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.223/5.56mm Home Defense Ammo


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If you're worried about over penetration, you'll be better served with factory jacketed hollow points out of a center fire pistol, no smaller than 9mm, or a 20 or 12-gauge loaded with bird shot and an open cylinder/no choke (immediate spreading). Any 55 grain .223 ammo should go right through a human being without armor on, unless it's designed to hit the brakes in tissue by fragmenting on impact. Bad guys seldom wear armor. If all you have for home defense is an AR-15, I'd reload it and develop a light load. If reloading isn't an option for you, then go with a bullet that is designed to expand at least a little (polymer tipped bullet like Z-max or A-max, Nosler Varmageddon will expand some. But more than ever, knowing your target and considering it's background applies to you.

 

Jm2c

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Hornady Z max. Stupid marketing gimmick, but good ammo. I don't have to worry about over penetration.


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They're actually just VMax bullets with green plastic. I have a bunch, but haven't loaded any. At home defense distances, damn near anything is gonna frag when you shoot somebody. So, I don't worry about it. If you kick my door down, you are as likely to get shot with Wolf as anything else. More likely than not, all the rifles will be locked up, and it will be a good ole 45. There's always one or two of them close.

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I just swapped out the old mossberg 500 for my recently built PSA 5.56 pistol w/ Sig brace for home defense and had the same question. Ended up using the Winchester PDX1 split core 223 ammo. Edited by Hammer285
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OP, why are you limiting yourself only to 55gr loads?

 

I'm a big fan of Hornady's 75gr OTM.

Because I still think the 55 grain loads offer the best combination of stopability without overpenetration in a good defensive load. I have been using Hornady TAP 55 grain loads for a number of years and was just wondering what everyone else is doing, i.e. is there something better than TAP now. etc.

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Because I still think the 55 grain loads offer the best combination of stopability without overpenetration in a good defensive load. I have been using Hornady TAP 55 grain loads for a number of years and was just wondering what everyone else is doing, i.e. is there something better than TAP now. etc.


Define over penetration? A rifle bullet moving 3000ft/s is gonna penetrate a lot before anything inside a normal house will stop it.
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True, but a fairly frangible bullet like the TAP in a 55 grain load will do less penetrating than a ball bullet of the same weight, especially if it's a barrier penetrating load. A lighter bullet will give up its velocity and energy faster than a heavier bullet, etc. etc. etc. Anyway, the 55 grain TAP load has been recommended to me by our SWAT guys as being an effective defensive load that is less likely to cause undue penetration indoors than other defensive loads like the 55 Gold Dot, etc. Like I said, I just wanted to know what other guys are doing. 

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My choice in home defense round if I have to use my AR is 62 gr LAP (green tip), because it all paints the walls the same color. I don't run lighter than 62 gr in general, but that's preference.

Edited by Ted S.
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