Pink Bullets: October Breast Cancer Awareness

[doc540]

Cool idea:
"Falcon Bullet Company is conducting an October Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign. For a limited time, FBC will be offering their FalCoated bullets in Breast Cancer Awareness Pink. A portion of the proceeds will go to a national foundation that funds Breast Cancer Education, Early Detection and Prevention, and Financial Medical Assistance to patients diagnosed with this terrible disease."

[armoredman]

Nifty!

[Evan Thomas]

Originally Posted by armoredman

Nifty!

Marketing.

[armoredman]

So's ZombieMax, and I think that's kind of fun as well. So what. A freind of mine is suffering with breast cancer right now, so i like things that might raise awareness and more importantly, money. The one thing that is NOT clarified on the Falcon home page is what organization is getting the donations, nor the actual size of the donation, which is rather important.

[Evan Thomas]

The one thing that is NOT clarified on the Falcon home page is what organization is getting the donations, nor the actual size of the donation, which is rather important.

Exactly.

[edfrompa]

That is an excellent observation. Is this Falcon company the same one that makes holsters? They are located in Eastern Europe. I will have to look up their website. It is out of California. But the holsters are made in Europe then sent to the USA. I know, I bought one. It would be interesting to know if it is the same Company selling the pink bullets. The country the holsters are made in is Slovakia. Falco is the original name on their website.

[jtmckinney]

Is this Falcon company the same one that makes holsters? They are located in Eastern Europe.

Per their website;

< http://www.falconbullets.com/aboutus.asp >

They are a family owned business in Tennessee. It may be a marketing strategy only, if so and it works I have no problem with it. I agree they should be more forthcoming with who is getting the money and how much of the extra cost goes to the cause.

[edfrompa]

Thanks for the website. One problem I have. How do you contact these folks???

The one in California that I dealt with was just a dummy address. I had a question and I had to call Slovania at 2:00 am in the morning.

Who knows maybe they are legit. I sure hope so for advertising on this forum.
I think it is an awesome idea. I have dealt with four separate cancers myself and I know what is like to need help when help is not around.

I checked other websites like 1911 forum etc. and they seem to be legit. But how much of the money is actually going toward the Breast cancer project????

[Mosin-Marauder]

Make some in 7.62x54R and I'll buy 'em.

[buck460XVR]

Originally posted by armoredman

So's ZombieMax, and I think that's kind of fun as well. So what.

But...Hornady/ZombieMax doesn't prey on the misfortune of others to sell their product. They also don't hope the desire of others to feel like they are helping those with misfortune, to sell their product. If this really is outta real concern and desire to make a difference, one would think that all bullets produced during "Breast Cancer Awareness Month" would be colored pink and a portion of all those proceeds going to the cause would make more of an impact. I dunno, even tho every little bit helps, IMHO, it still seems like a lame attempt to help Cancer Victims as compared to an attempt to increase their customer base and to promote a positive image.

[armoredman]

We don't know if it's a lame attempt as we don't know how much of the proceeds go to what organization. If we find out that $.01 of every $10 goes to Uncle Jake's Moonshine Cancer Research LabRATory... well that would be one thing, but if we find that $.25 of every dollar goes to The American Cancer Society or similar place, then that's another thing.

[Evan Thomas]

"Pinkwashing" is a huge industry. As this article from Forbes notes:

Breast cancer is useful for corporate cause marketing campaigns because it is a disease that many people are intimately familiar with (currently, one in eight women in the US are diagnosed with breast cancer) and it is associated with beloved family members and friends. Breast cancer as a marketing tool has few (if any) risks of alienating potential consumers, unlike HIV/AIDS, poverty, obesity or other “uncomfortable” epidemics.

In addition, women control somewhere between $0.70 and $0.85 of every household dollar spent, so marketing in relation to women’s health is a logical business move. However, many corporations that engage in breast cancer cause marketing actually exacerbate the problem by contributing to environmental causes of the disease- they use chemicals linked to cancer and hormone disruption in the manufacture of their products.
(My emphasis)

Including, for example, lead.

[armoredman]

So, because they use lead in making their product they shouldn't donate to breast cancer research? Do you think that people who USE lead, a known carcinogen, is also "responsible" for breast cancer? Would it then be more logical to you that any company that uses any carcinogens whatsoever should voluntarily close up shop? Perhaps people like myself, who recycle lead, should be prosecuted for promoting a known (suspected, in your links), carcinogen?
I'm sorry, but I don't buy it. Even if it can affect or cause issues WHEN MISUSED, I don't think manufacturers of lead and lead products should NOT donate to cancer research. Perhaps you think it's as foul as Phillip Morris donating to lung cancer research, but ask yourself - will the cigarettes sell anyway? Will the money be spent anyway? Would it not be better to have some portion of that money come to help stop the disease that the product may cause or help cause?
I made a couple of cancer research posters when my wife and I were worried that she may have it. She gets checked every year, right on time.





Those are guns loaded with lead core bullets - should I not have done that?

[Evan Thomas]

Armoredman, I think you're overreacting just a tad. I'm not sure how you get any of that from what I posted.

Falcon is a tiny part of the "Pink October" movement, and I wish them no harm. Given the antis' foaming at the mouth about "evil assault bullets," and given the very real health concerns associated with lead, it's just reality that a company making ammunition would be concerned about its public image, especially vis à vis women.

My point is that as responsible gun owners, we should be aware that we are also targeted as consumers, and we should make informed decisions about how, or whether, we respond to this type of marketing. As you yourself noted, it would be good to know what portion of the profits Falcon is donating, and where the money is actually going.

I love your posters, by the way -- I wish that more people would get involved in such direct and personal ways.

[TXAZ]

I wish them well...but: Unless there is a *specific goal* that is audit-able, I seldom buy into these offers.

Been there, only to find out they gave about 1% of my donation to the actual work they claimed.

Bottom line is if they don't meet a minimum performance on Charity Navigator, no moola.

[armoredman]

It was probably this part...

In addition, women control somewhere between $0.70 and $0.85 of every household dollar spent, so marketing in relation to women’s health is a logical business move. However, many corporations that engage in breast cancer cause marketing actually exacerbate the problem by contributing to environmental causes of the disease- they use chemicals linked to cancer and hormone disruption in the manufacture of their products.
(My emphasis)
Including, for example, lead.

That seemed connected, and very odd on a website like this.

BTW, the posters I put up are free to anyone to use - feel free to edit your own face over my ugly mug.

[KyJim]

A good idea but I also would want to know how much is going to what charities.

[ThomasT]

My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer about 7 months ago. She went through eight chemo treatments and then had a double mascetomy. In about a week she will start radiation treatment. At this time she looks to be free from cancer with a high chance of survival.

She was told not to worry about what she might have done wrong or didn't do right. Her biggest mistake was being born a woman. So I think you can shelve the talk about lead. She has never been around it.

If these folks are serious about donating to to the breast cancer research then I wish them all the luck in the world. This is a terrible illness that you better hope your wife or daughter never goes through. The operation leaves ugly scars that are devastating to women. My wife could have had reconstructive surgery but she is 55 years old and just didn't want to go through the 14 hour operation. Plus it raises her risk of a cancer reoccurance.

One thing in her favor has been her extremely positive attitude. She has delt with this far better than I have. They told us when the wife has cancer the whole family has cancer. You better beleive that.

My wife lost her job a couple of months before she found out she had cancer. So we had no insurance. Thank goodness there was a grant from the Moncrief Cancer Center (Ft Worth) for breast and cervical cancer pateints. They have paid for 100% of this so far. And this comes from people like Falcon Bullet Co.


Those chemo treatments were around $40,000 each. Normal insurance would have ran out long before we got started good. I simply don't know what we would have done. But I promise you there are a lot of un named peope in my prayers every night that I will never be able to thank enough.

[Technosavant]

I emailed them and asked. I'll let you all know. It looks like the pink Falcoating adds $5 to the cost over the usual red, so we'll see if that's the amount going to charity (wouldn't surprise me).

Their prices aren't bad at all, considering even at $55 for 500 124gr .355" bullets it's still $10 cheaper than the local shop where I've been buying mine (yes, there's shipping... but there's also tax too, and if these are a little less dirty than straight up uncoated lead, it's worth it to me).

[Sevens]

I have dealt with Falcon Bullets on a couple of purchases and here's my honest opinion of them. These are real people that run a small operation, they care very much about how their little company represents itself and it shows in their customer service, their attention to detail and in the quality of their product. They have sold me as a customer and my only problem is that I don't tend to use a whole lot of cast lead bullets these days, but I do very much like dealing with them.

As for the assertion or hint that they are attempting to make themselves look "good" through a cause, I have certainly seen that (in spades!) and I've seen it up close & personal through the Fortune 100 company that I work for, and it sickens me to my core. I simply don't get that read or feeling about Falcon through this promotion.

I will add (off gun topic, but totally on-topic to the discussion) that I simply wish folks would stop for one half moment & use their brains on occasion when it comes to charitable donations. There is absolutely a "feel good" angle to things like these but if anyone who gets that short burst of "feel good" could simply think clearly for a brief moment they could do -FAR- more good.

My in-laws are a fine example. These folks donate everywhere all the time and tithing is a large part of their lives. But they'll go visit a restaurant specifically when a local one advertises "5% of the total of your check goes to Xxxx charity on this day!" Now this is all fine & dandy if your plans that day had you hitting up a restaurant. But if your goal is a charity donation... use just 2 minutes of clear thinking: brew up some mac'n'cheese and a loaf of buttered bread and donate $20 to that charity, because going to a Max 'n Erma's and dumping $75 on a dinner check to give a pittance to the local school district's sports or music/arts program is a straight up ignorant way to support a charity that may very well really need your help.

Bottom line?
If you need bullets, Falcon are fantastic folks with a fine product. Shop with confidence! If you're buying anyway and you think the pink will open discussions, go with 'em!

If you believe your money can help the charities associated with breast cancer research, send them a check for $20, $50 or $100 because buying pink bullets is going to give them the kind of change you can dig out of a sofa.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Well said, sir.

[NickySantoro]

As a husband and also as a father of a young woman, I most certainly support breast cancer research. FWIW, more men die of prostate cancer than women do of breast cancer. Where are the bullets for that?

[Evan Thomas]

Originally Posted by Sevens

Bottom line?
If you need bullets, Falcon are fantastic folks with a fine product. Shop with confidence! If you're buying anyway and you think the pink will open discussions, go with 'em!

If you believe your money can help the charities associated with breast cancer research, send them a check for $20, $50 or $100 because buying pink bullets is going to give them the kind of change you can dig out of a sofa.

Sevens nailed it. Very well said.

[Technosavant]

OK, they got back to me (the owner, David Moore, wrote it).

In short:

The charity is being kept under wraps... it was described as a national charity that ranks highly in terms of the most money making it to people in need. The reason for this is because the charity asked them to not reveal them (because the politically correct sort is the type to throw a fit if "incorrect" groups join in with them) at first. When the campaign ends they are going to reveal who it is and how much was given.

As far as how much, they're not really sure... that's pretty much what the $5 extra fee is for, but the costs involved with another color make them reluctant to make any other promises right now but they are willing to kick in even more if they feel it is needed.

Really, I felt the email to be very open and I got the feeling that this is a cause very near and dear to the heart of the family who runs the company... it doesn't seem like this is something they're going to play fast and loose with.

My conclusion: I'm going to place an order for some. I'd not seen them before, and I am very intrigued by this coating... so much the better this particular thing is for a good cause. I'm in.

[armoredman]

Nice, thanks for the followup. I might try to squeeze for some as well, maybe, use them on a busy day at the range so the the questions start coming.