Laboring

The term "laboring" of ammunition refers to the variable components within a caliber. For example, a cartridge of caliber .308 always has the metric dimensions of 7.62 x 51 mm, but there can be numerous differences regarding the projectile and the primer charge.

Type of Projectile

Fragmenting Projectile

A fragmenting projectile breaks apart upon impact into several fragments, with about 60% of the projectile remaining intact as a solid, non-fragmenting part.

Deforming Projectile

In contrast to the fragmenting projectile, a deforming projectile remains intact and mushrooms instead. Fragment parts are therefore not to be expected in the game body; the killing effect is achieved by the increasing cross-section of the projectile. The deformation is achieved, as with the fragmenting projectile, by a partial jacket. In a partial jacket, the core of the projectile is not completely surrounded by the jacket but is exposed in the area of the tip.

Full Metal Jacket Projectile

Full metal jacket projectiles are designed not to deform or fragment upon entering the game body, in order to keep the destruction of the game body as low as possible. They are particularly suitable for hunting predatory animals whose pelts are to be obtained. To prevent a fragmenting or deforming effect of the projectile, this type of projectile is surrounded by a soft lead core encased in a hard copper, iron, or tombak jacket.

Lead-Free & Lead-Containing

In many federal states, lead-free ammunition is now legally required. It contains no lead in the projectile or in the primer charge and is therefore considered environmentally and health-friendly. Typically, lead-free ammunition consists of copper, zinc, tungsten, iron, and tombak. Whether lead-containing or lead-free ammunition is preferable is a matter of debate among hunters. Lead ammunition is often said to have a more humane killing effect and better accuracy. Additionally, the ricochet behavior of lead-free ammunition is considered more dangerous due to the harder jacket.

Primer Charge

In addition to the composition of the projectile, the primer charge can also vary within a caliber and may be higher or stronger. For example, to enable complete combustion of the propellant charge in shorter barrels, an extremely fast-burning explosive is used in "Short-Rifle" ammunition.