The Arms East Top 55 Cartridges of All Time
We are shooters first — sport shooters, service rifle competitors, military veterans, and hunters who put rounds downrange every chance we get. After years of filling orders, fielding phone calls, and debating ballistics over the counter, we decided to build the definitive caliber guide — 55 iconic cartridges and gauges that every shooter should know, from the humble .22 LR all the way up to the earth-shaking .50 BMG. Whether you are buying your first box of 9mm or your hundredth case of .223, this is your home base.
Each caliber page below is more than just a product listing. We wrote up the full story — who designed the cartridge, what war or hunting problem it was built to solve, what game it can take, which bullet weights and velocities matter, and why shooters keep coming back to it decade after decade. Below the write-up you will find every firearm, ammo box, magazine, optic, and accessory we carry in that caliber, with filters on the left to dial in exactly what you need.
What Made the List
We picked these 55 based on a simple question: if a shooter walked into our store tomorrow, which cartridges would they actually need to know about? The answer covers a lot of ground:
- Rimfire — .17 HMR, .22 LR, .22 WMR, and .22-250 Remington. The cartridges that got most of us started and the ones we never stop shooting.
- Centerfire Handgun — 9mm, .380 ACP, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .40 S&W, 10mm Auto, .44 Magnum, .45 ACP, .45 Long Colt, and the hand-cannon itself, .500 S&W Magnum. From concealed carry to bear country.
- Centerfire Rifle — The deer-camp classics like .243 Winchester, .25-06 Remington, .270 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .30-30 Winchester, .308 Winchester, and 7mm-08 Remington. The new-school precision crowd running 6.5mm Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, 7mm PRC, and .300 PRC. The magnums — .300 Win Mag, .300 WSM, and 7mm Rem Mag. And the straight-wall crew with .350 Legend, .400 Legend, .450 Bushmaster, and .45-70 Government.
- Military and Tactical — .223/5.56 NATO, .300 AAC Blackout, 5.45x39mm, 6mm ARC, 6.5 Grendel, 6.8mm Remington SPC, 7.62x39mm, 7.62x54R, .30 Carbine, .303 British, 8mm Mauser, .338 Lapua Magnum, .300 Norma Magnum, .338 Norma Magnum, .50 BMG, and 5.7x28mm. From WWII surplus to modern-day special operations.
- Shotgun — 10 Gauge, 12 Gauge, 16 Gauge, 20 Gauge, 28 Gauge, and .410 Bore. If it flies, it dies — and if it kicks in your door, same deal.
U.S. Shipping and Canadian Export
Everything you see ships within the United States. Canadian customers with a valid PAL can use our export service for eligible firearms and accessories — we handle the paperwork so you do not have to. Pick a caliber below and start shopping.
The List
55 calibers. Ranked by nothing. Organized by category. Loved equally.
01
.17 HMR — The varmint laser
02
.22 LR — Where it all begins
03
.22 WMR — The rimfire magnum
04
.22-250 Remington — Prairie dog nightmare
05
9mm — The world standard
06
.380 ACP — Pocket rocket
07
.38 Special — The revolver classic
08
.357 Magnum — Dirty Harry’s understudy
09
.40 S&W — The FBI compromise
10
10mm Auto — The .40 before they watered it down
11
.45 ACP — Two world wars
12
.45 Long Colt — The Peacemaker’s round
13
.44 Magnum — Do you feel lucky?
14
.500 S&W Magnum — The absolute unit
15
.243 Winchester — Every kid’s first deer rifle
16
.25-06 Remington — The wildcat that went legit
17
.270 Winchester — Jack O’Connor’s one true love
18
7mm-08 Remington — The short-action sleeper
19
.30-30 Winchester — More deer than any cartridge alive
20
.308 / 7.62 NATO — The gold standard
21
.30-06 Springfield — America’s cartridge
22
.300 AAC Blackout — Built for the suppressor
23
.300 Winchester Magnum — The king of magnums
24
.300 WSM — Short-action magnum power
25
7mm Remington Magnum — The elk cartridge
26
6.5mm Creedmoor — The cartridge that changed everything
27
6.5 PRC — Creedmoor with a turbo
28
6.8 Western — Winchester’s heavy hitter
29
7mm PRC — Hornady’s 7mm masterpiece
30
.300 PRC — Mile-marker magnum
31
.350 Legend — Straight-wall superstar
32
.400 Legend — The .350’s bigger brother
33
.450 Bushmaster — Thumper for Michigan and beyond
34
.45-70 Government — 1873 and still going
35
.223 / 5.56 NATO — America’s rifle round
36
5.45x39mm — The Soviet answer to 5.56
37
5.7x28mm — Armor’s worst nightmare
38
6mm ARC — Hornady’s AR precision round
39
6.5 Grendel — The AR-15 range extender
40
6.8mm Remington SPC — Special Forces pick
41
7.62x39mm — The AK round
42
7.62x54R — 130 years and counting
43
.30 Carbine — The GI’s sidearm upgrade
44
.303 British — Newfoundland’s moose rifle
45
8mm Mauser — Two world wars, the other side
46
.300 Norma Magnum — SOCOM’s long-range pick
47
.338 Lapua Magnum — Sniper’s choice
48
.338 Norma Magnum — Belt-fed precision
49
.50 BMG — John Browning’s masterpiece