Differences in 5.56

[Studio 417]

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[IUKalash429]

"Best" is subjective and you'll likely get a lot of responses here. Best for you will also depend on barrel length, twist rate, the size and shape of your domicile, etc.

I have some 73-grain Hornady Critical Defense loaded up for a 16" gun with a 1:7 twist.

 

[Sigblitz]

Expanding bullet. Caliber and grain depends on the AR.

 

[Sigblitz]

You could buy a box of the few popular rounds and see if you like it for recoil and accuracy. I believe the gun picks the ammo.

 

[HKFaninCarmel]

https://www.shootingillustrated.com...15-ammo-for-home-defense-what-should-you-use/

My .02 is to run green tips anywhere you’d run the rifle.

You do you.

 

[Studio 417]

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[Studio 417]

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[cosermann]

Op, here are a couple of references for your perusal:

https://www.ar15.com/ammo-oracle/

Best Choices for Self Defense Ammo

 

[Sigblitz]

I've been reading that soft tip are good for defense

That is my understanding as well.

 

[johntheplinker]

Yeah, a lot of the HPs are not really intended to expand, main purpose is maximum accuracy. But most will expand and quite explosively at that. Not really good for social work as they tend to lack penetration. I've popped yotes broadside with HPs and didn't get an exit. That's less than 6" of penetration. SOft points on the other hand, are intended to expand, and usually in a controlled manner to also get sufficient expansion. With FMJs they don't expand but instead may fragment. Some are more likely to fragment with sufficient velocity, like M193 as an example, while others won't fragment at any velocity or range, like Swiss GP90.

All that said, I'd choose a controlled expansion soft point like the Critical Defense or Fusion among others. I would also avoid any FMJ as their performance can be iffy. Deadly if they come apart, and an icepick if they don't. Then also it doesn't really matter what bullet you use if you don't put it in right place. Where the better performing bullets come into play if bullet placement is a bit marginal, they can make a difference between winning and possibly losing the fight.

 

[Studio 417]

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[Studio 417]

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[indysims]

Expansion and penetration, being in my opinion, the factors that make a 5.56 round "the best" will be highly dependent on velocity at impact. There is a middle ground with rounds designed to expand. Velocity can't be too fast or too slow. On either end of the spectrum, either expansion or penetration will suffer to the point that optimum lethality is diminished.

A round that performs well out of a 10.5" barrel at 20 yards might perform poorly out of a 16" barrel at the same distance.

AR15.com has a YOUTUBE channel that does a lot of testing of 5.56/.223 defensive ammo. Here is one of those videos -> https://youtu.be/jYISspjR9ps There are many more on the channel for those who like to see the research.

 

[JeepHammer]

WITHOUT GETTING INTO EACH BULLET AVAILABLE...

First, and this is technical rather than 'Common Usage,
5.56x45mm NATO are ALL FMJ (full metal jacket) to comply with rules of war.
Even the 'Penetrators' are supposed to comply with the FMJ rules.

There are three BASIC bullets (projectiles) available, and all *Assume* you have reasonable barrel length for muzzle velocity.
Some people chop down to 'Pistol' length barrels, and standard projectiles for .223 Rem won't work as advertised when the velocity gets too low...

1. Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) or open base (see lead core through the bottom of the jacket).
These rely on VELOCITY to do INCREASED damage (terminal performance) inside a target.
The shock wave does the damage rather than the knitting needles size hole they make.

The draw backs are wounding hits instead of killing hits, and over penetration through a meat target, and passing through walls.

2. Soft Point, Jacketed Soft Point. (SP/JSP)
These mushroom to expand, and again the expansion is dependent on velocity.
These are for thin skinned, large game, and have worked well for 150 years, still work quite well.
They feed more consistently than many of the other rounds.

The idea is, the bullet expands, expends more of it's energy in the target, without fragmenting or passing right through.

Since these work REALLY WELL on deer & hogs, to discount them would be a mistake.

3. 'Hollow' Points or 'Ballistic Tip'. (HP/BT)
*IF* out have the muzzle velocity to make these work correctly, they blow small varmints up when the bullet fragments on contact, delivering 100% of energy to the target.
Small varmints you aren't going to eat, a hunting bullet shouldn't fragment so you don't have bullet components in the meat.
They will often fragment on stuff like drywall, so it reduces the over penetration issues.

The 4th class would be 'Frangable' bullets, usually pressed metal composite projectiles that can do some pretty strange things...
Drag out your wallet for these, or get a pre-approved loan because you *Should* practice with what you intend to shoot...
Also, be prepared to do a lot of testing since the civilian versions usually don't work as advertised.

Stupid short barrels turn Small Diameter, Light Weight, Low Velocity Rifle bullets into an oxymoron...
Once you do the energy at the target on stupid short barrels, common handgun rounds would have done a better job.


I would also consider the legal ramifications of some rounds/bullets if you intend home defense.
More than one lawyer has sold 'Murder Bullets' to juries, while a 'Hunting' bullet might just do a better job and not give them something to use in court.
More than a few of us remember the 'Murder Bullets' (Black Talon) and about every 6 months 'Cop Killer' bullet trials that seemed to go on endlessly...
It's a LOT easier for your defense attorney to argue 'Hunting Bullets' (which makes just as big a mess out of the target) as 'Defense' or 'Murder' bullets.
The general public will fall for anything...

 

[Opie]

I mainly use two loads, one is barrier blind and the other is a non-barrier round. Only you will know what your most likely scenario is.

For me, barrier-blind is Ranger 64gr RA556B and the other is Hornady 75gr TAP T2 8126N. All of my rifles are 1/7 twist. As previously discussed, get your wallet out. It's kinda like a carnival, you get 3 darts for about $5.

There are many other decent rounds as well, Gold Dot 62-64gr, Fusion MSR, and Federal Tactical T3 come to mind.

 

[NKBJ]

From what I was told a couple of decades ago by a law enforcement regional training officer if you want to pony up the dough the Nosler partition with 748 is "the best" for the 5.56 in an AR. It's designed to pop open and then keep on boring through the body, also having structural integrity and weight to help getting through car bodies. Maybe wouldn't have gotten through Grandad's pickup but cars these days, yeah maybe so!
https://www.nosler.com/partition-bullet/
https://www.federalpremium.com/rifle/premium-centerfire-rifle/nosler-partition/11-P223Q.html

 

[johntheplinker]

From what I was told a couple of decades ago by a law enforcement regional training officer if you want to pony up the dough the Nosler partition with 748 is "the best" for the 5.56 in an AR. It's designed to pop open and then keep on boring through the body, also having structural integrity and weight to help getting through car bodies. Maybe wouldn't have gotten through Grandad's pickup but cars these days, yeah maybe so!
https://www.nosler.com/partition-bullet/
https://www.federalpremium.com/rifle/premium-centerfire-rifle/nosler-partition/11-P223Q.html

Noslers were good in their day, but bullet design has come a long way since then. Big problem with the Partitions is the petals on the front half of the bullet would peel back and end up flattened against the back half of the bullet and then just ice pick on through. They also like to lose the front core quite often. Modern bullets like the TAP and Gold Dots have jackets with a more rapid increase in jacket thickness with everything bonded together. Really helps keep everything together with a very deep and wide expansion cavity.

 

[NKBJ]

john,
You're describing rapid expansion and still punching on through. The partition poof and punch, like they's 'sposed to do.
The other bullets you're talking about, I have no experience with and don't know. But I know I don't know. So I'll go find out.

 

[JeepHammer]

john,
You're describing rapid expansion and still punching on through. The partition poof and punch, like they's 'sposed to do.
The other bullets you're talking about, I have no experience with and don't know. But I know I don't know. So I'll go find out.

I used to hog hunt a LOT, and my favorite was .308 Win in my trusty SR25.

When we used .223 Rem, the soft points did remarkably well on the 200-300 pound hogs (with shot placement).
Nothing special soft points will have a quick, controlled expansion, while I like Winchester the best, they aren't cheap.
Rarely exited the hogs, 100% of energy dumped into the hog... That's saying a BUNCH right there!

We often found the bullet up against the far side rib cage or just under the skin on the far side...
While I had to dial down my .308 to keep from blowing through, no sense in wasting energy and sending a bullet on through the target down range,
Often hunting in farm country, we didn't want to punch holes in livestock, barns, houses, vehicles, etc with over penetration...
It's a good way to NOT get invited back!
And you never know where a lopsided bullet is going next when it sails out the other side.

If you want to chase your hog, use a 'Varmint Grenade' bullet.
Hogs can go 1/2 mile or more with heart damage, ask me how I know that...
Often the 'Varmint Grenades' would blow out the shoulder or one lung and that's all, good luck tracking that one!

 

[johntheplinker]

john,
You're describing rapid expansion and still punching on through. The partition poof and punch, like they's 'sposed to do.
The other bullets you're talking about, I have no experience with and don't know. But I know I don't know. So I'll go find out.

Oh, the Noslers were good bullets 20-30 years ago, don't get me wrong. Its just that there's much better bullets today. The newer bullets expand and keep their expanded size leaving a much larger wound channel depositing much more energy into the target and thus less likely to exit. The Noslers had a tendency to act more like a FMJ after the jacket petals started to peel back, depositing less energy and also more likely to pass through the target. Not good in a self defense scenario depending on what's on the other side.