Choosing the Right Ammunition for the Type of Shooting You Are Doing

Sport shooting, self-defense, and hunting all require different types of ammunition, and determining what you need is essential. All 9mm ammo may look the same on the surface, but some differences can make a significant difference between the ammo you are using.

Sport Shooting 

One of the most common shooting activities enjoyed by firearms enthusiasts is sport shooting at a range or on a shooting course that allows the shooter to hone their skills and accuracy with the firearm. Many guns used in this way are chambered for 9mm ammo, and often the first choice for shooters that are going to use a lot of ammo on targets is simple ball ammo.

This type of 9mm ammo is called FMJ or full-metal jacket ammo because the lead bullet has a coating of copper surrounding the lead. The jacket helps the bullet fly straight and allows the bullet to impact targets without breaking into pieces.

The ammunition is inexpensive to manufacture, so shooters can purchase it in larger quantities for range use and save the more expensive 9mm ammo for other shooting. If you are looking for good all-around ammunition for your 9mm, FMJ is a good starting point.

Personal Defense

If you are looking for a 9mm ammunition better suited to personal defense, you may want hollowpoint or HP ammunition. This ammunition works in the same firearms as the FMJ ammo, but the tip is not covered in a jacket and has a small hole in it to encourage the bullet to expand when it impacts a target. 

The mushrooming effect makes the bullet very effective at transferring the energy from the bullet into the target. In a defense situation, this allows you to stop an intruder or attacker very quickly and effectively. Hollowpoint 9mm ammunition is often more expensive to purchase and is not typically used for target practice but can be reserved for use when carrying your firearm for protection. 

Hollowpoint ammo is often used by law enforcement agencies because of its effectiveness. There are many different styles of 9mm hollowpoint ammo available, but most perform similarly when fired into soft targets. 

Match Grade Ammo

Competition shooters often use a special 9mm ammo called match grade ammunition because it is extremely accurate and consistent. Match grade ammo is made to extremely high tolerances that allow the bullet to fly very straight and hit the target in the same place every time.

The gun powder in these rounds is measured precisely, and the bullets typically weigh within .2 to .3 grains of each other to be considered match grade. The idea is to remove any variances from the ammunition so that the shooter can constantly hit the target in the center. This ammo is expensive, but if you are competing against other shooters, the ammo must be precise to eliminate accuracy issues during the competition. 

To learn more, contact companies that sell 9mm ammunition.


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