Lifting the ban on hunting with FMJ

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daniel craig

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Look I get it, it’s not a great idea so if that’s your only comment, move along.

Now, do you think any state that currently bans hunting deer with full FMJ ammunition (I think they all do?) will lift that ban if the ammo shortage is still so bad come next hunting season?
 
No. Availability does not change the lethality of anything. A FMJ will absolutely kill, but it does so more slowly. On a battlefield that’s not necessarily a bad thing because the guy that’s shot is still out of the fight, can be saved by his guys, or captured and saved by his enemy. In the deer woods that simply means that there’s a dead deer that hasn’t fallen over yet. A deer that will die a slower and more painful death. FMJ doesn’t leave as much of a blood trail, and the deer are likely to run further than if hit with an expanding bullet. Both of those are handicaps to the hunter for finding the dead deer, but it doesn’t change the difficulty of hitting the deer, so more deer will be lost and more deer will be shot since the tag for the lost deer will be filled with the next deer that the hunter sees. It’s a terrible situation that we are in, but it’s a terrible idea to change the rules to account for it too. The law will, and should, stand as it is written.
 
I think that the problem with FMJ's is the unpredictability of their performance. Some pencil through and some tumble which makes them as lethal as any softpoint, maybe more so. I wouldn't do it but that's just me.
 
No, I cannot see any wildlife agency doing that.

But, if the shortage continues to be this severe by next fall I can see at least some states expanding their muzzle loading and archery seasons.
 
One thing that is always overlooked is hardship cases. Yes there is a law, and the law is black and white. In Kentucky the law used to say that you limited out at 2 deer per year per hunter. I knew of people who killed more and were known to have killed more simply because they needed the meat to survive on. A blind eye is often turned to simple infractions when a need is seen. Now don’t get the idea that I’m promoting the use of a 5.56 FMJ because that’s all that’s available (a 22lr is probably a better option honestly) but don’t be surprised when some folks get away with it and others don’t. No matter how black and white the law is, the game warden, cop, and DA all see in color. They may be colorblind to your situation, but I guarantee that they let stuff go based upon need. Guy struggling to feed his family takes 1 extra bass from the lake... game warden probably can’t count that high on that day. Guy uses the wrong bullet because that’s all he has and he is trying to feed his 4 kids, his brothers whole family, and take care of Pops that should probably be in the nursing home... I doubt much is said.
 
I hope that the ammunition manufacturers put an emphasis on loading hunting and defense loads.
We are better off seeing ammo shelves at gun shops fill up with hunting ammo than target ammo. We can us hunting ammo to punch paper. We need hunting and defense loads for there purposes.
 
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Dunross said:
No, I cannot see any wildlife agency doing that.

But, if the shortage continues to be this severe by next fall I can see at least some states expanding their muzzle loading and archery seasons.
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That’s probably far more likely.
 
Hopefully this is not seen as too much of of a hijacking of the thread but I have to ask; how many of you hunters actually need ammo to hunt next year if you could not get any ammo between now and then? Say, at least two boxes (40rds) for at least one hunting rifle appropriate for your big game of choice. Ammo enough for a little practice, a zero-check, and rounds to actually hunt the season. If I didn't buy another round right now I could manage that with half a dozen rifles, three different revolvers and two different gauges of shotguns. How many hunters are actually out of hunting ammo right now? Sure you may not have enough ammo to do multiple extended practice session between now and hunting season but how many are truly out of options to hunt with?
 
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mcb said:
Hopefully this is not seen as too much of of a hijacking of the thread but I have to ask; how many of you hunters actually need ammo to hunt next year if you could not get any ammo between now and then? Say, at least two boxes (40rds) for at least one hunting rifle for you chosen big game. Ammo enough for a little practice, a zero-check, and rounds to actually hunt the season. If I didn't buy another round right now I could manage that with half a dozen rifles, three different revolvers and two different gauges of shotguns. How many hunters are actually out of hunting ammo right now? Sure you may not have enough ammo to do multiple extended practice session between now and hunting season but how many are truly out of options to hunt with?
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Point made. I have plenty .270, 30-30, 7-30, 6.8spc, 20ga slugs, 12ga slugs, 357 mag, 38spl, 9mm, .380, and 30 carbine. All of those are deer capable and legal. That’s 11... and it wouldn’t be hard at all to work up a load for the 223ai or snag a couple boxes of 223 rem ballistic tips and just use those. Yes .380 is deer capable, I have seen it done. I would not advocate for it, but just like the 30 carbine I wouldn’t hesitate to use it within its limitations if that’s all I had available.
 
Most hunters are not high volume shooters. I would hazard it would be rare for the average big game hunter to shoot more than a box of ammo between sighting in (checking scope weekend before opening day) and the whole season. Most standard hunting ammunition was over $1 per round with premium loads closing in on $3 to $4 per round pre-pandemic anyway so yes were are higher but there really isn't that much change for a guy getting just one box.
 
I think the OP is an optimistic view of legislators, like Mrs. Field taught in the 3rd grade, will of the people and all.

The reality if pushed to any legislation on hunting ammunition would likely be more like a complete ban on all projectiles containing lead across the board....
 
Some saw this coming many years ago and have enough for the rest of their lives. Those that did not see the writing on the walls
mcb said:
Hopefully this is not seen as too much of of a hijacking of the thread but I have to ask; how many of you hunters actually need ammo to hunt next year if you could not get any ammo between now and then? Say, at least two boxes (40rds) for at least one hunting rifle appropriate for your big game of choice. Ammo enough for a little practice, a zero-check, and rounds to actually hunt the season. If I didn't buy another round right now I could manage that with half a dozen rifles, three different revolvers and two different gauges of shotguns. How many hunters are actually out of hunting ammo right now? Sure you may not have enough ammo to do multiple extended practice session between now and hunting season but how many are truly out of options to hunt with?
Click to expand...

Some saw this coming many years ago and have enough for the rest of their lives. Those that did not see the writing on the walls missed the boat.
 
No, I don't see it happening. However, in NC, not much is prohibited in this area. You can legally hunt deer with a 22 there, since nothing says that you can't.
 
I doubt if popular hunting calibers will be hard to find for next season. It might be expensive, and it might not be your old standby, but it will still bet better than FMJ.
 
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