Obviously the performance will start to drop off as more distance is added, but within reasonable range you aren't gonna notice a lot of difference if you choose the right ammo and rifle combo. The commercial 68, 75 and 77 gr OTM rounds should do well out to at least 100 yards, farther for the mil-spec versions. Even M193 and M855 will fragment out past 100 yards (as far as 200 yards with M193 from a 20" barrel). I don't think anyone will find themselves making shots in excess of 100 yards anyway in a self defense situation.
For testing I actually prefer the closer shots because that's going to be more indicative of performance at close range. CQB type engagements are far more likely for police officers and armed civilians than the longer range ones.
-Charging Handle