Modifying Cheap Ammo

[rhoggman]

Would there be any benefit to flatening/ drilling the tip of an FMJ round if you wished to use the ammo for hunting or self defense?

When you can buy cheap ammo like American Eagle for 1/3-1/4 the price of self defense rounds, and get twice as many rounds, you start to wonder what the big deal is.

Some of the American Eagle stuff is fast/ hard hitting; however, it is usually FMJ which would put a hole in something, but may not do as much damage as something specifically designed for killing creatures.

If there were a way to alter the ammunition, specifically the bullet to make it more effective for this cause, I would like to try it.

I am probably going to get a bunch of: "Load your own retard".... Just wanted to let you know I thought of this too.

 

[Mr_Rogers]

When you can buy cheap ammo like American Eagle for 1/3-1/4 the price of self defense rounds, and get twice as many rounds, you start to wonder what the big deal is.

Perhaps the big deal is that the ammo manufacturers spend money on designing, testing and manufacturing ammo that will probably work. Modify your own cheaper ammo and it might work, it also might work less well after modification than it would have done if you had left it alone. Do you have the ability to accurately test your modifications because you seem to be willing to bet your safety on them?

 

[Floppy_D]

I am probably going to get a bunch of: "Load your own retard"....

Not on THR, you won't.

If you drilled through a FMJ, then there is no jacket preventing the soft lead core from getting forced through the hole you drilled. You could literally leave the bullet stuck in the barrel with a hole through the middle. You'd need a TMJ or Softnose to try this. The other problem is with balance; if you change the center of balance, the bullet will lose stability pretty quick.

If you're set on it, try some in wet newsprint, and see if the bullets expand reliably. I haven't heard of anyone having success with this idea, and there's probably a reason.

I don't shoot much carry ammo; I went through a few boxes to test for feeding reliability, and plink with the cheap stuff. If all I shot was Gold Dot, I wouldn't be shooting much.

 

[gvnwst]

The porblem with this idea is that there is exposed lead at the bullet base, and so, if you cut off part of the jacket tip, the lead would be simply pushed out of the front, leaving the jacket and part of the core in the barrel. Next shot, BOOM! No more gun Like Floppy D said, if you had a TMJ (total metal jacket) than it might work, but they are usually more expensive than hollowpoints...

 

[burningsquirrels]

sorry, it's going to fail.

 

[brassdog]

Just shoot the cheap ammo and save the brass. Go to Midway or Brownells online and order the Lee handloader kit, some quality bullets, powder and primers. That's it. Learn to clean your brass and load your own special hunting
mix.
Good Luck!

 

[exflatlander]

If the ammo is 1/4 of the price of the fancier SD rounds than you can afford to shoot the BG 4 times for the same money.

I'll take 4, well placed American Eagle FMJs anyday.

 

[rhoggman]

I will not be trying to modify any ammo for any reason.

I'll just stockpile the cheap stuff I guess.

The reason behind all of this is the ridiculous cost of ammo.

I guess I just need to start reloading. Then I can use the same stuff for SD that I use for practice and still save money.

 

[CWL]

Plenty of people have been shot dead with FMJ. If it can make a deep hole in someone and you can place them where they're supposed to go, FMJ will perform. Most people have a misunderstanding of how much more effective JHPs actually are. They buy some, never practice and expect them to perform magic if ever needed. It is still first and foremost, shot placement that ends a violent encounter.

 

[stalkingbear]

Do you REALLY want to risk drilling into an loaded round just to save some money??????? If you reload, you MAY try drilling bullets in an block and with drill stop set BUT I seriously doubt you'll ever achieve good results.

PLEASE reconsider attempting this because even if it works out great, and you have to use deadly force, in the aftermath you're opening up a can of worms like no other when they get word of your "deadly mankiller custom modified bullets" that MUST be more deadly than conventional hollow points or you would have used them. In other words it WILL come up and may change an justifiable shooting into voluntary manslaughter charges.

 

[rcmodel]

O.K. How can me make it anymore clear that drilling or filing FMJ bullets to make them FP's or HP's
is not safe! :banghead:

All FMJ bullets are open at the base and closed at the tip.

All SP or HP bullets are open at the tip and closed at the base.

(The only exception is plated jacket bullets)

If you file off or drill the tip of a FMJ, it is now open at both ends, and you basically have a copper tube with a loose lead core in it.

It is very possible for the lead core to blow out and leave the jacket stuck in the barrel.

Don't do it!

Besides, the FMJ jacket is so thick in the nose section, they won't expand anyway!

rc

 

[tasco 74]

rc model is right and besides that we don't modify bullets to kill better.......


LIFE IS SHORT.....

 

[CPshooter]

This isn't worth doing. It is unsafe and will be totally ineffective at producing the "damage" you are looking for. The only thing it will damage is your gun, and possibly you.

Listen to everyone here and don't try this.

The savings isn't worth it.

 

[wally]

Where you place the bullet has far more to do with its effectiveness than what type of bullet it is.

Buy the premium "self-defense" JHP if it makes you feel better, but worry more about your ability to put the shot on the money under pressure than what you are shooting. As long as your load has 12" penetration in the "standard FBI" gelatin I'd not worry about it if you do your part with the bullet placement.

Ammo that is too expensive to practice with works against you. Reloading gives the best of both worlds, as you can adjust your reloads to hit the same POA/POI as your chosen expensive JHP and practice cheaply, just make darn sure you've run enough of the expensive stuff through your gun to *know* it is reliable with it.

--wally.

 

[sqlbullet]

I just budget $100-$150 a year to 'carry' ammo. This will get me usually in the ball park of 200 rounds of Double Tap ammo. I select 100 rounds at random and shoot them when they arrive. This way I get 'used' to the ammo, and I make sure it all functions. The remaing rounds get preserved and are my carry ammo. At the end of a year, I shoot that ammo to warm up prior to testing the next years new carry ammo.

Rest of the year I shoot cheap stuff (which for me is reloads with bullets I cast for $3-4/100).

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Like Floppy D said, if you had a TMJ (total metal jacket) than it might work, but they are usually more expensive than hollowpoints...

Blazer is TMJ. Even so, it is a bad idea to try drilling out the cores.

 

[burningsquirrels]

you'd just end up putting them out of balance. your hands aren't a CNC machine, i guarantee lol.