One month in.

So, we’re one month in since the launch.  And in that time we’ve had over a third of a million hits.  Referrals (meaning that people clicked a link that took them to Bbti) from over 500 sites.  Visitors from all around the globe (though the vast majority are from the US), and discussions about the project in at least half a dozen languages that I’ve come across so far.

Increasingly, I see our site being listed as a reference in discussions pertaining to ballistic performance of a given caliber, as I noted the other day in comments to this post.  This is what I find most rewarding – because we did the project not in order to just shoot up a bunch of ammo, but to create a database that would be useful to people.  Sure, the initial surge of interest was because of the novelty of the project – the “they did WHAT?” aspect of it.  But the real value over the long term is having the information freely available for anyone who needs it.

I’m glad that most people have responded positively to our project.  There have been only a few detractors that I have seen so far, usually of the variety of people complaining that we either didn’t test rimfire or rifle calibers, or that we didn’t test their particular handgun or pistol-caliber carbine as part of the “real world” tests, and so the information is ‘useless’.  But with any endeavour you have to expect some complaints, no matter what.  As I have posted in one form or another on several forums:

… nowhere on our site or elsewhere where I have commented about the tests will you see *anything* which claims that we have conducted the definitive tests for all time, nor that anyone should refrain from doing similar rigorous research. In fact, we *welcome* more testing – we’re willing to put it on our site and give others all the credit for their work – if it is documented and transparent, as our data is.

You’re welcome to conduct your own tests – take the time, spend the money, do the work, then compile and put it online for any and all to see and use freely. Please. Do it – we’ll all benefit. Until then, you’ll forgive me if I don’t have a lot of sympathy for your complaints that we didn’t conduct the tests the way you would like to see them.

So, yeah, it has been a smashing success.  We have at least one magazine article in the works about the project (for Concealed Carry Magazine), and at least one representative from an ammo manufacturer has said online that they welcome our data and will be using it to improve their product in the future.  If that happens, it will be a wonderful side benefit to the whole project.

Thanks to all who have helped to spread the word – all those who posted our link, and all those who have told their friends.

Cheers!

Jim Downey