Rimfire vs Centerfire Cartridge Guide for Better Shooting Performance

There is some ammunition whose true “identity” is masked behind a nickname or trade lingo and is known only to those on the firing lines.

Take, for instance, the Sierra BlitzKung (SBK), a cartridge with a plastic tip inserted into the bullet cavity and used for varmint hunting, or the bevel-base wadcutter (BBWC), a pistol bullet with a beveled base to increase accuracy.

At the other end of the barrel are rimfire and centerfire cartridges, whose unambiguous names make them readily identifiable to shooters and non-shooters alike.

Having recognized the clarity of names for these two types of cartridges, it’s time to delve into their characteristics and the pros and cons of each. Whether you opt for center or rimfire, remember to get quality ammunition from a trusted ammo manufacturer such as Armory Farm South Georgia.

Both centerfire and rimfire cartridges date back to the first half of the 19th century. Centerfire ammo, in which the firing pin strikes the center of the primer, was invented by Jean Samuel Pauly between 1808 and 1812 and represented the first fully integrated cartridge. The majority of today’s handguns, rifles and shotguns, according to Wikipedia, use centerfire ammo.

Rimfire, where the firing pin strikes the primer on the rim of the cartridge, was invented by Louis-Nicolas Flobert in 1845. His cartridge featured a percussion cap with a bullet attached to the top.

Centerfire calibers are used in handguns and many rifle types and are popular among military and law enforcement. They produce high pressure and speeds and are ideal for self defense.

Rimfire cartridges, on the other hand, produce less pressure and velocity. Due to design of the rim, which resembles an extended, widened percussion cap, the cartridge is less reliable than a centerfire bullet. On the plus side, rimfire cartridges are less expensive to manufacture and carry a lower price per round than their centerfire brethren. Although not packing the same punch, the use of rimfire cartridges results in reduced firearm recoil and is a popular choice for dispatching varmints.

Centerfire and rimfire, each offering certain advantages to shooters, remain high caliber in name clarity as well as performance.

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