5.56 FMJ As Defense Round

I

IanS

New member
How is its performance as a defense cartridge and is it any different from the rounds the military or police use?
 
Depends...

Winchester Q3131 IS labeled as 5.56 mm so it should be just like M193 Ball. Its even boat-tailed and the bullet base looks just like mil over-runs.

OTH, brands like PMC, Sampson Hirtenberger and even possibly IMI may not be the same as good old M193.

As far as terminal ballistics, when fired from full length barrels,its very lethal to 300 yards. The temporary and permanent wound channels surpass most FMJ 7.62 x 51 NATO rounds, the only notable is a German made, steel jacketed round that does the same split at cannelure and fall to pieces.

If you still think its a wimpy round, try hitting a basketball at 300 yards with any battle rifle under enemy fire. The hit rate is where the kill is made, not by how big of a hole it makes. I know most soldiers can almost double the rate of aimed fire when using the M16 over the M14 or Garand. There are very few soldiers that could make the FA effective with the M14, bipod included.
 
I've got a homestead in the country and that's all I have in my mini-14. I feel pretty comfortable with 25 rounds of PMC FMJ. Best, J. Parker
 
For defense inside the house, I reach for my shotgun. If I were called on for some reason to defend the homestead outside, I'd reach for one of the AR's with standard SS109 ammo.
 
On coyotes and jackrabbits to 100 yards, I've seen no difference in exit wounds between FMJ and SP. Equally yucky.

Art
 
I have seen a difference in match vs varmint rounds.

This is in .308, but with a 168 gr Sierra Match King bullet I merely wounded a coyote in the leg and never saw him stop for several hundred yards with a barely noticable limp. With a 125 gr TNT HP I hit another coyote in the same place on the front leg and he went about 5 feet and didn't move. The exit wound was tremendous. There was a large difference in the hollow point and the match type hollow point. I would assume the same for .223 as well.
 
This is nothing more than personal prejudice, but I have no use for any .22 that is not a rimfire.

For home defense, the 12 guage Mossberg M-500 is first in line for long guns, and an SKS comes up next followed by a Marlin M-30 .30-30 WCF.

Doc Hudson
 
Doc,

No use for a 22 cal other than a rim fire? Have you ever seen what a M-193 round does to a man? I've use both the M-193 round (M-16) and the 7.62 NATO (M-60) in close ground combat and the 193 does make big exit holes.

Turk
 
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