Category Ammo 101

Quick Answer For most people, 9mm is the better all-around defense caliber: quality hollow points give similar terminal results, with less recoil, more rounds, and cheaper practice. The FBI returned to 9mm for these reasons. The .45 ACP still makes…

Quick Answer For long-range target work, 6.5 Creedmoor wins: it fights wind better and stays supersonic farther. For heavier bullets, close-range hunting, cheaper practice, and rifle choice, .308 holds its own. Recoil favors 6.5 Creedmoor; cost and availability favor .308.…

Quick Answer True subsonic .223 will not reliably cycle a standard AR-15. The 77gr bullet at 1,050 fps makes only 189 ft-lbs, which is not enough gas to run the action. It is a bolt-action or single-shot load for very…

Quick Answer You can run subsonic loads through a .300 Win Mag. Atomic’s 175gr HP BT runs at 1,050 fps and makes 428 ft-lbs, with 35-45 dB of sound reduction when suppressed. The magnum’s large case gives more consistent low-velocity…

Quick Answer Atomic makes the only subsonic .30-30 Winchester load on the market. The 165gr flat nose runs at 1,050 fps and makes 404 ft-lbs. Suppressed, it drops below 125 dB. That gives threaded lever guns like the Marlin 336…

Quick Answer Subsonic 7.62×39 is hard because the AK gas system was built for full-power ammo. Atomic’s 220gr load solves it with a tuned powder charge, so it cycles AK-pattern rifles while staying at 1,050 fps. It makes 538 ft-lbs,…

Quick Answer A hollow point (HP) bullet has a hollow tip that makes it expand on impact. A jacketed hollow point (JHP) adds a copper jacket to control that expansion, and it is the defensive standard. HP BT means hollow…

Quick Answer For suppressed shooting, .300 Blackout wins for most people. It cycles a standard AR-15 while subsonic and makes 538 ft-lbs. Subsonic .223 makes only 189 ft-lbs and will not cycle a semi-auto, so it is a bolt-gun niche.…

Quick Answer A suppressor works by slowing and cooling the hot gas that leaves the muzzle. That cuts the muzzle blast. But a gunshot has a second sound: the sonic crack from a bullet flying faster than sound. A suppressor…