7.62x39 Home Defense?

"Would the Hornady Z-Max "zombie ammo" be good for home defense?"

It only works for children against non-existant zombies.

For Werewolfs you will still need silver bullets.:D

Maybe a wood bullet for vampires?:rolleyes:

T.
 
a friend of mine shot a rabbit that was about 40yards with a 55gr softpoint from a 223. The bullet did not even exit the rabbit which would be lucky to be 4 inches wide.
I also shot two goats in the vitals at about 40yards with the same ammo and the bullets did not leave an exit wound, but did massive damage to the vitals.

With the correct bullet choice over penetration will not be an issue.
 
I shot a rabbit with a Hornady 55 gr sp at about 25 yrds, and it "vacuumed" the guts, heart, and lungs out. All I had to do as skin it.
 
A 12 gauge is the best home defense weapon.....PERIOD! 00Buck 9 pellets! But if you prefer something smaller a 9mm with JHP federals will do as well. Rifles are for longer distances and unless you have a 50 yard hallway you don't need to use that. ( When it comes to protecting your home and family BE PRACTICAL )
 
I don't understand why people will say rifles aren't for home defense, but don't have a valid reason for saying so.... You don't need 50 yards to employ a rifle effectively....

Sent from my HTC One X
 
IMO it's because many still hold on to terminal performance/overpenetration perceptions that were developed when discussing FMJ military ammo. It's slowly fading as more and more evidence becomes availible that completely refutes that line of thinking but some things die slowly---like gun/ammo choices.
 
Bullet/weapon selection is such a personal decision that, at times, it almost takes on religious qualities. Many old timers believe the .45 acp and the 1911 to be the ultimate choice for home defense, and nothing, no amount of ballistics testing or scientific evidence will dissuade them from their belief. But hey, if that is where their comfort level is, God Bless 'em. I'm an old timer too and a Mossberg 590 loaded with #4 buck is my comfort level, however the evidence presented by AR-15 supporters on this thread and from other sources, has convinced me pretty conclusively that the Varmint rounds in .223 are absolutely worthy of consideration. The reason I enjoy thefiringline, is because of the treasure trove of good information.
 
loaded with #4 buck is my comfort level
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I don't know if it was this thread where I mentioned a shotgun as the ultimate in home defense, but I can't say it enough so I'll say it again. That aside, If you are going to use the M43 get a frangible bullet that isn't labeled "zombie" that will expend the energy in the attacker, and not in your neighbor's living room.
 
Sure you can use a rifle, however.......

123 Ball in a house will shoot through several rooms, if not exit the house. Having tested 357, 41, 44, ACP, 223, and 12ga in abandoned houses, the 12 ga is the way to go IMO. 7.5 shot will be devastating to a perp across the room and penetrates the least.
 
123 Ball in a house will shoot through several rooms, if not exit the house. Having tested 357, 41, 44, ACP, 223, and 12ga in abandoned houses, the 12 ga is the way to go IMO. 7.5 shot will be devastating to a perp across the room and penetrates the least.
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...........Which is exactly why no one has recommended using ball ammo for defense.....
 
This idea isn't main stream, but a side by side with cut shells would have excellent stopping power with absolute minimum over penetration. They are like 12 ga glazers.
 
We will soon find out whether any guns were used to stop/deter looters, break-ins in devastated areas of NJ, NY.
Kind of ironic that those two states have some of the most restrictive regulations for their law-abiding citizens, isn't it?

Can NJ or NY citizens legally keep a loaded shotgun or semi-auto rifle in a home?
 
^If they can't I would see it as a blatant violation of civil rights.

I know in places like DC, they basically just tax you out the ass and make it so difficult to obtain a gun there that most don't.

I lived in a town where there was a law mandating that you have a firearm and ammo in your house. Conscientious objectors are exempt. Of course this is Georgia, and its a very different place than NY or NJ.
 
Which is exactly why no one has recommended using ball ammo for defense
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I do.

I don't buy into the hollow point crap in home defense because if you miss, it'll behave like FMJ when going through walls. If partitions are struck, it will also end up acting like FMJ when going through bodies.

This whole talk about over penetration is silly. You're in a shoot out. The other guy is probably shooting too. If your bullet or the perps bullet goes through a wall and kills a family member, then that's what the world had in store for you. Ain't really much you can do about it.
 
Not enough power IMHO.

Use .223 or 5.56 ammo for SD work. More power and the lighter bullets fragment inside living tissue, causing horrific damage. 7.62x39mm might have more muzzle energy, but that mean absolutely nothing when all it does is poke a .30 caliber hole through the target then goes through the wall and kill the neighbor next door.

There is a reason why SWAT and spec ops operators use .223/5.56 for building assaults.
 
Not enough power IMHO.

Use .223 or 5.56 ammo for SD work. More power and the lighter bullets fragment inside living tissue, causing horrific damage. 7.62x39mm might have more muzzle energy, but that mean absolutely nothing when all it does is poke a .30 caliber hole through the target then goes through the wall and kill the neighbor next door.

There is a reason why SWAT and spec ops operators use .223/5.56 for building assaults.
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What?

If we're talking about a SD/HD situation, there isn't much loss of velocity from Muzzle to 15 yards. If you're using quality ammo, it's going to have greater effect than a 5.56. Someone on here posted a ballistic Gel test using quality defense ammo, and proved that it actually expanded a great deal. I honestly don't understand why you're trying to knock a caliber that has killed more people worldwide with steel jacketed ammo (no expansion) than any other caliber in the world. If it can do that, I'm pretty sure it can take down some thug pretty effectively.
 
It wont fit in my pocket. If it don't fit in my pocket then its not with me 24/7.

If you don't have it on your person, it ceases to become a self defense gun and becomes an "I hope I can get to it" gun.

Also: There is no such thing as a guaranteed DRT or one shot stop gun.

If you've ever been hunting you know it. You can shoot an animal with a high powered rifle, such as a 300 WM and it can run 100 yards or more with its lungs blown out. If a 300 WM wont stop a 125 white tail every time, every shot, then how can you expect a 7.62X39 or anything else to do it.

But your first concern would be access. It takes less then three seconds to kick in a front door. It takes a lot longer then that to get off the couch and hunt up you rifle you have stashed in the bedroom some where.

We all know none of use carry a rifle or shotgun around the house. You want something small enough you can carry it constantly with out discomfort.

I learned a long time ago a small gun in the pocket beats a heavy gun in the truck (or bedroom) every time.
 
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