Using the right hunting ammunition can have a tremendous impact on the outcome of your hunt. Here’s a look at the eight best new ammo offerings for the 2024 season.
by Brad Fitzpatrick
If you want to start a heated debate around any hunting camp, simply ask which cartridge is best for big game. Hunters have an almost tribal allegiance to their favorite chamberings, and many are equally passionate about their preferred firearm brand. But despite this debate which gun or cartridge is best, there’s surprisingly little allegiance—or even concern—about ammunition selection.
As someone who is fortunate enough to hunt a variety of game with a variety of firearms, I believe that is a mistake. Ammunition selection is extremely important, and the variables I’ve seen in performance have less to do with whether you’re shooting a .270 or .30-06 or a pump or over/under shotgun and far more to do with the quality of the ammunition used.
It’s important, therefore, to select the right ammunition for your hunting applications. Fortunately, we have better ammunition available today than we did even a few decades ago, and ammo brands continually produce outstanding new products for hunters. We’ve compiled a list of eight great new hunting loads for upland, waterfowl, and big game hunters for 2024.
B&P Upland Game Classic
Baschieri & Pellagri—better known as B&P—is offering a new upland load for classic 12-gauge shotguns. For years it has been difficult to find shells for 2 ½-inch 12-gauge guns, but B&P is solving that problem with their new Upland Game Classic ammo. Designed to be gentle on older guns, Upland Game Classic Ammo also utilizes B&P’s innovative Gordon Basewad Technology, which helps reduce recoil and shooter fatigue. These low-pressure 12-gauge loads are available with 1 ounce of #6, #7.5, or #8 nickel-plated lead.
Remington 360 Buckhammer Core-Lokt Tipped
The .360 Buckhammer has become a favorite of hunters in straight-wall states like my native Ohio, and Remington is offering a new Buckhammer load that utilizes one of their newest bullets—the Core-Lokt Tipped. Core-Lokt bullets have been around for decades and have earned an enviable reputation among hunters, but the new tipped version offers that same reliable terminal performance with a more aerodynamic bullet design. The 360 Buckhammer Core-Lokt Tipped will be available in 180-grain loads, making it a versatile option for whitetails and other mid-sized game to moderate ranges.
Federal Fusion Tipped
Federal’s bonded Fusion bullet is an affordable and effective big game projectile, and this year the company is offering a new tipped version. The benefit of the tipped version is that it combines the same reliable bonded bullet performance hunters have come to love with a more aerodynamic bullet that’s better suited for long-range hunting. Federal is offering Tipped Fusion ammunition in a variety of loads from 6.5 Creedmoor to .300 Winchester Magnum.
Fiocchi KnockDown Ammunition
Fiocchi is probably best-known for their shotgun ammunition, but the company’s new KnockDown centerfire rifle ammunition is a superb option for big game. Loaded with all-copper hollow-point bullets, this ammunition offers near total weight retention, reliable expansion, and excellent straight-line penetration. KnockDown ammo uses Fiocchi’s proprietary propellants which burn clean and reduce barrel fouling, too. Available in eight different loads from .243 Winchester to .300 Winchester Magnum, there’s likely a KnockDown offering that will work in your favorite hunting rifle.
Hornady V-Match Ammo
Don’t let the name fool you: Hornady’s new V-Match ammunition is not strictly a match bullet. It utilizes the company’s new ELD-VT bullet which offers a more aerodynamic profile than the V-MAX bullet with a hollow nose section that provides outstanding terminal performance on varmints and predators. It’s a match bullet designed to offer optimal terminal performance on small game and varmints, which is a deadly combination. V-Match ammunition is available in 22 ARC, 6mm ARC, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Grendel, and 6.5 Creedmoor.
HEVI-Shot HEVI-XII .410
HEVI-Shot’s new 3-inch .410 loads drive a ½-ounce payload of #5 or #7 of HEXI-XII tungsten pellets at 1,450, making this quite possibly the most effective non-toxic .410 ammo ever developed. Because HEVI-XII is 53.8 percent denser than steel, HEVI-Shot packs far more pellets in each shell, filling out patterns and turning your .410 into a more effective hunting weapon. Best of all, because these loads are non-toxic, you can use them on migratory birds or in areas where lead shot is banned.
Barnes VOR-TX RR
Barnes pioneered the use of monolithic, lead-free hunting projectiles and hunters across the world have come to trust their superb VOR-TX bullet. This year, the company began offering VOR-TX RR (Reduced Recoil) ammunition that cuts down on recoil forces and makes these loads more pleasant to shoot. This is great news for recoil-sensitive shooters. VOR-TX RR ammunition uses Barnes’ Tipped TSX bullet and is designed to offer exceptional terminal performance to 300 yards. Available chamberings range from .243 Winchester to .300 Winchester Magnum.
Winchester 28 Gauge Super Pheasant
The number of 28-gauge shotguns with 3-inch chambers is growing, and that has led to more ammo manufacturers offering 3-inch 28-gauge loads. One of the most exciting of those is Winchester’s 3-inch 28-gauge Super Pheasant load that drives 1-1/8 ounces of #5 copper-plated lead shot from the muzzle at 1,200 feet per second. This upland load offers excellent lethality from a 28-gauge gun with the added benefit of reduced gun weight and recoil. The 28-gauge 3-inch gun is here to stay, and this versatile load is perfect for a variety of upland birds.
