I was reading that M855 62 gr 5.56 ammo will fragment upon hitting flesh out to 125m from a 20 inch barrel, but only 85 yards from a 14.5 inch barrel. Fragmentation is one of the main wounding characteristics of the 5.56 cartridge.
I have two questions:
1) How much of a difference does fragmentation make for overall effect on target? Basically, if a target hit at 50 yards and full fragmentation is full performance, how much different would the effect on the same target be at 300 with no fragmentation?
2) I see that M193 55 gr bullets add 5 yards or so to the fragmentation effect distance (130m from a 20 inch barrel, and 90 yards from a 14.5 inch barrel). What are the effective ranges for other bullets types and weights? I see that Hornady TAP is highly regarded. How about 45 grain bullets?