Filing or cutting bullet tips.

[Redd]

So I was at one of my local firearm shops today looking for 7.62x54R hunting ammo. They only had FMJ at the first store, and I don't know if the guy was just desperate to sell me some or if he was being honest, but he said I could hunt with the FMJ by modifying them. He told me all I had to do was file down the jacket until a good amount of the lead showing. I've searched and read a lot about this being done on 7.62x39, but read a lot of horror stories about the lead shooting through the front of the jacket and leaving the brass in the barrel and blowing the barrel up on the next shot. I don't intend on doing this, but I'm guessing it could be useful in case of SHTF.
If this is safe, I'm guessing I could apply it to other rounds as well. Might be a stupid question, but I'd rather ask than screw up my favorite rifle.

[Alpo]

If the fecal matter struck the rotary oscillating cooling device, I'd just hunt with ball, and not worry about it.

I have heard of people getting away with it. Remember reading about a guy with a 95 Winchester, during WW2, and ought six could not be found. A friend of his stole ammo from on base for him, and he cut the noses off with side-cutters and shot 'em. Nothing happened.

But, you got to think about how a bullet is made. They take a copper cup and fill it full of lead, and then they shape it. For soft point bullets, the open top of the copper cup is up, the lead is exposed in the open top of the cup. For FMJ bullets, the cup it turned upside down. The solid bottom of the cup is shaped to the point, and the open top of the cup is now the base of the bullet.

When you shoot a soft point bullet, hot powder gases are pushing on the copper bottom of it. No problem. When you shoot a FMJ bullet, the powder gasses are pushing on the exposed lead, but the other end of the bullet is closed, so again, no problem. But when you cut the point off a FMJ, you now have a copper cylinder, open at both ends, full of lead. If you shoot it, maybe the whole bullet will go merrily along its way like it is supposed to. Or maybe the lead core, with nothing at either end to hold it, goes shooting downrange, leaving the copper jacket in the barrel.

I wouldn't do it, and would not recommend it to anyone. It's like ringing a shotgun shell. You're just asking for trouble.

[76Highboy]

What is "Ringing" a shotgun shell?

[jack404]

main thing is centre balance

i cut the nose off new projectiles and counter sink em for a pig's blood , salt and gelatine mix

i use a lathe with a centre drill and cut off tool

zing, burrr, done, do the next one

the shoulder of the jacket takes all the wear of friction ,

i think they guy was trying hard to sell stuff

i have seen home made jacketed rounds do what you stated , theres a youtube of one

but a manufactured projectile is as good as it gets

never heard of it doing that unless there was pitting in the bore before it was fired

pitting in the bore can strip or partially strip jackets and bulge barrels and make blockages

but thats the pitting doing that ...

[1LoneWolf75]

Originally Posted by 76Highboy

What is "Ringing" a shotgun shell?

If he is talkin bout what I think he is it's a homemade slug. You take a pellet shell and score it almost through at the wad. Supposedly a slug. Have never been stupid enough to do this due to obvious reasons. Do not recommend it either. I have never even heard of anyone in real life tryin it.

[Alpo]

Jim, you never heard of ringing a shell? Yeah, Lonewolf called it. You cut almost through the shell, in a circle, and when you fire it the entire front end of the shell comes loose and flies down the barrel.

'Course, since the ID of a 12 gauge is .723, and the OD of a 12 gauge shell is .792, you got a wee little difference of size going, and pressure skyrockets. Then, when it gets to the choke, the barrel gets smaller still, and pressure get higher. If you are lucky you don't blow your choke off. That's assuming that the barrel held and you didn't blow your front hand off.

"But Grandpa used to do it". Grandpa was a dumbass.

It's dangerous as hell. Like huffing gasoline. You might do it 80 or 100 times, and just get high. Or it might kill you the first time. Just - stupid.

[zant]

Before I had a quanity of 7.62x54 brass...I just pulled FMJ from steel case combloc ammo-use good powder and .311 bullet and hunted..

[carver]

Why not just use the FMJ to hunt with if it's all you have? It might not be as good at expanding as a hollow point, but they will work! Just make that first shot count! I personally would perfer HP ammo, or at least SP ammo, but FMJ will get the job done if you do your part.

[Alpo]

I bet that many states have the same law Florida does - FMJ is illegal for deer. Used to be illegal for deer and bear, but I don't think bear is legal anywhere in the state, any more.

[al45lc]

Most States forbid nonexpanding bullets for big game hunting, however I would point out that "solids" have been used for heavy and dangerous game successfully for decades. I use fmj's for 'yotes so as not to damage too much fur.
In fact, Peter Capstick once wrote that he felt that solids were just as effective all around as any other type, citing bullet placement as key in any game hunting.
Bear in mind that hunting laws are not necessarily written by those who really know anything about guns.

[soundguy]

there are vids on youtube of 'cut-slugs.

as said they took shot loads, cut a spiral cut 90% around and the entire front of the shell shoots out staying more or less intact.. perhaps squeezed a bit as indicated..

[Maine04657]

Originally Posted by Alpo

If the fecal matter struck the rotary oscillating cooling device, I'd just hunt with ball, and not worry about it.

That sir is the winning answer.

Go shop elsewhere...

[BobMcG]

Originally Posted by jack404

i cut the nose off new projectiles and counter sink em for a pig's blood , salt and gelatine mix

Great idea, never thought of it! Good to have a few hundred around.