**I. Opening Statements**  
This is an analysis on the durability of Vita Carnis mimics, I will consider each of the more well-known bullet types + the calibers as well as more niche combinations to determine how they would do against the adult and elder mimic varieties.

1. **A Bullet**

First, we need to understand that a bullet is the projectile, while the entire construct is usually called a "cartridge" or "round." More about them:  
A cartridge can be dissected into two types (image 2)--rimfire and centerfire , the difference is that rimfire typically have their primers (that being lead azide, lead styphnate or other shock sensitive primary) situated at the rim of the bullet; centerfire have their primers situated in a primer cup separate from the main propellant. Both are activated via the hammer striking the striking pin, thus impacting the rim for rimfire; primer cup for centerfire. Lower caliber rounds like the .22LR typically use rimfire cartridges, while most use centerfire cartridges, including the 9mm Farren Brones used.  
A cartridge has the primer as mentioned, the casing (the thing that is ejected after you fire), the propellant (typically smokeless powder) which is in the casing, and the bullet itself (Here we will use bullet as a catch-all term, because my nerdiness has a limit). Most bullets have an outer layer--the "jacket"--and a core, the purpose of the jacket--typically made of brass or copper--is to protect the barrel of the firearm from lead fouling and to prevent the core from deforming, while the core is where the good shit is.

1. **Calibers**

A bullet's caliber is determinant based on the diameter of the firearm's bore, what can determine the stopping power and penetration capability of a firearm is not solely based on its caliber, but also:

1. *The weight of the bullet (measured in grains)*
2. *The material of the bullet*
3. *The amount of propellant*
4. *The shot placement against target*
5. *Barrel length*

For this discussion, I will be starting out at .22LR and ending at the .416 Remington, I will not be using rare, obscure calibers nor will I factor in the .50 BMG, .700 Nitro, or .950 JDJ--it's a little difficult trying to bring an M2 Browning MG or a Barret M82 anti-material rifle indoors & still have a house left afterwards after all, and I think you would rather your shoulder still be attached to your arms after you fire.  
**II. Them Boolletz**  
Let us start with the more accessible & well-known bullet types typically found in home defense, so I will primarily focus on hunting rifles, pistols, and shotguns while briefly mentioning assault rifles, bridge it with each caliber we'll be using, and end with accessing their effectiveness against mimics based off of what we know about their biology.

1. **Bullet types:**
2. *Full metal jackets*

"This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life."  
Whoops, wrong one. Full metal jackets are basically bullets with a brass jacket and a soft lead core, they are the industry standard.

1. *Jacketed hollow points*

Very mean fellas, they are brass-jacketed, soft lead core bullets with a cavity at the front. They are designed with the cavity to cause the lead to expand outwards inside the target due to pressure exerted on the cavity, but also because of this, they are terrible at penetration.

1. *Armor piercing*

Armor piercing ammunition typically has a brass jacket, steel core. They are highly effective at defeating barriers, but can "pencil through" (overpenetrate and shoot through without causing adequate tissue damage) unarmored targets.

1. *Blanks*

No.

1. *+P*

These are rounds with extra smokeless powder, hence +overpressure. They have higher recoil and stopping power, and unlike what video games say, your bullet can absolutely be both armor piercing and +P, these 2 are two different areas.

1. *Monolithic bullets (Solids)*

Monolithic bullets are a slab of usually copper or brass, no jacket and core, with the former material being less damaging to the barrel of a firearm due to being softer. Crucially, they are the preferred choice for hunting large, dangerous game like hippos, buffalo, rhinos, and elephants.

**2. Calibers:**  
**2.1. Pistol Calibers**

1. The .22 long rifle is a variant of the .22 caliber family, it produces around 24000 PSI maximum pressure (sounds like a lot, but it’s for a fraction of a second in the chamber due to the propellant going off.) and gives out \~140 ft-lbs (185 joules) of energy. Too low, not enough to reliably penetrate mimics (ew) or fast enough (400 m/s) to induce enough hydrostatic shock to cause incapacitation. Discarded.
2. The 9×19mm Parabellum is the most common handgun cartridge in Western countries, and is also the caliber used in Farren Brones’ M9 Beretta (at least I think that was what he was using). The 9×19 generates 35000 PSI at the chamber and is 429 joules with regular FMJs and 679 joules with jacketed hollow point +P rounds. It is around the same speed as the .22LR but packs a bigger punch, and for the sake of argument we will be assuming Farren was using regular FMJs--this would mean his original plan for a regular mimic would be enough with a 9×19mm Parabellum, meaning that a JHP +P, with a faster and more energetic round of the same grain (115 grains), should be able to neutralize a regular adult mimic.
3. The .357, .44, and .500 Magnum(s) are 3 stylish yet impractical choices, sure, RPing as Clint Eastwood, dropping a one liner, and putting a hole between an elder mimic's forehead seems awesome, but you'll be dealing with hand-breaking recoil and you'll have to shoot straight while under stress–and if you've shot a revolver before, you'd understand how jittery you can be under stress. The .357 is 44000 PSI maximum pressure; 731 joules with a 158 grain JHP Federal round, the .44 is 40600 PSI maximum pressure; 1570 joules with a 240 grain JHP Corbon, the .500 is an absolute monster at 60000 PSI maximum pressure; 3888 joules with a 300 grain FTX Hornady. However, if your aim is true, you can drop even an elder mimic with one shot.
4. The .45 ACP is best known for the legendary Colt M1911, it produces around 20000 PSI at the chamber, and is 639 joules using a 230 grain FMJ, Double Tap; 803 joules using a 185 grain JHP +P round.
5. The 10mm Auto is the parent round of a common police service round–the .40 S&W–and it is my personal recommendation for adult mimic defense, it produces 37500 PSI at the chamber, and is 960 joules using a 180 grain FMJ Federal; 1357 joules using a 77 grain RBCD TFSP (Total Fragmenting Soft Point) round. It is a chunky round, but not a handbreaker, so it is overkill enough to guarantee elimination against an adult mimic.

**2.2. Shotguns**  
Shotguns are an entire world of their own, and getting into them in depth will be too long for this, so let’s put it simply: 12 Gauge buckshot is what you want against adult mimics because not only do they produce 2300 joules (5 times more powerful than Farren’s 9mm) if all 9 pellets land (which means they’re 255 joules each), but they also have a tight pattern, pretty much guaranteeing a hit if you just aim with your eyes focused on the front iron sight. The slug on the other hand, firing 437 grains worth of a lead block, produces 4365 joules for a 3-inch magnum slug, so basically it can destroy an engine block, and an animal, no matter how tough, will not survive that concentrated in a 1.3 cm point. More widely available slugs–those being 2 3/4-inch shells–produce around 2300 to 3000 joules, so it might not kill an elder mimic at a distance and without good shot placement, but it is still likely to cause severe, almost irreversible trauma.  
**2.3. Rifles**

1. The 5.56×45mm NATO is a round used in various “events” within the USA if you know what I mean, it produces \~60000 PSI at the chamber; 1847 joules with a 62 grain M855A1 FMJBT (Full Metal Jacket Boat Tail (designed for better aerodynamic flight)). One round can likely drop an adult mimic easily through hydrostatic shock (which happens after fluid is rapidly displaced by a high-velocity object impacting an object) going at almost 3 times the speed of sound, combining that with the ability to follow up shots with any AR platform means it is… quite effective. Elder mimics are a little riskier unless you can magdump them in the head.
2. I feel my blood turning redder with the 7.62×39mm, same story as the 5.56, but it is actually more powerful at 21008 joules with a 122 grain 57N231 FMJ round despite being \~45000 PSI in the chamber, this is due to the round being shorter and thus containing less powder and thus being less fast (but it is a heavier round).
3. 7.62×51mm NATO 

“PYLE 

Seven-six-two millimeter, full metal jacket. 

JOKER Leonard... if Hartman comes in here and catches us, we'll both be in a world of shit. PYLE I am... in a world... of shit!” 

Damn it, get out of my head! Anyways, 60000 PSI; 147 grain M80 FMJ produces 3469 joules at 853 m/s. It is very powerful, but we do not recommend firing it with a 20-inch barrel, because the velocity could be so high that it literally drills through an elder mimic’s head without hitting any vital areas.

4. The .375 H&H and .416 Remington rounds are both “dangerous game” rounds, so they are built to drop cape buffalo, hippos, rhinos, and even elephants. This means they produce 62000 PSI and 65000 PSI in the chamber; and at that point there’s not much point to list out their joule output, because they are literally overkill against something like an elder mimic.

**III. Final Note and Conclusion**

The elder mimic has a round, human-like skull (image 3, spooked ya, lmao), which means it is likely not able to deflect bullets with angling like some animals (such as hippos) or some medieval walls/tank hulls can. So it actually makes an elder mimic easier to kill than a hippo with high-stopping power rounds.

Conclusion? Farren should’ve brought a Mossberg 930 with slugs, a .375, a .416 (solid bullets), and an M14. His chances of survival would’ve been much higher had he brought contingency weaponry, but I don’t want to be that guy, so RIP Farren, I hope the elder made the most out of you. Now, I need a drink and to chill. Bye bye.

**Footnotes:**  
[https://janitorai.com/login?from=%2Fcharacters%2F8814480a-7755-48a2-ad7f-c91aabd291cd\_character-elder-mimic](https://janitorai.com/login?from=%2Fcharacters%2F8814480a-7755-48a2-ad7f-c91aabd291cd_character-elder-mimic) (image)  
[https://muskethunting.com/what-is-the-main-difference-between-centerfire-and-rimfire-ammunition/](https://muskethunting.com/what-is-the-main-difference-between-centerfire-and-rimfire-ammunition/)  
[https://datavisualexpert.com/parts-of-gun-diagram](https://datavisualexpert.com/parts-of-gun-diagram)  
[https://www.riflegearlab.com/bullet-sizes-calibers-types/](https://www.riflegearlab.com/bullet-sizes-calibers-types/)  
[https://www.scribd.com/document/950384902/Maximum-Pressure-Saami-Cip](https://www.scribd.com/document/950384902/Maximum-Pressure-Saami-Cip)  
[https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/muzzle-energy-math-comparing-shotgun-gauges-for-home-defense/](https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/muzzle-energy-math-comparing-shotgun-gauges-for-home-defense/)  
[https://trueshotammo.com/blogs/true-shot-academy/full-metal-jacket-fmj-vs-full-metal-jacket-boat-tail-fmjbt](https://trueshotammo.com/blogs/true-shot-academy/full-metal-jacket-fmj-vs-full-metal-jacket-boat-tail-fmjbt)  
[https://arxiv.org/pdf/0803.3051](https://arxiv.org/pdf/0803.3051)  
[https://pid.bungie.org/fullmetaljacket.html](https://pid.bungie.org/fullmetaljacket.html)

I want to thanks the formatting for messing up, here's the Google Docs file for ya:

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1\_mS4pXoTTwTe7dvSRWHrYLFigLQofq884h79Oe21l9Y/edit?tab=t.0](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_mS4pXoTTwTe7dvSRWHrYLFigLQofq884h79Oe21l9Y/edit?tab=t.0)

Regarding Thy Meat Men - Bullets & Their Effects