Compared to other rifle rounds, it is on the lower side of the of the power spectrum, but were I to pick a short barreled rifle for home defense the .30 Carbine is certianly up there at the top. The risk of over penetration is much less than a .223 and we won't even get into somethig like a .308. Now before anyone jumps up and starts foaming at the mouth about how non-dangerous a .223 in a house is and how eaisly the bullet breaks up in drywall. Two thing - #1 next time you get the urge to go shoot stuff (other than just paper) grab some gyp board and really see how hard it is to actually get one to break up in it. #2 - when a .223 round breaks up it is said that it is due to the high velocity, when it comes to in the home after you hit the guy where will the bullet end up?
As a side note we also make the .30 Carb ammunition in 85g SP and HP, 90g HP, 93g SP, 100g SJSP, and 110g FMJ and SP. The 93g SP and 100g SJSP being the best for low penetration/small game work as both are half-jacket designs.