Picking the right ammunition starts with three questions: what will it be shot through, what is the target, and at what distance. Answering those three reliably eliminates 80% of load confusion at the counter. The guide below walks through the ten ammunition categories most commonly asked about, with specific load recommendations for each intended use.

Shotshell Selection by Bore

Serious waterfowl hunters working high-altitude snow geese still reach for the 10 gauge. Quality 10 gauge shotgun shells deliver 2¼ ounces of steel BB at 1,400 fps, patterning denser at 45+ yards than anything a 12 gauge 3½-inch magnum produces. Expect $3 to $5 per round for premium 10 gauge loads, which is why most 10-bore hunters reserve it for specific pass-shooting scenarios.

Standard 12 gauge shotgun ammo covers the rest of the bird and clays market. A 1⅛ oz target load at 1,200 fps runs $0.25 to $0.40 per round by the flat, which is what makes 12 gauge the volume-shooter's default bore.

Defensive and Big-Game Shotshell Choices

For home defense and close-range deer, the standard-velocity 12ga 00 buckshot load delivers 9 pellets of .33-caliber lead at 1,325 fps. Pattern-controlling wads like Federal Flite Control tighten groups to 6 to 8 inches at 15 yards from a cylinder-bore barrel — a dramatic improvement over legacy buckshot patterns that opened to 20+ inches at the same distance.

For deer beyond buckshot's 35-yard ceiling, a 1-ounce Foster shotgun slug retains 1,300+ ft-lbs at 100 yards and holds 3 to 4-inch groups at 50 yards from a smoothbore with rifle sights.

Waterfowl and Upland Shotshells

Modern steel shot shells use higher-velocity loadings (1,450 to 1,550 fps) and harder pellet alloys to offset steel's lower density versus lead. For mallards over decoys, 1¼ oz No. 2 at 1,500 fps has become the industry benchmark; for geese, BB or BBB at the same velocity window extends ethical range to 45 yards.

For upland hunters who prefer reduced recoil without a payload penalty, 16 gauge shot delivers 1⅛ oz at roughly 15% less felt recoil than equivalent 12 gauge. Federal, Fiocchi, and Winchester still produce 16 gauge game loads, and premium small-batch loaders (RST, B&P) cover vintage doubles running short chambers.

Handgun Loads: 10mm and Premium Tiers

The 10mm Auto projectile — the 10mm bullet in shooter shorthand — comes in weights from 135 to 230 grains. Defensive use typically centers on 180-grain bonded JHP; hunting and bear-country use steps up to 200- to 220-grain hardcast.

Two small-batch loaders dominate the premium 10mm tier. 10mm buffalo bore ammo is the reference heavy load — a 220-grain hardcast at 1,200 fps, assembled at the upper boundary of SAAMI pressure for wilderness and bear-defense use. The parallel option, underwood 10mm, runs similar specifications through the hardcast line and adds the Lehigh Xtreme Penetrator for solid-copper terminal performance.

Rimfire Varmint Rounds

For ground squirrels, prairie dogs, and raccoons at 150-yard distances, 17hmr rounds deliver explosive expansion from a 17-grain polymer-tipped projectile at 2,550 fps. Standard 50-round boxes run $0.20 to $0.30 per round; 200-round bulk packs drop per-round cost by 10 to 20%.