Hunting & Fishing FMJ's for hunting...why not?

[jayd4wg]

just curious...i know many states (most in fact) require "a bullet designed to expand on impact" but after a quick observation in the backyard just now i'm left wondering why exactly.

I got a couple boxes of Magtech .308 FMJ's as replacement for a bad lot and was asked to give them a try and see if they have the same issue the first lot had. The first ones if you care to remember would lock up my bolt and the brass could not be easily extracted. This new lot has exactly the opposite issue, and the rounds are a little tight to chamber...not bad, just snug. they extract fine without firing, and well..I thought lets see what happens.

I fired one into the ground off my back deck at a distance of about 2 feet. The ground buckled a little and there was a small smoking hole where the bullet entered the earth. The brass extracted just fine. Looks like i'll be using these at the range for more trigger time.

Then i went to find my bullet. Like a first time teenybopper, i stuck my index finger in the hole to see how deep it went. got to the second knuckle and discovered that the hole started getting bigger. Alot bigger. I got busy like i rented a 2 dollar whore and ended up being able to put my whole hand in the hole...and make a fist with NO problem. Grapefruit at least, and nearly 12 inches long. I pushed...found the bottom where the hole begins to narrow and stuck my fingers as deep as they would go into that hole and just felt soft disrupted dirt. I'm willing to bet the volume of this cavatation was in excess of a liter. 6" diameter, nearly a foot deep before it narrowed and the bullet was still going.

I got a shovel. I was not looking forward to excavating the backyard...hell all my neighbors that heard the blast would likely think that crazy hillbilly up there just shot his dog and is now burying it. Far from the truth but urban discharge of a firearm immediately followed by shovelling is NOT looked up on lightly. Regardless...dig i did...and I was able to completely excavate the hole. It was big. i wish I had taken pics. Shooting, digging and taking pics together....never crossed my mind. If enough of you beg and plead I might do this exercise over again...but in the end, I never got to the bottom of the hole to find the bullet. I found pieces of it, and some heavily frag'd rocks, but no large-ish chunk of shiny metal.

My observation...anything that can produce a cavity like this will likely be the kiss of death to ANY north american cloven mammal. Seriously. that said, i'll abide the law here in Pennsyltucky...but DAMN that hole was impressive.

 

[rrflyer]

Re: FMJ's for hunting...why not?

If an animal were made of dirt and compacted earth you would probably have a good point.

Try shooting it through a piece of pork or side of beef and tell us how it works.

 

[coldboremiracle]

Re: FMJ's for hunting...why not?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: rrflyer</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If an animal were made of dirt and compacted earth you would probably have a good point.

Try shooting it through a piece of pork or side of beef and tell us how it works. </div></div>

+1

 

[jayd4wg]

Re: FMJ's for hunting...why not?

to a point i agree...hard pack dirt will STAY in a nearly permanent cavitated state after the shot, much like clay will.

Water does not. Critters are mostly water, with bone and some tissue to hold things together. My point is this...the amount of energy and the immediate cavitation caused by the bullet seems pretty substantial to me. Am I going to hunt with FMJ? Hell no...i don't need the ticket. but i'm fairly certain that with a good boiler room shot, the shock alone would soupify the lungs and cause massive tissue tears in major organs like the liver (which will break or rupture just from DROPPING it...the liver is actually a very fragile organ)

I have zero doubt that FMJ's would do the job...i know for a fact that modern expanding bullets like the SGK and others do a BETTER job too.

I really was simply amazed at just how damn big that hole was yesterday. I showed it to the wifey and she got that sick queezy stomach look she gets when she thinks about the business end of guns. She's not a big fan of bang sticks, and is less of a fan of me introducing them to my kids. BUT...some things are not negotiable. But that is another post all together.

Hunt safe guys. I can't wait to put a couple notches on the .308 this year. I just have to remember to trust my crosshairs. I missed my first deer this year already because of a double holdover during a red tag hunt. this won't happen again.

 

[hoytshooter]

Re: FMJ's for hunting...why not?

here's a follow up question that probably should be another topic. i'll ask it anyway. what .308 round is most favored for hunting deer? i bought my first .308 and have only fired fmj's thru it. planing on using it this season. touching holes at 200yds with the fmj's so i'm loving it! thanks and good luck everyone!

 

[GCMxVeGeTa]

Re: FMJ's for hunting...why not?

I don't think ours require expanding bullets, but HP's are the same price here but as far as reloading I like a nice Hornady AMax.

 

[Roach570]

Re: FMJ's for hunting...why not?

i am also from pennsyltucky, and in my area, i usually hunt in the mountains, so having a FMJ go through my deer and keep going just isnt safe.