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There are many different bullets created for various specific uses such as hunting but there are very few actual types of bullets.
Modern ammunition varies in size, appearance, materials and parts. Rifle ammunition is called cartridges or rounds. Shotgun ammunition is referred to as shotshells or shells. Ammunition is classified as centerfire or rimfire.
The location of the primer tells you if a cartridge is rimfire or centerfire. Generally, center-fire cartridges are more powerful than rim-fire cartridges.
The center-fire cartridge has a primer located in the center of the base.
The rim-fire cartridge has no noticeable primer. Instead, the priming compound is placed and spun into the case rim. When the rim is struck by the firing pin, the priming compound explodes, igniting the powder.
Ammunition comes in different lengths, shapes, and diameters depending on the type of bullet or case used. If the case is really small, chances are it is a .22 rimfire cartridge.
A rimfire cartridge will travel 1300 feet per second while a centerfire cartridge will do over 2000 feet per second. The centerfire case is bigger than the rimfire case and holds more powder.
There are three common case styles for rifle cartridges. Look at the base of the cartridge case to see if the case is rimless, rimmed or belted magnum. Care must be taken when loading rimmed cases into magazines to prevent feeding problems.
Bullets come in different shapes and sizes, and are commonly made of lead. Some bullets have a metal jacket, making them travel faster. Full metal-jacketed bullets cannot be used for hunting! They are okay for target shooting.
Ballistics is the science that studies the motion of projectiles. Changing ammunition changes the ballistics for your firearm.
Two common types of powder available are black powder and smokeless powder. Modern ammunition is loaded with smokeless powder. Smokeless powder produces greater energy and pressure compared to black powder.
Some rifle and pistol cartridges might be referred to as a "magnum." Depending on the cartridge design, it may referring to the powder charge or the case design.
The length of a shotshell is normally given in inches and is based on the length of the spent hull. Common lengths for 12 gauge are 2 3/4, 3 and 3 1/2 inch. Some European shells give the shotshell length in millimeters....You must know the correct length of the shotshell, gauge and shotsize when selecting shotgun ammunition.
A shotgun shell generally contains multiple projectiles or pellets called shot. A single projectile in a shotgun shell is called a slug. Shot and slugs are traditionally made of lead.
Nontoxic shot can be made of bismuth, steel, tin, tungsten-iron, tungsten-matrix, or tungsten-polymer materials. Nontoxic shot has different properties and ballistics than lead shot. Shot comes in various sizes. No. 9 shot is very small while No. 000 shot is large.
"The images in this blog have been downloaded from a very useful site that you may wish to look at.."
http://homestudy.ihea.com/ammo/02ammo.htm
