Home defense 223 ammo

I just researched this. Personally I would not use .223 for home defense. I would rather use my .45 or 123 ga, but to each his own. Online sources tell me that a lightweight (around 55 gr) JHP is best because there is a smaller chance of over penetration and going through multiple walls. It is known to explode on impact.
 
I know that 223 will WAY over-penetrate, but there are options out there to reduce this. I always have one of my handguns either on my, or within reach, but it would be nice to have a rifle round that I could use if needed.
 
Actually, it won't. Jose will be along soon to make some recommendations.

I guess I should have qualified my statement with 223 ball ammo will way over penetrate, therefore I am looking for a better alternative for home/urban defense.
 
I live in a brick house (first floor at least) so I think that would provide something of a barrier to errant shots. But my windows are still made of ordinary glass and almost any angle out of them would point towards an occupied house within 100 yards. I would save the .223 for the worst kind of SHTF situation.

Within the confines of my house I would prefer a handgun or a SG.
 
FBI did many tests with handgun and .223 ammo and concluded due to the propensity of .223 to fragment upon impact, it was actually LESS LIKELY to exit house walls than ANY common (9mm, .40 or .45) handgun round. The actual data was on a Tactical website many years ago but last I looked it appeared that the domain had "gone away".

Many PDs are using TAP ammo in the ARs. You might check for ballistics tests on that stuff and relative to over-penetration. Contact the mfr for data too.
 
Hornady TAP FPD 75gr, (the 556 NATO version of the same loading
is great but might as well be unobtainium, as it only goes through
LE/mil direct sales, the standard TAP FPD is almost as fast so not
really a proiblem)

Federal 69 or 77 gr gold medal match (uses sierra match king bullet)
(FWIW, lots of other loads using the same bullets will
perform well, if they're loaded to similar speeds)

You may have to use the lighter bullet weights if you have a 1/9
twist barrel. Only way to find out whether or not it will keyhole
is by testing it out. If you have a 20" it seems to be less likely
than in a 16".

There are tons of other choices that work well. Check the ammo
faq on ARFCOM.

As far as the whole over penetration thing goes, virtually anything
worth shooting at a bad guy will over penetrate. Believe it or not,
.223 isn't as bad as a lot of handgun rounds are. The thing is
though, it's still likely to blow through at least one wall, so it's
not any more/less dangerous than anything else is. About all
one can really do is make sure (through various means) that
something important is not likely to be beyond your target.


-Mike
 
TAP is sold at obscene prices by AAA Police Supply in Dedham. The PD prices back a few years ago from this source were IMNSHO very high. I'm sure that today (with overall increases and scarcity of most .223) you need a small mortgage to buy it in quantity.
 
TAP is sold at obscene prices by AAA Police Supply in Dedham. The PD prices back a few years ago from this source were IMNSHO very high. I'm sure that today (with overall increases and scarcity of most .223) you need a small mortgage to buy it in quantity.

Len,

Is $15.95 a box of 20 of the 60gr and $20.95 for the 75gr TAP obscene? I can't really fix a price on the 5.56 stuff as being too high, as I shoot 7.62x51. I pay about $24.00 a box for 110gr TAP for my SOCOM.
 
Mark,

No idea. Never bought it and never shot it.

I just recall looking at the LE Dept only price list (that was on his counter, no FET on dept purchases) and thought it was very high. This was ~2 years ago.

I'm still shooting .223 that I bought ~$100/1K from Four Seasons some years ago. I stocked up pretty good and rarely shoot the AR any more (mostly shoot handgun).
 
Hornady TAP FPD 75gr, (the 556 NATO version of the same loading
is great but might as well be unobtainium, as it only goes through
LE/mil direct sales, the standard TAP FPD is almost as fast so not
really a proiblem)

Federal 69 or 77 gr gold medal match (uses sierra match king bullet)
(FWIW, lots of other loads using the same bullets will
perform well, if they're loaded to similar speeds)

You may have to use the lighter bullet weights if you have a 1/9
twist barrel. Only way to find out whether or not it will keyhole
is by testing it out. If you have a 20" it seems to be less likely
than in a 16".

There are tons of other choices that work well. Check the ammo
faq on ARFCOM.

As far as the whole over penetration thing goes, virtually anything
worth shooting at a bad guy will over penetrate. Believe it or not,
.223 isn't as bad as a lot of handgun rounds are. The thing is
though, it's still likely to blow through at least one wall, so it's
not any more/less dangerous than anything else is. About all
one can really do is make sure (through various means) that
something important is not likely to be beyond your target.


-Mike

What Mike said.

My HD mags are full of Hornady factory reman 223 loaded with their 75 gra HPBT match bullet.

Also, M193 (the original M16 55 gr FMJBT load) is an excellent HD choice. It is one fragmenting SOB. M855 and its clones with the steel penetrator are NOT what you want for home defense.

The Federal 55 gr TRU is loaded with Barnes Trophy Bonded bullets and I think you can find pretty much the same load in Federal's hunting line.

Anything loaded with Nosler's 55 grain Ballistic Tip or Partition is also good to go.

Avoid Hornady VMAX bullets, they are really fragile and may underpenetrate when you need them not to.
 
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I do have the ability to purchase either the TAP LEO, or FPD, and even the Federal TRU ammo, so the availability isn't the issue here. I guess I should just get a box or 3 of each to try it out, and see what one I like the best...

Also, any thoughts on either frangible, or soft point ammo?? In the Federal TRU line, they have a a SP load...
 
I guess I should just get a box or 3 of each to try it out, and see what one I like the best...

But try it out on what? Since this is to be used for home defense paper targets will be of no use, I personally am not a big fan of water jugs or wet phone books, from what i hear true ballistic gelatin can get expensive, and then there is meat from the market. Decisions, decisions, decisions.
 
I would shoot it at water jugs. I know from prior experience, that a standard 55gr M193 bullet will fragment and stay in the jug. So anything that does more damage than that, would be out.

Also, it would be important to check for accuracy through my gun, and to be sure it functioned.

Also, for $200 you can get the Perma-Gel kit which is reusable.
 
I got some frangible ammo in .223 some years back. It was designed for use in nuclear power plants, and would cause serious damage in soft tissue, but shatter almost harmlessly against steam lines, conduit or similar hard surfaces. It was metal dust bonded in resin.

Costly, but might be what you are looking for.
 
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