Opinions on various rifle/PDW rounds...

[MacArther]

Now, when I say PDW, I'm actually referring to the P90 and the MP7, which both use new types of ammunition as opposed to pistol rounds. Anyway, there are a few questions I'll leave all of you to mull over for assault rifles and PDWs (oh, and all of this refers to the US military, since I have nearly no knowledge of other military's armarment schemes)....Which round is most cost-effective? Which round should be in production? Which round would you prefer to be sending down range? Finally, why did you choose the rounds you did for each category?

Example munitions:
5.56x45mm NATO
7.62 NATO
4.6mm
6.5mm Grendel
6.8mm
5.7mm
etc.

 

[tomo pauk]

I reckon it that 6.5 and 6.8mm should do fine, but one needs assault rifles and/or LMG to employ them, not PDWs.

As for PDWs, the smaler the better. So that's 4,7mm.

 

[MacArther]

In my defense most LMG rounds use either the assault rifle caliber rounds, or one step above.

 

[Amsel]

7.62 NATO is a proven cartridge. 5.56 has proven to be lacking in stopping power and penetration. It only took almost 40 years to figure out what those guys in Vietnam were talking about.

 

[Blaydon]

Personaly the 7.62 takes the lead, if you hit him in the head no head if you hit him in the limb chances are he will lose it if you hit him in the body chances are good he is dead. But for logistics try this, You hit a guy with 5.56 he is badly wounded it takes at least one guy to drag him out so that is two out of the fight.

We were aalways told if you hit and wound a guy and he is not firing back leave him as he will attract others.

 

[BombTaxi]

I forget where I heard this now (possibly as an air cadet when I was a nipper), but a wounded guy may tie up as many as eight other people plus resources to evacuate and treat him. The lighter 5.56mm round used by NATO and others can inflict massive incapacitating but non-fatal (in the short term) wounds, tying up resources that could otherwise be used on the battlefield. It's a very grim calculus to work with, and TBH, if I were in the situation, I think I would prefer a larger round to ensure that the matter was settled beyond doubt.

 

[Colin1]

Infantry are taught self-help during assaults for precisely this reason. If every other guy stopped to apply first aid to a wounded colleague the assault would lose its momentum, which would be disastrous.
If a guy goes down he takes care of himself as best he can until the assault is over or a medic comes up behind the assault, that way, at least there will actually be someone to come back and see to him properly/get him casevac'd