Tone it down, indianalex01. You have a habit of picking fights. You should reconsider that.
Tone it down, indianalex01. You have a habit of picking fights. You should reconsider that.
At the moment I keep a 10.3" 5.56 pistol, and an 11.3" .300 Blackout SBR on hand in the corner near the bed. (gun cabinet full)
Seeing as how we're talking 5.56/.223 I have it loaded with Hornady's .223 75gr TAP FPD. I still have maybe 300 rounds left from buying a bunch a while back. That said, it's home defense. Ranges will be close. I'm sure pretty much any .223/5.56 round will do to stop a bad guy. I'd like to go to a sp or a bonded sp, but I may just break into my 193 stash when this is gone.
Sometimes I think we get wrapped up in stupid crap, and over think things. But then, I'm an old guy, (yes, a boomer) and like things simple. Sure there are rounds out there that are better than others for certain things. Some expand better, others go through barriers better... bla, bla. We're not talking about handguns here, where it's a ballistic compromise from the get-go. We're talking about a rifle round. The temporary cavitation (even of FMJ) is gonna create a lot of shock to the body. Let's face it, ANY rifle round I hit some dirtbag with at home defense distance is going take him down... and I got 30 tries.
Overpenetration is another one. I'm not a police sniper saving a hostage in a crowded public place... I'm just a retired grunt in a 121 year old two story house in a small rural farming community. My only excuse for using this weapon in my home would be to save my life, or the lives of my family from a violent attacker(s). However, even if I lived in a big city apartment, I wouldn't worry about overpenetration. First, the likelyhood of me ever having to shoot someone again is pretty damn small. Then if that one possibility happens, the second possibility of a bystander being directly in the line of fire... at that exact moment.... also has to happen. Nope, not gonna worry about it. Sorry to be an uncaring oaf to the neighbors, but when a bad guy is threatening my life, or the lives of my family, I'll only have time to worry about one thing... stopping the threat.
Last edited by daddyusmaximus; 12-30-19 at 18:32.
You know what I like best about most people?
Their dogs.
@ daddyusmaximus when you run out of TAP ammo just get some Gold Dots for .60 cpr. Way better then fmj.
I heard it was because it was replaced by the Critical Duty line, which was a dumb idea because those rounds fail to meet the FBI’s penetration requirements.
If I’m not mistaken the 75gr TAP was just a heavy OTM. Black Hills 77gr TMK will probably give you similar ballistics. Nether of which are barrier blind.
As stated above, just pick up some Speer [ATK] Gold Dot HP's, & or Federal Fusion loads should also suffice quite well. Personally, I use only 62 grain & over, as I prefer the heavier projectile weight. Yes, the good old Black Hills 77 OTM loads are great, although they do not exhibit adequate barrier penetration, due of course to their design & composition.
Best, dpast32
Last edited by dpast32; 02-10-20 at 09:25.
If someone breaks into your house and you shoot him, obviously, he did not expect that outcome and he is looking for an exit if he survives. I saw Clint Smith say in a video, if he doesn't do what you want him to do after you shoot him, shoot him again. At this range you are not going to miss. Hollow points??? I doubt these are legal in California for some reason. But I'll bet the California Highway Patrol uses them. The reason is probably that you lose standing as a plaintiff if you are dead.
Rifle rounds at home defense distances? I believe it comes down to two choices, fragmentation and massive wounding, or barrier blind with a bonded projectile. The old 556 NATO Hornady TAP 75gr. T2 totally fragments, leaving a terrific wound cavity upon entering soft tissue. Until recently it was Hornady's recommended round for LE use in short barreled rifles. I see now Hornady has dropped it from the LE lineup, which I suspect because it couldn't meet the FBI barrier performance protocols. Now they recommend their TAP 75gr SBR ammo with a lead tipped soft point projectile. The FBI adopted a similar cartridge from Federal, the XM556FBIT3, using a lead nose Trophy Bonded Bear Claw projectile. The civilian version of the same round is the XM556SBCT3. This stuff is hard to find and godawful expensive.
So, for home defense, what's your choice? Do you want to be able to shoot through walls and such and still have a lethal projectile, or shoot a super lethal projectile that will only pass bullet splatter if it encounters a barrier?
Last edited by Grim.Patriot; 05-25-20 at 10:51.
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." Ben Franklin
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