Ammunition

Ammunition for Sale

Whether for self-defense, hobby, or hunting, ammunition is one of the smallest but most essential parts of ensuring the operation of your gun. From shotgun shells to hollow point bullets, there’s a wide range of ammunition to sort through for a gun owner. But how can you know what bullets are suited for your gun?

When choosing ammunition for your gun, it is essential to check you’re selecting the right style for your safety and the longevity of your firearm. Choosing the proper size safeguards you and your gun against jams or damaging explosions.

Whether you’re new to the hobby or a long-time gun enthusiast, when you shop at TC Outdoors, we strive to make the selection process easy for you! Our staff has been selling (and using!) guns for years, which arms us with the knowledge that makes shopping for a new box of ammo a breeze. If you’re interested in buying reasonably priced ammunition from a local store, stop by our Statesboro store to see what we have available!

Types of Bullet for Each Gun Type

When searching for the correct ammunition for your gun, the most significant deciding factor is the caliber. Every single firearm will have a specific caliber it can handle, decided by the diameter of the gun’s barrel. If you pick a caliber that isn’t the right size, your gun may misfire or worse. In most cases, caliber is measured in either inches or millimeters; the higher the number, the bigger the round you’ll have.

However, in the case of shotguns, you’ll likely see them measured in gauges, which is determined by how many lead balls equal to the diameter of the bore it would take to weigh 1 pound. In this case. The smaller the number, the bigger the ammunition.

As with most guns, pistols are commonly separated by their action type. Action type is the mechanism by which a firearm is loaded, fires, and then expels the spent cartridge. Among pistols, you’ll commonly see them broken down into four different styles of action.

\

Rifle Ammo

Full Metal Jacket – Soft core, hard outer shell. Can penetrate without deforming. Reliable aim and performance. Ideal for target shooting and competitions.
Hollow Point – Tip is hollow to allow for expansion upon impact, which will take down even big targets. Suitable for hunting and self-defense
Soft Point – A middle ground between FMJ and HP. These offer enhanced impact and depth, which makes it ideal for hunting both big and small game.
Ballistic Tip – Effectively, a hollow point round with a rubber ball along the tip that gives it the same accuracy as an FMJ bullet.



Shotgun Ammo

Birdshot – Small pellets that spread out in a wide area for maximum coverage. Designed to take down birds without causing too much damage. Comes in a varied size for different birds.
Buckshot – Larger pellets to take down larger game, similarly designed to spread out over a wide area. Named so for the fact they are designed to take down bucks. Comes in a variety of sizes and number of pellets.
Slugs – Designed for precision shooting. These have a single projectile, which hits harder the closer you are.



Pistol Ammo

Full Metal Jacket – Soft core, hard outer shell. Can penetrate without deforming. Reliable aim and performance. Ideal for target shooting and competitions.
Hollow Point – Tip is hollow to allow for expansion upon impact, which will take down even big targets. Suitable for hunting and self-defense
Lead Round Nose – A lead bullet that tapers to a blunt, rounder nose. Ideal for target practice but commonly not allowed in hunting due to the lead.

Shoshells vs. Cartridges

If you’ve been involved with guns long enough, you’re bound to have heard the terms “cartridge” and “shell” thrown around. Both are terms used to describe types of ammunition.

While in most cases, “cartridge” is used as an all-encompassing term, a shotshell describes a unique style of ammunition that differs from most other ammunition.

A cartridge, specifically for pistols and rifles, is ammunition containing a primer, gunpowder, and a single bullet. Upon ignition, the bullet is shot out while the cartridge remains. Depending on the firearm, the cartridge is disposed of either manually or automatically.

A shotshell (also known as a shotgun shell or shotgun cartridge) is ammunition explicitly designed for shotguns. It might contain a single slug or multiple smaller projectiles. This style of ammunition consists of a primer, gunpowder, wad, and slugs or pellets contained within the hull.

Rimfire vs. Centerfire

When you pull the trigger on your gun, you set off a chain reaction that releases the firing pin, which strikes the primer and ignites it. This begins the process by which your weapon. However, depending on what gun you have, where that firing pin strikes will be different.

The two most common styles are rimfire, which strikes the edge of the cartridge, and centerfire, which strikes the center of the cartridge. They are not interchangeable, and you should make sure you pick a style that matches whatever the firing pin of your gun is designed for.

Rimfire Ammo

Rimfire is designed with the entire base serving as the primer instead of a single dedicated area. As it does not have a dedicated area for the primer, these bullets must have a thin base to allow the firing pin to strike anywhere along the rim. This smaller, lighter size makes this ammunition style better for small-game hunting or pest removal.

Centerfire Ammo

Centerfire has a dedicated location for its primer, which is visible from the exterior. This primer is inserted into the base and gives the ammunition a much more reliable aim. As the cartridge and bullet do not need to be thin enough to be dented by the firing pin due to the dedicated primer, a centerfire cartridge has far more power and reliability, which makes it suited for big-game hunting and self-defense.