300-400 yards? Too easy, I'd rather hit a guy with a non-fragmenting .223 sized bullet than not hit him at at all with a 7.63x39.
So the original question might also be stated as "Just why was it that the Soviets changed cartridges from 7.62x39 to 5.45x39?" Umm, maybe because a faster/smaller bullet does more damage on thin skinned critters than a larger/slower bullet? Good thing for us the Russions and Chinese apparently
STILL don't understand fragmentation.
BTW .223 is the civilian SAMMI cartridge. Our military uses 5.56mm NATO, maybe a nitpic but WTH. But even then I'd still prefer the lower powered .223 with our military bullets to any military bullet in 7.62x39 or 5.8x42.
Also tactics and platform, I just saw a show about the Soviets in Afganistan spraying and praying with thier AK47s at a couple hundred yards. Our guys with better training and more accurate ARs would have dropped them cold.
Lionking, very interesting photo. What's with the guy in the camo chefs hat? Did someone order lunch?
Someone has got to explain that 10-22. Anything a subsonic 22LR can do a subsonic 9mm, .40, or .45ACP can do much better. What, the Israelis couldn't find a suppressed UZI anywhere? I love those guys, some of the smartest best trained soldiers around, and they choose a Ruger 10-22?
Edit: Prince Yamato, OK, good answer, thank you. Now please explain the chef.