Defensive Rifle Ammo

[Smitty79]

Defensive shooting instructors tell us that it's easier to defend your ammo choice if it's the one used by local LEOs. Does anyone know what rifle (.223/.556) ammo is used in any major Northwest city, state police or county sheriff departments?

Read More

 

[Stomper]

Hand loads MIGHT cause you some trouble, but any commercial off the shelf ammo will do in regard to an over zealous prosecutor. In my pistols I carry Hornady Critical Defense/Duty and CorBon. I'd also carry Golden Sabers.

Have any of these defensive shooting instructors cited any cases where the ammo used in a DGU incident was used as leverage to prosecute?

 

[11Charlie]

I agree with @Stomper but if you really want to know what the locals use @No_Regerts might be able to help you out with that.

 

[Stomper]

It's early and I failed to acknowledge the OP was asking about defensive RIFLE ammo...


There's three basic things to remember:

1. Handguns shoot holes INTO people

2. Rifles shoot holes THROUGH people.

3. Shotguns TEAR pieces OFF people.


The best type of rifle ammo will depend on the scenario. Inside your house, 5.56/.223 frangible may be best, 5.56 FMJ will get the job done and it's said it won't Swiss cheese through too many walls. 30 cal may be overkill and go through your neighbors house... in any event, the trick is don't miss your target.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

While I am not a "firearms Instructor"....
In the past I have had to use my rifle in defense of myself and others.

In my experience :
What ammo does you and your rifle shoot and hit the best with is what you should use.
"Best" as in :
How the rifle functions with it ...
And the most accurate...
Andy

 

[11Charlie]

Hand loads MIGHT cause you some trouble, but any commercial off the shelf ammo will do in regard to an over zealous prosecutor.

For the record this is what I agree with the rest I just chalked up to you being off your rocker!!!

 

[No_Regerts]

I agree with @Stomper but if you really want to know what the locals use @No_Regerts might be able to help you out with that.

We are using Federal Tactical Bonded for 223, Federal HST for pistols, Federal Tactical/LE Buckshot. Not sure what SWAT rifleman have in their bolt actions (probably some federal product). I bet they got a discount that way.

For personal use I carry HST in my pistol, Federal non-tactical buckshot and slugs (hunting based stuff has more oomph), and I use Barnes Vor-Tex in the rifle. Reason being, terminal ballistics are impressive and I'm trying to save the world by using non-lead ammo (ha!).

 

[Camelfilter]

Moot question, IMHO.

Either it's a successful defensive shooting (illegal aggressor stopped, & no innocents harmed), or it's not.

Stepping up from a handgun defensive shooting to a rifle defensive shooting is a long ways.

Meaning, again IMHO, that the threat(s) warranting such a step up would have had to be extremely severe. Home invasion, as a "simple" example.

I can kinda see the "concern" over what type of defensive handgun ammunition to carry, as there have been a few instances of individuals having to waste attorney time over such.

Defensive rifle ammunition? Never heard of an instance. Doesn't mean there isn't nor won't be.

 

[Tony617]

I use Federal XM193, XTAC XP193 or PPU N193 55gr rounds in my rifle. I do have some 77gr 5.56 rounds too but for HD 55gr is what I use. For pistols I use Federal HST rounds.

 

[Cerberus Group]

Speer Gold Dot 64gr

 

[zenbreath]

Moot question, IMHO.

Either it's a successful defensive shooting (illegal aggressor stopped, & no innocents harmed), or it's not.

There is a big difference between blue county prosecutors and red county prosecutors, because there is a big difference between blue county voters and red county voters.

 

[johnboy]

If you use your firearm for defense you will end up in court. If you used it, you may have saved lives....so good there. Lawyers will do their best to go after the evil gun and the poor victim who broke in...just how it is today. Protecting you and your family is the priority...let the rest fall where it may.....

 

[fredball]

Buck shot /// Slug ///Buck shot /// Slug // Buck shot /// Slug ///Buck shot /// Slug
for home Defense bump in the Night type

If you get over the barbed wire fence past the dead bolt front door and then past the German Shepherd Dog and wake me up well
I will shoot you

 

[Partsproduction]

I still think this whole argument is spurious, as the question of how many times has anyone lost a civil suit for using handloads has never been answered to show that it's a legitimate question for any firearm (Fish case exception).
For prosecution the question is whether or not it was justifiable, it starts and ends there does it not? If one can prove his handloads follow the book he has purchased that should end the discussion.
Overloads might obviously reverse that, or home designed"Killer" bullets in a civil suit, but the question I ask is this; If you are at the range shooting your home loaded range ammo, and some whack job tries to pull off a "Kill all the gun nuts", (Yes a fabricated scenario to show a point) would you end it using the ammo at hand or let him kill you and others there?
If the only ammo you can afford is reloaded ammo or handloaded that should be noted as well. Solid lead alloy .45 handloads @ 850 FPS are plenty good for self defense, and proving they duplicate the original US military loads should be good enough, as the argument could be made that only those rich enough to buy super expansive "Killer" commercial ammo would have the full benefits of the second amendment in hand.

To me this question constantly brought up opens the door to making hand loading, or reloading, illegal in the future!

 

[Certaindeaf]

Well, if ball ammo is good enough for the military it's good enough for me.

 

[Cerberus Group]

Well, if ball ammo is good enough for the military it's good enough for me.

The Military is forced to use 'ball' ammo, it's not a choice.

 

[Smitty79]

Speer Gold Dot 64gr

Which agency uses this?

 

[Certaindeaf]

The Military is forced to use 'ball' ammo, it's not a choice.

Again, good nuf for me.

 

[Eric in Oregon]

If one can prove his handloads follow the book ...

"One" cannot ever prove that handloads followed any book. If you're being prosecuted they're certainly not going to allow evidence that was literally created by you the defendant. This has been a problem for defenders in more than one case so why risk it?

THE PROBLEM WITH HANDLOADS FOR DEFENSE |

Putting it out there for the people who can consider it objectively. As Ayoob says, people told this usually "react as if you had told them they had ugly babies".

 

[Cerberus Group]

Which agency uses this?

Both of my old agencies still do, and a few others in the Columbia River Gorge. I would contact the LE agencies in your area, ask for the firearms instructor and ask what they use.