Ammunition Guides with Ammo.com

Here at Ammo.com, we always encourage our listeners to carry a personal protection firearm (CCW) whenever possible and legal to do so. However, in our every changing world, the potential for a disaster or SHTF scenario seem to be growing exponentially by the day.

 

From EMP strikes, to nuclear war, societal breakdown, an economic collapse, or even just a natural disaster, the potential for a life-threatening situation seems to be constantly around us.

 

On this episode of the Ammunition Guides Podcast, we have a special guest join us: Chris Heaven, the CEO of Survival Dispatch. In this podcast, we cover the pros and cons of concealed carry vs open carry during any SHTF scenario and real-life examples of what Chris has experienced in his own life.

 

If you aren't subscribed to Survival Dispatch, make sure to check them out:

 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SurvivalDispatch

Website: https://survivaldispatch.com/

When you've got a monster Roosevelt Elk giving you the perfect broadside shot, the last thing you need to worry about is if you brought the right ammo to get the job done. There's a lot of debate on the internet and YouTube about what the best elk hunting cartridges are for every situation. Although most of hunting comes down to shot placement and patience, having the best ammo available helps a lot too.

 

Most of us don’t live with big bull elk right in our backyards. That means elk hunting takes tons of planning and a huge investment of money. Not only are elk tags expensive, but you also might not draw a tag for your favorite area every season. Chasing bull is no easy task, so you shouldn’t trust what may be a once-in-a-lifetime shot to a sub-par cartridge.

 

In this podcast, Chris and Dave discuss the 8 best elk hunting cartridges on the market that will all but guarantee you fell that big bull should you get a shot on him. Of course this is not a comprehensive list, but it is what our recommendations are for your next elk hunting rifle.

The shotgun is perhaps one of the most versatile shooting platforms ever devised. Shotgun shells can be loaded with a wide variety of different different loads of buckshot, birdshot, and slugs. Plus, handloaders have enjoyed loading shotgun shells with a multitude of projectiles like bolo rounds, flechette, rock salt, and more!

 

But what works best for home defense and personal defense? Are all of these specialty rounds really useful for self-defense or are they just novelty rounds for fun? Chris and Dave tackle this big question and why their favorite round is 00 Buckshot.

We get countless calls asking about what the best handgun caliber is. It's a common question that has been debated ad nauseum all over the Internet and everyone has their opinion as to what is the best. However, the truth is that you need to match the tool to the job, as you can't hammer in a nail very well with a screwdriver!

 

In this podcast, Chris and Dave discuss the top 10 best handgun cartridges on the market today. These are rounds that you should consider when buying your next handgun and your favorite ammo gurus tell you everything that is awesome about this top 10 list!

The topic of deer hunting calibers has been hotly debated around tailgates, campfires, and skinning sheds for more than a century. Because there are about as many opinions as there are deer hunters, narrowing down the options to make a “best cartridge for deer” list was no easy task.

 

Whitetail deer live in diverse habitats. Whitetail deer hunters also use diverse hunting tactics. Rifle cartridges that work well from a big woods tree stand aren’t going to cut for a hunter sniping shots across acres of harvested corn.

 

But if you're looking for the top 10 best deer hunting cartridge to put Bambi in the freezer this fall, then you've found the right video! In this podcast, Chris and Dave take on the top 10 deer hunting rifle cartridges that are exceptional choices for your next deer hunting rifle and will get the job done.

 

Read more here: https://ammo.com/best/caliber-for-deer-hunting

If you’ve ever spent any time in a deer camp, you know that the virtues of certain hunting cartridges are hotly debated among serious big-game hunters. Modern shooters have access to hundreds of capable cartridges, and every big game hunter is convinced that the one he uses is the absolute best.

 

Because hunters are awfully opinionated, this article won’t completely settle this age-old argument. What it will do is outline the best big-game cartridges in current production, so you can make an informed decision about which one will work best for you.

 

In this podcast, Chris and Dave discuss their top 10 best big game hunting cartridges for taking down anything between whitetail deer and moose. These are the heavy hitters that can really deliver the kinetic energy to safely and humanely put down big game with a single shot. Most of these cartridges are not for beginners, but will serve you well on your next hunt with the proper practice.

 

Read more here: https://ammo.com/best/best-big-game-caliber

When you need to defend your residence from home invaders, you need a round that's reliable, dependable, and will stop the threat as quickly as possible. Picking the best home defense caliber can be difficult with so many choices on the market. Sure a 22 LR will do the job if your shot placement is perfect, but it isn't really the best choice to stop the threat inside the home.

 

In this podcast, Chris and Dave discuss the 6 best calibers for home defense and explain why they picked them. You'll learn about what is proven to work in a self-defense situation and what to look for in home defense ammo.

When it comes to concealed carry, there are a lot of different handgun and caliber options. And if you look around anywhere on YouTube or the Internet, you'll find A LOT of different opinions as to which caliber is the best choice for your personal defense handgun.

 

In this podcast, Chris and Dave take a deep dive into what are their favorite calibers for concealed carry. Though this far from a comprehensive list, there's no doubt that all of these suggested calibers will be more than capable of defending your life should the worst happen.

 

If you're keeping it under wraps, make sure to check out these calibers for your next concealed carry pistol.

Picking the right self-defense ammo is critical for stopping the threat and making sure you don't have over-penetration. However, with so many different styles and brands of personal defense ammo on the market, it can be confusing to some shooters which is the best.

 

Although most self-defense ammo is pretty good, some stands above the rest in terms of terminal performance, ballistics, expansion, and stopping power.

 

In this podcast, Chris and Dave discuss their top favorite JHP ammo for concealed carry and self-defense. Furthermore, they dig a bit deeper into several new types of bullets that are hitting the market and how they can be just as effective at defending your life or your loved ones.

Finding the best moose cartridge is a lot like finding a wife. Beauty is often in the eye of the beholder. Every moose hunter in North America is convinced that his or her rifle/cartridge combo is the best moose-killing machine in the woods. Because there are so many strong opinions, finding the best moose cartridge to meet your hunting needs isn’t always an easy task.

 

In this podcast, Chris and Dave take a deep looking into the world of moose hunting and discovering the best moose hunting cartridges across the globe. Although we cannot possible include every moose cartridge on this post, we take a look at our 10 favorite rounds and how they perform when you're looking to put down Bullwinkle with a single shot.

Coyotes have an expansive range, which means hunters use very diverse tactics. Some snipe them at long range across open fields. Others like to call them in and pick them off at close range. That makes crowning the best coyote cartridge a nearly impossible task. There really is no “perfect” cartridge for hunting these wily canine predators. However, some cartridges are better suited to the task than others. If you’re searching for an effective dog-dropper, you’ve come to the right place.

 

In this episode, Chris and Dave discuss the ins and outs of the most popular coyote hunting cartridges in current production. All of the options on our list have proven their worth against what many consider a nuisance species. Any of these cartridges will make short work of any coyotes or varmints that plague your property!

Let’s be honest about one thing, the 5.56 NATO/223 Remington is a battle-proven cartridge that has valiantly served the US military for decades. The 5.56’s effectiveness is well documented, and it is one of, if not the, most popular centerfire rifle cartridges in North America.

Yes, the 5.56 NATO is awesome. It has low recoil, a flat trajectory, is inexpensive, and has more varieties of ammo than you can shake a boomstick at.

 

But sometimes you want to shoot something different out of your AR, and that’s ok. One of the greatest aspects of the AR-15 rifle is its versatility, as many caliber conversions can be accomplished with a simple upper receiver swap. However, with so many different rifle calibers available, some shooters might be confused as to which cartridge is best for their AR-15 or AR-10.

 

There are a ton of different caliber options available to the modern shooter when it comes to the AR rifle. In this podcast, Chris and Dave are going to discuss the 13 best possible calibers you can pick from to covert your AR into from a standard AR-15 or AR-10.

One question that is common with new shooters surrounds the difference between FMJ and TMJ ammo. Some shooters believe that FMJ and TMJ ammo is the same, however they are very different. FMJ stands for Full Metal Jacket. FMJ bullets typically have a soft lead core covered by a swaged metal jacket covering the outside of the bullet with an exposed lead base.

 

TMJ stands for Total Metal Jacket. TMJ bullets also have a soft lead core but are completely covered in a thin layer of copper known as a copper jacket. TMJ ammo has an enclosed base so there is no exposed lead on the bullet. TMJ bullets help reduce the amount of lead exposure shooters are subjected to at indoor ranges while FMJ ammo is generally less expensive and easier to find.

 

In general, TMJ ammo will generally be more accurate and easier to clean up after as there is no exposed lead to leave deposits in your barrel. However, TMJ ammo has a thinner jacket than FMJ ammo, meaning that TMJ bullets are not appropriate for guns using a compensator or barrel ports as small slivers of copper jacket can be shaved off and directed back at the shooter.

 

FMJ bullets are considerably older and less expensive to manufacture. This makes them great for plinking or target shooting, but less ideal for extremely long range accuracy or bullseye competitions. However, their thicker jacket plays well with comps and barrel ports.

Long distances shooting has increased in popularity in the last few decades, which means an increase in better equipment and rounds.

 

The 6.5 Creedmoor has dominated the long-range discussion for years, but we're here to talk about the two newcomers that have begun to gain a following.

 

The 6.8 Western vs. 6.5 PRC debate is one of the hottest topics in long-range shooting, even though these are new rounds to the market.

 

There are several issues at play here, as both of these cartridges are incredibly similar. The 6.5 PRC fires a 0.264" diameter bullet while the 6.8 Western fires the popular 0.277" diameter bullet. This means that the Western round will typically fire heavier bullets that are good for hunting, while the PRC fires more sleek bullets that are excellent for long range accuracy.

 

And this typifies what both cartridges were designed to do, the 6.5 PRC was designed to be a long-range target shooting round while the 6.8 Western was designed for elk and sheep in the Western plains or in the mountains. Both cartridges excel, however, at long-range hunting.

 

The 6.8 Western is plagues by an ammo shortage, as only Winchester and Browning currently manufacture ammo for the cartridge. On the other hand, Hornady has done a masterful job marketing its PRC cartridge to multiple manufacturers and numerous companies make ammo for it.

 

This is the main reason why Chris and Dave favor the 6.5 PRC, because it is getting into the realm of being mainstream while the 6.8 Western has yet to prove itself as a viable cartridge.

The 7mm Remington Magnum is one of the most popular magnum cartridges in current production. Versatile and dependable, this old-school cartridge managed to overcome the American shooter’s aversion to the metric with its incredible long-distance ballistic capabilities.

 

However, the 7mm Rem Mag has been around for a long time (since 1962 to be exact), and the wheels of ammunition innovation haven’t stopped turning. Could a newer long-range ballistic superstar dethrone this popular old-timer?

 

In terms of long-range hunting cartridges, the 6.8 Western vs 7mm Rem Mag vs .28 Nosler match-up is a good one.

 

If you’re a big game hunter going after long-range sheep, elk, or antelope, is it worth pursuing one of the newer hotrod cartridges like the 6.8 Western or the .28 Nosler? Or should you stick with a safe option, like the tried-and-true 7mm Rem Mag?

t wasn't that long ago that everyone swore by "the bigger, the better" when it came to shotguns.

 

However, with a few recent introductions, small-bore shotguns are generating a lot of attention from shooters and hunters, who initially dismissed them.

 

But which one is best when comparing the 28 gauge vs. 410?

 

Overall, the 410 is a great option for a new shooter. It has low recoil and there are tons of single shot or pump-actions for the shell. However, it's not cheap and is actually more expensive than the 28 Gauge.

 

The 28 Gauge is an all but forgotten shotgun cartridge, as the 20, 12, and 410 are the big three when it comes to smooth bores. Although a lot lighter than a 20 gauge, the 28 gauge is an excellent choice for upland game hunting, grouse, pheasants, and doves. It might be a little light for ducks but with proper loads you could probably make it work. However, ammo is in short supply for the 28 ga as most hunters have dropped it in favor of the 20 ga.

 

Both rounds make excellent options for training young shooters, as they have low recoil and are easy to handle. However, we have to err on the side of the 410 for this one, as there are a lot of different ammo options available for it and it is considerably easier to find.

When it comes to varmint hunting, there are few rounds that can compete with the popularity and success of the 223 Remington. Since its release in 1964 and adoption by the US military, the 223 Rem has been nigh untouchable as the go-to option for plinking, long range target shooting, and varmint hunting.

 

However, before the 223 was even a twinkle in Remington’s eye, the 22 Hornet ruled the roost as the king of the varmint cartridges. With extremely high muzzle velocity for its time, it was not uncommon for hunters to harvest coyotes at 200 yards with iron sights thanks to the Hornet’s flat trajectory.

 

Although the 223 Remington outperforms the 22 Hornet in every ballistic category, the Hornet is one of those cartridges that refuses to die as it’s a perfect bridge caliber between the rimfire 22HMR and 223.

 

The 22 Hornet is the more classic round of the two, as it dominated the varmint hunting stage prior to WWII. However, after the war, new varmint rounds like the 220 Swift and 22-250 pushed the Hornet into relative obscurity.

 

As of late the 22 Hornet has seen a bit of a resurgence, with several mainstream rifle manufacturers offering new bolt action rifles chambered in 22 Hornet. However, ammo availability still plagues the Hornet's mainstream acceptance in the hunting community.

 

Overall, the 223 Remington is our choice for the better caliber with better ballistic performance and ammo availability to the moon and back. However, if you find yourself in possession of an old Hornet rifle, then by all means keep it and enjoy shooting a classic varmint hunting cartridge.

Shotguns may be the most versatile firearms on the face of the planet. Shooters around the globe rely on these smoothbore firearms for hunting, sport shooting, and personal defense. Because shotguns are in such high demand, modern shooters can choose from an incredibly diverse selection, with models designed to suit specific shooting needs. While variety is definitely the spice of life, too many options can make finding the right shotgun seem almost impossible, especially if you’re new to firearms.

 

The 12 gauge shotgun is undoubtedly the most popular shotgun option in North America and likely the world. It is incredibly versatile and can carry a variety of payloads with varying levels of power.

 

On the other hand, the 410 is a shotgun shell that nearly was dead before the introduction of the Taurus Judge and the S&W Governor. Typically relegated to youth shotgun duty, there are considerably less shell options for the 410 than the 12 ga.

 

Chris and Dave take a deep dive into two of the most popular shotgun shells on the market in this episode of the Ammunition Guides podcast!

The 6.5 Creedmoor is beloved by many for its long-range shooting capabilities.

 

However, the 6.8 Western recently emerged as a worthy contender to dethrone the 6.5 as everyone's favorite cartridge.

 

Is that possible?

 

When comparing the 6.8 Western Vs 6.5 Creedmoor, which one comes out on top?

 

There's no denying the 6.8 Western's big game hunting prowess, firing the larger bullet of the two and dwarfing the Creedmoor in case capacity gives the Western a distinct advantage in ballistics. However, the 6.5 Creedmoor offers lower recoil and his a beloved deer hunting cartridge in addition to its long range shooting capabilities.

 

Although the 6.8 Western also makes a formidable long range cartridge, the added recoil makes it harder to shoot and the main reason for why you won't see it stacked up on the line at F-class shooting competitions.

 

Ammo scarcity is also a major issue for the 6.8 Western, as 6.5 Creedmoor has become one of the hottest new cartridges to hit the market in the 21st Century and ammo for the Creedmoor is easy to find and less expensive than the Western.

 

Overall, the 6.5 Creedmoor is our first pick for most shooters thanks to widespread ammo availability and low recoil. However, if you need a long range hunting cartridge that can take down an elk at 500 yards or longer, the 6.8 Western makes an excellent choice.

Video game guns expand the horizons reality and take firearms to a whole new level. From being able to manipulate gravity to having a chainsaw attachment on your rifle, there's no limit to what video games can come up with.

 

Many shooters are introduced to firearms through video games like Call of Duty, Gears of War, or in the case of my generation, Goldeneye 007.

 

No matter how you came to enjoy firearms, there are some iconic video game guns and we wanted to share our Top 14 list of the most iconic video game guns of all time!