It isn’t a poor choice at all for home defense, as high velocity causes it to break up quickly, but an expanding load is a better choice. This is a standard load for training and gauging a rifle’s reliability. Winchester’s USA loading is reliable, accurate and offers good economy. Relatively inexpensive, accurate enough for most uses, and available from the major makers, this is a great loading for all-around practice and target shooting.ĭue to the high velocity, the bullet doesn’t over-penetrate in building structures, far from it, it breaks up more readily than most pistol bullets. The 55-grain FMJ at more or less 3000 fps is by far the most commonly encountered. Nosler’s 64-grain Defense load is a formidable chose for personal defense. That is good enough to ride with, and the Nosler Defense loading is also well-suited to home defense. Using the Colt M4 carbine with Redfield Battlezone scope, I fired three-shot 0.9-inch groups with this load at a long 100 yards. The result is a loading with a bullet that penetrates straight and true, retains 90 percent of its original weight, and expands well. The Nosler load - like all Nosler products - underwent a tremendous amount of research and development. The FMJ load isn’t ideal for many of these applications. Many of us keep an AR-15 or Ruger Mini-14 at home ready for defense use. Shot placement is everything and this load delivers. Using the GMX bullet, the 50-grain Wild Boar loading from Hornady offers excellent penetration for use on larger game. The Ruger Mini-14 has been improved considerably as well, and will take a back seat to no rifle at 100 yards or a little more. The AR-15 is far more accurate in its better examples than ever. 223 Remington has come a long way from its humble varmint shooting origins. I like this loading based on Federal Cartridge Company quality and first-class accuracy. The famous green-tip loads offer superior penetration and long-range accuracy.
It is flat shooting, even holding an edge over the majority of 55-grain loads, at extended range. This is the real thing, and at 3025 fps it is a fine shooter. The author has enjoyed good results with Fiocchi ammunition. While lightweight bullets are sometimes problematic in self-loading rifles, the Fiocchi 40-grain V-Max is reliable in every AR-15 I have tested. The bullet expands rapidly even at extended range, and fragments and blows up varmints at shorter range. The V-Max bullet features a polymer tip that ensures expansion. This is a 3650 fps load intended for use on varmints. Fiocchi offers first-class, accurate loads. 223 Remington has achieved far more than its designers would have imagined. The 77-grain OTM has given excellent results in wartime use in the hands our snipers. Heavier bullets in the 68 to 77-grain weight have proven effective against deer-size game given good shot placement. These bullets do not ricochet, but rather break up on hard ground and are very unlikely to penetrate a varmint’s body. These 36 to 40-grain bullets, including the famous Hornady Vmax, offer explosive effect on varmints.
Development has led to lighter bullets for use on varmints and pests to the coyote class. The original 55-grain bullet has been replaced by the 62-grain load in military use.Ĭivilians began using the cartridge with the 55-grain JSP, a reasonable general-purpose bullet.
The use of the cartridge by our military has led to considerable development.