Here are a few of the most common types of ammunition by caliber. 60 are called small arms, and those with higher calibers are usually called artillery. Where the United States uses a standard measurement, to keep things simple, some people use the metric system.īullets that have a caliber of less than. So in order to choose the right caliber for your firearm, you need to know the caliber of the barrel. And since ammunition is usually indicated by its caliber, let’s look into what that really is.Ĭaliber refers to two things: the diameter of the bullet and that of the barrel. The parts of ammunition and their calibers play a huge role in the effect they produce. Different Types of Ammo: Understanding Caliber So, let’s look into what your options are, what you need to consider and how elements like caliber come into play. It can be extremely confusing, especially if you’re new! So given that your intentions probably include the likes of self-defense or hunting, how do you choose from the different types of ammo out there? If you own a firearm or are looking to get one, let’s assume your motivations (one can only hope) are far less sinister than war. Oddly enough, the origins of “ammunition” also has its roots in the French language, and is a derivative of the phrase “la munition”, meaning material used for war. The word “bullet”, was originally derived from “boulle” or boullet, meaning small ball in French. Click here for a guide on the different types of ammo to learn everything you should know. If you own a firearm, you will need to buy ammo for it.

Different types of guns pictures