I have been buying Hornady TAP red box .223 60 Gr. Ballistic Tip ammo recently for a high quality Self Defense / Tactical Round.

This last trip to the distributor, to get more i asked for a few boxes and the guy told me they were still sold out (i bought it all 2 weeks previously). He asks me why i use that overpriced stuff, and stated he does not know anyone who uses TAP professionally, either in a pistol or rifle cartridge. All the Professionals he sells to trusts there lives to federal ammo. (HST's and TRU)

So when i get home i try to look up ballistics details on federal's website, and i can find nothing about there TRU ammo. Actually, i find they have removed the information for HST's from there website as well, (thats what i have been carrying in my pistol from the get go)

Anyone long story to get to the point. Is the tap that much superior? I really like the idea of a ballistic tip, but i can get 3 boxes of TRU + a pepsi for the price of 2 boxes of TAP, literally. If i were talking a clip or two for self defense i'd just rock the TAP and forget it. But i'd like to purchase several thousand rounds, and at nearly 5$ a box more TRU is looking like a deal.

Oh no you didnt!!!!!!!!

Let me be more precise, i have seen the gelatin shots with hornady tap 60 gr ballistic tips. I like what they do, i like the wound channel, i like the weight retention. I can find nothing on gelatin shots with TRU ammo with the soft point. I do not like FMJ ammo for civilian scenario's, i want something more.

In a self defense / tactical round i am not looking for the ability to penetrate body armor. I will buy AP rounds for that, what i want in a self defense round is a high velocity round (tru box claims 200 fps more then TAP), with premium powder and primers for consistency (both claim low flash powder), bullets that have good aerodynamics and provide consistent expansion and massive wound channels but will not over penetrate.

As to why i "like" ballistic tips is because they offer the last 4 things i am looking for in this particular application. How does the TRU HI-SHOK soft point stack up? If they have similar characteristics then i am going to switch over to that ammo.

I know of several LE agencies that issue 75 grain tap, and I killed an six point buck with 55 grain tap this year. I don't know about TRU, but I believe the three weight offerings in TAP red box are all good performers. I have seen LE data on 75 grain tap against intermediate barriers and it looks like a good performer. I don't have any experience with the 60 grain ammo. If I'm not mistaken, the TRU uses a bonded bullet which seems like it would do better against intermediate barriers, but make a smaller would channel due to holding together and not fragmenting. Just my opinion.

And in his first post.

Here's Federal's LE ammo site:     http://le.atk.com/

Thank you. I could not find it for the life of me.

under the catalogs section, look at the 223 rifle databook pdf for gel testing.

Id get 55 grain TRU or Winchester Silver Tip BT ammo over Hornady 60 grain any day of the week.  I use 75 grain 5.56 TAP.

Thanks for finding those pictures for me.