What self defense load are you using in your AR carbine?

62 gr Barnes TSX, because I've used it on deer and know it takes the fight out of 200 to 300 pound mammals.

Hand loads with 55 grain soft points. I think they are more than adequate at self defense range.

I really think the various weight Gold Dot / Fusion MSR use a great bullet.

Far less yaw dependent then a 55gr FMJ.

70 grain Barnes TSX and 75 grain Hornady BTHP.

This is the Hornady ... quartering towards me shot. Angled through the body and that’s the exit.




DRT. Didn’t move from that spot.

62gr sp hand loads, I bought 1000 and thought they would be my everything except blasting ammo, I've just started putting ARs in the defensive role along with shotguns and pistols and will watch this thread closely.

I'm partial to 62 grain loads. So far, my two favorites have been Hornady Frontier and Lithuanian GGG. Gonna try some ZQI tomorrow.

LC M193. Never really gave it much thought. I'm much more thoughtful about handgun ammo for some reason. I could have any number of .223/556 rounds loaded and dont think one over the other would change the outcome in any meaningful way.

Fiocchi 50gr ballistic tip JHPs. They are accurate and feed in my rifles and disintegrate when they hit anything.

I live in an urban area and there are people pretty much 360 degrees around me. I’m not worried about barrier penetration.

BSW

Either M193, M855, Silver Bear 62 gr. soft point, (came with my son's DPMS, and he didn't want it) or my reloads with 55gr. V-Max or FMJ (which are loaded to M193 levels anyway.) . It's all I have around currently.

I load Federal TRU 223E which uses a 55 grain Sierra Game King. I use it because that's my issued ammo for work and I've seen what it does first hand.

M193, either LC or Wolf Gold, for the Mini-14 Ranch.




GR

PMC Green tip.

I used hog hammers for a while, I think it was 62gr Barnes bullets if I remember.

I now have a mag of SIG HT loaded, but also like regular Green Tip

Nosler 60grn Ballistic Tips (reloads), it's my standard coyote load, which odds are is what the gun will be used against.

Hornady 55 grain TAP. (Tactical Action Police)

Chuck R. said:

Nosler 60grn Ballistic Tips (reloads), it's my standard coyote load, which odds are is what the gun will be used against.

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Lol. That's what I was thinking. Just load it with my critter loads and don't worry. Not like I'm going to need to shoot anyone. My dogs let me friends show up. Everyone else thinks they are devils.

Balrog said:

What self defense load are you using in your AR carbine?

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Hmmmm. Actually, I do not think in terms of selfdefense-specific loads for my ARs, as I have no plan for their use in that role (they "live" in my gunsafes).

If I did, for best effect, it would probably involve 55gr Dogtown HPs and/or Z-Max poly-tip projectiles.

I do keep some ReadyMags loaded (and some bando'd) with M193 and M855 ammo, but that is more for those "I gotta get outside and do some shooting" stress-reduction-required times ... yeah, I live on the west side of the ancestral farm so all I have to do is step outside.

I used to be pretty jazzed about loading the heaviest grain for caliber in everything. I've since learned some things about ballistics and at defensive range I'm pretty sure all you need to worry about is that it cycles well in your carbine.

Mine's loaded with whatever 55gr JSP I happened to buy (usually Hornady or Dogtown, sometimes Sierra)
with a load of IMR 3031.
I don't recall ever buying factory made 223 ammo.

I think just about anything that feeds reliably in your AR is good for defense distances. Over the years it has been M193, 64 PSP, 62 Gold Dots, and now it is the 75 Gold Dot.

I like the 75 Gold Dot because it is reliable, nickle plated brass, and very accurate at 100 yards in my 16" carbine. 100 yards is a long shot from a defensive position, but I live on the edge of a farm and get foxes and coyotes coming to visit my animals once in a while.

Balrog said:

Just curious what most people are using these days. I am still using M193. Should I switch to something else for home defense?

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Check out the Ammo Oracle. If not for anything other than an enjoyable read. I believe it has a good bit in it about 5.56 terminal ballistics. Its been a while since I looked at it but I remember it kind of made me look differently at M193 55gr. Which I used to think was just plinking ammo for the range.

55 gr FMJ of some flavor- either M193 or .223 equivalent. Both of my "go to" platforms in that caliber are slow twist (1-10 or 1-12).

I prefer to use M193. Have gotten more M855 because of price.