I just cannot imagine a huge gap in terminal performance between 55 grain FMJ and 77 grain SMK sub 100 yards. Anyone have any thing to say different?
Guys love doing ballistic gel tests on all kinds of bullets, on Youtube. Maybe check out some of those videos, if you are bored. We also don't know what you are wanting to use said bullets on? OP is vague. Just punching through a deer or pig? My buddy uses the 55gr FMJ's on a lot of yotes. He says they do less pelt damage, unless they hit big bone. The media you shoot through will have a lot to do with said "terminal performance" of a bullet.
Originally Posted by raybass
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style.
Originally Posted by Pharmseller
You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole.
M193 is pretty dang impressive as long as the velocity is high.
I'm thinking you are probably right. Of course, I've never been terribly impressed with the 77 smk as far as terminal performance goes. The 75 bthp from hornady always gave me more consistent results
FMJ does nothing but pass straight through, you get runners as far as coyotes go. You hit lungs they bleed out some point in time, hit muscle it just slows them done or cripples them. Same crap with a heavy constructed bullet, just behaves like a FMJ. I don't use either on coyotes. The object of the game is to use a bullet that dumps all its energy inside of a coyote with 3-4" of penetration. To fragile of a bullet just surface splashes and worse than a bullet going through and through. Then you also have a bullet that just tumbles as it passes through and leaves big exit at times. (useless)
Helped take care of over 1000 gun shot wounds at Landstuhl from 04-07. FMJs do curious things. Some go straight through, and some do everything they can to stay in the body. Seems most of the straight through were chest cavity shots. Many of the back, upper and lower torso and oblique shots tended to not go straight and stayed in the body or exited in places you wouldn't expect.
We had to pack and unpack to the full track of the wounds and some were downright impressive in how long a path the bullet took.
Lesson learned is I don't want shot from any bullet at any range.
I greedily want the 75gr BTHP Hornie from the muzzle to Transonic Slip. Hint.
Just sayin’………..
Brad says: "Can't fault Rick for his pity letting you back on the fire... but pity it was and remains. Nothing more, nothing less. A sad little man in a sad little dream."
"The Church can and should help modern society by tirelessly insisting that the work of women in the home be recognized and respected by all in its irreplaceable value." Apostolic Exhortation On The Family, Pope John Paul II
I just cannot imagine a huge gap in terminal performance between 55 grain FMJ and 77 grain SMK sub 100 yards. Anyone have any thing to say different?
When you say performance, it would be good to know what you will be shooting at. For smaller animals like coyotes it probably doesn't matter much, although I'd prefer a 55 grain expanding bullet. For deer or pig sized creatures the heavier bullets are likely preferable unless you're taking head shots.
I just cannot imagine a huge gap in terminal performance between 55 grain FMJ and 77 grain SMK sub 100 yards. Anyone have any thing to say different?
You are lacking in imagination.
Educate me, how a 77 grain bullet at 2700 FPS is better than a 55 grain bullet at 3000 FPS in pigs or coyotes?
I understand the 77 would outperform at 300 yds.
Your biggest differences will be consistency and neck length.
"Neck length" is a measure of how deep a bullet penetrates before expansion/fragmentation begins. In calibrated ballistics gel the 55gr FMJ will typically have a 4 inch neck, where the 77's will have a 1-2" neck. On a coyote sized target a 4 inch neck translates into a clean pass through with no expansions. M193's typically fragment at the cannalure. In soft tissue it takes about 4 inches (see previous discussion) for them to upset and break apart into two major parts, each has a mind of it's own going in unpredictable directions. On a quartering shot in a pig you may not get half coming out each side, never reaching the intended vitals. If you hit a bone, as Kodiak mentioned above, all bets are off.
In contract the 77 expands from the tip beginning 1-2 inches into soft tissue. It's overall performance is more akin the traditional hunting bullets you know and love. In ballistics gel the expanded bullets look like something out of a sales add.
Here's a test of the 77gr SMK out of a 10.5" barrel and a couple yards into ballistics gel. The results speak for themselves.
Last edited by antelope_sniper; 05/06/24.
You didn't use logic or reason to get into this opinion, I cannot use logic or reason to get you out of it.
You cannot over estimate the unimportance of nearly everything. John Maxwell
Did a ton of research before buying my BCM 11.5" and a boat load of 77gr SMK.
The last 3-5 posts above mine do a good job of explaining my reasoning.
The lethality of that round from an 11.5" SBR out to 600 yds is impressive.
I know the OP's original question was regarding terminal performance 100 yds and in. The 2 videos by Andrew and GarandThumb referenced above answer that question well.
Slaves get what they need. Free men get what they want.
