.308 Home Defense Loads?

[Panzerschwein]

Hello everyone!

I just recently bought a PTR-91 GI:



It is my pride and joy, and is also my only semi-automatic rifle. I plan on using this gun as my primary defense long gun, for the duties of home defense and property defense in the event that is necessary.

I am specifically wondering about what would be a good defensive load for my rifle for home defense? I know there are various loads out there like Hornady TAP, Speer Gold Dot, and Winchester PDX1 etc. etc; all in .308 but I am unsure as to which load I should choose. I live in a one bedroom apartment in a residential neighborhood, so penetration is a concern. Reliability is also a very big factor, and I need something that will run in my semi-automatic rifle.

What do you all recommend for a good .308 defense load from my 18" barrel PTR-91 rifle? If you could all help me with this, it would be greatly appreciated. I plan to be running this gun iron sights only and will have a bandolier next to the bed with four loaded 20 round magazines, plus the 20 in the rifle.

Thanks so much!!

 

[oneounceload]

Sorry, but if you feel you need 80 rounds of 308 to defend a 1BR apt, you might want to relocate; noise and penetration will be substantial

 

[General Geoff]

If overpenetration is your primary concern, look at the Hornady TAP 125gr loads. It should be pointed out that a PTR-91 is heavy and long, so won't be very maneuverable in tight corridors.


edit; they offer a 110gr load as well, but if you want to try that, make sure to run a few boxes of it through your rifle to ensure that it cycles reliably on such a light projectile load.

 

[Scooter22]

Great battle rifle. Poor HD gun. Big, heavy and you'll shoot through all the walls in your place and the neighbors too. You might get charged for killing a neighbor. Get a 12ga shotgun. JMHO

 

[Gravedigger56]

I live in a one bedroom apartment in a residential neighborhood

penetration is a concern.

That would be my concern also if I lived in an apartment.

I plan to be running this gun iron sights only and will have a bandolier next to the bed with four loaded 20 round magazines, plus the 20 in the rifle.

Just how bad is your neighborhood?

 

[dekibg]

I plead with you

to reconsider this as the choice of your primary HD weapon.
I don't want to sound smart, but don't you have a handgun ?
If unthinkable happens, you are very likely to kill a lot of innocent people with this rifle.
If you live on the farm and have a large property, this would be a great choice, but using this caliber rifle even in residential suburb with a lot of houses around is extremely dangerous. If you end up in a court they would rip you for just having it as your choice of HD weapon living in the apartment building. They will portray you as irresponsible gun owner and some sort of wannabe .

 

[rcmodel]

You got the wrong gun for that!!!!

Sorry!

You shoot a .308 battle rifle inside a 1-bedroom apartment, and you will be night vision blind, deafened, and probably kill your neighbors.

Three apartments away.

rc

 

[dekibg]

now on the funny side

what do you guys think will be the best 50 BMG home defense load

 

[General Geoff]

You shoot a .308 battle rifle inside a 1-bedroom apartment, and you will be night vision blind, deafened, and probably kill your neighbors.

Flash hiders do work. In a full length barreled PTR-91 with flash hider (as pictured in OP), you'll barely even see a muzzle flash at all. I've fired a full length M1A at night, and there was no visible flash. As for noise, it won't be appreciably noisier than a .357 snub revolver, which many accept as a perfectly valid home defense gun.

Overpenetration is the biggest concern, and there are lighter projectile loadings which reduce that factor.

 

[AKMtnRunner]

Yeah, seriously reconsider your choice of rifle and caliber. I also live in a high density living area and I settled on the 223 after researching what would stand the best chance of NOT hurting someone after penetrating drywall. And 223 is plenty powerful enough.

 

[rcmodel]

Flash hiders do work. In a full length barreled PTR-91 with flash hider (as pictured in OP), you'll barely even see a muzzle flash at all

Shoot inside a small room in the dark with the door & windows shut and get back to me.

rc

 

[Schlegel]

The proper SD load for that rifle in a small apartment is a bayonet.

 

[General Geoff]

Shoot inside a small room in the dark with the door & windows shut and get back to me.

No need, I was doing a muzzle flash photography session during that night shoot. Even in pitch darkness on an overcast night, there was no flash to capture.

 

[ford8nr]

and will have a bandolier next to the bed with four loaded 20 round magazines, plus the 20 in the rifle.

100 rds of .308 besides the apartment what are you trying to defend?
I can't come up with any load for a full size battle rifle in a small apartment.

 

[ford8nr]

No need, I was doing a muzzle flash photography session during that night shoot. Even in pitch darkness on an overcast night, there was no flash to capture.

Standing down the firing line one an overcast day I can see muzzle flash off of AR15 and M1A's

 

[lee1000]

Frangable? I really have now idea.

I'm thinking 223, handgun or a 12ga with the properly sized shot. Someone else will need to comment on the type of shot though.

 

[General Geoff]

Standing down the firing line one an overcast day I can see muzzle flash off of AR15 and M1A's

With full length barrels and flash hiders? Here's a photo I took that same night with a 20" barreled AR-15. Barely perceptible flash. The rifle and arm of the shooter is faintly lit by a cell phone display some distance away.




Compare to an M44 Mosin-Nagant carbine (which would indeed blind the shooter as well as set fire to the recipient):





Edit; next time I'm at a range at night, I'll make sure to use a newer camera with a super high ISO rating to try and better emulate human night vision, and retry some of these muzzle flash photos.

 

[Ironicaintit]

Im surprised to hear cooldill being mocked for keeping extra ammo on hand.
Would 2 extra mags be too many? 1 extra?
We plan for worst case scenarios, right? Of course. Gimme 10 mags full please.

But, an ideal home defense weapon, the PTR is not.
Somebody mentioned a bayonet. I would do that! Not kidding!

Ive been around here a while and should know this....do you reload?
If so, id be lookin at creating a 110 grain, low flash, frangible load. Strong enough to cycle reliably, light enough to mitigate the damage errent rounds may do.

Or.... go buy a nice 18" pump 12 gauge

 

[Panzerschwein]

Thanks all for the responses.

I am wondering more about the .308 loads marketed for personal defense, like the Winchester PDX1 and Hornady TAP, with the light bullets. Would these really have that much for overpenetration vs a .223? If so, why do ammo companies make .308 loads specifically marketed for this use if the caliber isn't appropriate to begin with?

 

[General Geoff]

That's just it, .308 CAN be an appropriate home defense caliber. That's what the lighter loadings are made for. Pick up a box of the Hornady TAP 125gr and 110gr, and see how they cycle your rifle. If the 110gr cycles reliably, that would present the least likelihood of overpenetration.

Is an AR-15 in .223 better? Most folks would say yes, because it's lighter, less recoil, holds more ammo, penetrates less. But you could certainly do much worse than a PTR-91 with a specific defensive loadout.

 

[Ironicaintit]

Well im an idiot. I didnt know the TAP could be had in 110.
Id go that route.

 

[Hypnogator]

Personally, I wouldn't go with a .308 battle rifle for HD, but, to paraphrase Stormin' Norman, you defend your home with the rifle you've got, not the rifle you'd like to have.

I would think these would minimize the risk of casualties two houses down the block: https://www.lehighdefense.com/collections/rifle/products/308-winchester-110gr-high-velocity-controlled-chaos-ammo

 

[eldon519]

If that's the gun you've got, then I'd go with the 110 TAP. I don't know what the layout of your apartment looks like, but perhaps give some thought as to where an intruder might come in (perhaps the front door is the only option which would make it easy) and then determine if there might be an ideal angle you could try to shoot from to minimize the consequence of over-penetration. If you find an angle that is good and offers a reasonably defensible location, that's the corner I'd store my gun in. For something like a 1 room apartment, it needs to be very quickly accessible to be of any good.

 

[RainDodger]

Please go spend about $300 on a 12 gauge pump and put your .308 in a safe.

 

[lee1000]

Thanks all for the responses.

I am wondering more about the .308 loads marketed for personal defense, like the Winchester PDX1 and Hornady TAP, with the light bullets. Would these really have that much for overpenetration vs a .223? If so, why do ammo companies make .308 loads specifically marketed for this use if the caliber isn't appropriate to begin with?

The only thing I would use those loads for is home defense on a farm or if I had some land. They will plow though drywall.

The lighter 55gr 223 rounds tend to fragment due to their high speed and low weight.