Ballistic Helmets - Too Much Protection?

[rlsmith1]

At what point is the headache not worth it? In other words, maybe it will stop a 308 but that’s a TON (or more) of energy transferred into your skull/neck. Maybe it stops penetration but is it really going to matter? At what point does it not matter?

I totally understand that head impacts are usually not direct impact so most of that energy is not transferred directly into the noggin but that also negates the need for a higher rating. Very impressive rating on a 3.5lb helmet nonetheless.

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[rlsmith1]

I’m happy with the number of holes in my head as it is too. I’m sure the ops core and other engineers know where just the blunt force will do the same thing as a hole (scramble brains). No doubt the hole is a surefire way to do the scrambling though

 

[elwarpo]

Not 308, 7.62x39 AK round. Significantly lower energy. Really depends what you expect to go up against. Bugging out, most likely not. Deploying to an area where AKs are common, most likely.

 

[rlsmith1]

Hopefully some sponsored YouTuber does an uber scientific test with those fake heads with one or more of those helmets. Could be a good time.

If they don’t stiffen the neck we won’t get max damage tho

 

[SRPowah]

Bugging out, most likely not. Deploying to an area where AKs are common, most likely.

This really nails it. People wanting to play soldier during a hurricane are very different than actual soldiers deploying on a mission where shots are almost guaranteed to come your way. If you need a helmet in a SHTF situation, you likely already made some fatal mistakes.

I will gladly stick a lot of weight on my head to be able to use thermal and NV though. That is an advantage even in shitty situations on the home front. If it offers some protection, that is a nice bonus.

 

[rlsmith1]

I love how everyone assumes it’s a SHTF question automatically. Just thinking out loud. I don’t even own a ballistic helmet (bumps for me, less weight is better) but the advancements are still interesting to me

 

[Ledzep]

I think it was InRange that had a youtube video on some 'top tier' ballistic helmet comparing it to the cheap shit and I just remember my take away for both instances (cheap and expensive) being that anything over fragmentation or a .22 I'd probably wish I hadn't been wearing the helmet.

 

[SRPowah]

I love how everyone assumes it’s a SHTF question automatically.

We aren't assuming its a SHTF question. We are pointing out that the weight is absolutely worth it in some situations and overkill in others. You asked:

At what point is the headache not worth it?

If I am kicking down doors in some sandbox where everyone and their donkey owns an AK variant and racks a few off at you every other day, I wouldn't mind risking the headache. If I am sitting around protecting my property in a natural disaster, the headache isn't worth it.

 

[Matches Malone]

I know a few guys that took a bullet to the brain bucket. One to the NVG mount on the ol’ mich 2000

I can tell you that everyone neck was fine…

 

[TxWelder35]

Was watching on of the YouTubers shooting lvl 4 plates with a 338lm, armor stopped it but good god, I highly doubt you would survive the trauma. Those ceramic plates have a lot deformation on the back side.

Take away, don’t take a rifle round.

 

[rlsmith1]

We aren't assuming its a SHTF question. We are pointing out that the weight is absolutely worth it in some situations and overkill in others. You asked:

If I am kicking down doors in some sandbox where everyone and their donkey owns an AK variant and racks a few off at you every other day, I wouldn't mind risking the headache. If I am sitting around protecting my property in a natural disaster, the headache isn't worth it.

Maybe I didn't clearly ask the question then, that's on me. I think we can all agree we wouldn't wear a 5 or 8 lb helmet rated for 50 cal because the 50 will very likely kill you either way. I think the same can be said for 338 Lapua / Norma. I'm wondering at what point does the weight / ballistic rating become purely for saying "we can stop it, but you'll still have a scrambled noggin from the blunt force."

I only ask because these helmets can defeat (stop penetration) some rounds with serious kinetic energy while still weighing 3.5 lbs. I use a bump because I don't like the ballistic weight (coyotes don't shoot back ) but the fact they can have such a good rating on such a light helmet is awesome.

Again, I'm asking a question I'm sure some scientist / engineer knows and has thought of and still decided it was a good idea to produce a rifle rated helmet at this price point. Neato

 

[culater]

You can never have to much protection

 

[gimpy]

Was watching on of the YouTubers shooting lvl 4 plates with a 338lm, armor stopped it but good god, I highly doubt you would survive the trauma. Those ceramic plates have a lot deformation on the back side.

Take away, don’t take a rifle round.

There are definitely ways to survive it. Just not many. One of our mortars took a .50 to his back plate from less than 400 yards and lived to talk about it. That said, it was a glancing ricochet. Some national guard on the towers at LSA Anaconda didn’t listen to them announce themselves doing a dismounted patrol after dark. Tower opens fire, everyone hits the ground and go ballistic on the radio. The plate was pretty well disintegrated on the right lower third and his back was bruised pretty bad.

 

[TheGerman]

You don't need one.

Ballistic helmets since basically WW1 (and probably before) were designed to stop the way that artillery generally killed you, short of a direct hit; by launching shit into the air, to then come down ontop of you. The ballistic protection helmets afford you today were tested versus something like 12 grain weight projectiles; again, mainly to protect you from high velocity fragments.

Has it saves people before? Yes.

Will you benefit from a heavier ballistic helmet over a lighter bump helmet for your nightvision? 99.9999% no.

I don't even wear ballistic helmets.

 

[rlsmith1]

Not 308, 7.62x39 AK round. Significantly lower energy. Really depends what you expect to go up against. Bugging out, most likely not. Deploying to an area where AKs are common, most likely.

There’s a night vision company not on this site that says these helmets will stop M80 as well as x39 steel core bullets. I don’t see M80 mentioned specifically on the Ops Core site or any other vendor site though

 

[jMarine]

I couldn’t imagine what that would feel like, a 308 thumbing you in the helmet.