I am getting the bellow .357 ammo from a different store in the picture:



For range work with a 5 inch 5 screw, what matters as far as bullet characteristics.

Jacket vs. no jacket
Semi jacket
flat nose vs. round nose
does the seam in the semijacket cut into the forcing cone

Assume I know nothing

Thank you

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Doesn't really matter, just personal choice. (although I'm sure others will chime in with their preferences) Concentrate on hitting what you aim at with what ever ammo you choose and you'll be fine. That's the whole point of it isn't it?

What matters is that they hit the target. They'll all work, and none will hurt your gun.

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Jacket, refers to the copper coating of the lead. If it is semi-jacketed(SJ) the copper does not extend all the way to the apex of the bullet. If it did, it would be full metal jacket(FMJ). Nose characteristics like flat nose(FN) or round nose(RN) describe the shape of the tip. Flat nose will give you a bit better hole in a paper target, than a round nose, but not as good as a wadcutter(WC). Soft point(SP), means the jacket does not extend all the way to the tip, and the tip is solid. Hollow point(HP), means the tip of the bullet has a hole or dimple in it, to provide for expansion when it hits mass.

Usually, in the whole scheme of things, the code starts with jacket type, then bullet shape.

Hope that helps a bit.

Whatever's cheapest is the best for range work.

And your best buy will probably be .38 Special ammo. Just as good as .357 for range work. Maybe better: cheaper, less recoil, less noise.

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And if you will be at an organized range, check their rules.
Some require jacketed, some forbid HP, all over the map as far as rules go.

Mine allows HP, and jacketed / soft point, but forbids lead (no jacket) except for .22.

So where you are going to shoot may factor into what ammo you buy if you are thinking bulk quantity. Don't want to get stuck with something you can't shoot.