There is no good cartridge to miss your target with. If it won't make a hole in a wall, it won't make a hole in a man, either. Plain old 55 FMJ, or (mentioned in another post) a "varmint" loading expressly designed to bust up in a small target, is probably as good as you'll get in .223.

Have you considered a carbine in 5.7x28 FN? This round, running roughly a little more than .22 WMR velocity from a 16-inch rifle and originally made for the FN P90 and Five Seven, was designed to partially address this concern. Nobody is going to want to stand in front of a 40-grain ballistic tip or the even lighter 35- and 27-grain HPs. A good deal less noise and recoil than .223, and is flat-shooting - a 50-yard zero hits in almost the same place at 100. Fiocchi "Defense Dynamics" or FN with 40-grain ballistic tips are ~65-75 cents a shot. Fiocchi "Range Dynamics" (target/practice) FMJs are a little less. The aforementioned lighter HP bullets are over a dollar.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: egregore,

Assume your rifle is 223 not 556 and 1/7 to 1/9 twist ?

All of the above are great choices.

My home defense rifle is a suppressed 13.7 556 1/7. 1st mag is 62tsx grain solid copper and I’m praying they are not wearing serious armor