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Theohazard · August 16, 2013, 06:21 PM

Most frangible ammo won't fragment reliably in soft tissue. Some of the best self-defense loads for .223 are ballistic-tipped hollow points like the V-Max loads; they'll fragment violently in soft tissue but will still penetrate far enough in most situations. I use 50 gr. V-Max loads to minimize penetration through walls but still offer sufficient penetration in most situations. If I were running an SBR or I was worried about under-penetration, I might use 55 gr. or a little heavier. Also, keep in mind that loads like TAP are designed to penetrate through barriers like car glass before expanding in soft tissue, so you might get more penetration through walls than you bargained for.

August 16, 2013, 06:21 PM	#3
Theohazard Senior Member Join Date: April 19, 2012 Location: Western PA Posts: 3,829	Most frangible ammo won't fragment reliably in soft tissue. Some of the best self-defense loads for .223 are ballistic-tipped hollow points like the V-Max loads; they'll fragment violently in soft tissue but will still penetrate far enough in most situations. I use 50 gr. V-Max loads to minimize penetration through walls but still offer sufficient penetration in most situations. If I were running an SBR or I was worried about under-penetration, I might use 55 gr. or a little heavier. Also, keep in mind that loads like TAP are designed to penetrate through barriers like car glass before expanding in soft tissue, so you might get more penetration through walls than you bargained for. __________________ 0331: "Accuracy by volume."