[Sneaky]

Hello-I just bought a Ruger Mini-14 rifle that has a 1 in 9 twist and now I am seeking a good round for defense in this caliber.
I ran across some .223 Remington Federal Nosler Ballistic Tip @ 55gr. and was inquiring if this Nosler Ballistic Tip was good for defense?
Also any other .223 ammo you can recommend for a 1/9 twist (18.5 inch barrel) for defense.
Thank-you for your experience.

 

[Cuda66]

52gr-62gr Barnes TSX/TTSX would be my recommendation.

Those Noslers will do, though.

 

[Bad Bob]

Generally speaking with a 1:9 twist you want to stay in the 55-64 grain range. Some 1:9 barrels will stabilize heavier bullets and some will not. That is the bullet I have loaded in my AR for HD duty, I have shot several critters with them and would rate the chance of over penetration as zero.

 

[Sneaky]

Generally speaking with a 1:9 twist you want to stay in the 55-64 grain range. Some 1:9 barrels will stabilize heavier bullets and some will not. That is the bullet I have loaded in my AR for HD duty, I have shot several critters with them and would rate the chance of over penetration as zero.

Happy Easter Bob. Any brand & weight .223 ammo you would recommend?

 

[TX expat]

Personally, I'd look for either the Nossler Partition or Barnes TSX for HD applications.

As stated, the Minis twist rate limits you to around 62g and under bullet weights.


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[Bad Bob]

Happy Easter Bob. Any brand & weight .223 ammo you would recommend?

Happy Easter to you too Sneaky! IMHO, the Federal ammo you found is very good.

 

[jem102]

The Ballistic tip is a very aggressive, very accurate bullet that results in quite a wound channel on what I have seen in animals up to 40 lbs. I would think it an excellent bullet as to not over penetrating in an urban environment with spectacular on target results. It will not be particularly good at over coming obstacles encountered inbound. You will just have to access "your" real world application and see if it measures up.

I have seen many 1:9 barrels shooting XTC competition. These were 20" and all shoot the 68 Hornady and 69 Sierra well. This gives you quite a range to choose from.

 

[airslot]

I hand load the 60 gr Nosler BT for my AR, same 1-9 twist. Super accurate and devastating terminal performance. Wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of any of them.
The 60 gr Nosler Partition works well also.

 

[TSKnight]

I've used the 55grn Ballistic Tip for years with good results on coyote.
The only trouble I've seen with it is when I hit one in the shoulder, the bullet broke up. Made a nasty surface wound with very little penetration. (took me 4 hours to track him down and finish the job.)

With that experience, I wouldn't hesitate to use them for HD.
When placed correctly on target, they do their job well, and if you hit much of any hard object, they break up limiting the chance of over-penetration.

JMHO