fmj for defense?

[old fart]

i recently bought a stoeger cougar 40s&w, all ammo i can find is fmj and want to take the gun out hiking and walking. i open carry here in kentucky, and with the better weather i want to get out but i don't want to leave my gun home. has anyone got any thoughts on fmj for defense untill i can find hollow points? thanks

[CSG]

You load it with what you can find. The concern is overpenetration and where the bullet ends up. Hurt someone else due to that issue and guess who's liable?

When I carried a .25, I used FMJ. I also use lead roundnose .230 gr in a .45.

I don't know much about that round but I'd be on the lookout for HP as I think overpenetration could be an issue with with FMJ.

The good news is the likelihood of you ever having to draw the weapon in an SD situation is amazingly small. Carrying a CCW or OCing is more of a comfort for most civilians than a need. IMO, of course.

[CWKahrFan]

Well, jeepers, millions of people were killed or wounded by bullets before hollow points were invented.

[Haz251]

I've used fmj in .25. A jetfire. From what I understand .25 doesn't carry enough energy to expand in hp's so the idea is that the fmj will tumble and create a larger wound cavity. I don't blame you for carrying fmj if that's all you can find, I've done it to, but think really damn hard bout whether or not the situations worth it if you do feel like you need to draw your firearm. And keep the idea of your targets foreground and background in the back of your head.

[481]

Originally Posted by old fart:

has anyone got any thoughts on fmj for defense untill i can find hollow points?

Given the situation with ammo these days, FMJs might be all that you can find.

I'd say that until you can find JHPs, FMJs beat the heck out of having nothing at all.

[Cheapshooter]

Midway lists Nosler Match Grade 40S&W 150 gr. HP, and 180 gr. HP as being available. I don't know much about It, but It should be a better hoice for SD than FMJ. It is called "katch grade" but doesn't looking like target ammo at all. Nosler hollow point bullet, and vrlocities and energy right up there with other SD ammo. $45, but that's for a 50 round box.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/496...oint-box-of-50
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/930...oint-box-of-50

Hope this helps, and good luck in your ammo search

[ClydeFrog]

For a regular sidearm, Id buy factory made high quality JHP or a few brands of exotic/frangible loads for defense-carry.
If you have limited funds or resources due to the 2013 gun mania, carry what you can for now.
I would advise using milspec ball or FMJ/FMC rounds in spare magazines.
These may come in handy & you may need these rounds to feed/cycle 100% in a critical event.

ClydeFrog

[Technosavant]

Ammoseek.com shows a veritable ton of quality JHP in .40S&W at quite reasonable prices.

My experience is showing that it's harder to find reasonably priced FMJ for practice than it is reasonably priced JHP for actual defense. In some calibers (like .45ACP), it's not significantly more expensive to do range work with Remington Golden Sabers than it is Winchester White Box or its brass cased equivalent. That situation is improving, but I've not really noticed a huge problem getting my hands on quality defensive rounds, even at the height of the panic.

[allaroundhunter]

Originally Posted by CWKahrFan

Well, jeepers, millions of people were killed or wounded by bullets before hollow points were invented.

Killed and stopped quickly are not always the same thing. The point of using a pistol in defense is to stop a threat immediately, not poke holes in it and let it bleed out an hour after it has already finished killing you.

That being said, old fart, I would load the gun up with whatever you can get your hands on right now. While they might not be ideal, FMJ bullets placed well are better than a JHP that isn't.

[michael t]

If your around Harrodsburg I think Hensley Guns had some HP and I belive Ky Gun Co Bardstown had some last week Seems every body has 40 in my area.

[lamarw]

I am sure our Friends and Neigbors in New Jersey have no qualms about depending upon FMJ since hollow points are outlawed in the Garden State.

Our military has to depend upon FMJ.

[BuckRub]

Killed or stopped, FMJs will do just that in case you ever need them in 99% of cases if you make a good hit. Most people shot with a FMJ will either die soon or be flouncing on the ground. Yea hollow points do more damage with less penetration but both work excellent.

[bt380]

CSG made a great point about pass thru and possibly hitting some one behind the intended target. Would be interesting to compare the cavitation differences between FMJ and JHP in 40 cal. That might be done already on you-tube. At any rate, a big noise maker in most cases is enough if you believe the reports.

[BuckRub]

A bullet that you fire at a BG trying to take your life, I doubt you'll care at that moment about over penetration. You could hit the BG in a shoot out or miss totally with either a FMJ or HP. If in the case you do hit an innocent bystander hopefully where you live you'll have a castle doctrine to charge the BG with the charge from the bullet even if its from your gun.

[jmr40]

HP is considerably better. But FMJ is better than nothing by a long shot. Seems like a no-brainer. Use what you can find until you can do better.

[Glock20/460long]

"old fart"?

That's to to easy. Run'em!!

[Nakanokalronin]

Is this your only handgun? If not, carry the gun you have defense ammo for. If this is your only handgun, carry FMJ until quality hollow point ammo can be found. Make sure to test the HP ammo before carrying as well.

[allaroundhunter]

Buckrub, I'm not sure that Castle Doctrine means that you shooting an innocent bystander gets charged to the attacker.... You are responsible for your rounds, regardless of where you are. If you hit an innocent, you are taking the fall for it; even if you were legally shooting at an assailant.

[Kreyzhorse]

FMJ ammo will stop an attack and has been doing so reliably for years. Load up your gun and carry it.

Replace the FMJ ammo with HP when you find some if it gives your piece of mind.

[craZivn]

Around here, high-priced defense rounds are more available than FMJ, since defense ammo isn't something people go through at the range.

I'd carry the FMJ for sure. You say "hiking and walking", so I'm assuming animals are also a possible threat. If I was gonna carry a gun to defend against bears or big cats (not sure what the common faunal threats are in your neck of the country) I'd opt for the penetration of FMJ over the expansion of JHP regardless of what's available to me.

Ivan

[Cheapshooter]

Make sure to test the HP ammo before carrying as well.

Not only the HP, but in my opinion any ammo. Especially in a new gun. My rule of thumb is a minimum of 100 rounds of range ammo as a "shake down" more than break in. Then at least 20 rounds, or more of my choices of carry ammo before I would he confident in a CCW or HD gun. The ammo availability has made this process a problem now though.

[2ndsojourn]

From lamar:
"I am sure our Friends and Neigbors in New Jersey have no qualms about depending upon FMJ since hollow points are outlawed in the Garden State."

Au contraire. I thought the same too until I researched it. You can use it at the range or in your home SD guns, just not in your carry piece. But hey, almost no one in NJ is issued a carry permit anyway, so if you're carrying it you're doubly screwed if caught.

[Tactical Jackalope]

If that's all you have. Sure I guess. Just make sure what's behind your target.

[manta49]

If that's all you have. Sure I guess. Just make sure what's behind your target

I see the shoot trough possibility every time there is a discussion on FMJ ammo. But I don't see any statistics of shoot trough incidents. You are more likely to hit someone with the rounds you miss the intended target with. FMJ ammo has being doing what it was designed to do for over 100 years. If someone decides to start shooting in self defence with other people around there is always the possibility of the wrong person being hit no matter what bullet you are using.

Example .NEW YORK – All nine bystanders caught in the crossfire of a shooting outside New York City's iconic Empire State Building were wounded by two police officers who had never fired their weapons on duty, authorities confirmed Saturday.


Based on ballistic tests and other evidence, "it appears that all nine of the victims were struck either by fragments or by bullets fired by police.

[Tactical Jackalope]

I see the shoot trough possibility every time there is a discussion on FMJ ammo. But I don't see any statistics of shoot trough incidents. You are more likely to hit someone with the rounds you miss the intended target with.

Doesn't mean it shouldn't still be brought up. It's more likely if you hit the assailant, that it'll go through with FMJ's than with JHP. Even if it's marginal in most eyes. It's still more likely.

And missing? It shouldn't really matter what you're shooting. JHP or FMJ. Be aware of what's behind your target anyways.

If someone decides to start shooting in self defence with other people around there is always the possibility of the wrong person being hit.

And again. Just as dangerous with or without JHP. In the event that an untrained person actually does hit their intended target. It's still more likely to go through and through with FMJ's than it is with JHP's.