Field Guide / Ammo & Calibers
The cartridges and shotshell gauges hunters use most. Search by name or game, or filter by type, quarry, and recoil. Every entry has a to-scale outline so you can see how the sizes compare.
Always match ammunition to the exact cartridge stamped on your firearm's barrel or slide, never "close enough." Figures here are typical factory loads and vary by maker and bullet. Minimum calibers, legal game cartridges, and shot or lead rules differ by state. Check your state's current hunting regulations.
32 cartridges and gauges
RimfireThe most common cartridge in the world: cheap, quiet, nearly recoil-free, and ideal for squirrels, rabbits, and learning to shoot.
Bullet: .223 in · Light recoil
RimfireA longer, faster .22 rimfire with enough reach for jackrabbits, foxes, and other small varmints out to about 100 yards.
Bullet: .224 in · Light recoil
RimfireA very fast, flat-shooting rimfire that is a favorite for prairie dogs, ground squirrels, and other small varmints out to about 150 yards.
Bullet: .172 in · Light recoil
Centerfire RifleA light-recoil, flat-shooting centerfire that is the standard for coyotes, prairie dogs, and other varmints, and the cartridge behind the AR-15.
Bullet: .224 in · Light recoil
Centerfire RifleA short, wide cartridge made to fit AR-15 rifles. It works best for deer, hogs, and varmints at closer range, and it shoots well suppressed.
Bullet: .308 in · Light recoil
Centerfire RifleA common, inexpensive round from the AK-47 and SKS rifles, effective on deer and hogs at short range.
Bullet: .311 in · Moderate recoil
Centerfire RifleA flat-shooting, light-recoil rifle that does double duty on coyotes and deer, and a popular first deer rifle for young and new hunters.
Bullet: .243 in · Light recoil
Centerfire RifleA flat-shooting, high-velocity round for open country, popular on pronghorn and deer at longer distances with moderate recoil.
Bullet: .257 in · Moderate recoil
Centerfire RifleA modern, low-recoil, accurate round with long, streamlined bullets that resist wind well, now a favorite for deer and pronghorn.
Bullet: .264 in · Light recoil
Centerfire RifleA classic all-around big-game round that has taken deer, sheep, and elk for about a century, with a flat path and moderate recoil.
Bullet: .277 in · Moderate recoil
Centerfire RifleA mild, efficient round based on the .308 case, loved by hunters who want good bullet performance without heavy recoil.
Bullet: .284 in · Moderate recoil
Centerfire RifleA short-action, all-purpose big-game cartridge with an enormous range of ammunition, a go-to for deer, hogs, and (with good bullets) elk.
Bullet: .308 in · Moderate recoil
Centerfire RifleAn American classic from 1906 that has taken nearly every kind of North American big game, and is easy to find ammunition for.
Bullet: .308 in · Moderate recoil
Centerfire RifleThe classic lever-action deer cartridge: mild recoil, short range, and well suited to brush and timber.
Bullet: .308 in · Moderate recoil
Centerfire RifleA modern straight-wall cartridge made for states that allow only straight-wall rifle cartridges for deer, with mild recoil and good short-range power.
Bullet: .357 in · Moderate recoil
Centerfire RifleA big, straight-wall round that throws a heavy bullet at modest speed; hard-hitting on deer, hogs, and bear at close range.
Bullet: .452 in · Heavy recoil
Centerfire RifleA heavy, old-style round from 1873 that still works well on deer, hogs, and bear in thick cover, and in the strongest rifles on bigger game.
Bullet: .458 in · Heavy recoil
Magnum RifleA short-action magnum with the same bullet width as the 6.5 Creedmoor but more speed, built for longer shots on deer, pronghorn, and sometimes elk.
Bullet: .264 in · Moderate recoil
Magnum RifleA flat-shooting, hard-hitting belted magnum that suits elk, mule deer, and pronghorn in open, long-range country.
Bullet: .284 in · Heavy recoil
Magnum RifleA powerful all-around magnum for elk, moose, and bear, with a flat path and a wide range of bullet weights.
Bullet: .308 in · Heavy recoil
Magnum RifleA heavy-hitting magnum for elk, moose, and large bear, built to drive wide, heavy bullets deep.
Bullet: .338 in · Heavy recoil
Magnum RifleA classic for large and dangerous game, from Alaskan brown bear to African buffalo, with a heavy bullet and a long track record.
Bullet: .375 in · Heavy recoil
HandgunThe most common handgun cartridge in the world: mild recoil, high magazine capacity, and a reasonable choice for a defensive sidearm while hunting.
Bullet: .355 in · Light recoil
HandgunA powerful semi-automatic handgun cartridge, popular with hunters and hikers in bear country who want more punch than a 9mm.
Bullet: .400 in · Moderate recoil
HandgunA classic, wide, slow bullet that has been used in handguns since 1911, a mild-shooting defensive choice with a long record.
Bullet: .452 in · Moderate recoil
HandgunA strong revolver cartridge for protection and short-range hunting, and one that also fires milder .38 Special rounds.
Bullet: .357 in · Moderate recoil
HandgunA big, powerful revolver cartridge for deer and hogs at close range, and a common choice for protection in bear country.
Bullet: .429 in · Heavy recoil
ShotgunThe most popular shotgun gauge: it handles ducks, geese, turkeys, upland birds, and deer with slugs, and has the widest choice of shells.
Bore: .729 in (nominal) · Moderate recoil
ShotgunA lighter, softer-kicking gauge that handles most upland birds and ducks well, and is popular with youth and smaller-framed hunters.
Bore: .615 in (nominal) · Light recoil
ShotgunAn old, well-liked gauge between the 12 and 20, known for light, balanced guns, but with limited ammunition choices today.
Bore: .662 in (nominal) · Moderate recoil
ShotgunA small, light, mild-recoil gauge loved by upland hunters and skeet shooters for dove, quail, and grouse.
Bore: .550 in (nominal) · Light recoil
ShotgunThe smallest common shotgun, with almost no recoil, popular for squirrels, rabbits, and as a first gun, but it demands close shots and skill.
Bore: .410 in (nominal) · Light recoil