One of my greatest joys (and frustrations) on the hunt is learning. Whether I kill or not, I learn; in fact, I often learn more in failure. Every takeaway I leave a failed hunt with, I bring back as a smarter, hungrier hunter. Of course, sometimes I learn from the mistakes of hunters around me. Those moments are always blessings since I do well to screw up adventures on my own. In one such case, I learned even seasoned veterans sometimes make rookie mistakes — or maybe the failure was the outright self-inflicted result of conscious, poor decision making. 

Late on a brisk Montana morning in the Gallatin Mountains, my brother-in-law and I had trekked miles at a mild altitude of roughly 4,000 feet, but in freezing temps dipping south of 10 below zero. The hunt had been tough, so I was elated when we arrived at a clearing with elk grazing no more than a couple hundred yards to our front. Armed with only a deer tag, I was of no help; however, the setting was perfect for my brother-in-law, a Montana resident with a bull elk tag burning a hole in his pocket. He crept forward and dropped to his knee behind a pine tree while I stayed back to watch through a low-power binocular. 

With careful aim, he flipped the rifle’s safety off and squeezed the trigger. Silence shattered, I watched the impact on the bull’s shoulder. Oddly enough, a small quarter-size piece of flesh appeared to shear off on impact. The bull leapt and ran over a ridge, relatively uninjured — no limp, no labored gait, nothing. Unfortunately, aside from a small quarter-size tuft of hair (what I had seen fall off) there was no blood at all. Even so, we followed the bull’s tracks over the ridge and through the forest for more than five miles without so much as a speck of blood, just hoof tracks punching through snow and down into the mud underneath. 

When we finally ended the track and chatted about his shot, he brought up his ammo. In a hurry, he stated he had grabbed what was quickly accessible, open-tip match bullets. While his thoughts circled around “That’s a bummer,” mine were quite a bit more charged — “He wasn’t even using hunting ammo!” I was pretty upset. 

As seasoned hunters in retail positions, you have unique opportunities to guide customers into good cartridge choices by stocking the right ammo and being prepared to impart helpful knowledge. Education and experience can certainly help with the latter. For ammo choices, consider stocking this dirty-dozen list of proven cartridges to hit higher sales.

Federal Premium .243 Win. Fusion 95 Grain

Perfect for deer and feral hogs, Federal Premium Fusion bullets feature a molecularly bonded copper jacket, pressure-formed core and soft-point bullet design for optimum weight retention, large wound channels and enhanced accuracy. Considering that .243 Winchester is one of the most popular cartridges among whitetail deer hunters, especially for youth hunters, Federal’s Fusion .243 Win. 95-grain cartridge is a solid choice for retail shelf space. Fusion 95-grain .243 bullet specs include muzzle velocity of 2,980 fps, 1,873 ft./lbs. of muzzle energy and a G1 ballistic coefficient of .376. www.federalpremium.com

Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor American Whitetail 129 Grain

Developed for Hornady Ammunition in 2007 by Hornady ballistician David Emary and Dennis Demille, VP of product development at Creedmoor Sports, the 6.5 Creedmoor has become exceptionally popular among hunters for antelope, deer, hogs and black bear. Some hunting ammo like Hornady’s 143-grain ELD-X even produce great target-shooting results out to 1,500 yards; however, my personal hunting favorite in this caliber is Hornady’s 129-grain American Whitetail. The 6.5 Creedmoor’s field performance is solid, most definitely including American Whitetail, and it is the most affordable in this ammo roundup! Hornady’s American Whitetail 129-grain 6.5 Creedmoor ammo utilizes an Interlock bullet with inner grooves and a tapered jacket designed specifically for controlled expansion. The unique combination of a single-piece core, cannelure and Interlock ring provides impressive mass and energy retention vital to penetration and large wound channels. Specs include ,2820 fps muzzle velocity, 2,277 ft./lbs. muzzle energy and .445 G1 ballistic coefficient. www.hornady.com

Winchester .270 Win. Expedition Big Game 140 Grain

Iconic outdoor writer Jack O’Connor once quipped, “If the hunter does his part, the .270 will not let him down.” As O’Connor mentions through five decades of outdoor writing, .270 Winchester is tough to beat for game animals ranging from antelope, deer and hogs to mountain goats and black bear. Of the cartridge’s many evolutions, Winchester’s Expedition Big Game 140-grain is a personal favorite. Ballistic performances at longer distances and impressive wound channels I have personally witnessed in the field make me (and countless others) a fan. Expedition Big Game ammo employs an Accubond (bonded lead alloy core) polymer-tipped bullet and Lubalox black-oxide coating for enhanced weight retention, deep penetration and controlled expansion. Winchester’s .270 Expedition Big Game 140-grain ammo boasts 2,950 fps muzzle velocity, 2,705 ft./lbs. muzzle energy and G1 ballistic coefficient of .472. www.winchester.com

Remington 7mm Rem. Mag. Core-Lokt 175 Grain

One of the popular big-game hunting cartridges for more than 60 years, Remington’s 7mm Magnum was first introduced in 1962 alongside the company’s Model 700 rifle. Built on a belted .375 H&H parent case, the 7mm Remington Magnum is popular with deer, bear and elk hunters. Among Remington’s most popular cartridges, Core-Lokt soft-point bullets are constructed of a copper jacket “locked” to a solid lead core for better-controlled expansion and enhanced retention of mass and energy for deeper penetration. Remington 7mm Magnum Core-Lokt 175-grain bullets boast 2,860 fps muzzle velocity, muzzle energy of 3,178 ft./lbs. and a G1 ballistic coefficient of .427. www.remington.com

Hornady 7mm PRC Precision Hunter ELD-X 175 Grain

Introduced by Hornady in 2022, the 7mm PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge) took the long-range shooting and hunting communities by storm and is sure to help both niche shooters make memories for decades to come. As a .284, it sits perfectly between Hornady’s two other PRC cartridges (6.5 and 300) and offers quite a comfortable recoil impulse, reportedly (by Hornady) 30% less than that of the 300 PRC. Of course, the combination of a magnum cartridge and heavier bullets (in this case, the 175 grain) make the 7mm PRC a smart choice for big game throughout North America and many of Africa’s mid- to large-size game species. Aside from the ultra-common long-action case diameter of .532, making it an easy conversion project for numerous rifle platforms, Hornady’s Precision Hunter ELD-X ammo boasts a polymer-tipped “Extremely Low Drag—eXpanding” (ELD-X) bullet designed for match-type ballistic performance, exceptional weight and energy retention, and exceptionally devastating wound channels. As a long-range shooter and hunter employing the 7mm PRC, my two cents is simply that your customers would be hard-pressed to find a better all-around big-game hunting cartridge. Hornady reports ballistic specs at 3,000 fps muzzle velocity, 3,497 ft./lbs. of muzzle energy and this roundup’s highest G1 ballistic coefficient of .689.

Winchester .30-30 Win. Deer Season XP 150 Grain

What could be better than the most popular cartridge in American deer-hunting history, produced by the most iconic firearm and ammunition brand in American history? That cartridge evolved to the same company’s Deer Season XP series ammunition. While Winchester’s .30-30 cartridge has been around for since 1895 — first developed for the brand’s historic Model 94 Lever-Action Rifle — nearly 130 years of innovation have ensured the cartridge remains relevant as a premier choice for America’s deer hunters for the foreseeable future, especially hunters with an affinity for lever guns. Deer Season XP bullets feature a unique combination of streamlined bullet design and oversized polymer tip for enhanced ballistic performance, tapered profile and contoured jacket for deeper penetration and terminal energy, and accelerated expansion for larger wound channels. Reported specs for this cartridge are 2,390 fps muzzle velocity, 1,902 ft./lbs. muzzle energy and G1 ballistic coefficient of .215 — not bad at all for a round-nose bullet. 

Barnes .308 Win. Vor-Tx 168 Grain

In the fan favorite mix with the likes of .270 Win. and .30-30, Winchester’s .308 centerfire cartridge is one of the most popular hunting cartridges in the nation; of course, it had earned quite a legacy-reputation on battlefields worldwide, too. In short, the .308 Win. has nothing to prove to American hunters and is an excellent choice for hunting hogs, deer, bear and elk. A personal favorite .308 Win. hunting cartridge is Barnes’ Vor-Tx 168-grain variant. Barnes Vor-Tx cartridges employ a TTSX (Tipped Triple-Shock X). Barnes TTSX bullets are polymer tipped and constructed completely of copper for enhanced accuracy, optimum weight retention, large wound channels and devastating terminal energy. Barnes .308 Win. Vor-Tx 168-grain cartridge muzzle velocity and energy are 2,700 fps and 2,720 ft./lbs., and reported G1 ballistic coefficient is .470. www.barnesbullets.com

Federal Premium .30-06 Springfield Nosler Partition 165 Grain

Proudly woven into the fabric of US History, the .30-06 grew legs in 1906 as an upgraded cartridge for Springfield’s Model 1903 rifle; of course, it also became the belt-fed cartridge feeding Browning M1919 machine guns and M1 Garand service rifles. As such, the .30-06 has built quite a battlefield reputation through scores of U.S. campaigns and engagements. As often the case, what’s good for a battlefield is good for hunters (consider 5.56, .308 and others). For nearly 120 years, hunters have put the .30-06 to work hunting big game. Today’s evolution of the .30-06 Springfield makes it a great big-game hunting choice for species like antelope, hogs, deer, bear, elk and, yes, moose! A top choice for .30-06 fans is Federal Premium’s Nosler Partition 165-grain offering. Nosler partition bullets have enjoyed countless seasoned-hunter accolades through decades of outdoor pursuits and were used in Federal Premium’s first load. Aptly name, Nosler’s lead-core partitioned bullets mushroom at the head (for a larger wound channel) and remain intact in the rear for energy retention, resulting in deeper penetration. Ballistic specs are reported as 2,830 fps muzzle velocity, 2,934 ft./lbs. of muzzle energy and a .409 G1 ballistic coefficient. 

Berger .300 Win. Mag. Classic Hunter 185 Grain

Like the 7mm Rem. Mag., the .300 Win. Mag. takes its parent case from the .375 H&H and performs respectfully clear out to 1,800 yards. It was developed in 1962 to replace the .300 H&H. Perfect for hunting any larger game animal inhabiting North America, the .300 Win. Mag. is also well suited for the lion’s share of Africa’s plains game. Building on Berger’s reputation as a top-shelf, match-performance bullet — yes, including hunting-specific offerings — your big-game-chasing customers are choosing wisely if they are asking for this cartridge. The Berger .300 Win. Mag. The magic of Berger’s 185-grain Classic Hunter lies in the bullet’s thin J4 Hunting Jacket. The bullet’s thinner copper jacket produces deeper penetration, rapid expansion, excessive wound channels and devastating hydrostatic shock. Ballistic specs include 3,079 muzzle velocity, 3,895 muzzle energy and G1 ballistic coefficient of .533. www.bergerbullets.com

Hornady 300 PRC Outfitter 190 Grain

Developed from a .375 Ruger parent case, Hornady’s 300 PRC was unveiled in 2018 and in just six short years has taken its rightful place as a trusted, immensely popular big-game hunting cartridge. Without question, the 300 PRC is a perfect choice for hunting deer, bear, elk, moose and Africa’s plains game, as well as most of the region’s thicker-skinned, heavier-boned animals, even at extended distances. For hunting, one of the most popular 300 PRC variants is Hornady’s Outfitter 190-grain offering. The Outfitter boasts a “watertight” nickel-plated case and advanced, monolithic CX (Copper alloy eXpanding). The results are truly impressive match-type flight, enhanced long-range accuracy, weight retention, rapid expansion, deeper penetration and devastating wound channels. Sure, your customers are going to feel a tad more recoil, but it is a great trade-off for an industry-leading do-it-all hunting cartridge. The 300 PRC Outfitter’s specs are 3,000 fps muzzle velocity, 3,798 muzzle energy and .575 G1 ballistic coefficient. 

Norma .338 Win. Mag. Oryx 230 Grain

Developed by Winchester in 1958, along with several other magnum cartridges, the .338 Win. Mag. is a big-game hunter’s dream. Designed from a shortened .375 H&H parent case and necked down to a .338 bullet, the cartridge is more than capable of taking any animal in North America at extended distances — say 500 yards or more. Of course, true to Norma’s epic legacy and brand reputation, the company has refined this beefed-up hunting cartridge for the Oryx line, offering it in hard-hitting 230 grain iteration. The Norma .338 Win. Oryx features an advanced-bonded 230-grain bullet designed to produce efficient weight retention for deep-penetration and hard-hitting terminal energy, as well as optimum expansion for larger wound channels. www.normausa.com

Nosler .375 H&H Magnum Trophy Grade Safari 300 Grain

The granddaddy of them all, at least in this big-game ammo roundup, the .375 H&H Magnums case is actually the parent case for a number of suggested cartridges in this roundup. That is by design, considering it is an iconic big-game cartridge well suited for all of North America’s huntable species and is a major contender for Africa’s most dangerous game. To be sure, I cannot think of any animals on any continent safe from the terminal energy of the .375 H&H Magnum. Considering Nosler’s .375 H&H Magnum Trophy Grade Safari offering, big-game hunters get the best of all worlds — Nosler’s famed partition bullet; enhanced, match-type accuracy; rapid, controlled expansion; efficient weight retention and dramatic wounds. Big, heavy and hard-hitting, the .375 H&H still delivers the down-right-there ballistic goods with muzzle velocity standing at 2,450 fps, muzzle energy at 3,997 ft./lbs. and .398 G1 ballistic coefficient. www.nosler.com