[andy58-in-nh]

Thanks - your observations mirror my own hunting experiences. Now since you’ve been there and done that, do you have any feelings about the efficacy of FMJ ammo in .45 and 9mm? I’ve got a lot of both, and a relatively small amount of (much more expensive) JHPs. Should I stock up on personal defense ammo and just expend the rest on targets and not plan on using them in case the SHTF? Thanks again.

[mad_as_he$$]

Well, FMJ in 9mm and 45 has been chewed into fine atomic pieces over the years. Many believe that a hollow point or semi jacket in either does no good because the energy just is not there to get the bullet to expand. The US Army has run lots of tests on this going back into the 20's. They are all on the net somewhere. My basic take is that a HP or semi jacket has a better chance of expanding when it hits a bone than an FMJ. I shoot HP's in 9mm for self defense but not for practice. All my 45 is hardball with an overcharge they go out at about 1150 FPS. VERY HARD ON THE GUN!!! But they do serious damage on pig carcasses. My favorite though right now is a 357 with semi wadcutters turned around. They hit pigs and spread out to about a nickel's diameter.

At the end of the day it is in my opinion all about shot placement. You hit somebody in the heart twice and once in the head they are going down. BTW do not forget to make sure they do not get up.