Rifle ammo
The vast majority of bullets are constructed of a solid lead core with a copper covering (called a “jacket”) that contains the lead. Lead is used because it’s an extremely dense, yet cheap metal, making it perfect for giving projectiles their weight while keeping the overall size small. Copper is used because it’s strong enough to keep the softer lead from de-forming, but soft enough to allow the gun’s rifling to “grip” the bullet.
The copper jacket starts out as a cup, having been cut from a long sheet. Through a process called “drawing,” the cup is lengthened and shaped to fit the profile of the projectile they’re making. These cups will eventually end up as jackets for 5.56 NATO rounds.
However, while this process is very efficient, it’s extremely difficult to actually get the metal to encase the entire lead core without any gaps. To keep production costs down, bullet manufacturers usually leave one end of the projectile open. Which end is open – and how that’s done – determines the classification of the projectile.
Here are three 150 grain .308 caliber bullets (a “grain” is a unit of bullet weight). And while they look very similar, the way in which they were manufactured is very different. The first projectile on the left is a “full metal jacket” (FMJ) round with a solid copper point. The other two are an open tip and a soft point bullet respectively, with openings in the copper at the tips of the projectiles.
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Hornady V-MAX .17HMR 17GR 50Rds
Drive a tack at 200 yards with Hornady Hunting, 17HMR, 17 Grain, V-Max ammo. Featuring Hornady`s polymer tip projectile this rimfire provides explosive performance.
$21.99 -
CCI Ammunition Varmint TNT Green Brass .17 HMR 16-Grain 50-Rounds HP
CCI Varmint TNT Green delivers a reliable and consistent clean-firing load. Each box contains 50 rounds of 16 grain .17 HMR with hollow-point bullets and brass casings.
$19.99 -
Federal PWRSHK 300WIN 150GR SP 20rds
Federal PowerShok, 300WIN, 150 Grain, Soft Point 300WGS$29.99 -
Federal Premium Nickel Plated Brass .30-06 168 Grain 20-Rounds BHH
Federal Premium provides exceptional accuracy, performance, and reliability required of long-range shooting. Each box contains 20 rounds of 168 grain .30-06 Springfield with Berger hybrid hunter bullets.
$42.99 -
Federal PWRSHK 300SAV 180GR SP 20rds
Federal PowerShok, 300 Savage, 180 Grain, Soft Point 300B$39.99 -
Federal American Eagle Brass .308 Win 150-Grain 20-Rounds FMJBT
Federal American Eagle delivers a reliable and consistent load with great performance. Each box contains 20 rounds of 150 grain .308 Winchester with full metal jacket boat tail bullets and brass casings.
$29.99 -
Hornady Superformance .30-06 150GR SST 20rds
Hornady Superformance Ammunition, 30-06, 150 Grain, SST, 20/Box 81093$31.99 -
CCI/Speer CCI Shotshell 22WMR 52 Grain Shotshell #12 20/BX 2000/CS
CCI/Speer CCI, Shotshell 22WMR, 52 Grain, Shotshell #12 25
$9.49 -
PMC Ammunition X-Tac Match Brass .223 Rem 77 Grain 20-Rounds OTM
PMC X-Tac Match raises the bar for competitive load shots with its precision, performance, and reliability. Each box contains 20 rounds of 77 grain .223 Remington with open tip match bullets.
$29.99 -
Hornady Critical Defense .223 Rem 55gr 20-Rounds FTX
The Hornady Critical Defense ammunition in .223 Rem excels in short-range defensive situations. It has the patented Flex Tip that aids in penetration and bullet expansion.
$34.99