The Best 5.56 Ammo for Home Defense

If you’re looking for the best 5.56 NATO ammo on the market, then you’ve come to the right place! But with so many different varieties of 5.56 ammo available from so many different manufacturers, it can be hard to know what’s best for home defense.

In this article, we share our top 5 picks for the best 5.56 NATO home defense ammo based on our testing.

If you simply cannot wait, the best 5.56 ammo for home defense is Black Hills 62 gr Dual Purpose.

Now, let’s get to our top 5 picks for the best types of ammo for your 5.56 rifle.

5 Best 5.56 Loads for Personal Defense

Testing Procedure: How I Tested 5.56 Ammo to Find the Best Home Defense Round

Sure, hunting, target practice, and even plinking are necessary pastimes for the gun enthusiast. However, the home defense scenario is unique. You likely won’t find another purpose for your rifle more important than protecting your family. So, not every 5.56 ammo is best for home defense, but don't worry, we’ll tell you why.

You must consider many factors before choosing your go-to home defense rounds. Perhaps you’re already thinking about over-penetration and stopping power, but there’s even more to consider. So, let’s give you some things we like to test for with 5.56 home defense ammo.

Expansion Control

For those unfamiliar, expansion affects wound size and, therefore, stopping power. Two key factors of expansion are muzzle velocity and bullet design (you can find this information on your ammo box or the manufacturer’s website).

In a home defense scenario, we have two main goals: put the intruder down quickly, and do it without hurting anyone else. When it expands inside its target, a bullet achieves two things: inflict more damage to the target, and reduce risk of harm to bystanders behind the target.

Penetration

Of course, we also need to consider penetration, as too little of it can fail to neutralize the threat. Projectile diameter, shape, velocity, material, and weight all affect penetration characteristics.

Inexpensive yet accurate FMJ bullets are ideal for target shooting. They are also capable of neutralizing a threat, but take care that the FMJ's inability to undergo terminal expansion does mean it has a higher chance of passing clean through its target.

Your Rifle

We also need to consider your rifle—well, not just your rifle, but how it impacts the 5.56 ammo you choose.

Most off-the-shelf 5.56 rifles, like the AR-15s we used in our tests, the Ruger American Ranch, the Sig Sauer MDX, and the Mini-14, all have a barrel twist rate of 1:7" or 1:8". This means your 5.56 bullet will fully rotate one time for each X inches of barrel length. For example, a bullet inside a 1:7" twist barrel will complete one full rotation for each 7" of barrel it passes through.

Why does this play into home defense? Because your twist rate can destabilize your bullet and weaken its accuracy. This isn’t a big deal in close quarters, but it’s a good idea to consider your projectile’s weight (e.g. 55gr, 62gr, etc.). Make sure to select a bullet weight that is compatible with your barrel's rate of twist if you ever intend to fire across a significant distance.

Another factor to take into consideration is the case material. Although it may not seem like an important factor in home defense ammo, the material the case is made of can affect quality and function. Steel cases are cheaper, but they can jam more often than brass brass. In short, you want more reliable brass-cased ammo for defense, always.

Reliability & Availability

Not all rounds are created the same. Every Black Hills Ammunition cartridge is individually inspected before leaving the factory. Lesser manufacturers exert far less quality control over their ammo. Select home defense ammo by a quality manufacturer, and test it yourself to ascertain its reliability in your rifle.

Next, we have to consider which rounds are more likely to be in stock and whether they’re suitable for home defense.

You’re likely to find M193 or M855 ammo in stock anywhere, but these rounds are often less predictable than premium defensive options, and also don't produce the terminal expansion that is ideal for home defnese. It’s great ammo to stockpile for an apocalyptic scenario, but not so great for everyday home defense.

With all these considerations in mind, I headed to the range to test the performance of various rounds in my AR-15 rifles.

To test accuracy and reliability, I shot a paper target, aiming to get tight groups as fast as possible and without any malfunctions. I fired the rifle both freehand and assisted.

Our Top 5.56mm Defense Ammo Picks

Black Hills Dual Performance 62 Grain TSX - Best 5.56 Ammo for Home Defense Overall

Black Hills Ammunition 5.56x45 Ammo - 50 Rounds of 62 Grain Dual Performance Ammunition

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Specs

• Bullet Style: Solid Copper Hollow Point (SCHP)
• Bullet Weight: 62 Grains
• Casing Type: Brass
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,000 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 1,239 ft-lbs

Why I Chose It

Most gun owners agree that Black Hills is always a top choice. They deliver match-grade accuracy and consistency at a price point that everyone can afford.

I chose Black Hills Dual Performance hollow point ammo because I was looking for something that would expand quickly following impact, reducing the likelihood of over-penetration. This was a crucial factor for me because, while using a rifle for home defense has its advantages, it also comes with the significant concern of the bullet going beyond the intended target (more so than with a handgun or shotgun, that is).

One major benefit is that the 62 gr Dual Purpose round is perfect for short-barreled rifles that measure 16” or less. This ammo isn’t optimal for long-range shots, but those aren't necessary during home defense scenarios.

To put it simply, Black Hills Dual Performance ammo checks all the boxes for the best all-around home defense 5.56 round.

Hornady Black 62 Grain FMJ - Best for Short Barrel 5.56 AR-15s

5.56x45 - 62 Grain FMJ - Hornady BLACK - 20 Rounds

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Specs

• Bullet Style: Full Metal Jacket (FMJ)
• Bullet Weight: 62 Grains
• Casing Type: Brass
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,060 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 1,289 ft-lbs

Why I Chose It

Hornady is another top-rated home defense ammo manufacturer, and its Black 62gr FMJ ammo stands above many others. One of the many great things about Hornady Black FMJ ammo is its versatility: it functions reliably in long- and short-barrel rifles alike.

It should be noted that Hornady Black FMJs are NOT penetrator bullets that have mild steel cores like mil-spec M855/SS109 ammo. Instead, Hornady went with a soft lead core that cannot attract a magnet.

Hornady Black ammo was extremely accurate in my hands, and reliable in every rifle I fired it in. I didn’t experience any malfunctions while at the range, and the bullet struck where I was aiming.

With supreme accuracy and superior bullet design, Hornady Black 62 gr FMJ makes for an extremely potent home defense ammo. For more options, check out our Hornady 5.56 ammo page for the best deals!

Federal Champion 55 Grain JSP - Best for Varmint Defense

Federal Champion 5.56x45 Ammo - 20 Rounds of 55 Grain JSP Ammunition

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Specs

• Bullet Style: Jacketed Soft Point (JSP)
• Bullet Weight: 55 Grains
• Casing Type: Brass
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,000 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 1,099 ft-lbs

Why I Chose It

After feeding it through my firearms, I found that Federal Champion 55 grain jacketed soft point (JSP) ammo makes an excellent choice for dispatching four-legged and two-legged varmints alike.

Utilizing the classic soft point design that mushrooms as it penetrates soft tissue, this ammo has excellent terminal ballistics while minimizing over-penetration.

The only downside to the traditional JSP bullet is that it’s not as aerodynamic as, say, a 77 grain Sierra Matchking hollow point boat tail (HPBT) or open tip match (OTM). But those bullets are designed for long-range shooting, so any benefit to accuracy they represent won't manifest itself during a home defense scenario.

Unless you live in a multi-million dollar mansion with 200+ yard long hallways, Federal Champion 55 grain ammo will be more than accurate enough for home defense.

Federal American Eagle XM193 55 Grain FMJBT - Best Mil-Spec 5.56 Ammo

Federal American Eagle 5.56x45 Ammo - 500 Rounds of 55 Grain FMJBT XM193 Ammunition

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Specs

• Bullet Style: Full Metal Jacket (FMJ)
• Bullet Weight: 55 Grains
• Case Type: Brass
• Muzzle Velocity: 3,165 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 1,223 ft-lbs

Why I Chose It

If you want a true-to-form mil-spec copy of the military’s M193 ammo, then you need to grab some Federal American Eagle XM193 55 gr FMJBT.

Modeled after the M16's original 223 Remington ammunition, this round's 55 grain full metal jacket boat tail (FMJBT) projectile travels so fast that it destabilizes when it encounters soft tissue. The bullet breaks apart into multiple fragments as a reuslt, which causes additional damage in the form of cavitation.

They may not have a technologically sophisticated soft point or hollow point design, but these 55gr FMJ bullets will get the job done. I also found them to be plenty accurate at the close ranges commonly involved with home and personal defense.

The only downside is that there is the potential for over-penetration. However, if you need budget-friendly ammo for target shooting, plinking, and home defense, Federal American Eagle XM193 ammo simply cannot be beaten.

Speer Gold Dot 75 Grain JSP - Hardest-Hitting 5.56 Ammo for Home Defense

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Specs

• Bullet Style: Jacketed Soft Point (JSP)
• Bullet Weight: 75 Grain
• Case Type: Nickel-Plated Brass
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,775 fps
• Muzzle Energy: 1,282 ft-lbs

Why I Chose It

If you’re looking for the hardest-hitting round on the market, then reach for a box of Speer Gold Dot 75 gr JSP ammo.

Trusted by law enforcement for decades, Speer Gold Dot soft point bullets are designed to begin expanding the moment they encounter tissue. This limits over-penetration while causing extreme amounts of damage inside the bad guy.

Firing a massive 75 grain bullet, this Gold Dot round hits hard and would excel at stopping any would-be home invader or attacker.

Speer took it up a notch when they loaded these rounds in nickel-plated brass cases. They minimize malfunctions, and ensure a self-defense carbine feeds smoothly when it's most needed.

I’m sure you’re wondering why this isn’t the best AR-15 ammo on the market? Well, it pretty much is, but the problem is that it’s incredibly hard to find (and a little pricey). If you can find it, make sure you snatch it. I promise you won’t be disappointed! I sure wasn’t after running a couple of boxes through my guns.

Written by

Chris Dwulet