Teach a noob about ammo

[TonyB.]

This may sound like a dumb question but please bear with me. I finally bought my first pistol, it's a 9mm Sig. Looking online at ammo I see hundreds of different kinds all at different price points. Could someone please teach me what the differences are? Is there a problem shooting the cheap stuff at the range?

 

[hdatontodo]

This may sound like a dumb question but please bear with me. I finally bought my first pistol, it's a 9mm Sig. Looking online at ammo I see hundreds of different kinds all at different price points. Could someone please teach me what the differences are? Is there a problem shooting the cheap stuff at the range?

You might start with some brass case, 115 grain, full metal jacket (FMJ) ammo. Some ranges make you buy ammo from them. Regular 9mm is also called 9mm Luger.

Finding in-stock ammo these days. Tough. This site usually has deals and duds: http://gun-deals.com/index.php?dealtype=&sortby=date

Not too long ago, 9mm ammo was $10 for a box of 50, $100/500 and $200/1000. There is a dud advert on the above site for $599.

 

[iSHOOT]

No problem at all. I use the cheapest stuff they've got if I'm just blowing off steam and killing some paper. Some brands will shoot better in the weapon you've got and you'll find what works best for you.

A guy once told me to only shoot at the range what you plan to carry. you'll know exactly how the weapon performs if that palm sweating oh sh*t moment ever comes up...but the way i see it, I'd rather have 4x the range time and be a LITTLE off. at a few yards it shouldnt matter.

Any specific questions?

 

[mopar92]

Buy ammo in boxes first. Then when you find a load you and your gun likes buy a case. I mean cycles well, cleanish, and is a known brand. Also keep in mind reloads may void a guns warranty.

 

[Rockn93yj]

shoot the cheap stuff to get practice with how to handle the firearm. you should feel comfortable wtih it before worrying about accuracy.
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[Minuteman]

Buy the second cheapest US made ammo you can find.

 

[Andronitis]

You might start with some brass case, 115 grain, full metal jacket (FMJ) ammo. Some ranges make you buy ammo from them. Regular 9mm is also called 9mm Luger.

Finding in-stock ammo these days. Tough. This site usually has deals and duds: http://gun-deals.com/index.php?dealtype=&sortby=date

Not too long ago, 9mm ammo was $10 for a box of 50, $100/500 and $200/1000. There is a dud advert on the above site for $599.

FYI the $599 is for a 1000rnd case of speed gold dot hp seems like a deal to me.

 

[TonyB.]

Thank you all for posting. That answers my questions.

 

[Mooseman]

Cheap ammo is great for the range.

 

[WeldonHunter]

FYI the $599 is for a 1000rnd case of speed gold dot hp seems like a deal to me.

Or maybe this one too. http://gun-deals.com/deals/14926 This is not plinking ammo. It's 147gr Federal Hydra Shok LE HP and both are from SGAmmo. He is the last person to offer dud deals.

This may help. It's a direct link to the ammo chart for 9mm. http://gun-deals.com/ammo.php?caliber=9mm+Luger

 

[psycosteve]

No problem at all. I use the cheapest stuff they've got if I'm just blowing off steam and killing some paper. Some brands will shoot better in the weapon you've got and you'll find what works best for you.

A guy once told me to only shoot at the range what you plan to carry. you'll know exactly how the weapon performs if that palm sweating oh sh*t moment ever comes up...but the way i see it, I'd rather have 4x the range time and be a LITTLE off. at a few yards it shouldnt matter.

Any specific questions?

Your both right know your ammo and have enough range time is the key.

Even though I shoot the 40 S&W this should help you out if you do the research for your caliber . When I am at the range I shoot the 165 grain 40S&W rounds . That means that I am shooting a 165 grain (grains are a unit of weight ) bullet out of my gun . The reason I do not shoot the 180 grain is that my self defense ammo is the 165 golden saber rounds . In the few times I have fired off my Hollow point ammo and found that the recoil and accuracy are very similar . While I do not recomend shooting HP ammo for plinking as a whole but firing one or two off to get a feel for them is not a bad idea .

 

[Major03]

Welcome to the shooting community! You'll really enjoy it, and you've got yourself a great pistol.

If you are new to pistol shooting / shooting in general, cheap ammo is likely to be the last thing holding back your accuracy.

My .02, buy the cheapest commercial ammo you can find, join a club, find a coach / mentor and learn the fundamentals and how to execute them safely.

The more time behind a trigger the better.

Also, (after safely clearing your weapon) spend a lot of time dry firing. Practice trigger control and site alignment while dry firing...it's cheap, you can do it in your home and pays off big time.

 

[TonyB.]

Thanks Major!

 

[RobMoore]

Something I mention because a friend did and I had to unjam his gun;

If you own a 9mm SIG, don't buy 9mm makarov ammo, no matter how cheap you can find it.

 

[kalister1]

Something I mention because a friend did and I had to unjam his gun;

If you own a 9mm SIG, don't buy 9mm makarov ammo, no matter how cheap you can find it.

Just FYI:
9mm is the metric diameter of the bullet.
What is commonly called 9mm is also 9mm Luger, 9mm parabellum, 9 x 19

9mm Makarov is 9 x 18, it is shorter AND uses a larger diameter bullet then the 9mm Luger.

You will also find ammo called 9mm +P and 9mm +P+, they are both higher power than standard, usually expensive and used for defense.

Pick up a couple of boxes of 9mm Luger in different weights, 115, 145? if you can find any? See what your gun likes to shoot.

 

[RobMoore]

^what I didn't have the patience to type out

 

[STeveZ]

I've been told not to use ball ammo (unjacketed) in my revolver because it will leave hard-to-clean lead in the barrel. Is 9mm available in ball? If so I've never seen it. It seems like it would have the potential to make a real mess in a semi's more open and complex action.

 

[oupa]

Tony B,

Congratulations and welcome to not only a fun sport but a valuable asset that could very possibly save your life AND the decision to exercise one of your constitutional rights as an American.

In regard to ammo. 9mm will be found referred to as 9mm, 9x19, 9mm Luger, 9mm Parabellum and maybe some other more obscure references. It is all the same thing. Most American cartridge designations refer to the bore diameter (between the lands or high spots, of the rifling) such as .32 caliber or .45 caliber. You will notice the preceeding is written with a decimal point before the number. This is because it designates that portion of one inch! Thus you can see that the larger number (.45 for instance) is a larger bullet. 9mm of course is the same thing using the metric system due to it's European origin.

In metric cartridge designations, the first number (9) designates the bullet diameter. The second number (19) designates the length of the case. Hence, 9X19 just as you'd refer to a piece of lumber as a 2x4! The names following the various cartridge designations (Luger, Parabellum, Breneke, etc.) are reference to the originator or the firearm it originated in. Neither are of any modern significance... yeah it can be confusing.

Be aware, there are other 9mm's! 9x18, 9x23, 9mm kurtz (.380 in America), etc. It is uncommon that you might run into any of these though so don't stress of it.

Any commercial 9mm ammo is okay for your gun. The most common 9mm ammo in The States is the 119gr bullet. That is merely the weight of the bullet. To fully understand the differences you need to do some studying of ballistics, or at least the principals of it. The terminal force of a projectile being dependent on it's mass and velocity. Envision dropping a 8oz. hammer on your toe compared to a 24oz. hammer. Similarly, consider being hit by a baseball on the tee ball field compared to Camden Yard. Now consider being hit with a 24oz. hammer by a tee baller or a 8oz. hammer in Camden yard! Its a bit more complicated but you get the idea right? Heavier doesn't always equate to more terminal force.

There is a whole genre of argument regarding preferred ballistic characteristics. I'll leave you to discover it and your own prejudices accordingly.

You would do well to recognize what I consider the #1 rule of firearms defense though. Simply, the gun that saves your life will be the one you have when you need it. Any arguments on caliber, ballistics, ammo etc. will all take a backseat to #1, having a gun when needed #2, being familiar enough to use it #3 (maybe most important) having the mindset to use it when called to.

Once again, congratulations. I hope this is the first of many for you.

 

[oupa]

I've been told not to use ball ammo (unjacketed) in my revolver because it will leave hard-to-clean lead in the barrel. Is 9mm available in ball? If so I've never seen it. It seems like it would have the potential to make a real mess in a semi's more open and complex action.

"Ball" is a reference to full metal jacketed bullets as used by the military.

Lead bullets, either cast or swedged (without a jacket), are usually regarded as safe for use under 1000fps. Above that and excessive leading often occurs. The metallurgy advances of today often negate this old rule-of-thumb but even when it does happen, its nothing a GOOD cleaning can't solve. Copper gradually fouls your barrel to if not removed!

BTW - I seldom use anything but hard cast bullets in my semis.

 

[TonyB.]

Can I use steel cased rounds? It's about the only ammo I've been able to find.