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Rhodesian Jungle 12 Gauge for Home Defense?
Video results with slow motion footage can be found here:
The Rhodesian Jungle
The Rhodesian Jungle shotgun shell is one of the many "exotic" rounds you can purchase online. It is comprised of a standard 12 gauge shell that is loaded with both buckshot and birdshot. Apparently the birdshot is supposed to destroy any small vegetation barrier while the buckshot continues through killing your target.
Good For Home Defense?
We decided to test the Rhodesian Jungle because of the claims made on the packaging. I purchased this load from FireQuest.com, and they claim that this shell is "great for home defense".
The Testing Setup
For our test we used 10% ordinance gelatin. Our block was purchased from clearballistics.com. We fired the Rhodesian Jungle through the Remington 870 at roughly ten feet.
Results
Firing the Rhodesian jungle was a breeze. The recoil felt similar to a low recoil buckshot load. The Rhodesian Jungle spread a decent amount after the ten foot trip to the target. We measured a four inch pattern on target which is an acceptable yet unimpressive pattern for only ten feet. Surprisingly the buckshot seemed to have passed over the top of the gelatin. We only recovered three out of the six lead balls.
Upon striking the target the birdshot immediately began arcing towards the outside of the block. This expanded the damaged area to roughly five inches. An immense amount of energy was released by the steel shot. Some of the BB's created permanent cavities roughly a quarter inch in diameter.
Most of the BBs penetrated anywhere from six to eight inches, while the three buckshot penetrated between fourteen and fifteen inches. The deepest penetrating part of the shell was a piece of buckshot that made it to the fifteen inch mark.
Home Defense Conclusions
I would not recommend this ammunition for home defense for a few reasons.
1. The lack of penetration makes this round unreliable for self defense use.
2. At around five dollars a shell, the ammunition is incredibly expensive. If you rely on a shotgun for home defense, there are a lot cheaper more capable rounds out there that I would recommend before the Rhodesian Jungle.
The Rhodesian Jungle
The Rhodesian Jungle shotgun shell is one of the many "exotic" rounds you can purchase online. It is comprised of a standard 12 gauge shell that is loaded with both buckshot and birdshot. Apparently the birdshot is supposed to destroy any small vegetation barrier while the buckshot continues through killing your target.
Good For Home Defense?
We decided to test the Rhodesian Jungle because of the claims made on the packaging. I purchased this load from FireQuest.com, and they claim that this shell is "great for home defense".
The Testing Setup
For our test we used 10% ordinance gelatin. Our block was purchased from clearballistics.com. We fired the Rhodesian Jungle through the Remington 870 at roughly ten feet.
Results
Firing the Rhodesian jungle was a breeze. The recoil felt similar to a low recoil buckshot load. The Rhodesian Jungle spread a decent amount after the ten foot trip to the target. We measured a four inch pattern on target which is an acceptable yet unimpressive pattern for only ten feet. Surprisingly the buckshot seemed to have passed over the top of the gelatin. We only recovered three out of the six lead balls.
Upon striking the target the birdshot immediately began arcing towards the outside of the block. This expanded the damaged area to roughly five inches. An immense amount of energy was released by the steel shot. Some of the BB's created permanent cavities roughly a quarter inch in diameter.
Most of the BBs penetrated anywhere from six to eight inches, while the three buckshot penetrated between fourteen and fifteen inches. The deepest penetrating part of the shell was a piece of buckshot that made it to the fifteen inch mark.
Home Defense Conclusions
I would not recommend this ammunition for home defense for a few reasons.
1. The lack of penetration makes this round unreliable for self defense use.
2. At around five dollars a shell, the ammunition is incredibly expensive. If you rely on a shotgun for home defense, there are a lot cheaper more capable rounds out there that I would recommend before the Rhodesian Jungle.
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