Flechette Rounds

JWR · November 10, 2000, 12:18 PM

Has anybody out there conducted or found any good articles on flechette tests? I've seen a few sources that sell the darts w/ wads that you load yourself, for about $40 a box of 25. Pricey, but no worse than buying bismuth or tungsten come duck season. I'm curious about the pattern performance (spread and penetration) past the edge of "normal" shot range. BTW, this is not a HD application; the barn gun I mentioned earlier (stainless shotgun post) is for feral dogs, coyotes, and the like. (I decided on the M500 stainless 8 shot. I just really like the look, and that's got to be a good a reason as any. Wife even gave permission; the thought of feral dogs around HER horse barn really tipped it!) Would #3 Buck work just as good at those ranges? The flechette in question is 20 1" darts per shell, I don't know the dart caliber.

Dave McC · November 10, 2000, 02:48 PM

Some extensive testing on fletchettes was done at Aberdeen Proving Ground a couple of decades ago. I knew(slightly) some of the personnel there.This was done in conjunction w/ developing a ambush/roadblock neutralizer, a full auto twin shotgun setup with a 9mm subgun firing only tracers. On a ring mount on a APC, of course. As I recall, they didn't find any big advantage to the fletchettes over buck in connection with that mission.

OTOH, I see no big disadvantage. You might try a few rounds and see how they pattern. Theoretically, the long fletchettes should keep velocity a little better than pellets.

DaMan · November 11, 2000, 09:33 AM

JWR, flechettes worked great in 90mm and 106mm recoiless rifle (beehive rounds)! But these were huge flechettes at very high velocities. The 12ga. flechette loads are mostly a novelty. The tiny "spears" don't carry enough energy to be effective and often will not stabilize due to their extremely short length. Buckshot loads are much more effective.

Regards! DaMan

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November 10, 2000, 12:18 PM	#1
JWR Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 2000 Posts: 180	Has anybody out there conducted or found any good articles on flechette tests? I've seen a few sources that sell the darts w/ wads that you load yourself, for about $40 a box of 25. Pricey, but no worse than buying bismuth or tungsten come duck season. I'm curious about the pattern performance (spread and penetration) past the edge of "normal" shot range. BTW, this is not a HD application; the barn gun I mentioned earlier (stainless shotgun post) is for feral dogs, coyotes, and the like. (I decided on the M500 stainless 8 shot. I just really like the look, and that's got to be a good a reason as any. Wife even gave permission; the thought of feral dogs around HER horse barn really tipped it!) Would #3 Buck work just as good at those ranges? The flechette in question is 20 1" darts per shell, I don't know the dart caliber.

November 10, 2000, 02:48 PM	#2
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Some extensive testing on fletchettes was done at Aberdeen Proving Ground a couple of decades ago. I knew(slightly) some of the personnel there.This was done in conjunction w/ developing a ambush/roadblock neutralizer, a full auto twin shotgun setup with a 9mm subgun firing only tracers. On a ring mount on a APC, of course. As I recall, they didn't find any big advantage to the fletchettes over buck in connection with that mission. OTOH, I see no big disadvantage. You might try a few rounds and see how they pattern. Theoretically, the long fletchettes should keep velocity a little better than pellets.

November 11, 2000, 09:33 AM	#3
DaMan Senior Member Join Date: July 16, 2000 Posts: 222	JWR, flechettes worked great in 90mm and 106mm recoiless rifle (beehive rounds)! But these were huge flechettes at very high velocities. The 12ga. flechette loads are mostly a novelty. The tiny "spears" don't carry enough energy to be effective and often will not stabilize due to their extremely short length. Buckshot loads are much more effective. Regards! DaMan