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Best for home defense

I use #4 Bird Shot. Say what you will, but I believe this will get the job done and that is job one. Besides, my shot gun will only be needed if my three Doberman can't take care of the intruder(s).
 
I just ordered a case of Spartan 00 for practice yesterday from Bulkammo.com, $ 124 with tax. I may use it for HD if the shot spread at 7-10 yards is fairly tight. Otherwise I will go for Rio 00 or Federal Flight Control.
 
After shooting #4 birdshot at a pine board, with no chokes, I can see that it's gonna be almost worthless if I have to kill someone more than 6 feet away.

I'm going to do some custom buckshot loads for my 16Ga.

Is there any issue with dumping an ounce of #4 out and replacing it with 1 oz of buckshot? This will be much easier than ordering online and waiting a week.
 
I do not think you will have any problem with dumping the birdshot out and replacing it with buckshot. However, I would not expect much in the way of a pattern. Only way to find out will be to try it. My feeling is that an ounce is an ounce. Birdshot, buckshot, or slug. Take care. Tom Worthington
 
We do it with the 1oz Lee slugs. Dump out the #7 or #8 bird shot and pop in a 1oz slug.
 
OK, thanks guys.

I just wanted to be sure the powder charge would be adequate. I know an ounce is an ounce, but with guns there's always something more to it than just that. ;)
 
16 gauge # buck

28_Shotshell_16-Gauge-Buckshot-HV-merged_1024x1024.jpg


http://www.ammofast.com/products/aguila-16-gauge-high-velocity-1b-buckshot-2-75

Sounds pretty good to me! Take care. Tom Worthington
 
LOL @ armchair applied ballistic tacticians. I've seen firsthand what #4 bird shot does to the human body. One case fired into the shoulder from behind a plastic door at about 3-4 feet. Another into the stomach from 10 feet. Both resulted in fatalities and were probably the worst looking gunshot wounds I've ever seen. The flesh penetration factor didn't really seem important from the look of things. If short range HD without over penetration is the concern, #4 bird shot will do just fine.
 
Were those 12ga mags or 20 ga 2.5"?
Or what?

Thankfully I've never had to shoot a human, but I've shot 00 buckshot into a moose, and birdshot at birds and bunnies.

My current gun is 16ga, and short, with no chokes. All I have shot with it so far is dirt and paper; and the pattern is really, really big at 10 ft.

Like a 20"+ circle with 50 little pellets.
(Shooting #7 & #8 shot)

Its a little denser with #4, but doesnt look satisfyingly deadly enough to the untrained eye.

If I have to shoot someone twice, I want it to be because I missed the first time. Not because the pattern was weak.
 
This is 2 shots of 16ga #7 shot.
It was shot from about 10 to 12ft.

Ok, so maybe that would be enought clout. :D I sure wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of this.

20160529_172755.jpg
 
Man, now that I see that pic on the big screen, that target is blasted!

It has a thousand very tiny holes because I also hit it with 5 rounds of .22 mag snake shot.

Just ignore those please...:rolleyes:
 
15 quarter inch pellets should be enough.

I don't think he mentioned what choke that gun had.

Very tight pattern.

.
 
My guess is it's a cylinder bore gun. FliteControl doesn't require any choke at all to hold a tight pattern though that video was shot at 15' which doesn't require FliteControl in my experience with load/pattern tests.

Federal makes other loads (though identical to the law enforcement stuff) labeled as Person Defense or even just VitalShok with FliteControl. Also in my experience, anything with FliteControl has been clearly labeled where the load in the video isn't. I'm not saying it isn't using the FliteControl, it could be an older box from a time when the FliteControl was only marketed to law enforcement. Currently however, anything using FliteControl is going to be clearly marked.

I have some Federal Premium 4 buck without FliteControl I'd be very comfortable using. While close range wouldn't require it to be choked, I do have a choked gun which patterns well to 40 yards even without FliteControl. In that case though we're not talking about home defense.
 
LOL @ armchair applied ballistic tacticians. I've seen firsthand what #4 bird shot does to the human body. One case fired into the shoulder from behind a plastic door at about 3-4 feet. Another into the stomach from 10 feet. Both resulted in fatalities and were probably the worst looking gunshot wounds I've ever seen. The flesh penetration factor didn't really seem important from the look of things. If short range HD without over penetration is the concern, #4 bird shot will do just fine.


Birdshot:

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/crime/2012/06/19/man-shot-in-face-in-tacoma/

Birdshot:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Cheney_hunting_incident

Birdshot:

http://warriortimes.com/2011/06/26/...y-attackers-at-his-door-armed-with-bird-shot/

Birdshot:



Sorry if I've made the horrible decision to use lethal force.... that's what I'm using.... lethal force.

You know what I don't have to do? Justify the stopping power and lethality of 00 buck shot.
 
^^^This. Lethal force if it's warranted. Birdshot is sketchy at best.
 
1467380357691-1645183528.jpg
16 ga is hard to find locally, and this is all I could find last month. Today however is payday and shopping begins again.

HOWEVER,
I have to apologize for incorrect data.
I got the super X #4's last, and I haven't tried them yet.

What I shot at the pine board was the Fiocchi number 8 shot.

I was 2 weeks ago and I've lost track.

Anyhow I'm going to order some of that #1B.
 
I'm certain finding the stuff in 16 is difficult. And probably somewhat expensive too. My brother in law has a 20 ga. I just recently got some 1 buck for him.

My biggest threat to home defense here is predators with 4 legs. Birdshot isn't stout enough to stop those.
 
16 gauge # buck

28_Shotshell_16-Gauge-Buckshot-HV-merged_1024x1024.jpg


http://www.ammofast.com/products/aguila-16-gauge-high-velocity-1b-buckshot-2-75

Sounds pretty good to me! Take care. Tom Worthington

Thanks Tom,
I can get 9 boxes for about $13ea with tax & shipping. Ordering 10 kicks it up another $10 on shipping, so then about $14 per box.

Locally I've been paying about half that, for Fiocchi, or $6.99+tax, and $8- $10 for the others, at various stores.

But no buckshot 4 sale!

I have a friend who reloads for me but he doesnt do shotshells

I haven't wanted to do my own loading, but I may set up to do 16ga, just because I can make whatever load I need. Also because I've seen several nice 16 gauge shotguns for sale that I would like to own. :D
 
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