What is a boat tail casing?
Whereas a normal rifle bullet has straight sides that end in a flat base, a boat tail bullet has sides that taper inward toward the base. The “boat tail” name describes it well because it looks like the stern of a sailboat. That shape benefits a bullet in the same way that it does a boat: by reducing drag.
What is full metal jacket boat tail mean?
As with any full metal jacket bullet, the FMJ boat tail is fully (or mostly) encased in copper or another hard metal or material. Roughly resembling the shape of a boat, boat tails are named for their designed tapered rear when viewed from the side.
Is metal case the same as full metal jacket?
Typically, this bullet type is found labeled in the bulk ammo section of foreign manufacturer sites, and it’s basically the same thing as the full metal jacket, or FMJ. Many gun authorities note that Remington was the first to use the description “full metal case.”
What is metal case ammo?
Full Metal Case (“FMC”), like Total Metal Jacket (“TMJ”), is a bullet type in which the the bullet is fully covered with a copper plating, including the base of the bullet. You cannot see inside the cartridge.
What is the difference between a full metal jacket and a normal bullet?
A Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) is a bullet that has a soft core, usually with lead, and is encased in a harder alloy metal such as cupronickel or gilding metal. The purpose of these rounds is to hold their trajectory, and they have greater penetration against soft tissue.
Can you shoot full metal jacket at range?
Most indoor gun ranges allow FMJ ammo. In fact, it’s one of the most common types of ammo shot at most gun ranges. A small portion of ranges do not allow it because a few military FMJ bullets have steel cores that damage bullet traps. So, FMJ is usually fine, but some ranges are dead set against it.
What is total metal casing?
Total metal jacket (TMJ or full metal case) bullets are made by electroplating a thin jacket of ductile metal (usually copper) over a core of different metal requiring protection from abrasion or corrosion. Similar full metal jacket bullets mechanically swage a thin sheet of metal over the core.
What are the disadvantages of steel cased ammo?
Perhaps the biggest drawback to steel-cased ammo is that it is not easily reloadable. For some shooters, this is not a big hurdle as the ammunition is so cheap that reloading is not a major issue. It would probably cost more to process and reload 1000 rounds of steel cased ammunition than to buy a fresh case of ammo.
What are full metal jacket bullets good for?
What is better full metal jacket or total metal jacket?
The jacket on a TMJ bullet is, by necessity, thinner than a traditional FMJ jacket, but it also more uniform. This uniformity makes TMJ bullets inherently more accurate than similar FMJ projectiles — a feature that’s valuable to LE and competition shooters.
What’s the difference between TMC and FMJ?
TMJ is a bullet which is totally covered with a metal surface. 2. FMJ is a bullet which is covered with a metal surface, however, not fully covered.
Is steel case ammo good?
Steel case ammo is cheaper to shoot and generally works well in most firearms, but does have some downsides. I suggest trying a box or two before buying a large quantity. That way you won’t get stuck with a bunch of ammo that you can’t use if it doesn’t work in your particular gun.
What is a boat tail bullet?
It is encased in a copper jacket (in brass cased rounds, steel may have a Bi-Metal Jacket) with the bottom of the bullet showing the exposed lead core. The “Boat Tail” description refers to the shape of the bullet. The rear of the bullet tapers inward, just like the hull of a boat.
What is a boat tail FMJ?
It could be labeled as a normal FMJ and it just happens to have a boat tail shape. Usually, if the load is somehow being marketed as more accurate than the average everyday plinking ammo, the manufacturer will go out of their way to point out the boat tail specification on the box, like PMC does with these .223 rounds.
Should I buy a boat tail or flat-based round?
However, if you are an experienced competition shooter or need a round for a clean hunting shot at 400 or 500 yards, you may find the boat tail is an ideal choice. Be sure to practice with both boat tail and flat-based options to see which works best in your rifle and shooting conditions.
What is the ballistic coefficient of a boat tail bullet?
The FMJ bullet with a boat tail has a.470 ballistic coefficient while the round nose bullet has a.262 ballistic coefficient. While the aerodynamics are certainly affected by the nose (the FMJ has a much sharper front), you can see how having a BT can increase ballistic coefficient. This pattern is repeated in bullets from Sierra.