Soft point, good home defence?

[AZAviator]

Just wondering what soft point is? Cabella's had no HP for my AK so I decided to give the SP a try. Ive never seen or used it before. It looks like it has a lead tip that mushrooms, but Im thinking not as much as a hollowpoint? So maybe the idea is to have the aerodynamics of a FMJ but the stopping power of a HP (or somewhere inbetween?)

Also wondering where the best price is online for AK ammo. Im looking for a bunch to go targetting with. Looks like the best I can find it is 0.26 per bullet. Good/bad?

 

[Maverick223]

The aerodynamics of a HP can be (and often is) just as good or better than a FMJ, FP, Semi-Spitzer, or SP, though I doubt that a HP would be as effective as a SP in that particular cartridge (generally has a small hollow cavity that does not expand much). Note that most hunters choose ballistic tip or soft point bullet designs...it isn't because a HP is not available...it is generally not as effective. Also note that most match grade ammo is HP...it is not ballistically deficient...but you shouldn't need a favorable BC for HD and such (at 10yds it won't matter...at 100yds it still won't).

Don't cheap out on you HD rounds, buy the best that is available for the rifle and only fire enough to have confidence that the round will cycle reliably and do its job. Preferably Corbon DPX (expensive at about $2/rnd), Hornady TAP, or one of the many SP rounds made domestically (Hornady, Fed. Win., Rem., et cetera) if you want cheaper rounds. Is your [and your family's] life worth the extra expense?...get the good stuff.

 

[BUGUDY]

I have a different view on this. If I have 30 rds of anything in a AK, I would feel pretty safe protecting myself and family. Unless ofcourse you are going up against a small army. Heck, I don't believe your average thug would go up against a 22 lr, unless he had a very, very strong inncentive.

 

[Norinco982lover]

I wouldn't worry about it except for overpenetration issues (shooting thru walls into family members rooms).

~Norinco

 

[natman]

Hollowpoints are a device to get bullets to expand at handgun velocities. 7.62x39 generates enough velocity for softpoints to expand quite nicely, so hollowpoints are unnecessary and may even cause excessive expansion at the expense of penetration.

So don't worry about it.

 

[malix]

I doubt that a HP would be as effective as a SP in that particular cartridge (generally has a small hollow cavity that does not expand much).

Small cavity?



Thats a Wolf HP.

 

[Ol` Joe]

Hollow points are usually more accurate due to the center of balance being toward the rear, and they can have a sharper profile due to a smaller tip, giving them a slightly better BC.
They can be very fast expanding or slower opening depending on constuction of the jacket and core, same as soft points. Nosler ballisitic tips are a hollow point with a plastic tip added to improve BC and help expansion of the toughter jacket used on the big game versions. Sierra, etc, design Hollow points for varmite or targets and they perform differently depending on which version you use.
Soft Points can be extreemly fast opening, Speers TNT as example.

From sierra FAQ

Question Answer
Are all hollow point bullets designed for rapid expansion? Absolutely not. Our hollow-points vary in their jacket thickness, antimony content, distance the lead is away from the mouth, degree that the mouth is open and so forth depending on the use and range for which the bullet is designed. Hollow-point configurations can be found in match bullets that may show no mushrooming through tough controlled expansion big game bullets to the varmint bullets

The design of the bullet needs to be concidered along with its geometery to pick the right one for the intended purpose.

 

[Art Eatman]

Any soft point's gonna make more of a mess than a solid, so I'd always use a soft point in a defensive rifle.

 

[Maverick223]

Small cavity?

I was referring to the small opening at the front, which typically will slow expansion on a HP...especially Wolf which has a steel jacket under the copper one. There are rapidly expanding HP rounds available...but I don't know of any for the x39, as it is not very popular for small game and varmint hunting.

 

[KBintheSLC]

I purchased some Brown Bear 125g Soft Point loads some time ago. I clocked them at over 2400fps out of my Yugo underfolder. My opinion is that whatever gets hit by one of those will die fast. I compared them side-by-side with FMJ's of equal velocity on Jello-filled milk jugs. The soft points created far more violent explosions and severe energy deposit on the target.

The military is stuck using FMJ due to the Hague Convention. You however are not.

 

[WesM]

AimSurplus.com currently has Wolf Military Classic HP ammo for $219.95/1000. Best price I've seen in a while.