Make the right choice when choosing your ammo

You bought the firearm, and now it is time to make a decision on which ammunition you should be using. If one does not know much about firearms, choosing the right ammunition could be a very intimidating subject. Choosing the correct ammunition is a crucial and important part of the process before heading out into the field. 

As soon as you have identified the purpose you intend on using your firearm for, it is time to start giving attention to the technical factors. After reading this blog, you will definitely have a good idea on how to choose the correct ammunition.

The purpose of the Firearm

Choosing a firearm and ammunition depends on the purpose that you are going to be using your firearm for. This will dictate some of the features, like projectile weight, projectile type, velocity, etc., that you should consider. There are three main purposes, namely: Target Practice, Personal Defence, and Hunting. 

Target Practice/training

When out training, you won’t be needing the most expensive, powerful bullets, but rather a widely available relatively inexpensive load. FMJ (Full Metal Jackets) is a great option to look at when using a pistol or rifle, as it is made with soft lead in the middle and is surrounded with a metal shell. Keeping in mind how much recoil your ammo produces, you’ll want a light recoiling load that won’t cause intense tiredness after a few rounds when practicing. Same goes for shotgun ammo. You will look at a 7.5 shot or smaller.

Personal Defence

When a life is at stake, quality and performance plays a much bigger role when choosing your ammo. You will need a reliable hollow-point cartridge round that fires with a lot of force. These cartridges expand on impact, increasing damage to the object and reducing the chance of hurting innocent bystanders by stopping the bullet on impact of the target. In the case of a shotgun, make sure that you use pellets that are large enough - like buckshot pellets.

Hunting

It is important to choose ammo that will bring the target down quickly. Hollow-point and soft point ammunition are the key to reliable hunting cartridge. As FMJ projectiles will shoot straight through the target, causing it to run off  putting the hunter at risk, they are not recommended. What separates self defence and hunting ammo from each other, is the fact that hunting ammo is engineered to penetrate thick skins and has to produce a lot of force.

Now that you know…

Choosing the correct ammunition seems overwhelming at first, but by breaking up the factors to keep in mind, it becomes a lot clearer.

Before you make a final decision on which ammo to use, stop by your nearest Safari Outdoor and ask our trained specialists. They will help you choose the best brand that will suit your needs, and answer all of your other questions.

If you would like to add your personal process experience of choosing the correct ammunition, please feel free to share them with us in the comments below.

 

Sources:

Guns & Ammo: How to Pick the Right Ammunition for the Application

Guns & Ammo: Choosing Training Ammo

Peak prosperity: Understanding Ammunition

Daily Shooting: How To Choose The Right Ammunition For Your Firearm

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