RON in PA said:
People keep forgetting the reason for the 5.56 round (also applies to the 7.62x39 and 7.92x33). Analysis of the WW 1&2 battlefields showed that 99% of rifle fire occurred in 300 yards and perhaps 90% in 100 yards. You just don't need the power of the classic rifle rounds like the 7.62x51, 30/06 and 7.92x57. All this analysis led to the "assault" rifle. Now for long range sniping the old rounds are fine.
+1
Thats exactly the whole point there sir, most of the combat these days is more urban, no use for employing weapons capable of 300 yards when most of the combat is being taken place from anywhere from face to face out to about a 100 yards at best, especially when your indoors a Garand as effective as it is just too much. IMHO YMMV, thus the need for intermediate cartridges like the 5.56 and 7.62x39 etc... shorter more portable weapons for inside and very close range outdoor encounters, In WW1 it was mostly trench warfare or out on open fields, in WW2 and on into today the combat was alot more in the city centers etc...
Also when you think of combat, just dont think militarily, the police and swat teams and DEA/FBI etc.... type of organizations do have some dedicated snipers with high powered long range sharpshooting equipment and personel trained to utilize it, the need does come up, but most of these guys are employing assualt rifles, m4 and mp5 type equipment etc.... most of todays encounters do unfortunately happen within populated areas and indoors, they must consider things like collateral damage etc... thus all the new modern day less lethal and speciality rounds available to these folks, why the need for everyone to carry a 300 plus yard capable rifle to go in and serve a high risk search warrant and arrest? As modern day times changed, so did the need for weaponry
It was mentioned earlier that Militaries almost always use FMJ Ball for everything. Other organizations have to be more careful. This whole this is better than that argument no matter what the 2 things being discussed about get annoying. You have to know each others capabilites and utilize the correct tools to get the job done. Look at the US Military, they use FMJ Ball so thus why alot of those guys are whining about thier pistols being effective or not.
Im not going to mention the calibers and what not involved, thats for another post somewhere that can be searched for on these boards
but Im sure most folks know what I reference. If they had the right JHPs they might think otherwise. For Military purposes, its just too much hassle, they need to utilize solidly feeding ammo, thus the importance of FMJ