LINK TO MOST RECENT INFORMATION: NJDEP Fish & Wildlife Fish and Wildlife Range Information

Training Area Rules & Regulations

• All WMA regulations apply.
• At least one (1) member of the shooting party must have a current, valid New Jersey hunting license in possession. Apprentice Firearm Licensees must be accompanied by a holder of a regular, current and valid NJ firearm hunting license, over the age of 21.
• Shotgun is for fine shot (lead-free at Assunpink; smaller than No. 4 lead or No. T steel ammunition) only. NO BUCKSHOT OR RIFLED SLUGS
• Archery is for target or practice tips for provided targets; Broadheads with user-provided 3D or bag targets.
• Muzzleloader is for muzzleloading firearms, shotguns with rifled slugs or buckshot, modern .17 and .17 and .22 caliber rimfire rifles\, and air-guns in the calibers legal for small game hunting* only.
• Centerfire Rifle includes all firearms listed above for muzzleloading and centerfire rifles for up to and including .30 caliber. This includes ammunition in the .30 caliber family such as .308 and 30-06.
• No handguns permitted.
• Hours are 8:00 a.m. – sunset (except Black River WMA, see below)
• Ranges are “carry in – carry out” areas and trash/recycling receptacles are not provided; please take spent shells with you
• Clinton and Makepeace Lake Range Rules (see below)

Range Locations (Region/County) Range and Target Descriptions (Archery/Shotgun/Rifle)
MAPS: Clicking on WMA name opens an interactive map in a new tab or window.

Northern Region

Hunterdon County

Clinton WMA Route 173W Clinton, NJ 08809 • Archery Range • Shotgun Range • Centerfire Rifle Range (100 yards, Muzzleloader, Rimfire and Centerfire to .30 caliber) NOTE: The Clinton Centerfire Rifle Range has special rules which must be followed. See below

Morris County

Black River WMA Route 513 (Dover-Chester Road) Chester, NJ 07930 • Archery Range • Shotgun Range Shotgun range hours are 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday – Friday ONLY, from the third Saturday in May through the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. (Archery range remains open.) Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for the rest of the year. Range is closed on Christmas Day and Easter Sunday.

Sussex County

Flatbrook-Roy WMA Route 615 Layton, NJ 07851 • Archery Range • Shotgun Range • Centerfire Rifle Range (75 yards, Muzzleloader, Rimfire and Centerfire to .30 caliber)

Warren County

Pequest WMA Pequest Road Oxford, NJ 07863 • Archery Range

Central Region

Monmouth County

Assunpink WMA Imlaystown-Hightstown Road Upper Freehold Twp., NJ 08691 • Archery Range • Shotgun Range (lead-free shot only)

Ocean County

Colliers Mills WMA Off Colliers Mills and Hawkin Roads Colliers Mills, NJ 08527 • Archery Range • Centerfire Rifle Range (100 yards, Muzzleloader, Rimfire and Centerfire to .30 caliber)
Stafford Forge WMA Off Route 539 south of Warren Grove Little Egg Harbor Twp., NJ 08092 • Archery Range • Shotgun Range • Centerfire Rifle Range (100 yards, Muzzleloader, Rimfire and Centerfire to .30 caliber)

Southern Region

Atlantic County

Makepeace Lake WMA Elwood-Weymouth Road Weymouth NJ, 08330 • Shotgun Range • Muzzleloader Range (100 yards) NOTE: The Makepeace Lake Muzzleloader Range has special rules which must be followed. See below.

Gloucester County

Winslow WMA Piney Hollow Road Monroe Twp., NJ 08037 • Archery Range (50 yards) SHOTGUN and MUZZLELOADER RANGES CLOSED

Cape May County

Tuckahoe WMA Off Tuckahoe Road (Route 631) Tuckahoe, NJ 08270 • Archery Range SHOTGUN RANGE CLOSED

Cumberland County

Millville WMA Ackley Road (Route 718) Millville, NJ 08332 • Archery Range • Shotgun Range • Centerfire Rifle Range (50 and 200 yards, Muzzleloader, Rimfire and Centerfire to .30 caliber)
NOTE: Clinton and Makepeace Lake Range Rules
The following rules apply to the Clinton and Makepeace Lake Ranges ONLY:

• All target frames must measure a minimum 30 inches from base to the bottom of the paper target held in the frame. Frames must be placed only on top of a target mound located at the 25, 50 and 100 yard lines. This minimum target height requirement will eliminate the risk of ricochet and ensure that all projectiles are collected in the berm behind the 100 yard target.
• Shooters may supply their own frames which meet the above specifications.

I stumbled upon a random article today that was a very layperson friendly explanation of rimfire vs centerfire ammunition. It got me to thinking. Why do we really only see rimfire in .22s? I jumped online and did some research because honestly I've always just had the notion that centerfire is better and it's only in the .22 because it's a lowly plinking cartridge that people would not mind having an inferior cartridge design for. But I realized I actually had no basis for this notion other than assumption.
I found a lot of articles that exclaimed how centerfire was superior but no expansion on why. They seemed to be the same as my opinion. Everyone just knows centerfire is superior what is there to talk about amirite?
I saw some mentions of reliability being a factor due to how the primer is applied to a rimfire case going so far as to say "MUCH less reliable". How it can become dislodged or have incomplete coverage that leads to dead spots on the rim. Ok that makes sense but I shoot a few thousand rounds of .22LR a year and honestly can't remember the last time I had a dud round. Maybe it implies rough handling, admittedly most of my .22LR shooting is range, however, I've hauled .22s through woods most of my life shooting squirrels and have had similar outcomes.
Now I'm sure if we get into some serious ballistic performance talk I bet we can find a point where the location of powder ignition not being central on the cartridge leads to some performance implications but how severe? I feel like we'd have to get a match grade target gun out to really start seeing a performance impact. If I load up my truck box beater gun with match grade ammunition I bet the standard of deviation in this regard disappears.
So I'm curious. Does anyone have insight on why we don't see any chamberings outside of .22 with a rimfire design? I'm not suggesting it could displace centerfire in performance applications or even in most applications. It's just kind of curious to me that there's not SOME offering out there like a .380 or something similar. It would have significantly cheaper ammunition costs so there would be some value in it.

What's up all! 4thWall here. Hope you guys have had a fantastic weekend.
If this is your first episode of "The Black", Welcome!! I hope you will join us from the beginning!
First, Previous, Next
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Tense silence greeted Corellus Grarzia. Moments ago, he had stepped off the shuttle sent for him, and now he was standing in the entryway to the main conference room aboard USN Wisconsin. This meeting greatly reminded him of his first meeting after taking captainship of Olyvia. This time however, there were many more players. All but two of the Privateers were present, the latter being simply too deep into a mission, and too far away to make it in time. Both of the missing ships had completed their objectives, and were in transit, but waiting for them was simply not an option. Admiral Grarzia had arrived with Wisconsin and the rest of the Privateers inside of a week from Cory’s transmission, and Admiral stevens had arrived a week after that. Admiral fulmori had retained the USN Texas as his Flag, having grown fond of Captain Gleeson. Unity High Admiral Kawmarin was still currently flagged aboard USN Galveston and was currently using her superior speed to respond to race across unity space in an attempt to rally Unity forces.

Admiral Clint Stevens had arrived with a five-ship battle group. He was flagged aboard USN Tharsis and was escorted by USN Furlong, USN Iowa, a recently retrofitted and upgraded DDS Protectorate, and a newly commissioned Delmar Frigate. The DDS Stormhold was a hybrid vessel. She had been in the early stages of construction when Humanity and Delmar met for the first time, and she had been modified during construction to make use of the recent innovations born of the their budding alliance. She had but half the displacement of an Iowa Class, but she sported two thirds of the weight of fire by destructive potential. Stormhold had struck many human sailors as what a battleship class would have looked like if the Martians had decided to build the class during Humanity’s civil war. Stormhold carried but a pair of super firing Kinetic batteries in dorsal and ventral positions with a single pair of super firing batteries at her midships. Each turret in the battery only boasted a pair of barrels, and they fired the same 1005 projectile. Stormhold was armed to please however, and she carried twice the same number of PAC batteries as USN Tharsis, and she boasted a full-length central weapon that was very uniquely Delmar. The combined minds of the Brothers grem and their research counterparts in Sol had spent years researching and iterating on the Martian Particle Acceleration Cannon, and they had found something.

DDS Stormhold sported a single long low profile blister stretching the length of her ventral hull, set just to the left of centerline to make room for her kinetic batteries. No less than 6 PAC systems were arrayed in parallel, all feeding one focusing array of titanic size. Stormhold could fire up to all 6 at the array, varying the amount of destruction she wished to adjudicate upon her enemy. Bart had dubbed tis weapon the C-PAC, or “Compound Particle Acceleration Cannon”. The discovery however was not that combining Pac beams was doable. Mars had tried and failed to accomplish this. The discovery was how to make it efficient enough to create a viable weapon. This accomplished, something became abundantly clear from the initial testing…. A C-PAC did not scale linearly, but exponentially. A C-PAC could produce the same destructive energy as an Eros, but only within two hundred fifty thousand Kilometers. The rate of fire was still low, and firing all 6 feeder PACs at once was a cautious calculation, as the heat generated was still a problem, but early tests in a long dead system had seen the accidental cracking of the target planet’s crust. The reaction that followed destabilized the planet entirely and said star system was now one interstellar body lighter.

Stevens brought more than just a battle group, having appropriated four troop transports. Each transport carried a detachment of Marines, with the two MACE squads spread between them for heavy support. It was a small number, but they were to be on hand to evacuate any survivors they could. “Alright people, gather round. All of you have seen the brief by now, and I know all of you are ready for this to happen. Let’s not go in halfcocked” Several heads bobbed in acknowledgement and Stevens turned to spear Cory with a gaze, “For those who might not have met yet, this is Corellus Grarzia, Captain of the Privateer that uncovered this little honeypot of horrors. He’s been the closest to this thing the longest.” Stevens waves to Cory, “Captain?”

Cory stepped up and took a long breath, “The situation’s only gotten worse since my first transmission. The prison freighters and the frigates in orbit are just the beginning of the problem. We’ve since discovered camps on the surface of the planet, I’ve marked them in your updated files” Cory flicked his wrist over his data pad, propagating the information to everyone else’s pad and the table in the center of the room, “This is not just a torture camp, it is an indoctrination and training facility. The kissing of the hand is a surrender trigger of sorts. Kiss the hand, and the child is taken from hell, given food, and given a task. Usually something simple and innocuous, but it is rewarded. If a child accepts without instruction, and without question; they are sent to the surface where they are put into an intense indoctrination program.” Cory took a pause, watching the faces of the men and women in the room. Hard eyes and grim expressions waited for him to continue. “The children are eventually taken on hunts…. Hunts of other failed children and adults of their own species… and hunts of the locals… they are creating insurgents. We may and will encounter opposition made of child soldiers and operatives on the surface. We’ve also discovered a fast response system. Attacking one freighter at a time will trigger the destruction of the other freighters, and it appears that the Frigates in the system are in direct communication with someone outside the system every 20 minutes. That is all we know, at this time.”

Cory nodded to the admirals before stepping back from the table. Mac gave Cory a nod before taking a deep breath, “Thank you Captain. Alright people, no idea goes unspoken. No question goes unasked, we only have one shot at this. Let’s get to work.”

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Warren’s eyes slowly fluttered open, aroused from his slumber by soft lips working their way up from the nape of his neck, “Hmm, Good morning.” He whispered as Jezz pulled herself atop him with a smile of her own. She kissed her way up his chin to his ear before responding, “Morning.” She coo’d back at him, her sultry tone lighting his senses on fire. Warren pulled her the rest of the way to his lips, kissing her gently just as his communicator chirped, “UUgghhhh!!” he groaned, breaking their kiss to open the channel, “L.T. Patterson here.” He stated, trying to keep his voice professional as Jezzaria’s lips began to wander again.
*Lieutenant, We’ve received word. The cargo transports finished loading earlier than anticipated. We will be departing in twenty minutes. Captain Yasushi has asked for your presence on the bridge.*

“Understood, I’ll be there… uh…. Momentarily.” Warren responded closing the channel, looking down at a smugly amused Jezzaria, “Jezz! Now how am I supposed to show up on the bridge with that…”

“Hmm” She mused coyly. “Probably shouldn’t, I better take care of that.” Warren never had a chance to respond.

Twenty minutes later, an only slightly breathless Warren arrived on the bridge, receiving a raised eyebrow from Excelsior’s Captain. “Cutting it rather close, Lieutenant?” Yasushi asked as he scanned the last of the information before departure.

Warren kept his face carefully neutral, “Unavoidable, Sir.” He said formally. “You asked to see me?”

“Yes, Is the Elerian delegation settled in?” Yasushi asked first. “We’ve done what we can to give them ample spaces on the ship attuned to their gravity, and signage to prevent accidents, but I’ve heard rumblings.”

“It not… the gravity sir… May we?” Warren responded carefully, nodding to the captain’s ready room. The two of them stepped into the more private setting, and Warren sat heavily into the chair opposite the desk.

Yasushi regarded the young officer with a studious gaze, “Talk to me son. I need to know if something is brewing during this voyage.”

Warren sighed inwardly. The delegation made up about a quarter of the surviving Elerian race, the Oldest of the Children saved from their planet. They had finished catching up in their education and updating on changes wrought while they were asleep. These Oldest had requested, and obviously granted, permission to travel to their home planet to participate in its recolonization. There was only one real problem with the situation. “Jezz wishes to continue to Delmar, but she is the defacto leader of her species. It is, chafing in some area’s.” Warren finally answered.

“Ah, I see.” Yasushi leaned back into his chair. “Has she told them that She is not staying?”

Warren shook his head, “No sir. She knows she has to stay. It’s just…. It’s just obvious that she hates the reality of the situation, that I must continue to Delmar. It does not help that Many of her people see our relationship as hurtful. They see us as narrowing the genetic pool from which they can recover.”

Yasushi’s eyes softened slightly in understanding, “Atticus’ research?”

“Almost complete sir, it’s all but certain that the Corth placed Elerian DNA in the Human genome. He believes that We could be the key to the genetic diversity needed to jumpstart their species, but… They don’t know that.” Warren sighed, “It’s all still heavily classified pending the conclusion. Her people don’t know what she has put herself through to ensure accurate data. They just see me as stealing their future, and her as a love struck girl playing at leadership.”

Yasushi nodded, bringing up the progress synopsis on his consol, “It appears that Atticus requires only one further ‘experiment’ before his conclusions can be reached. Do you know what that is?”

Warren shook his head, “Sorry, Sir. I don’t. We are to meet him in his onboard lab after lunch. He’s fastidious about records, I’m sure you will know by the time we leave his office.”

“Hmm,” Yasushi mused, taking a moment to review the update before closing it, “I know this is hard for you. You two have been thrust into quite a bit above your stage in life. Let me know if there is anything I can do. Dismissed, Lieutenant.”

Warren saluted crisply, following Yasushi out to the bridge just in time to watch the small convoy leap into slip space. His feet slowly guided him back to the quarters he shared with Jezz, feeling the shift in gravity as he passed into the Eleri safe parts of the ship. It would be a two month sail to the Elerian homeworld, and Warren was not looking forward to its conclusion. His thoughts were interrupted by raised voices, one of which he was intimately familiar with, coming from around the corner, and Warren accelerated his gate.

“You know we barely have the numbers to survive! Instead of doing your duty, you’re bedding that heavy worlder!” It was the oldest Elerian male, Bregan, flanked by two other Elerians. They had ambushed Jezz against the door to the quarters Warren and her shared.
“Back up Breg, I don’t care that your father was pappa’s top general. This is not the play you want to make right now. I am Warren’s, and that is not changing.” Jezz’s voice was stern, and she noticed Warren arrive around the corner. The smallest shake of her head kept him from barging in. Elerian female leaders were a prickly thing, and because He was not Eleri, she needed to do this on her own. They had talked about it, expecting something like this once the first complaints had been whispered. Jezz was still kicking herself for not spending more time with her people, but she had also been instrumental in the Gate project that promised to bind the galaxy more tightly than ever before.

Breg openly scoffed at Jezz, “A woman, ordering me around? Maybe Your precious Human will have an accident.” He sneered, blatantly reaching for Jezz’s wingtips, “Then maybe You’s search for a proper m… UGH!” Warren winced as he heard the tale tale cracking of bone. Jez had slapped away Bren’s outstretched hand before driving her fist into his side. She had underestimated her power, having lived for over a year in various gravities that exceed that of her homeworld, and Bren doubled over with eyes wide as he fell to a knee. He clutched his side, glaring at Jezzaria, “Bitch! I’ll have you brought up on charges! Let’s see your precious human get you out of an assault charges, with witnesses.” Bren sputtered, and his two friends nodded angrily.

“Go ahead, but I do not think you will be successful.” Jezz pointed up to the corner of the corridor opposite Warren, “All hallways are rigged for video and audio. Every threat you have made was logged in the ships computer the moment you puked it out of your pathetic mouth.” Warren had to stifle the chuckle that threatened to escape his lips at the pure vitriol in Jezz’s ton. “As for witnesses, you can come on over, hun.”

Warren put on severe expression, locking eyes with Bregan even as the young mans eyes bugged out of his head. “My husband has been watching for quite a while and would make an excellent witness.” Jezz’s smug expression nearly broke Warrens facade as he crossed his arms in front of the three.

“Hmm, threatening the murder of a Naval officer.. Attempted assault on a reigning monarch… Getting recorded doing so, not a good look.” Warren rumbled, and Breg spat at his feet.

“Fuck you.” Bren spat, “If you believe that to be true, why did you wait for your woman to fight instead of protecting her, coward.”

Warren openly laughed in the boy’s face, “you assume my woman needed saving from you. She’s soared on Luna and Conquered the gravity on Ceres.” Warren paused as a profoundly contemplative expression washed over the three boy’s faces, “What makes you think you were anything close to a threat to MY mate.” Warren growled the last part, making the miscreants take an involuntary step back, “Now get out of here. And get that rib checked out, I heard it break from over there.”

The three Elerian boys scrambled down the hallway, unable to flee on wing because of the narrow space. Warren waited for them to round the corner, and felt Jezz collapse into him almost instantly after. Warren quickly opened their door and pulled her in with him, “Hey, hey, hey. Shhhh” He soothed rubbing her down patch between the base of her wings. She melted into him, but continued shaking for a moment. “Their gone, it’s ok now.”

Jezz took a long shakey breath, “I… I don’t know what to do…. My people are so scared… and I can’t tell them that we need Humans to recover our numbers. I… I don’t know what to do…”

Warren kept rubbing her back, “I’ll have lunch brought here. Breg doesn’t need to see that he shook you.” And Jezz nodded, and a few minutes later a pair of cold cut sandwiches arrived. The two of them ate, Jezz curled up in Warren’s lap. Violence was not a natural decision for her, and it had been the first time she had struck anyone outside her occasional sparring with Warren. Warren partially blamed himself for her not knowing her own strength. He always allowed her to strike at him as hard as she could, knowing that she was incapable of hurting him with her bare hands, and she had gained enough speed and technique to occasionally get through his admittedly average hand to hand skills. He had still not taught her to shoot Kinetics. He worried that she would be simply too fragile to shatter bones should she get behind one of his pistols, or even his rimfire rifle.

They were just beginning to leave when a knock at the door interrupted their clean up. And Warren opened the door, his face a serious mask as he prepared to deal with more of the… “Atticus?” He asked as the Androgenous Corth stepped into their quarters. “I thought we were meeting you in your lab?”

“You are correct Warren. However, after word of Jezzaria’s little incident spread across the ship, I thought it best to have this conversation somewhere more comfortable.” Atticus stated in his usual analytical tone, waving to the seating in the pair’s living quarters. Warren raised an eyebrow and the uncharacteristic catering to circumstances from Atticus and settled onto one side of the queen bed in the corner. Their compartment was spacious considering Excelsiors size, but still lacked any major furnishing outside of the bed, a place for clothes and a chair for the desk which held the computer console. Jezz sat down next to him, and Atticus pulled the desk chair to face them.
“What’s this about Att.” Warren asked, picking up on the small tells that told him that Atticus was stalling.

Atticus flashed a smile to Warren before responding, “I’ve completed my research, at least, as much of it I can without more direct observation, and I am unwilling to ask that with so few Elerians left.” He began, holding up a hand to Jezz who was already opening her mouth to protest, “I have already found some remarkable discoveries regarding you. As you are probably aware, being able to adapt to Luna, and even Ceres should not be possible for your species” he continued looking a Jezz as he spoke, “None of your people, who tried anything like that before have succeeded.”

“But Atticus,” Jezz asked in confusion, “I’m fine… I’m better than fine. Warren and I spent a weekend on Luna to say goodbye to his parents. I don’t have to be tossed to fly there anymore.” Atticus raised an eyebrow and Warren nodded in confirmation.

Atticus seemed to freeze for just a split second, as if adding the information to something before his eyes focused on the two of them again, “I’m impressed, but not entirely surprised, Jezz. You’re ability to adapt has an explanation, I simply needed to prove my original findings from Ceres.” Atticus leaned forward slightly, “My dear, you are an anomaly because of your relationship with Warren. I’ve been told that I am too direct, so I will attempt to be… less so” Atticus gave Warren a semi sharp look as he snorted, but continued, “Both of you already know this first part. My people, many many eons ago, used the fledgling Human species as a library of genetic markers meant to be able to save those species and cultures wiped out by the Cataclysm. What I have learned is that Humanity took many of those genetic markers and evolved with them as their own. Almost nothing of what we added to Humanity’s genetic code is how we left it, but some of our library is still capable of interacting with the origin species. That is what has happened with you Jezz.”

Jezz looked shocked for a moment, but then returned to her confused expression, “But, we haven’t done any of those experiments yet. You told me they were too dangerous.” Warren rubbed her shoulders but said nothing, simply waiting for Atticus to explain himself.

Atticus nodded, “I did, and they are; but I failed to account for something that was already happening naturally. To put it… delicately… Your body has been naturally been exposed those same Genetic markers, including the Elerian ones, in significant quantities since you and Warren chose to become life mates. Because those genetic markers include a hormonal component to them, and because of the extra strain your body had been put through on luna and ceres; your body has reacted to them, using them as a template for survival. Your bone mass has tripled since you travelled to Ceres, and your Muscle mass and composition has dramatically changed as well.”

“But how… Oh..” Warren’s face reddened as his mind finally put the pieces together, and Jezz’s cheeks flushed a bright blue upon her own realization. “But that would mean…”

Atticus shook his head, “No, luckily being able to monitor Jezzaria’s health has led me to a much safer way to help jumpstart the Elerian species, but there is a catch… I believe that this level of artificial genetic hybridization can only be done during the embryonic stages of Elerian life to be 100 percent safe, but I wont know until I study a….. natural hybrid.” Jezz’s breath caught in her chest as her eyes widened but Atticus raised his hands quickly, “I cannot ask this… but I know you would be angry with me if I hid this fact from you. I know the two of you desire children, and I will not lie. It is still a great risk. I’ve learned that the two of you prefer to make your own decisions, so I want you to do so with the most recent information. I’ll leave everything here for you to review.” Leaving a data stick on the desk, Atticus stood. He began stepping toward the door as the stunned couple stayed where they were, “I’ll give you some space. I am sorry for the heaviness of my findings.” Atticus opened the door and stepped out.
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If you made it this far, Thank You! I hope you enjoyed the episode. If this if your first time seeing this series, I hope you will join us from the beginning. I do have a patreon that has extra content that is not main story arc, but still cannon shorts, as well as exclusive content from some of my other series. If you believe I've earned it, feel free to give it a look; but know that just coming to hang is already enough.
Have a wonderful rest of your day.
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What are some good suppressors for a firearms collection? I have a SilencerCentral Voucher I won to spend. No particular budget, it depends on value, but I generally assume $1k is a good starting point.
I have a 9mm Suppressor for 9mm Pistol, and Omega 36M/Omega 300.
These 3 give me a lot of flexibility, not sure what would be a good 4th/5th?
I'd like suppressors for a 308 Hunting Gun, an AR-15 and a Future 300 Blackout SBR, Future 22 Rifle/Pistol.
Would love people's opinions on any Suppressors they feel would be ideal for my collection/purposes.
Advice I'd love are things like "None of your suppressors so far are 556 Specific, I'd recommend a 556 specific one for your AR-15 because..."
Because I'm still working out if maybe I should get a 556 specific one. I'd probably also want a 22 suppressor in future, 556 would presumably work well on that too.
Supressor doesn't need to be SilencerCentral but I'd love some Banish recommendations as voucher limited to those.
UPDATE: Thanks so far for the feedback. I'm leaning to either Banish Backcountry as this looks like a great hunting suppressor or a dedicated rimfire e.g. Banish 22 given I have the larger calibers well taken care of.

Hi all,
I came to rifles and handguns relatively recently, after spending a lot of time doing only shotguns. I mostly like guns for the technical/sporting side, and a big part of me developing in shotgun has been the large # of local meets available, which gives a sport shooter hard deadlines to train for. It's also been a great way to meet a lot of people I would not have met otherwise.
I'm hoping to do the same for rifle and handgun, but am pretty lost re: the lay of the competitive landscape. Shotgun competition was easy to get into, as the sport is pretty centralized, and there are governing bodies for trap, skeet, and sporting clays, which makes it convenient to participate under standardized rules. The list of necessary gear is also very short and straightforward. Rifle and handgun on the other hand seems quite the opposite. Online I see mention of various 22 and higher power events but it's a bit overwhelming and I don't want to dive into what might turn out to be a dead end event that has few shooters, does not meet regularly or near me, is only popular in corners of Scandanavia, requires exotic guns, optics, and ammo, etc.
So far I've participated in a some local 3-position get-togethers shooting 22LR at 100 yards, and just found out that they have regular NRL22 shoots at a local club, which I'll be going to, but that's it. Can someone who's been around this block please clarify what the more "official," if you will, competitions are and if there's some sort of circuit we can just hop into as a low-class shooter? Doesn't have to be just rimfire, of course. Thanks.

If this doesn't belong here, I'd appreciate you pointing me to a more relevant sub.
I have a Marlin 25N in 22LR, with a Weaver 2.5x scope on it. I love shooting it and have realized that shooting small targets far away is the type of shooting I enjoy. That said, since I can't afford a centerfire setup at the moment, I'd like to get into precision rimfire stuff. Therefore I have a couple questions, mostly about PRF matches.
First, does anyone know of any precision rimfire matches near central Washington? The only two I know of are in Idaho and the very tippy top northwestern corner of WA, about 3 hours away. I don't want to drive 3 hours to try something new with entry level gear, so if there's something more local I'd love to know.
Second, what would you guys consider to be the bare minimum for scope magnification for a standard PRF match? I'm not worried about dialing for holds yet, and would like to keep the scope on the less bulky side. I've been eyeing the Leupold Rimfire 2-7 scope at my LGS.
Third, if I do find a PRF match, what should I expect? What kind of targets are they, and is it bullseye shooting from far away, or just getting a hit on a target? Are people generally as nice as they are at USPSA and Steel Challenge matches?
Fourth and final (for now), would you guys consider CCI Standard Velocity to be good ammo for this kind of thing? I like it because it seems to shoot well and is relatively inexpensive.
If you got this far, thank you. If you respond, double thank you! I appreciate any insight you guys might have.

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Federal Premium has numerous ammo lines encompassing every aspect of shooting, ranging from hunting, target shooting, plinking, self-defense, and competition. Federal Ammunition produces rimfire, centerfire handgun, centerfire rifle, and shotshell ammunition, as well as reloading components and muzzleloading bullets.
In 1989, Federal Premium Ammunition released its brand new jacketed hollow point design, the Hydra-Shok. Hallmarked by its unique tapered center post inside the hollow, the Federal Hydra-Shok hollow point has been meeting the needs of American law enforcement and concerned civilians for personal defense and concealed carry for over 30 years.
The tapered post is designed to direct fluid and soft tissue into the side walls of the bullet cavity, maximizing expansion and weight retention and creating a large wound cavity to quickly stop threats.
The Federal Premium Hydra-Shok was designed to meet or exceed all the FBI specifications for handgun ammunition. This means the Hydra-Shok should perform well when fired through different barriers such as heavy clothing, drywall, and auto glass while still achieving 12-18” of penetration depth into ballistic gelatin.
The Hydra-Shok remained unchanged for nearly 28 years until 2017, when Federal Premium introduced a new offering, the Hydra-Shok Deep. The new design replaced the classic center post for a pyramid inside the hollow point. The result was increased penetration without sacrificing the benefits of an expanding bullet.
Initially launched with a 135-grain 9mm load, the Federal Hydra-Shok Deep was also adapted to 40 Smith & Wesson, 45 ACP, 38 Special, and 380 ACP.
At the time of writing, Federal Premium Personal Defense Hydra-Shok 9mm ammo comes in two varieties, loaded with either a 124-grain or 147-grain jacketed hollow point. Federal Hydra-Shok Deep is currently only available with the initial offering of a 135-grain JHP.
Although the Hydra-Shok is viewed by many as an outdated design compared to the new HST, the Hydra-Shok still offers civilians and law enforcement an exceptional hollow point cartridge that is an excellent choice for both home defense as well as concealed carry.

Our Federal Hydra Shok 9mm Review

When I load up my EDC Glock 19 or Glock 26, you can bet that Federal Hydra-Shok ammo is always loaded in my mags. This self-defense ammo simply works. It’s a proven design that is trusted by law enforcement agencies and civilian shooters across the USA.
Federal has a long history of producing exceptional handgun ammo. It’s accurate, offers extremely reliable expansion, and exceeds the FBI testing requirements for all barriers, including auto glass and drywall.
For me, this is one of my all-time favorite self-defense rounds on the market for the 9mm Luger. The 124-grain Hydra-Shok is my preferred EDC bullet weight. The nickel-plated brass cases feed like butter through my Glock, and I’ve never had any issues with FTF (failure to fire) or FTE (failure to extract) malfunctions while testing at the range.
In terms of accuracy, this round is more accurate than I am, and the controlled expansion makes it a great choice for home defense or concealed carry. If you’ve ever looked into the ballistic testing that the FBI and other law enforcement agencies have done on the Hydra-Shok, you’ll know that this round performs exceptionally well in ballistics gel and in the field.
Overall, this is one of my top choices for self-defense ammo. I’d easily rank it on par with Speer Gold Dot, Winchester PDX-1, Hornady Critical Duty, and Remington Golden Saber. Simply put, this is a round you can trust your life with, which is what every shooter looks for in defensive ammo.

What’s It Best For?

Federal Premium Hydra-Shok ammo is an excellent choice for self-defense. It’s reliable, has controlled expansion to reduce the change of over-penetration, and is extremely accurate. Its nickel-plated brass cases offer smooth and reliable feeding and are also reloadable.

Disadvantages

Although there are not many downsides to Hydra-Shok ammo, it is an older design, and many shooters prefer the newer Federal HST. Also, defensive ammo is never cheap, and Hydra-Shok ammo is no exception. There are also some reports of Hydra-Shok hollow points failing to expand through thick clothing.

Pros and Cons

As much as we love ammo, we understand that no manufacturer is perfect. Here are some of the pros and cons of Federal Hydra-Shok 9mm ammunition you should be aware of.

Pros

• Reliable
• Reliable expansion
• Passes FBI ballistic gelatin testing
• Used by law enforcement
• Extremely accurate

Cons

• Older design compared to HST hollow point
• Pricey
• Concern over failed expansion through thick clothing

Variation Review

At the time of writing, there are three different defense loads for the 9mm Luger Hydra-Shok. Below you’ll find our individual reviews of each option available from Federal Premium.

Federal Hydra-Shok 9mm 124 gr JHP

This is my personal favorite Hydra-Shok load and what I carry daily in my EDC. The 124-grain bullet weight is a classic choice for the 9mm Luger as it offers a great balance of stopping power and penetration. With a muzzle velocity of 1,120 fps and a muzzle energy of 345 ft-lbs, this defense ammo is a great choice for subcompacts like a Smith & Wesson Shield or larger handguns like a Glock 19.

Federal Hydra-Shok Deep 9mm 135 gr JHP

The Federal Hydra-Shok Deep is the latest evolution of the Hydra-Shok jacketed hollow point. Designed for exceptional penetration, meeting the FBI’s desired 15” into ballistic gel, the 135-grain Hydra-Shok Deep is an exceptional choice for duty or concealed carry. With a muzzle velocity of 1060 fps and energy of 337 ft-lbs, the Hydra-Shok Deep has more than enough stopping power for any threat that crosses your path.

Federal Hydra-Shok 9mm 147 gr JHP

The 147-grain Hydra-Shok is my handgun ammo of choice for home defense. The heavier bullet weight and lower muzzle velocity help reduce the risk of over-penetration while still providing reliable expansion. With 1,000 fps and 326 ft-lbs at the muzzle, this defense ammo is sure to handle anything that goes bump in the night.

Our Testing Protocol

When testing defensive handgun ammo, I want to see unquestionable reliability and excellent accuracy. Although I might not be a bullseye shooter with a handgun, I can hold my own in a competitive setting.
For this ammo test, I’ll be shooting the 124-grain Federal Premium Hydra-Shok at a range of 7 yards, as this is the distance most self-defense shootings occur per law enforcement reports.
The test firearms will be my personal Gen 3 Glock 19c and Gen 5 Glock 26. Both handguns are in my EDC rotation and should offer representative data for this test. Sadly, I do not currently have access to ballistics gelatin to perform penetration testing; however, I’m confident this personal defense ammo will have no problem meeting FBI penetration and expansion standards.
I am happy to report that Federal Hydra-Shok ammo met all my expectations. The nickel-plated brass cases fed and extracted flawlessly, and I had no issue with failure to feed (FTF) or failure to extract (FTE) malfunctions. I had 100% reliability with these rounds, which is what I would expect from Federal Premium Ammunition.
From an accuracy perspective, these rounds were clearly more accurate than I can showcase with my mediocre handgun shooting skills. The best 10-shot group measured 1.75 inches center-to-center on the extreme spread. With a more accomplished pistol shooter, I have no doubt those groups could be tightened up to 1-inch or less.
Overall, I’m extremely impressed with Federal 124-grain Hydra-Shok ammo. It met all my expectations for reliability and accuracy and further vindicates my decision to carry this ammo in my concealed carry Glocks.

Parting Shots

It’s true that the Federal Hydra-Shok is an older design, but just because something is old doesn’t mean that it won’t get the job done. These rounds are reliable, accurate, offer excellent expansion, and are trusted by law enforcement, which is more than enough of an endorsement for me.
Federal Hydra-Shok 9mm ammo is a great choice for concealed carry, home defense, and will have no problem stopping a threat to your life or the lives of your loved ones. Make sure to check out all of the Federal Hydra-Shok ammo we have in stock, and we’ll see you out on the range!

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some questions we get asked a lot here at Ammo.com about Federal Hydra Shok 9mm ammunition.

Is Federal Hydra Shok 9mm worth buying?

Yes, absolutely. This 9mm Luger defensive ammo offers reliable expansion and is extremely accurate. Federal Hydra-Shok ammo passes all the FBI ballistics tests and is trusted by law enforcement and civilian shooters alike.

What is the range of Federal Hydra Shok 9mm?

Federal Premium Hydra-Shok 9mm will be effective at traditional self-defense ranges and up to around 50 yards (if you’re a good shot).

Is Hyrdra-Shok ammo illegal?

Not at all; Federal Hydra-Shok ammo is not illegal in the USA.

What is the difference between HST and Hydra-Shok?

The HST is the newer jacketed hollow point from Federal Ammunition, and it is designed for extreme, consistent expansion through all barriers specified by the FBI ballistics test. The Hydra-Shock utilizes a central post to aid in expansion, while the HST does not. Both are excellent hollow points, but most shooters prefer the newer HST design.
Federal Hydra Shok 9mm Review: An American EDC Classic originally appeared on Ammo.com

I want to pick up a Ruger 10/22, but none of my local FFLs will touch them because they are semi-auto even though the semi-auto ban is specific to center-fire. The only place I've found that will sell it so far are big box stores like Sportsman's Warehouse and Cabela's. I would rather support a local FFL if possible though.
If you have bought a semi-auto rimfire since 1240, where did you get it? I'm located in central WA.

So I recently was looking at improvements for my 2 10/22's. One is the standard, wood stock 10/22, the other is the 50th Anniversary contest "Appleseed" model.
Heard about the M*Carbo spring kits, figured for $13 it was worth a shot. Saw the reviews, and was genuinely excited about the possibility of improving the trigger pull on these rifles.
Full disclaimer, on my older 10/22, I'd already gone through and polished the seahammer engagement surfaces with a honing stone. I DID NOT go aggressive enough to change the angle (see the rimfire central trigger tuning section for that whole process). This was strictly just to remove the tooling marks and polishing the surfaces. The older rifle had a pull of about 3.5 lbs. And the M*Carbo kit did.... honestly, nothing. Trigger pull weight remains unchanged.
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So I decided to try the newer 10/22. Measured trigger pull, and it measured at 5lbs, 8 oz exactly. So I changed the springs, and literally did nothing else. Reassembled it, and checked the trigger pull. 5 lbs, 5 oz. Reduction of 3 oz.......
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So I disassembled the rifle again, polished the engagement surfaces (again not changing geometry), and re-measured. 4lbs 9 oz. So 5 minutes with a honing stone did more for this rifle than this trigger spring kit.
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Now based on reviews, it looks like a lot of people have had great success with this spring kit. Just wanted to share my own experience on 2 different rifles.