.223/556 home defense round?

[finch6013]

What would be a good home defense round for the AR platform? I am looking for something that wont overpenetrate and shoot the neighborhood up. Please do not recommend that I use a shotgun or pistol, I know they would be better but I dont care for this conversation. Thanks for your advice!

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[gunnoob75]

Just grab some HSM VMax. Wholesale Sports (Sportsmans WArehouse) has them for 20 some odd dollars per fifty rounds. Bright orange box, you can't miss them. 50 or 55 grain.

 

[finch6013]

Are those the Varmit rounds with the ballistic tip that mushrooms? I have considered these.

 

[gunnoob75]

Yeah. You can find pictures on youtube and stuff. Will blow a rabbit in half, and a coyote into chunks.

Go with the heavier 55gr, and it'll do perfect. 60 grain would be ideal, but you will pay a lot more for them. (Hornaday TAP)

The HSM rounds are cheap, so you can Zero your rifle to them nicely and stuff. It's good ammo, too.

 

[glockguy]

I have wondered this Same thing.. I have a mossberg 500 Tactical. that I use for home defense. Everyone tells me using a AR for home Defense would be dumb cause it would just keep going through the walls.. So im all ears on this too

 

[gunnoob75]

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[finch6013]

Thanks for the offer. I have too much going on. I will be checking them out sometime though.

 

[G23]

I realize that this is kind a hot button subject but...... From the tests that I have seen and read about, a shotgun with buckshot has alot of penitration and will go through several walls including exterior walls. Alot of hollow point pistol rounds will plug up with sheetrock basicly turning them into fmj ball that will also go through several walls including exterior. 556/.223 rounds "tend" to fragment upon impact and "may" not go through as many walls. Hornady Tap 75gn 556 sound like it should be a great round and is available at G&R tactical for $27. I don't claim to be an expert by any means but I think an AR would be a great home defense firearm. Hope that helps.

 

[NoAim]

There's some bad info and misconceptions in this thread.

See here for actual penetration by rifle, shotgun, and handgun rounds:

http://www.theboxotruth.com/

 

[the4thshake]

My vote is for Black Hills or Hornaday 75 grain OTM. Heavier bullets will give you penetration as well as fragmentation. The light varmint bullets were designed to blow up sage rats and such. The might not penetrate far enough to stop the threat.....unless your home is invaded by squirrels.

 

[finch6013]

I am not too worried about a 55gr not stopping a threat. I have 29 more coming its way after the first shot. I have seen what it does to a deer and that kind of damage on a person would more than likely stop them from coming any closer.

 

[rodell]

I think the answer is frangible ammunition, such as that produced by Dynamic Research Technologies (drtammo.com). It will be a devastating wound, but, will not pass through much of anything. There's some dramatic video around the web with this ammo destroying something in front of a simulated person, but the "hostage" is unharmed.

Bob