Birdshot

[Whiteboy67]

Went shooting today with a friend and we blew through 50 birdshot shells and 5 slugs that I had leftover. My question is how good are birdshot for stopping an intruder? When we shot plastic gatorade bottles they pass through, but only on one side and then they rested in the bottles filled with water. Would this even stop a BG? Or just give him some battle scars?

On a side note, we shot slugs into a large frozen puddle and the outcome was awesome. Made a splash that had to of been at least 40feet high, and a hole in the ice that was probably the size of an average tire on a car. I had fun today and I'm getting better with my aim since I 6/8 bottles my first shot that were setup 20-30yards away. Probably not good but meh, I'm learning :P

[hogdogs]

If all I had was a 7 1/2 field load, I wouldn't hesitate to use it but I would never intentionally choose them over a buckshot or slug.
Brent

[nemoaz]

The search button is your friend. There are probably 1000 of these threads.

[Scattergun Bob]

This is a huge discussion on this forum, I am in favor of the BIG BALL theory, my serious social work loads are 00 and 000 Buckshot. Again this is an educated preference, not a condemnation of any lessor size shot.

Here is a link for a Ordinance Gelatin look at different size shot.

http://www.tacticalshotgun.ca/ballistics_shotgun.html , go to bottom of page, you will see the options.
Of course gelatin is not human meat, we know that but it is a way of comparing. As a LE for many years I believe in not limiting yourself, unless there is some compelling reason to do so.

Here is another site that has documented experiments with different shot size. http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot3.htm , there may be issues with testing protocol and issues with distance and just plain issues with these tests, but the last page sums up well.

Why don't you check these out and come back, tell us what you think?

And now my answer, If you have birdshot in the gun and it is time to fight US IT. If you decide to prepare for WAR, select a more proven man stopper. WHY LIMIT YOURSELF!

Good Luck & Be Safe

[nemoaz]

Yeah, what he said, just like he has said about 700 times.

[imp]

I think you'll be hard pressed to find anyone that thinks birdshot is a better manstopper than buckshot. That being said, personal preference, percieved neccesity, and environmental concerns make every persons situation different.

I live out in the country, so my HD shotgun pulls double duty as a pest/varmint gun. Mine has an 8 round capacity, but I keep 5 rounds in the tube. The first two rounds are #7 birdshot, then 3 rounds of 000 buck. I also keep 5 rounds ( 2 slugs and 3 more rounds of 000) in a cheap elastic butt cuff.

While it may sound more complex than it is, I have a shotgun that is ready for critters first, or I can shuck the first two rounds quickly and go to buckshot. Anything that I'm going to use a slug on is going to be a deliberate action, so I can load those individually as I see fit.

I love shotguns because of the versatility, and try to utilize that to the best of my ability.

[Whiteboy67]

The search button eludes me, sorry

I was just amazed that a jug filled with water would stop the birdshot, but I guess they are so small it's hard to keep them propelled at such a high velocity when they hit anything. I think I'm going to just keep a couple boxes of slugs in my closet for emergency, and keep target shooting with birdshot.

I'm still have trouble putting the damn bolt back in the gun after cleaning it, it won't go in no matter what I do.
Edit: HOLY CRAP!! I have found why it is so hard, at the top of the bolt is a little metal thing that you can push down so that it slides into the gun.....wow..............*facepalm*.

[nemoaz]

What sort of shotgun? I would suggest that you learn how to fully strip the weapon and clean it. There's a bunch more to it than just passing a patch down the barrel a few times.

I find it very therapeutic. I love cleaning my guns.

[Whiteboy67]

Yes I know how to strip it and clean it every part and lube it, and how to clean the barrel
Just one piece would always be a pain to put back in and now I realized you would just push one little piece to get it to slide in.

[T.A.Sharps]

Will this topic ever die?

[.45 COLT]

Will this topic ever die?

Probably not, mainly because there is no right or wrong answer. Gotta give Whiteboy57 some credit here - he actually shot his gun and saw some results before he asked a question. A lot of highly opinionated posters simply parrot what others say.

DC

[Whiteboy67]

Stock on more jugs filled with water, then going to buy some slugs/birdshot/buckshot. Experiments kick ass

K this topic may die now.

[soldiercraig]

I kknow Im beating an old dog at this point, but I live in a neighborhood full of close together homes, I have birdshot loaded in the tube so I dont have to worry about over penitration. I do have some 00 and 000 buck on the sling and some slugs on the buttcuff. But there are enough little buggers in the shot to stop an average person.

[Gunfighter123]

WhiteBoy ----- try some high brass #4 birdshot on a gallon of water at FIVE FEET and tell us what happens

Will "birdshot" kill someone ---- YES -- there are MANY case studies where either a hunting/home setting where people were killed with birdshot.

That being said ---- I load my 7 rd. tube so the FIRST rd. is hi-brass 4 birdshot , then 4 rds. of OO buck and the last two rds. are slugs.

Across my bedroom , the 4 birdshot is spread about the size of a silver dollar.
If he/she/IT is still standing -- then I have 4 shots of Buckshot and if they make it to their car --- well , test what happens when a 12ga. slug hits a door or engine block

The MAIN reason I load a rd. of birdshot first ----- never know where the other family members could be when SHTF !!!

Stay safe and PLAY NICE -------- GF123

[hogdogs]

Over penetration is not a concern if you are hitting the BG COM... drywall penetration is also not the proper medium for testing for over penetration. Keep in mind that to exit the home it will penetrate drywall, insulation, air barrier, and finally what ever the exterior finish is.
Soldier, If you feel that surface wounds will stop a human, use your tweetie shot, but do not ever count on more than surface wounds from bird shot. It has and will kill a human but there are far too many survivors of GSW with small shot size.
Brent

[hogdogs]

Gunfighter, 2 problems with your post...
1)If you want to test penetration of car parts on a fleeing BG, you will be likely a felon with a state address in short order.
2)If you don't know where all of the family members are, you have no ability to make a safe shot following all of the safe gun handling rules...
Brent

[soldiercraig]

Im not saying that birdshot is my first choice for self defense, but in a row of town houses I would rather hit the gremlin with birdshot, how ever many times it took, then have to know that I killed the little kid next door.