Top Ammo Brands: Your Ultimate Guide to Reliable Firepower

In the ever-evolving world of firearms and ammunition, choosing the right brand is crucial for ensuring reliability, safety, and performance. With myriad options available, finding the best brands for ammo can be a daunting task for enthusiasts, hunters, or those concerned with personal defense. Some brands have consistently stood out due to their innovative approaches, rigorous quality control, and customer satisfaction. To help guide you in making an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive list of the top ammo brands celebrated by experts and users alike. Discover the leading names in ammunition below.

Illustration of ammo

Best brands of ammo in 2025

Federal Premium

Federal Premium, established in 1922, is a leading ammunition manufacturer with around 1,500 employees, producing top-tier shotshell, centerfire, and rimfire ammo, and is known for its high-quality components and precision; they also have a custom shop that meticulously crafts hunting ammunition using premium materials, with a strong reputation for reliability and accuracy across various calibers. They continue to innovate, as seen in their defense lines like the Hydra-Shok and are a major player in both the defense and commercial markets, with bullets holding a 29.5% market share in 2024, making them a trusted brand for hunters, sport shooters, and self-defense. They have been an industry leader for over a century, with the Federal Premium line being introduced in 1977, which features nickel-plated brass cases, and use the best available powders, and bullets.

Winchester

Winchester, established in 1866, has a legacy of producing high-quality ammunition, being the first to introduce smokeless powder cartridges in 1895. They continue to be a leading manufacturer for hunters, shooters, law enforcement, and the military, with a 23.6% increase in sales in the fourth quarter of 2023, proving their strong market presence and innovative products from their facilities located in East Alton, Illinois and other locations.

Remington

Remington, a brand synonymous with quality ammunition, has a history dating back to 1816 and is estimated to hold around 10% of the global market share, producing a vast array of cartridges. Some popular options include centerfire and rimfire types that are trusted by hunters and sport shooters alike. With 90% of their production dedicated to the commercial market, Remington continues to innovate in the industry to provide reliable and accurate performance, thus solidifying their reputation as a top manufacturer with a variety of rifle cartridges, shotgun shells, and handgun ammunition.

Hornady

Hornady, established in 1949, is a leading American ammunition manufacturer, renowned for its high-quality bullets and consistent performance, achieving velocities 100-200 fps over SAAMI standards with their Superformance line. Their commitment to innovation has led to the development of revolutionary products like the 6.5 Creedmoor, contributing significantly to the advancement of shooting sports. They also produce a wide range of ammunition types for handguns, rifles, and shotguns, and their ammunition is known for its accuracy and consistency, making them a top choice for target shooting, self-defense, and hunting. Despite high demand, with customer demand up 200% in recent times, Hornady continues to produce a wide variety of ammunition, and they are recognized as one of the best manufacturers of premium ammo. For more details on their offerings, visit their official website.

CCI

CCI, established in 1951 by Richard Speer, is a leading ammunition manufacturer renowned for its rimfire and centerfire ammunition, as well as primers, and is trusted by shooters worldwide for consistent reliability and innovative products like the Mini-Mag. They are known for pioneering the first "hyper-velocity" .22 Long Rifle ammunition, the CCI Stinger, in 1975. In addition to their rimfire options, CCI produces centerfire handgun ammunition under their Blazer line. Based in Lewiston, Idaho, CCI recently became part of the Czechoslovak Group in November 2024, and has won awards for eight years running from Shooting Sports Retailer and Predator Xtreme. You can find more information about their products on the CCI Ammunition website.

Speer

Speer, a leading ammunition manufacturer since 1944, is renowned for its high-quality cartridges, consistently achieving a 99% customer satisfaction rating for reliability and accuracy; their Gold Dot line, for instance, is favored by law enforcement and self-defense enthusiasts, with some models showing a 15% increase in expansion compared to competitors; Speer's commitment to innovation and stringent quality control makes them a top choice for shooters seeking dependable performance.

Nosler

Nosler, established in 1948, is a premier American ammunition manufacturer, renowned for its high-quality bullets like the Partition and AccuBond, which offer controlled expansion and deep penetration. Holding approximately 0.3% of the US ammunition market share, they produce a variety of ammunition, including centerfire rifle rounds, with the 26 Nosler being introduced in 2014 as one of their proprietary cartridges. Known for rigorous testing and a commitment to quality, Nosler continues to set standards in the industry. You can explore their product line at Nosler's official website.

Barnes Bullets

Barnes Bullets, established in 1932, is a leading manufacturer of high-performance, all-copper bullets, renowned for their innovative designs and advanced manufacturing techniques that cater to hunters and shooters globally. Their pioneering work in lead-free ammunition, notably with the X Bullet® in 1989, has solidified their reputation for exceptional knockdown power and on-game performance. Barnes products, trusted for their accuracy and reliability, are a top pick for hunters in the most challenging environments with their high weight retention and expansion. In 2020, Sierra Bullets acquired Barnes, further establishing their presence in the market. You can find more information about their products at Barnes Bullets website.

Sig Sauer

Sig Sauer, entering the ammunition market in 2014, has quickly become a reputable manufacturer, known for their high-quality rounds, with their "V-Crown" bullets being a notable innovation; they produce a wide range of ammunition from .380 ACP to .45 ACP, using state-of-the-art machinery in their Arkansas facility. While they hold an estimated 1.4% of the US market share, their focus remains on consistent, high-performance ammunition. An increasing demand due to government contracts and the need for reliable testing of their firearms solidifies their position as a top ammunition producer.

Fiocchi

Fiocchi, established in 1876 in Lecco, Italy, is a globally recognized ammunition manufacturer, producing a wide range of high-quality cartridges for hunting, sports, and defense, with over 1000 employees and approximately 220 million euros in consolidated revenue; they are known for their reliability, performance, and commitment to innovation, which includes manufacturing all their components in-house and holding NATO qualifications for several calibers, along with AQAP 2110, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications. The company is part of the Czechoslovak Group (CSG), which acquired a 70% stake in 2022, and operates production plants in both Italy and the USA, solidifying their position as a leading producer in the ammunition industry.