#4 Shot for Home Defense?

[Marcus99]

As your video shows...if you shoot anyone inside of your home with a 12 ga shell of virtually any kind and they're going to be in a world of trouble.

Many people have been killed and seriously wounded via turkey hunting accidents using #4 shot or smaller.

[Yoder]

I read a ballistics report from the FBI about bird shot. I can't remember what size shot but they said even shots within a few feet the pellets didn't penetrate deep enough to hit internal organs. They didn't have enough mass. I'm sure it would suck enough that they fall down or run away.
Here's the link. It's kind of long but it's really interesting. It talks about handguns, rifles and shotguns and what happens to people when they are shot.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...2cZC9S65MOVVXQ

[fallenleader]

the moss 500 is upstairs loaded with that cheap winchester target stuff. #7 or #8 i forget. lotta pellets.
range would be under 15'
the plastic cup would probably do considerable damage at short range. although not rice crispies.
http://fox59.com/2017/06/10/man-used...im-police-say/

[USMC3531]

the moss 500 is upstairs loaded with that cheap winchester target stuff. #7 or #8 i forget. lotta pellets.
range would be under 15'
the plastic cup would probably do considerable damage at short range. although not rice crispies.
http://fox59.com/2017/06/10/man-used...im-police-say/

there was a story of "kids" shooting just the wads at each other, one either died or needed surgery to remove it. people get all wound up about balistic tests, would YOU keep robbing with a face full of bird shot?

[Delkal]

At real world home defense distances (15-20 feet) 4 shot will get the job done better than any handgun. It might not give you the 12-14 inch penetration the FBI likes a handgun to do. But it will put a baseball sized hole in you that will turn everything into hamburger for at least 8 inches. The wad will penetrate too. No one can just suck up an ounce of lead at 1200 FPS at 15 feet.

This bird shot will just sting is total BS. Yes it stings at 75 yards as it falls from the sky (I have been hit like that by one or two pellets). At 15 feet you are hamburger and no doctor can fix it, there is nothing left to sew up

[fallenleader]

At real world home defense distances (15-20 feet) 4 shot will get the job done better than any handgun. It might not give you the 12-14 inch penetration the FBI likes a handgun to do. But it will put a baseball sized hole in you that will turn everything into hamburger for at least 8 inches. The wad will penetrate too. No one can just suck up an ounce of lead at 1200 FPS at 15 feet.

This bird shot will just sting is total BS. Yes it stings at 75 yards as it falls from the sky (I have been hit like that by one or two pellets). At 15 feet you are hamburger and no doctor can fix it, there is nothing left to sew up

pretty sure @50yrds it'll stick in wood. although i haven't tried to dig my target frame apart. was firing slugs, ran out. figured F-it and shot the handful of bird i had. with a mod cylinder, i wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that pattern, was still pretty dense.

when you think about it, i'd prefer the birdshot against armor as well. my .308 probably'll be stopped if they have plate, but almost certain some pellets will get at the non armored bits. and who of us really is such a valuable target that the home intruder will be armored in more than a winter coat?

[Delkal]

pretty sure @50yrds it'll stick in wood. although i haven't tried to dig my target frame apart. was firing slugs, ran out. figured F-it and shot the handful of bird i had. with a mod cylinder, i wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that pattern, was still pretty dense.

when you think about it, i'd prefer the birdshot against armor as well. my .308 probably'll be stopped if they have plate, but almost certain some pellets will get at the non armored bits. and who of us really is such a valuable target that the home intruder will be armored in more than a winter coat?

At 50 yards a straight on shot from birdshot will definitely get your attention and most likely get you to stop the bad things you are doing. Might not kill you but a doctor will be picking dozens of pieces of shot out of you. Not many bad guys will come any closer. If they do it only gets worse.

At 15 FEET everything changes. Its not a 30 inch pattern of shot. Its more like 3 inch cone of shot with a lot of energy behind it.

Here is a decent video showing the damage a 12 ga with 4 and 8 shot can do at 10 feet. It starts by showing the penetration into layers of drywall, then what the shot will do to a pork shoulder covered with a rack of ribs and four layers of denim. Lets just say it does more than sting.......You would not want to eat the pork shoulder when the test was done. Also shows 4 shot will penetrate 7 inches into ballistic geletin. Not 12-14 inches per the FBI but not one measly .356 caliber hole either. 4 inch circle of destruction with a 490 grain (1 1/8 oz) fragmented projectile.

The OP is not undergunned with 4 shot. Looking at the pork 8 shot might be better




Edit: just noticed the 4 shot penetrated 7 inches into the Ballistics gelatin AFTER it went thru 2 layers of drywall.

[fallenleader]

At 50 yards a straight on shot from birdshot will definitely get your attention and most likely get you to stop the bad things you are doing. Might not kill you but a doctor will be picking dozens of pieces of shot out of you. Not many bad guys will come any closer. If they do it only gets worse.

At 15 FEET everything changes. Its not a 30 inch pattern of shot. Its more like 3 inch cone of shot with a lot of energy behind it.

Here is a decent video showing the damage a 12 ga with 4 and 8 shot can do at 10 feet. It starts by showing the penetration into layers of drywall, then what the shot will do to a pork shoulder covered with a rack of ribs and four layers of denim. Lets just say it does more than sting.......You would not want to eat the pork shoulder when the test was done. Also shows 4 shot will penetrate 7 inches into ballistic geletin. Not 12-14 inches per the FBI but not one measly .356 caliber hole either. 4 inch circle of destruction with a 490 grain (1 1/8 oz) fragmented projectile.

The OP is not undergunned with 4 shot. Looking at the pork 8 shot might be better

yep. seen that video too. what a waste of pork

[RLS]

Tom Givens on birdshot for self defense:


http://rangemaster.com/wp-content/up...Newsletter.pdf



Rick

[DukeConnor]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is the difference between #4 buck shot and #4 bird shot