{"id":3800,"date":"2022-10-24T20:34:39","date_gmt":"2022-10-24T20:34:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/?p=3800"},"modified":"2026-05-21T11:36:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T11:36:27","slug":"finding-the-right-ammo-for-your-rifle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/finding-the-right-ammo-for-your-rifle\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding the Right Ammo for Your Rifle"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\"><div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p><span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/finding-the-right-ammo-for-your-rifle\/#Finding_the_right_ammo_for_your_rifle_helps_shooters_and_hunters_maximize_results\" >Finding the right ammo for your rifle helps shooters and hunters maximize results.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/finding-the-right-ammo-for-your-rifle\/#Rifles_have_their_own_preferences_Finding_the_Right_Ammo_for_Your_Rifle\" >Rifles have their own preferences | Finding the Right Ammo for Your Rifle<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/finding-the-right-ammo-for-your-rifle\/#Before_You_Start_Experimenting\" >Before You Start Experimenting<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/finding-the-right-ammo-for-your-rifle\/#How_to_Test_Handloads\" >How to Test Handloads<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/finding-the-right-ammo-for-your-rifle\/#Testing_Factory_Loads\" >Testing Factory Loads<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Finding_the_right_ammo_for_your_rifle_helps_shooters_and_hunters_maximize_results\"><\/span><strong>Finding the right ammo for your rifle helps shooters and hunters maximize results.<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><figure id=\"attachment_3802\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3802\" style=\"width: 716px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3802\" title=\"Finding the Right Ammo for Your Rifle\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Finding-the-right-ammo-for-your-rifle-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Finding the right ammo for your rifle helps shooters and hunters maximize results.\" width=\"716\" height=\"403\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/Finding-the-right-ammo-for-your-rifle-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/Finding-the-right-ammo-for-your-rifle-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/Finding-the-right-ammo-for-your-rifle-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/Finding-the-right-ammo-for-your-rifle-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/Finding-the-right-ammo-for-your-rifle-533x300.jpg 533w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/Finding-the-right-ammo-for-your-rifle-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/Finding-the-right-ammo-for-your-rifle.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 716px) 100vw, 716px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3802\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Finding the Right <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/category\/ammo\/\">Ammo<\/a> for Your <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/videosview\/tract-toric-2-5-15x44-30mm-hunt-series-rifle-scope-review\/\">Rifle<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Finding the right ammo for your <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/rifle-marksmanship-trigger-control-success\/\" title=\"Rifle Marksmanship : Trigger Control Equals Success\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1449\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rifle is an important component to accurate shooting<\/a>. Every rifle tends to perform better with certain ammunition over others. Ammunition that <a title=\"Shooting a 22LR Rifle in a Whole New Way\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/shooting-22lr-rifle-in-a-whole-new-way\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">shoots dime-sized groups in one rifle<\/a> might not perform as well in another. Whether you&#8217;re a seasoned <a title=\"The Benefits of Having a Rifle Suppressor\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/the-benefits-of-having-a-rifle-suppressor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rifle<\/a> shooter or just starting out, finding out which ammo your rifle prefers is essential for accuracy and effectiveness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are many different types of <a title=\"Reloading Rifle Ammo for Beginners\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/reloading-rifle-ammo-for-beginners\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rifle ammo<\/a> on the market today. It can be difficult to figure out which one is best for your gun. In this article, we&#8217;ll discuss the things you need to consider when choosing ammo. We\u2019ll also provide some tips on how to find what\u2019s right for your <a title=\"How to Properly Mount a Rifle Scope\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/how-to-properly-mount-a-rifle-scope\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rifle<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rifles_have_their_own_preferences_Finding_the_Right_Ammo_for_Your_Rifle\"><\/span><b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rifles have their own preferences | <\/span><\/b>Finding the Right Ammo for Your Rifle<b><\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/defining-rifle-actions\/\">Rifles<\/a> have their own preferences. Just as some people prefer a certain type of food or drink, finding the right <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/reloading-rifle-ammo-for-beginners\/\" title=\"Reloading Rifle Ammo for Beginners\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1825\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ammo for your rifle<\/a> make take some trial and error. The reason why is because different rifles have different barrel thicknesses and lengths, which affects the way that the bullet interacts with the barrel. Two different rifles of the same make and model will still have microscopic differences that can dictate bullet flight and therefore load preference.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When you shoot a <a title=\"The Growing Popularity of the 6.5 Creedmoor Rifle Round\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/the-growing-popularity-of-the-6-5-creedmoor-rifle-round\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">round out of your rifle<\/a>, the barrel oscillates. This is known as barrel harmonics or barrel \u201cwhip.\u201d The length and weight of the bullet, the length and thickness of the barrel, and the barrel&#8217;s twist rate all affect how your rifle&#8217;s barrel oscillates. Shooters need to find a load that matches perfectly to their rifle&#8217;s unique barrel harmonics to maximize accuracy. To put it a different way, as your barrel vibrates back and forth, a perfect round is one that exits the barrel at the perfect point of that vibration to maximize accuracy.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bullet weight and powder charge are two variables that factor into the marriage between a bullet and barrel. Heavier bullets require more powder to propel them downrange, which in turn creates more pressure in the chamber. The length of the bullet also matters. A longer bullet will have more contact with the barrel than a shorter one, which can also lead to increased pressure and faster wear on the barrel. The change in barreling can affect harmonics yet again. Since all of these factors are being paired with unique microscopic differences in the rifle, a shooter must experiment to find out which load works best for their individual firearm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><a href=\"https:\/\/r2.dotdigital-pages.com\/p\/5GBO-4VS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1547\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Copy-of-Copy-of-Long-Range-Shooting-Guide-728x90-1.png\" alt=\"Finding The Right Ammo For our Rifle\" width=\"485\" height=\"60\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/04\/Copy-of-Copy-of-Long-Range-Shooting-Guide-728x90-1.png 728w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/04\/Copy-of-Copy-of-Long-Range-Shooting-Guide-728x90-1-300x37.png 300w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/04\/Copy-of-Copy-of-Long-Range-Shooting-Guide-728x90-1-600x74.png 600w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/04\/Copy-of-Copy-of-Long-Range-Shooting-Guide-728x90-1-150x19.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 485px) 100vw, 485px\" \/><\/a><\/p><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Before_You_Start_Experimenting\"><\/span><b>Before You Start Experimenting<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When selecting ammunition to begin your experiment, make sure you start with ammunition that fits your intended purpose. For example, if you&#8217;re fine-tuning ammunition for <a title=\"long-range shooting\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/tag\/long-range-shooting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">long-range shooting<\/a>, make sure to select a load with a bullet that is designed for long-range accuracy. The same goes for hunting rounds or <a title=\"5 Reasons Why I Enjoy Shooting PRS Competitions\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/5-reasons-why-i-enjoy-shooting-prs-competitions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">competition shooting<\/a>. Starting a list of bullets that fit your activity will help narrow down your search without wasting as much time and money on loads<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HVxvJOMyZl8\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Next, make sure your rifle is properly sighted in (at 100 yards). This will ensure that any <a title=\"What Causes Your Point of Impact To Change\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/what-causes-your-point-of-impact-to-change\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">changes you make to your load are not due to a change in your rifle&#8217;s point of impact<\/a>. Also, make sure you&#8217;re <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/hunting-with-a-muzzleloader\/\">shooting<\/a> each shot from a cool barrel. A hot barrel can change the <a title=\"My Point of Impact Story\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/my-point-of-impact-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">point of impact<\/a> and lead to false results. Finally, make sure you&#8217;re shooting in calm conditions. Wind can also be a variable to give less-than-perfect results. Lastly, ensure your <a title=\"rifle cleaning\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/tag\/rifle-cleaning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rifle barrel is clean<\/a>. A dirty barrel can cause flyers (shots that are significantly different from the rest of the group) and can lead to false results.<\/span><\/p><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Test_Handloads\"><\/span><b>How to Test Handloads<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Once you have identified a general bullet type and a rough bullet weight, begin loading rounds with varying nuances for each of those conditions. For instance, if you have determined you think a soft 150-grain bullet best fits your goals and that you would like to use 50 grains of powder, load three rounds of 150\/50. Then load three rounds of 150\/49. Lastly, load three rounds of 150\/51. Make sure you properly label everything. Experiment to see if your rifle prefers one of the nuanced builds over the standard one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Consistency is one of the main advantages in handloading. While factory construction of ammunition has come a long way, each round is slightly different &#8211; again on a microscopic level. This can lead to inconsistency and less-than-optimal results. When you handload, you are in control of every variable and can ensure each round is the same. This leads to more consistent results and, ultimately, more <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/tag\/accurate-shooting\/\">accurate shooting<\/a>. The difference really is between something handmade and something machine-made.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are also different powders, bullets, and primers on the market. It would be impossible to test every single conceivable combination, but by starting with a general idea of what you want and then making small tweaks, you can narrow down the field quickly and efficiently to find the best load for your rifle.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Testing_Factory_Loads\"><\/span><b>Testing Factory Loads<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Shooters that prefer shooting factory loads should also test different makes and models. Each manufacturer will offer several different lines of ammunition for the same purpose. For example, <a title=\"The Legend of the Winchester Model 70\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/the-legend-of-the-winchester-model-70\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Winchester<\/a> sells six different labels of 30-30 ammunition that all have a picture of a deer on the front cover. Each one will have a different <a title=\"Our Favorite Venison Recipes\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/our-favorite-venison-recipes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recipe<\/a> and may perform better out of your rifle than the other labels.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you have friends that shoot, host an ammunition party. Each shooter should bring different types of ammunition. Partygoers exchange a few like-caliber <a title=\"The Best Rifle Rounds for Hunting Whitetail Deer\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/the-best-rifle-rounds-for-hunting-whitetail-deer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rounds with each other to test in their own rifle<\/a>. Each person will walk away with a variety of different makes and weights to find out which works best for them. This is a great way to try different rounds and quickly find the best-performing load for your rifle without having to <a title=\"Why Spend Money On a Binocular\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/why-spend-money-on-a-binocular\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">spend a lot of money<\/a> on ammunition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3803 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_4310-1024x683.jpeg\" alt=\"Finding the right ammo for your rifle\" width=\"551\" height=\"367\" title=\"\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Always remember to keep meticulous notes so you can remember which load worked best in your rifle. More time at the range means more information for tack-driving results.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Finding the Right Ammo for Your Rifle<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12101,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2258,2267],"tags":[2344,2634,2797,3189],"class_list":["post-3800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hunting","category-shooting-skills","tag-ammo","tag-finding-the-right-ammo","tag-hunting","tag-shooting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3800"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3800\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11382,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3800\/revisions\/11382"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12101"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}