Thread: FMJ on animals

Originally Posted by Yukon

It's a long time since I loaded with FMJ, but I'm pretty sure that the base was open, which is the reverse of a softpoint, where the copper covers the base. I can see a situation where the jacket could be left in the barrel if both ends are open.

Quite right. The construction is shown in a diagram here. If you file the top off an FMJ all that is holding the core into the copper jacket (Or full metal jacket) is the shoulder or taper at the front. With the availability of the SP or HP projectiles I would not suggest altering an FMJ into anything else. The risk of damage to the gun and your person is definitely there if it is done wrong. Note that of you take the tip off a FMJ then all you have is a metal tube open at both ends with a heavy core in the middle. The resistance of the rifling in the barrel pulls the hard metal exterior but if that distorts there is nothing pulling the core back hence where it leaves the possibility of having a jacket left in the barrel after the core is gone.

Originally Posted by timattalon

Quite right. The construction is shown in a diagram here. If you file the top off an FMJ all that is holding the core into the copper jacket (Or full metal jacket) is the shoulder or taper at the front. With the availability of the SP or HP projectiles I would not suggest altering an FMJ into anything else. The risk of damage to the gun and your person is definitely there if it is done wrong. Note that of you take the tip off a FMJ then all you have is a metal tube open at both ends with a heavy core in the middle. The resistance of the rifling in the barrel pulls the hard metal exterior but if that distorts there is nothing pulling the core back hence where it leaves the possibility of having a jacket left in the barrel after the core is gone.

Ive shot some 303s and 308s that had the nose pinched off with some pliers, the ballistics resembled a slinky. If you smacked a goat with them tho it was game over.