The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Hide > The Dave McCracken Memorial Shotgun Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old October 6, 2000, 05:49 PM   #1
Solitar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 15, 2000
Location: Solitary
Posts: 717
At close range the shot is still in a cup. To help dispersal at several yards, would it help to have lead birdshot without a cup. Yes the shot would deform, but the intended use is for a perp across the room rather than ducks at 30 yards.

Figure this application to be with a 12 gauge, 18" cylinder bore and #7 or #8 lead birdshot.

[This message has been edited by Solitar (edited October 06, 2000).]
Solitar is offline  
Old October 7, 2000, 08:33 AM   #2
Dave McC
Staff In Memoriam
 
Join Date: October 13, 1999
Location: Columbia, Md, USA
Posts: 8,811
Sigh....

Once again,the major advantage of a shotgun in TRAINED hands for HD is the massive amounts of energy it can unload into a target,NOT spread.

Back before choke tubes were popular, folks that used one shotgun for everything would buy Spreader or Brush loads. These were built for short range game from full choke bbls. Oft made with no cup,pure lead,fiber disc separators, and sometimes even square shot, they patterned horribly even at 20 yards.
Dave McC is offline  
Old October 7, 2000, 10:26 AM   #3
Solitar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 15, 2000
Location: Solitary
Posts: 717
Sigh, Dave is exasperated with me.
Dear Dave, my need for HD is not at 20 yards, it's across the living room to the door or window - range maybe 4 yards or, at most, 8 yards from corner to corner. I'd like a spread of ten inches at 5 yards, rather than a bolus of shot in a cup. Yes, I know that at 20 yards the shot pattern would be ineffectively sparse, but a 20 yard scenario is only out in my apartment hallway where I'd be on shaky legal ground (to say the least).

Also, if #6 shot is not a cupped bolus and is instead spread over several inches, the likelyhood is less of it blowing through two layers of sheetrock and killing the baby next door.
Solitar is offline  
Old October 8, 2000, 08:52 AM   #4
Dave McC
Staff In Memoriam
 
Join Date: October 13, 1999
Location: Columbia, Md, USA
Posts: 8,811
True, but small shot is most effective when concentrated.

The load you're looking for is basic skeet loads, cheap and soft kicking. Pure lead shot and no cup means max spread. Good luck.
Dave McC is offline  
Old October 8, 2000, 07:25 PM   #5
Solitar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 15, 2000
Location: Solitary
Posts: 717
Thank you Dave,
for your advice.

We walk a razor edge between having enough shot in a small pattern or bolus to penetrate heavy winter clothing and the perp effectively enough to stop him, yet NOT to penetrate through successive walls and hurt the folks next door in case the perp ducks or weaves in time.

I just hope I never have to do it. But I'll try to be prepared as best I can.

Thanks again.
Solitar is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:39 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.05410 seconds with 10 queries