Town house ammo choice for home defense?

[Brandon_SPC]

So I need to change my selection of ammo in my AR to where I just moved to which is a town house. I was going to buy 55gr Speer Gold Dots but I am scared if something did happen I do NOT want over penetration. I was thinking maybe the hornady 35 gr NTX Superformance at a velocity of 4000fps at the muzzle maybe if it hit drywall it would just blow up and not go through. Any ideas?

 

[Django]

Pretty much any ammo will go through drywall. Hopefully the townhomes are seperated by shear walls but still, that's only plywood.

 

[oneshot]

Don't think about it to much, shotgun with a load of bird shot LB. You are responsible for what happens on the other side of the wall, Want get into all the other thing like I know some will. And learn how to use it. just my simple 5 cents jj

 

[bigbulls]

Pretty sure town homes have cement fire walls between each unit,

 

[TackleberryMCS]

Don't think about it to much, shotgun with a load of bird shot LB. You are responsible for what happens on the other side of the wall, Want get into all the other thing like I know some will. And learn how to use it. just my simple 5 cents jj

This is my sentiment as well. A shotgun is a much better choice in your situation. Frankly, I like a 00 Buck load. Much less of a spread and is definitely a manstopper. My Franchi SPAS-12 at 15 yards puts 00 Buck in about a 12" pattern. I would hate to be hit with it at 20' or less.

 

[Dan1612]

Light, fast varmint type 223s will penetrate less than even a low power pistol round. Just keep a few heavy, solid copper ones at the end of the mag, just in case.

00 buck will go through the cinder block, which would not be good in your townhouse situation. Plus the capacity is atrocious IMO.

 

[Clay]

Get Frangible ammo, CrazyDoc or another MedPro chirp in, but the hydrostatic shock will kill ya while the 'bullet' disintegrates upon impact ... I'll let the video do the talking but this is what I have in one of my house guns
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A19RZY5AgMA

 

[Brandon_SPC]

This is my sentiment as well. A shotgun is a much better choice in your situation. Frankly, I like a 00 Buck load. Much less of a spread and is definitely a manstopper. My Franchi SPAS-12 at 15 yards puts 00 Buck in about a 12" pattern. I would hate to be hit with it at 20' or less.

00 buck for a town home? That will tear through some drywall and keep going. Birdshot also rips right through. I have shot birdshot through drywall before. I would rather stick with my AR because it is one round going down range and much less collateral damage compared to 15 pellets.

 

[bigbulls]

Clay, if you are using DRT for home defense and expecting it not to penetrate walls you are using the wrong ammo. It will definitely penetrate walls and kill on the other side. DRT is designed to penetrate barriers that are softer than the bullet itself and still kill on the other side. DRT ammo is designed to fragment on surfaces that are harder than the bullet and in soft "liquidy" material such as flesh. It WILL penetrate walls.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzDlx1oHF3c

 

[Dan1612]

One of the first facial transplant patients received her injuries from a load of birdshot to the face. Would I want to be shot with it? No. Would I trust it to stop a threat? Absolutely not, especially with the capacity of the tube on an 18" scattergun. JMO.

 

[Brandon_SPC]

Pretty sure town homes have cement fire walls between each unit,

I don't think this one does.

 

[Dan1612]

In your situation, I'd still start the mag with light varmint bullets, other than that, I think this is spot on:
http://www.gunsandammo.com/ammo/long-guns-short-yardage-is-223-the-best-home-defense-caliber/

 

[Brandon_SPC]

In your situation, I'd still start the mag with light varmint bullets, other than that, I think this is spot on:
http://www.gunsandammo.com/ammo/long-guns-short-yardage-is-223-the-best-home-defense-caliber/

Nice article. Thank you.

 

[Crazydoc68]

I would think a nice SP would work best since it's made to open up and dump the energy in the target. Don't use OTM rounds they are made to penetrate barriers along with target and also no 62gr green tip! Frangible ammo from what I know is made to break up upon impact. I honestly would rather use a pistol if at all possible with HP ammo.

Also look at the PDX ammo.

 

[MarkS]

From my construction days the firewalls in townhomes are 2 sheets of 5/8" sheetrock. As for birdshot it will get the job done at close range, I killed my first buck with some low brass #6 birdshot, First round was about 30' I shot his eyes out when he looked up at the sound of the gun cocking and the next one was about 10' and made a 2" or 3" hole in his neck.

 

[oneshot]

Just think about it a load of shot at close range is a Frangible slug. Look around in your place and determined you distance use a ruler than come and see me I do this type of thing all the time. The hydraulic shock of a 1 1/8 load of lead shot up close is bad, even if it doesn't kill it will take all the fight out for a follow up. Just hoping for a miss is not in the play book, I can show how far a 115 ww STHP will go after it want through a Steel door, I didn't do it but had some have a AD in my shop. And have been in one shooting with a truck and 00 buck shot. Will do a test with blocks you want to. I have people shot blocks up all the when using them to weight down some stands never seem to find up who did it. but I get to clean it up. Just my 5 cents jj

 

[Marquezj16]

Google the box of truth #14 and read up on AR15 ammo penetration through sheetrock. You might be surprised. There are other test for other types of ammo as well.

My opinion, if you ever have to shoot, don't miss.

 

[MarkS]

This video is in line with my experience shooting birdshot, it will kill. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97sjv11yesc

 

[Dan1612]

Sorry Mark, but you shot a buck in the neck. All soft, vulnerable tissue. I'm not sure it would make it through skin, fat and a rib cage to deliver threat stopping damage. Not when someone can be shot in the face or side with it and survive.
Besides, this isn't an AR vs shotgun thread, the OP has already chosen an AR for HD, which personally, I commend. As far as ammo choice, which is the actual subject, for you go varmint, then regular, then green tips then solid copper depending on how your mags are loaded. For me, it's two coupled 40 round PMags. Should be enough. JMO.

 

[MarkS]

Any AR round will penetrate multiple walls and in a townhome there will be someone on the other side of the wall and as for the buck the last shot was in the neck to finish him a little quicker the one that had him down was from 30 feet and a head-shot with him looking at me.