{"id":9760,"date":"2021-08-31T13:02:28","date_gmt":"2021-08-31T17:02:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/?p=9760"},"modified":"2021-09-17T12:30:14","modified_gmt":"2021-09-17T16:30:14","slug":"beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/","title":{"rendered":"Beginner&#8217;s Guide to Pistol Ammo"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Today, we&#8217;re going back to basics. We get a lot of ammo-related questions from new shooters and first-time gun owners. We&#8217;ve answered a lot of this basic info in passing in other videos, but we thought it would be helpful to put it all in one place. To keep it streamlined, we left out a lot of details that probably aren&#8217;t important for most shooters right away. This guide should cover everything you need to know before you buy your first box of practice ammo.<\/p> <p>If you&#8217;re looking for more introductory-level info, you might want to check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/category\/shooting-101\/\">Shooting 101<\/a> series.<\/p> <p>Details are in the video below, or scroll down to read the full transcript.<\/p> <div class=\"entry-content-asset\"><script src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.com\/assets\/external\/E-v1.js\" async><\/script><\/p> <noscript class=\"idle-load\"><div class=\"wistia_responsive_padding\" style=\"padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;\"> <div class=\"wistia_responsive_wrapper\" style=\"height:100%;left:0;position:absolute;top:0;width:100%;\"> <div class=\"wistia_embed wistia_async_jgysurtnad dnt=1 videoFoam=true\" style=\"height:100%;position:relative;width:100%\"> <div class=\"wistia_swatch\" style=\"height:100%;left:0;opacity:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;top:0;transition:opacity 200ms;width:100%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.com\/embed\/medias\/jgysurtnad\/swatch\" style=\"filter:blur(5px);height:100%;object-fit:contain;width:100%;\" alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\" onload=\"this.parentNode.style.opacity=1;\" \/><\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><\/noscript> <\/div> <hr \/> <p>Hey everybody, I\u2019m Chris Baker from LuckyGunner.com where you can order ammo with lightning-fast shipping. We\u2019ve been hearing from a ton of first-time gun owners who have questions about ammo and what kind they should buy. If you\u2019re in that crowd, I want to walk you through that today. Handgun ammo will be the focus, but most of this applies to rifle ammo as well.<\/p> <p>I\u2019ll use this box of Blazer Ammunition for my example because it\u2019s pretty typical for a box of pistol ammo. Every company labels their boxes a little differently. Sometimes the info you\u2019re looking for is right on the front. If not, it is almost always on the flap at either end of the box. You\u2019ll also find this information on every product page on our website.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/blazer-box-flap.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-0\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9762\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/blazer-box-flap.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"672\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/blazer-box-flap.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/blazer-box-flap-600x336.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/blazer-box-flap-1024x573.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/blazer-box-flap-768x430.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/blazer-box-flap-350x196.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <h3><strong>Parts of a Cartridge<\/strong><\/h3> <p>First, let\u2019s go over some basic terminology. This is a cartridge or a round of ammo. It\u2019s made up of four parts.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/cartridge-parts.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-1\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9763\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/cartridge-parts.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/cartridge-parts.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/cartridge-parts-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/cartridge-parts-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/cartridge-parts-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/cartridge-parts-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>On top is the bullet. Down here is the case. At the bottom, we have the primer. And then inside the case is the gunpowder or propellant. Knowing this terminology will help us make sense of the info on the box.<\/p> <h3><strong>Cartridge Name &amp; Caliber<\/strong><\/h3> <p>Let\u2019s start in the middle where it says 9mm Luger. This is the cartridge name &#8212; what we commonly refer to as the caliber. This is the most important part of the label. You can also find a headstamp with the name of the cartridge and the manufacturer on the bottom of the case.<\/p> <p>The cartridge name always starts with a number followed by a suffix. The number represents the diameter of the bullet, either in inches or millimeters. The suffix helps distinguish different cartridges that have the same bullet diameter.<\/p> <p>This ammo will only work in a gun that is specifically made to fire 9mm Luger. I chose this caliber for my example because it\u2019s the most popular handgun caliber in the country. And it can be a little confusing compared to some other calibers because it has several different names. Often, we just call it 9mm with no suffix. It\u2019s also called 9x19mm, 9mm Para, or 9mm Parabellum. Other suffixes like 9mm Short or 9x17mm are not the same cartridge and will not work in a gun made for 9mm Luger.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/9mm-names.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-2\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9764\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/9mm-names.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/9mm-names.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/9mm-names-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/9mm-names-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/9mm-names-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/9mm-names-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>[EDIT: We&#8217;ve had several questions about 9mm NATO ammo. 9mm NATO is not quite the same as standard 9mm Luger. It&#8217;s loaded with a bit more pressure, like a +P round (explained below). Most modern handguns &#8212; especially full sized pistols &#8212; are built to handle the pressure of 9mm NATO ammo. But you should always check your owner&#8217;s manual or contact the manufacturer to make sure your gun is rated for 9mm NATO before using it.]<\/p> <p>If you\u2019re unsure of what caliber your gun fires, it\u2019s always engraved on the gun somewhere. Usually, it\u2019s on the barrel, but it could also be on the slide or the frame.<\/p> <p>If you try to load your gun with ammo that\u2019s the wrong caliber, usually it will not fit. But in some cases, the ammo will <em>kinda fit<\/em> and if you fire it, the gun can be damaged, possibly injuring the shooter. So you gotta get this part right.<\/p> <p>Once you get the correct caliber for your gun, you\u2019re good to go. The gun should at least function and you can start practicing. But there is more to know, so let\u2019s continue.<\/p> <h3><strong>Case Type and Primer Type<\/strong><\/h3> <p>On the top right, we have the number of rounds in the box, which is 50. Most ammo comes in boxes of 20, 25, or 50.<\/p> <p>Below that, it says \u201cbrass case.\u201d The vast majority of cartridge cases are brass, but steel cases are also common. Those are a dull grey or brownish color. Steel-cased ammo usually costs less than brass. In some guns, it\u2019s not quite as reliable, but it\u2019s usually okay.<\/p> <p>A few companies also make aluminum-cased ammo. These cases have a dull light grey appearance. Like steel cased ammo, aluminum cases tend to function well in most, but not all handguns.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/case-types.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-3\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9765\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/case-types.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/case-types.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/case-types-600x225.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/case-types-1024x383.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/case-types-768x287.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/case-types-350x131.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>Cases with a shiny silver appearance are not steel or aluminum. Those are brass cases with a nickel plating often used in premium-grade self-defense ammo.<\/p> <p>Next, we have the phrase \u201ccenterfire cartridges.\u201d That just means this ammo has primers in the center of the case head. Most ammo is centerfire. The major exception is .22 LR, which is a popular cartridge for beginners. That\u2019s a rimfire cartridge.<\/p> <p>.22 cases don\u2019t have a primer in the case head because the entire rim acts as the primer.<\/p><p><\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/primer-types.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-4\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/primer-types.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1151\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/primer-types.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/primer-types-469x450.jpg 469w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/primer-types-1024x982.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/primer-types-768x737.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/primer-types-350x336.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <h3><strong>Bullet Type<\/strong><\/h3> <p>Below the caliber, it says 115 grain &#8212; that\u2019s the weight of the bullet. I\u2019ll come back to that in a minute. Then it says FMJ, which is the bullet type.<\/p> <p>Most pistol ammo is loaded with one of two different types of bullets. The first is FMJ for \u201cfull metal jacket\u201d or \u201cball ammo\u201d. It\u2019s a lead bullet covered with a copper jacket. This particular bullet is a round nose full metal jacket. Sometimes they can be flat on the top. If you have a semi-automatic pistol, this is the kind of ammo you\u2019re going to use 99% of the time and is mostly intended for practice and target shooting.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/FMJ-v-JHP-bullet-1.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-5\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9770\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/FMJ-v-JHP-bullet-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"639\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/FMJ-v-JHP-bullet-1.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/FMJ-v-JHP-bullet-1-600x320.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/FMJ-v-JHP-bullet-1-1024x545.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/FMJ-v-JHP-bullet-1-768x409.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/FMJ-v-JHP-bullet-1-350x186.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>The other bullet type you need to know is JHP for jacketed hollow point, usually just called hollow points. Most of these bullets are also lead with a copper jacket, but they have a hollowed out section at the tip. These are used for self-defense ammo and sometimes hunting ammo.<\/p> <p>Hollow points are designed to expand when they strike a soft target like an animal or a person. That causes the bullet to slow down so it doesn\u2019t exit the other side of the target and hit something or someone else. FMJs tend to just sail in and out and keep on going.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/expanded-vs-unfired-bullets.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-6\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9771\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/expanded-vs-unfired-bullets.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/expanded-vs-unfired-bullets.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/expanded-vs-unfired-bullets-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/expanded-vs-unfired-bullets-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/expanded-vs-unfired-bullets-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/expanded-vs-unfired-bullets-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>A wound created by a hollow point might also have the potential to stop a violent attacker quicker than a wound from an FMJ.<\/p> <h3><strong>Bullet Weight<\/strong><\/h3> <p>Now, let\u2019s go back to where it says 115 grain &#8212; the bullet weight. Grain is an antiquated unit of measurement that we still use for ammo. Every caliber has around two to four common bullet weights. The most common bullets for 9mm are 115, 124, and 147 grain, but there are plenty of others. As a beginner, bullet weight is really not very important most of the time, especially for practice ammo. It\u2019s not all that important for experienced shooters most of the time, either. But eventually you may discover that your gun is a little more accurate or reliable with some bullet weights over others.<\/p> <h3><strong>+P Ammo<\/strong><\/h3> <p>There\u2019s one more designation you should know that\u2019s not on this box of ammo. Some ammo is labeled +P, which stands for extra pressure.<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/plus-p-box.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-7\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9772\" src=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/plus-p-box.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/plus-p-box.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/plus-p-box-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/plus-p-box-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/plus-p-box-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/plus-p-box-350x197.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p> <p>These are usually hollow points that have a little more velocity than standard loads. That translates to more felt recoil for the shooter. For a beginner, that\u2019s not ideal, so I\u2019d suggest avoiding +P loads until you\u2019ve mastered the basics of marksmanship.<\/p> <p>Before firing any +P ammo, be sure your handgun is rated to handle the extra pressure. Your owner&#8217;s manual should indicate whether the gun is safe to use with +P ammo. Most modern handguns are rated for +P, at least in small quantities, but they could be problematic for some older models.<\/p> <h3><strong>What Ammo Should I Buy?<\/strong><\/h3> <p>So that leaves us with the big question you probably came here for: what ammo should you buy? For casual practice, you can usually get away with shooting whatever is most affordable for your caliber &#8212; generally some kind of FMJ ammo. I\u2019d suggest starting with brass cased ammo. Once you know your gun functions okay with brass and you don\u2019t have any malfunctions with it, then you could try steel or aluminum cased ammo if you want to save a few bucks. Also, for the sake of safety, stick with name brand factory-made ammo. Don\u2019t shoot random mystery ammo that comes in a plastic baggie at the local gun show.<\/p> <p>Choosing a hollow point load for self-defense can be a little more tricky. Gun people will argue endlessly about which loads are most effective and why. It can be really easy to lose perspective. Just keep in mind that your ability to hit what you\u2019re aiming at is many times more important than ammo selection. The ammo needs to function reliably in your gun. Ideally, it hits close to where your sights are aligned at close range. Everything beyond that is just extra.<\/p> <p>If you want an easy starting point, I typically recommend Federal HST, Speer Gold Dot, or Hornady Critical Duty or Critical Defense. Those all have a good track record. But most ammo will work just fine if you know how to shoot, so don\u2019t overthink it.<\/p> <p>If you\u2019ve got any more questions about ammo, our team is always ready to help. Send them an email at customerservice@luckygunner.com.<\/p> <p>&nbsp;<\/p> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Today, we&#8217;re going back to basics. We get a lot of ammo-related questions from new shooters and first-time gun owners. &#8230; <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/\">Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9761,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[330],"tags":[24,21,326],"class_list":["post-9760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-shooting-101","tag-ammo","tag-handguns","tag-shooting-101"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Beginner&#039;s Guide to Pistol Ammo - Lucky Gunner Lounge<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Today, we&#039;re going back to basics. This guide should cover everything you need to know before buy your first box of practice ammo.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Beginner&#039;s Guide to Pistol Ammo - Lucky Gunner Lounge\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Today, we&#039;re going back to basics. This guide should cover everything you need to know before buy your first box of practice ammo.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Lucky Gunner Lounge\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/lucky.gunner.chris\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-08-31T17:02:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-09-17T16:30:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/ammo-basics-featured.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2160\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"944\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Chris Baker\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Chris Baker\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/\",\"name\":\"Beginner's Guide to Pistol Ammo - Lucky Gunner Lounge\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/ammo-basics-featured.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-08-31T17:02:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-09-17T16:30:14+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#\/schema\/person\/e5f16064c8ef9168e878956da3123dc7\"},\"description\":\"Today, we're going back to basics. This guide should cover everything you need to know before buy your first box of practice ammo.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/ammo-basics-featured.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/ammo-basics-featured.jpg\",\"width\":2160,\"height\":944},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Beginner&#8217;s Guide to Pistol Ammo\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/\",\"name\":\"Lucky Gunner Lounge\",\"description\":\"Reliable shooting advice for regular people.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#\/schema\/person\/e5f16064c8ef9168e878956da3123dc7\",\"name\":\"Chris Baker\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/chris-profile-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/chris-profile-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Chris Baker\"},\"description\":\"Chris Baker joined the Lucky Gunner team in 2011 and, among other roles, serves as the editor of Lucky Gunner Lounge. Chris has a broad interest in all types of\u00a0shooting activities, but he's most passionate about firearms as tools for personal protection. Prior to working for Lucky Gunner full time, Chris taught basic handgun skills and concealed carry permit classes to a diverse range of clients in his home state of North Carolina. He is a Rangemaster-certified Shotgun and Advanced Handgun Instructor and NRA Handgun Instructor. His ongoing pursuit of knowledge in the shooting world has included over 500 hours of professional firearms and self-defense training from instructors like Ken Hackathorn, Tom Givens, Ernest Langdon, Craig Douglas, Gabe White, Darryl Bolke, Wayne Dobbs, Chuck Haggard, Claude Werner, John Hearne, Jim Higginbotham, Kyle DeFoor, and Randy Cain,\u00a0among others.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/lucky.gunner.chris\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/author\/chris\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Beginner's Guide to Pistol Ammo - Lucky Gunner Lounge","description":"Today, we're going back to basics. This guide should cover everything you need to know before buy your first box of practice ammo.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Beginner's Guide to Pistol Ammo - Lucky Gunner Lounge","og_description":"Today, we're going back to basics. This guide should cover everything you need to know before buy your first box of practice ammo.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/","og_site_name":"Lucky Gunner Lounge","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/lucky.gunner.chris","article_published_time":"2021-08-31T17:02:28+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-09-17T16:30:14+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2160,"height":944,"url":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/ammo-basics-featured.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Chris Baker","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Chris Baker","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/","url":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/","name":"Beginner's Guide to Pistol Ammo - Lucky Gunner Lounge","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/ammo-basics-featured.jpg","datePublished":"2021-08-31T17:02:28+00:00","dateModified":"2021-09-17T16:30:14+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#\/schema\/person\/e5f16064c8ef9168e878956da3123dc7"},"description":"Today, we're going back to basics. This guide should cover everything you need to know before buy your first box of practice ammo.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/ammo-basics-featured.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/ammo-basics-featured.jpg","width":2160,"height":944},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/beginners-guide-to-pistol-ammo\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Beginner&#8217;s Guide to Pistol Ammo"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/","name":"Lucky Gunner Lounge","description":"Reliable shooting advice for regular people.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#\/schema\/person\/e5f16064c8ef9168e878956da3123dc7","name":"Chris Baker","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/chris-profile-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/chris-profile-96x96.jpg","caption":"Chris Baker"},"description":"Chris Baker joined the Lucky Gunner team in 2011 and, among other roles, serves as the editor of Lucky Gunner Lounge. Chris has a broad interest in all types of\u00a0shooting activities, but he's most passionate about firearms as tools for personal protection. Prior to working for Lucky Gunner full time, Chris taught basic handgun skills and concealed carry permit classes to a diverse range of clients in his home state of North Carolina. He is a Rangemaster-certified Shotgun and Advanced Handgun Instructor and NRA Handgun Instructor. His ongoing pursuit of knowledge in the shooting world has included over 500 hours of professional firearms and self-defense training from instructors like Ken Hackathorn, Tom Givens, Ernest Langdon, Craig Douglas, Gabe White, Darryl Bolke, Wayne Dobbs, Chuck Haggard, Claude Werner, John Hearne, Jim Higginbotham, Kyle DeFoor, and Randy Cain,\u00a0among others.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/lucky.gunner.chris"],"url":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/author\/chris\/"}]}},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9760","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9760"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9760\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9775,"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9760\/revisions\/9775"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}