Which Ammo Should You Carry?

Which Ammo Should You Carry?

 

There are a lot of calibers, brands, and types of ammunition available to today’s concealed carry market. While this article won’t get into discussion on calibers (that’s for a different time) and brands, let’s talk about ‘type’ of ammunition… what’s best to use for personal/concealed carry?

 

First, there are going to be two very broad categories to consider… full metal jacket (FMJ, sometimes also called “ball”), and expanding/hollow point (often called personal defense ammo). Make no mistake: both can be lethal. So why should you consider one type vs the other?

 

Full metal jacketed bullets are exactly what they say: there is a metal jacket (generally copper) around a lead core bullet. The copper jacket helps hold the bullet together and helps keep the gun somewhat cleaner by not depositing lead in the barrel. Hollow (or expanding) bullets, sometimes called personal defense rounds, generally still have a metal ‘jacket’, but rather than being a simple solid body, they have a hollow cavity at the front and are designed to expand when they hit the target. FMJ (‘ball’) rounds will tend to penetrate deeply into (and frequently all the way through) soft targets, while hollow point ammunition expands and slows down more when hitting soft targets. So, which is ‘better’ when it comes to defending yourself?

 

The deeper (often complete) penetration of FMJ ‘sounds’ like it would be good when you are trying to knock down the target and stop the threat. However, that’s generally not the case… ’knockdown’ ability is a function of the total energy deposited into the target, and the wounding capability of the round. When a ‘ball’ type round hits a soft target, it will tend to make a “through and through” wound, with relatively similar entrance and exit wounds, and a moderate wound channel in between… but remember, the bullet carries much of its energy past the target as it leaves… and all that energy doesn’t help in taking down the actual threat. In fact, it then becomes a problem, as that round continues on and may strike an unintended target further downrange. This also happens when shooting in most buildings or structures; FMJ rounds will easily punch through drywall and wooden studs, possibly through multiple walls. Using FMJ rounds can (and is even likely to) cause damage and injuries beyond the intended target… and may not even be completely effective in stopping the threat.

 

Hollow point (expanding) bullets, on the other hand, are made to expand upon entry. This causes a much more substantial wound cavity and causes the bullet to slow down substantially (since it’s transferring more of its energy into the target). Depending on the speed of the round, it may still penetrate all the way through the target and continue on but will do so with substantially less energy and speed. Similarly, while such a round may well penetrate walls, the flattening of the round after the first impact will slow it down and cause less damage (and less down-range penetration) than an FMJ round.

 

There are many, many more details on the differences in terminal ballistics between these two types of ammo than what are presented here, but story is the same: if you are using a handgun for self-defense, be it in a concealed carry application or for home defense in your own home, your best bet is to use hollow point/personal defense ammunition. The big reason is over-penetration of FMJ rounds, which is bad for two reasons: first, with respect to your intended target, the FMJ round may not stop the threat. Second, that round that over-penetrated the target (or missed) will carry on and may penetrate through additional walls, hitting unintended targets. The expanding bullet will make a bigger wound cavity on the target, and therefore put more of its energy into that target. Missed rounds will be more likely to be stopped by walls and structures, thereby reducing (though not fully eliminating) unintended damage or injuries.

 

Though the cost of FMJ rounds is generally much less than that of expanding bullets, the additional safety (in both stopping power and reducing collateral damage) is worth it. While practicing with FMJ is more economical, shooters should run a magazine or two of their chosen personal defense rounds through their weapon, just to make sure it cycles correctly… so practice with ball but carry hollow/expanding point ammo!