What is a centerfire cartridge? A centerfire cartridge is basically a type of cartridge whose primer is located at the center of the casing. Unlike rimfire cartridge where you would typically see a separate component sitting on the recessed cavity.
As centerfire cartridges are more durable and have a sturdy shell, it’s easier to carry them around in any type of vehicle. And as the primer is located in a safe spot, it won’t accidentally trigger while moving.
Anyway, you are here to find how far a centerfire bullet can travel. After all, you need that information before you invest in some large boxes so you can take them with you on the range or in a hunt.
Rimfire vs Centerfire
What’s the difference between the two? And why should you get one over the other? Earlier I explained a bit how centerfire works. It has an exposed primer at the bottom of the case where the chamber comes in contact to ignite the gunpowder and thus registering a shot. Where the rimfire cartridge doesn’t have the primer in an exposed position. Rimfire casings are not reloadable either.
Which one is better? Well, that depends on your use. Rimfire ammo are easier to manufacture and they come at a lower cost. But rimfire chambers are also getting ditched as time goes by. If your main purpose is to range practice or self-defense, then a rimfire cartridge will be better for you. But if you are a professional hunter or want to do hunting, then you will benefit from a centerfire bullet. As it tends to have better range. Speaking of range.
How Far Can A Centerfire Bullet Travel?
Well, the question still remains, doesn’t it? How far can a centerfire bullet really travel? Is it really worth the extra money? Well that depends on the type of centerfire ammunition you are using.
If you are using short bullets, then it will be able to fire around 300 yards or so. If you are using larger shots, they can travel more than 600 yards. As for slug shots, it’s 800 yards to infinity.
So, in a sense, you can say that they can travel for miles. That’s why I said, it depends on the type of shot you are using.
FAQs
Can I Use A Centerfire Bullet For Hunting?
Yes, sir, you definitely can. In fact, you will see most people use centerfire cartridge for big-game hunting. For small to medium game hunts, you can easily use a rimfire gun and bullet to hunt whitetail, feral hogs and other similarly sized animals.
For elk and anything bigger, you will benefit a lot from a centerfire long sized cartridge. After all, you want the most possible range and damage for hunting.
Can I Use A Centerfire Bullet For Range Practice?
You definitely can. While it’s a bit expensive and will cost you a ton of money in the process, it will also be deadly accurate on long-range shooting practices. That’s why, you definitely can use it for things other than hunting but it’s gonna be expensive.
How Far Can A 5.56mm Bullet Travel?
Now that you know what the traditional length of a centerfire bullet can travel, how about some specific calibers? Well for the 5.56mm cartridge, you can expect around 650 yards of range. Typically, it’s used for under 600 yards of range but you can exceed that by a little bit.
How Far Can A 9mm Bullet Travel?
We all know how huge and crazy heavy 9mm bullets are. How about the range of this then? Well, 9mm is a very versatile ammo that can travel up to 3 miles! That’s right! No I’m not joking. Depending on the specific model of 9mm you are using, it can vary a little bit but that’s the gist of it.
How Far Can 7.62 X 51 Nato Bullets Travel?
The 7.62 is another popular caliber like the 5.56 and 9mm. While it doesn’t have the higher range capacity like the 9mm, it can travel up to 1000 yards. Which is why it’s mostly used for tactical shooting, a little bit of hunting and lots of professional usage.
Conclusion
And that’s about it folks. Hopefully, you learnt a bit more about the caliber and now know how to and where to use this. On top of it, you now know a bit more about the maximum distance of lots of other calibers as a freebie.
Thanks for reading as usual. I will see you on the next one. Till then, take care.
