.223 is great if you planned on getting attacked by a pack of rabid squirrels. Don't listen to people that recommend overpriced ($30 for 20) magic bullets. 7.62 if you want something dead.
.223 is great if you planned on getting attacked by a pack of rabid squirrels. Don't listen to people that recommend overpriced ($30 for 20) magic bullets. 7.62 if you want something dead.
That is why the Army still uses 9mm sub guns in some urban situations, because they will penatrate those barriers. Sometime penatration is just what the situation calls for, there is something to be said for progressive loading for 12ga #6 shot, #1 buckshot and finnaly 00 buckshot.I have read several articles and seen many videos of buckshot penetrating several sheetrock walls. Much more than a .223 will. Even done some testing (non scientific), myself.
Buckshot has a place. However, when my SBR is finished, it will replace my Moss 500 20" that has 7 rounds of BS. I have seen what BS does to several sheetrock walls. I pray i never need to defend my home, but using BS with family in the house is not optimal. Obvious, but true.
There is plenty of documentation thas shows 9mm penetrating more walls than .223.
Bold addedFor LE use shotguns are:
*Less expensive
*More public/people friendly in appearance
*Established. Sometimes momentum and "the way we've always done it" wins out over what is actually better/best
*Less expensive
I'm worried about over penetration because I live in an apartment complex and don't want to scare my neighbors. I have a shotgun but only with a 28 inch barrel so I'm working on getting a shorter one. What's a decent price on self defense rounds in .223 or 5.56? I know they aren't going to be cheap.
You really must give thought to the self-defense scenario you envision. Inside your home? Then I think an AR is not your best choice. A shot gun or handgun is best for that application.
I chose a SBR AR for its flexibility; maneuverability, less wall penetration, 30 rounds and better ballistics out a couple of hundred yards if i need to carry the defense outside.
I do agree the AR is best suited for multiple attackers in a major event. For go to fast, i still have my 9mm very close. No matter which i feel is best for wall penetration, a hi cap 9mm pistol is fast to get and wield. The shotty is currently my major event go to. The 16" AR is a bit long for inside, but if i am defending outside, the 16" AR will be the one. It is kinda hard to put a shotty or AR in the night stand.
Now the question is, how fast can i get ear pros in since i don't have a can yet? just kidding.
to Kachok: i agree with your reply. I think #6 shot is a great choice to start with. It can do serious damage close up without going thru walls. Last year, the outdoor channel had a great segment showing how different ammo penetrated. #6 shot performed very well. Down side, it might not stop a hopped up intruder wearing heavy clothing.
All that thinking goes against what every SWAT team in the United States has learned in the last 30 years.Then I think an AR is not your best choice. A shot gun or handgun is best for that application.
Warp. I have a 5.56 barrel and I'm mildly concerned about penetration through a interior wall or window.
You really must give thought to the self-defense scenario you envision. Inside your home? Then I think an AR is not your best choice. A shot gun or handgun is best for that application
Most modern homes have sheet rock interior walls. They're not good for stopping much of anything. You don't want to risk a missed shot in the interior of your home in the dead of night, having just been awaken from REM sleep with the idea that an intruder is in your home. Especially if you are an apartment/attached condo dweller and/or if you have other people throughout the home. And imagine shooting someone from, say, 10 feet with a AR round moving upwards of 3000 fps? I'd be too afraid that the round will exit and continue onward. I should have been more specific: a shotgun with good bird shot or a .45 or .38 with low velocity rounds. Although I think such rounds will penetrate sheet rock, the risks are nowhere like cracking off an AR.
I'd also want to see the gel penetration/expansion results before settling on them.Which actual test of rounds through interior walls are you basing this on?
WARP: mine. Please think about this: slow moving metal vs. hyper fast moving metal? I don't care if it's hollowpoint, soft tip, or made of Chinese dumplings. A 5.56 round fired in the confines of a 15 x 12 room is MUCH more likley to penerate layers of crappy sheet rock than is the bird shot or the .38 round moving at 850 fps.
WARP: mine. Please think about this: slow moving metal vs. hyper fast moving metal? I don't care if it's hollowpoint, soft tip, or made of Chinese dumplings. A 5.56 round fired in the confines of a 15 x 12 room is MUCH more likley to penerate layers of crappy sheet rock than is the bird shot or the .38 round moving at 850 fps.
Hey, how about giving me some advice? Should I move to my .416 Rigby as my inside-the-house-defense gun? Why not?