Hunter Education Course

Chapter 2: Know your Ammunition

Centerfire and Rimfire Cartridges for Rifles and Handguns

These cartridges consist of the following components:

Projectile (Bullet)

In rifles and handguns, a bullet serves as the projectile. It fits into the top of the cartridge case and is fired through the barrel of the firearm. The inside of a bullet is usually made out of lead with a copper jacket. The most common types for hunting are the pointed soft point, rounded soft point, hollow point and polymer tip.

Case

A metal container that holds all of the components together, usually made of brass or steel.

Gunpowder

A high-energy propellant that, when ignited, creates a high pressure inside the case. This pressure sends the bullet or projectile down the barrel of the firearm.

Primer

An explosive compound used to ignite a larger gunpowder charge.

How a Centerfire Cartridge is Fired

Rifle bores have lands and grooves that spiral down the entire length of the barrel, giving the bullet or projectile a spin, which stabilizes it as it travels down the barrel. It works much the way that a football spirals when thrown by a quarterback.

Always Match the Data Stamp First

All manufacturers use a data stamp on their rifles and ammunition. On rifles it is usually located on the left or right side of the barrel. The caliber is also stamped on the cartridge base. The cartridge box indicates the caliber of the ammunition as well.

Understanding Caliber

In most cases, the distance between the lands gives us the caliber of the rifle or handgun. In the above illustration, the distance between the lands is 243/1000ths of an inch so this is a .243 caliber firearm. Knowing this, we can purchase the correct ammunition for a firearm.

Understanding Distance

Bullets travel far! Always make sure of your target and beyond. This chart shows how far a bullet can potentially travel.

Interactive Rifle Range

Try your knowledge in this fun interactive activity.

Centerfire Ammunition for Shotguns

Shotgun cartridges are considered centerfire cartridges because the primer is inserted in the center of the casing base. They have the following components:

Hull/Casing

A plastic tube shaped container that holds all of the shell components together. There are different colours and sizes for different types of shells.

Projectile's (Shot or Pellets, Slug)

Most shotshells are loaded with multiple shot or pellets as the projectile's. Most cartridges loaded with shot or pellets are used for hunting upland game birds or waterfowl, as well as for target shooting. There are a variety of different shot types available, such as; Lead, Steel, Bismuth, Tungsten-Iron, Tungsten-Matrix. Please check your local regulations to ensure you are using the proper type of shot for the animal you will be hunting. Those shotshells loaded with slugs are used for big game.

Wad Column

Placed between the powder and the projectile's, it is made of plastic or paper and provides a seal so that the gases from the burning powder do not escape past the shot.

Powder

A high-energy propellant that, when ignited, creates a large volume of gas at high pressure inside the case. This gas pressure sends the bullet or projectile down the barrel of the firearm.

Primer

Contains an explosive compound used to ignite a larger powder charge.

How a Shotgun Shell is Fired

A shotgun used for shotshells features a smoothbore barrel, meaning that there is no rifling. When a shotshell is fired, all of the tiny round pellets travel down this smooth bore to the target. The degree of sphericity or roundness of each pellet determines how the pellets fly.

Always Match the Data Stamp First

Like rifles, shotguns have a data stamp usually located on the right or left side of the barrel. It indicates the gauge and maximum length of the shotshell that can be fired safely. Gauge and shell length are also shown on the shell base and box.

Understanding a Smoothbore Barrel

A shotgun used for shot features a smoothbore barrel, meaning that there is no rifling. Rifles can be used for short and long distances. Shotguns are highly accurate for shorter distances.

Understanding Gauges

Unlike rifles and handguns, shotguns are generally measured by gauge rather than caliber. Gauge is determined by the number of lead balls of size equal to the exact diameter of the bore that it takes to weigh one pound. For example, it takes 12 lead balls the same diameter as a 12-gauge shotgun bore to weigh one pound.

The only shotgun that is classified in caliber is the four-ten. The four-ten is designated as .410 and is a true 41 caliber. This designation also is seen in rifles and handguns.

Notice that the lower the gauge number, the larger the bore diameter. Common shotgun gauges are 10-gauge, 12-gauge, 16-gauge, 20-gauge and 28-gauge.

The only shotgun that is classified in caliber is the four-ten. The four-ten is designated as .410 and is a true 41 caliber. This designation also is seen in rifles and handguns.

Notice that the lower the gauge number, the larger the bore diameter. Common shotgun gauges are 10-gauge, 12-gauge, 16-gauge, 20-gauge and 28-gauge.

Understanding Chokes

A choke helps to hold the shot string together, controlling its spread when it leaves the barrel. Older shotguns have a fixed choke while modern shotguns feature a screw-in choke system that allows you to change between different types of chokes, giving the user the advantage of being able to make use of one shotgun with different chokes for different types of game and sport shooting. To change a choke, follow the manufacturer's instructions.

A Shot String is a pattern of what the pellets would look like if you were able to take a picture. When the pellets leave the barrel, they separate from each other due to the force of air resistance. The more the shot separates, the less effective the pellets are in taking game at longer distances, but all the better for closer shots.

Using a choke will allow you to control how much the pellets are separated at certain distances.

Full Choke