Rifle Ammo

Even though firearms are probably the deadliest weapons a human can hold in hands (black cases with buttons, launching nuclear warheads don’t count), without the ammunition they are as useful as a club. A sturdy and heavy club, whose hits will still hurt, but bludgeoning properties of guns are nowhere near their impact when used as intended. That is another issue that firearm owners face: it is not enough to carry only a rifle or a pistol, you will always need to have ammunition on your person, either already loaded or stored. Ammo and firearms are hardly useful on their own, but together they have an incredible synergy.

Things would have been too simple if one type of gun could only fit one type of ammo. But we live in a world of variety, and diversity of calibers and manufacturers is a blessing for some people and a burden for others. Rifle ammo is no exception - there are dozens of calibers, and many of them have additional modifications. On top of that, different types of ammo have different primer locations and rim diameters. Luckily, rifle ammunition is not that complicated.

First things first, all rifle cartridges have similar construction. Each round consists of a projectile (also known as the bullet), propellant, primer, and casing. A cartridge case is the base element, housing all other components and determining the shape of the cartridge. It contains a propellant, which fuels the combustion reaction and makes shooting possible. After the pressure inside the cartridge builds up, combustion gases propel the projectile down the barrel, separating it from the cartridge and sending it out. A primer initiates the whole process, as it contains a shock-sensitive compound that reacts to the firing pin’s impact and subsequently ignites the propellant.

Not that the introduction is over, let’s talk about why there are so many types of rifle rounds. The first thing that may differentiate different cartridges is primer design: there are rimfire and centerfire cartridges. In rimfire ammunition, the primer is molded into the base of the thin case rim. In centerfire ammunition, the primer is located in the center of the cartridge base in a primer pocket. Both types are widely used since they have different advantages: rimfire cartridges are the cheapest rifle ammo, while centerfire cartridges are the most powerful rifle ammo. 

The second and probably the most thought-of feature that distinguishes ammunition is the caliber. The caliber is the internal diameter of the gun bore, measured in either inches or millimeters. Since only the bullet travels through the bore, this number also indicates the approximate diameter of the bullet and not of the whole cartridge case.

What is the most common rifle ammo? There is no single answer to this question. If we talk about rimfire cartridges, then 22 long rifle ammo is probably the most popular type. Among centerfire cartridges, 0.223 Remington rifle ammo stands out. Things are not restricted to two calibers, obviously, and you need to choose ammo according to your rifle’s caliber, not according to ammo’s popularity. 

Gritr Sports has numerous varieties of rifle ammo for sale. Rimfire or centerfire, rimmed or rimless, bigger and smaller calibers - we have it all. This is the best place to buy rifle ammo online.