Should you mix JHP & FMJ ammo in the same mag?

[CHLChris]

OP:
I've had various Leo's over the years show me the same loading theory.

I'm not a fan of taking gun advice from cops. Unless you know their level of experience, being a police officer confers no extra amount of ballistic knowledge over other folks who would never suggest alternating ammo types.

JHP rounds are loaded to much higher standards than range ammo. If you were to somehow find a type of FMJ that was loaded to the same specs as high quality JHP, maybe that could be argued, but there are very few FMJ loads that are super high quality. I know Speer Lawman is supposed to be loaded about the same as their equivalent Gold Dot loads. And I'm sure Double Tap has quite a few hunting rounds that are not hollow points.

I just think it is a really bad idea unless you have some foreknowledge about exactly how your own defensive encounter is going to go. And if you know exactly how it is going to unfold, then just bring a rifle.

 

[Diamondback]

If you know how a defensive encounter is going to go, Be Somewhere Else instead.

 

[41mag]

Agree, yet the LEO comments reflected departmental policy good, bad, based on some larger slice of experience than my own, if not on legal premise.

 

[CHLChris]

You're saying there is a department out there that requires their officers carry mags with mixed ammo?! Are you serious? Wow, that just strikes me as exceedingly unwise for a department to make a choice like that. That cannot possibly be common.

 

[edslhead]

I'd have to go through all the mags and check, but I'll bet there's a few cocktails in there.

 

[41mag]

That's a permutation of my comment, CHLChris. The loads were dept supplied, the order loaded was not the issue I was intending to address.

What was somewhat amazing, it included several Leo's from 3 states over a decade apart.

They gave such similar discussion it sounded like they all went to same seminar.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Not me, I have all the same type ammo in each magazine for my peace of mind.
I also labeled all my magazines accordingly so I know what I have in the well.

I'm a slow loader so I am pretty consistent on the outcome.

 

[rupey7]

Personal defense, my mags are always 100% JHP which is intended to stop what ever threat presents itself. If that barrel is ever pointed at a threat I want it neutralized ASAP. I spend the extra dough and train with the same round I conceal carry with.

 

[thorborg]

I'm not sure of exact impact @ 150 yards, or if I'm lucky compared to others, but at 25 yards my 45 dumps FMJ and HP's on the same spot for same weight. With that in mind, I load my range ammo for cheap (as long as it has a jacket) so reach in my ammo can of loose rounds and you'll come up with a handful of mixed, whatever I could find for the lowest cost.
It all feeds the same.
As for Self Defense, for now, Hornady's XTP's are currently alone for that watch.
Not to say I have any issues mixing SD rounds

There are some subjects that will never culminate in a consensus.

 

[Jonnyuma]

I used to... we called it a "street load" back in the 90s.

I kinda decided on my own that it might be tacti-cool horse hockey and discontinued the practice. The fact that I'm only packing 6-8 rds in my subcompact PPS helped me arrive at the decision to carry only HST JHP of the heaviest weight available.

 

[The Heretic]

I don't mix ammo, if I want a different load I'll change mags.

This - at least in pistols and rifles.

HD shotgun - buckshot then slug - but the idea there is I may be dealing with bear or cougar.

For revolvers - maybe same as the shotgun; JHP, then JSP - but the JSP is a bonded Barnes 275 or 300 grain with a double thick jacket - for brown bears - but that would only be if I was visiting where there are brown bears - around here, just about anything out of my .44 mag with take care of a black bear or cougar.

 

[L84Cabo]

No.

 

[EPS]

I have heard some people do it .
For reasons like Shooting through a windshield.
And stuff like that.
Staggered every other shot or every third shot a fmj .

 

[No_Regerts]

I'm not a fan of taking gun advice from cops. Unless you know their level of experience, being a police officer confers no extra amount of ballistic knowledge over other folks who would never suggest alternating ammo types.

JHP rounds are loaded to much higher standards than range ammo. If you were to somehow find a type of FMJ that was loaded to the same specs as high quality JHP, maybe that could be argued, but there are very few FMJ loads that are super high quality. I know Speer Lawman is supposed to be loaded about the same as their equivalent Gold Dot loads. And I'm sure Double Tap has quite a few hunting rounds that are not hollow points.

I just think it is a really bad idea unless you have some foreknowledge about exactly how your own defensive encounter is going to go. And if you know exactly how it is going to unfold, then just bring a rifle.

The vast majority of police and military service members don't know jack about guns, terminal ballistics, etc. They are told what to use and get a bunch of sunshine blown up their butt about how great it is (like how awesome 9mm is). Very few will know its a bunch of BS.

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

I've always steered away from FMJ/JHP combo as I can only imagine what an attorney would do.
I just use what my local LEO's use.

In one of Paul Harrell's videos he mentioned that since criminals often use whatever ammo they can find, cops tend to equate mixed ammo in a magazine with bad guys.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

158gr hard cast lead semi wadcutters in my 357 mag loaded with 14.5gr 2400 going around 1250fps

thats whats up

 

[Kruel J]

The vast majority of police and military service members don't know jack about guns, terminal ballistics, etc. They are told what to use and get a bunch of sunshine blown up their butt about how great it is (like how awesome 9mm is). Very few will know its a bunch of BS.

F You, 9mm is awesome!!

NSFW

 

[tac]

I've been hearing reports from buddies in San Antonio that Texas has been having some armed home-invasion crews start wearing vests.

Headshots work best.

Ain't no vest covers the head.

Any bullet to the head is going to sting somewhat.

 

[Certaindeaf]

The choice of ammo matters so little I just carry a rolled up newspaper.

 

[E4mafia]

for 45 I may mix if I wind up short a box of SD's so usually its just 2 or 3 FMJ's that make it in towards the bottom.
9 and 40 I do not mix.

When I was deployed I used to set my last 3 rounds as tracer to let me know when to reload. Got used to different sound and visual que to help. Trying to do the same here between SD loads and just basic FMJ. its kinda working.