About Home Defense Ammunition

Like the name suggests, ammunition of this type is intended to be used for defending one's home. Naturally, these loadings feature projectiles and traits which are conducive to self-defense and eliminating threats. Home defense ammo is found in a wide range of calibers, gauges, and chamberings like 9mm, .223, .300 Blackout, 12 gauge, and more. Ammo of this type is available in a wide range of grain weights, shot sizes, velocities, and other styles which cater to various types of shooters. This is to say that there are home defense ammo offerings which are suitable for shooters of all types.

Types of Home Defense Ammo Loadings

• Hollow Point (HP):HP loadings feature hollow point projectiles like the name suggests. This removal of material makes the projectile lighter and promotes high velocities. These types of loadings are optimized for self defense or match use and have a tendency to expand on impact. A good hollow point loading is one that achieves an appropriate level of penetration while expanding reliably upon impact within the target.
• Jacketed Hollow Point (JHP):JHP loadings feature hollow point projectiles which are adorned with a full metal jacket. These loadings are generally found in the form of defensive ammo offerings and are designed to facilitate reliable expansion upon impact. Additionally, these types of loadings are designed to achieve adequate levels of penetration for defensive purposes while not overpenetrating the target and risking collateral damage. A good hollow point loading is one that achieves an appropriate level of penetration while expanding reliably upon impact within the target.
• Buckshot:These loadings feature multiple large projectiles. These projectiles are considerably larger than the projectiles found in birdshot and target loadings. For example, a 00 buckshot loading will feature 8 pellets which are about .33” in diameter. There are also some buckshot loadings which feature more projectiles and utilize smaller projectiles. These types of loadings are well-suited for hunting use and for self-defense.
• Slugs:These types of loadings feature single, solid projectiles rather than multiple projectiles. As these loadings feature solid projectiles, one does not have to consider a potential pattern or spread of multiple projectiles. Slugs are often found in the form of rifled and sabot loadings. Rifled slugs are intended for use in smoothbore barrels while sabot slugs are intended for use in rifled barrels. Ultimately, slugs allow a user to extend the effective range of their shotgun.

Firearms that Use Home Defense Ammo

As mentioned above, home defense ammo comes in various forms of ammunition. This is to say that pistol, rifle, and shotgun home defense ammo is available. There are currently a wide range of firearms on the market which are great hosts for home defense ammunition. Firearms in manual action and autoloading forms alike can take full advantage of home defense ammo. This is to say that everything from high end tactical firearms to entry level firearms off the rack can utilize ammo of this type for home defense.