ID9mm
New member
I have seen a lot of postings saying the Ranger T and Black Talon are the same
bullets. I have also noticed a lot of mixed opinions on the PDX1's. So I
decided to post this for everyone's information. None of the 3 are exactly the
same but they are all very similar. I will not try to speculate which one is
the best but I have my 9mm loaded with the 124gr PDX1 +P. Here is some
information on the 3 different bullets.
Black Talon
The Black Talon handgun bullet is a jacketed hollow-point bullet with
perforations designed to expose sharp edges upon expansion. The bullet included
a Lubalox coating, a proprietary oxide process, (though widely misreported to
be Teflon, molybdenum disulfide, or wax) giving it an unusual black appearance
compared to other copper-jacketed or lead bullets. The Lubalox coating was to
protect the barrel rifling, and did not give the bullet armor-piercing
capabilities. This coating in fact is still widely used on many of Winchester's
rifle bullets today. The bullet also had a unique appearance with a star shaped
perforation on the black tip, giving it the nickname Starpoint.
Ranger SXT/Ranger T
Winchester discontinued the Black Talon line completely in 2000. The “Ranger
SXT” ammunition sold later by Winchester is very similar to the Black Talon
though without the black Lubalox coating on the bullet. Among shooters, a
running joke is that SXT stands for “Same eXact Thing", though the official
branding is “Supreme eXpansion Technology”. However, there are differences in
the anatomy of the bullets which become apparent when carefully examined side
by side. The hollow point cavity dimensions and angles of the meplat were
altered to enhance reliability of expansion, though the basic "reverse taper"
design unique to the Black Talon was retained. This "reverse taper" refers to
the bullet's jacket being thicker at the tip than the toward the base,
enhancing rigidity which allows the sharp petals to remain largely
perpendicular to the wound path, unlike traditional designs where the expanding
jacket petals would peel back almost completely behind the expanded lead
mushroom. This difference is obvious after firing into ballistic gelatin. In
2007 Winchester updated their Ranger SXT line and renamed it Ranger T-Series.
Besides further dimensional changes to the hollow point for reliable expansion,
the trademark perpendicular petals were made longer yet more rounded at the
tips to retain stiffness.
PDX1
In 2009 Winchester-Olin released a new hollow point bullet in its Supreme Elite
line of handgun ammunition called the Bonded PDX1. It is similar to the Ranger
SXT series and, therefore, the older Black Talon line in its structure, and is
available in several calibers and loadings. The most obvious difference from
the SXT is that the bonded design, meant to maintain structural integrity
through difficult intermediate barriers like auto-glass, largely prevents the
sharp petals from peeling away from the lead core and fully protruding into the
wound track. The .40 S&W PDX1 cartridge is the primary service ammunition of
the FBI. The PDX1 series is also available for purchase by civilian shooters.
Further, there is no law that prohibits civilians from buying ammunition marked
"Law Enforcement", which some of the Ranger line has printed on the box (as do
other lines of ammo).
bullets. I have also noticed a lot of mixed opinions on the PDX1's. So I
decided to post this for everyone's information. None of the 3 are exactly the
same but they are all very similar. I will not try to speculate which one is
the best but I have my 9mm loaded with the 124gr PDX1 +P. Here is some
information on the 3 different bullets.
Black Talon
The Black Talon handgun bullet is a jacketed hollow-point bullet with
perforations designed to expose sharp edges upon expansion. The bullet included
a Lubalox coating, a proprietary oxide process, (though widely misreported to
be Teflon, molybdenum disulfide, or wax) giving it an unusual black appearance
compared to other copper-jacketed or lead bullets. The Lubalox coating was to
protect the barrel rifling, and did not give the bullet armor-piercing
capabilities. This coating in fact is still widely used on many of Winchester's
rifle bullets today. The bullet also had a unique appearance with a star shaped
perforation on the black tip, giving it the nickname Starpoint.
Ranger SXT/Ranger T
Winchester discontinued the Black Talon line completely in 2000. The “Ranger
SXT” ammunition sold later by Winchester is very similar to the Black Talon
though without the black Lubalox coating on the bullet. Among shooters, a
running joke is that SXT stands for “Same eXact Thing", though the official
branding is “Supreme eXpansion Technology”. However, there are differences in
the anatomy of the bullets which become apparent when carefully examined side
by side. The hollow point cavity dimensions and angles of the meplat were
altered to enhance reliability of expansion, though the basic "reverse taper"
design unique to the Black Talon was retained. This "reverse taper" refers to
the bullet's jacket being thicker at the tip than the toward the base,
enhancing rigidity which allows the sharp petals to remain largely
perpendicular to the wound path, unlike traditional designs where the expanding
jacket petals would peel back almost completely behind the expanded lead
mushroom. This difference is obvious after firing into ballistic gelatin. In
2007 Winchester updated their Ranger SXT line and renamed it Ranger T-Series.
Besides further dimensional changes to the hollow point for reliable expansion,
the trademark perpendicular petals were made longer yet more rounded at the
tips to retain stiffness.
PDX1
In 2009 Winchester-Olin released a new hollow point bullet in its Supreme Elite
line of handgun ammunition called the Bonded PDX1. It is similar to the Ranger
SXT series and, therefore, the older Black Talon line in its structure, and is
available in several calibers and loadings. The most obvious difference from
the SXT is that the bonded design, meant to maintain structural integrity
through difficult intermediate barriers like auto-glass, largely prevents the
sharp petals from peeling away from the lead core and fully protruding into the
wound track. The .40 S&W PDX1 cartridge is the primary service ammunition of
the FBI. The PDX1 series is also available for purchase by civilian shooters.
Further, there is no law that prohibits civilians from buying ammunition marked
"Law Enforcement", which some of the Ranger line has printed on the box (as do
other lines of ammo).
. I have not considered the PDX since I can get the Ranger but I have shot it and it's good too.