Jeff Mock
Active member
The initial offerings of the 5.56mm were most certainly prone to fragmentation at high speeds. It is for this reason, that a newly designed round, with a steel core, was produced. The new steel core design allowed for greater penetration, but was also prone to "over penetration" at times.
If the bullet hits bone, fragmentation may certainly occur. The round is designed to penetrate to a depth of 15 to 20 inches, and unless a bone is struck, you have increased the likelihood of a pass through.
My experience when discussing this stems from 10 years active duty service in the US Army where all soldiers are taught that the while the 5.56mm may not have the energy of some larger calibers, it does have the net result effect of incapacitation of it’s intended target as well as those who must cease their hostile actions in order to tend to their wounded or incapacitated comrades.
Perhaps my statement of the round being produced to “specifically”, to wound rather than kill is a little to black and white. The round was produced to be lighter for the troops to carry, and to be able to carry more of them.
As Jeff Cooper so famously said, “The 3 most important things to remember when shooting are, shot placement, shot placement and shot placement”.
The main issue aside from where the “theory wounding rather than killing” came from or originated, is whether or not the FMJ is a suitable round for coyotes, and whether or not it “fragments and tumbles”. The “tumble” is bullet yaw that occurs at approximately 400 to 600 meters when the bullet speed slows enough for destabilization to occur. Once this, or any bullet, slows enough, the bullet will begin to destabilize and “bullet yaw” will take place.
I would purpose that while a FMJ round will in fact fragment at high enough velocity, it will not do so with a large degree of constancy such as its ballistic tipped counter parts do.
So, in short, while this has been a fun conversation/debate, it is my opinion, and those of quite a few others, that the FMJ is a very poor round choice for hunting any animal.
Here is a VERY interesting read on the 5.56mm
VERY good article on the 5.56mm
If the bullet hits bone, fragmentation may certainly occur. The round is designed to penetrate to a depth of 15 to 20 inches, and unless a bone is struck, you have increased the likelihood of a pass through.
My experience when discussing this stems from 10 years active duty service in the US Army where all soldiers are taught that the while the 5.56mm may not have the energy of some larger calibers, it does have the net result effect of incapacitation of it’s intended target as well as those who must cease their hostile actions in order to tend to their wounded or incapacitated comrades.
Perhaps my statement of the round being produced to “specifically”, to wound rather than kill is a little to black and white. The round was produced to be lighter for the troops to carry, and to be able to carry more of them.
As Jeff Cooper so famously said, “The 3 most important things to remember when shooting are, shot placement, shot placement and shot placement”.
The main issue aside from where the “theory wounding rather than killing” came from or originated, is whether or not the FMJ is a suitable round for coyotes, and whether or not it “fragments and tumbles”. The “tumble” is bullet yaw that occurs at approximately 400 to 600 meters when the bullet speed slows enough for destabilization to occur. Once this, or any bullet, slows enough, the bullet will begin to destabilize and “bullet yaw” will take place.
I would purpose that while a FMJ round will in fact fragment at high enough velocity, it will not do so with a large degree of constancy such as its ballistic tipped counter parts do.
So, in short, while this has been a fun conversation/debate, it is my opinion, and those of quite a few others, that the FMJ is a very poor round choice for hunting any animal.
Here is a VERY interesting read on the 5.56mm
VERY good article on the 5.56mm
