5.56 FMJ Terminal Ballistics

[SupaRice]

So, when I was hunting in TX one of the guys there shot a doe in the neck with a 16" barrel 5.56 AR at about 60 yards. She dropped like a bag of hammers, but after butchering I'm not sure why because it wasn't a ton of trauma. It's not like it took her head off, and the entry and exit wounds were like pencil holes. When we got up there she was still kicking, so he shot her in the head. Again, no watermelon type head explosion (this was IMO TOO close of a shot for safety so call it point blank). Now it may have broken her neck, and there was definitely damage to the tissue to the point the meat was ruined. But not what I expected.

 

He was definitely shooting FMJ.... I think it was the 55gr XM193, but not entirely sure the exact round. I know there is an exhaustive amount of data on this out there, but I don't pretend to understand all the ballistics talk. It got me to thinking, it would CERTAINLY suck very badly to get hit by one.... but a wound like that not in the neck seems like taking a round like that it's very plausible that someone would be able to fight back for at least a short time. At least be able to shoot back. And in a defensive situation, that's not desirable to say the least.

 

I don't know a lot about the ballistics, just seen from hunting experience that I don't feel like even the baddest mofo out there would be able to fight back after taking one from a .308 let a lone a 30-06. 5.56 is the smallest round in my safe (aside from the .22 I got for my boys this year)....

 

Is 5.56 FMJ just completely useless? I mean her neck was only 4"-5" thick at this area, was that just not enough to fragment or something?

 

Has anyone here ever killed anything with 5.56 FMJ rounds, or have experience shooting living things with it? I know it's against hunting regs so I wouldn't / haven't... but damn... I would've thought it'd been much more damage than what that doe had.

 

Our military are stuck with FMJ right? It's obviously got to be decently effective?

 

You guys know of good examples of 5.56 FMJ ballistics, like on YouTube?

Edited November 20, 2015 by SupaRice

[Quiet Tirant]

You'll find what your looking for on page 4.

https://fortress.wa.gov › docs › classes

[Omega]

5.56/.223 is a very effective round, it is fast which makes it pass through soft tissue and soft body armor alike.  Just don't expect your target to fall over DRT.  The doe was probably paralyzed from the shockwave, not the actual wound channel.  If I were to use it for hunting, I would definitely use a soft tip to help it expand.  My .270 can be much like the 5.56/.223 in that it may not expand in certain conditions, but since it has a good shockwave, it disrupts heart and lung enough to not let game go far.

[Oh Shoot]

....  If I were to use it for hunting, I would definitely use a soft tip to help it expand.  ..

 

FMJ is prohibited for hunting anything in TN anyway, with rifle or handgun. You can't even have it with you even if you're not hunting with it, something to perhaps keep in mind if you're also packing under handgun carry permit.

 

- OS

Edited November 20, 2015 by Oh Shoot

[Omega]

FMJ is prohibited for hunting anything in TN anyway with rifle or handgun.

 

- OS

Very true, but like anything, there are grey/gray areas.  One can use an open tip aka hollow point: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1339912049/black-hills-ammunition-556x45mm-nato-77-grain-sierra-matchking-hollow-point

 

This ammo, designated as Mk 262 mod 1, essentially makes it a legal round militarily, and for game, though not recommended since the "open tip" does not help it mushroom as well as a soft tip or ballistic tipped round.

[Omega]

FMJ is prohibited for hunting anything in TN anyway, with rifle or handgun. You can't even have it with you even if you're not hunting with it, something to perhaps keep in mind if you're also packing under handgun carry permit.

 

- OS

That edited part is a very good point, I would not put it past my buddy Jereme to charge you with hunting with fmj if your glock or bersa CCW is loaded with them.

[SupaRice]

You'll find what your looking for on page 4.

https://fortress.wa.gov › docs › classes

 

This?

https://fortress.wa.gov/cjtc/www/images/docs/classes/Firearms_Patrol_Rifle_Instructor_2014/Section%2006%20Ballistics.pdf

 

 

Google searched it...

Edited November 20, 2015 by SupaRice