"What was the barrel length and did you use the entire cleaning rod or just a section or two? Is this a 'stealth' hunting method. Any reason why not just use FMJ?"
---> We were issued 20" M-16's mostly FN's and Colts. I usually used two sections screwed together as it made it heavier and more effective.
I don't think stealth would best describe a blank being fired in the woods...
As for why we didn't use FMJ..two reasons, one, there wouldn't be anything left to eat, and two, we didn't have any live rounds. We were training, hence the blanks.