Best 5.56 and .223 Home-Defense Loads: Bonded, Soft Point, Varmint

Why 5.56 is a reasonable indoor choice

People are often surprised that a rifle cartridge can be a reasonable choice indoors. The concern is obvious: rifle bullets are fast, and nobody wants a round leaving the house. The common argument for 5.56 indoors is that bullet construction matters as much as the cartridge: light, fast bullets designed to expand or fragment tend to shed energy quickly once they hit material, while heavier, tougher pistol bullets and buckshot pellets can carry through more drywall than many people expect. It's an argument, not a guarantee, and results vary by load and by wall. Our AR-15 vs shotgun comparison covers the platform question in more depth.

That doesn't mean any 5.56 load is safe to fire in a house. Every projectile that can stop a threat can also go through interior walls. The aim is to choose a load that behaves predictably, then plan your positions around what's behind the walls. Our apartment post covers shared-wall risks.

This guide is an editorial reference built from manufacturer and retailer specifications and published sources, not our own ballistic testing.

How the bullet types differ

Most of the 5.56 and .223 sold for defense or hunting falls into four families.

One point from the 5.56 cartridge's own history is worth knowing. Wikipedia's entry notes that the military FMJ's fragmentation is "highly dependent on velocity and therefore on barrel length," that the M193 bullet may yaw and fragment at impact velocities above roughly 2,500 feet per second, and that a high proportion of 5.56 bullets don't begin to yaw until several inches of tissue penetration. That's why FMJ performance is unpredictable, and why purpose-built expanding bullets are preferred for anything other than practice.

The picks

Best overall: Federal Fusion .223 Rem 62 gr bonded soft point

Federal Fusion is the clearest example of the bonded idea. Ammunition Depot's listing describes a "molecularly-fused jacket" bonded to the lead core for weight retention, with a skived tip for rapid expansion, at a listed muzzle velocity of 3,000 fps, in 20-round boxes. The listing frames it as a deer-hunting load, which is worth being honest about: it wasn't designed as a defensive cartridge. But the properties hunters want, controlled expansion without coming apart, are the same ones that make bonded bullets popular for home-defense ARs.

Best all-copper: Federal Premium .223 Rem 55 gr Barnes TSX

Barnes TSX bullets are solid copper with a hollow nose designed to open into petals. With no lead core, there's nothing to separate from the jacket, so these bullets tend to hold their weight and penetrate deeper than lead-core soft points. Some owners prefer that; others in thin-walled homes prefer something that sheds energy faster. It's also useful where lead-free ammunition is required for hunting.

Best budget soft point: Hornady or Winchester 55 gr soft point

Plain jacketed soft points have been used on deer and varmints for generations, and they expand reliably at rifle velocities. They're not bonded, so they're more prone to fragmenting, which in a house may not be a bad thing. They cost less than premium bonded loads, which makes it easier to buy enough to confirm function in your rifle. Ammunition Depot lists Hornady .223 Rem 55 gr Soft Point and Winchester Super-X .223 Rem 55 gr JSP, and Federal's Power-Shok .223 Rem 64 gr JSP is a heavier soft point option.

Best for: owners on a budget who want an expanding bullet they can afford to test. Skip if: you specifically want bonded construction.

Varmint option: Federal Varmint & Predator 53 gr V-Max

Polymer-tipped varmint bullets are built to break up very quickly on small animals. Some homeowners stage them on purpose, reasoning that rapid fragmentation reduces the chance of a bullet carrying through multiple walls. Critics point out that shallower penetration is the trade-off. It's a judgment call, and there's no universal right answer. If you choose this route, Ammunition Depot lists Federal Varmint & Predator 53 gr V-Max.

Best for: owners whose top concern is wall travel in a tight floor plan. Skip if: you want deeper, more consistent penetration.

Duty-style hollow point: Federal LE Tactical TRU 55 gr

Federal's LE Tactical line is aimed at law enforcement. Ammunition Depot lists a Federal LE Tactical TRU .223 55 gr hollow point. Popular dedicated defensive loads such as Hornady TAP and Speer Gold Dot rifle ammunition are also widely recommended, but we couldn't confirm an Ammunition Depot listing for them during this review, so they aren't linked here.

For practice: FMJ

Buy cheap FMJ for range time and stage your expanding load at home. Make sure your expanding load and practice ammo have similar points of impact at your zero distance. Browse the full 223 and 5.56 section for training ammunition.

.223 vs 5.56: check your chamber

The two cartridges share outside dimensions, but chambers differ. Wikipedia's 5.56 entry notes that firing 5.56 NATO in a rifle chambered only for .223 Remington can produce pressures above SAAMI limits, because the .223 chamber has a shorter throat. .223 ammunition can generally be fired in a 5.56 chamber. Many hunting-style loads, including several above, are labeled .223 Remington, which is the safe direction for most AR-15s marked 5.56 or .223 Wylde. Check the marking on your barrel and the manual if you're unsure.

How to choose and confirm your load

1. Check your barrel length and twist rate. Velocity drives how expanding and fragmenting bullets work, and shorter barrels mean less velocity. Some heavier bullets need a faster twist to stabilize.
2. Buy enough to test. Confirm it feeds, fires and ejects reliably through every magazine you'll stage.
3. Confirm your zero with the load you'll stage. Light and heavy bullets can strike differently.
4. Know your walls. Walk your house and note what's behind each likely firing lane: kids' rooms, neighbors, the street.
5. Rotate staged ammo once or twice a year by shooting it in practice.
6. Store the rifle securely. Our AR setup guide and safe storage guide cover the rest of the package.

The bottom line

Stage an expanding bullet, not FMJ. A bonded soft point like Federal Fusion is the best general choice for most homes; all-copper Barnes TSX loads are a strong alternative; plain soft points are the affordable middle; and light varmint bullets are a deliberate trade-off for tight floor plans. Test it in your rifle, confirm your zero and plan around what's behind your walls.

Editorial note: This is an independent editorial overview built from manufacturer specifications, retailer listings and published sources. We have not performed hands-on testing of the products discussed, and nothing here is a performance guarantee. Verify specifications, compatibility and the law where you live.

Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links to Ammunition Depot. We may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial choices are not influenced by commissions. Check current price, stock and specifications directly with the retailer.