If i where going to have a mag or two loaded just for possible use in the house what would be a good round for at least trying to avoid over-penetration? Hollow point I assume, but "assume" isn't a good word to use in this case. Thanks for any info.

Federal makes a .223 spec 50 grain hollow point.  Feeds real good, it does.

Hollow point rifle rounds are designed for target use and are not designed to expand or do anything useful but get to the target in as straight a line as possible.  They are entirely different than hollow point side arm rounds.

What about varmint grenades?  Anyone do a drywall test with these?

5.56 will overshoot most all home walls no matter the load.  Best bet is a 12ga shotgun or handgun with safety loads.  You will be less likely to kill your neighbor with something other than a rifle.

Hornady TAP.

I shoot prairie dogs with Varmint Grenades, far from the ideal manstopper.

Many Elk, Deer, Antelope, Coyotes, and others, that have ridden in the back of my truck, disagree with your post.

55 grn ball for me. I think ball is a great all round choice for value and terminal performance.

55 grn ball penetrates less in common building materials then center fire handgun rounds.
My rifles are zeroed with M193 and that is my general purpose self defense round. I do have a more limited supply of M855.

I’m not willing to go to a varmint round. I fear a really lightly constructed bullet might fail to penetrate adequately. Remember, 55 grn will penetrate less then handgun rounds. What’s not to like?


Emory

True on the varmint grenades but they will give a Pdog a real bad headache...if he could find his head....or any other body parts for that matter....

God damn there's a lot of BS in this thread!  One of the best resources on the internet for terminal ballistics is right here on this forum!  

"Best Choices for Defensive Ammo by Dr. G. Roberts"

1.)  Hollow point and OTM are 2 different things.  OTM rounds are match rounds which are formed from the base up.  This is done to give the bullet more consistent flight characteristics as the trailing edge of the round has more impact on the flight than the leading edge.  It just so happens that heavy OTM type bullets are the most effective 5.56 rounds available for defensive use.

2.) Exotic handguns rounds (ie the Glaser Safety slug and the like) have proven time and time again to be nothing more than a marketing hype and woefully inadequate compared to high quality hollow point rounds from Federal, Hornady, Remington, etc.

3.)Varmint rounds are just that, varmint rounds.  I don't care if Hornady puts a pretty red plastic tip on them and calls them "TAP" rounds, they are meant for small thin skinned game and not humans.  

4.)The only shotgun round that should be seriously considered for use in a home defense situation is buckshot.  Slugs grossly over penetrate and therefor should not be used indoors.  Birdshot is for birds, it does not penetrate deep enough to cause immediate incapacitation.  Buckshot, 00 or #4 over penetrates worse than 5.56 rifle rounds.  It is a poor choice if you're worried about that sort of thing.

5.)Pistols are very difficult to use under stress for 1, and for 2 if a pistol is fired and hits drywall (assuming your using a JHP...FMJ has no business being used for defense and hasn't for nearly 30 years) the hollow point cavity will plug with building material causing the round to over penetrate like a FMJ.

The question is not "will this go through drywall?"  Heck a Red Ryder BB gun will go through a wall, the question is as Zhukov stated, what damage will that round do once it has gone through that wall.  

One of the most comprehensive terminal ballistics forum on the web...

You can believe what ever you want to believe, however this post reflects the most accurate and current data on the web.

That's a strange site. One thread has 1001 views and no replies.

It's more of a depository of Dr. Roberts's knowledge than an open forum.  Still though, poke around you may find some information very interesting there!

This

"This" what?  Is a complete sentence to follow at a later date.

Good info....I learned a different thought here.

ill stick with my 590 mossberg indoors

Did you bother to actually read the thread or are you just posting for the sake of your post count?  There are far better choices than a 12g pump shotgun if the safety of others around you is of any concern.