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Posted On: 8/5/2020
By: Marc L
A: Hello Marc! The only round named "223 Win" I could possibly think of is the 223 Win Super Short Mag, which I don't believe a Mini-14 has ever been chambered for. I rather suspect your rifle is chambered for 223 Rem, which would make this ammo ideal for it. But I'm afraid to give you a definitive answer with that 223 Win curveball you've thrown me! Would you mind asking a new question with a photo link? I'd be happy to take a look for you.
Alternatively, you could post to Perfect Union's VERY active Mini-14 forum. Those guys know their Mini-14 rifles inside and out and can tell you anything about your own: perfectunion.com/vb/ruger-mini-14-mini-30/
Posted On: 6/16/2020
By: Susan Wilhelm
A: Hi Susan! You'll have to forgive us – we typically have a much greater selection of ammo in stock, but between the pandemic and the recent civil unrest our selection has become rather limited as of late. Now let me answer your question. I'm going to assume your AR-15 is chambered for 5.56x45, which would mean it can also fire 223 Rem. (There should be markings on your rifle that would confirm this.)
The most effective 5.56 ammo we have for self-defense in stock is Barnes VOR-TX. This ammo is made for hunting, but its copper bullet's ability to penetrate deeply and expand wide also suits it well for self-defense. Take note that this round's bullet is heavier than average at 70 grains, so it may be less accurate if your rifle's barrel has a slower rate of twist – still, it will serve you well in a tactical situation: luckygunner.com/5-56x45mm-70-grain-tsx-barnes-vor-tx-20-rounds
I might also recommend frangible ammo. This round's bullet has a copper jacket, but its core is made of compressed metal powder. It's still plenty deadly for home defense, but importantly its bullet is much less likely to penetrate walls. That's great if you're concerned about your neighbors or other people in the house: luckygunner.com/556-45-50-gr-frangible-winchester-usa556jf-20-rounds
Our selection of 223 Rem ammo for self-defense is a little better. I would absolutely recommend Federal Tactical TRU, with an expanding soft point bullet that is developed for law enforcement professionals: https://www.luckygunner.com/223-rem-55-grain-sp-federal-le-tactical-20-rounds. This ammo also has an expanding copper bullet meant for deer hunting but in every way capable of neutralizing a human-sized threat quickly: luckygunner.com/223-rem-55-grain-barnes-tsx-federal-20-rounds. This ammo is meant for hunting coyote and other predators and varmints, but its expanding bullet is absolutely suitable for self-defense as well: luckygunner.com/223-rem-53-grain-v-max-polymer-tip-hornady-superformance-200-rounds
Now if I had to pick ONE ammo of all of these for self-defense, it'd be the Federal Tactical TRU. It's the only one of these made SPECIFICALLY for self-defense, and it's vbery good at its job. If you take a look at this brochure here you can actually see the wound channel this round will leave in a target: https://le.vistaoutdoor.com/downloads/catalogs/223RifleDataBook_vol-1.pdf (page three, next to T223A). That's not the kind of injury people can walk off.
Hope this all helps!
