Thread: FMJ on animals

Originally Posted by Marty Henry

Nathan fosters website is a mine of info, he reckons that the norinco 55gr .223 would perform as well as hunting ammo something to do with the bullet design makes it work as Eugene Stoner intended

Unfortunately he is prone to making claims on calibres he has not used or extensively experimented with.

I've shot foxes with FMJ that I loaded up for my Sako .222. Unless cleanly headshot, they would run around 80 metres, then drop. Sometimes, their livers would be hanging out of the exit hole. FMJ are only good if the intention is to sell the pelt.

I use to file the tips off the 6.5 ammo I use to use it was wicked how it opened up on animals I managed to get a sample projectile ive got still someware

Northdude: what ammo/bullet were you using? Could you put up a pix of the sample?

it was ex mil ammo I use to get real cheap rarely you see it come up on tm ill see if I can find the sample and get a pic

Remember our govt deer cullers were issued .303 jmf and they shot a few deer. Shot most of my life with FMJ ammo in .303 and 7.62x39mm. Had never really shot anything else until I won a national hunting competition with a No4 and FMJ. Won a Mod7 in some new 7mm08 cal for that, it kills deer to.
Some of the guys I have hunted with never shot Deer, Pigs, Whap or Thar with anything else but .303FMJ.

Of course a FMJ can and will kill animals...but why would you use FMJ when there are so many better options available?

Even if you have an endless or cheap supply, what's the point of running a greater risk of badly wounding or losing an animal, when a better suited projectile would kill it faster and more humanely in most situations!

Originally Posted by Matt2308

Of course a FMJ can and will kill animals...but why would you use FMJ when there are so many better options available?

Even if you have an endless or cheap supply, what's the point of running a greater risk of badly wounding or losing an animal, when a better suited projectile would kill it faster and more humanely in most situations!

+1, show respect for the animals you hunt and do your best to prevent fuck ups.

Used 7.62 X 39 FMJ out of an AK for rabbits and hares many years ago before they were naughty MSSA rifles. We were quite surprised how shit ammo was at clean kills. Sights designed for shooting at people didn't help as wasn't precision shooting. They were normally running, but 30 shot Banana Mag did as you needed to turn them into a furball sometimes.
A carefully placed .22 win powerpoint out of scoped JW-15 seemed better or 870 12G but not half as much fun.

My best guess is say a modern SST would have say 3 x potency as a FMJ in same ammo, no data or anything to back up just an opinion. Unless you get into FMJ bullets tumbling, or hollowing out as mentioned above which I would have no idea on....

Interesting the post about filing them flat. Must do some testing.

Be careful, if you file off too much the lead will leave the barrel and the copper jacket could get stuck in the barrel. Next shot could be your last so check the barrel each shot you fire

Originally Posted by Toby

Be careful, if you file off too much the lead will leave the barrel and the copper jacket could get stuck in the barrel. Next shot could be your last so check the barrel each shot you fire

Don't think that's quite how it will work mate.

Originally Posted by Matt2308

Don't think that's quite how it will work mate.

It has happened a lot, wether it has killed anyone is another question.

I have my grandfathers old rifle that has a fucked barrel from this happening.
My father just clipped the tips off with side cutters for close bush hunting-one day he took to much off.

Fmj is a misleading name as most jacketed projectiles are formed from "cups" of the jacket material-on fmj the remnants of the open top of the cup is at the back while soft point/hollow point/ballistic tip hunting ammo has it at the front.
So if you take to much off the front the high psi of the propellant could push the core out.

You used to be able to buy kits that took a "safe" amount off and created a hollow point.
I doubt they would be considered safe today.

there was an article in a nz gun mag where they took the projectile out and turned it round and shot it backwards apparently it worked well they were shooting goats with it