I completely disagree. People stockpile thousands of FMJ because it's cheaper, it's the most common, and still very effective. In 2024, 99% of people (including myself) dont have the disposable income to stockpile "defensive rounds." My suggestion is to get more accurate. The type of bullet doesn't matter if you can't hit what you want, where you want. Shot placement is far more important than bullet selection.
@unclefreedom213 I think you're too hung up on this defensive load stuff. Some of it is great, don't get me wrong, but I think you're doing a disservice to your audience by telling them FMJ's are not a viable option. Especially when you consider the current economic state and what's actually commonly available. No potential threat is going to care what ammo you used after getting shot in the face. Again, shot placement is everything. Training is key.
@@airborneivan "Man, I sure am glad that guy is shooting at me with just regular ol' ball ammo!" lol Don't get me wrong, I love this guy's videos and his opinion on things, but @UncleFreedom I think the idea of defensive loads is kind of irrelevant - longevity, in my opinion, is far more desirable in any SHTF scenario... I have never been shot at, never served or anything like that. But I do know for a fact that anyone that has been shot at, probably wasn't thinking to themselves "Oh shit, i really hope that guy isn't using 77gr Mk262 black hills ammo". I also do not think most of us civilians would be able to shoot sub MOA groups at 100yds under immense stress of being fired at.... I'd rather have 10,000 rounds of M855 than 5,000 of the gucciest ammo available.
@@WillPerry-ez9rn WHAT HE SAID!!!!!!! In spades! Got multiple flavors of ammo on hand - The key is putting shots on target. Everything else is meaningless jabber. Punch holes that let the blood fall out. Mission accomplished. Doesn't matter if it's 20-30 cents (OK, OK, so inflation made that number obsolete before I even hit "post") a shot FMJ, or the latest, greatest, ultra-mega-mondo super-duper 10 dollars per round ammo.
Problem with thousands. Who is going to carry this weight out. In a vehicle maybe. But different guns; different calibers. It’s ALL weight. If SHTF carry a mag or two for 2/3 firearms and bury the rest secretly. If you’re still alive you can get ammunition and maybe upgrades. It all comes down to weight. I’d rather carry an extra canteen of water on hikes.
@@im2lostIn SHTF, you wouldn’t want to be alone, so having a stockpile would allow you to give some to friends, family members, neighbors, etc. in your clan who are less prepared and of course you can always barter for food, batteries or other items
@@larryh311plus, if you have the ability to bug in and it's the wiser choice for the scenario, you won't have to worry about moving it all. You'll have the extra stocked up. I do think it's smart to bury extra arms and ammo in case you have to bug out from your home for any reason. Having a hidden stash would really be beneficial.
With almost 30 years in treating GSWs in ERs I can tell you that a hole is a hole, and it's always bad. I have seen cases where a HP was used for a head shot and did not penetrate. The vast majority of head shots were using FMJ and it always did the trick. I also saw a lot of non-fatal fragmentation wounds on the thorax and abdomen, which pretty much makes me question the value of $1.50 a shot ammo. My practical experience says not much, especially for hardened targets, like a skull unless you T-box the bad guy. You do you but I'm not spending $35/box to train with my defensive ammo.
First, thank you for your work in the ER and the countless lives you saved. Something I always wondered, do you get all the GSWs into your ER or is there a more benign subset with muscle tissue pass throughs that get treated somewhere else? Thx
You show a great ammount of knowledge about the rounds ballistcs and pro and cons about this or that ammo . I appreciate you sharing that with us here and it is interesting. I see a small problem when people are getting lost in their religously believe in what works and what not works anymore just because something is a little better than the other .There is no doubt that hollowpoints are better regarding stopping power . I call myself halfway knowledgable when it comes to guns and ammo. In the end a hole is a hole and fmj will kill you as dead as every other bullet. And in every decent caliber fmj will always penetrate enough Fmj will kill and take you out the fight. especially in a shtf situation when no emergency room is working any more. First thing to have is a working gun and a bullet that will reliably go bang when you pull the trigger. Second is that the bullet needs to have the penetration to punch throu vital regions of the target which leeds to the main point - you gotta hit that spot. Everything else , all the benefits of expanding bullets etc are just a slight improvement . Yes , you should have premium self defense ammo in your personal firearms you should test it for reliability in your gun and you should have a couple boxes of it stashed. The other main reason why law enforcement and civilians are usig HP- ammo is that you do not want to hit bystanders because of overpenetration and legal reasons . For an shtf i would feel not undergunned if all i had was fmj .A quality fmj will always feed better and more reliable than any hollow point , it will penetrate obstacles better and it costs maybe a third.If I stash ammo for shtf - and i do in an - for me reasonable amount -it is quality brand fmj. I gues everybody does according to his prioritys . Chances are imho pretty good that in any realistic shtf situations most other things are of way more importance than that if my ammo is fmj or hp. You can have the best gun and gear and the newest technology gear but it will make no difference when a low life shoots you a .22 l.r. bulk pack round nose bullet into your backhead to get your stuff. Probably we will die of old age before we went trough the first box of our stashed ammo for shtf reasons. For me its having a reliable gun or a couple , practise with it on a regular base and to have a certain ammount of reliable ammo stored. Then i call it done. To many others things to do.
I hear what you are saying, and if it works for you great, but what I saw in Iraq and Afghanistan and the insurgents, they got the job done with bolt action rifles and dirty trashy rounds because they knew and used the terrain and quick hits in guerilla warfare. So my stockpile of clean packaged cared for ammunition will do me just fine. I respect your thoughts though for sure
think of what they can do now that they have 1billion worth of high quality arms from the usa. i bet we left alot of ammo too. we probably left it so they would kill each other with it
@Sageofthe16 yet we went hand across America because some guy lost his canteen or getting counseling because I "misplaced" a headspace&timing gauge for the M2
@unclefreedom213 from what i understood, the guys who were in Afghanistan were told to leave personally issued gear, and not worry about it, only to get billed for it after returning home.
Hate to break it to you brother, FMJ is very effective. The problem with it is that it's effective on anyone and everything behind the target as well. When SHTF, most people arent gonna give a damn about people they dont know. Sounds shitty but thats the way it is and it aint changing
What’s behind em likely ain’t great for you either unless they’re assaulting your party pretty sure a round looses alot of its umph after going through almost a foot of tissues tho
Ok 1st off, let me say this…… you are blessed and highly favored if you don’t know or can’t understand the concept or circumstances why most “common “ people stockpile FMJ or whatever they can afford without the pleasure of being able to have deep pockets and buying a abundance of expensive rounds for every weapon In the house. I salutes you young man………. For the regular day to day Americans… please buy what you can afford don’t let anyone try to make you feel less armed or incompetent because you don’t have a team with deep pockets…… imagine stockpiling thousands of expensive ammunition and talking down on what they feel is less than themself just to “God forbid” get clapped In the noodle by a rusty .22 revolver with a bent fmj bullet….life is truly funny like that…..God bless America and stay humble and always be grateful for whatever you have.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. FMJ is not about "that's what the military uses and it's good enough for them". Same can be said about the AR platform and the 5.56 everyone seems to be so obsessed with. Most people get one because it is the caliber Uncle Sam uses and the AR looks similar to an M4. More or less exactly what was being griped about on FMJ. The AR is far from the most ideal. Lowest bidder is so called for a reason. When you can't just use the 203, LAW, M136, or hose a doorway to keep the targets pinned down so you can call in CAS, that seems to be the infantry SOP, then it's limitations become real clear. We be civilians, not NATO. We must rely on direct bullet contact. I don't have FMJ because it is the cheapest or it's what the military uses. Or because, "I'm uneducated or set in my ways"....... I use it because it is the most reliable out of my weapon systems I have, A 200gr FMJBT will kill you just as dead as the wonder bullets that transfer 10,000% of the earths energy during a solar eclipse while mercury is in retrograde when put into the target at an obtuse angle. And it will do it well past the range that the 5.56 becomes a 22lr. I'm not impressed by the new garbage. Plus I'm too damn old to go out and spend several thousand on new weapons and probably $80,000 on half a million rounds of modern ammo and spare parts. I'm trained and effective with what I have and got enough ammo and parts to last a long while. But just wait 20-30 years. Everything you got stocked up on and are crowing about will be replaced by the kids with the newest rifle and bullet combo that is far superior to all others. And someone will say the exact same thing that you said on why you shouldn't get the older stuff. And if anyone actually thinks a FMJ is inferior, ineffective, or obsolete. Stand down range.
"And if anyone actually thinks a FMJ is inferior, ineffective, or obsolete. Stand down range." EXACTLY! Forget criticizing someone's 9mm or rifle ammo stocks....all of that is easy to kill/disable with. Sh!t, today's pellet guns can do some good damage. Most of these experts have not been shot to honestly say it doesn't matter what you get shot with.
Is it ok if I use wheel weight lead in .45colt and 45-70? I do have other stuff but it's just hunting and varment stuff . Ball ammo I have may even be corrosive.
@@daleharvey3278 Cast for big heavy slow bullets is fine for shorter ranges. It beats harsh language or a rock. I use a lot or cast LRN for subsonic .308, where jacketed is an unnecessary extra cost. 45Colt isn't a long range cartridge, 45-70 really isn't either. Cast will kill something just as dead as any bullet if placed properly. If it's what you got then go for it. If the 45-70 will kill an 1,800lb cape buffalo then it should take anything ya want. And lots of people in the old days were dispatched with a 45colt.Just don't expect any anti armor or barrier capability.
@@daleharvey3278 Most wheel weights *used* to be lead, but a lot of them are aluminum now, so make sure it is lead and I would suggest adding around 2-3% Antimony and the same of Tin by volume. This should give you a solid hard-cast lead bullet that will work better at higher velocities and help prevent leading. I would recommend using a copper gas check for the .45-70 if you intend to bump up velocity past around 850-900 fps. Haven't dealt with it in a while so there may be better options available than what i've mentioned here.
@@billyholman4495 the wheel weight lead I have is alloy,not zinc,zinc has a laquer coating. You can add stick on wheel weight or linotype and harden by quenching. 2400 in magnum pistol,and 3031 and I've had no leading issues,using a good lube.
If I am 1. Reacting to contact, or 2. Breaking contact, it is on minimal consequence which ammo I am using. I don't expect my girls to be making shots outside of 100M. The biggest threat I see us reacting to is getting away from the city. Covering fire cares not if its 55 grain or 62 grain, getting off the X is my concern.
Hmmm 🤔. I suppose if you have the funding for thousands of round of Federal Hydro-Shok or whatever your favorite flavor is this is not bad advice. That said, if it’s a matter of having 500 rounds stocked vs 5,000…. I’d say go with the 5,000
500 might work for Spartans but we know what happened to them (Yes I know it was 300 🤫) when the numbers dropped. 5000 when used in a defensive position will last longer than 300!
The video that changed my mind AWAY from this young mans opinion, because I was once in this mans camp was the Owner of Patriot Armor. He showed that Level 3 and even 3+ rated AR500 Plates CANNOT ALWAYS STOP CHEAP 223 OR 5.56 FMJ... when they can stop 62gr 556 and 308... WHY? BECAUSE ITS FREAKING GOING TOO FAST AND ITS TOO DAM SMALL. So you wanna punch through a plate carrier... 18"-20" AR15 firing cheap 556 FMJ under 200 yards will have the best chance to do just that.
FMJ also have a tendency to tumble. Plus if you "poke a hole" in someone's chest cavity you probably collapsed a lung severed several major arteries in effect rendering the target neutralized. This what I was taught in basic training. Training with the M16 a 5.56 round and a 20 inch barrel which was accurate and deadly at 300 meters. The 300 meter target was used in testing and that's what the DI's were saying. Had no reason to doubt them.
The delusion is thinking when the SHTF, you are suddenly going to be blessed with the skills of Wild Bill Hickok. Training is good, but nothing like the real thing. Real combat has a 10% hit ratio. That 300 rounds of expensive, premium ammo aren't going to last long when over 270 are going to end up in the bush.
@unclefreedom213 why don't you give answers instead of acting pissed off and ridiculous? Remember...informing people the right way without acting all crazy is beneficial to everyone who would be fighting on our side. What is an affordable, accurate, devastating, and obtainable round to stockpile. That is something I didn't get out of your rant of of a video
friend is an ER nurse in chicago and she told me most deaths and serious life threatening injuries are from 9mm FMJ and 22lr. not saying it's good but it gets the job done.
Reminds me of the scene from Armageddon where Steve Buscemi says we are sitting on 4 million pounds of fuel, one nuclear warhead and a thing that has 270,000 moving parts all made by the lowest bidder.
This is the issue with getting into the numbers in the science too much. A fast bullet is a fast bullet. FMJ does damage because of the energy it dumps into the area AROUND the hole. That EPR you mentioned is 2.50 a round. It's better to have 5 times the ammo, than have ammo that, when it hits, does a bit more damage than the other, still lethal ammo.
I mean I did say that it was a terrible financial decision. Yep shock works but the temp cavity and shock is much better with a round that always performs
@Tmanowns thank you. Defensive Load's offer incremental performance increases just to do the same job where shot placement is of a much higher priority.
@unclefreedom213 it's always performing, it's just not NEARLY as effective. Right now, hollows are vital in a home defense and hunting scenario. No doubt about it, that in the event of a break in, you want them dead, and for you to not deal with the hassle of a lying survivor claiming something else happened. And the less rounds you put in them, the easier your defense case will be. In a SHTF situation, volume of fire is vital. Even if you're able to afford a lot of ammo, being able to afford 4 to 5 times as much is better. But, to each their own. You're financially able to afford more quality ammo, and that's awesome! But I know I would pick ammo that performs at 80%, with 2-3 times the stockpile. God bless, and thanks for the reply!
@Tmanowns I will always advocate having better performing rounds in a gunfight I don't want marginal or it could do this or even the shot placement argument. I agree shot placement is paramount but you're not gonna 1 shot stop a guy in a running gunfight even in Sims force on force with highly competent accurate shooters. Low percentage shots and incapacitating shots are minimal even from 30 feet away. And this is with guys who've all seen the elephant, know what to expect and are pinpoint marksman. Shot placement goes right out the window on a two way range, so in my mind I would rather my primary ammo be as nasty as possible if I connect with thier hip joint, gut, thigh hell even thier arm. I'm all for having a ton of 193 I have close to 50k rounds of it but it is not and never will be my primary. Always love a good debate, thanks for being sporting about it vs most of what I get..... Grrrrrr you're wrong because I spent money on this ammo and the military uses it. Makes my day to have a good intelligent convo with yall. Cheers
Fmjs will always be better at hard barrier penetration (ie cover or armor) than soft point or hollow point ammo because of penetration. That's why they use it in war. Expanding rounds are for civilian use because it functions better on unarmed and no cover targets. Use the right tool for the job. Both are good.
Basically, for every 200 rounds of FMJ I will buy, I will buy 100 rounds of quality self defense rounds. The reason is I train mostly with FMJ. But I also believe that FMJ will penetrate in certain situations where JHP will not. As a matter of fact, I stagger both types of ammo in each of my magazines that are loaded for SHTF. I have seen ballistic videos where JHP rounds did not penetrate deep enough into ballistic gel that was covered in a shirt and denim jacket. So, you won't hit vital organs if they are wearing a lot of heavy clothes. I think it's just good to have options when it comes to the rounds you stockpile, train with and use for SHTF.
I think another way to say what a lot of people are saying in these comments is: "Do you feel like a defense round is worth 2-3x an FMJ?" I don't think there is any question that a duty round performs better or has better terminal ballistics. That is pretty self evident. But if a good defensive round is $1.00-1.50 per round whereas I can get FMJ at $0.50 a round. I could basically mozambique every enemy I come across for the same price as putting one defensive round into them. In a SHTF scenario first and foremost the goal of anyone trying to survive will be to avoid gunfights. If you do get into one, do more rounds win or does terminal ballistics win? If you are going for long term survival without the ability to resupply it seems like you would favor round count in your stockpile. If you do get into a gunfight your first goal should be to lay cover fire and disengage. If you are assaulting people and positions in SHTF you are asking for trouble. You probably won't have medivac or hospital services, so anyone getting shot, even by an FMJ, could be a huge deal.
After reading this comment a second time after seeing someonw.else had comment. I suggest you get some training. Both with firearms and especially medical. Two holes doesn't equate more leakage. It equates to a larger volume being able to escape faster. What matters is the internal damage. The hollow point may leave a hole in the skin. Go watch some of Paul Harrels demonstrations. And those feom others that prove you logic to be very flawed.
A great deal of what you say makes sense, but when we're talking velocities produced by a .556, FMJ tends to liquefy organs on its pass through the body. Most emergency room doctors would much rather treat someone shot by a 9mm expanding round than a person shot with .556 FMJ for that very reason. The faster round tends to leave things, well, less patchable, for lack of a better term, than a hollow point in many cases. An FMJ at high velocity doesn't simply leave a neat, little tunnel that can me mended together easily. Now, if we're talking pistol rounds, I'd say expandable is better for "stopping power" at close range, but when we're talking high v rifle rounds, it changes the game entirely, especially when you're talking battle-type scenarios and not close-quarters self-defense scenarios. An added benefit to FMJ in a battle scenario is its armor piercing capability vs. an expanding round, IMO. Personally, I like to stock a combo of both--more FMJ than hollow point, though. I would never, however, put FMJ rounds in any gun I had in the home for self defense or for public defense for that matter. I'm primarily thinking of stocking ammo for if the proverbial sh__ hits the fan.
Depends on caliber. If you’re stockpiling 5.56 for your 16-20” barrel, m193 fmj is a violent fragmenting cartridge that also happens to be cheap. Also over stabilizing is a myth, a 1:7 twist vs a 1:12 twist will have no measurable impact on how your bullets will fragment in tissue. It will effect accuracy, however If you’re stockpiling 380, 32, 25, etc small cartridges, fmj is about the only projectile that will consistently penetrate enough to work well. If you’re stockpiling something like 308, 6.5 creedmoor, 30-30, fmj is not going to be significantly cheaper/more available than soft points. For service style pistols, 9mm, 40, 45, etc those are a wash. The difference in performance between fmj and jhp is pretty laughable. The amount of discussion and marketing that goes into jhps for these is insane when you can read reports from forensic pathologists that say that there is no discernible difference in actual wounds. The only calibers that you should actively avoid fmj are intermediate, non fragmenting rifle cartridges. 7.62x39, 300 blk, 6.5 Grendel, etc. In these rounds, fmj neuters them and is typically not significantly different in price than soft points. The fmjs are cheaper, but the price difference is worth the performance increase.
commenting so I can come back to this one but one point Srabilization has a direct impact on how bullets perform in tissue. Hornady spent ungodly amounts of money to find this oit for things like the 6.5 creed. Over stabilizing a round can cause it to dematerialize in flight or depending on bullet construction turn them into a drill. The twist rate on your. barrel has a direct impact. I have the rpm charts that show the connection between twist and terminals email me and I will send em to you. Really fascinating stuff
@@unclefreedom213 sure what’s the email? Also there’s a big difference between shooting a thinly constructed varmint bullet out of a fast enough twist to shatter it and shooting a known good fmj out of a barrel that doesn’t damage it. Also the rpm required to stabilize a bullet in tissue or water is insane, no rifle could get it that fast without destroying the bullet. There’s been numerous tests of 1:7 twist barrels vs 1:12 in gel and the results are always the same
Yeh, gonna have to disagree with you on this one. I'll take thousands of FMJ rds over hundreds of specialty rds any day, all day, and then some. When SHTF, definitely quantity over quality, and is FMJ really that bad? Nope it isn't AND I'd rather be comfortable knowing my training rounds are effective with the weapons I am using since i shot a lot more of them instead of those specialty rds. Honestly specialty rds have their purpose for LE and some military applications, but for me, those days are over and FMJ is my all around Go To rd.
It must be nice to have so much money that you can stockpile, and practice shoot with high end / overpriced ammunition. As a combat veteran and a retired big county Deputy Sheriff I can say that whether its FMJ or extremely high-priced ammunition the human body still goes down after being shot. So, for all the rest of us poor people that still stock and shoot FMJ rounds. we will be here with our 5K FMJ rounds long after your 300 rounds of boutique ammo has run out. BTW, a hollow point that goes through clothing and plugs the hollow point up makes it almost like a FMJ round.
You don't have to be rich. I've been stockpiling hollow points for years. I pick up one extra box from the range once per week, and overtime, it has added up to a lot.
@@silvermine2033 Not sure where you live but in Southern California even Winchester white box hollow points are outrageously priced let alone boutique hollow point rounds. Don't get me wrong here, I have hollow point rounds for my handguns but just enough to fill all my magazines for self- defense.
@@rangerup1804 They’re expensive in my state of CT as well, but instead of trying to buy bulk all at once I bought two boxes at a time every week when I went to the range, and have been doing this for the past ten years and it adds up to a lot!
@hopebrowning6300 Actually, hollow points can plug up when shooting through clothing. Shooting bare gel doesn't get you real life results unless all of your human targets go shirtless all the time.
The problem with the theoretical/hypothetical " This is the one _right_ way to solve problem _X_ ” approach to problem solving is it nearly always completely ignores the mountain of historical evidence that definitively proves "the _most_ _reliable_ way to solve _any_ problem in practical reality is a hodgepodge of tools/techniques based on the individual problem space and the training, experience, and resources of the person solving the problem”. Endless arguments on theoretical ideals ensue.
I stockpile thousands of rounds. You’re WAY overthinking this. For every 1000 rounds of (often the ONLY option available for bulk purchase) factory FMJ ball, I stockpile approx 100 rds of Hornady XTP bullets and load my own purely “defensive” loads. But I’m never going to shoot those rounds (or use them for barter) to the same extent as the FMJ. To use your example, I’d MUCH rather have 10,000 rounds of CCI Standard Mini-Mags than 1500 rds of CCI Stingers, but I have both in the same ratio. And I absolutely _will_ stockpile standard M193 and M855 / SS109 which runs just fine in a 1:9 twist barrel. By the way, even after the military changed the M16 from 1:12 to 1:9, the M193 round was still as effective terminally, without “tumbling” as people mislabel it, or being unstable gyroscopically. Bottom line, focusing on “defensive” ammo in your stockpile is limiting, not to mention ridiculously expensive, and again you’re WAY overthinking this. Most people won’t have anything put away, and will duck and stay away from you and drive to the next town without analyzing the composition and construction of the bullet that just flew by them. Thanks for your thoughts and for taking the time to make the video, but your thinking is way too involved on a relatively simple subject, and frankly, just a little elitist and dismissive. I’m sure you don’t intend for it to come across that way, but it kinda does, sorry. 🤷♂️
23:05 Travis Haley mentions in his video on 4th April (The Bridge #14) that he was using that mark 262 ammunition during his now famous stand in Najaf. Starting around 1h 12m he talks about its effectiveness out to range through a 20" barrel and then his interviewee talks about the issues they had using it through 1-in-9 guns. Overall Travis was happy with the 800 rounds of it he left out and about.
Also the Hornady black are defensive rounds but the 62 grain 556/223 are not hp but will blow a hole in you like you wouldn't believe. The 75 grain is the hp but both grains are defensive round. I highly recommend the Hornady black series they kinda pricey but they will stop just about anything.
The same people who say “good enough for the government” are the same people who will swap out the trash mil-spec trigger in an AR before they even take it to the range.
@@johnnysasakithethird1209 If I’m building my AR from a stripped upper and lower and parts, I believe I have total control over what the “stock” trigger is for that rifle. 😉
While M855 may not be the "BEST" round for self defense it will still be effective and is, or WAS cheap. The best round is the one loaded and in your weapon when you need it. If you have multiple AR platforms which most of us these days do then YES you need multiple load outs. I have different magazine's with different ammo for my 10.3" than I do my 16" and marked the mags for quick identification. Also why I later on added 300AAC for CQB home defense and an AR10 for distance and harder hitting penetration stuff. It ALL depends on your financial situation. If you can't swing the higher dollar self defense rounds and a couple length uppers, then by all means load up on your personal flavor length upper and all the 855 you can afford and then later on expand as you can afford it. This HAS always AND WILL ALWAYS be my advice for "THE BEST" And also why the AR platform is THE BEST to start with. It's superb, by popping two pins and swapping uppers, bam your 18" range toy is now your 10.3" home defense toy and later on it's now your 8.5" 300AAC suppressed loaded with 200 grain subsonics toy. Great video we all appreciate it!! It will definitely get people to think about it and stop following the trends on youtube. Well maybe........
I agree wholeheartedly... I use 55gr V-max as my Primary and have 55gr FMJ & 62gr Green Tip as Range Ammo and Ammo of last resort. Same with my 7.62, 165gr TGK as Primary and FMJ as Range/Backup Ammo. In 9mm I run 124gr Speer Gold Dots and FMJ as Range/Backup. I Zero my platforms with the good stuff and just deal with the irregularities of the FMJ at the Range.
It's a cost-effect, versatile round that can survive punching through light cover. It's not "because the military uses it;" the military uses it as a standard _for a reason_ . You can pick another round for a specific purpose, environment, threat; but it probably won't be best-suited should conditions change. HP / expanding rounds transfer more force as they're designed not to pass completely through the target, but the tradeoff is penetration. You can run TMJ, AP, w/e, but your costs will increase exponentially with very little practical benefit in return. FMJ is the 'sweet spot.'
Militaries know if you use FMJ, you're more likely to injure the enemy, which takes out more than one soldier in battle, because someone else has to drag the injured off the battlefield and tend to them medically, basically tying up 3 people instead of killing just one.
bull shit. a wounded man can still potentially fight. end the threat, dead enemy is also demoralizing. make the risk exponentially higher than the reward.
As someone who has done extensive research on this subject and has firsthand experience I disagree. M193 and M855 are excellent rounds to stockpile. Can you get more accurate rounds that cause more damage, yes, but you pay the price and not everyone has the budget. I rather stockpile 3x the rounds for the same price. Here in Canada we are limited on options and pmc x-tac 55gr m193 and pmc x-tac m855 are top options and can be purchased in a bulk 1000round package for cheap. I have shot pmc m193 in a 18.5 inch canadian made wk 180 at a 4inch gong comfortably at 440yds in prone position with semi auto fire. What's great too with 556 M193 and M855 is it has to meet the military specification and the primer and neck of the casings are sealed on top of being extremely reliable. For example, the lower pressure 223 spec rounds do not cycle properly in some IWI X95s. I do agree with the M855 stability and accuracy issues. PMC is extremely reliable, uses clean brass and clean propellant. The Federal XM193 AE 5.56 always has dirty brass. Also some guns just prefer certain types of ammo so its always good to try everything.
Im not going to mag dump 77gr 556. Suppression of fire will scare people more than thinking you are going to have time to take shots at individual people.
The difference in terminal ballistics *does not matter.* Especially in SHTF. Without immediate healthcare and pharmaceuticals, _any_ hit will have the same resulting effect. If tiny groups or giant holes were required, we'd issue expanding match ammo to every Joe. Trying to eek out the last few points in your long range match? Ethical hunting? Fine. Making hits that count? Not necessary. *It's not the arrow, it's the Indian.* Always has been.
yes it's the Indian but don't you think if pointed sticks were enough they would have ever knapped out arrowheads. We don't issue expanding ammo for the reasons in the video and logistics. We did issue better ammo the 855a1, mk262, mk318, m118lr all the way back to ww2 m2 match because we knew what we had wasn't working as intended
@@unclefreedom213So I’ve got Hornady Black 75 grain saved, as well as some MK 262. Mostly because my stores if they don’t have one they have the other, so that’s how it went. Should I choose to keep stockpiling both? Or should I move to just stockpiling one? If so which would you choose? And I use SPEER Gold Dot for Handgun Ammo. Is that fairly acceptable?
@@silasmadden5159 The best thing you can do is not listen to the guy in the video. For up close defensive rounds, use HP for anything else stick with FMJ.
Can you defend with fmj can you offend with fmj? You said it makes holes that's the point shot placement is also key. Hp ammo is not always consistent and can fill with debris cloth effectively rendering it a quasi fmj. I've seen gell test with hp from same box some mushroom some don't. And cost it's a big factor yes I'd rather have thousands of fmj rather than hundreds of hp. Oh and hard surface barriers fmj ALWAYS performs better. I'm trying to figure out why you think you are the all knowing expert. You are the expert of your own opinion not everyone else's. Just saying dude. Yes I do have some hp for self defense carry as over penetration is a factor.
The problem for most people is money. Premium HP ammo typically costs over $1 a round so they can only afford to buy a few boxes of 20 rounds at a time. I think 16in is the best minimum barrel length for an AR15 or AK. Good video. just I learned something new.
Just have both. I keep 6 pistol mags of hp ready to go and have 1000+ rounds in stock. Same with rifles, 5 AR mags of hp, 5 mags of fmj, and a few more boxes of fmj ready to go. A good mix of both is what you should strive for but I don’t see the purpose of having more than 2-300 rounds of hp for any given caliber. Once you get to that point just start buying fmj until you need to replace the old hp rounds.
I’m 5’8, 125lbs, high stamina. I live in an authoritarian state, and thus have to travel to the middle of nowhere to shoot. My Kit and firearms together probably weigh ~80lb+, including ~1000 rounds of assorted ammo. So to ur point, it’s absolutely possible to carry over 1000 rounds… I’m a relatively small guy, and can do it for around 5 miles of very tough terrain every couple weeks when I go shooting
They've been around a long time old times were turning around wadcutters, Keith bullets were drilled out and we ran soft bullets that flattened. Prior to that most died from infection from the wound
I like your comment,something to the affect of"if you don't get plugged right out of the gate". I agree that you shouldn't handicap yourself ever. if you have 5k FMJ maybe take it and get some training. as you train with it replace it with some good stuff.
Exotic ammo can be useful for some things. I have a few hundred 62 grain gold dot bullets I’m still doing load development on, and some Lehigh 62 grain controlled chaos that are pretty nasty. For SHTF though, in my opinion, the most important thing is what your weapon is zeroed with. Unless you are lucky, different kinds of ammo are not going to hit in the same place out of the same rifle or pistol. You need to pick one to zero with. My gold dot, controlled chaos, and 77 grain loads hit with one inch of each other at 100 yards, which is good enough for me, but they have different ballistic coefficients, so the gap will increase with distance. 55 grain m193 hits like three inches higher and right at 100 yards. Unless you have a different return-to-zero optic you can throw on for every different kind of ammo, you will have problems. Realistically, the difference in effectiveness of different ar-15 rounds isn’t very big. The best thing to do for shtf , IMO, is to zero with the most common round you are likely to encounter- probably m193. Likewise, zero 9mm pistols with fmj.
@hopebrowning6300 Nobody ever asked for their .40 back, don't lie lol. The .40 is literally the worst of both worlds, it's a pathetically weak 10mm at best.
If you have a feeding problem with a 1911, polish your feed ramp and make sure all your magazines present the top round angled up slightly not parallel to the rounds in the stack.
@@unclefreedom213 we did it because it was cheap, not because of the convention. My MK211 Raufoss rounds I used in Afghanistan are a prime example of us not abiding by the Hague Convention
@RickSanchez167 you're still off base but probably not for the reason you think. I love the m107 and m82a1 and everyone loved the M2. The ammo Mk211, AP, APT, API, APIT, Ball, etc. We never followed any rule and neither does any other country in regards to 50 cars or 12.7 soviet or the 14s. So why is that? The heavy bored rifle and machine gun is a purpose built anit material rifle and ammo ecosystem. Do we use it only for that hell no, but I can tell you the 50 round is list in our inventory as anti material and not anti personnel.
@@unclefreedom213yeah, it's not like FMJ has a higher amount of penetration, is able to more easily punch through cover, and body armor a like, over hollow point. It must be because of a treaty we didn't sign.
Okay okay so I get it you want the expansion. Okay what’s your thoughts on a 135 grain penta hollow point powder coated solid lead slug???? I ask because I have done some testing with this mold and it’s fairly effective. Obviously the reloader needs to use quality components. I can’t speak on 556 I’m still testing powder coated lead with that cartridge. I don’t think it will ever be able to compete against a copper jacket projectile. As far as speed is concerned but I’ll say this if shtf happened i sure wouldn’t want to get hit with one. Those mushroom real nice as well at around 1900 fps. As far as the m855 not being the absolute best. Yeah you most definitely correct however with that said. I have a mortgage payment I have a responsibility to make sure my refrigerator is full of food I need to make sure the utilities are all paid as well as 3.85 a gallon gas is in 2 vehicles every week. Right now is not the time to be telling people hay your ammo is only 70% effective. I’ll take 70% effective and have a metric F ton of it over 100% effective and have 300 rounds at best. Maybe bring this topic up when orange man gets in office and our economy isn’t in the gutter. But honestly I think IF orange man gets back in it’s going to take at least 3 years to fix the mess we are in at the moment.
It's only great if you forget everything important about small unit tactics , and the sheer reliability that a NATO cartridge offers to include feeding, crimp, swaged and sealed primer pockets etc etc
@@based_radio did I say do everything that he said in the video ? I think not. He just has a great viewpoint. Not saying that should be the standard. Good Day sir
As the DI said to my brother when he questioned the effectiveness of FMJ--"Would you like to volunteer to go down range and catch one?" Taking a combatent out of the fight is the point, not getting superior expansion and maximum tissue damage. Remember the adage about wounded and dead enemies? Wounded enemies take more enemy resources to deal with. I used to read a lot of officer envolved shooting reports. There's plenty of data where guys who caught 5-7-9-12 hollowpoints from 9mm, 40SW, and .45 did not stop attacking until the CNS was hit or they ran out of blood. Don't worry so much about what you have in your magazine. Just hope that whatever it is, you don't really need to use it.
Ok after watching 2 of your videos, you fall into the group of IF YOU DONT THINK LIKE ME YOUR WRONG. All you do is Lecture people and not have a discussion. I reiterate what I said on your other Stock pile video. Stock piling is not for hunting or self defense in your bedroom. Stock piling is for WW3 or Zombies and w that being said I don't care if it has to much penatration, that's what I want. Yes there's a difference from pistol to rifle, I'm more talking about pistol in this case. Rifle people will want greentip or OTM I'm more on the VMax side, I want explosive rifle round. I probably contradict myself from pistol to rifle but that's what makes America Great I can do what I want for my purposes and my OPINION. So am I wrong for thinking differently than you NOPE. It's what I choose and it will work perfectly!
you would be wrong. I fall into the I educate people I don't care if you take my advice or not. As I've stated a ton I don't have to come to YOUR gunfight. I'm analytical I study data and when you combine that with over 20 years of first hand data in military, ems, fire, search and rescue, and now LE. Not to mention comp shooter, handloader, and instructor. I pass on info you listen or you don't
Ok after reading some of these responses all I see is young guys that have not had any experience in ballistic sciences. I’ve reloaded ammo for 35 years experimenting with all bullet types. This guy knows what he’s talking about
@@corycarlson8712 definitely something brewing they know people are starting to gear up, sadly I just turned 21 in February feel like I’m just a little to late
@@Hillcountryoperations You got time homie.. Just remember you don't need high speed gear, get a set together and train. If you can find others to help you along the path!
There are some ok deals on bulk JHP handgun ammo. Its not some RIP round or a machined bullet, its basic, cast and plated JHP. FMJ isnt something i wanna be shot with. Especially not in a 357 or better. The cavitation in higher energy rounds will rearrange your insides, ball ammo or not.
I stack both. I do love Hornady black 75 grain HP. I got several thousand rounds of those at 1$ a pop. It get ridiculously expensive. I do have countless fmj rounds. Imho in shtf you use what you got next to you. I also came to the conclusion that some of the hp are not what they claim
Terminal ballistics are not the concern of anyone in the trenches of Ukraine right now. In order to fire and maneuver, you need to suppress with volume fire. Not a single war ever hinged on terminal ballistics of any particular cartridge. This is the least informed take ever. Stock up on NATO cartridges.
Fmj isnt optimal... But its proved over the years its absolutely lethal. The chopping block had a great gel m855 sbr video where he talks about how m855 hate is modern day fudd lore. "It just ice picks straight through". It can suffer from fleet yaw but on thicker targets like the ones your likely to come across it will work fine. Id take m855 over any of the best 9mm hps thats for sure. Get the best ammo you can for your budget. Start loading your own if you can. I get hornady 55gr sps for the same price as fmj so im loading up a stash of that. Only at around 500 rounds for now but moving it up everytime i go to the range. If you can afford mk262 or fbi bear claw for $1 per round go for it, if you can only afford m855 dont worry about it. It will work fine. If 9mm fmj is all you can swing go for it. Or of your budget allows for hsts or speed buy those. Or better yet start handloading. ruclips.net/video/mOJdv38Fypg/видео.htmlsi=4rrzVOH6xw6FarTG Also from the dark covid times experience having to use m855 for everything because nothing else was avalible... Its brutal. M193 can be even better out of a 20".
This is a truth I wish I had discovered earlier. Now all I stock is: .223 62gr bonded SP, 9mm Sig 147gr V-Crown, 12Ga 2 3/4 00 Buck and 22lr copper jacket HP. FMJ doesn’t get the job done as efficiently.
Hollow point not going through anything what yall think you won't have to shoot through a barrier to get to the target. Hollows aren't doing that. Stop listening to youtubers
@@GunsNGames248 critical duty and federal hst and speer gold dot and literally any other barrier blind offering would love to disagree so stfu this isn't the 1910s we know what we're doing now with handgun bullets. You can get offerings that do well even after passing the highly small arms resistant materials of plywood, drywall, a car door, etc
@unclefreedom213 if you're ever in a position where you need to break contact and not just assault forward in a close conflict, more is better. You will have much more capability slinging mags full of fmj to suppress and move than you would with hollow points. At the end of the day a well placed shot does the job, but when you need to sling large amounts of lead it's fmj all the way. The idea that it would never happen is pure ignorance. You never know when the SS will come for you. It's what happens when they do that counts.
It's crazy how you many people didn't listen and just said the things you knew they were gonna say anyway. But it made since to me, now when i pick up two hundred+ rounds of range ammo i get a box of defense ammo. Great video
In a defensive posture in SHTF, the objective is to stop the attack, not necessarily to kill. While a satisfying insta-ghost is best, will a dude after your resources keep coming if shot with a ball round? ... or will they withdraw and seek a softer target? In severe SHTF with little to no medical support, a gut shot is a slower kill due to infection anyway.
While i prefer HP's, FMJ's have done the job on battlefields for over a century now, including the two i spent where they got the job done. And if its a combat situation, you may need those FMJ's to punch thru objects to hit their intended targets.
Anytime a foreign object enters the human body it causes damage. Anytime the body is damaged it can't performe. A wound needs more attention than a death. This is only perfect common sence
According to ER surgeons, the most difficult gsw to treat is a 32 or 38 wadcutter wound. The wadcutter does exactly what it sounds like. It cuts a clean hole in skin, tissue and organs. Blood loss, especially internal is severe and its a very difficult wound to sew up. Also 5.56 fmj is not "just poking a hole" Its an explosive experience when it hits soft tissue. Just ask Gauge Groskaeutz, or whatever he calls himself now. Actually ask that hole where his arm used to be.
lots of dudes poked holes with 855 in Iraq didn't work with the barrel length. And what era surgeons ones that practiced in the 70s or how bout the ones in the 90s that said black talons made a wound that no surgeon could repair or how about the ones that say 22lr bounces around and destroys everything maybe it's the ones that get mad when we put tqs on to this day. Point being there's about 4 er doc and maxofacial surgeons I'll listen to because the input into wound ballistics and there not saying you should carry an antiquated round that hasn't been loaded at any commercial volume in over 20 years and isn't fired from a semi auto platform.
@@unclefreedom213 I don't recommend carrying 32 wadcutters. Though M193 ball ammo from any AR-15 at reasonable range(20 inch barrels being ideal) is brutal on human targets. Just saying that humans are poor bullet stops, and we leak very quickly.
US military does use expanding/fragmenting ammunition. Have you ever seen the M855A1? That is military ammo specifically designed to fragment. Way back when the M193 was designed to fragment from the 20" barrels it was intended to be fired from. Mk262 also fragments (although the bullet was designed for long range match accuracy and terminal ballistics was not a consideration). If you want to get way into the weeds, the US never signed the part of the Hague Convention limiting ammunition types, although we did limit ourselves to fmj for a long time partly because of the Convention.
I carry hp in my 9mm carry gun simply to avoid over penetration, that’s it. Most days I carry wad cutters in a j frame, I really doubt somebody going to start laughing at me because I shot them with a solid bullet instead of a hollow point. SHTF I’d be carrying fmj or hard cast for better penetration. My stockpile is mostly 230 grain 45 sellier & bellot with sealed primers. My custom shop colt feeds hp no issue, but I don’t think I’d hear too many complaints about non expanding rounds. Only thing guy is right about is m855. My larger stockpile is m193 in sealed bags, my smaller stockpile is fiocchi 223 77 grain smk. Cheaper than black hills and produces 2.5 in groups at 500 out of my Krieger barreled dmr
My grandfather made his own HP and that showed me that if you need to, that you can make you own HP out of an FMJ and a ballistics test showed that the home made HP can stop just as well as an expensive HP you’d buy
FMJ rounds or green tips for 5.56 is pretty much all you can get. I know you can get 223 rounds that expand but these are for hunting. However they don’t always shoot well out of 5.56.
Handgun Bullet: Are design to only poke holes. Shockwave does not matter because your tissue is not stretched to pass its limit. Rifle bullets: Still poke holes, the shockwave with rip and tear near by tissue. This information came from the head people at Federal.
I think stocking up 5.56 m193 ball is just fine since it’s velocity dependent. 9mm 115gr ball will still poke holes not great terminal performance but a hole in a spot it’s not supposed to be will make you rethink your decision. Not saying the EDC should be fmj but it had its place.
Most people I know only stockpile FMJ for Target practice. Most people who own AR-15 rifles use soft points and hallow points for engagements, Self Defense and hunting.
The M-16 was originally issued with a 1/14 twist. It was reduced to 1/12 twist to accommodate the tracer round and you are correct the instability made it at nasty business when it hit particularly bone. However, there were accounts of lack of stopping power even back then. The M855 was designed for the M249 and M-16 A2 program .It was inaccurate and it ice picks making it an abysmal man stopper . Read some of the accounts from the 75 Rangers in Mogadishu Somalia. It was even worse in the sandbox in Afghanistan with the longer ranges . Hence SOF’s rapid procurement of the 6.8 SPC later, followed by the M262 (77 grain pill ) and now the M855 A1 The truth is the m193 is effective out to about 100 m out of the carbine and 200 out of the A4 . When the round drops below 2500 FPS its ability of fragment at all is pretty much gone so it ice picks. I agree with your assertion that performance ammo is preferable. However, it is hard to find ammunition that is performance based that has sealed primers. People can source 9 mm ball, M193 and m80 much easier with sealed primers for shtf to stock very deep for long term need as back up for when their high-performance ammunition stocks run out or becomes moisture compromised because of its unsealed condition. The reality is if things are bad enough long enough . We will be living in austere conditions that will affect unsealed performance ammo. I’m not saying you can’t find sealed performance but it’s much more difficult. You can seal it yourself as well but a factory seal is much more reliable unless you’re reloading. Most experts advise to have 500 rounds for every pistol and 1000 rounds for every rifle and short term shtf that makes sense and I would have that in high-performance ammo sealed, preferably and I would stock that as my first line.if people are looking to things getting really bad long term having a back up reserve of a lifetimes worth of ball ammo stocked 5000+ deep may not be such a bad idea on top of your primary first line high-performance ammo.
I get what you're saying. The odds of surviving a 1000 rounds of exchanging fire is unlikely. I'd be smart to have 1000 rounds of high quality ammo for each of your crew and fmj for anyone else that shows up/back up ammo. 77gr HPBT smoked a lot of guys on the other side of the world.
yes, i've shot almost 100,000 rds of centerfire ammo over the years, but 90+% of it contributed nothing ro realistic skill creation or maintenance. It was just ignorance (and enjoyment) Today, I'd rather shoot 5x as much, mostly due to airguns and 22lr conversion units and not have to bother with picking up the cases, casting and reloading, or getting effed out of 15c more per round (30 c more for 223) than I feel like paying.
In a shtf situation. #1 People are likely gonna be running around with makeshift armor. Fmj will come in handy for that. #2 Fml is also better for shooting bad guys in/behind cars or walls. #3. In SHTF Ammo will become currency. The more you have the more you can use to barter with.
I have tons of FMJ which I used primarily for targets and range time and I reload it later on with much better projectiles and lets face it the components are where the extra cost is with the casings being the highest priced item in the equation . The FMJ's once fired and reloaded with better bullets end up costing me about what a standard military issue round costs , roughly speaking and that is what I set aside for SHTF . This way I end up with lots of really good performing ammo and get lots more range time in the process by starting out with military ammo . Ya POI changes between them , but that's why I have a "dope sheet " for each firearm and loading . So in some respects and IMHO it's not all bad to have plenty of mil serp on hand too, especially if you reload and practice as much as I do . Crimped primers are a bit of a pain, but what ever, it's all part of reloading and with performance ammo costing normally around double it's not a bad route to go IMO .
I don’t know how many times this needs to be corrected, or if it will ever sink in: the United States did not sign the section of The Hague that prohibits expanding ammunition. The US military uses expanding ammunition in small arms for specific needs. Fmj is more prevalent because of lower cost.
I completely disagree. People stockpile thousands of FMJ because it's cheaper, it's the most common, and still very effective. In 2024, 99% of people (including myself) dont have the disposable income to stockpile "defensive rounds." My suggestion is to get more accurate. The type of bullet doesn't matter if you can't hit what you want, where you want. Shot placement is far more important than bullet selection.
hence my comment in the video about why fmj is important. It makes sure you don't miss with your defensive loads
@unclefreedom213 I think you're too hung up on this defensive load stuff. Some of it is great, don't get me wrong, but I think you're doing a disservice to your audience by telling them FMJ's are not a viable option. Especially when you consider the current economic state and what's actually commonly available. No potential threat is going to care what ammo you used after getting shot in the face. Again, shot placement is everything. Training is key.
@@airborneivan "Man, I sure am glad that guy is shooting at me with just regular ol' ball ammo!" lol Don't get me wrong, I love this guy's videos and his opinion on things, but @UncleFreedom I think the idea of defensive loads is kind of irrelevant - longevity, in my opinion, is far more desirable in any SHTF scenario... I have never been shot at, never served or anything like that. But I do know for a fact that anyone that has been shot at, probably wasn't thinking to themselves "Oh shit, i really hope that guy isn't using 77gr Mk262 black hills ammo". I also do not think most of us civilians would be able to shoot sub MOA groups at 100yds under immense stress of being fired at.... I'd rather have 10,000 rounds of M855 than 5,000 of the gucciest ammo available.
Exactly
@@WillPerry-ez9rn WHAT HE SAID!!!!!!! In spades! Got multiple flavors of ammo on hand - The key is putting shots on target. Everything else is meaningless jabber. Punch holes that let the blood fall out. Mission accomplished. Doesn't matter if it's 20-30 cents (OK, OK, so inflation made that number obsolete before I even hit "post") a shot FMJ, or the latest, greatest, ultra-mega-mondo super-duper 10 dollars per round ammo.
FMJ has been getting the job done in Chicago for years.
It's failed in a few calibers, big time...
Most gunshot victims live
@@nathancummins8728because most criminals are bad shots
@@whisper8742other types of rounds fail other calibers too
@@nathancummins8728 only if its a pistol...
Hundreds VS. Thousands
I will always choose more ammo😊
Problem with thousands. Who is going to carry this weight out. In a vehicle maybe. But different guns; different calibers. It’s ALL weight. If SHTF carry a mag or two for 2/3 firearms and bury the rest secretly. If you’re still alive you can get ammunition and maybe upgrades. It all comes down to weight. I’d rather carry an extra canteen of water on hikes.
@@HVSJR-n5q It's about continually training not carrying it all.
@@HVSJR-n5q been saying that for decades.. Why stockpile thousands of ammo for SHTF scenario when you can only carry a couple of pounds worth.
@@im2lostIn SHTF, you wouldn’t want to be alone, so having a stockpile would allow you to give some to friends, family members, neighbors, etc. in your clan who are less prepared and of course you can always barter for food, batteries or other items
@@larryh311plus, if you have the ability to bug in and it's the wiser choice for the scenario, you won't have to worry about moving it all. You'll have the extra stocked up.
I do think it's smart to bury extra arms and ammo in case you have to bug out from your home for any reason. Having a hidden stash would really be beneficial.
With almost 30 years in treating GSWs in ERs I can tell you that a hole is a hole, and it's always bad. I have seen cases where a HP was used for a head shot and did not penetrate. The vast majority of head shots were using FMJ and it always did the trick. I also saw a lot of non-fatal fragmentation wounds on the thorax and abdomen, which pretty much makes me question the value of $1.50 a shot ammo. My practical experience says not much, especially for hardened targets, like a skull unless you T-box the bad guy.
You do you but I'm not spending $35/box to train with my defensive ammo.
Spot on Doc, thanks!
I love it when tech nerds get debunked by real life experience.
First, thank you for your work in the ER and the countless lives you saved.
Something I always wondered, do you get all the GSWs into your ER or is there a more benign subset with muscle tissue pass throughs that get treated somewhere else? Thx
You show a great ammount of
knowledge about the rounds ballistcs and pro and cons about this or that ammo . I appreciate you sharing that with us here and it is interesting. I see a small problem when people are getting lost in their religously believe in what works and what not works anymore just because something is a little better than the other .There is no doubt that hollowpoints are better regarding stopping power . I call myself halfway knowledgable when it comes to guns and ammo. In the end a hole is a hole and fmj will kill you as dead as every other bullet. And in every decent caliber fmj will always penetrate enough
Fmj will kill and take you out the fight. especially in a shtf situation when no emergency room is working any more. First thing to have is a working gun and a bullet that will reliably go bang when you pull the trigger. Second is that the bullet needs to have the
penetration to punch throu vital regions of the target which leeds to the main point - you gotta hit that spot.
Everything else , all the benefits of expanding bullets etc are just a slight improvement . Yes , you should have premium self defense ammo in your personal firearms you should test it for reliability in your gun and you should have a couple boxes of it stashed. The other main reason why law enforcement and civilians are usig HP- ammo is that you do not want to hit bystanders because of overpenetration and legal reasons .
For an shtf i would feel not undergunned if all i had was fmj .A quality fmj will always feed better and more reliable than any hollow point , it will penetrate obstacles better and it costs maybe a third.If I stash ammo for shtf - and i do in an - for me reasonable amount -it is quality brand fmj. I gues everybody does according to his prioritys .
Chances are imho pretty good that in any realistic shtf situations most other things are of way more importance than that if my ammo is fmj or hp. You can have the best gun and gear and the newest technology gear but it will make no difference when a low life shoots you a .22 l.r. bulk pack round nose bullet into your backhead to get your stuff.
Probably we will die of old age before we went trough the first box of our stashed ammo for shtf reasons. For me its having a reliable gun or a couple , practise with it on a regular base and to have a certain ammount of reliable ammo stored. Then i call it done.
To many others things to do.
Good info doc
I hear what you are saying, and if it works for you great, but what I saw in Iraq and Afghanistan and the insurgents, they got the job done with bolt action rifles and dirty trashy rounds because they knew and used the terrain and quick hits in guerilla warfare. So my stockpile of clean packaged cared for ammunition will do me just fine. I respect your thoughts though for sure
think of what they can do now that they have 1billion worth of high quality arms from the usa. i bet we left alot of ammo too. we probably left it so they would kill each other with it
@Sageofthe16 yet we went hand across America because some guy lost his canteen or getting counseling because I "misplaced" a headspace&timing gauge for the M2
@unclefreedom213 from what i understood, the guys who were in Afghanistan were told to leave personally issued gear, and not worry about it, only to get billed for it after returning home.
@Sageofthe16 no we left it because Joe Biden is totally incompetent and Millie is a traitor.
@@unclefreedom213never lose sight of the fact it was just another civilian temporarily in a uniform who endorsed and enforced all that. 👍🤔
Stock both.
Yep,always.
Agreed
Winner, Winner chicken dinner
Its like this guy looked at every piece of wisdom related to prepping and decided "im going to be wrong"
I get his points but naw quantity is better in end of world survival situation
@@Darthdoodooagreed
You also stockpile so when ammo is overpriced you have a stash and still get to train
My exact thoughts. This has to be a skit he put together to get negative attention 🙄.
Hate to break it to you brother, FMJ is very effective. The problem with it is that it's effective on anyone and everything behind the target as well. When SHTF, most people arent gonna give a damn about people they dont know. Sounds shitty but thats the way it is and it aint changing
What’s behind em likely ain’t great for you either unless they’re assaulting your party pretty sure a round looses alot of its umph after going through almost a foot of tissues tho
Dude “would have joined,” probably hunts a little, and read a book on ballistics. That’s all he knows and thinks he has to be right all the time.
Ok 1st off, let me say this…… you are blessed and highly favored if you don’t know or can’t understand the concept or circumstances why most “common “ people stockpile FMJ or whatever they can afford without the pleasure of being able to have deep pockets and buying a abundance of expensive rounds for every weapon In the house. I salutes you young man………. For the regular day to day Americans… please buy what you can afford don’t let anyone try to make you feel less armed or incompetent because you don’t have a team with deep pockets…… imagine stockpiling thousands of expensive ammunition and talking down on what they feel is less than themself just to “God forbid” get clapped In the noodle by a rusty .22 revolver with a bent fmj bullet….life is truly funny like that…..God bless America and stay humble and always be grateful for whatever you have.
Loved your Comment and Overview !! God Bless n Plz plz Stay Safe !! We all need to Pray n Be Prepared !! 😎
Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
FMJ is not about "that's what the military uses and it's good enough for them". Same can be said about the AR platform and the 5.56 everyone seems to be so obsessed with. Most people get one because it is the caliber Uncle Sam uses and the AR looks similar to an M4. More or less exactly what was being griped about on FMJ. The AR is far from the most ideal. Lowest bidder is so called for a reason. When you can't just use the 203, LAW, M136, or hose a doorway to keep the targets pinned down so you can call in CAS, that seems to be the infantry SOP, then it's limitations become real clear. We be civilians, not NATO. We must rely on direct bullet contact.
I don't have FMJ because it is the cheapest or it's what the military uses. Or because, "I'm uneducated or set in my ways"....... I use it because it is the most reliable out of my weapon systems I have, A 200gr FMJBT will kill you just as dead as the wonder bullets that transfer 10,000% of the earths energy during a solar eclipse while mercury is in retrograde when put into the target at an obtuse angle. And it will do it well past the range that the 5.56 becomes a 22lr. I'm not impressed by the new garbage. Plus I'm too damn old to go out and spend several thousand on new weapons and probably $80,000 on half a million rounds of modern ammo and spare parts. I'm trained and effective with what I have and got enough ammo and parts to last a long while.
But just wait 20-30 years. Everything you got stocked up on and are crowing about will be replaced by the kids with the newest rifle and bullet combo that is far superior to all others. And someone will say the exact same thing that you said on why you shouldn't get the older stuff.
And if anyone actually thinks a FMJ is inferior, ineffective, or obsolete. Stand down range.
"And if anyone actually thinks a FMJ is inferior, ineffective, or obsolete. Stand down range."
EXACTLY! Forget criticizing someone's 9mm or rifle ammo stocks....all of that is easy to kill/disable with. Sh!t, today's pellet guns can do some good damage. Most of these experts have not been shot to honestly say it doesn't matter what you get shot with.
Is it ok if I use wheel weight lead in .45colt and 45-70? I do have other stuff but it's just hunting and varment stuff .
Ball ammo I have may even be corrosive.
@@daleharvey3278 Cast for big heavy slow bullets is fine for shorter ranges. It beats harsh language or a rock. I use a lot or cast LRN for subsonic .308, where jacketed is an unnecessary extra cost. 45Colt isn't a long range cartridge, 45-70 really isn't either. Cast will kill something just as dead as any bullet if placed properly. If it's what you got then go for it. If the 45-70 will kill an 1,800lb cape buffalo then it should take anything ya want. And lots of people in the old days were dispatched with a 45colt.Just don't expect any anti armor or barrier capability.
@@daleharvey3278 Most wheel weights *used* to be lead, but a lot of them are aluminum now, so make sure it is lead and I would suggest adding around 2-3% Antimony and the same of Tin by volume. This should give you a solid hard-cast lead bullet that will work better at higher velocities and help prevent leading. I would recommend using a copper gas check for the .45-70 if you intend to bump up velocity past around 850-900 fps. Haven't dealt with it in a while so there may be better options available than what i've mentioned here.
@@billyholman4495 the wheel weight lead I have is alloy,not zinc,zinc has a laquer coating. You can add stick on wheel weight or linotype and harden by quenching. 2400 in magnum pistol,and 3031 and I've had no leading issues,using a good lube.
If I am 1. Reacting to contact, or 2. Breaking contact, it is on minimal consequence which ammo I am using. I don't expect my girls to be making shots outside of 100M. The biggest threat I see us reacting to is getting away from the city. Covering fire cares not if its 55 grain or 62 grain, getting off the X is my concern.
He probably hunts and shoots at the flat range and thinks he knows everything. He obviously hasn’t learned basic battle drills.
Hmmm 🤔. I suppose if you have the funding for thousands of round of Federal Hydro-Shok or whatever your favorite flavor is this is not bad advice.
That said, if it’s a matter of having 500 rounds stocked vs 5,000…. I’d say go with the 5,000
5000 gives you more opportunities to practice
500 might work for Spartans but we know what happened to them (Yes I know it was 300 🤫) when the numbers dropped. 5000 when used in a defensive position will last longer than 300!
The video that changed my mind AWAY from this young mans opinion, because I was once in this mans camp was the Owner of Patriot Armor. He showed that Level 3 and even 3+ rated AR500 Plates CANNOT ALWAYS STOP CHEAP 223 OR 5.56 FMJ... when they can stop 62gr 556 and 308... WHY? BECAUSE ITS FREAKING GOING TOO FAST AND ITS TOO DAM SMALL. So you wanna punch through a plate carrier... 18"-20" AR15 firing cheap 556 FMJ under 200 yards will have the best chance to do just that.
No matter which round you like and stock, all that really matters is that you stop the threat. Everything else is not worrying about.
FMJ also have a tendency to tumble. Plus if you "poke a hole" in someone's chest cavity you probably collapsed a lung severed several major arteries in effect rendering the target neutralized. This what I was taught in basic training. Training with the M16 a 5.56 round and a 20 inch barrel which was accurate and deadly at 300 meters. The 300 meter target was used in testing and that's what the DI's were saying. Had no reason to doubt them.
The delusion is thinking when the SHTF, you are suddenly going to be blessed with the skills of Wild Bill Hickok. Training is good, but nothing like the real thing. Real combat has a 10% hit ratio. That 300 rounds of expensive, premium ammo aren't going to last long when over 270 are going to end up in the bush.
well with my previous life and current one not so worried about the stressor of a two way range.
Thank you… guntubers are getting cringe AF 🤦🏾♂️
I was hoping the mindset videowould do better than it did I cover most of the real truth behind how it works
I create educational content lol I wish I was a guntoober them boys make bank
@unclefreedom213 why don't you give answers instead of acting pissed off and ridiculous? Remember...informing people the right way without acting all crazy is beneficial to everyone who would be fighting on our side. What is an affordable, accurate, devastating, and obtainable round to stockpile. That is something I didn't get out of your rant of of a video
Stocking up on fmj wasn't an issue until channels like this made it an issue. Thank goodness not everyone shares your opinion, or your logic
Stock food gear ammo gold/silver. Slowly.
What are some good sites to get gold and silver
@@HillcountryoperationsThere’s so many good spots. I personally use Silver Gold Bull. Easy ordering and fast shipping.
@@Hillcountryoperations US Mint has a list on their site but uou can also get both from Walmart or Costco shipped to your door.
I prefer brass and lead to gold and silver
@kelshotss walmart works directly with bullion dealers free shipping good price.
I'll bet that the guy that gets hit with that FMJ is going to say he shot me and it wasn't a hollow point.
😂😂😂
And you win the common sense award…..Thank you.
Right, its the same thinking that says "don't carry a 22LR " I've yet to find people willing to get shot by it.
What about the kid on the other side of him when it goes right through him?
Like Monty python it tis but a flesh wound 😂😂😂
friend is an ER nurse in chicago and she told me most deaths and serious life threatening injuries are from 9mm FMJ and 22lr. not saying it's good but it gets the job done.
Nobody in the ghetto's got 300 dollars to drop on even a cheap 45. 9mm and 22lr are still deadly, not discounting that.
If they make it to the er then they didn't drop dead with that round. Just pointing out the bias of perspective
Depends on how many rounds they took. I wouldn't want to face several guys with 10/22s with 30 round mags.
In a shtf incident, there is no medical help available. A hole is a hole, you may survive if you are lucky.
Reminds me of the scene from Armageddon where Steve Buscemi says we are sitting on 4 million pounds of fuel, one nuclear warhead and a thing that has 270,000 moving parts all made by the lowest bidder.
😆
Shot placement is what truly matters. Everything else is bull shit.
true shot placement is paramount but I'll still take better bullet design with great placement
@@unclefreedom213how many people have you killed? What works best?
Were you in military? Id number? I can see how many confirmed kills you have
@hopebrowning6300 All the more reason to have 10,000 rounds of fmj rather than 2,000 rounds of mk262. No one ever wished for less ammo in a fight.
Can no one afford to buy 1 or 2 boxes of good JHP every payday? You know FMJ goes right through a body and that's why cops don't carry it right?
Buy what you can afford....
This is the issue with getting into the numbers in the science too much. A fast bullet is a fast bullet. FMJ does damage because of the energy it dumps into the area AROUND the hole. That EPR you mentioned is 2.50 a round. It's better to have 5 times the ammo, than have ammo that, when it hits, does a bit more damage than the other, still lethal ammo.
I mean I did say that it was a terrible financial decision. Yep shock works but the temp cavity and shock is much better with a round that always performs
@Tmanowns thank you. Defensive Load's offer incremental performance increases just to do the same job where shot placement is of a much higher priority.
@unclefreedom213 it's always performing, it's just not NEARLY as effective.
Right now, hollows are vital in a home defense and hunting scenario. No doubt about it, that in the event of a break in, you want them dead, and for you to not deal with the hassle of a lying survivor claiming something else happened. And the less rounds you put in them, the easier your defense case will be.
In a SHTF situation, volume of fire is vital. Even if you're able to afford a lot of ammo, being able to afford 4 to 5 times as much is better.
But, to each their own. You're financially able to afford more quality ammo, and that's awesome! But I know I would pick ammo that performs at 80%, with 2-3 times the stockpile. God bless, and thanks for the reply!
@Tmanowns I will always advocate having better performing rounds in a gunfight I don't want marginal or it could do this or even the shot placement argument. I agree shot placement is paramount but you're not gonna 1 shot stop a guy in a running gunfight even in Sims force on force with highly competent accurate shooters. Low percentage shots and incapacitating shots are minimal even from 30 feet away. And this is with guys who've all seen the elephant, know what to expect and are pinpoint marksman. Shot placement goes right out the window on a two way range, so in my mind I would rather my primary ammo be as nasty as possible if I connect with thier hip joint, gut, thigh hell even thier arm. I'm all for having a ton of 193 I have close to 50k rounds of it but it is not and never will be my primary. Always love a good debate, thanks for being sporting about it vs most of what I get..... Grrrrrr you're wrong because I spent money on this ammo and the military uses it. Makes my day to have a good intelligent convo with yall. Cheers
Fmjs will always be better at hard barrier penetration (ie cover or armor) than soft point or hollow point ammo because of penetration. That's why they use it in war. Expanding rounds are for civilian use because it functions better on unarmed and no cover targets. Use the right tool for the job. Both are good.
Basically, for every 200 rounds of FMJ I will buy, I will buy 100 rounds of quality self defense rounds. The reason is I train mostly with FMJ. But I also believe that FMJ will penetrate in certain situations where JHP will not. As a matter of fact, I stagger both types of ammo in each of my magazines that are loaded for SHTF. I have seen ballistic videos where JHP rounds did not penetrate deep enough into ballistic gel that was covered in a shirt and denim jacket. So, you won't hit vital organs if they are wearing a lot of heavy clothes. I think it's just good to have options when it comes to the rounds you stockpile, train with and use for SHTF.
I’ve done the same thing with my home defense gun and my every day carry gun. I’ve staggered FMJ and JHP rounds.
I think another way to say what a lot of people are saying in these comments is: "Do you feel like a defense round is worth 2-3x an FMJ?" I don't think there is any question that a duty round performs better or has better terminal ballistics. That is pretty self evident. But if a good defensive round is $1.00-1.50 per round whereas I can get FMJ at $0.50 a round. I could basically mozambique every enemy I come across for the same price as putting one defensive round into them.
In a SHTF scenario first and foremost the goal of anyone trying to survive will be to avoid gunfights. If you do get into one, do more rounds win or does terminal ballistics win? If you are going for long term survival without the ability to resupply it seems like you would favor round count in your stockpile. If you do get into a gunfight your first goal should be to lay cover fire and disengage. If you are assaulting people and positions in SHTF you are asking for trouble. You probably won't have medivac or hospital services, so anyone getting shot, even by an FMJ, could be a huge deal.
A hollow point usually makes one hole, a fmj usually makes two holes. Which one will bleed out faster. End of argument.
Also for the price, you can make 6 FMJ induced holes for the cost of one hollow point hole
Ammo is ammo when you hit the target. This video is dumb. Fmj leaves two holes so more damage. Mission accomplished. 👍
The hollow point that expands.
The hollow point
After reading this comment a second time after seeing someonw.else had comment. I suggest you get some training. Both with firearms and especially medical. Two holes doesn't equate more leakage. It equates to a larger volume being able to escape faster. What matters is the internal damage. The hollow point may leave a hole in the skin. Go watch some of Paul Harrels demonstrations. And those feom others that prove you logic to be very flawed.
A great deal of what you say makes sense, but when we're talking velocities produced by a .556, FMJ tends to liquefy organs on its pass through the body. Most emergency room doctors would much rather treat someone shot by a 9mm expanding round than a person shot with .556 FMJ for that very reason. The faster round tends to leave things, well, less patchable, for lack of a better term, than a hollow point in many cases. An FMJ at high velocity doesn't simply leave a neat, little tunnel that can me mended together easily. Now, if we're talking pistol rounds, I'd say expandable is better for "stopping power" at close range, but when we're talking high v rifle rounds, it changes the game entirely, especially when you're talking battle-type scenarios and not close-quarters self-defense scenarios. An added benefit to FMJ in a battle scenario is its armor piercing capability vs. an expanding round, IMO. Personally, I like to stock a combo of both--more FMJ than hollow point, though. I would never, however, put FMJ rounds in any gun I had in the home for self defense or for public defense for that matter. I'm primarily thinking of stocking ammo for if the proverbial sh__ hits the fan.
Why would the govt get rid of something that works you ask? To spend money. Politicians don't get rich without the kickbacks from spending your money.
Depends on caliber. If you’re stockpiling 5.56 for your 16-20” barrel, m193 fmj is a violent fragmenting cartridge that also happens to be cheap. Also over stabilizing is a myth, a 1:7 twist vs a 1:12 twist will have no measurable impact on how your bullets will fragment in tissue. It will effect accuracy, however
If you’re stockpiling 380, 32, 25, etc small cartridges, fmj is about the only projectile that will consistently penetrate enough to work well.
If you’re stockpiling something like 308, 6.5 creedmoor, 30-30, fmj is not going to be significantly cheaper/more available than soft points.
For service style pistols, 9mm, 40, 45, etc those are a wash. The difference in performance between fmj and jhp is pretty laughable. The amount of discussion and marketing that goes into jhps for these is insane when you can read reports from forensic pathologists that say that there is no discernible difference in actual wounds.
The only calibers that you should actively avoid fmj are intermediate, non fragmenting rifle cartridges. 7.62x39, 300 blk, 6.5 Grendel, etc. In these rounds, fmj neuters them and is typically not significantly different in price than soft points. The fmjs are cheaper, but the price difference is worth the performance increase.
commenting so I can come back to this one but one point Srabilization has a direct impact on how bullets perform in tissue. Hornady spent ungodly amounts of money to find this oit for things like the 6.5 creed. Over stabilizing a round can cause it to dematerialize in flight or depending on bullet construction turn them into a drill. The twist rate on your. barrel has a direct impact.
I have the rpm charts that show the connection between twist and terminals email me and I will send em to you. Really fascinating stuff
@@unclefreedom213 sure what’s the email?
Also there’s a big difference between shooting a thinly constructed varmint bullet out of a fast enough twist to shatter it and shooting a known good fmj out of a barrel that doesn’t damage it.
Also the rpm required to stabilize a bullet in tissue or water is insane, no rifle could get it that fast without destroying the bullet. There’s been numerous tests of 1:7 twist barrels vs 1:12 in gel and the results are always the same
Yeh, gonna have to disagree with you on this one. I'll take thousands of FMJ rds over hundreds of specialty rds any day, all day, and then some.
When SHTF, definitely quantity over quality, and is FMJ really that bad? Nope it isn't AND I'd rather be comfortable knowing my training rounds are effective with the weapons I am using since i shot a lot more of them instead of those specialty rds.
Honestly specialty rds have their purpose for LE and some military applications, but for me, those days are over and FMJ is my all around Go To rd.
It must be nice to have so much money that you can stockpile, and practice shoot with high end / overpriced ammunition. As a combat veteran and a retired big county Deputy Sheriff I can say that whether its FMJ or extremely high-priced ammunition the human body still goes down after being shot. So, for all the rest of us poor people that still stock and shoot FMJ rounds. we will be here with our 5K FMJ rounds long after your 300 rounds of boutique ammo has run out. BTW, a hollow point that goes through clothing and plugs the hollow point up makes it almost like a FMJ round.
You don't have to be rich. I've been stockpiling hollow points for years. I pick up one extra box from the range once per week, and overtime, it has added up to a lot.
Well said...the human body is fragile and an fmj will do the job.
@@silvermine2033 Not sure where you live but in Southern California even Winchester white box hollow points are outrageously priced let alone boutique hollow point rounds. Don't get me wrong here, I have hollow point rounds for my handguns but just enough to fill all my magazines for self- defense.
@@rangerup1804 They’re expensive in my state of CT as well, but instead of trying to buy bulk all at once I bought two boxes at a time every week when I went to the range, and have been doing this for the past ten years and it adds up to a lot!
@hopebrowning6300 Actually, hollow points can plug up when shooting through clothing. Shooting bare gel doesn't get you real life results unless all of your human targets go shirtless all the time.
no point in having good ammo if you never use it to train.
My new theory these days is fmj rounds have their place. If the bad guy is behind cover I prefer fmjs.
The problem with the theoretical/hypothetical " This is the one _right_ way to solve problem _X_ ” approach to problem solving is it nearly always completely ignores the mountain of historical evidence that definitively proves "the _most_ _reliable_ way to solve _any_ problem in practical reality is a hodgepodge of tools/techniques based on the individual problem space and the training, experience, and resources of the person solving the problem”. Endless arguments on theoretical ideals ensue.
Why carry FMJ? Because 2 holes bleed out faster than one. 🤣🤣
I stockpile thousands of rounds. You’re WAY overthinking this. For every 1000 rounds of (often the ONLY option available for bulk purchase) factory FMJ ball, I stockpile approx 100 rds of Hornady XTP bullets and load my own purely “defensive” loads. But I’m never going to shoot those rounds (or use them for barter) to the same extent as the FMJ. To use your example, I’d MUCH rather have 10,000 rounds of CCI Standard Mini-Mags than 1500 rds of CCI Stingers, but I have both in the same ratio.
And I absolutely _will_ stockpile standard M193 and M855 / SS109 which runs just fine in a 1:9 twist barrel. By the way, even after the military changed the M16 from 1:12 to 1:9, the M193 round was still as effective terminally, without “tumbling” as people mislabel it, or being unstable gyroscopically.
Bottom line, focusing on “defensive” ammo in your stockpile is limiting, not to mention ridiculously expensive, and again you’re WAY overthinking this. Most people won’t have anything put away, and will duck and stay away from you and drive to the next town without analyzing the composition and construction of the bullet that just flew by them.
Thanks for your thoughts and for taking the time to make the video, but your thinking is way too involved on a relatively simple subject, and frankly, just a little elitist and dismissive. I’m sure you don’t intend for it to come across that way, but it kinda does, sorry. 🤷♂️
23:05 Travis Haley mentions in his video on 4th April (The Bridge #14) that he was using that mark 262 ammunition during his now famous stand in Najaf.
Starting around 1h 12m he talks about its effectiveness out to range through a 20" barrel and then his interviewee talks about the issues they had using it through 1-in-9 guns.
Overall Travis was happy with the 800 rounds of it he left out and about.
Also the Hornady black are defensive rounds but the 62 grain 556/223 are not hp but will blow a hole in you like you wouldn't believe. The 75 grain is the hp but both grains are defensive round. I highly recommend the Hornady black series they kinda pricey but they will stop just about anything.
Honestly, if a shtf scenario, if you are in a gun fight, I’d probably going to be wishing I had FMJ because people are going to be hiding behind walls
The same people who say “good enough for the government” are the same people who will swap out the trash mil-spec trigger in an AR before they even take it to the range.
Put a Binary Trigger in it. Lol.
If you can't shoot with a stock trigger you just can't shoot.
@@johnnysasakithethird1209 If I’m building my AR from a stripped upper and lower and parts, I believe I have total control over what the “stock” trigger is for that rifle. 😉
While M855 may not be the "BEST" round for self defense it will still be effective and is, or WAS cheap. The best round is the one loaded and in your weapon when you need it. If you have multiple AR platforms which most of us these days do then YES you need multiple load outs. I have different magazine's with different ammo for my 10.3" than I do my 16" and marked the mags for quick identification. Also why I later on added 300AAC for CQB home defense and an AR10 for distance and harder hitting penetration stuff. It ALL depends on your financial situation. If you can't swing the higher dollar self defense rounds and a couple length uppers, then by all means load up on your personal flavor length upper and all the 855 you can afford and then later on expand as you can afford it. This HAS always AND WILL ALWAYS be my advice for "THE BEST" And also why the AR platform is THE BEST to start with. It's superb, by popping two pins and swapping uppers, bam your 18" range toy is now your 10.3" home defense toy and later on it's now your 8.5" 300AAC suppressed loaded with 200 grain subsonics toy. Great video we all appreciate it!! It will definitely get people to think about it and stop following the trends on youtube. Well maybe........
I agree wholeheartedly... I use 55gr V-max as my Primary and have 55gr FMJ & 62gr Green Tip as Range Ammo and Ammo of last resort. Same with my 7.62, 165gr TGK as Primary and FMJ as Range/Backup Ammo. In 9mm I run 124gr Speer Gold Dots and FMJ as Range/Backup. I Zero my platforms with the good stuff and just deal with the irregularities of the FMJ at the Range.
It's a cost-effect, versatile round that can survive punching through light cover. It's not "because the military uses it;" the military uses it as a standard _for a reason_ . You can pick another round for a specific purpose, environment, threat; but it probably won't be best-suited should conditions change.
HP / expanding rounds transfer more force as they're designed not to pass completely through the target, but the tradeoff is penetration. You can run TMJ, AP, w/e, but your costs will increase exponentially with very little practical benefit in return. FMJ is the 'sweet spot.'
Militaries know if you use FMJ, you're more likely to injure the enemy, which takes out more than one soldier in battle, because someone else has to drag the injured off the battlefield and tend to them medically, basically tying up 3 people instead of killing just one.
Precisely my comment - so I see you beat me to it. Well done....
bull shit. a wounded man can still potentially fight. end the threat, dead enemy is also demoralizing. make the risk exponentially higher than the reward.
@@wisewhiterabbit I love when smooth brain people respond thinking they know everything.... It's a well known tactic, look it up!
@@JohnDoeTheTroll it's also well debunked.
@@wisewhiterabbit Mmk... if you say so
As someone who has done extensive research on this subject and has firsthand experience I disagree. M193 and M855 are excellent rounds to stockpile. Can you get more accurate rounds that cause more damage, yes, but you pay the price and not everyone has the budget. I rather stockpile 3x the rounds for the same price. Here in Canada we are limited on options and pmc x-tac 55gr m193 and pmc x-tac m855 are top options and can be purchased in a bulk 1000round package for cheap. I have shot pmc m193 in a 18.5 inch canadian made wk 180 at a 4inch gong comfortably at 440yds in prone position with semi auto fire. What's great too with 556 M193 and M855 is it has to meet the military specification and the primer and neck of the casings are sealed on top of being extremely reliable. For example, the lower pressure 223 spec rounds do not cycle properly in some IWI X95s. I do agree with the M855 stability and accuracy issues. PMC is extremely reliable, uses clean brass and clean propellant. The Federal XM193 AE 5.56 always has dirty brass. Also some guns just prefer certain types of ammo so its always good to try everything.
I stockpile to get my reps in consistently through the year
Im not going to mag dump 77gr 556. Suppression of fire will scare people more than thinking you are going to have time to take shots at individual people.
The difference in terminal ballistics *does not matter.* Especially in SHTF. Without immediate healthcare and pharmaceuticals, _any_ hit will have the same resulting effect. If tiny groups or giant holes were required, we'd issue expanding match ammo to every Joe.
Trying to eek out the last few points in your long range match? Ethical hunting? Fine. Making hits that count? Not necessary.
*It's not the arrow, it's the Indian.* Always has been.
yes it's the Indian but don't you think if pointed sticks were enough they would have ever knapped out arrowheads. We don't issue expanding ammo for the reasons in the video and logistics. We did issue better ammo the 855a1, mk262, mk318, m118lr all the way back to ww2 m2 match because we knew what we had wasn't working as intended
Could you recommend one 5.56 round to buy and one 9mm round if you could only pick one? Thanks for all the information.
9mm would be 135gr +p critical duty, 124 gr+p good dot or HST, 5.56 would be fiocchi loading of vmax, or winchester sbsp 64gr
Thank you
@@unclefreedom213So I’ve got Hornady Black 75 grain saved, as well as some MK 262. Mostly because my stores if they don’t have one they have the other, so that’s how it went. Should I choose to keep stockpiling both? Or should I move to just stockpiling one? If so which would you choose?
And I use SPEER Gold Dot for Handgun Ammo. Is that fairly acceptable?
@@silasmadden5159 The best thing you can do is not listen to the guy in the video. For up close defensive rounds, use HP for anything else stick with FMJ.
@@silasmadden5159just buy cheap stuff and actually practice. Bullets are OP
Whether it's fmj or hollowpoint ammo, it still puts holes in people and I'd rather have 1,000 rounds of fmj than nothing
Since ball ammo is used in war and battles then it’s good enough for me.
so you prefer to use a less effective round, not judging I don't have to be at YOUR gunfight.
@@unclefreedom213I prefer to have 3x more ammunition than you at half the cost.
For home defense jacket hollow point. For protection against a larger force use fmj.
Can you defend with fmj can you offend with fmj? You said it makes holes that's the point shot placement is also key. Hp ammo is not always consistent and can fill with debris cloth effectively rendering it a quasi fmj. I've seen gell test with hp from same box some mushroom some don't. And cost it's a big factor yes I'd rather have thousands of fmj rather than hundreds of hp. Oh and hard surface barriers fmj ALWAYS performs better. I'm trying to figure out why you think you are the all knowing expert. You are the expert of your own opinion not everyone else's. Just saying dude. Yes I do have some hp for self defense carry as over penetration is a factor.
Everything you said is exactly what I was thinking. RUclips has turned into an opinion pit. Not a lot of good information anymore.
The problem for most people is money. Premium HP ammo typically costs over $1 a round so they can only afford to buy a few boxes of 20 rounds at a time. I think 16in is the best minimum barrel length for an AR15 or AK. Good video. just I learned something new.
Have you tried the IMI 77gr sierra matchking hollow point? It’s the Razor Core Mod 1 (mk262 type).
yes pretty solid, not the best SD so a little inconsistent in the load but overall moa capable and the bullet is good
Just have both. I keep 6 pistol mags of hp ready to go and have 1000+ rounds in stock. Same with rifles, 5 AR mags of hp, 5 mags of fmj, and a few more boxes of fmj ready to go. A good mix of both is what you should strive for but I don’t see the purpose of having more than 2-300 rounds of hp for any given caliber. Once you get to that point just start buying fmj until you need to replace the old hp rounds.
.....soooo...stock thousands of 9mm fmj? not thousands of 9mm hp? tell me more! :)
I’m 5’8, 125lbs, high stamina. I live in an authoritarian state, and thus have to travel to the middle of nowhere to shoot. My Kit and firearms together probably weigh ~80lb+, including ~1000 rounds of assorted ammo. So to ur point, it’s absolutely possible to carry over 1000 rounds… I’m a relatively small guy, and can do it for around 5 miles of very tough terrain every couple weeks when I go shooting
A bullet is a bullet, hollow point ammo wasn't always around in history
They've been around a long time old times were turning around wadcutters, Keith bullets were drilled out and we ran soft bullets that flattened. Prior to that most died from infection from the wound
The first bullets were pure lead, in other words, EXPANDING. This was the standard for several centuries.
I like your comment,something to the affect of"if you don't get plugged right out of the gate". I agree that you shouldn't handicap yourself ever. if you have 5k FMJ maybe take it and get some training. as you train with it replace it with some good stuff.
Exotic ammo can be useful for some things. I have a few hundred 62 grain gold dot bullets I’m still doing load development on, and some Lehigh 62 grain controlled chaos that are pretty nasty. For SHTF though, in my opinion, the most important thing is what your weapon is zeroed with. Unless you are lucky, different kinds of ammo are not going to hit in the same place out of the same rifle or pistol. You need to pick one to zero with. My gold dot, controlled chaos, and 77 grain loads hit with one inch of each other at 100 yards, which is good enough for me, but they have different ballistic coefficients, so the gap will increase with distance. 55 grain m193 hits like three inches higher and right at 100 yards. Unless you have a different return-to-zero optic you can throw on for every different kind of ammo, you will have problems.
Realistically, the difference in effectiveness of different ar-15 rounds isn’t very big. The best thing to do for shtf , IMO, is to zero with the most common round you are likely to encounter- probably m193. Likewise, zero 9mm pistols with fmj.
124 grain NATO has been feeding pistol caliber weapons for the almost 3 dozen countries for years.
@hopebrowning6300 Nobody ever asked for their .40 back, don't lie lol. The .40 is literally the worst of both worlds, it's a pathetically weak 10mm at best.
@@billyholman4495 Convert that 40 to 357 sig and you've got the best hammer in a small package there is.
If you have a feeding problem with a 1911, polish your feed ramp and make sure all your magazines present the top round angled up slightly not parallel to the rounds in the stack.
The US never signed the Hague Convention...... thats not why they dont use hollowpoints....
correct we didn't but we did however fall in line. Also the gubmemt is cheap and and will simplify logistics perfect storm
@@unclefreedom213 we did it because it was cheap, not because of the convention. My MK211 Raufoss rounds I used in Afghanistan are a prime example of us not abiding by the Hague Convention
@RickSanchez167 you're still off base but probably not for the reason you think. I love the m107 and m82a1 and everyone loved the M2. The ammo Mk211, AP, APT, API, APIT, Ball, etc. We never followed any rule and neither does any other country in regards to 50 cars or 12.7 soviet or the 14s. So why is that?
The heavy bored rifle and machine gun is a purpose built anit material rifle and ammo ecosystem. Do we use it only for that hell no, but I can tell you the 50 round is list in our inventory as anti material and not anti personnel.
@@unclefreedom213yeah, it's not like FMJ has a higher amount of penetration, is able to more easily punch through cover, and body armor a like, over hollow point. It must be because of a treaty we didn't sign.
Okay okay so I get it you want the expansion. Okay what’s your thoughts on a 135 grain penta hollow point powder coated solid lead slug???? I ask because I have done some testing with this mold and it’s fairly effective. Obviously the reloader needs to use quality components. I can’t speak on 556 I’m still testing powder coated lead with that cartridge. I don’t think it will ever be able to compete against a copper jacket projectile. As far as speed is concerned but I’ll say this if shtf happened i sure wouldn’t want to get hit with one. Those mushroom real nice as well at around 1900 fps. As far as the m855 not being the absolute best. Yeah you most definitely correct however with that said. I have a mortgage payment I have a responsibility to make sure my refrigerator is full of food I need to make sure the utilities are all paid as well as 3.85 a gallon gas is in 2 vehicles every week. Right now is not the time to be telling people hay your ammo is only 70% effective. I’ll take 70% effective and have a metric F ton of it over 100% effective and have 300 rounds at best. Maybe bring this topic up when orange man gets in office and our economy isn’t in the gutter. But honestly I think IF orange man gets back in it’s going to take at least 3 years to fix the mess we are in at the moment.
Who else watched the whole video ?
Great Perspective.
It's only great if you forget everything important about small unit tactics , and the sheer reliability that a NATO cartridge offers to include feeding, crimp, swaged and sealed primer pockets etc etc
@@based_radio did I say do everything that he said in the video ? I think not. He just has a great viewpoint. Not saying that should be the standard. Good Day sir
As the DI said to my brother when he questioned the effectiveness of FMJ--"Would you like to volunteer to go down range and catch one?" Taking a combatent out of the fight is the point, not getting superior expansion and maximum tissue damage. Remember the adage about wounded and dead enemies? Wounded enemies take more enemy resources to deal with. I used to read a lot of officer envolved shooting reports. There's plenty of data where guys who caught 5-7-9-12 hollowpoints from 9mm, 40SW, and .45 did not stop attacking until the CNS was hit or they ran out of blood. Don't worry so much about what you have in your magazine. Just hope that whatever it is, you don't really need to use it.
Ok after watching 2 of your videos, you fall into the group of IF YOU DONT THINK LIKE ME YOUR WRONG. All you do is Lecture people and not have a discussion. I reiterate what I said on your other Stock pile video. Stock piling is not for hunting or self defense in your bedroom. Stock piling is for WW3 or Zombies and w that being said I don't care if it has to much penatration, that's what I want. Yes there's a difference from pistol to rifle, I'm more talking about pistol in this case. Rifle people will want greentip or OTM I'm more on the VMax side, I want explosive rifle round. I probably contradict myself from pistol to rifle but that's what makes America Great I can do what I want for my purposes and my OPINION. So am I wrong for thinking differently than you NOPE. It's what I choose and it will work perfectly!
you would be wrong. I fall into the I educate people I don't care if you take my advice or not. As I've stated a ton I don't have to come to YOUR gunfight. I'm analytical I study data and when you combine that with over 20 years of first hand data in military, ems, fire, search and rescue, and now LE. Not to mention comp shooter, handloader, and instructor. I pass on info you listen or you don't
@@unclefreedom213 ha, you prove my point.
Ok after reading some of these responses all I see is young guys that have not had any experience in ballistic sciences. I’ve reloaded ammo for 35 years experimenting with all bullet types. This guy knows what he’s talking about
sorry YT turned off my comments.... back on now
Hey bro I’ve noticed alot of the 2A related guys lately have had comments off, is that a regular thing for yall?
Good to know! I've heard a few different channels say the same thing.
@@corycarlson8712 definitely something brewing they know people are starting to gear up, sadly I just turned 21 in February feel like I’m just a little to late
@@Hillcountryoperations You got time homie.. Just remember you don't need high speed gear, get a set together and train. If you can find others to help you along the path!
It’s been happening to a lot of creators, and not just in the guntube community.
There are some ok deals on bulk JHP handgun ammo. Its not some RIP round or a machined bullet, its basic, cast and plated JHP.
FMJ isnt something i wanna be shot with. Especially not in a 357 or better. The cavitation in higher energy rounds will rearrange your insides, ball ammo or not.
Says "No BS" in intro and makes a 33 min video. Ok bud!
@@aecalietvenali feel free to seek content elsewhere my friend
@@bbaker7467 Well, bye 👋🏻
I stack both. I do love Hornady black 75 grain HP. I got several thousand rounds of those at 1$ a pop. It get ridiculously expensive. I do have countless fmj rounds. Imho in shtf you use what you got next to you. I also came to the conclusion that some of the hp are not what they claim
Terminal ballistics are not the concern of anyone in the trenches of Ukraine right now.
In order to fire and maneuver, you need to suppress with volume fire. Not a single war ever hinged on terminal ballistics of any particular cartridge. This is the least informed take ever.
Stock up on NATO cartridges.
Fmj isnt optimal... But its proved over the years its absolutely lethal. The chopping block had a great gel m855 sbr video where he talks about how m855 hate is modern day fudd lore. "It just ice picks straight through". It can suffer from fleet yaw but on thicker targets like the ones your likely to come across it will work fine. Id take m855 over any of the best 9mm hps thats for sure. Get the best ammo you can for your budget. Start loading your own if you can. I get hornady 55gr sps for the same price as fmj so im loading up a stash of that. Only at around 500 rounds for now but moving it up everytime i go to the range. If you can afford mk262 or fbi bear claw for $1 per round go for it, if you can only afford m855 dont worry about it. It will work fine. If 9mm fmj is all you can swing go for it. Or of your budget allows for hsts or speed buy those. Or better yet start handloading.
ruclips.net/video/mOJdv38Fypg/видео.htmlsi=4rrzVOH6xw6FarTG
Also from the dark covid times experience having to use m855 for everything because nothing else was avalible... Its brutal. M193 can be even better out of a 20".
This is a truth I wish I had discovered earlier. Now all I stock is: .223 62gr bonded SP, 9mm Sig 147gr V-Crown, 12Ga 2 3/4 00 Buck and 22lr copper jacket HP. FMJ doesn’t get the job done as efficiently.
A gunshot is a gun shot, coming from a former LEO, gun violence hold no punches. But you do you boo boo!
Shoot I know guys that cc fmj 😂
educate them hell share the video with em
Oh God why?
Hollow point not going through anything what yall think you won't have to shoot through a barrier to get to the target. Hollows aren't doing that. Stop listening to youtubers
@@GunsNGames248 critical duty and federal hst and speer gold dot and literally any other barrier blind offering would love to disagree so stfu this isn't the 1910s we know what we're doing now with handgun bullets. You can get offerings that do well even after passing the highly small arms resistant materials of plywood, drywall, a car door, etc
@unclefreedom213 if you're ever in a position where you need to break contact and not just assault forward in a close conflict, more is better. You will have much more capability slinging mags full of fmj to suppress and move than you would with hollow points. At the end of the day a well placed shot does the job, but when you need to sling large amounts of lead it's fmj all the way. The idea that it would never happen is pure ignorance. You never know when the SS will come for you. It's what happens when they do that counts.
It's crazy how you many people didn't listen and just said the things you knew they were gonna say anyway. But it made since to me, now when i pick up two hundred+ rounds of range ammo i get a box of defense ammo. Great video
In a defensive posture in SHTF, the objective is to stop the attack, not necessarily to kill.
While a satisfying insta-ghost is best, will a dude after your resources keep coming if shot with a ball round? ... or will they withdraw and seek a softer target?
In severe SHTF with little to no medical support, a gut shot is a slower kill due to infection anyway.
While i prefer HP's, FMJ's have done the job on battlefields for over a century now, including the two i spent where they got the job done.
And if its a combat situation, you may need those FMJ's to punch thru objects to hit their intended targets.
Anytime a foreign object enters the human body it causes damage. Anytime the body is damaged it can't performe. A wound needs more attention than a death. This is only perfect common sence
According to ER surgeons, the most difficult gsw to treat is a 32 or 38 wadcutter wound. The wadcutter does exactly what it sounds like. It cuts a clean hole in skin, tissue and organs. Blood loss, especially internal is severe and its a very difficult wound to sew up.
Also 5.56 fmj is not "just poking a hole"
Its an explosive experience when it hits soft tissue. Just ask Gauge Groskaeutz, or whatever he calls himself now. Actually ask that hole where his arm used to be.
lots of dudes poked holes with 855 in Iraq didn't work with the barrel length. And what era surgeons ones that practiced in the 70s or how bout the ones in the 90s that said black talons made a wound that no surgeon could repair or how about the ones that say 22lr bounces around and destroys everything maybe it's the ones that get mad when we put tqs on to this day. Point being there's about 4 er doc and maxofacial surgeons I'll listen to because the input into wound ballistics and there not saying you should carry an antiquated round that hasn't been loaded at any commercial volume in over 20 years and isn't fired from a semi auto platform.
@@unclefreedom213 I don't recommend carrying 32 wadcutters.
Though M193 ball ammo from any AR-15 at reasonable range(20 inch barrels being ideal) is brutal on human targets.
Just saying that humans are poor bullet stops, and we leak very quickly.
US military does use expanding/fragmenting ammunition. Have you ever seen the M855A1? That is military ammo specifically designed to fragment. Way back when the M193 was designed to fragment from the 20" barrels it was intended to be fired from. Mk262 also fragments (although the bullet was designed for long range match accuracy and terminal ballistics was not a consideration). If you want to get way into the weeds, the US never signed the part of the Hague Convention limiting ammunition types, although we did limit ourselves to fmj for a long time partly because of the Convention.
I carry hp in my 9mm carry gun simply to avoid over penetration, that’s it. Most days I carry wad cutters in a j frame, I really doubt somebody going to start laughing at me because I shot them with a solid bullet instead of a hollow point. SHTF I’d be carrying fmj or hard cast for better penetration. My stockpile is mostly 230 grain 45 sellier & bellot with sealed primers. My custom shop colt feeds hp no issue, but I don’t think I’d hear too many complaints about non expanding rounds. Only thing guy is right about is m855. My larger stockpile is m193 in sealed bags, my smaller stockpile is fiocchi 223 77 grain smk. Cheaper than black hills and produces 2.5 in groups at 500 out of my Krieger barreled dmr
A whole leaking blood is a whole leaking blood regardless of the ammo type.
Crooks probably use whatever ammo was in your gun when they stole it from your vehicle parked outside a gun free zone or post office.
My grandfather made his own HP and that showed me that if you need to, that you can make you own HP out of an FMJ and a ballistics test showed that the home made HP can stop just as well as an expensive HP you’d buy
Frankly if SHTF, everybody will want whatever ammo they can find. But, if you can afford Gucci ammo, by all means.
FMJ rounds or green tips for 5.56 is pretty much all you can get. I know you can get 223 rounds that expand but these are for hunting. However they don’t always shoot well out of 5.56.
Lol.... PLEASE educate yourself before you try to speak like someone who knows
Handgun Bullet: Are design to only poke holes. Shockwave does not matter because your tissue is not stretched to pass its limit.
Rifle bullets: Still poke holes, the shockwave with rip and tear near by tissue.
This information came from the head people at Federal.
I think stocking up 5.56 m193 ball is just fine since it’s velocity dependent. 9mm 115gr ball will still poke holes not great terminal performance but a hole in a spot it’s not supposed to be will make you rethink your decision. Not saying the EDC should be fmj but it had its place.
Most people I know only stockpile FMJ for Target practice. Most people who own AR-15 rifles use soft points and hallow points for engagements, Self Defense and hunting.
The M-16 was originally issued with a 1/14 twist. It was reduced to 1/12 twist to accommodate the tracer round and you are correct the instability made it at nasty business when it hit particularly bone. However, there were accounts of lack of stopping power even back then.
The M855 was designed for the M249 and M-16 A2 program .It was inaccurate and it ice picks making it an abysmal man stopper . Read some of the accounts from the 75 Rangers in Mogadishu Somalia.
It was even worse in the sandbox in Afghanistan with the longer ranges . Hence SOF’s rapid procurement of the 6.8 SPC later, followed by the M262 (77 grain pill ) and now the M855 A1
The truth is the m193 is effective out to about 100 m out of the carbine and 200 out of the A4 . When the round drops below 2500 FPS its ability of fragment at all is pretty much gone so it ice picks.
I agree with your assertion that performance ammo is preferable. However, it is hard to find ammunition that is performance based that has sealed primers. People can source 9 mm ball, M193 and m80 much easier with sealed primers for shtf to stock very deep for long term need as back up for when their high-performance ammunition stocks run out or becomes moisture compromised because of its unsealed condition. The reality is if things are bad enough long enough . We will be living in austere conditions that will affect unsealed performance ammo. I’m not saying you can’t find sealed performance but it’s much more difficult. You can seal it yourself as well but a factory seal is much more reliable unless you’re reloading.
Most experts advise to have 500 rounds for every pistol and 1000 rounds for every rifle and short term shtf that makes sense and I would have that in high-performance ammo sealed, preferably and I would stock that as my first line.if people are looking to things getting really bad long term having a back up reserve of a lifetimes worth of ball ammo stocked 5000+ deep may not be such a bad idea on top of your primary first line high-performance ammo.
I get what you're saying. The odds of surviving a 1000 rounds of exchanging fire is unlikely. I'd be smart to have 1000 rounds of high quality ammo for each of your crew and fmj for anyone else that shows up/back up ammo. 77gr HPBT smoked a lot of guys on the other side of the world.
yes, i've shot almost 100,000 rds of centerfire ammo over the years, but 90+% of it contributed nothing ro realistic skill creation or maintenance. It was just ignorance (and enjoyment) Today, I'd rather shoot 5x as much, mostly due to airguns and 22lr conversion units and not have to bother with picking up the cases, casting and reloading, or getting effed out of 15c more per round (30 c more for 223) than I feel like paying.
In a shtf situation.
#1 People are likely gonna be running around with makeshift armor. Fmj will come in handy for that.
#2 Fml is also better for shooting bad guys in/behind cars or walls.
#3. In SHTF Ammo will become currency. The more you have the more you can use to barter with.
I have tons of FMJ which I used primarily for targets and range time and I reload it later on with much better projectiles and lets face it the components are where the extra cost is with the casings being the highest priced item in the equation . The FMJ's once fired and reloaded with better bullets end up costing me about what a standard military issue round costs , roughly speaking and that is what I set aside for SHTF .
This way I end up with lots of really good performing ammo and get lots more range time in the process by starting out with military ammo . Ya POI changes between them , but that's why I have a "dope sheet " for each firearm and loading . So in some respects and IMHO it's not all bad to have plenty of mil serp on hand too, especially if you reload and practice as much as I do . Crimped primers are a bit of a pain, but what ever, it's all part of reloading and with performance ammo costing normally around double it's not a bad route to go IMO .
I'm with this logic. I want hp ammo and have since I was 10 shooting a 22lr.
I don’t know how many times this needs to be corrected, or if it will ever sink in: the United States did not sign the section of The Hague that prohibits expanding ammunition. The US military uses expanding ammunition in small arms for specific needs. Fmj is more prevalent because of lower cost.