No use for FMJ

[Wolfdog91]

Am I the only one who never really buys or reloads FMJ ? Don't really have a purpose for it since all my shooting just kinda falls back to trying to put a round in a critter. Dont like having to change my zeros ( nothing like missing a coyote because your zeroed for FMJ but slapped in a VMAX , ask me how I know lol) all the time and that whole " good nuff pie plate accuracy dont still well with me) so I just load stuff I can actually hunt with. I mean don't get me wrong you can hunt with FMJ.....but head shots are frowned upon apparently lol.

[deltaenterprizes]

FMJ is cheap practice ammo and I use it for training and qualification.
Punching paper with expensive projectiles is a waste of money!
Unless you are the Federal government and it ain’t your money!

[imashooter2]

I don’t load much FMJ. Not because I hunt, but because I find soft points have better bases and more accuracy and cast has lower cost.

[farmbif]

exactly the way I think about it. I sure aint no benchrest, high-power or competitive shooter, ive never thought it to be wise to load fmj bullets when good hunting bullets like game kings or bulk soft points can be had at same price or less than fmj or match. even for 22 cal like 223 always bought cheap soft nose bulk bullets rather than match bullets. I dont load cast bullets in full power rifle calibers like 556, 243, 6.6, 270, 308, 30-06 these I load and shoot hunting bullets. ive played around with cast in 30-06 with 311299 but dont think anything I ever loaded shot faster than maybe 2100 fps. and when I bought handgun bullets they also were hollow or soft point and steared clear of fmj
also in a lot of places it is illegal to hunt with full metal jacket bullets

[johnsonian09]

I only load cast. Or j words for hunting. If it don’t expand from being lead or by bullet design I don’t shoot it.

Only exception is when I buy mil surp. 5.56.
I get a day to plink around and brass to just reload or turn into 300blk brass if I need more of that. But I don’t zero to mil surp ammo.


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[Hick]

I use lots of FMJ in my 223 rem-- but for one special reason: My favorite 55 grain FMJ load at 400 yards just happens to have the same zero as my favorite cast load at 100 yards (open sights). So its just a case of whether I feel like going to the 400 yard range or the 100 yard range to play.

[MUSTANG]

Almost all my .223 is FMJ (Flat Based open tip 60 Grain) that I swage using 22LR brass.

About 40% of my 30 calibers are FMJ (RBT and Flat Based 175 Grain) that I swage using 5/16 copper tubing.

Rest of 30 calibers are a variety of Cast Bullets.

Used to use predominantly surplus FMJ's for Rifle Matches.

[Winger Ed.]

When I was still hunting, I used Game Kings or cast.

In the old days, you could get FMJs pretty cheap.
I'd buy .30 and .50 cal. GI bullet pulls in bulk from Jeff Bartlett.
Factory seconds in 5.56 were and are commonly available for about 1/3 the price of buying premium ones.

[megasupermagnum]

There was a time you could buy 5.56 FMJ for really cheap. Today, FMJ is still cheapest, but the prices are not that much less, so I can see where you would rather just shoot the hunting ammo for everything. The discrepancy is even greater in reloading. Pulled FMJ bullets, while not great, were SUPER cheap, as was pulldown powder. That all went out the window before the last shortage. Today the military is not allowed to sell hardly anything ammo related. Pulldown bullets are pretty much the same price as better quality new softpoints, so it makes no sense to load pull down bullets right now. The best is usually factory seconds on things like the v-max, although 22 caliber bullets just are not that big of a concern for price.

So I agree with you 100% if you are reloading. I don't shoot any FMJ at the moment. If the price is the same, a V-max is almost always more accurate than a FMJ, and even in handguns, a hollow point is usually more accurate than a round nose.

[pworley1]

I shoot a lot of fmj bullets but not in the same rifle that I use for cast.

[M-Tecs]

Back in the 70's and 80's when I did a lot of fur hunting I played with FMJ's in rifles to minimize fur damage. They worked as intended but I lost to many coyotes so it offset the fur damage lost.

Quality FMJ's in rifles don't give up much in accuracy. The bulk GI type varies greatly. Some is very good and some not so much. I load a lot of 55 grain FMJ's for new shooter usage or for myself for 200 yard off-hand practice.

In 9mm and 45 ACP I purchase and load a lot of them.

My service grade M1's don't shoot 175 Hollow point Match bullets any better than they shoot 173 grain FMJ's. My National Match M14/M1A will hold 3/4 MOA with M118LR with the 175 Sierra's. With the M118 173 FMJ's it's more like 1 1/4.

It all boils down to the application. Most people miss due to lack of trigger time. If FMJ's get them shooting more that's a good thing.

[GhostHawk]

My Range does not like FMJ's as many of them have a hardened penitrator which tears up the backstops.

They check jacketed ammo with a magnet.

Once they learned I cast all my own they no longer bother to check mine. Not going to find any.

Its fine for cheap blasting/plinking ammo. But it does not normally expand so it is IMO pretty much worthless for hunting.

Was designed to INJURE not kill humans.

[HWooldridge]

You didn’t specify caliber - 45 ACP FMJ will knock a lot of game on its tuckus. In my twenties, I had a Colt 1911 Series 70 that shot 1” groups at 50 paces if I did my part. It accounted for a large share of small game and I would not have hesitated to shoot a deer if one had walked by during season - aim to break the neck behind the head and it’s either a clean miss or a kill.

[slim1836]

I reload both, was reloading prior to casting my own. Some weapons are set up for one or the other with labeled ammo stockpiled for each. My handguns are mostly cast, with stockpiles for specific ones and lots more in bulk. Since I reloaded before casting, I still have many projectiles other than lead in my inventory.

It was fun shooting jacketed reloads for my Tikka T3 Varmint (MOA@100yds) in my DPMS AR-10 last week. Not as tight groups by any means, maybe minute of hog but all were on paper at 200yds. I have never tamed the "jump" I get shooting my .308's off the bench, my skills are lacking there. Sounds like another subject to post.

Slim

[Texas by God]

I loaded 100 Hornady .308" 147gr fmj for my .300 BO for practice because I got them cheap. Same for some Sierra .243" 90 gr fmj that were discontinued.
Other than that, no. Not even in my .223 AR15.
I also use hunting bullets (including cast)the most because I hunt.
FMJ bullets are illegal to hunt with in Texas as well.

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[M-Tecs]

- aim to break the neck behind the head and it’s either a clean miss or a kill.

For 37 years I hunted next to management area that had lots of swamp grass and lots of deer. Head shots were commonly taken by the people hunting there since the head was generally the only part of the deer they could see. Almost ever year I would have to put a deer out of it's misery since it's jaw, snot or throat was shot off.

Hardly what would be termed as a clean miss or a kill.

[HWooldridge]

For 37 years I hunted next to management area that had lots of swamp grass and lots of deer. Head shots were commonly taken by the people hunting there since the head was generally the only part of the deer they could see. Almost ever year I would have to put a deer out of it's misery since it's jaw, snot or throat was shot off.

Hardly what would be termed as a clean miss or a kill.

Not doubting your experience but the cripples we see here are either shot with arrows or gutshot. Our neighbors used to wound 2-3 every year; one of their boys was a really bad shot.

I never had an opportunity to take a shot at a deer with the 1911, but I was confident where it hit because I tried to shoot a few clips most every day - I’d get off from work and head to the woods…

[1Papalote]

I just bought FMJs for 223. I use them for varmints and turkeys. I have the plenty of varmints that need killing. Not a bunch of meat damage on the turkey but effective.
My granddaughter practices with them prior to the hunting season. She uses a 243, so 223 is way cheaper.
I do head/neck shoot deer when conditions are right but not with FMJs, using Hornady soft points. I've taken 10 wtd/axis with 223 head shots.
I seldom shoot a 22 LR anymore

[Mal Paso]

I just bought 1,000 FMJs in 223 To get started in this caliber cheap. I couldn't get 350L brass but I get pelted regularly with 223 at the range so that brass gave me something to do while I waited. I paid $.08 per bullet compared to hunting rounds for as much as $.40 and the 55g FMJs appear to be the standard for bulk commercial ammo. If I ever take this beyond plinking, I'll get hunting bullets.

[imashooter2]

Almost all my .223 is FMJ (Flat Based open tip 60 Grain) that I swage using 22LR brass.

About 40% of my 30 calibers are FMJ (RBT and Flat Based 175 Grain) that I swage using 5/16 copper tubing.

Rest of 30 calibers are a variety of Cast Bullets.

Used to use predominantly surplus FMJ's for Rifle Matches.

FMJ has an open base with lead exposed and a closed tip. What you are swaging for .223 is not FMJ. What you are swaging for .30 might be.