RevolverOcelot
New member
I've decided to finally make a change and have a carbine ready for home defense as well as a handgun. (I don't do well with shotguns with my shoulder, and prefer more capacity)
Really it's between 5.56 in a Mini 14, and 7.62x39 in either my Mini Thirty, SKS-M or Arsenal SLR107FR.
Based on my research, the 5.56 load would be the Speer 64 grain JSP, and the 7.62x39 load would be the Hornady SST.
My dilemma lies in this: I'm not sure if I trust the 5.56's (even with what I've determined to be the best load) ability to stop an attacker as quickly as the SST 7.62x39, but I'm also concerned about overpenetration with the SST 7.62x39. While Hornady states penetration in gel to be within the 12-18 inch FBI acceptability range, I've seen tests performed that show it penetrating well over 20" (like in the link below by Mrgunsngear, maybe he'll show up here). I live in a suburban home. I'm not concerned about the Speer JSP overpenetrating, as it seems to penetrate no more than a good JHP handgun round, but I have doubts about the 5.56. It's generally considered not powerful enough for reliably taking down a 110lbs whitetail, even with good loads. Why is it considered enough for an average-sized human?
Any insight would be appreciated.
7.62x39 SST test my Mrgunsngear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF89dysghUs
Really it's between 5.56 in a Mini 14, and 7.62x39 in either my Mini Thirty, SKS-M or Arsenal SLR107FR.
Based on my research, the 5.56 load would be the Speer 64 grain JSP, and the 7.62x39 load would be the Hornady SST.
My dilemma lies in this: I'm not sure if I trust the 5.56's (even with what I've determined to be the best load) ability to stop an attacker as quickly as the SST 7.62x39, but I'm also concerned about overpenetration with the SST 7.62x39. While Hornady states penetration in gel to be within the 12-18 inch FBI acceptability range, I've seen tests performed that show it penetrating well over 20" (like in the link below by Mrgunsngear, maybe he'll show up here). I live in a suburban home. I'm not concerned about the Speer JSP overpenetrating, as it seems to penetrate no more than a good JHP handgun round, but I have doubts about the 5.56. It's generally considered not powerful enough for reliably taking down a 110lbs whitetail, even with good loads. Why is it considered enough for an average-sized human?
Any insight would be appreciated.
7.62x39 SST test my Mrgunsngear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF89dysghUs