Range Ammo vs. Carry Ammo: What Actually Matters
Why you train with cheap FMJ but carry premium hollow points — and how to make sure the two agree in your gun.
New shooters often ask why there are two kinds of ammo on the shelf at wildly different prices. The short answer: one is built to be cheap and clean for practice, the other is engineered to perform when it counts.
Range ammo (FMJ)
Full metal jacket rounds are inexpensive, feed reliably, and are perfect for building skill. They over-penetrate and don't expand, which is fine for paper.
Carry ammo (JHP)
Jacketed hollow points are designed to expand and dump energy while controlling penetration depth. They cost more because the engineering and quality control are held to a higher standard.
Make them agree
Before you trust a carry load, run at least a box or two through your specific gun to confirm reliable feeding and point of impact. Guns are individuals; what runs in one may not in another.