Smallest effective shot in a shotgun shell

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Smallest effective shot in a shotgun shell

Posted: 10/12/2001 6:53:31 AM EDT

What is the smallest shot that is effective in a defensive situation.

Scott

Posted: 10/12/2001 7:04:23 AM EDT

[#1]

Heck, you could use talcum powder out to about 10 feet.

Lot's of folks espouse birdshot from a shotgun for HD, hoping that a miss will not go through walls or injure bystanders.

The smallest that I would go is BBB or F. #4 buck and larger is probably more popular.

Posted: 10/12/2001 7:30:14 AM EDT

[#2]

Anyone else have an opinion?

Posted: 10/12/2001 7:36:49 AM EDT

[#3]

He is right,you could put just about any thing in a shot gun and really F* somebody up.

BBB is good for inside,it's what I use

Posted: 10/12/2001 7:38:39 AM EDT

[#4]

I use #9. It is all one clump of pellets at most inside the house distances, but it makes one hell of a mess for the doc picking out all of them little pellets he he he. and I agree that the chances of taking out the neighbors in the next townhouse are much less than using 00 buckshot.
TRW

Posted: 10/12/2001 7:41:23 AM EDT

[#5]

While any size would take your head off at a few feet,It dissapates rapidly with bird shot.The smaller the faster.I have one place in my house where I could shoot 75 feet.Too far for even 2's on a heavly dressed man.Bedides I have nice wood work.I use #1 buck in my 12gauge.

Posted: 10/12/2001 7:45:52 AM EDT

[#6]

Several schools promote 6's and 7 1/2's for home defense where the range is [i]usually[/i] 21 feet or less. Especially if they are loaded in the Remington Nitro Mag, or Express Long Range shells. I'm sure at 21 feet it would be messy, to say the least.

Posted: 10/12/2001 8:35:55 AM EDT

[#7]

I would say the smallest [u]effective[/u] shot size is #1 buck (16 .30 caliber pellets in 2 3/4 shell). While smaller bird shot would be 'messy' I am not sure it would be all that effective (of course I am no expert and don't even play one on TV)[:)].

But the the experts do say:

Birdshot, because of its small size, does not have the mass and sectional density to penetrate deeply enough to reliably reach and damage critical blood distribution organs. Although birdshot can destroy a great volume of tissue at close range, the permanent crush cavity is usually less than 6 inches deep, and this is not deep enough to reliably include the heart or great blood vessels of the abdomen. A gruesome, shallow wound in the torso does not guarantee a quick stop, especially if the bad guy is chemically intoxicated or psychotic. If the tissue crushed by the pellets does not include a vital cardiovascular structure there's no reason for it to be an effective wound.

Many people load their shotguns with birdshot, usually #6 shot or smaller, to minimize interior wall penetration. Number 6 lead birdshot, when propelled at 1300 fps, has a maximum penetration depth potential of about 5 inches in standard ordnance gelatin. Not all of the pellets penetrate this deeply however; most of the shot will penetrate about 4 inches.

View Quote

Source: Firearms Tactical Institute-->[url]http://www.firearmstactical.com/tactical.htm[/url]
The specific breif quoted-->[url]http://www.firearmstactical.com/briefs10.htm[/url]

Posted: 10/12/2001 8:44:29 AM EDT

[#8]

armalite-fan,
just a quick question for you to think of with your distances and shot size. Think about the skeet shooters and the patterns they get. Most shotguns are patterned at 40 yds and can keep most (75%) of the pellets inside 40 inches with a reasonable choke. At shorter distances the spread will be less. Just some stuff I considered when I set my sweet bride up with the home defense thunderstick.
TRW

Posted: 10/12/2001 8:54:00 AM EDT

[#9]

#6 is plenty good. Trust me on this. I have had a close personal experience with this subject and #6 did the deed.¤¤¤¤¤¤

Posted: 10/12/2001 9:31:51 AM EDT

[#10]

As a long-time hunter, I just use 1 oz. of 6's for *everything*. I know what it will do, and also know when to pull the trigger.

I would shoot attacking criminals down like partridges.

Posted: 10/12/2001 9:41:57 AM EDT

[#11]

if #6 is marginal because of penetration try something just a little heavier. Like #4.

Posted: 10/12/2001 11:23:31 AM EDT

[#12]

Birdshot would be great if you were being attacked by birds hehe. I prefer 00 buck.

Posted: 10/12/2001 11:40:49 AM EDT

[#13]

I don't have anything to back this up but my imagination, but it's something I've thought about. Wouldn't steel shot since it has a non-serrated wad stay completely inside it's wad at home defense distances almost acting like a supercharged glaser slug? or does it shed the wad right at the muzzle?

Posted: 10/12/2001 12:17:07 PM EDT

[#14]

BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK! 00 BUCK!

[size=4]DAMMIT![/size=4] [:p]

Posted: 10/12/2001 2:34:39 PM EDT

[#15]

Here check out out dead #6's will make people, warning messy and disturbing![url]http://www.plusp.com/gallery.html[/url]
As noted in the photos, small shot can lodge in blood vessels causing embolism, something you don't have to worry about with bullets.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Smallest effective shot in a shotgun shell

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