Question about making hunting ammo

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hvmetalhead

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I have a bunch of fmj projectiles. And I want to use them for critter shooting.

I know the law says to use it for hunting. I have to have an expanding bullet.

If I filed the tips off the round so lead was exposed would that be enough? Or if I filed and drilled a small hole making a hollow point?

Would be legal? Or does it have to be factory ammo?
 
You would be better off asking that question of your local conservation officer. I believe modified military ammo would be legal in most jurisdictions, but why take a chance? Find our from the person whose opinion really matters. Also, such a bullet could probably be used effectively for shooting coyotes and woodchucks and similar size smaller game, but may be too erratic in performance to use for big game animals. If hunting deer, moose, bears, etc. do yourself and the game a favour and use real hunting bullets. The small extra cost is worth the predictable performance.
 
What you describe has been done, but is not recommended, even if legal.
(and legally will be a provincial thing, as hunting regs are a provincial law)

The problem with filing off the tip is that the copper jacket is open at both ends, so the lead core could possibly be pushed out, leaving a hollow jacket stuck in your bore.
Really, the cost of the bullets will be among the least expense of your hunting trip, so dont go cheap.
 
40 years ago there used to be a few barrels on display at Elwood Epps north of Orillia that were split from the breech forward that had been fired with FMJ with tips cut off. The first one blows the core out the barrel and leaves the jacket in the bore, the second one "encounters" an obstruction. I guess it's true that everything old will be new again sometime.

270 totheend
 
Use of fmj bullets for hunting is one issue.
Cutting the tips of the bullets is another. This can be a very dangerous and stupid thing to do.
It has been done. And folks have got away with it. But there is a serious risk involved.
 
After WWII, there was a real shortage of hunting bullets and this was a common practice. A quarter century back, I had a die that was very well hardened ad you could run your FMJ round into the die, whack off the tip with a hack saw and file the tip down to the top of the die. This would remove the same amount from each bullet and produce accurate ammo. My Ruger 77 in 7,62 x 39 would put five into an inch and a quarter at100 yards. This waswith gippo Norinco ammo. The treated bullets would make a bigger hole in small trees than the untreated ones. I would check the bore after each shot to nake sure there was no jacket left behind.

In the late forties, the NRA officallyfrowned on the practice as commercial hunting bullets became available.
 
Another option that the OP might consider (If they have any reloading equipment available) is to pull the FMJ's, replace them with the cheapest SP bullets they can find (of the same weight), and sell off the FMJ's to recoup cost. Might cost $25 per 100 in the end...
 
Fmj

hvmetalhead said:
I have a bunch of fmj projectiles. And I want to use them for critter shooting.

I know the law says to use it for hunting. I have to have an expanding bullet.

If I filed the tips off the round so lead was exposed would that be enough? Or if I filed and drilled a small hole making a hollow point?

Would be legal? Or does it have to be factory ammo?
Click to expand...


Just pull the Bullets then seat em back in backwards, works fine done and killed more then a few northerrn Sask. Moose with the 303 in the 70ties.
Now you have a Boottail Bullet with a lousy Balistic coefficiant but still more accurate the a Filed of tip Bullet.

Cheers - K.
 
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