Soviet and German military rounds, three varmint and deer cartridges, a European big bore and two modern oddities.

Some cartridges refuse to sit in a tidy family. This shelf is made of them: military rounds that outlived their wars, varmint cartridges with long careers, a European big bore and two newcomers with no real ancestors. A quick map makes it manageable.

Military rounds that outlived their wars

The 7.62x39 is the Soviet cartridge of the SKS and the AK-47, introduced during World War II. Its standard bullet weighs about 122 grains, and loads like those at 7.62x39 122 grain ammo are the everyday version.

The 7.62x54R is older. Russia adopted it in 1891 for the Mosin-Nagant rifle, and it is still in service in machine guns and sniper rifles. Soft-point loads for hunting are at 7.62x54r soft point ammo.

The 8mm Mauser, the German cartridge of two world wars, is now a sporting round, and anyone who wants to buy 8mm mauser ammo will find it in surplus and sporting rifles alike. A Hungarian cousin, the rimmed 8x56R from the 1930s, is at 8x56r ammo for sale.

Varmint and deer cartridges

The 22 Hornet, introduced by Winchester in 1930, is the gentle small-game round, and polymer-tip loads like those at 22 hornet polymer tip ammo are its modern form.

The 22-250 Remington, a wildcat that Remington standardized in 1965, is one of the faster .224 cartridges, and Winchester's loads are at winchester 22-250 ammo. The 25-06, a .30-06 case necked to .25 caliber, became a Remington cartridge in 1969 and is a flat-shooting deer and antelope round. Its loads are at 25-06 ammo for sale.

A European big bore

The 9.3x62, designed by Otto Bock in 1905 for the Mauser 98 action, has hunted everything from African buffalo to Scandinavian moose, and its 286-grain loads are at 9.3x62 286 grain ammo.

The newcomers

The 8.6 Blackout is a modern .338-caliber cartridge designed to work in AR-style rifles, and its loads are at 8.6 blackout ammunition. The 7.5 FK, loaded by the Czech maker FK BRNO with lead-free copper bullets, is at 7.5 fk ammo.

Cartridge names that look alike are often unrelated. Match the marking on your barrel to the box exactly, and confirm current stock and state shipping restrictions before ordering.