Home defense birdshot?

[rhodesengr]

The best were Federal Flitecontrol which patterned a 2" group at 7 yds, 4" group at 15 yds. .

FYI your images didn't show up.

When I tested my Federal PD ammo with Flite control at 7 yards, All, I got was one hole. The 9 #00 pellets had not separated from the the wad at that point. Might as well fire slug ammo at that point and they have much more energy although probably also over penetration (by a lot). The so-called #00 balls were not really #00. They are closer to #0 at .315 instead of .330. The total weight was rather low for 9 #00 at .98oz and should be closer to 1.125oz.The speed of 1145 was rather marginal as it would not reliable cycle my Benelli M2. I ended up designing my own HD load with 12 REAL .330 #00 buck using Longshot powder and had them tested for pressure and speed. They come out at 1300fps. That is a serious load. Not exactly comforatbel to shoot but who cares about that in a readl HD situation. I call it my "no nonsense" load. All the details including test data and patterns are in my Project Buckshot thread on SGW.

https://www.shotgunworld.com/threads/project-buckshot-new-name.545601/#post-4679298

[Dan_Eastvale]

I would want to kill instead of mame and get sued or "revenged"

[buttfish]

My inventory is 4, 3, 2, 000, 00, SLUG, in no specific order, in the tube.

[acaligunner]

Birdshot ~ no birdshot, buckshot or no buckshot.

Here’s the thing, most robbers are not looking to get into a gunfight, or have any type of weapon used on them and will probably run away or surrender. All good you didn’t have to use birdshot or buckshot.

Now remember I said most ~ it’s the ones that are not afraid of guns and don’t give a dang about you pointing a weapon at them, the ones that will kill your ( think about that ) and after killing you, will then sit down and eat a pizza.

For those types your going to have to use the more efficient weapon that you trained with, and then be able to meet that kind of violence without question.

So, if you want to use birdshot fine, if you want to use buckshot, again all good. The choice is yours to decide. Good luck.

[Capybara]

Are you trying to stop a threat to your life or just piss it off?

[tacticalcity]

Are you trying to stop a threat to your life or just piss it off?

My thoughts exactly.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I will had one thing that no one has considered in this thread. Vang Comped Barrels.

I just did a HD shotgun class a month ago. I used #8 Birdshot, Federal Low Recoil Tactical 00 Buckshot. and Flight Control Buckshot.

The results were well above the things described above. As I have reported here many times my Vang Comped Shotguns all put 00 buck into 7" at 25 yards. But what I can tell you is that after shooting the Steel Targets at Front Sight with Birdshot. (Which all training should be done with) The results at 15 yards were Complete Removal of all Paint from the Head on the target which was 8"x8" Pattern Density was incredible.

So getting hit in the face with that would definitely ruin your day and probably be fatal. a Face full of Steel BB's loaded into a regular Trap Loads would also have a Terminal result !..

"Next we shot 00 Buck at 15 and 20 yards and the Patterns were 3" X 3" and 5" x 5" which supports the 7" at 25 yards claim.

Then I shot a few or my Flight Control 00 Bucks at 20 yards,,,,,, 2" or effectively a Solid 2" Slug !!! that would make 00 Buck viable out to at least 50-60 yards..

There were 4 Vang Comped Shotguns in that class they all did the same thing.

Considering that a Conventional Cylinder Bore barrel will deliver 15" at 15 yards, and unless you can guarantee perfect dead center Shot Placement the chances of having Stray Pellets going down range is pretty much 100%, but you are still responsible for all of them you turn loose. Something to consider? But also consider that all the Rounds we fired at the simulated Dry Wall penetrated well beyond it .

In Closing ,Vang Comp is putting on a Shotgun Clinic at the Staccato Facility (formerly Front Sight) in Sept. To sign up go to wwwvangcomp.com for info. Hurry it usually sells out in about 4 days.
A Real Shotgun Clinic is a Good Place to actually learn something about this subject.

Randy

[walmart_ar15]

Why is it every time people discuss SG defense and what shells to use the comparison is always a single shot. I use semi for a reason. At least 2 or 3 shots per target. Wonder if the consideration changes when 3 quick bird shots are used?

[acaligunner]

When my brother was doing a combat mission in Viet Nam, he said he snuck up on 3 NVA taking a break and eating rice, he opened fire on the 3 with the SG he was using and said the shotgun did its job.

Bro had pictures of what the shotgun did. He kept an album of the different weapons he used. 😳.

Maybe the shotgun is just a nice one shot stopper when it hits a main part of the body.

At close range - I wouldn’t want to get hit with birdshot. Yikes !!

[DolphinFan]

There's a reason it's called Bird Shot.
When I'm attacked by birds, I'll consider using bird shot, same with buck shot, NOT Slugs.
I would NEVER use or rely upon Bird shot or Buckshot for self defense.

[MasterChief]

So...show of hands!

Who here is actually loading their HD shotguns with birdshot in sure and certain confidence that it will get the "job done" if necessary?

[W.R.Buchanan]

Only the misinformed will stray away from 00 Buckshot for HD It is the agreed upon load for Self Defense Shotguns and has been for over 150 years.

Even Doc Holiday had his shotgun loaded with 00 Buck at the OK Corral !

Randy

[Imageview]

So...show of hands!

Who here is actually loading their HD shotguns with birdshot in sure and certain confidence that it will get the "job done" if necessary?

A while back I was hunting ducks and geese up around the town of gridley. I got a hotel the night before to keep from having to leave the house at 2am, but being a cheapskate sometimes I got the cheapest option available. The room I was assigned had had the door kicked in, and as a result no longer locked. I’m fairly sure someone was dealing meth a couple doors down. I leaned a chair against the door to keep the door closed and make noise if someone got their dealer’s room wrong. I didn’t have buckshot, but I had plenty of bb 3.5”. I am pretty confident that anyone coming through that door would have had a bad time. It wasn’t the optimal choice but I felt reasonably confident it would get the job done at about 3 yards for at least the first guy, and if there were more there’s nothing to inspire a change in thinking like seeing your buddy’s face get turned into hamburger.

Getting shot with anything sucks a lot more than people seem to think, and shotguns by their nature inflict more trauma than single projectiles. Trauma is what puts you down on the ground when you aren’t dead. At 20 yards it would be a lot less traumatic, but I still wouldn’t want to get hit with that load and am pretty sure if I caught a blast at 20 yards and wasn’t dead I’d probably be regretting some of my life choices.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Yes a Face full of 3.5" BB's would be enough to stop a threat at close range, but BB's are not "Birdshot." "Bird Shot" is anything smaller than #6 shot. BB's are "Goose Shot !" Meant for long range shooting at big birds so the shot is bigger (.177) to carry more momentum and still penetrate to vitals at longer distances associated with that type of shooting..

Also my Vang Comped Shotguns will put all those BB's into about 3-4" at 15 yards. Whereas a Regular Cylinder Bore gun will pattern 15" at 15 yards. So if you shoot the guy in the face, 50% of the shot is going to miss, and you then have a new problem which is "Where did all that shot go?" Keep in mind that you are responsible for everything you turn loose.

If you are really interested in this and would like to actually be taught how to shoot your HD Gun by real live people who teach this stuff every day, sign up for the Vang Comp Thunder Stick Summit Sept 25-27 at the new Staccato (Formerly Front Sight) Facility near Pahrump NV.

This is 3 days of Classes given by Industry Experts who are X Military and LEO, SWAT, SEAL Etc. and teach this stuff everyday. you will come away with a greatly enhanced understanding on how to Protect yourself and those around you, and what to use to do it. Also once you see how a Vang Comped Shotgun shoots, you will want to have your barrels done by them so you can be equipped with the best stuff there is for defending you and yours..

Randy

[NaClAddict]

I wouldn’t ever use bird shot for self defense unless there weren’t any other options. If I had to use BS I would score the shell below the crimp to reduce spread, aka hillbilly slug.