I will say the same thing as a few others have said.
I really don't think hardly anyone "hates" hammer bullets, at least, I personally haven't seen anyone say anything like that. Hate is a rather strong word. The only
complaint I have seen, which is legitimate, is bc, which for many of us that shoot 500-1200 yards for hunting purposes, is an unavoidable determent due to the specific design of your bullets, that is
necessary for the proper function of your monolithic bullets. You have bullets that have a good bc to them, such as the 285 grain .338 cal with a .355 G7 (I own some), however the same gun that shoots that bullet can shoot several other bullets with G7's well over .400, of a similar weight, and the end result is much less wind drift and more retained velocity and energy in the same rifle at distance. But to avoid getting too technical, I digress.
Steve, you and I have talked before, both in p.m.'s and on the phone, and I use your bullets in a few rifles, they work great for their intended purpose, and you are very helpful with figuring out appropriate loads. However your bullets aren't currently the perfect solution for every rifle and every use, and there is nothing wrong with that! They do a good job at killing critters, and are easy to load for accuracy.
I think the part everyone "hates", is what has already been stated.
For me it's certain of the crowd that shoot your bullets that get annoying. Much like alot of people who shoot the 6.5 creedmoor have done for other folks. They beat that drum so hard that after awhile it gets alittle old to listen to.
The drama is tiresome. They simply aren't the "perfect" bullet for
everything, I have even heard you say something similar to this, and some people get extremely defensive about that. Pretty much all of us understand why your bullet's bc's aren't as high as many others, and pretty much everyone highly respects your reasoning behind it. What people don't respect is getting bombarded for saying it, that is all.
As far as for marketing and attempting to progress your business, I have my opinions. This will be my opinion on it, so it may not be worth much, but here it is. I think the best thing you can do, is stay neutral as much as possible. You sell a great product, a product that is now established, and functions as you state, nothing more, nothing less. I feel people that say it is the only bullet anyone should ever use for any type of hunting, and is perfect for absolutely every use, as well as people that would say it is a useless, terrible, and pointless bullet, should be distanced from your business. Extremes in either direction tend to cause many problems for businesses.
I do not believe you are at fault for any of the following, and a lot of this is stated in general, not specifically directed at your business, so please don't take it as that. As Americans, we don't like opinions, good or bad, to be forced upon us. Tell us what you offer, and your bullets will sell themselves, as they already have. Aggressive marketing or splashing of opinions everywhere can be very detrimental in the long run. It creates annoyance for educated people, people that just need the facts presented to them, and are fully capable of making their decisions. Heavy, aggressive marketing works well for the less "in the know" people, no doubt. However, that is generally not the market here. Again, I personally don't see you specifically doing this at all, so please don't take this as a personal attack, it is not, and I respect you and your business. It seems to be more other people that are overly aggressive and "pro hammer" that seem to be somewhat hurting your business image. I know this may be greatly out of your control as well, unfortunately.
As far as R&D, I probably won't say anything you don't already know or have already tried. But you have a good bullet design with your current line up, nothing needs to be changed for them. If you truly want to create the "Perfect" bullet, maintain your current line, but on the side I would be doing some testing. I would focus as hard as I could on researching and testing to finding a way to get a tipped type bullet to perform as your current bullets do to increase bc. Making your hollow point smaller to increase bc will undoubtedly reduce terminal performance, therefore, the only other way is to add a tip. If you could get your current bullet performance, but with the bc of some of the other manufacturers, I do believe you would have nearly the "perfect" bullet.
The bantering, arguing, jumpy, overly defensive bickering has got to stop, on EVERYONE's part. None of this is the purpose of Len's living room. We should be better than all this. I am not defending either side, and am not taking sides. I'm just annoyed of getting on this forum to relax, read and enjoy my passion, and just seeing a bunch of grown men bickering.
