Recent episode of Yukon Men. Stan was hunting elk with a center fire that
really set him back a couple steps when he fired. His son Joey was using AR
looking rifle. I was thinking the boy is not going to be a successful
hunter, trying to take down elk with a 55 grain FMJ.

Anyhow, thanks for that information. Lot I didn't know.
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Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
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"Stanley Schaefer" wrote in message
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You don't HAVE to use FMJ if you're a civilian. It's just that that's
been cheap ammo to plink with in the past. Not so much now, over a
buck a shot, no surplus, it's all been shot up in the world wars. And
55 gr FMJ is Vietnam-era stuff, twists have changed since that time,
current issue stuff is heavier, 69 gr. is popular. Long range target
shooters will use much heavier stuff than that, up to 90-100 grains.
Have to single load them, though, too long for a magazine. Anyway,
you can get most any weight from 32 grains on up in .224" bullets.
The jacket thickness determines what it's used for. Not quite mouse
to elephant, but guys do use the AR with heavier bullets and thicker
jackets for hogs and antelope, among other critters, where legal.
Most bullets sold in .224" size are for varmint shooting, there's a
whole line of non-lead bullets called "Varmint Grenades". My dog gun
will do one hole groups with the right reloads, some guys have won
benchrest competitions with ARs. Not your granddaddy's M16 anymore.
40-50 years of competition shooting will do that.

As far as "advantage", it's the same as it's always been, light
weight, low recoil, very accurate, easy to keep going. Worn-out
barrel replacement is easy with some minimal tooling, basically a drop
in thing with torqueing a big nut up to spec. Caliber/barrel length
change is easier, just pull out two pins and drop on another upper in
the desired caliber. .17 to .50 BMG are available. Want a short
carbine, 20 seconds will do it. Ditto for a long barrel varmint gun.
Want a short-range hog buster, there's the .450 Bushmaster. All
developed on the private industry nickel, not some government
program. Brownell's has a catalog just for ARs and derivatives that's
about the size of their early '70s catalogs, thicker even than the one
for 1911 pistols.

Stan