The subject of the 223 Remington-chambered rifle for personal defense comes up often, and now the courts are considering if these semi-auto long guns can be banned in some states, or at least reduced in capacity with magazine bans.
What is overlooked in almost all of these discussions are the reasons for the rifle’s popularity: The AR-15 rifle offers good handling, excellent accuracy, ease of control, and a good reserve of firepower when fitted with standard-capacity 20- or 30-round magazines. Another item that’s overlooked is what are the best loads for personal defense.
We took a hard look at almost two dozen 223 Remington loads and found that many are not well suited for personal defense because they don’t offer adequate penetration. Other loads, however, are practically ideal for personal defense. Also, the loads must be reliable in every AR-style firearm or other design chambered for the round, from a Colt HBAR the excellent Ruger Mini-14 rifles. For our test, we used a Bushmaster 16-inch-barrel carbine with Trijicon iron sights.
We measured both penetration and expansion in our standard gallon-water-jug testing program. In self-defense situations, we can’t expect to have a perfect scenario for a low-penetrating round to do its job. Ideally, we wanted somewhere between 15 and 18 inches of water penetration.
We shot a number of loads in as many different weights as possible. While bullets of different designs behave differently in the same weight, we felt that the test criteria showed the performance of various classes of loads well.
Hornady 35-grain NTX Lead Free 83266, $25.50/20 ($1.28 per round)
This is a varmint bullet, pure and simple. It is also a lead-free California-compliant bullet. Performance was true to the design. Penetration was about 6 inches, which would be closer to 4 to 5 inches in ballistic gelatin, as a reference. Something we appreciated concerning this load was its reliability. Some years ago when the varmint-weight 40-grain loads were introduced, function was sluggish in the AR-15 rifle. This was particularly true if the rifle was not well maintained or dirty. The Hornady load exhibited good function.
Our Team Said: Penetration was problematic, but then this is a varmint bullet. Still, we don’t believe it has the requisite penetration for reliable personal-defense use.
Black Hills 36-grain VG M223R15, $76.49/50 ($1.53 per round)
This was another speedy load that fragmented early. As might be expected, penetration is limited, but accuracy was good and so was function. Like the Hornady NTX, the VG bullet is designed for field use on small animals. It should be effective for hunting coyotes, prairie dogs, and the like.
Our Team Said: This is a purpose-designed bullet and load that do not meet our defense-load criteria.
Fiocchi Extrema 40-grain Hornady V-Max 223HVB50, $42.99/50 (84 cents per round)
The Hornady V-Max finds its way into quite a bit of ammunition loaded not only by Hornady but also by Black Hills, Fiocchi, and many custom makers. The Fiocchi load doesn’t offer anything novel in the way of ballistic performance, but the quality is good, accuracy outstanding, and it is attractively priced. Fiocchi has demonstrated good quality control with other products, and this load is no exception. Because it fragmented into pieces that weren’t measurable, this might be the best small-game choice if ricochets are an issue.
Our Team Said: This is a purpose-designed bullet and load that do not meet our defense-load criteria.
Cor-Bon DPX Hunter 53-grain Barnes Triple-Shock X Bullet Lead-Free DPX22353, $29.36/20 ($1.46 per round)
As we moved through the ultralight bullets, we began to see better penetration. The Cor-Bon load was the first combination that reached the critical penetration depth that is acceptable for personal defense, in our view. In fact, it was among the best loads tested. The Cor-Bon DPX was reliable and accurate, and the performance of the all-copper Barnes bullet was good in water, reaching a 17-inch depth. The bullet expanded to about twice its original diameter.
Our Team Said: The load is pricey, but then these all-copper bullets are expensive items from a custom maker. Performance cannot be faulted.
Buffalo Bore 55-grain Polymer Tip Boat Tail S22355, $38.99/20 ($1.95 per round)
Buffalo Bore loads its ammunition up to maximum SAAMI specifications, which works particularly well on a wide range of small game and smaller big game animals. This ammunition is not intended for older guns. This load cannot be faulted on performance for small game, delivering 8 inches of penetration in water. Feeding was good and ejection positive. This is a good, fast load well suited to varmint shooting with the heavier bullet. Performance was typical of the 55-grain loads, but accuracy was not quite on par with the Winchester Silvertips.
Our Team Said: This is a purpose-designed bullet and load that do not meet our defense-load criteria.
Cor-Bon Self-Defense 55-grain Sierra BlitzKing Polymer Tip SD22355BK/20, $30.99/20 ($1.55 per round)
The 55-grain BlitzKing is more of a traditional sporting load for varmints and predators; just the same, its accuracy and reliability cannot be faulted. This load demonstrates better penetration compared to others in the same weight range, and at the time we purchased it, the Polymer Tip was a markedly more affordable choice than the 53-grain DPX.
Our Team Said: This is an interesting counterpoint to the Barnes DPX bullet from the same maker, but the 53-grain DPX is much superior for self-defense, we believe.
Winchester USA 55-grain Full Metal Jacket USA223R1, $12.99/20 (65 cents per round)
This is among the most widely distributed and most used 223 loads in America. We tested this load to determine if the recommendation for use of FMJ loads for self defense was warranted. Some have stated that the 55-grain FMJ is effective because it breaks up, and that shooters do not need a jacketed spire-point (JSP) bullet. As a counterpoint, there is little doubt that the FMJ bullet would be more prone to ricochet than a JSP bullet.
Our Team Said: The Winchester load penetrated to the satisfactory range and seemed to break up consistently. Obviously, there is something to praise for this round. Just the same, we prefer an expanding bullet for self defense.
Winchester 55-grain Ballistic Silvertip SBST223B, $38.49/20 ($1.92 per round)
The solid-base boattail design of the Lubalox-coated Ballistic Silvertip bullet is designed to deliver rapid expansion and fragmentation in varmint-size game calibers and controlled expansion and penetration over long ranges in deer-size game calibers. This is a classic load in the traditional weight, with outstanding quality control and consistency.
Accuracy and function are ideal, and the load burns clean. The balance of penetration and expansion leans toward rapid expansion, which is what the sporting use of the 223 calls for. We recovered one piece of the bullet that didn’t expand much (.24 inch) beyond the original diameter, shedding 30 grains of weight along the way.
Our Team Said: At 7 inches of penetration, we think this is inadequate for personal defense.
Black Hills Remanufactured 60-grain JSP M223R4, $68.49/50 ($1.35 per round)
The primary rater switched from 55-grain loads to the Black Hills 60-grain JSP as soon as it was introduced. The momentum, he says, is greater and function seems better in most rifles. But the penetration and expansion are superior as well. In one experiment, the 60-grain Black Hills load expanded to a full .54 caliber diameter, although average expansion was more in the .44 range.
Our Team Said: This had outstanding performance. The load is also available in relatively affordable 50-round boxes, which make it a Best Buy.
Black Hills Remanufactured 60-grain Hornady V-Max M223R10, $69.49/50 ($1.39 per round)
This was among the first of the 60-grain bullets tested, and this weight was popularized by Black Hills some time ago as a service-load weight. Function is better than the 55-grain load in a dirty or marginal gun, and performance is all-round good. The V-Max, however, fragments and penetrates less than the 60-grain JSP from the same company. This is a sporting load, but it’s one that many shooters swear by for long-range accuracy.
Our Team Said: Penetration is in the range with the best 55-grain loads, but with the added weight of this bullet, it should do better.
Hornady TAP 60-grain JSP 83286LE, $18.45/20 (93 cents per round)
This load is designed to offer superior barrier or vehicle penetration. The TAP Barrier version of the 60-grain JSP demonstrates typical Hornady quality control. Accuracy is excellent. As it turns out, increasing the penetration simply puts this bullet into the ideal range at over 15 inches in water. Expansion is good at .40 inches.
Our Team Said: When available at a good price, this is an acceptable personal defense load. However, it looks like Hornady has discontinued this bullet weight and style in the TAP line. Hornady now makes a 60-grain Urban TAP that fragments quickly and is markedly different than the TAP choices we tested.
Nosler Match Grade 60-grain Ballistic Tip 60013, $26.13/20 ($1.31 per round)
We were surprised to find Nosler ammunition at an affordable price, but this is top-quality ammunition, as the testing proved. The 60-grain weight trounced the lighter bullet loads. As we tested more 60-grain bullets, we began seeing results nearing the ideal range of penetration.
Our Team Said: This is another good service load that would prove to be a good choice for all-round personal defense.
Cor-Bon DPX Hunter 62-grain Barnes Triple-Shock X Bullet Lead-Free DPX22362/20, $32.99 ($1.65 per round)
This is the single load that exhibited the best balance of expansion and penetration in our opinion, if police service is a criterion. For civilian use, the DPX offers outstanding downrange performance. While part of the appeal of the 223 is its limited penetration, a high-velocity load retains much of the frangible properties of the caliber. But the penetration that is needed in a defensive firearm cannot be compromised.
Our Team Said: The 62-grain DPX is a recommended loading for personal defense. Recoil is light, but the 223 really shines with this loading. You may find it at a cheaper price than the 53-grain DPX.
Winchester Super-X Power Max Bonded 64-grain Protected Hollow Point X223R2BP, $36/20 ($1.80 per round)
Affordable, reliable and with proven Winchester quality, the 64-grain JSP delivered good performance. For those concerned with overpenetration and choosing the 223 over a 30-caliber rifle, but not wishing to use a load with the varmint profile, this is an excellent choice. The Winchester 64-grain JSP was among the first 223 loads to incorporate a bullet that expands reliably rather than fragmenting. Using this load, an acquaintance of one of the raters has dropped a straight run of a dozen Southern whitetail deer with a single shot each from his Ruger Mini-14. That is impressive performance.
Our Team Said: Great expansion and high bullet integrity puts this load at the top. We would have liked another 3 to 5 inches of water penetration to make it an unquestioned defense round.
Black Hills Remanufactured 75-grain Match Hollow Point M223R6, $43.46/50 (87 cents per round)
This is among the most accurate and pleasant loads to fire and use. Accuracy was good at 0.4 inches, and though performance differs from the justly famous Black Hills Open Tip 77-grain load, one wonders how much practical difference there would be in the field. This is a superbly accurate loading in bolt-action rifles, as confirmed by our raters, and very accurate in a Daniel Defense AR-15 rifle as well.
Our Team Said: This strongly tracks the performance of the Winchester Super-X 64-grain load and the Hornady TAP 75-grain round.
Hornady TAP 75-grain JHP 80268, $26/20 ($1.30 per round)
This is among the new generation of heavyweight 223 loads launched in order to achieve superior results in service guns. We believe it is important that 223 ammunition maintain a solid 2500 fps for effective performance even with the heavy bullet loads. The TAP load does so and offers reliable, consistent performance. It generated 10 inches of penetration in water and expanded to a 0.44-inch diameter with substantial retained weight.
Our Team Said: It was among the best defense loads in the test.
Black Hills Remanufactured 77-grain Sierra MatchKing HPBT M223R9, $75.99/50 ($1.52 per round)
Of all of the loads tested, the Black Hills 77-grain Open Tip has the only undeniable world class record for unquestioned effect by our long-range military shooters and a top choice for special law-enforcement teams. Black Hill’s military contracts have proven this load’s performance. The single most accurate load tested, the Black Hills Open Tip load is a winner on all counts.
Our Team Said: Slightly more expensive than the 75-grain load, this number remains a Best Buy when purchased in the blue 50-round box.
Buffalo Bore 77-grain HPBT S22377, $38.99/20 ($1.95 per round)
The Buffalo Bore load has good function and accuracy. It is faster than most other loads in this weight range, but recoil is not a problem in the 223. Pressure signs were normal. Accuracy from a Daniel Defense rifle, in particular, was excellent. It very closely tracks the performance of the Black Hills 77-grain load, coming out with a little more speed and energy, comparable accuracy, identical penetration in water, and expansion and retained weight right alongside with the Black Hills 77-grain load.
Our Team Said: This is a load well worth your consideration.
Our Recommendations
If you want penetration, the Cor-Bon DPX loads at 53 grains and 62 grains are outstanding. Also, the Winchester FMJ created substantial penetration in water, but the DPX loads held together better, which we preferred.
As a blanket recommendation for home or area defense, the best results begin at 60 grains, and in particular the Black Hills M223R4 load, which was among the most accurate loads in the test, penetrated 14 inches in water, expanded to .44 caliber, and retained 78% of its original weight. For those particularly concerned with overpenetration, the Cor-Bon 55-grain BlitzKing or the Black Hills 60-grain V-Max are first-class choices.
Among the heavier loads, the readily available Black Hills 77 grain is a top choice. The Buffalo Bore 77-grain loading is virtually equal.
