Steel or Lead For Home Defense?

[Andy54Hawken]

I have no doubt that at home defense ranges bird shot could work.
I also feel that if you have to use bird shot , then something in the #6 shot to turkey and or goose loads would be best.
And before someone says : "If bird shot is so bad at defense , let me shoot you with it." no I have no desire to be shot with anything , 'cause being shot is never good.
I also understand that no gun or load is 100% guaranteed to work as intended all the time.

I'm just asking why use something that could work , rather than something that was designed for the job at hand?

Like anything , these are just my thoughts and in the end I would say :
"Use what you shoot best be it ammo or a gun."
Andy

 

[Caveman Jim]

I tend to go with lead for HD situations, 00 buck to be specific but do have about a dozen old #4 shot left over from years ago.

 

[oknow]

The surgeon or coroner patching up the intruder might thank you for using steel shot, because he could use a magnet to help get them out.

Hazards of the job being a intruder.

 

[oknow]

Buckshot or Birdshot for Home Defense? Let's Ask Science.

a litt cut of the of article

Several years ago, I was privy to shotgun ammunition testing where several loads were compared against one another. Three-quarter-inch thick pieces of plywood were used as the target. At short range, (under five yards) birdshot had no problem poking holes big enough so your fist would just about pass through a sheet of plywood. This was also true when you doubled the plywood for a total thickness of 1.5 inches.

So it depends on how big your house is.

 

[Tony617]

#1 buckshot or 00 buckshot for HD. At HD distances you can even get by without FliteControl.

 

[mjbskwim]

If your home is built on wetlands, then Federal regulations mandate the use of non-toxic bird shot. Either steel, or any of the popular tungsten alloys that are on the market, may be used to shoot the intruder.

.

Seriously?

 

[Bon Sauvage]

If you need to use deadly force on someone then use DEADLY force. Don't be using birdshot.

 

[mjbskwim]

Andy,turkey and goose loads are quite different than "bird shot" loads,I'm sure you know
Now we've gone over this before and I'm pretty sure one shot with #6 would get even the biggest drug head's attention.
Now when I give him about 4-5 more the fight would be over.
That's if you just happen to have bird shot in your shot gun for critters in the yard. But a shot above the neck line would definitely do the job.
Sure,why load a defense gun with it? Why not use something that will penetrate a winter coat and do damage?
No the BS line "let me shoot you with it"
I've heard this about 380 too. But we're not talking about a regular Joe13 are we?
We're talking about that guy with an ounce of chemicals in his system.

 

[Captain O]

000 Buckshot (8 pellets in a 2 3/4" 12 gauge shell) works well as a house load. At 21' it opens to a 5" pattern. (It's as if the intruder is being shot with 8 rounds of extremely light .38 Special at close range).

I approve of this message.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

That was my point Mike.
Bird shot could and more than likely would work.
But why go with a "could work" when we have loads designed for self-defense?
if I'm reading you correctly , we are saying the same thing essentially.
Andy

Andy,turkey and goose loads are quite different than "bird shot" loads,I'm sure you know
Now we've gone over this before and I'm pretty sure one shot with #6 would get even the biggest drug head's attention.
Now when I give him about 4-5 more the fight would be over.
That's if you just happen to have bird shot in your shot gun for critters in the yard. But a shot above the neck line would definitely do the job.
Sure,why load a defense gun with it? Why not use something that will penetrate a winter coat and do damage?
No the BS line "let me shoot you with it"
I've heard this about 380 too. But we're not talking about a regular Joe13 are we?
We're talking about that guy with an ounce of chemicals in his system.

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

 

[Alexx1401]

For home defense using a 12 ga., is steel or lead shot better ? Does it matter ?

Thanks !

This always turns nasty when this comes up. Personally I never use bird shot for defensive use. It has a VERY limited range to work for real stops. Since I have never heard of steel buck I assume you mean bird shot? To me if I would not trust the round to drop a deer I would not trust it to drop a person trying to kill me. Now since this will anger some if they choose bird shot great. Better than no gun.

 

[Stomper]

Four rounds of 2-3/4" 00-buck followed with four rounds of 2-3/4" 1oz rifled lead sluggers in the feed-tube, and two each in the speed-feed stocks.... in each of THESE bad boys, always ready for duty in the safe behind that wall they're leaning on.




...class dismissed, carry on.

 

[CoastRange57]

One troll and and a bunch of hookups before somebody finally calls it what it is in # 20.



The Rock says "It does not matter what type of shot you use. It is a fing 12 gauge. "

 

[CoastRange57]

I'm still looking for a lead pipe! it used to be a primary weapon of choice.

I do not imagine anybody on here started carrying a cut down 24 inch rounded off sanded and stained shovel handle with a hole and leather strap on it in their car when they started driving at 16 or so. Not me anyway.

 

[OutlawHoss]

Notwithstanding shot size, I would not consider any shot, shotgun, or person prepped for HD if one hasn't patterned and practiced with what you've decided to use in HD; it might even be more important than shot size, but that would need some sussing out (maybe a good youtube video if it's done by someone other than an adult child living in his Mom's basement).
Anywho, if you don't know how your HD shot & shotgun patterns, then you can't wield the gun correctly, than that is the biggest risk factor of all (which of course is true of any firearm).
I have 000 buck out of my cut down vent rib 19" barrel and I know exactly where they go: center mass out to 10 yards (actually farther at the range, but <10yds the grouping is reliable and therefore better controlled).
My own fart in the windstorm.

 

[mkwerx]

Standard 2 3/4 length 00 lead buck with some 1oz rifled slugs in reserve, back when I still owned a shotgun. I did the birdshot in the HD gun when I was a n00b to guns, and lived in an apartment because I was skeered of overpenetration and blasting a neighbor on accident. I got over that. Last time I dwelled in an apartment and owned a shotgun, it was 00 buck and 1oz slugs, with a plan not to shoot unless the angles were right and I was sure I was going to hit the bastid.

 

[Camelfilter]

Just my opinion, but it seems birdshot proponents assume only 1 bad guy.

Most home invasions involve multiple bad guys, 2 or more.

Our current load in the auto is 2 #4 buck, 2 00 buck & 2 000 buck, in the pump it's 8 2 1/4" 00 bucks. Then it's hand guns to get to the rifles...

 

[Ironbar]

use these rounds

sarcasm.

You couldn't pay me money to run that sheet through my gun.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

You couldn't pay me money to run that sheet through my gun.

i have +20k rounds thru my mossberg 535. i clean it about every 5k rounds and it still works like the day i bought it if not better! id shoot that stuff out of it if i had the chance!