Help me choose between these defensive 5.56mm loads

[GeeDeeTee215]

I recently acquired a new BCM 16" mid-length (with H Buffer) and an Aimpoint PRO. The plan is to make this my new "go to" rifle for personal defense. I want to stick to 5.56mm pressure ammo for this weapon since that is what it was built to use, as well as to take advantage of the other benefits having a faster round provides. I'm not a patrol officer and my main concern is selecting ammunition that will perform well through typical household barriers, such as interior doors, wall board, appliances, etc. I also want a load that closely mirrors the trajectory of the common M193 or M855 ammo from 0 out to about 300 yards so that I can get in some good training with a less expensive type of ammunition, as well as to have an ammo reserve that shoots to near the same POI. Whatever "go to" load I choose will likely be kept around in only limited quantities at any given time due to cost. Therefore it would be nice to have a secondary round with similar ballistics so that re-zeroing isn't necessary should I "run dry" and need to grab a magazine of training ammo in an emergency. And by similar ballistics, I mean being able to set up an 8 inch plate at 300 yards, and using my zero for the go to load be able to put practice rounds somewhere inside that 8" circle most of the time when aiming dead center. For my purposes, that more than suffices, especially considering the majority of my focus will be inside 100 yards. I would also prefer rounds that have crimped and sealed primers, as well as bullets that have a cannelure and are crimped at the case mouth to prevent bullet setback. If they also use sealant in the case mouth, then outstanding. Low flash powder would also be desirable, though not absolutely necessary. I want the best performing and most reliable ammunition I can get. But I certainly wouldn't mind a good value as well, all things being equal.

Now, with those requirements being set, here are the loads I have tentatively selected as finalists, with some comments about each:

Federal XM556FBIT3 62 gr TBBC - This is without a doubt my overwhelming favorite. It seems to meet ALL of my criteria. It is crimped and sealed at both ends. It expands extremely well in the 0.46" range. It produces a really nice max temporary cavity of about 4.5". It handles all types of intermediate barriers well. And it should prove a close ballistic match to M855 for training purposes. However, it is all but impossible to find. That little factoid kind of eliminates it from contention even though it is my overall favorite.

Black Hills 50 gr TSX - This looks like another excellent performer. Penetration through all mediums seems ideal. You get good robust expansion in bare gel of about 0.47". And the temporary cavity appears to be quite large, in the 5" range. It seems to offer pretty decent accuracy. The bullet profile looks it will feed reliably. The only downside I can see is cost ($1.50 per round). It is expensive! But it is pretty readily available. And it may not be as good a ballistic match to M193 as other choices, though I can't say that for sure. But based on raw performance, I really like this round.

Hornady TAP 55 gr GMX Barrier #81255 - This is another interesting choice. It looks like a good ballistic match to M193. It expands really well in bare gel (0.50" if Hornady's numbers can be trusted) and it penetrates all types of intermediate barriers quite well. It offers a pretty decent temporary cavity in the 4" range, though this appears to be smaller than most of the other choices. But with 21" of penetration in bare gel, this one might just penetrate a little too much to be an ideal choice. That said, it is readily available and at $0.84 per round, is also one of the most inexpensive among the list of options. Even though it isn't my favorite overall performer, it still makes the list because it does have some qualities I like.

Winchester RA556B 64 gr Bonded JSP - This one seems to be ranked right up there with the TBBC load by DocGKR in terms of performance. As a performer against barriers, it certainly does the job well. It also expands about as well as the TBBC load. And I'm pretty sure it is also well sealed and crimped. But there are a number of things about this specific load that I'm not crazy about. For one, the bullets in this load are the most blunt I've ever seen in a .223/5.56 load. That is a lot of exposed lead up front there. This load looks more akin to something I'd chamber in my Marlin 30-30 than a semi-auto loading rifle! And the aerodynamics of this bullet have to be about on par with a flying brick. Will this stuff reliably feed in an AR? Will it be accurate? Likewise, this load also produces the least impressive temporary cavity of any load on this list, coming in below 4" in diameter. For a round that costs about $1.59 per pop, I'd like to see a bit better terminal performance in unobstructed shots than this load appears to offer. I'm just not as impressed with the Winchester version of the FBI round as I am the Federal TBBC version. And it probably isn't quite as good in terms of a trajectory match to M855 as the 62 grain loads, though it should be quite close. This round is a contender for sure, but I'll admit I am not overly crazy about it for the reasons outlined above.

Hornady TAP 62 gr JSP Barrier #8125N - As with pretty much any list of candidates, there always appears to be an oddball that finds itself in the mix. The 62 gr TAP Barrier would be that oddball that has caught my eye. It is also readily available and coming in at around $0.89 per round, is also one of the more inexpensive choices. It should mate up nicely with the M855 as a companion training load in terms of trajectory. And again, if Hornady's numbers are backed up by independent testing, it appears to provide the most impressive expansion and temporary cavity of all loads on this list. They show expansion of 0.55" in their testing with a max temporary cavity of an impressive 5.5" in bare gel! It also appears to have staked/sealed primers, though I am not sure about sealant on the case neck. I also like the bullet profile better than some of the choices. That said, the round also has some negatives. For one, it doesn't appear to make DocGKR's list of approved rounds. I would assume that is largely because it does so poorly through auto glass, only achieving about 6.5" of penetration after passing through glass. It also appears to have what I would consider marginal penetration in bare gel, coming in at 11.75". That said, I'm not going to eliminate this load from consideration because it comes up a quarter inch short in penetration. And even the poor performance through auto glass isn't a complete show stopper for me, as I'm more concerned about things such as wallboard, plywood and things typically encountered inside homes, which the Hornady load seems to deal with pretty well despite the fact it isn't a true bonded bullet. OTOH, maybe having a round that does well with glass is a capability worth having even if I think it may be a lesser concern?

Based on my situation and criteria, which of the above loads do you think best fits my needs? I realize that when all is said and done, any of the loads will probably do the job if I do mine. And many of the performance differences really aren't all that significant. But I'm looking to check as many of those boxes as I can while also getting the most bang for my buck. I am leaning toward the BH 50 gr TSX as best overall choice provided it is a decent match to the M193's trajectory, otherwise the Hornady 55 gr GMX is probably #2 on my list as of now. However, I am open to differing opinions or even different loads should I have overlooked other good NATO pressure options.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions. And sorry for the rather lengthy post. I couldn't really say all I wanted to say without getting a bit detailed.

[El Cid]

You mentioned wanting accuracy to 300... The Federal XM556FBIT3 62 gr TBBC has significantly diminished accuracy at 100+ according to several reliable sources. One theory is the exposed lead tip gets reshaped randomly by the feed ramp.

After a Pannone vehicle class where we shot into, out of and through various cars, my decision to use 70gr TSX was reinforced. Shooting out through the windshield I was one of a few to get my hits on a target in front of the bumper. The issue I've found is finding it at 5.56 pressure rather than .223. Southwest Ammunition sells it that way but its not always in stock.

[GeeDeeTee215]

You mentioned wanting accuracy to 300... The Federal XM556FBIT3 62 gr TBBC has significantly diminished accuracy at 100+ according to several reliable sources. One theory is the exposed lead tip gets reshaped randomly by the feed ramp.

Yeah, accuracy doesn't seem to be this load's strong point. I've actually come across some complaints while doing my research where people were getting 5" or even 6" groups with this load at 100 yards, though this seems to be attributed more toward the version considered to be "factory seconds", if such an animal exists. At any rate, I can't seem to find any of this stuff in stock anywhere. And the only people who do have it are pricing it at levels on par with gold. So it looks like the Federal version of the FBI load is pretty much off-limits to me, at least for the time being.

After a Pannone vehicle class where we shot into, out of and through various cars, my decision to use 70gr TSX was reinforced. Shooting out through the windshield I was one of a few to get my hits on a target in front of the bumper. The issue I've found is finding it at 5.56 pressure rather than .223. Southwest Ammunition sells it that way but its not always in stock.

Interesting observation. I honestly had never given the 70 gr TSX much consideration as a top civilian choice for self defense use here in the CONUS. But as is so often the case with ammunition selection, there rarely seems to be a "never" or an "always". Everything is a compromise and we often don't appreciate given strengths or shortcomings until put into situations where they become obvious. Again, I always considered the 70 gr TSX an excessive penetrator, but as your experience shows, it also has areas in which it shines.

If there is anything I've learned about the 5.56mm round over the years, it would be ammo selection is ALWAYS a compromise. You can either get exceptional expansion/fragmentation. Or you can get really good penetration. But it is difficult to get both at the same time and trying to find that ideal balance between the two can at times be frustrating. I sometimes even find myself being jealous of the AK guys when I see how rounds such as the 123 gr Fusion or SST perform from those platforms.

[El Cid]

Yeah, accuracy doesn't seem to be this load's strong point. I've actually come across some complaints while doing my research where people were getting 5" or even 6" groups with this load at 100 yards, though this seems to be attributed more toward the version considered to be "factory seconds", if such an animal exists. At any rate, I can't seem to find any of this stuff in stock anywhere. And the only people who do have it are pricing it at levels on par with gold. So it looks like the Federal version of the FBI load is pretty much off-limits to me, at least for the time being.

One of the people who experienced the groups falling apart at 100 was using issued ammunition.

Interesting observation. I honestly had never given the 70 gr TSX much consideration as a top civilian choice for self defense use here in the CONUS. But as is so often the case with ammunition selection, there rarely seems to be a "never" or an "always". Everything is a compromise and we often don't appreciate given strengths or shortcomings until put into situations where they become obvious. Again, I always considered the 70 gr TSX an excessive penetrator, but as your experience shows, it also has areas in which it shines.

I'd love to give the BH 50gr TSX a try but it's even more difficult to find. I also wonder how well it would do at distance. Like you said, it's all about compromise. I like that I know 70gr works to 300 or 400.

[rekkr870]

I know you said that you wanted to stay with the 5.56mm cartridge but have you looked at the 62gr Federal Fusion? They both work with my 36/300yd zero and I constantly switch back and forth between M855 and Fusion with great results. My zero was very consistent between the two rounds from 0-300 yards.

The 62gr fusion is VERY similar to the 64gr gold dot. Cheaper, too.

[witchking777]

Reasons to go with GMX: 1. It is more readily available than the others for less money. 2. It matches m193 perfectly in my ar15/eotech. 3. Has one of the highest B.C. in a barrier blind round. 4. No exposed lead. 5. GMX bullet cuts when going through tissue. 6. Has the deepest penetration and highest retained weight through auto glass. 7. Is crimped,staked,and sealed to 5.56 pressures. These are the reasons I use this round over the others,I shot a coyote at 120 yds with one round though the heart/lungs,the exit hole was the size of a half dollar and had meat that looked like hamburger drug through the hole,on tests on an old car body GMX out penetrated m855 and m193,in fact the hole going in was almost as big as my friend's 7.62x39 round

[Rich]

For Me.
BH 5.56mm 50gr TSX


It has high velocity out of a 14.5 barrel plus the razor pedals spinning does a number on deer compared to regular lead jacket soft points.

I wonder if Hornady will offer there HOG LOAD in 5,56mm instead of 223rem 50gr GMX


COST of BH 50gr TSX ?

For HD I have 4 - Colt 20rounder loaded with BH 5.56mm 50gr TSX .
I highly doubt I will need more that . I made it through the last hurricane(Charlie) power was out for over 2weeks and NG came to Punta Gorda .

Now I have a few boxes of Fusion that I bought for a good price. and several cans of old M193/M855/ for range use only and about a case of 77/75gr BH I will sell off eventually .

[DocGKR]

If you ditch the Hornady TAP 62 gr JSP Barrier #8125N off the list and add 62/64 Gold Dot/Fusion, you would have a superb list of options--anyone of which I would be happy to use.

The BH 50 gr TSX is a better LE/defensive load than the 70 gr TSX.

[littlejerry]

I think your trajectory requirements are a bit optimistic. Every load I've fired in my AR has a different POI. Sometimes the shift is dramatic. Sometimes its not. Sometimes its a shift in elevation, sometimes its windage, sometimes its both. M193(and M855) loads will change POI between different manufacturers and even different lots.

I say pick a defensive load you can find and is on doc's list. Pick one known for accuracy. Then buy different practice ammo and see what is close, but don't expect it to be perfect.

FWIW I'm a fan of Federal Fusion. Its accurate, available at most places, and works well. The various FBI loads tend to appear and disappear on the civilian market.

[El Cid]

The BH 50 gr TSX is a better LE/defensive load than the 70 gr TSX.

I don't doubt that. Aside from the 50gr being as hard to find as Federal Flight Control 1B... How does it do at longer ranges? I have agency provided TBBC for my work rifle, but not a lot of it and it falls apart in terms of accuracy at 100yds.

I've tried to narrow down my ammunition choices in my personal rifles to 77 smk for the really long distance stuff, but want a load that works from contact to 3-400. That's where I settled on 70gr TSX.

Also, just checked Black Hills site and they are also selling the TSX in 55gr and 62gr now. Is there an agency requirement for those weights or something? Do they do anything better or differently than 50/70?

Thanks!