FMJ or JHP for SHTF?

[PandaLuv]

I'm being a little paranoid, I don't have any ammo for SHTF situation at all. My question to you is, how much ammo do you guys have for just that? FMJ or JHP pistol rounds?

for rifles, FMJ all the way.

[zfields]

JHP for pistol, soft points for rifle for me!


Pistol is a defensive weapon.

[JTROKS]

Both.

[SDM44]

IMO, it depends on a couple of things....


First - for most SHTF situations where you need to worry about 2-legged critters, I'd go with a good & tested/proven JHP round. For other SHTF situations, where there's a total collapse in society and you're having to provide food for yourself and your family (think The Walking Dead, but without the zombies), so you're forced to hunt for your food. In this case, I'd rather use a FMJ round.

Second - are you going to be getting multiple calibers for all of your guns and stocking up on all of that different type & size ammo? Or do you just have a few guns that use the same caliber? If you are going to use only 1 caliber, which one will you choose?



For me, and not really thinking too much of either scenario above, I have at least a few thousand rounds of handgun ammo that's about 70% FMJ and 30% JHP. This is also all 9mm since the majority of my handguns (4 of them) are 9mm. While I do have a 3 guns that use a .45 ACP, and I do have a good amount of .45 stocked up, I made the decision that if there ever was a SHTF situation where I had to grab & go or just sit back and use a lot of ammo, then I would rather just stick with 9mm and stock up on that. My main reasons being that my 9mm guns are easier to shoot for my wife (and very easy for me), and carrying around 9mm rounds is much lighter than carrying around .45 rounds.

[bsg]

enough rounds for each caliber. for several years i have picked up a box or two of ammo, twice a month for hoardng purpose.

[Lead Waster]

If you are truly paranoid, just go to Walmart and pick up a few hundred rounds of bulk ammo (FMJ) then think about which SHTF ammo you would like. The idea of SHTF preparedness is to have SOMETHING vs NOTHING. You'll have nothing if you spend too much time thinking about what is optimal. So have some ammo, then think about optimal after.

[wash]

I am going to make batches of SHTF ammo once I get reloading.

It has to be cheap with good terminal performance.

For pistol, copper plated cast lead hollow points. Cheap bullets, no lead fouling, good expansion. Real jacketed hollow points would be better and retain more mass but plated hollow points will have way more expansion than FMJ which essentially has none.

For rifle, a mix of open tip match, surplus steel core pulled bullets and soft points. OTM for accuracy, steel core for enhanced penetration and soft point for bullet expansion at short to medium range (and hunting).

For shotgun, OO buck and whatever else I can carry but mostly OO buck.

[zfields]

I am going to make batches of SHTF ammo once I get reloading.

It has to be cheap with good terminal performance.

For pistol, copper plated cast lead hollow points. Cheap bullets, no lead fouling, good expansion. Real jacketed hollow points would be better and retain more mass but plated hollow points will have way more expansion than FMJ which essentially has none.

For rifle, a mix of open tip match, surplus steel core pulled bullets and soft points. OTM for accuracy, steel core for enhanced penetration and soft point for bullet expansion at short to medium range (and hunting).

For shotgun, OO buck and whatever else I can carry but mostly OO buck.

Ive been loading Hornady XTP 185 and 200 G hollowpoints in .45 for a while. Good cost, reliable, and good penetration. Not quite as much expansion as other brands, but much easier to find.

I know Berrys has been working on some defensive hollowpoints that are similar to golddots as far as characteristics, but they haven't released them yet.

[Bug Splat]

Both. I keep my mags loaded with JHP but have a ton of reloads that are a mix of FMJ and copper plated cast lead hollow points. I know they are not real JHPs but they look cooler and only cost a few more bucks

[Bug Splat]

Both. I keep my mags loaded with JHP but have a ton of reloads that are a mix of FMJ and copper plated cast lead hollow points. I know they are not real JHPs but they look cooler and only cost a few more bucks

[drunktank]

I keep both. Just be sure whatever ammo you have runs reliably in your firearm.

[UNKNOWN SOLDIER]

Now that I think about it I have no soft points for my AR-15, I better get some. For the SHTF scenario I think we will need both. Like a Marine told me when I asked him the same question " Hollowpoints when you're on Sentry duty because you know what you are shooting at and want to stop the threat ASAP and FMJs for all out battle because the ppl you're shooting at are behind cover." So I have always taken that answer under great consideration.

[bsg]

I keep both. Just be sure whatever ammo you have runs reliably in your firearm.

noteworthy point.

[Ibefuz]

with all this talk of SHTF why does .22lr always seem to get left out. my thought is that with .22lr i can carry 1000rounds that weigh roughly the same as 200 rounds or 9mm. and if the the shizz really hits the fan and i need to hunt or take a shot that wont be heard for a crazy far distance aways because i want to remain low key and stealthy a .22 seems it would fit the bill. i know .22 lacks range or stopping power, but like many people say in HD subjects, 10rounds of .22lr in someones chest is gonna be in a world of hurt. and not to mention that .22lr is the most readily avaiable round out there, so when scavenging becomes a necesity your chance of find this round is greatly increased.

sorry to derail the subject of your thread!

[Iggy]

If it was really SHTF would it really matter?

It's kind of senseless to think which is better if you don't have any.

Get as much ammo as you can. Period.

Edit:

Oh, and probably more important shoot a lot with the ammo you plan on using to save your life. The last time I was shooting at the range there was a bro in the lane next to me that couldn't hit anything to save his life. I saw he was shooting a Sig in 45ACP, reliable gun, and he was shooting reliable ammo. I could make center mass hits all day with my '76 snub nose S&W 36. So regardless of ammo, be able to hit your targets!