cowboy77845
Member
I asked my LGS for some #4 Buck shot. The clerk gave me what he said was #2 Buck. I did not check before I left the store. It was #2 steel shot, 3" shells at 1400+velocity. Will this suffice for a home defense round?
Annoyed or not, an intruder wouldn't be standing up vey long...Steel Birdshot for Home Defense
Paul tests the effectiveness of steel birdshot in a shotgun for home defense.Shirts and patches from Tristar Trading Co: https://alnk.to/6bSTELxOther platfor...www.youtube.com
No. You were given ammo meant for migratory birds, not defense. For some size comparison:
00 Buck: 0.330”
No. 2 Buck: 0.270”
No. 4 Buck: 0.240”
#2 Steel: 0.150”
Additionally, steel is less dense than lead which negatively impacts penetration.
If this is for defense, chalk it up as a lesson to verify what you’re buying and then go get the right ammo.
+1. When I was a (very) stupid teenager, I forgot a .410 was loaded, and blew a hole clean through the wall of our house from about that same 20 feet. It was #6 shot, 11/16 of an ounce, and a full choke. (These details are seared on my brain!) It left a hole about one inch across clean through wood paneling, sheet rock, insulation and siding. If a .410 and birdshot can do that through a wall, a 12 gauge could do it to a person.Before you get rid of the birdshot, pattern it at living room distances, you might like what you see. My adult daughter has a 3" chamber 20ga with #4 steel. It's a rathole pattern out to 20 feet.
Pump the gun and shoot again? If someone is in my house, I'll stop shooting when either a) the intruder is down or b) the gun is empty.A birdshot load might fail to stop an attacker.
Pump the gun and shoot again? If someone is in my house, I'll stop shooting when either a) the intruder is down or b) the gun is empty.
I personally use #4 buck for home defense. But right next to that is an 11-48 16 gauge full of #6 high brass. If I accidentally grab the wrong gun I'm not to worried; a load of #6 shot at 10 or 12 feet isn't something to sneeze at. All that to say, 3" #2 shot would be a powerful argument against just about anything that might go bump in the night.
Mac