Hey folks,

So, I noticed M193 can be cheaper than the .223 Remington I've gotten. I have a 5.56 rifle and can shoot both.

I think M855 is the "green tip", right? Is that something that can't be shot at indoor ranges?

What about the M193, is that usually fine?

Also, is anything better than others for home defense? I figure it can't hurt to have options for that for different guns.

Yes green tips or steel tips shouldn’t be used indoors 

On 6/6/2022 at 1:53 PM, Lawnmower2021 said:

Hey folks,

So, I noticed M193 can be cheaper than the .223 Remington I've gotten. I have a 5.56 rifle and can shoot both.

I think M855 is the "green tip", right? Is that something that can't be shot at indoor ranges?

What about the M193, is that usually fine?

Also, is anything better than others for home defense? I figure it can't hurt to have options for that for different guns.

M193 is FMJBT - 55gr boat tailed FMJ - it's fine for all over.  

For HD - neither M193/M855 are great.  M193 is definitely the better of the 2, but still not great as it's "ball" ammo.  Get a good SP/HP/OTM round.  I have some IMI 77gr OTM "Razor Core" as well as Federal T556TNB1 (MK318 SOST) 62gr OTM.  Old school favorites are Winchester Silver Tip and Speer Gold Dot.  

2 hours ago, Krdshrk said:

I have some IMI 77gr OTM "Razor Core" as well as Federal T556TNB1 (MK318 SOST) 62gr OTM

Be sure to check your barrel twist before selecting the heavier grain projectiles.

Either is good.  I got through a war with M193.

Buying a box or two of hollowpoint 5.56 wouldn't be a bad idea for HD and limiting penetration.

This is all great information, thank you so much!
I got a box of M193 to try out. Will pick up some of the suggested HD if I ever come across it.

Don't overthink your rifle ammo. Whatever the bullet profile is, 3000fps is going to deliver a bunch of energy on target. Just pick something that has satisfactory accuracy and is reliable in your gun.

Then spend the time you would have used up looking for the perfect ammo to practice, practice, practice.

Also bear in mind that if you zero your sights for one type of ammo, the point of impact will change if you switch to another type of ammo. Will it shift by much? Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on how different they are and the distance you are shooting.

M193 is really not bad for self defense. Is there better? Sure, there's always better. Will M193 still completely eff things up compared to a pistol round? Absolutely. You're talking around 1250 lbf-ft of energy from 5.56 vs around 400 lbf-ft from a 9 mm.

One caveat - You'll want to be at an engagement distance where the bullet's speed is high enough to fragment upon hitting soft tissue (usually 2700+ fps for reliable fragmentation). Likely not an issue for a self defense scenario (you probably shouldn't be in a self defense shooting at 100+ yards unless you enjoy prison cells, especially in NJ), but you may want to be pickier with ammo selection in shorter barrels.