Remington Ammo Review: Not Just Grandpa’s Cartridges
While Remington ammo doesn’t necessarily have the same pizazz as Hornady or Federal, the company produces excellent cartridges in a variety of calibers at a reasonable price. From its high-quality personal defense and hunting ammo to its basic FMJs, Remington ammo has been used for everything from big game hunting to competition shooting for generations.
It’s a tried and true brand, and the nostalgic big green box is pretty iconic.
As someone who’s spent years hunting and shooting competitively, Remington ammo hasn’t ever let me down. It’s affordable, effective, and reliable. But if you’re on the fence because you’ve hung out in ammo forums or heard your buddies talk about “better ammo,” we’re about to take a deep dive into what we like (and don’t like) about Remington ammo.
When you’re ready to check out our selection of Remington ammo, click HERE. Otherwise, keep scrolling for our review.
Remington Ammo: Something for Everyone
Shooters nationwide can purchase a Remington model firearm, then load them with Remington brand ammo. You won’t be too hard-pressed to find a reliable cartridge that fits your needs since the company produces numerous ammunition products for a wide variety of different activities and calibers.
So, before we dive into our review, let’s take a gander at some of the more popular Remington ammo calibers:
Shotgun Shells
- .410 Gauge
- 28 Gauge
- 20 Gauge
- 16 Gauge
- 12 Gauge
- 10 Gauge
Handgun Ammo
- 25 Auto
- 32 S&W
- 32 Auto
- 357 Mag
- 9mm Luger
- 380 Auto
- .38 (S&W, Special, Short Colt)
- .357 Sig
- 40 S&W
- .41 Rem Mag
- .44 S&W
- .45 (Colt, ACP)
Rifle Ammo
- .22 Win Mag
- .22 LR & .22 Short
- 6.5 Grendel
- 6.5 Creedmoor
- 270 WIN ( and 270 WIN Short Mag)
- 300 Blackout
- 30-30 WIN
- 308 Winchester
- 30-06 Springfield
- .223 Remington
- 6.5 PRC
Naturally, there are many more, but these are some of the most widely used calibers today, and Remington does a pretty decent job of keeping them in stock.
The Birth of Remington Ammunition
If you’re a history buff and want to learn all about Remington’s history of firearms, merging with other companies to produce ammo lines, and the civil war, you can check this article out. However, we’re going to talk a bit about the history of Remington ammunition products in this article.
If you’re like me, it’s fun to see the progression of ammo cartridges. From rimfire cartridges to Remington’s Core-Lokt technology and tipped slugs, the company has managed to keep up with the times and deliver cartridges that shoot further and take down bigger game.
Around the turn of the century (not this one, the last one), Winchester was coming in hot with new effective cartridges like the .25-35 Win and the 30-30 Win. Remington, manufacturing firearms, needed to step up its game to stay relevant and compete to arm civilians.
With the J.M. Browning rifle, Remington launched the .25 Rem, .30 Rem, .32 Rem, and .35 Rem, which were essentially Winchester’s new competition. These rimless cartridges were the latest technology back in 1906 and served many hunters and sportsmen for decades.
Remington UMC (Union Metallic Cartridge Company) continued producing shotshells, handgun ammo, and rifle ammo throughout the 20th Century. Then, the company began improving that ammunition.
The Remington patented Core-Lokt line hit the market in 1939 and was a great boon to big game hunters. The Core-Lokt provided hunters a bullet that offered nearly 2x diameter expansion while locking the lead core to the jacket of the bullet, increasing weight retention and creating a devastating wound channel that has filled deer tags for generations.
Today, Remington ammo is manufactured in Lonoke, Arkansas and is part of a conglomerate known as Vista Outdoor. The company continues to design new products and produce reliable ammo that shoots further, has better terminal ballistics, and keeps up with its competitors.
Remington Shotgun Shell Review
Remington has long manufactured shotgun shells (since 1919, to be precise). The company has over 100 years of producing high-quality and efficient shotshells and continues to be a leading supplier for hunters and enthusiasts.
The company offers shotshells of all varieties. From the Accutip slugs (that have a polymer tip over the slug to aid in accuracy) to the Express LTR lineup (for long range), there isn’t a Remington shotshell that will let you down when it counts.
Those looking to go on the hunt can pick up the Premier Bismuth shotshells for a denser load with longer ranges. The STS line is perfect for target practice, and the Ultimate Defense line is engineered for both personal defense and medium to big game hunting.
Remington Rifle Ammo Review
As briefly stated above, Remington rifle ammo just isn’t necessarily as cool as some of the other options out there. However, it’s still effective, affordable, and available. The company produces everything from FMJ (full metal jacket) rounds to round nose and polymer-tipped rifle cartridges.
No matter the activity, you’ll find a Remington rifle cartridge in your favorite caliber and for your desired activity. Personally, hunting is more my forte, so I do love the Remington Core-Lokt Tipped. But I do keep a few boxes of FMJs on hand for plinking. Of course, you can also use the Remington Ultimate Defense on hand as well.
The company has put a lot of time and effort over the last 100 years into perfecting its rifle ammo which means you can shoot further and more efficiently. All you need to do is find the right ammo for the occasion.
Remington Semi-Auto Handgun and Revolvers Ammo Review
While you can find many variations of Remington ammo for hunting, sporting, and plinking, one of the most important rounds you’ll ever chamber is in your personal defense sidearm.
Remington’s ammunition expertise doesn’t stop at rifle and shotgun ammo, you can find some mighty fine rounds for your handgun too. Fortunately, you can find a variety of high-quality and effective Remington handgun ammo. From subsonic rounds to jacketed hollow points and HTPs (high terminal performance), you can load a magazine or two and feel confident that it won’t let you down.
With many years of shooting, I’ve never experienced a jam thanks to the high-quality casings, and I’ve never had one fail-to-go kablooey.
Remington Ammo for Personal Defense
If you’re an avid shooter, you surely spend a lot of time thinking about that worst-case scenario. The only thing that stands between you and a threat is a bullet. Choose the wrong personal defense ammo, and you’re up the uh oh creek without a paddle. While many ammo enthusiasts prefer other manufacturers, Remington is a top competitor and shouldn’t be overlooked.
Remington Handgun Ammo for Personal Defense
Regarding personal defense, my go-to is the 230 gr Remington Ultimate Defense for my .45 ACP (go team 1911). The jacket is bonded to the core making it an exceptional self-defense round, but what’s better is you can find it in a variety of calibers.
Of course, the Golden Saber Bonded is another high-quality Remington handgun ammo that has been carried by law enforcement for decades. Both of these options are perfect for self-defense and they’re reasonably priced too.
Remington Rifle Ammo for Personal Defense
What’s more, the company also makes pretty decent rifle ammo. So if you prefer a larger magazine and a user-friendly semi-auto rifle like the AR platform, the company has excellent hollow-point options too.
Similar to the handgun ammunition I mentioned above, you can get Ultimate Defense rounds in rifle calibers, or you can pick up a box of JHPs now.
Remington Shotshells for Personal Defense
As a kid, we kept a 12 gauge for home defense. While we all have our preference for home defense calibers, Remington does offer multiple shotshells for home defense.
If you’re like my father and prefer the sound of a pump action shotgun over the click of a hammer, you can pick up the Remington Ultimate Defense Buckshot, or a box of 00 Buckshot.
What’s more, if you’re a decent shot and you want really want a threat stopper, pick up Remington’s Magnum Rifled Slugs. With 1,760 fps and 3,009 ft-lbs of muzzle energy, it’s unlikely you’ll need to chamber another shell.
Remington Ammo for Hunting
If you’ve ever read one of our publications on ammo, you know that not all ammo is created equally. The quality and brand name won’t matter if you don’t choose the right ammo for hunting.
Remington Shotgun Shells for Hunting
As an avid turkey hunter, I can attest to Remington’s reliability and efficiency when it comes to using a #4, #5, or #6 birdshot. Unfortunately, I grew up hunting with an 80-year-old 16 gauge shotgun, and finding my Remington shells is a bit challenging these days.
However, like any other hunter, I also have a 12 gauge, and for that, you can easily find Remington’s shotshells.
Of course, duck hunters should look for a #4 or #5 shot, and you’ll also want to choose something like Remington’s Bismuth shells.
Those going after deer will need a good buckshot, and fortunately, Remington offers that too. Remington’s #4 Buckshot all the way to 00 Buckshot will fill a freezer with venison without difficulty. If your state requires the use of slugs, Remington has a wide variety of rifled slugs or sabot slugs for all your deer hunting needs.
Remington Rifle Ammo for Hunting
If you prefer rifle hunting, the cartridges must have softer tips than FMJ so they’ll expand, but they also have pointed soft points (PSP) or polymer tips to increase penetration.
While you can find some great Remington hollow points in rifled calibers, it’s best to stick with soft point ammo that’s designed for penetration and controlled expansion, like the AccuTip or Premier Scirroco.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Remington ammo is best for hunting medium-sized game?
The Remington AccuTip line comes in several calibers and it’s designed for terminal performance with a polymer tip. These cartridges have a high muzzle velocity, they’re incredibly reliable, and based on our tests with a .223, they’ll stay pretty accurate at about 200 yards.
Does Remington make ammo for target shooting?
Absolutely! Nearly any Remington centerfire round is great for target shooting, but you don’t necessarily want to break the bank either. Remington offers FMJs for target shooting, or you can step up your game with the Remington Premier Match which has an incredibly high ballistic coefficient.
Is there a Remington bullet for varmints?
Yes! The Remington AccuTip-V is excellent for varmints (of course, it’s important to choose the right grain bullet). We’d also recommend Remington’s High Performance Rifle loads for taking down pesky critters.
Is it easy to reload Remington ammo?
If you like reloading, you’ll be happy to know that Remington makes it easy to find reloading data. As long as you can find the primers, you can use Remington’s brass and nickel-plated brass casings for years to come.
Parting Shots
Remington Arms is one of America’s oldest firearm and ammunition manufacturers, and we’ll say, it wouldn’t still be around if it wasn’t loved by shooters of all types. The company is working hard to restock shelves and produce new products that make our shooting activities more efficient and reliable.
