5.56 / 223 SD Rounds

[RicInOR]

I'm not sure why you want to get any defence ammo for 223/556. There are better calibers if you are changing what the gun is made for.
But an AR is the ladt this g I would use in the house for SD. Or any rifle caliber for that matter.
Plus you are still betting that the round won't just glide thru someone and a couple more walls

I have the AR. It is not my primary home defense FA. That is a shotty. But, the wife is competent and / or I would have an occasional guest who would be. The 5.56 AR we have is a plinker for us - I am not kitting it up. Having a mag of known to cycle SD ammo is an easy thing to add that extra layer.

As for over penetration - I am in the suburbs, so that is a concern. One of the reasons I have the shotty - loaded with birdshot (buck shot & slugs are on the stock) I am sure you can find the same U-tuby penetration tests I have seen. The standard 55gr FMJ do seem start to tumble in dry wall pretty quickly. And they may not pass thru as many walls as 9mm from a handgun!

I currently use Hornady SD ammo in my handguns. But since we just saw the new penetration tests, I am going to have to test some new hand gun SD ammo this summer.





One penetration test vid (it was first on my search results - that is the only reason I linked it)

 

[Ura-Ki]

Those new penetration test videos we just saw forced me to change up a few carry loads. The Fed Hydroshock 165 gr in .45 Supposed to be the ideal in shorty .45 pistols. Just switched to the Remington golden saber 230 gr for that piece. Still haven't settled on the 9 mm load yet, but have several for both that I will be testing to see what my pistols like best! It's a good thing to re evaluate carry ammo, I want the best performance possible!

 

[Trunkmonkey]

Different tools for different jobs. In my research, I have found that rifles and shotguns are better threat stoppers than handguns. Also handguns still penetrate many walls and barriers without the fight ending benifit of rifles/shotguns. I think the best for not over penetrating is low recoil buckshot in a shotgun. Usually limited in capacity compared to a modern rifle, a lot of invasions into a home have multiple intruders. Reloads are fast and less frequent compared to the shotgun. Last, I have a riffle suppressor, and don't have the funds to suppress my shotgun. You have to consider your fields of fire, and make a plan depending on where you live, and how things would look in court should you ever defend yourself anywhere because firearms do penetrate stuff. Oh, and varmint rounds like hornady 223 vmax are nasty wound makers due to that energy dump imediately, but in ballistic tests fall short of the penetration required to stop a 2 legged threat by FBI standards. Doesn't mean it won't do it, or that it's a bad choice for you. Just weigh the research the FBI puts into those recomendations, look for info on situations in real life, and make your own choice. I'll stick with my 223 Ar15 suppressed 64grain gold dots as I feel they work for my location, hearing in the house during a fight, and results they are supposed to produce.

 

[Ura-Ki]

My primary concern in my home defense needs is over penetration, that and the round (what ever it is) must stay inside the Tango, or be less then lethal after exiting. I also require that the projectile not leave my home, or if it does, it will not cause serious injury to some one. In theory, this should be possible, but in practice (and I have a ton) it's not so cut and dry. For now, A 12 gau with #8 shot is the preferred combo, and the AR loaded with m193ball. The .45 now loaded with Rem Golden Saber 180 gr+p and the 9 mm yet to be decided on.

 

[Trunkmonkey]

Not bad choices with your requirements. Birdshot can be very devastating up close. Both 193 and 45acp have stopped threats. I'm a fan of 9mm 147 and 124 grain federal HST's. The +P versions open up faster and lose an inch or so of penetration making them a bit shallow for my tastes. They were hard to come by, but are in stock a lot of places now.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Those new penetration test videos we just saw forced me to change up a few carry loads. The Fed Hydroshock 165 gr in .45 Supposed to be the ideal in shorty .45 pistols. Just switched to the Remington golden saber 230 gr for that piece. Still haven't settled on the 9 mm load yet, but have several for both that I will be testing to see what my pistols like best! It's a good thing to re evaluate carry ammo, I want the best performance possible!

Probably going to follow suit. Just happens I have a thousand of the Rem Golden Sabers in storage! They shoot great in my Colt and Sig .45's! Happy coincidence!!!

 

[Ura-Ki]

I like the depth the F.B.I. has in testing ammo performance, BUT, the desired results for THEM do not gel with us civilians in some circumstances.

 

[Trunkmonkey]

It's funny because the more you learn about all of it, the more shortcomings and different products you find to address the shortcomings. Not everything can be worked around though, and something has to give

 

[PaulB47]

I'm not sure why you want to get any defence ammo for 223/556.

Well, it's becoming the American standard...

There is a definite drawback to "barrier blind" loads, and that is penetration when you don't want it. Penetration is the whole point of these loads. If I lived in an apartment I'd still be using an AR-15, but with varmint loads that are known to penetrate walls less than e.g. 00 Buckshot or any pistol bullet. However I live in the boonies, so barrier blind loads work just fine here, and I can take advantage of that penetration.

 

[Doc In UPlace]

I load my AR with Winchester 5.56 semi-jacketed frangibles in a 20-round Magazine. Nobody is going to stand in front of that thing for very long and argue about under-penetration.


Palmetto Armory has them from time to time.

 

[rick benjamin]

MV=3000fps
speed of sound (770 MPH at sea level at 70 degrees F or 1129 feet per second)
Bullet wound channel
Bloodshot-hydrostatic shock-jello

 

[The Quiet Man]

There is always that special round that might be perfect for some circumstance you think you may find yourself in. However, millions of us have learned that the plain old m193 or m855 generally gets the job done if you do yours. There is no magic pill so don't overthink it.

 

[Tony617]

Speer .223 64gr JSP. If your AR15 is 1/7" twist then you can use Speer .223 75gr. If you cannot find those rounds, then see if you can find .223 62gr Federal Fusion or Fusion MSR. I am assuming your AR15 is 5.56mm so if you cannot find any rounds then then get some 55gr M193 or 62gr M855 rounds since they are better than nothing.

 

[Member 5605]

Just looking for suggestions for Self Defense rounds for a stock, low end, AR.


What and Where did you find (meaning for a reasonable price)



I was browsing around Cabella's yesturday, and didn't find any. Good selection of ammo - none I spotted labeled for Self Defense.


No I don't need a case, just a few boxes of 20, to verify it cycles the MSR and to keep a 20rnd mag loaded and handy.


TIA

Hornady Vmax. Some LEO departments use this, though are switching to a Federal brand because of a lacking penetration through glass.

 

[Buster1]

Tango and shotty in one thread. Can someone please throw in a "Keep your booger hook off the bang switch" for the trifecta of gun talk related douchebaggery?!...

 

[Meridian7750]

Tango and shotty in one thread. Can someone please throw in a "Keep your booger hook off the bang switch" for the trifecta of gun talk related douchebaggery?!...

Now that's funny right there.

 

[U8395279]

I have the AR. It is not my primary home defense FA. That is a shotty. But, the wife is competent and / or I would have an occasional guest who would be. The 5.56 AR we have is a plinker for us - I am not kitting it up. Having a mag of known to cycle SD ammo is an easy thing to add that extra layer.

Well, but the tradeoff with 5.56mm is that it is not anywhere near as deadly and destructive as 7.62 NATO. If you upgraded to a 308 AR, you would have a far more reliable man-stopper.

Hunting varmints, I found quite a big difference between the two calibers. With the 7.62, it pretty much did not matter where I shot the animal, for it would always instantly die, due to the heavy damage. With the 5.56mm, I had to place my hits much better in order to get instant kills.

Here is a good example of what I experienced. This jackrabbit was hit very poorly, way in the rear part of its body with the 308. Yet, it died instantly.

Both pieces of the rabbit were found about 10 feet apart. Had to place them back close to one another to take this photo: