Best 5.56 defensive round for expansion and cavity size

[WillBrink]

"Modern ammo designed for LE and self-defense"

Would you provide some documentation about this ammo?

Here's a YouTube of Speer Gold dot icepicking in ballistic gel.

You need to spend some time understanding terminal ballistics, temp and perm wound cavity, yawing, and other factors regarding the issue of how the 5.56 causes damage in tissue.

I do not believe a rifle with 5.56 is a good idea for home defense.

Oh boy. You're clearly well outside your lane and knowledge base.

Again, consider the distances and the high risk of over penetration.

I rest my case...

[BoringGuy45]

I prefer puncturing a bad guy with at least 9 .33 cal rounds, all at once.

To each his own though. YMMV.

It's fine if that's what you prefer. However, you stated that it wouldn't be a good choice to use a 5.56mm for home defense. The fact that our servicemen and SWAT officers have been using 5.56mm rifles for CQB for decades and with great effectiveness flat out says that your assertion is false. Also, the 5.56's issue is long range performance, not short range.

[farmhard]

that speer looks like it created a damn good wound channel to me. molon I've pondered using hornady 75 otm rounds for defensive use, what is your opinion? i've been impressed with their performance on light game.

[ColtSeavers]

I don't know if linking to TOS is allowed or not, but a quick google search should easily provide you with http://www.****.com/ammo/project/Self_Defense_Ammo_FAQ/

In any event, I believe Federal Fusion .223 and Federal Fusion MSR .223 (little hotter, slightly optimized for ARs from what I gather) are the best you can get off the shelf at about any store that sells ammo. There's also Hornady's TAP .223 usually on shelves at bigger box stores as well.

If you plan on ordering or hunting online, there's always Honardy TAP 5.56 and Federal's T556TNB1 (essentially mk318 clones).


I personally use Federal Fusion .223. Cheap, easy to find in person everywhere and I'm not as concerned with velocity gains from the MSR version at 20yd/self defense/inside my home distances.

[Agnostic]

I like what I have learned about the TSX, GMX, and Fusion bullets. For my home situation I currently rely on 55gr tsx for HD.

[TraumaPlateDuctTape]

This world of terminal ballistics is so much more deep and intricate than I imagined. It sucks that there isn't a round that can do it all in an AR, from bedroom to the tundra. I think the round that comes closest, according to my research, is the Black Hills 77gr TMK, but I was advised not to use this since fragmentation does not equal expansion.

[WillBrink]

This world of terminal ballistics is so much more deep and intricate than I imagined. It sucks that there isn't a round that can do it all in an AR, from bedroom to the tundra. I think the round that comes closest, according to my research, is the Black Hills 77gr TMK, but I was advised not to use this since fragmentation does not equal expansion.

There's entire med/sci journal articles dedicated the topic and learning still taking place.

[ShooterM4]

I bow to superior wisdom.

[TraumaPlateDuctTape]

http://youtu.be/lihq_U-2BKM

[civiliansheepdog]

And another thing that always gets me is folks who bring up over penetration but I never see any articles or documentation of it in reality. Can anyone provide a link of where someone was shot and the round penetrated, exited and injured or killed someone else?