Illinois State Police saved us that first year.
Law enforcement (LE) and military contracts would continue to fuel the business.
Jeff and Kristi Hoffman started BHA in Rapid City in 1982. It has grown fast and steadily in 40 years! Image: Black Hills Ammunition
That contract gave us credibility, hiking our commercial sales.
The Hoffmans dreams were much bigger than could mature in their first shop.
And so it is.
Top-notch quality control and excellent source materials are key to Black Hills’ performance. Image: Black Hills Ammunition
But not for long.
Well fill em all, and soon.
A couple of years ago, re-tracing my steps through that plant, I was stunned by the changes.
The Black Hills Ammunition MK 262 Mod1-C load is capable of incredibly precise groups.
From loading rooms to the ballistics lab, BHAs new digs oozed high-tech.
But the work, Jeff told me, was far from finished.
We need more space, more tooling.
The use of ballistic gelatin is an integral part of the company’s testing process for loads and bullets. Image: Black Hills Ammunition
Demand is already outstripping our capacity to meet it.
Sometimes component shipments cant keep up with our production lines.
.223 load clocking 3,335 fps nips half-minute groups for me.
Black Hills has earned a reputation for attention to detail and extremely high quality. Image: Black Hills Ammunition
We expect that level of accuracy, Jeff said, though its well above the industry average.
High standards have drawn a steady stream of military contracts.
Success on the military front has nudged BHA to enlarge its commercial footprint.
Black Hills’ ammo has earned a reputation for performance and precision. Image: Black Hills Ammunition
In 1999, the Navy asked for a precision 5.56 NATO load.
Each lot is tested to meet tough military specs.
Ten, 10-shot groups (yes, 100 bullets!)
at 300 yards must hold to a .64-MOA standard 2 groups at that distance!
Not all 5.56riflescan deliver such results.
I said so to Jeff.
We use very accurate test barrels, smiled Jeff.
And we scrap them before we have to.
The manufacturing care evident in BHA military ammunition also distinguishes its hunting loads.
Gold ammo, .22-250 to .338 Lapua, features bullets from Barnes, Hornady, Nosler and Sierra.
This line recently added the 6mm and 6.5 Creedmoor, for accurate hunting/match rifles like Springfield Armorys Waypoint.
There are 12 BHA Gold loads for the .308, eight for the .30-06.
Over a chronograph and afield, Ive found Gold as good as or better than its competition.
We achieve more when we have friends to help, he observes.
Its a philosophy Jeff and Kristi seem to bring toallrelationships.
They dont reserve courtesy and generosity for business alone.
Still, they and BHAs quality control staff are ruthless in culling ammo that doesnt measure up.
We inspect each cartridge, from component stage to packaging, Jeff said.
Yes, thats millions a year.
And yes, we do.
However difficult or time-consuming, its part of our job.
We spend more on inspection than on loading.
Most of the ammunition comes off straight-line commercial presses.
Loading speed is controlled by operators who look for component flaws and can stop their press at any time.
Finished cartridges run a QC gauntlet.
Visual inspection is followed by a block gauge test for uniformity.
Modern Classics
Handsup, Kid!The bandit spun.
His Peacemaker barked five times, fast.
Sprinting through the smoke, he vaulted into the saddle, yanked at his carbine.You wont take me alive!
Such mayhem marked the frontier and times of William Bonney and John Wesley Hardin.
But the miscreant this day was an accountant with a scripted snarl.
He drove a Japanese sedan with a Starbucks cup in the console.
On weekends, he got Western as Sixgun Slim.
So did his wife, a soccer mom turned Sidewinder Sue.
Cowboy Action events draw spectators with 1880s dress and venues.
Jeff and Kristi Hoffman saw the appeal early on, and were soon loading lead-bullet ammo for Cowboy shooters.
My six-shooter in .45 Colt hops gently with BHA Cowboy loads, but the 250-gr.
He added that even mild smokeless loads can test steel.
Their pressure curves differ from those of black powder.
A useful caveat for shooters dusting off 19th-century firearms!
More recent at BHA is the HoneyBadger line.
HoneyBadgers were designed to be barrier-blind.
Even bonded lead-core bullets deform when fired through glass and other hard, abrasive materials.
Cloth and wood, among soft barriers, can plug hollow points, preventing upset.
Its nose flutes three or four are deep.
A cannelure permits a roll crimp.
Some HoneyBadgers have an additional cannelure to reduce chamber pressure.
Some feature a recessed base a useful detail, notes former Hornady engineer Dave Emary.
It lengthens bearing surface to better seal gas and improve accuracy.
Moving the bullets center of gravity toward the nose can also enhance in-flight and post-impact stability.
While their lead-free shanks limit their weight, HoneyBadgers can be driven faster than lead-core bullets.
They fly flatter and bring plenty of moxy to the target.
Accuracy is on par with the JHPs.
HoneyBadgers dont expand on impact, but ballistic gelatin shows impressive temporary cavities.
The bullets continue in straight paths to cut deep channels.
Introduced six years ago in .380 Auto (60 grains) and 9mm and .38 Spl.
Conclusion
Compared to payrolls of other ammunition firms, BHAs is small around three dozen full-time employees.
But according to the Hoffmans, theyre talented, hard-working and keen to deliver top-quality ammo.
Its a close-knit clan.
A wave of first-time gun owners is gobbling ammo for small pistols.
BHAs catalog reflects brisk demand for long-range and self-defense loads.
Ideally, shifts in production and sales follow or anticipate and even fuel market trends.
Still, some change is forced.
Supply chains can determine whats available, cataloged and not.
And if the past is prologue, they are clearly more than ready for the future.
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