A word of Caution to everyone.... (2 Viewers)

[Southeast Overland]

I might go to a frangible round. I don't plan on a Hollywood style shoot-out in my home. My wife knows if someone breaks in at night we stay in the bedroom and call the police. I'm not a trained Police Officer, military, etc so clearing a house would be a good way for me to 'get dead.' BUT - By Gawd if someone enters through my bedroom door Bam Bam will start barking.

The 'tumbling' of the 5.56 round is what I meant by 'unstable.' I have some 64g softpoint rounds that I have carried hunting before. (I would like to take a deer w/ the AR - I have a few stands that offer neck shots at 30 yards or less - and I carry a 45-70 for anything farther out.) The 64g rounds stabilize fine in my AR that has a twist rate of 1-9. I believe I need a 1-7 twist rate to stabilize any heavier rounds.

ETA: we need a UC Range Day.

 

[cruiser4life]

ETA: we need a UC Range Day.

Good idea Steve, count me in!!

 

[TRfWJ]

I agree and can't reiterate the comment about practice enough. This is very important. I have a range in my backyard that's perfect for 25 yards or less. And yes, I use hollow points for defensive rounds. Luckily we don't have to worry about neighbors-hence the range in my backyard- but they're simply more effective. I loaded Mom up w/ some low recoil .38 Sp hollowpoints. I also persuaded her to buy a relatively heavy gun to absorb some of that recoil as apposed to an S&W Airweight even though the Airweight felt better in her petite hands.

 

[informationjunky]

I might go to a frangible round. I don't plan on a Hollywood style shoot-out in my home. My wife knows if someone breaks in at night we stay in the bedroom and call the police. I'm not a trained Police Officer, military, etc so clearing a house would be a good way for me to 'get dead.' BUT - By Gawd if someone enters through my bedroom door Bam Bam will start barking.

The 'tumbling' of the 5.56 round is what I meant by 'unstable.' I have some 64g softpoint rounds that I have carried hunting before. (I would like to take a deer w/ the AR - I have a few stands that offer neck shots at 30 yards or less - and I carry a 45-70 for anything farther out.) The 64g rounds stabilize fine in my AR that has a twist rate of 1-9. I believe I need a 1-7 twist rate to stabilize any heavier rounds.

ETA: we need a UC Range Day.

Cant remember where I bought them, but there is some Israeli 5.56 that is like a hollow point but with a plastic post to make mushroom for close quarter shooting. X2 on a range day.

 

[Southeast Overland]

And yes, I use hollow points for defensive rounds. Luckily we don't have to worry about neighbors-hence the range in my backyard- but they're simply more effective.

FMJ rounds in a 5.56 are much different than FMJ rounds in any other gun. 5.56 rounds are very unstable in flight - well, they are stable enough to be accurate as long as they don't hit anything but as soon as they hit something (twig, wall, flesh) they tumble and typically break apart to some extent. Google "5.56 wound ballistics." I'm not going to post a link since we aren't in SChat.

I am going to do some more research into the appropriate 5.56 round to use for home defense...I haven't looked into that in probably 3 or 4 years.

 

[TRfWJ]

Wow, I love where this conversation(thread) is going.

 

[smitty556]

The 5.56 is not unstable in flight. It does not begin to tumble until it impacts it's (meaty) target. There are plenty of bullets heavier out there that will remedy this that in answer to takedown issues currently being experienced in the field.
As for as home defense with a 5.56 , Hornady TAP seems to be the go to round. Why not use a shotgunor pistol?
Either way check out frangible rounds . Alot less likely to cause more damage to the surrounding structure.

 

[Gundy]

country boy defenses

X2 on a dog as a deterrent. Old Scout sleeps at our feet.
She stays inside while we are at work too.
Because we live out, have no nearby neighbors and
Lynn and I sleep together I keep a S&W model 629
.44 mag handy. If the alarm or dog go off I'm coming
up firing. If ya "accidentally" get past the driveway gate &
break a threshold to my house ya'll get "accidentally" shot.
Hell, I WANT to penetrate walls if need be. Lynn keeps
a model 36 S&W .38 handy. House alarm is nice too.