Ammo choice for your defensive rifle

jmccracken1214

jmccracken1214

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i think I’m Going to finally start reloading 2 to 3. It is not around I have ever shot much due to not wanting to pay for quality ammo in bulk. I have a bunch of 55 grain full metal jacket that I got from butter. Would this be acceptable for a defensive around for a home defense rifle or truck gun
 
Vmax in my AR pistol..... FMJ penetrates too much for my likes. The varmint bullet gives you rapid expansion, maximum tissue damage, and minimal penetration.
 
BBD280 said:
Vmax in my AR pistol..... FMJ penetrates too much for my likes. The varmint bullet gives you rapid expansion, maximum tissue damage, and minimal penetration.
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This. In something with that speed, a Vmax is devastating
 
If you live in a congested area fmj might be a problem. (over penetration)

Out in the country fmj is not a problem.

My 55 grain loads are accurate and deadly.

And less expensive, so there are more of them.
 
I bought a bunch of Speer Gold Dot LE .223 64gr soft point from Palmetto last year at $8.99 per box. I’ve used that stuff on feral pigs and it’s dropped all but a coupe larger ones within say 10 yards when I did my part. That and Winchester Ranger 64gr soft point are what quite a few departments run around NC so I’m happy with them also.
 
Alternate green tip and 62-65 gr soft points.


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In a defensive position you'll usually use less then one mag of good ammo. However, if SHTF and you're on the offensive 55 gr FMJ will fragment from a 16"-20" barrel out to 150 yds or so. I reload 55 gr FMJs for training purposes as its cheap. A rifle round at high velocity is still going to be deadly whether FMJ or the best barrier bullet available.

CD
 
77gr Tipped Match Kings or 62gr Barnes TTSX (solid copper) in my 16”ers

Although I do like the speed I get from 60gr Hornady TAP FPD in my 10.5” AR. It’s about 200fps faster than the regular 60gr TAP and it’s got a blackened nickel casing I like more than a shiny nickel
 
Forgot to list my preferred defensive ammo.
Black Hills Mk262 77 gr OTM
Federal Mk318 62 gr Barrier OTM
M855A1 62 gr EPR
Federal 62 gr Fusion

CD
 
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Lol! so they’ll get a little foreshadowing from the smell of burning brimstone as they bleed out?
 
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Catfish said:
Lol! so they’ll get a little foreshadowing from the smell of burning brimstone as they bleed out?
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Exactly.

In truth, I have watched a number of ballistics tests done with simple ol'steel cased Tulammo and was pretty impressed. Now, don't get me wrong, and to be serious I do not recommend it nor would I use it if I had a choice in the matter. But, things really get bad and I reach for a mag and see its loaded with Wolf I wont feel undergunned suddenly. At the distances I expect to ever really be engaging bad guys a 55gr or 120gr steel projectile going 3,000 fps is going to do some damage.

Optimal? Absolutely not. But as Doug Marcaida is known to say "It will keal."
 
NCFubar said:
Winchester Ranger 64gr soft point are what quite a few departments run around NC so I’m happy with them also.
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Those soft points are bonded solid base noslers ;) They're also pretty barrier blind and kill bank robbers for the FBI :D

https://www.targetsportsusa.com/win...4-grain-ammo-bonded-solid-ra556b-p-59079.aspx

at $1.50 a round, I buy one box (factory ammo for HD yall:rolleyes:) then I buy the components to clone em for around $0.30 a round

They don't just work on swine neither, pretty good deer hunting round at reasonable ranges. I'm sure they'll work on 200lb car jackers, home invaders, and other enemies foreign and domestic
 
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Ikarus1 said:
Those soft points are bonded solid base noslers ;) They're also pretty barrier blind and kill bank robbers for the FBI :D

at $1.50 a round, I buy one box (factory ammo for HD yall:rolleyes:) then I buy the components to clone em for around $0.30 a round
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The cheapest I can find those bullets is 42 cents each. If you have a great source for them I will grab some. Thx


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jmccracken1214 said:
I have a bunch of 55 grain full metal jacket that I got from butter. Would this be acceptable for a defensive around for a home defense rifle or truck gun
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My Opinion, NO. Would be just dandy for Stash away for hard times ammo.......

50 gr CEB Raptor. I load 24/RL 10X. 54000 PSI or there about. Not the hottest or fastest load you can run. But this load/bullet shoots excellent in any rifle or other that I have. I have tried several other powders and get actually better results, but will not shoot as accurate in all the rifles as the RL 10X Load.

Said it before, Its the bullet, bullet does all the work, choose the bullet wisely to accomplish your mission.

Someone mentioned a 62 gr Bonded bullet? I like these as well, recently bought a 1000 of those, and in most firearms shoot same POI with the 50 Raptors. I forget exactly the load, and would have to go to the file. But here again, its the bullet. I believe the bullets I bought were Federal Bonded.

Any good expanding Conventional bullet, that does not BREAK up would do fine. The Raptors are absolutely wicked and that is what I load the most of and have the most of on hand, and is loaded currently in every 223 I have.

My Opinion......... Take it or not...........

https://cuttingedgebullets.com
 
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B00ger said:
In truth, I have watched a number of ballistics tests done
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I always ask. Not to poke with a sharp stick, just asking...….what got shot? @Michael458 has killed many hundreds of living things. My Pal will drive you to distraction with field autopsy results. He then came home and over the period of a year finally devised a "trap" that gave him the Exact results he found in the field autopsies. Thin skinned to massively thick skinned animals with bone and muscle to deal with and then recheck the "trap".
The single thing Gelatin can do is give the same medium for all involved.
That said...Clint says 85% of all People shot with a handgun survive. 85% of all People shot with a rifle Die.....
That said my mentor Jeff Cooper had Nothing good to say about the .223. That's where we parted on this issue. My information was Irrefutable!!! 13 One shot kills from the trunk of an old Impala by a single teenager with basically No training in the DC area a few years back.
You start introducing any caliber projectile at 2,500 FPS to a human's chest area..assume he's gonna take it Bad.
 
Bad guys are thin skinned delicate critters. I don't feel under gunned with 223 and the right bullet. BULLET! Won't do you much good with a varmint bullet, you know, something that blows all to hell on a prairie dog? Anyone ever shoot prairie dogs? Have been on several Dog Towns and shoots. I can tell you that a 55 Nosler Ballistic tip will get two dogs if you line them up, but the 3rd one in line is SAFE. First one splatters, second one falls over, the third one looks at his two pals and thinks to himself "WTF"............... A better bullet would knock that third dog out...... Prairie dogs are not very large, and they don't have thick skins.......... Varmint bullets are just that, for very small varmints. And yes, you do want that penetration............especially in 223. Yes, you can do better, .308 caliber is better than 223, .338-.375 caliber is better than 308, and 416 is better than all below, and 458-.500 is better than everything below....... But, 223 will do if you choose the right bullet and today we are blessed with many good choices.......
 
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BatteryOaksBilly said:
I always ask. Not to poke with a sharp stick, just asking...….what got shot? @Michael458 has killed many hundreds of living things. My Pal will drive you to distraction with field autopsy results. He then came home and over the period of a year finally devised a "trap" that gave him the Exact results he found in the field autopsies. Thin skinned to massively thick skinned animals with bone and muscle to deal with and then recheck the "trap".
The single thing Gelatin can do is give the same medium for all involved.
That said...Clint says 85% of all People shot with a handgun survive. 85% of all People shot with a rifle Die.....
That said my mentor Jeff Cooper had Nothing good to say about the .223. That's where we parted on this issue. My information was Irrefutable!!! 13 One shot kills from the trunk of an old Impala by a single teenager with basically No training in the DC area a few years back.
You start introducing any caliber projectile at 2,500 FPS to a human's chest area..assume he's gonna take it Bad.
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Oh, don't get me wrong, I am not attempting to make it out to be a devastating soul crushing round that blows all others away. The tests were all mainly in gelatin in comparison to other rounds. I fully understand gelatin is not a completely accurate representation of how a human body reacts. Paul Harrel does some pretty nifty little tests using ribs and oranges that are kinda cool. But in no way am I trying to argue that the tests I have seen are the be all end all of discussion on it. My point was mainly tongue in cheek, but I feel that at 10-50 yards even a junk piece of steel flying at 2500-3000 feet per second would be pretty darn nasty...
 
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Ikarus1 said:
http://www.shootersproshop.com/clea...onded-solid-based-w-cannelure-blem-100ct.html

I haven't found a blem on these more than a little run of lead out the nose that flakes off with a fingernail. Create an account and when you checkout use promo code HNDLDR19 for a 10% discount and free shipping.

:D
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Just ordered 500, plus some 125s for 300BLK, and another couple hundred assorted to try as well. No 6.5 in stock though :-(

Thanks!


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Right now Palmetto has Federal Power Point soft point ammo on sale with rebates ... box of 20 55gr soft point is $4.99 after rebate and 64gr soft point is $6.99 after rebate plus free shipping on 10 boxes.
 
NCFubar said:
Right now Palmetto has Federal Power Point soft point ammo on sale with rebates ... box of 20 55gr soft point is $4.99 after rebate and 64gr soft point is $6.99 after rebate plus free shipping on 10 boxes.
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Ya'll can get it cheaper than us. No sales tax...……..
 
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