Even though you can get a decent firearm for not much money it is true that you get what you pay for. The higher quality firearms are quite nice. They sit in your hand and just about beg to be fired.

 

No penetration is exactly WHY birdshot is desirable in SOME circumstances. A home defense situation will usually require a shot within 15 feet. Some prople will say within 7 feet. Bird shot at that range is as effective as a slug. But when those BBs start fanning out and going through walls, the energy is quickly dispersed. This minimizes potential of injury or death to family members or neighbors who are on the other side of 2 sheets of drywall or across the street. A slug can pass through a wall or window and still have a high chance of killing an unintended target. The liability of shooting at an intruder in your home but missing and having a slug or other more penetrating round enter another room or home and kill someone is a huge liability. For this reason when considering a round or load for close quarters defense or combat with minimum collateral damage potential, bird shot is an excellent choice.

If you lived next door to a guy who had a break in, and you, your wife, and children were sleeping in bed, would you want your neighbor shooting at the intruder at close range with bird shot or slugs and rifle rounds? If his kill radius needs to be 30 feet or less within his home, bird shot will do a fine job and minimize risk to your family. When we're hunting or target shooting, we are conscious of our target and background. We should consider what is behind our shot for safety. This is why we choose an area to hunt and shoot in carefully, and this is why we have safe gun ranges. But in an intense, stressful situation where you are shooting within your home at an intruder, you often don't have time or mental capacity (adreniline and 'flight-or-flight' mind focus narrowing) to choose a safe shot or consider the ramifications of missing your target. You also don't have a lot of time to aim and plan your shot much of the time in these circumstances. Bird shot is great because it has a wide impact area for shots that are pointed and not aimed so to speak. It also gives you a measure of "safety" should your home defense shot pass through a wall and pepper your neighbor's home where his children are sleeping.

Just something to think about. Think about all the different things that can happen to you AFTER choosing or being forced to take up a firearm for home defense. I am an NRA member and am a strong gun advocate, so don't get me wrong here. But we need INTELLIGENCE in gun ownership and use, not just the most firepower and disregard for the environment in which we shoot or might have to shoot.

-Chuck

 

I know what you are saying but you might as well use a bat because that bird shot just isn't effective. Like I said I've seen it in action at 15 feet and it won't even knock down a coyote.... 5 rounds, yes 5 at 15 feet will kill a little dog. I've also shot rats at 10 feet and not a whole lot of damage with bird shot.

Eliminate the threat, use the proper ammo. I'm not suggesting slugs, but buck shot. If it'll knock down a 200lb deer it'll do the same for a 200lb man.

 

Don't bet on that, multiple trauma effect takes over and can kill you faster than bleeding out!

Basically the body gets hit with so many small injuries that it just shuts down.

 

At 10 feet your pattern is barely opening. It's like being hit wit a slug... I patterend at 10 feet with my pheasnt loads for kicks, all but a few of the pellets were within a 2" circle.

 

I think you must not be hitting your target is all I can tell you. Without going into details... I KNOW #6's will knock a man backwards off a porch and kill him with one shot to the chest at 10 ft with a Rem 870 30 in barrel...He was drawing a handgun on me at the time.

 

Springfield XDS 45. loaded with black talons(still have a few cases left before they pulled the ammo back in 2000). This is by far one of the best hand guns I've ever used and loaded with talons will cause some horrific damage. It is small, accurate, and has very light recoil(for a .45). Not to mention it has a 13 round mag capacity plus one chambered, I'd rather have 14 rounds of .45 than 16 in a junk 9mm. I keep a mag loaded and round in the chamber, never go to sleep without it in reach(i don't have kids so no safe for me). I am a very light sleeper but I also just got a new chocolate lab. Got her for hunting, companionship, and the fact labs are one of the best watch dogs. I don't need a guard dog, lab tells me someones here, i take care of the rest.

 

Original question has been answered a while back.

Now it's time for all of us to take off the ghillie suits and return to our regularly scheduled programing........