George T. and his wife are gun owners who live in Santa Ana, California.
Around 4 a.m. one morning, a 23-year-old man left a detox center not far from the couple’s home.
Before leaving the detox facility the man told staff that he was seeing “demons.”
Soon after leaving the center, the man broke into George’s backyard.
Then he went to the front door of the residence and banged on the door, rang the doorbell, and demanded to be let inside.
George and his wife were awakened by the commotion at their front door.
The man eventually broke down the front door, and immediately went to the stairs to the second story.
But George was waiting at the top of the stairs with a gun.
He yelled at the intruder to stop, but the man kept advancing.
That’s when George shot the intruder in the chest.
He told his wife to call 911 and waited for the police.
The intruder died at the scene.
George told police that he shot the intruder because he feared for his safety and his wife.
The Orange County prosecutor ruled that the shooting was justified.
He said, “A homeowner has the absolute right to protect themselves from someone who breaks into their home in the middle of the night and threatens their safety.”
He continued, “The loss of life is tragic in any situation and this situation is made even more tragic by the fact that an individual who went to a group home to get help with his addiction issues ended up on a deadly collision course with a homeowner who was just sleeping in his bed in his own house.”
George did what he had to do to protect himself and his wife.
I’m not sure of the exact weapon George used in this case but this is a situation where having a good defensive rifle (such as an AR-15) is critical.
However, no matter what firearm you choose for home defense, the ammo you use with it is just as important.
And one type of bullet you may wish to consider for your rifle is a boat tail design.
What is a boat tail round?:
A boat tail round is ammunition that is tapered at the back end like a boat.
It’s a manufacturing design that affects how air plays a role after the bullet is fired.
The design affects the ballistic coefficient of the round.
In other words, the design changes how the bullet impacts its target after it faces interference from the air while the bullet is in flight.
The boat tail design helps shooters be more accurate at a greater distance.
Advantages of a boat tail round:
One of the biggest advantages of the boat tail design is that it creates a flatter bullet trajectory compared to flat bottom bullets.
That’s because there is less wind resistance so the bullet flies straighter.
It also means the bullet travels less distance between the gun and the target.
Another benefit of the design is that there is more energy in the bullet at impact.
Since the bullet is traveling less distance compared to other rounds it will hit the target with more force.
Lastly, since the boat tail is more aerodynamic it is less thrown off target by wind deflection, and therefore, tends to be more accurate and.
Disadvantages of the boat tail design:
As great as boat tail design sounds, it does have flaws.
One is that the design allows gasses from the barrel to disrupt the bullet flight path.
That’s because the round doesn’t seal the bore like a flat base bullet does.
In addition, a boat tail bullet can be negatively impacted if there are any blemishes within the gun barrel.
Also, boat tail rounds are unnecessary when shooting pistols.
Yes, there are pistol calibers with boat tail designs…
But if you are shooting at close range there is little need for the boat tail.
Now, most big ammunition manufacturers have a boat tail round.
So, if you shoot rifles at any long distance, consider a boat tail design.
Compare it to the rifle ammo you typically use when shooting long distances.
But don’t just stop at long distance tests.
While it’s not necessary at short range, see if a boat tail bullet performs better for you.
