[Lumpy76]

This is probably a stupid and easily answered question. Me and my uncle have been trying to find out what it means when the bullet sayes Ball on it.
ie. 30-06 Ball ammo Is it the shape of the lead?
Thanks, Matt

[Funderb]

Just means its stock, run of the mill ammo.
Not HP, steelcore, or anything special.

[res45]

FMJ or Full Metal jacketed ammo used primarily buy the military.

[rcmodel]

Actually it means fully jacketed lead core military type ammo.

.45 ACP 230 grain FMJ is ball ammo.
30-06 in various lead core FMJ military loadings is Ball ammo.

In military lingo:
Cartridge, 7.62 NATO, Ball, M59 is the 150 grain FMJ loading.

Carried further, it means it is not tracer, armor piercing, incendiary, explosive, or otherwise different then plain lead core FMJ.

In civilian circles, it means a FMJ military type bullet, as opposed to hollow-point, soft point, etc.

rcmodel

[Lumpy76]

Thank you very much.

[Funderb]

sorry, forewent the FMJ part with my answer.
I am so used to everything in FMJ that I forgot that some people are still shooting in the past! :p

[Vern Humphrey]

Ordinary ammo. The old days there was ball and blank. Other types were added in profusion in the next couple of centuries, but the standard run-of-the-mill issue military ammo is still called "ball."

[rcmodel]

+1
Musket balls were truly balls, Minie balls were not!

But once established, military nomenclature for the standard bullet dies hard!

rcmodel

[arizona98tj]

Ball ammo is......well....it's ball....and it comes in several flavors too! :D

http://www.stu-offroad.com/temp/ball-1.jpg


http://www.stu-offroad.com/temp/ball-2.jpg

[Funderb]

Oh, welcome to THR by the way, lumpy.

[Lumpy76]

Thanks. I've been lurking around here and TFL for awhile now. Love these sites.