best .223 ammo for HD

[SenecaGunner]

I have a mini 14 and a case of pmc 55gr fmj for target shooting but I'm wondering what would be best for defensive use. I have picked up a few boxes of hornady vmax but was wondering what everyone else uses. Thanks

 

[Zanad]

hornady tap...

 

[highorder]

At defensive ranges, the 55gr. FMJ will work fine.

 

[BushyGuy]

55 gr FMJ can be used for self defense, its the fragmentation and yaw that makes it effective in the .223/5.56x45mm cartridge.

HP are also effective if it cycles in your gun.

 

[K-Rod]

If the OP lives in an Apt or sub-divsion (Which nowadays is pretty much an Apt) or even in his own house, should he be concerned about the 55gr FMJ goi g through the BG & potentially hurting someone else?

 

[Fred Fuller]

Whatever load you choose to use for defensive purpose, the #1 requirement is that it function reliably in your firearm. It doesn't much matter how well a given bullet performs if it never leaves the muzzle.

"Best" IMHO is what works in your firearm, that you can afford to shoot, that does at least most of what you want it to do as far as terminal performance is concerned. The usual round counts I see cited for a functional reliability determination start at 200 from most sources. YMMV on that, but I prefer to use what I shoot a lot of, and therefore know will function reliably. I'm not one to buy some hyperexpensive premium defensive load that costs several dollars per round, and then hang onto that magazine-full of increasingly aged and worn ammo for years while shooting other stuff in training and practice.

fwiw,

lpl

 

[SenecaGunner]

Good point lee

 

[Al Thompson]

I have some Ballistic Tips but think the VMax would be fine.

 

[Bernie Lomax]

I have a mini 14 and a case of pmc 55gr fmj for target shooting but I'm wondering what would be best for defensive use. I have picked up a few boxes of hornady vmax but was wondering what everyone else uses.

Remington 69 gr JHP.

Whatever load you choose to use for defensive purpose, the #1 requirement is that it function reliably in your firearm.

The Mini will eat pretty much any ammo without choking.

 

[txhoghunter]

I keep Hornady 75 gr TAP in mine. But as Lee said, make sure that first and foremost, what is in the mag, will work in the gun

 

[joeq]

Is the 55 grain TAP not the Vmax bullet? I thought they were one in the same, at least the 55 grain.

 

[SentinelStrategic]

Hornady .223 TAP-FPD (aka TAP URBAN for .le/.gov) is a V-Max bullet.
For general home defense, I would recommend that you avoid using barrier or bonded bullets. The issue of over-penetration comes into play. A barrier round like a Federal Tactical Bonded SP, Speed Gold Dot, or Hornady TAP Barrier will have exceptional performance inside a human cavity, but it is likely to over-penetrate if it does not hit a sufficient amount of resistance with body mass or bone. These rounds are designed to defeat barriers like metal, glass, construction materials, and soft armor, and still have enough energy and velocity left to deliver lethal hits.

Ideal ammunition would be Hornday TAP-FPD in 55gr or 60gr, or in the 75gr BTHP TAP version. The 75gr version will have rapid expansion and fragmentation, but has a very low propensity for over-penetration. The heavier cartridge will also facilitate deeper penetration into the cavity. I would abstain from 40gr loads, as they tend to expand too rapidly before they can do severe lethal damage to vitals. The 60gr for the Urban/FPD loads is ideal for those bullets.
Other options include the Federal Tactical TRU in 55gr Hi-Shok SP or the 55gr Nosler Ballistic Tip or 50gr LOTM if you want a more rapid level of expansion.
Another option is hunting grade JHP loads or heavier polymer tip loads, like 55gr+.
I personally use Hornady TAP 75gr BTHP in home defense magazines (kept separate, loaded and readily accessible).
For work, I use 55gr Federal Tactical Bonded SP, but that is ammunition for shooting through windshields, car doors, residential and commercial windows, etc. Not stuff I'd like to use in my home.

I would recommend against FMJs. 55gr FMJs can over-penetrate if they do not expand correctly. FMJ ammunition is unpredictable in its behavior. You can make assumptions about what it MIGHT do, but not about what it WILL do. If you deal with someone that is thin, the bullet is likely to pass right through them due to insufficient amount of mass to cause deformation. If you go to the 62gr M855/SS109, you are really asking for trouble due to the steel penetrator.


Also- If you come across any Hornady 75gr V-Max, skip it. It won't fit in your magazine.

 

[Cop Bob]

Frag rounds...

 

[unwise11]

Winchester power points have a good rep, I also would use a 69 grain BTHP match load from Hornady.

 

[quiettype]

My thoughts on this is penetration, not immediate energy dump. The problem with varmint rounds is that they guarantee shallow penetration. With that in mind, I prefer Federals' bear claw 5.56 round backed up with Hirtenberger for barriers and heavier individuals.

 

[Loosedhorse]

We always hear that "energy dump" is meaningless in pistols, because pistols ain't rifles. But here we have a bona fide rifle cartridge.

I personally use 40 gr HP (Hornady TAP). Yes, they will have shallow penetration, but at 3350 fps and 1000 ft-lb I still think an attacker would notice being shot. I've no problem with the 55 or 60gr HPs, and I think I'll eventually switch over to 53gr Superformance (3465 fps).

I know a lot of people don't feel over-penetration is an issue, but with heavy .223 FMJs, I think it might be. Of course, if you live alone or have no close neighbors--in the apartment next door, for example--then that's far less of a concern.

 

[benEzra]

I like Federal 55gr JHP (T223E). Some people prefer less fragile rounds, but IMO 11+" is sufficient for non-LE/non-mil use, particularly in the home, and the lighter JHP's penetrate less in building materials.

 

[Ben86]

Your fmj can get the job done, rifles are less ammunition dependent, especially at normal SD ranges. But, I don't think fmj is ideal. I prefer expanding ammunition in the form of jacketed soft points. I prefer those over hollowpoints to get a bit better penetration. Right now my AR is loaded with 55 grain remington soft points.

 

[unwise11]

30 rounds of 60 grain V-max would leave a disgusting mess to clean of any organic creature human or not.

 

[Dulvarian]

I sighted in the Eotech with 69gr PRVI BTHP. Good price on it, I buy it as 'Match grade' from Palmetto State Armory. Not sure if it really is 'Match grade', but it shoots sub MOA for the sight. (I want to say that the 'dot' is 4MOA? been a while since I bought it, but it shoots 2" groups at 100 yards easily, offhand.)

I've cycled hundreds of rounds through my SIG 556, zero malfunctions. Two loaded 30 rounders, one inserted, and one with the extra mag for the bedstand gun. Very consistent ammo, and about half the price of Hornady.

Not that I'm expecting full scale gang violence in my quiet little subdivision, but if I feel the need for a bit more power and more rounds, that's the second closest gun at hand.

As long as you are shooting SP, HP, or even FMJ I think you will be fine. I personally would not use the AP rounds, or heaven forbid, tracers.

 

[Merlin@45]

I use 75 grain TAP. In a .223 with a 1in9 twist, I've heard it tends to "tumble" out beyond 75 yards or so. Not sure if that's true. But, as my Bushmaster Carbon 15 would be what I consider my CQB weapon, I wouldn't deploy it much farther out than that, anyway.

 

[COLOSHOOTR]

Hornady .223 TAP-FPD (aka TAP URBAN for .le/.gov) is a V-Max bullet.
For general home defense, I would recommend that you avoid using barrier or bonded bullets. The issue of over-penetration comes into play. A barrier round like a Federal Tactical Bonded SP, Speed Gold Dot, or Hornady TAP Barrier will have exceptional performance inside a human cavity, but it is likely to over-penetrate if it does not hit a sufficient amount of resistance with body mass or bone. These rounds are designed to defeat barriers like metal, glass, construction materials, and soft armor, and still have enough energy and velocity left to deliver lethal hits.

Ideal ammunition would be Hornday TAP-FPD in 55gr or 60gr, or in the 75gr BTHP TAP version. The 75gr version will have rapid expansion and fragmentation, but has a very low propensity for over-penetration. The heavier cartridge will also facilitate deeper penetration into the cavity. I would abstain from 40gr loads, as they tend to expand too rapidly before they can do severe lethal damage to vitals. The 60gr for the Urban/FPD loads is ideal for those bullets.
Other options include the Federal Tactical TRU in 55gr Hi-Shok SP or the 55gr Nosler Ballistic Tip or 50gr LOTM if you want a more rapid level of expansion.
Another option is hunting grade JHP loads or heavier polymer tip loads, like 55gr+.
I personally use Hornady TAP 75gr BTHP in home defense magazines (kept separate, loaded and readily accessible).
For work, I use 55gr Federal Tactical Bonded SP, but that is ammunition for shooting through windshields, car doors, residential and commercial windows, etc. Not stuff I'd like to use in my home.

I would recommend against FMJs. 55gr FMJs can over-penetrate if they do not expand correctly. FMJ ammunition is unpredictable in its behavior. You can make assumptions about what it MIGHT do, but not about what it WILL do. If you deal with someone that is thin, the bullet is likely to pass right through them due to insufficient amount of mass to cause deformation. If you go to the 62gr M855/SS109, you are really asking for trouble due to the steel penetrator.


Also- If you come across any Hornady 75gr V-Max, skip it. It won't fit in your magazine.

Not true.... Ballistics test at our range proved that Federal Bonded and Gold Dot Rifle rounds penetrated less than or about equal to our handgun ammo. The ammo still defeats barriers and soft body armor but the rounds are specifically designed to reduce the risk of over-penetration. You can get the data on the ATK LE page if you don't believe me.

A great round with a low risk of over-penetration is the Federal Tactical T223E. It's a 55gr hollow point and it's just devistating at close range. It's in their LE Only Tactical Rifle- Urban (TRU) line but you can find the ammo online and at gun shows. The 55gr Gold Dot is also a great round and is currently what is in my work rifle. Never used the TAP offerings but have heard good things....

 

[Shawn Dodson]

Black Hills 50gr TSX (using a Barnes solid copper bullet designed specifically for Black Hills) seems to be a highly regarded cartridge. See - http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=75298

Other 5.56/.223 load recommendations, see - http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=19881

 

[Eyesac]

30 rounds of 60 grain V-max would leave a disgusting mess to clean of any organic creature human or not.

Agreed.

 

[SentinelStrategic]

I use 75 grain TAP. In a .223 with a 1in9 twist, I've heard it tends to "tumble" out beyond 75 yards or so. Not sure if that's true. But, as my Bushmaster Carbon 15 would be what I consider my CQB weapon, I wouldn't deploy it much farther out than that, anyway.

Are you talking about terminal performance upon hitting the body? Or are you referring to mid-flight/external ballistics? If you're talking about in-flight, it's likely an issue with twist rate. 75gr needs 1:8 or 1:7 to properly stabilize. I've used Hornady Match and Hornady TAP 75gr BTHP extensively out of a 1:8" barrel, and have had exceptional performance out of it.

Not true.... Ballistics test at our range proved that Federal Bonded and Gold Dot Rifle rounds penetrated less than or about equal to our handgun ammo. The ammo still defeats barriers and soft body armor but the rounds are specifically designed to reduce the risk of over-penetration. You can get the data on the ATK LE page if you don't believe me.

I didn't say it was a guarantee, but the concern is relevant and real. Human body mass plays a major role in how those rounds perform. Ballistic gelatin is a constant density and mass. The problem comes with factors like shot placement on the body, and size of the person you shoot. Additionally, the body composition of a person plays heavily into the issue. If you shoot someone that is very fat, or someone that is very muscular, barrier rounds will not overpenetrate. If you shoot someone that is very thin, or someone that isn't excessively overweight but is out of shape and basically just flabby (in the words of Hanz and Franz), then you have over-penetration risk. Lean mass is significantly more dense than fatty mass, so if you shoot someone with very low lean mass, the resistance is reduced. Someone with more lean mass will increase the resistance on the round and the penetration will be less.

It's my opinion that in the world of terminal ballistics, it's either a concern or it's not. Since you are accountable for every round you fire, you need to aware of the real possibilities and capabilities of the ammo you shoot. It's a possibility, regardless of what ATK says. Our own testing has shown that it is possible. Not a guarantee or significant problem, but still something where the possibility exists, and thus bears mentioning. Urban rounds mitigate this risk by using rapid expansion to essentially eliminate any risk of overpenetration, but you already know that.
Personally, I'll take my chances and use barrier rounds for duty. If you're minding your backdrop behind the target, over-penetration issues are eliminated. I'd rather still have the ability to shoot through a door, wall or vehicle.

I've heard of good performance from the T223E. It's good to get another positive report.