?Self defence AR-15 ammo?

[Deer Hunter]

Would a fragmenting ballistic tip be a better bet?

 

[coloradokevin]

Funderb, you wrote:
"Umm. anything, just not in 5.56"

The OP asked a question about a 5.56 AR-15.
I'm sure you are of the mindset that it is a mickey mouse rifle and not worthy of shooting a bad guy with cause it will just sting him, right? (eyes rolling)

I have to agree with him, in this case... A .223/5.56x45 round is not all that effective on car doors, particularly in M193 configuration.

Our range has tested for the effectiveness of doing this with our rifles at work, and the results were not good.

They certainly won't be any better at 200+ yards


I love my AR-15, and think it is a great weapon system. But, it is certainly not the ideal (or likely) choice for hitting a target behind a car part at that kind of distance... Sure, it will do wonders to an unarmored target at that range, but not someone sitting behind a car door (at least not reliably).

And, increased fragmentation is generally not something you want if you are trying to get to a target that is hiding behind a car door!

Why are we taking a 200yrd shot at someone driving away anyway?

 

[kBob]

coloradokevin,

Although it seems counter intuitive, test after test has shown that both M193 and Green Tip have better penitration at or near 200 meters than closer or further away.

Has to do with the stabilizing efect of the spin placed on the round by the rifling. By 200 meters the wobbles the bullet may have have all been reduced to their maximum and beyound 200 meters lose of velocity begins to reduce penitration.

At least one oft qouted source indicated there is no appreciable difference in penitrating concrete or steel or other hard material between the M193 and Green tip at ranges under 35 meters or so because of the stability issue.

Go figure.

-Bob Hollingsworth

 

[Frog48]

Like Zach says, it's pot luck. I have 2 barrels it shoots in just fine, one it tumbles. It shoots great in my 11.5 and 16 Bushmasters and not in one other I have, Rock River I think it is.

It's worth trying to see for sure because those loadings are by far the best for self defense use.

Maybe a stupid question, but... at close-range/self-defense distances, would tumbling significantly affect stopping effectiveness?

 

[Frog48]

Anybody?

 

[Ridgerunner665]

This may be helpful...

 

[Ridgerunner665]

And here is a Barnes 62 grain TSX I fired point blank into solid slate rock at 2,900 fps...it penetrated 12 inches...and the only weight it lost was the petals coming off...these are the best bullets on the market today.

 

[BorisDaBastid]

When I was in Ramadi, a certain special ops group there with us had 5.56 in a round-nose flavor. Not only was it round, but the bullet was substantially longer than our ball, and appeared to have a bit of a hole in the end. They gave us some, but we mainly used it for dog control. I know my description is vague, but anyone have a clue as to what kind of round it was? *edit* Also, If I remember correctly, it wasn't FMJ, looked to be pure lead.

 

[jrfoxx]

I have a mag loaded with Hornady TAP 65gr. The Hornady TAP ammo seems to be pretty well regarded, and looks good in tests from what I've heard/read, so that what I went with.Most prefer the 75gr stuff it seems, but since my Bushmaster is 1:9, I went with the 65gr out of concerns for stabilization, and thus accuracy.I gather it wouldnt have mattered at any reasonable SD/HD distance, as it would be fairly close in, but also didnt see what I'd gain with the slightly heavier round, vs. what I'd likely loose in long range stability/accuracy IF it were needed, so I figured the trade of was worth it to me. Also, my M4 isnt my HD/SD gun really, except in serious SHTF stuff, so I was even less worried.In that case, I'd probly be using the many mags of green tip "penetrator" I have loaded up anyway. Any of the modern purpose built SD rounds from a major bullet maker for 5.56 is a safe bet I'm sure, when it comes down to it.

 

[Silvanus]

self defense from 50-200 yards?

Now that's funny

But seriously, the Prvi is probably a the better ammo.

 

[sublimaze41]

More information then you could ever need.
http://ammo.ar15.com/