Hornady TAP gets my vote.

I have never had to actually use it is a defense stituation (Thank God!) but the reports look pretty good. I am also hearing a lot of good things about ammo that is Loaded with the Barnes TSX bullet. Just make sure that you match your bullet weight to the twist rate of your barrel.

Additionally practice a LOT.

 

Anything loaded with Barnes Varmint Grenades. They're frangible bullets at a fraction of the price.

 

Rate of twist is 1:9. Thats something else I am green on. How do I match that up?

 

75gr 5.56 TAP for indoor use or longer range and 50gr or 70gr TSX for everything else, especially if intermediate barriers are a concern like auto glass, car doors, walls, etc.

In a 1:9 twist, I wouldn't even think about the problems of different bullet weights unless I'm shooting well past 100 yards.

 

I HAVE the Hornady 75gr TAP for defense, but have not had to USE any of it, yet.

 

Do you guys see any negative aspects of using green tip penetrator rounds as a home defense round? Forgive me, I forget it's military designation number.

 

No, I don't see any downside to using it (m855 - "green tip"). But, I do see upsides to other ammo choices. You can choose a bonded and/or solid copper bullet like TSX for better barrier penetration and better overall terminal ballistics or you can choose TAP 75gr, which is an OTM, for less risk of over penetration and still superior terminal ballistics.

On a side note, anything less than 69gr in an OTM (an OTM would be something like TAP, SMK or Mk262) is bordering a varmint round and in my opinion should be reserved dor that use, while a bonded bullet relies on expansion instead of fragmentation, so lighter is sometimes better, hence the Black Hills 50gr TSX - while the 70gr TSX is still an awesome choice for longer range.

Having said that, I could load my mags with m855 and be perfectly content.

 

I use the hornady TAP FPD for my AR 5.56

 

Does the TAP FPD come in a 5.56 or is it only in a .223? Perhaps, more importantly, does it matter? Sorry for the naive question, but I am searching for a good HD round for my DDM4. I have plenty of M855, but I'm a little worried if I ever had to, which I hope I never will, use it for HD. Not trying to start an angry debate, just seeking knowledge.

 

I usually keep a few of my mags loaded with either xm193 or m855, I figure either one will get the job done. My rifles are all 1/7 twist too. Come to think of it I do have a few boxes of mk262 in the locker maybe I should be keeping those loaded.

 

I keep some mags with TAP 75 for home defense and I have a chest rig with 6 PMAG loaded with Lake City M855 green tip ammo.

For practice I use my old Canadian mil surplus SS109, Winchester Q3131 M193 55gr, Federal American Eagle M855, Black Hills 77 gr Sierra Matchking HP and Federal commercial .223 bulk load (bulk load from Walmart).

I have three 1/7 twist M4 type 16" government profile carbine barrels, two Colt 6920 and one LMT carbines.

 

I hand load my own defense rounds, the load i find works best.
64gr Winchester Power Point (Same bullet as in the Ranger LE ammo)
25gr of Hodgdon H335
Lake City 5.56 Brass
CCI #41 Primer
It is essentially a copy of this factory load.
http://winchesterle.com/Products/rifle-ammunition/ranger/power-point/Pages/RA223R2.aspx

With that load i can shoot 2 moa @ 100yds assuming i do my part.
I also use that load on deer and hog. It drops both of them in place.

 

I prefer 75-77gr OTM for SD situations. I also keep on hand some 64gr Speer Gold Dot SPs for barrier situations. I prefer the heavier OTMs due to their tremendous terminal performance. I have witnessed 1 shot kill/incapacitation with Mk262.. I am just a big believer in those heavy OTMs after seeing their effectiveness.

As for M855, it will work, however just not as effective as heavy OTMs. I have experienced and heard other accounts of assailants taking multiple hits in the vitals with M855 before going down for good. I don't wanna take anything away from the round, but there are better alternatives out there. If its all that you have on hand, it will do just fine.

Note: just wanted to add a comment I forgot... Being that your rifle is a 1/9 it would be wise to stay in the 69gr and under. I have heard that a 1/9 can stabilize a heavier 75gr projectile, but i have never tried it or seen it be done. Any 64gr Soft Points will do fine. I head a lot about Barnes TSX, but I just cant bring myself to pay $28 per box. I know Winchester 64 Power Point is a good option. As well as you Federal Mk318. Seen both if them at Palmetto State Armory for a decent price. Best of luck.

 

I currently use the 50gr TSX 5.56 NATO load by Black Hills Ammunition as my primary self/home defense load, but I also have 75gr Hornady TAP.

While I like the additional barrier penetration the 50gr TSX load provides, I'm thinking that I should stick with TAP for home use, as it reduces the risk of an errant bullet exiting my home in the event I miss my intended target.

 

BARRIER BLIND LOADS ARE PREFERRED: There has been a shift away from fragmenting ammunition and toward barrier-blind bonded loads.

Doctor Roberts' latest take on this: "For LE and other individuals not restricted by the Hague convention, because of their good terminal performance across a wide spectrum of potential engagement scenarios, the bonded barrier blind projectiles have moved ahead of the fragmenting OTM loads we previously recommended, as the best general purpose loads available."

The better bonded loads like TBBC, are definitely MORE effective than the TSX style all copper bullets, as they expand better, retain more mass, and offer a larger surface area, especially through intermediate barriers.

The current generation of LE barrier blind loads like 5.56 mm Federal 62 gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw (TBBC) bonded JSP (XM556FBIT3) and 5.56 mm Winchester 64 gr solid base bonded JSP (Q3313/RA556B) developed for the FBI, are at 5.56 mm pressures using appropriate crimped & sealed primers, sealed case neck, same trajectory as M855 so it matches many common ACOG BDC's, etc... The new Black Hills 5.56 mm 50 gr TSX loading is another 5.56 mm offering which offers many of these same features--it matches closely with 5.56 mm 55 gr M193 practice ammo..."

To summarize: Fragmenting loads are still fine if you can anticipate unobstructed shots, but even a home owner may have to deal with barriers and could potentially benefit from barrier blind loads. Should you panic and throw out all your heavy OTM stuff? Not at all - you might simply want to keep the above paragraphs in mind.

If using a short-barreled weapon: The same guidelines apply as for barrier penetration loads. SBRs usually have insufficient velocity to achieve fragmentation velocity.

http://ammo.ar15.com/project/Self_Defense_Ammo_FAQ/index.htm#.223

I reload and its about time to stock up on bullets again. I have a question. Going with the info above how do you guys think 55 grain hornady spire points will do. They are priced nicely and my other option would be the Winchester 64 grain power point at double the price. Is double the price worth it? I have always used the 77 grain nosler but the info above has me thinking about switching to the cheaper spire point or jsp. Thanks.

 

I reload and its about time to stock up on bullets again. I have a question. Going with the info above how do you guys think 55 grain hornady spire points will do. They are priced nicely and my other option would be the Winchester 64 grain power point at double the price. Is double the price worth it?

Yes, very much yes. (I reload both of these bullets btw)

 

Personally, I wouldn't want to be shot by any .223/5.56 round! SD rounds (if there is really such a thing) by name will be used in a home environment. You will not need the latest whiz bang,whatever. Put a couple of any type 223/5.56 in an intruder and your problem will be solved.
Just my opinion,YMMV.

 

Xm193

 

Hornady Vmax or Nosler Varmageddon

Any varmint load is perfect for home defense. All the energy from the round will be dumped into the chest cavity without overpenetrating. People always worry about 5.56 overpenetrating and going through barriers. With a fragmenting round this isn't a problem.

If I was in law enforcement I would probably use something with better weight retention. But for home defense, varmint rounds are best in my opinion.

 

Spartakis and others, it's nice to see people here mentioning the barrier blind loads, noticing the shift and also quoting DocGKR... I've been a huge advocate of barrier blind loads for quite some time and a big believer in TSX, especially the Black Hills 50gr which is different than the 50gr TSX bullet available separately and the 70gr for hunting and longer range applications.

I'm still a fan of 75gr TAP and also for long distances, Mk262. M855 is good stuff, but one of the drawbacks is the distance required for bullet upset... With TSX and TAP, we're looking at massive upset within a few inches, roughly 4". With 855, it can be as deep as 9" or so before upset begins. From the front, the center of the heart and the aorta are about 4" deep. So, certain OTM's and barrier blind loads will have massive upset near that point while others like 193 and 855 will not upset until far past. The thing is with TSX and TAP is the upset begins early but continues for a minimum of 14", depending on bullet choice.

Bringing SBR's into the conversation.... Before, we could expect reliable fragmentation or expansion from a 10.5" barrel to 15 yards, give or take with FMJ and maybe 25 or 30 with mk262. 75gr TAP in 5.56 quickly became the champ with an impressive 45 yards for maximum reliable fragmentation if it did not come in contact with a barrier. Barrier blind bullets were averaging about this same distance. On a side note, there's a certain person working for a firearms company that's on Lightfighter and m4c that had a couple confirmed kills with mk262 from a 10.3" barrel at distances around 350 meters, so it's obviously not only fragmentation or expansion that matters, but it's very important when the threat is close range and we need them to stop right now.

Now we have the TSX bullets. The newer Black Hills 50gr is geared towards LEO's where the average max distance will not exceed 200 yards and is likely to be much closer and around vehicles or other barriers. The 70gr also shines here, but the 50gr is slightly better at closer ranges. Keep in mind, barrier blind loads expand and do not fragment, so a 50gr bullet can be ideal while a 50gr OTM is certainly not ideal for more than varmints in most cases.

We see very consistent and reliable expansion to .5" from 50gr and 70gr TSX all the way out to 110 yards, more than double the previous champ, the 5.56 75gr TAP.

This is not to say 193 or 855 are not a good choice, as they are almost certainly better than any standard handgun ammunition choice, but there are much better choices out there.TSX is expensive. There are loads out there that cost 60% less with 90% of the performance. This is good for most. Personally, I keep a few mags of 50gr TSX and 75gr TAP T2 then a good number of extra mags filled with 855.

EDIT - Varmint loads are not the ideal choice for home defense loads. They often fail to penetrate deep enough and there are countless case studies of LEO's using these loads and even with good shot place,eat, they failed to stop the bad guy. OTM bullets are a much better choice for home defense of over penetration is a concern. Varmint loads should be used on varmints. Sure they're better than nothing, but they are at the bottom of the 5.56 ammo list, even below most FMJ.

For anyone wanting to know more about 193, there are two primary things to look into. First, Google Dr. Martin Fackler and m193 then Google Paul Howe, m193 and Mogadishu. He said the 193 zipped right through the people there often requiring a great number of hits before they went down. This has to do with what I mentioned earlier about neck length and how m193 might not even begin to upset until its close to exiting someone with a smaller frame.

 

Is the Black Hills 50gr TSX load still available? I don't see it listed on their website, and the few ammo dealers I checked didn't have it.

 

Call them directly. I have heard that they have a few loads that are not listed on the site. They are also cool to deal with. I just ordered 5K of training ammo. I think Stan Chen also loads that round.

 

Jonconsiglio what do you find best for bulk reloading. I agree no varmint rounds they will not make it through enough flesh and if they hit bone before a vital organ it would only create a mess. But I am looking at what would be best for reloading. What about Hornady 55 grain spire point sp. They are made to expand and not fragment. Its between them Winchester 64 grain power point or my normal 77 grain Noslers. None of them are bonded I don't believe. The Hornady are half the price of both the others just not sure how they would do in defensive situation.

 

If I remember correctly, the Hornady 55gr spire point bullet is a cheap varment bullet. No, it doesn't particularly fragment, but expands instead. However, it is not bonded, so any barrier it encounters is going to make it fall apart. It works fine on coyotes, but there are much better options for 2-legged varmints. If you are loading for self defense, it is very unlikely you will be using many bullets for their intended purpose. I see how people want to train with what they are going to use for SD though. Of the bullets you list, I'd load the 77gr Noslers. I load 77gr SMK for my SPR and they work great for shooting long distance. However, for SD or HD I agree 100% with Jonconsiglio on using the 50gr TSX loaded by Black Hills to 5.56mm pressures. This is my first choice. Next would be Hornady 5.56mm 75gr TAP, followed by Mk262, and then Hornady TAP FPD 75gr OTM. Anything with a VMAX style bullet is a POOR choice for home or self defense.

 

Any idea how the Hornady Superformance Match BTHP 75 Grain in 5.56 compares to the TAP?

 

Some information. http://www.sigarms556.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=10048&start=30

 

There superformance is awesome... My gun liked the TAP better tho

 

What opinion have you Rifle Folks on the new so called Subsonic loads that work out to Slug or handgun ballistics?

 

Hornady Superformance Match 75 gr BTHP in 556, Hornady 75 gr BTHP TAP in 223 and Hornady 75 gr TAP FPD in 223. Additionaliy use 62 gr and 55 gr NATO approved rounds.

 

Hornady TAP FPD is their 'civilian' defensive rounds in .223 Rem.
Hornady TAP Law Enforcement is available in both .223 Rem and 5.56 NATO.

Here is an excellent article on differences of their 75gr rounds

http://www.ar15.com/mobile/topic.html?b=3&f=16&t=283506


There is some debate if a 1:9 twist can fully stablize the 75+ gr rounds.