There are lots of bullet choices, even within the same caliber. Just buying “9mm ammo” for instance, isn’t enough. For instance, there’s a huge difference between between practice ammo and self defense ammo. Depending on if you’re carrying your gun for self-defense, or are going to the range to practice, you’d buy specific ammunition for the application.

Similarly, if you just bought a new 10mm pistol for bear protection, don’t buy some random 10mm ammo off the shelf at your gun store and expect it to perform if you run into a bear. You need specific ammo for specific purposes.

Most ammo can be found at your favorite gun store. However, some rounds are harder to get. Here’s some specialty rounds that can help for specific things.

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Bear Loads

Double Tap Ammo

Various custom loads for different purposes, like hunting, or even bear protection. Lots of various loads for different calibers for specific purposes.

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Great Self Defense Option

Black Hills Ammo

The Honey Badger load is a great option for self defense. It’s a bullet that hits above his weight.

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Finally, when choosing a good self defense cartridge for your gun, make sure it passes the FBI protocols. There’s a lot of crappy ammo out there, but certain brands and bullets have been proven by the FBI to work best against heavy clothing, barriers, etc. Stick with the gold standards – the proven ones.

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