Best Home Defense Ammo

[crappie cowboy]

I have S&W 640-1 357 2 1/8 barrel [i think]. I need to get some good home defense ammo for it. I live in the country, no houses next door, and no children in the house.
I don't want just to wound the BG, I want to kill the sob if he breaks into my house.
I know that sounds cold, But that is just the way it is, I will defend my wife and home.
I also have a pre 27 357, 5inch barrel that needs loading up too.

crappie cowboy

 

[GatorFarmer]

I have S&W 640-1 357 2 1/8 barrel [i think]. I need to get some good home defense ammo for it. I live in the country, no houses next door, and no children in the house.
I don't want just to wound the BG, I want to kill the sob if he breaks into my house.
I know that sounds cold, But that is just the way it is, I will defend my wife and home.
I also have a pre 27 357, 5inch barrel that needs loading up too.

crappie cowboy

You never shoot to kill, you shot to "stop" someone from doing whatever it was they were doing when that level of force is allowed under your local laws. If they happen to die, eh... but you shot to stop. Get used to saying that and repeat it often.

Speer Gold Dot short barrels loads in either .38 +P or Magnum flavor for the snub. Depends on your proficiency and recoil tolerance. Remington 125 gr SJHP for the 27.

And get an M4 carbine, Sig 556, shotgun or what not. Either a good 5.56mm JHP or a load of buckshot is better at "stopping" in the manner you're interested in. Something like 83 percent of handgun wounds are not fatal whereas the sound majority of centerfire rifle and shotgun wounds are.

And get some hearing protection too. Firing magnum rounds, or rifle rounds, indoors is hard on the hearing. Particularly magnums from a snub.

 

[crappie cowboy]

Best Ammo

Hey Thanks for the info. Yea I guess I need to get my head right, yea I need to stop them, yep stop them....

crappie cowboy

 

[Smokester653]

Just a quick question concerning the hearing protection portion of one of the replies. Would you really take the time to put on a set of hearing protection if you thought there was an intruder in your home? I wouldn't. I want all of my senses available so I can hear footsteps, breathing etc. etc. I have my 1911 loaded with PDX1 and have no problems going without in an emergency. I wouldn't make a habit of repeitive shooting without hearing protection though.

 

[ENGINE18]

12 ga. 4/0..oh for your hand guns. I like Federal .38 158gr SWCHP+P for mine!

 

[44forever]

12 ga. 4/0..oh for your hand guns. I like Federal .38 158gr SWCHP+P for mine!

+1 on that. The intimidation value of a shotgun, especially a pump, is not to be taken lightly. On that pre 27, or any collector quality gun for that matter, understand that if you use it for a self-defense shooting it will take a long time to get it back from the police, if ever.

 

[ajpelz]

Interesting thoughts... I have all the types of gun mentioned so far, and I would be grabbing for the M4 last personally.

1. S&W 4566 with NS loaded with Speer GD 200gr. +P
2. Mossberg 500 7+1 Dutch loaded starting with 7.5 shot, 4 buck, 00 buck, slug, then alternate 00 buck and slugs the rest of the way.
3. Springfield XDsc 9mm loaded with 124 gr. +P Rem. Golden Sabre.
4. Mod 36 with 158 gr. LSWCHP +P
Then maybe grab the AR...

If i thought there were multiple intruders, I would probably lead with the shotgun and have the 45 on me for BUG. Important to note that I am in a urban setting and have neighbors in all directions. Adobe and brick home, but lots of windows.

If I were you, I would look into the Speer 135 gr Short barrel load that has been mentioned for the 640, and also I like the Federal 38 special 147 gr Hydrashok +P+ for guns that can handle it.... yours obviously could. Less than a 357 mag, but more than a 38 special +P....

With the Model 27, it is pretty hard to go wrong. Any major brand 357 mag with a HP or SJHP should do just fine.

 

[crappie cowboy]

Home Defense Ammo

+1 on that. The intimidation value of a shotgun, especially a pump, is not to be taken lightly. On that pre 27, or any collector quality gun for that matter, understand that if you use it for a self-defense shooting it will take a long time to get it back from the police, if ever.

Hey I didn't think about the police taking my pre 27, and not getting it back, if I had to use it. I'm gotta put it up and use my other guns for home defense.
Thanks for the heads up.....crappie cowboy

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Even though .357 Magnum ammo is a "better" man-stopper it is also much loader and flashier than .38 Special +P ammo. You really don't want to "flash-bang" yourself in a small dark area like a bedroom or hallway in the middle of the might. Any one of the currently available SD .38 +P ammo on the market will do a good job of protecting you, your wife and home and do so without all the noise and flash.

I have my HD revolver loaded with the FBI Load. (158gr LSWC/HP .38 Special +P)

 

[38-44HD45]

Just a quick question concerning the hearing protection portion of one of the replies. Would you really take the time to put on a set of hearing protection if you thought there was an intruder in your home? I wouldn't. I want all of my senses available so I can hear footsteps, breathing etc. etc. I have my 1911 loaded with PDX1 and have no problems going without in an emergency. I wouldn't make a habit of repeitive shooting without hearing protection though.

Yes, if I perceived I had time, and it would be my electronic muffs that amplify low energy sounds and shut a noise gate when I shoot. I've lost a lot of hearing over the years (loud machinery and insufficient protection while shooting) and the amplification is a HUGE benefit.

 

[flop-shank]

When your life is on the line, and you only have five shots, wouldn't you want the most effective ammo available? I'll only tell you to use what I use in my steel .357 snubs, indoors or out. R357M1, the Remington .357 125 gr. SJHP.

One of my best friends fought in Iraq for a year and fired short barreled M-16s indoors and outdoors on several occasions. While his hearing has suffered, he can still hear well enough.

FWIW, as far as bird shot for home defense goes (and especially the smaller sizes), it is a bad idea and known for spotty performance in actual shootings. Bird shot is for birds. Buckshot is for bucks, which are human sized. Let me repeat this, bird shot is for birds. For those ultra worried about overpenetration, I recommend #4 buck and NEVER anything smaller than lead BB.

 

[USAF385]

Hard to go wrong with .357. Find a good load you shoot well and do lots of Mozambique (aka Failure) drills.

I know people who load their first two chambers with .38+P and the rest with .357. The first two rounds will be quieter, less flashy, and easier to manage.

 

[ajpelz]

When your life is on the line, and you only have five shots, wouldn't you want the most effective ammo available? I'll only tell you to use what I use in my steel .357 snubs, indoors or out. R357M1, the Remington .357 125 gr. SJHP.

One of my best friends fought in Iraq for a year and fired short barreled M-16s indoors and outdoors on several occasions. While his hearing has suffered, he can still hear well enough.

FWIW, as far as bird shot for home defense goes (and especially the smaller sizes), it is a bad idea and known for spotty performance in actual shootings. Bird shot is for birds. Buckshot is for bucks, which are human sized. Let me repeat this, bird shot is for birds. For those ultra worried about overpenetration, I recommend #4 buck and NEVER anything smaller than lead BB.

The bird shot is a warning/deterrent shot. That is why there is only 1, and it is in the chamber. It dispatches a huge noise and does the least amount of damage to a home. It will not even penetrate through an interior wall. Perfect if I need to make someone or thing scatter. I am fairly quick and racking and firing that second shot of 4 Buck if need be, quicker than anyone getting shot in the face with birdshot would be able to react...

If you think a 12 gauge shotshell of 7.5 shot won't hurt, shoot a watermelon with it at about 10 feet, or better yet, stand in front of one....

 

[flop-shank]

If you think a 12 gauge shotshell of 7.5 shot won't hurt, shoot a watermelon with it at about 10 feet, or better yet, stand in front of one....

Well I hit a coyote twice at 15 yds. with Remington 12 ga. 3" 1 5/8 oz. #6 shot last year and shot at him twice more as he made tracks. I suppose it wasn't #7 1/2 shot and he wasn't a watermelon, but nevertheless I was far from impressed. I never recovered his body.

 

[black1970]

Concerning the noise aspect of the situation-if you are in a self defense mode and have to fire you will probably not hear it anyway. Have talked to people in that situation and almost all have told me that they did not hear the shot and everything was in slow motion.

 

[GatorFarmer]

Modern .357 magnum loads tailored for personal defense should have the powder flash suppressed. They still flash more than some other things, but aren't as bad as even mid to late 90s ammo in that regard.

Loudness is another matter, and short barrels mean more muzzle blast. By contrast a .38 +P 125 gr JHP fired from the 6" bbl of a Model 28-2 just makes a pop true, but most people that own .357 magnums do so because they want .357 Mag ballistics.

Anyway, while true that someone is likely to experience auditory exclusion (though not always), that just means that you don't PERCEIVE the sound of the shot. Biology and physics remain the same and you can still do permanent damage to your hearing or find yourself needing to hear later and not being able to.

I keep ear plugs with my weapons immediately handy. Yes, unless Johhny Axe murderer is bearing down on me, I'd put them in. (My electronic muffs are MIA, and yes, they are a better choice.) I would also if at all possible take the mere seconds it takes to pull my Izzy tac armor on over my head. That's me, other people can do what they want.

I use an M4 because in my particular situation it, second only to an A2, is going to be what is immediately identified with the idea of "good guy" weapon to those responding as well as for its relatively effective combination of size/weight/ease of handling/power. Mine is fit with the sort of flash hider that can be used as a weapon itself if the need arises. Of course I keep an M7 bayonet fixed just in case I was wrong about the whole AR platform being reliable enough to bet my butt on thing. Again, that's me, and other people can do what they want.

I'm confident that I can have my weapon in action and my armor on in less time than most people would spend fumbling with keys or trying to open a safe. Occupational matters and mode of living/geographic location instilled these habits in years past, and since they were/are potentially handy, I haven't discarded them.


The needs, skill set and legal atmosphere may vary for others.

 

[GregG]

I'm partial to a long gun for home protection as well. And, I have not one, but two good LED lights mounted on it. Got to see who's there before putting fire downrange. Don't want to hurt a friendly.

 

[badge 851]

I have S&W 640-1 357 2 1/8 barrel [i think]. I need to get some good home defense ammo for it. I live in the country, no houses next door, and no children in the house.
I don't want just to wound the BG, I want to kill the sob if he breaks into my house.
I know that sounds cold, But that is just the way it is, I will defend my wife and home.
I also have a pre 27 357, 5inch barrel that needs loading up too.

crappie cowboy

THIS is what I use in my 2¼" barrel 357 Mag home defense gun.

 

[MARSHALDILLIONDODGECITY]

I have S&W 640-1 357 2 1/8 barrel [i think]. I need to get some good home defense ammo for it. I live in the country, no houses next door, and no children in the house.
I don't want just to wound the BG, I want to kill the *** if he breaks into my house.
I know that sounds cold, But that is just the way it is, I will defend my wife and home.
I also have a pre 27 357, 5inch barrel that needs loading up too.

crappie cowboy

Never shoot to kill, shoot to stop. Very good advice, I'm surprised you didn't realize this, as I see a police badge
with your other credentials.

 

[gwpercle]

12 ga. 4/0..oh for your hand guns. I like Federal .38 158gr SWCHP+P for mine!

The sound that 12 ga. pump makes when you rack that slide and load one into the chamber is pretty "intimidating" all on it's own. I keep a short barreled , cylinder choked , Ithaca loaded with #4 buck myself. The J-frame in 38 special is just for back up.
Gary