Cartridge profiles, bullet types and ballistics for rifle, handgun and shotgun ammunition, with published specifications and sources.
34 pages
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
The 7.62x25mm Tokarev is a Soviet pistol and submachine gun cartridge derived from the 7.63x25mm Mauser family. It is best known for the TT-33 pistol, PPSh-41 and PPS-43, and it remains present in some current factory ammunition.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
Bullets do not have one speed. Published examples range from slow .22 LR loads below many common handgun examples to a .30-06 Springfield rifle load listed at 2,910 feet per second at the muzzle.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
The .454 Casull is a high pressure, rimmed revolver cartridge with roots in the .45 Colt and SAAMI standardization by the late 1990s. It is best understood as a serious handgun hunting cartridge, with strong performance and substantial recoil.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
The 7mm PRC is Hornady’s long-action 7mm Precision Rifle Cartridge, built around long, heavy-for-caliber bullets in the PRC family. Published Hornady data show a 0.284-inch bullet, 3.340-inch maximum overall length, 1:8-inch twist and factory loads using bullets such as the 160 grain CX, 175 grain ELD-X and 180 grain ELD Match.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
The .22 Creedmoor is a SAAMI standardized .224 inch centerfire rifle cartridge from Hornady, with wildcat roots in the 6.5 Creedmoor family. It is built around fast twist barrels, heavy low drag bullets, high velocity, and roles that include predators, varmints, match shooting, and long range target work.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
The .30-30 Winchester, also known as .30 WCF or .30 Winchester Center Fire, is a historic smokeless-powder sporting cartridge closely tied to the Winchester Model 1894. It remains strongly associated with lever-action hunting rifles, especially at short to moderate woods ranges.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
The .45-70 Government began as a black-powder U.S. Army cartridge for the Springfield Trapdoor. Modern hunters still see it in lever actions and single-shots, but pressure tier and firearm suitability matter more with this cartridge than with many newer rounds.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
The .17 HMR is a high-speed rimfire rifle cartridge introduced in 2002, based on the .22 WMR case necked down for .172-inch bullets. It is best understood as a varmint and small-game rimfire with light bullets, useful velocity, noticeable wind drift, and clear safety limits.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
The 10mm Auto is a .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol cartridge with a wide performance range, from reduced FBI style loads to full power hunting and backcountry ammunition. Its history runs from Jeff Cooper’s early concept and the Bren Ten to FBI adoption, the rise of .40 S&W and today’s renewed interest in powerful 10mm pistols.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
The .360 Buckhammer is a 2023 Remington Ammunition and Henry Rifles straight-wall, rimmed rifle cartridge made with lever-action and break-action deer rifles in mind. Its published data puts it in a 200-yard hunting conversation, but hunters should confirm current rules with their own wildlife agency before relying on it in any straight-wall area.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
The .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire is a rimfire cartridge that is distinct from .22 LR, with different SAAMI barrel dimensions, higher listed nominal velocities, and common use in small game and varmint roles. It is not interchangeable with .22 LR, so shooters should match ammunition exactly to the firearm marking and manual.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
The .38 Super Automatic +P is a higher pressure development of the older .38 Automatic cartridge, tied to Colt automatic pistols and later to Open division action pistol competition. Its SAAMI +P naming and pressure difference from .38 Automatic are key points shooters and collectors should understand.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
A shotgun slug is a single projectile fired from a shotgun, unlike buckshot, which is made of multiple spherical pellets. The main slug families are Foster or rifled slugs for smoothbore barrels, Brenneke slugs with attached wad designs, and sabot slugs for rifled shotgun barrels.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
The .270 Winchester is a classic centerfire hunting cartridge introduced by Winchester in 1925 with the Model 54 rifle. It is best known for flat-shooting factory loads in the 130 to 150 grain range and for long use on deer, antelope and other big-game animals.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
The 6.5 Grendel is a SAAMI standard 6.5 mm cartridge built around AR 15 magazine length limits. It uses 6.5 mm bullets, with factory loads in this guide including Hornady 100 and 123 grain examples.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
The 6.5 Creedmoor is a SAAMI standardized 6.5 mm centerfire rifle cartridge introduced by Hornady in 2007. Its short .30 TC based case, 30 degree shoulder and long freebore help it work with long, low drag 6.5 mm bullets in short action rifles.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
The .450 Bushmaster is a big bore, straight wall centerfire rifle cartridge. It is best known as a big bore AR platform hunting cartridge and as one of the cartridges often discussed in straight wall deer rule states.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
The 8.6 Blackout, officially listed by SAAMI as 8.6 BLACKOUT or 8.6 BLK, is a .338 caliber rifle cartridge introduced by Q, LLC and standardized by SAAMI in 2026. It is built around heavy subsonic and lighter supersonic loads, very fast twist barrels, and short rifle formats that will interest many .308 size AR shooters.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
The 7.62x39mm is a Soviet intermediate cartridge associated with the SKS and many Kalashnikov pattern rifles. C.I.P. bore, groove and projectile dimensions help explain why the cartridge is called 7.62 mm while the projectile dimension is about .312 inch.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
The .300 PRC is Hornady’s beltless 30 caliber magnum cartridge built around long, heavy, high BC bullets for long range precision shooting. SAAMI accepted it in 2018, and Hornady later announced its selection for a Department of Defense extended long range sniper program.
Glossary · Ammunition and Calibers
+P ammunition is a higher pressure version of a handgun cartridge where SAAMI lists a specific +P entry. Use it only in firearms that the firearm manufacturer says are designed or recommended for that cartridge.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
The .44 Remington Magnum, commonly called .44 Magnum or 44 mag, is a high pressure, rimmed centerfire cartridge descended from the .44 Special. It is used in revolvers and lever action rifles, and its published velocity varies by bullet weight, barrel length and test method.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
.350 Legend is a Winchester straight-walled centerfire rifle cartridge launched in 2019 and designed for deer hunting out to 250 yards. SAAMI lists it as a standardized centerfire rifle cartridge, and Winchester publishes basic cartridge specifications.
Guide · Ammunition and Calibers
Caliber names are rough labels, not exact bullet measurements. This guide explains how cartridge names work, why similar numbers can mean different things, and how to read a beginner friendly rifle and handgun caliber chart.