5.56 Home Defense Ammo

[CGRifleman]

My primary HD weapon is a handgun, but push comes to shove, I keep a long gun loaded too. Currently my secondary HD gun is a shotgun, but that will change as soon as I get my new AR sighted in properly.

As with most long guns, overpenetration is a concern. Obviously FMJ and LAP are out of the question, but SJF rounds are hard to find. If you use an AR or similar 5.56 rifle for home defense, what rounds do you use, and why?

 

[zxcvbob]

5.56 shouldnt penetrate as much as most handgun rounds, even if you use FMJ's. Light weight and high velocity; the bullets will break apart when they hit something.

How about 55 grain soft points? (like Hornady 2266 bullets)

 

[allaroundhunter]

I use 75 gr Hornady TAP, but even FMJ will penetrate less than a JHP pistol round.

 

[CGRifleman]

I get what you're saying about 5.56 and handgun ammo penetration, but I'm also thinking legally after the fact. If it goes to court, a handgun will be easier to justify to a non-shooter jury than a big scary black gun with a 30 round assault clip on it.

As far as the defensive carbine, I happened to pick up some Federal 50gr polymer tip varmint rounds in a trade, I think these will give me the terminal ballistics I'm looking for. Anyone have any experience with these or similar rounds?

 

[allaroundhunter]

I happened to pick up some Federal 50gr polymer tip varmint rounds in a trade, I think these will give me the terminal ballistics I'm looking for. Anyone have any experience with these or similar rounds?

I have never seen Federal make ballistic tip .223 rounds. But if it is at all like the Hornady V-Max then it is a good bullet for the job.

 

[Warp]

My primary HD weapon is a handgun, but push comes to shove, I keep a long gun loaded too. Currently my secondary HD gun is a shotgun, but that will change as soon as I get my new AR sighted in properly.

As with most long guns, overpenetration is a concern. Obviously FMJ and LAP are out of the question, but SJF rounds are hard to find. If you use an AR or similar 5.56 rifle for home defense, what rounds do you use, and why?

Overpenetration is probably more of a concern with your handgun (or shotgun) than with a 5.56/.223.

My home defense AR is loaded with either Hornady TAP FPD or Black Hills 5.56 77gr OTM (mk262).

Why? Very effective on target, accurate, no excess penetration, reliable.

Push come to shove? If you ask me, using a firearm against another person is the ultimate case of push come to shove. I mean, does anything get any more serious than that?

 

[C-grunt]

Hornady TAP is a very good load. My department uses Federal Tactical 55 grn hollow point and it is very effective but doesn't have a lot of penetration.

 

[CGRifleman]

Push come to shove? If you ask me, using a firearm against another person is the ultimate case of push come to shove. I mean, does anything get any more serious than that?

I agree, and am thankful for never having to so much as point a gun at another human being. What I meant was the difference between a single attacker and possibly multiple or continuous attacks (i.e., riots, looters, etc.) Unlikely scenario, I know, but then again Hurricane Katrina victims probably thought being stranded at the Superdome for a week was an unlikely scenario too.

 

[El Viejo]

Why not just stick with the shotgun & buckshot, or some other HD ammo? It seems like that would be a lot more efficient than having to worry about taking time to aim an AR.

 

[nathan]

Anything should be fine as long as target is hit and no friendlies on the background.

 

[henschman]

I use good old M193 55 grain FMJ. light, fast, low barrier penetration, high likelihood of fragmentation in a human body.

 

[CGRifleman]

Why not just stick with the shotgun & buckshot, or some other HD ammo? It seems like that would be a lot more efficient than having to worry about taking time to aim an AR.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. The AR is shorter, lighter, handles better, gets on target quicker, and has 5 times the ammo capacity of my shotgun.

Anything should be fine as long as target is hit and no friendlies on the background.

I cannot ever guarantee both.

 

[nathan]

Wolf ammo is as good as anything else as long it works in your AR. Always hit the target and not the friendlies or you will get into bigger trouble.

 

[allaroundhunter]

Why not just stick with the shotgun & buckshot, or some other HD ammo? It seems like that would be a lot more efficient than having to worry about taking time to aim an AR.

Wait, shotguns do the aiming for you?

Seriously though, some people have no conceptual understanding of how much a shotgun pattern actually spreads at defensive distances. And then go on to use this lack of knowledge in an attempt to sway a decision in a direction based completely on false misconceptions.

AKA, statements like this are of zero help.

 

[CGRifleman]

Always hit the target and not the friendlies or you will get into bigger trouble.

You don't say.
I'm not saying I'll miss, I'm just saying I'm not what I consider to be a tactical operator and I've never shot at anyone before. I'd love to be able to say I'd drill 'em center mass every time, but until you're put in that situation you never know for sure.

 

[Jackal]

With as well as a Federal 50gr HP works on coyote without any passthrough, I think it makes a very safe home defense load. Heck, it wont even penetrate two 1 gallon water jugs, just explodes the first one and bounces off the second. Instant-where-they're-standing death on coyote. While I hope I never have to use one on any 2 legged animals, I'm sure it will do the job without risk of pass through.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=146306

 

[Warp]

Why not just stick with the shotgun & buckshot, or some other HD ammo? It seems like that would be a lot more efficient than having to worry about taking time to aim an AR.

You need to aim everything. Even if you are using a shotgun with buckshot...you still need to aim. The spread of the pellets at across-the-room HD distances is minimal. And besides, stray pellets pose a serious risk, for many people, of hitting somebody or something that we don't want to shoot.

Other reasons an AR might be preferred to a shotgun: Defeats soft body armour, much quicker follow up shots, greater capacity, greater range, generally lighter shorter and easier to maneuver, lower recoil is easier for non-shooters women elderly youth etc to handle...

 

[bpl]

El Veijo,

Shot pattern from your shotgun at indoor self defense distances is going to be from the size of your barrel to the size of your fist most likely, so it absolutely must be aimed or you will miss.

Buckshot has much greater wall penetration than 5.56/.223, as do standard handgun rounds.

 

[oldpapps]

Back when I was a COP and had to live in the jurisdiction, I lived in an apartment with 2 layers of sheet rock walls. I kept a 'HiStandard Riot Gun', 12 gauge pump loaded with number 8 bird shot. It takes hours to pick all of those little pellets out. The ranges involved made some form of aiming required and bird shot a suitable load.
I now live out in the sticks and only use a .223/5.56 because it is handy.

Point is, use what 'you' are comfortable with and hope you never need to.

 

[gotigers]

I use good heavy OTMs like, Hornady Tap 75gr, Black Hills 77gr OTM (MK262), etc.

 

[JustinJ]

My primary HD weapon is a handgun, but push comes to shove, I keep a long gun loaded too.

Just curious, in what HD scenario would one face a threat with a handgun, stop, retrieve long gun, and then continue engagement? I think you're better off choosing one gun and sticking with it for HD.

 

[LeonCarr]

At household distances I can put 30 holes in a target faster with a shotgun than I can with an AR, and my holes will be .33 caliber instead of .22 caliber.

End the gunfight quickly, and the bad guy has a greatly reduced chance of shooting back at you.

To answer the OPs orginal question, any ammo 40-55 grains with a hollow point, soft point or polymer tip that penetrates a minimum 12 inches in gelatin.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[allaroundhunter]

Just curious, in what HD scenario would one face a threat with a handgun, stop, retrieve long gun, and then continue engagement? I think you're better off choosing one gun and sticking with it for HD.

Well, god forbid if you engage a threat with your handgun and run it dry. Then you better either have a reload or have another gun ready to go. Unlikely? Sure, but I would rather have the long gun and not need it than need it and not have it.

I see no problems with having an extra gun ready to go...in fact, if you don't then I will go so far as to say that you are unprepared.

I have a pistol loaded at my bedside with a spare magazine next to it. I also have an AR, 12 ga, and Wincheser '94 loaded in my gun safe (which is in my room and remains unlocked at night). I am fully prepared to fight my way to my long guns I necessary, but hopefully I can get to my AR before I have to use my pistol.

The 12 ga and .30-30 would be options for 2 legged threats, but I primarily keep them ready for 4 legged problems that my dogs may alert me to.

 

[CGRifleman]

Just curious, in what HD scenario would one face a threat with a handgun, stop, retrieve long gun, and then continue engagement? I think you're better off choosing one gun and sticking with it for HD.

Keeping several guns ready also gives you the option of which one to start with.