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Rifle for home defense. What Caliber?
- Thread starter cast1
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Anything from .22 up will work in a pinch. My late uncle once said if after 17 rds. of CCI LR Mini-Mags they're still standing, he'd cheerfully help them load the stuff up.
If you think the home invader/murderers are going to be stacked up and wearing body armor, I'd opt for the ,458 350 gr. FMJ and just keep knocking them down until I get to the end of the line.
If you think the home invader/murderers are going to be stacked up and wearing body armor, I'd opt for the ,458 350 gr. FMJ and just keep knocking them down until I get to the end of the line.
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If you’re talking HD, go ahead and run through a shoot house some time with even 7.62x39, let alone 7.62 NATO.
Make sure you’re double-plugged and muffed. To say that it’s concussive would be an understatement.
Definitely would not do the big bore ARs due to lack of magazine capacity and muzzle blast inside.
With pistol calibers, people can take a lot of hits and still be lethal. They are not impressive at all without CNS hits.
Intermediate Rifle cartridges with smaller bores or suppressed is where it’s at.
5.56 is great in the house. It still has quite a bit of overpressure inside, but is bearable.
Within 200yds, it still hits really hard even from 10.5” guns.
I’m more into 6.5 Grendel from short barrels lately. 90gr TNT at 2700fps from my 12” Grendel is no joke.
Make sure you’re double-plugged and muffed. To say that it’s concussive would be an understatement.
Definitely would not do the big bore ARs due to lack of magazine capacity and muzzle blast inside.
With pistol calibers, people can take a lot of hits and still be lethal. They are not impressive at all without CNS hits.
Intermediate Rifle cartridges with smaller bores or suppressed is where it’s at.
5.56 is great in the house. It still has quite a bit of overpressure inside, but is bearable.
Within 200yds, it still hits really hard even from 10.5” guns.
I’m more into 6.5 Grendel from short barrels lately. 90gr TNT at 2700fps from my 12” Grendel is no joke.
Do you live in an apartment? 458 socom, 45-70 or maybe 338 Lapua. These should stop most things.
This being the Pit... I really want to say .577 T-Rex to be snarky but that won't help the OP much- there's lots of variables and I hate to answer your question with a question but is there a reason you're committed to relying on a rifle cartridge as opposed to say OO buckshot in a 12g?
Not trying to switch your focus/divert from your original question but "home defense" is so broad and I'd suspect a lot of otherwise good advice you'd receive here would contain an element of what's beyond you, your home invader, and what's behind them and whether your choice would potentially create another situation for you that you may not be expecting should a neighbor catch what you're throwing.
-LD
Not trying to switch your focus/divert from your original question but "home defense" is so broad and I'd suspect a lot of otherwise good advice you'd receive here would contain an element of what's beyond you, your home invader, and what's behind them and whether your choice would potentially create another situation for you that you may not be expecting should a neighbor catch what you're throwing.
-LD
Have you seen what 00 patterns like inside a house? Or the 12 ga muzzle blast? 5.56 is a much better HD option than any 12 ga round. Only idiots like our current joke of a president think that a 12 ga is a good HD option. I say that with a 12 ga M4 loaded with 00 and slugs next to my actual HD AR in 5.56. Shotguns have rolls, replacing a modern, shorter rifle for HD isn't one of them. The 1911 that is in my nightstand or the one that is my EDC would be better HD options than my M4.
Sir, I'm not saying that your comment is wrong just as I'm neither saying a 12g is the "end all be all" answer. My intention was to point out that I'd a complicated questioned that recommendations would be largely tailored here based off of more information whether it's a PCC, AR15 config, or a properly set up 12g. I don't know enough of what's being asked to give any kind of concrete opinions other than to point out some variables that will likely be asked by others moving forward should they be interested in helping the OP out with their question.
Thus far- I think I align with @Sniff and their answer the most at least with talking about using a 308. Of course- I mid as well get in front of the anticipated counterpoint- bullet construction is just as if not more so important in the discussion than even caliber. But given that we live in a world fueled by lawsuits and no shortage of lawyers to pursue 3rd party damages- first and foremost the solution to the question needs to address the threat at hand but the answer would be incomplete without understanding the tertiary ramifications to this question otherwise we'd all be rocking battle rifles or 1oz+ slugs to protect our junk.
-LD
I feel like we have done this thread 20 times since I have been here. The final answer is always anything that goes pew, pew makes a good HD gun.
If you do a search, you can pre-read all the response that will be coming.
If you do a search, you can pre-read all the response that will be coming.
I'd think minimizing overpenetration would be a consideration in home defense...
No to the exotic cartridges. .308 makes a good choice in some environments, but at no point is it necessary for CQB inside a house...and can be a very bad choice depending on situation (you have kids in the house, or your neighborhood has homes that are 10 yards apart).
Playing with those half-inch thumper rounds cuts your ammo capacity significantly, as well as reduces your ability to control the rifle as well for follow-up shots...hard pass.
I'm almost as rural as you can get. I have a 5.56 next to me. With bonded ammo (Gold Dot) anything short of an armored car is going to get penetrated easily. I don't like PCCs either because the lethality isn't as good as a rifle round.
I do have a thermal pig hunting rig always loaded and ready as a tertiary option...but really that is just for coyotes and hogs at night.
I’ve heard using something slow (subsonic) with a high expansion tends to work pretty good. Long time back a buddy of mine wanted to build out a AR setup running .50AE loaded slow. Said the low speed and high transfer of energy would be pretty cool….from his end of course.
Your best defense is a strong offense. Your strongest offense is knowing they are on your property before they do.
Not really.
I might consider a 300BLK or pistol caliber, like 9mm, subsonic and with a good silencer, though.
But it is hard to beat 5.56 if you use a good hollow point round.
Buy a bunch of beef or pork. Shoot it with lightweight varmint type 5.56 rounds, e.g., 40 grain Hornady Varmint Express. Report back on results.
Or you can read here:
60 lbs of Cow VS Home defense rounds (and a 50 bmg)
www.georgiapacking.org
The above are fine for most threats but if your intruders are a team wearing body armor and carrying ballistic shields, I'd rather have a 12ga with Sabots.Not really.
I might consider a 300BLK or pistol caliber, like 9mm, subsonic and with a good silencer, though.
But it is hard to beat 5.56 if you use a good hollow point round.
Buy a bunch of beef or pork. Shoot it with lightweight varmint type 5.56 rounds, e.g., 40 grain Hornady Varmint Express. Report back on results.
Or you can read here:
60 lbs of Cow VS Home defense rounds (and a 50 bmg)
Consider this, something I often wonder - outside of the debate re the effectivity of one platform over the other, should we consider the legal ramifications of any particular platform? On the surface, I may say that having the most effective tool to put down the threat is what is important, and "after the shoot" be damned. But, the after the shoot shite can be devastating. If 50% say an AR/battle rifle/etal is effective and 50% say a shotty is effective, I may choose the shotgun because the shotgun would theoretically be viewed more favorably by the ignorant asshole guv attorney in my area.
Yep... handful of cut nails with rock salt and D-con mixed in...
I've got a smoothbore in .62/20 ga.
Terrifyingly devastating with a load of buck and ball... But she's a tad slow on the follow-up shots. Might have to find a smith who can solder a lug on and add a 17" tricorn bayonet.
Mike
105 howitzer with a beehive round aimed at front door......done
I don't want to overdo it with a 155 howitzer, that would be a bit overkill.
Doc
I don't want to overdo it with a 155 howitzer, that would be a bit overkill.
Doc
Speaking strictly to a rifle, not a PCC or even my 9 mm handgun, I would have to say 5.56. So easy that grandma could use it and be effective. 30 round mags so that if you need to fire again, it is there and ready for you.
Regardless if I am in bed or fall asleep in my chair watching a movie there is hi cap 45acp loaded with 185gr +p JHP.
Other than that I prefer a 16" AR loaded with 55gr Nosler ballistic tips.
Other than that I prefer a 16" AR loaded with 55gr Nosler ballistic tips.
I can’t express how glad I am that someone finally asked this question in this forum. I mean, this place has been around for over twenty frickin’ years and, FINALLY, someone had the foresight to ask “What rifle should I use for home defense?”
Thank you, kind sir. You have fulfilled my hopes and dreams.
Thank you, kind sir. You have fulfilled my hopes and dreams.
But the Howitzer and mini gun memes are allways a hit
But the Howitzer and mini gun memes are allways a hit
True… and that’s why Barrett makes the M107A1 “CQ” model, and what I choose as my HD weapon of choice:
Shit just using blanks from a 50bmg at close range in a confined space is cause for a change of underwear by any intruder
Are you talking inside the home or outside?
Anything more than a pcc and your hearing is gone after the first shot. Even at a pcc level it’s impaired.
If suppressed a 300bo would work.
Shotgun with buckshot is a winner. Doesn’t matter much where you end up hitting if it’s a solid hit. I doubt they are carrying a tourniquet or a trained team.
Might want to go into something like a 10x10 room or even your garage and hit a primer with a hammer.
Afterwards keep in mind it was just a primer.
Anything more than a pcc and your hearing is gone after the first shot. Even at a pcc level it’s impaired.
If suppressed a 300bo would work.
Shotgun with buckshot is a winner. Doesn’t matter much where you end up hitting if it’s a solid hit. I doubt they are carrying a tourniquet or a trained team.
Might want to go into something like a 10x10 room or even your garage and hit a primer with a hammer.
Afterwards keep in mind it was just a primer.
Suppressed 300 BLK w/subs is the correct answer, but this being the Pit, let’s go with a cannon loaded with grape shot
One time I fired a 3" mag from my winchester defender 18" barrel 12 gauge in an open field. Never again...
A short barrel 50bmg with a brake would probably ruin all the sheetrock in the room
Whatever Federal loads in their factory ammo.
It’s Federal 90gr TNT factory in 50rd boxes. Does 2900fps from the 17.6” Grendel.
From the 12” Grendel suppressed, I took a lot of sample velocities to get that number (2698fps avg).
It really expands when it hits tissue, but is on the edge of controlled expansion and varmint round behavior at Grendel velocities.
Great hog round as well.
When they kick the front door they should be looking into the bore of a cannon; a 16 pounder loaded with nails, chain links and chopped horsehoes.
Since you most likely won't survive anyway, may as well bleed the enemy down like at the Alamo.
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