[Tomsdad]

Originally Posted by Ji ji

I have read many times about soldiers squarely hit by one 5.56x45 without any effect..

While I have no doubt that there has been examples or anecdotes of people hit by 5.56x45 and not being impaired enough to stop being a threat. However "without effect" I doubt though unless we're talking about being stopped by armour or talking about grazes and not squarely hit.

A few points:

What's "many", more over what's "many" in comparison to other rounds?

There is no round (fired out of a hand held weapon) that gives a 100% guaranteed end of threat effect. The question is relative effects. So yes a 7.62x51mm likely hits with more energy than a 5.56x45mm, but is that abstract increase enough to make a significant difference to the chances of getting the end result you want.

Terminal ballistics and effect on the target is massively complicated, there are many variables here.

Which 5.56x45?

Originally Posted by Ji ji

Weight per ammo is not really a good performance indicator.

It's not very important when looking at individual terminal ballistics once you hit your target, but it's very important in the wider context of people firing guns at people. Without getting into a whole bit on load outs, it doesn't matter how good the terminal ballistics of your round is if you fired the last one you had 5 minutes ago. Similarly if you are having to fire your gun when conserving ammunition is a greater concern than it might otherwise be, that will also likely effect your ability to effect potential targets as you'll have to prioritise more carefully. 7.62mm M80 is twice the weight of a 5.56mm M855 (this leaves aside knock on issues that most like for like guns for 7.62mm also weigh more than for 5.56mm so you have a double bubble effect here).

Originally Posted by Ji ji

Weight per stopped enemy is much more relevant. Of course, if you need 3 cartridges of 12 grams each to have the job of a single 24 done, your weight performance is worse.

Leaving aside this assumes you are hitting with each round*, what is your evidence that the 5.56x45 needs 3** rounds in your target to equal the effects of what ever round you are thinking of in comparison?

EDIT: just quickly there is a rule for reducing the effects of 5.56 and the like out of short barrels past a certain range to pi- in TS ("my carbine sucks/rocks"). Could it be the times your referring to could be largely in that context? Not sure I'd call that no effect though.



*and that could work each way here, if say you relying on quick SA (or even FA) fire a powerful round might be harder to control reducing your follow on hit chances, so your 'hits per round fired' percentage (but this depends on lots of things outside the round as well)

**or since that was really just a abstract comparison what ever multiplier you think it needs to equal the effect.