if the buck goes through the BG and continues on through a wall what difference does it make if the pattern was tight or not,
Buckshot isn't likely to penetrate through and through. I cannot remember the numbers exactly, but it seems like only OO buck will penetrate more than 12" of ballistic gelatin. Remember that the gelatin doesn't have clothing or bones.
If 6, 7 1/8 or even 8 birdshot will stop the situation with minimal risk to others than I'll try that before shucking in the loaded and ready buck. If not, then as I posted before, I'll do what I have to do. But I'll try the low-risk way before endangering my family unnecassarily
You are pretty risk averse. Maybe you should consider blanks? I'm only kidding a little. No, I'm kidding alot.
The problem is that IF you ever need a weapon and if it comes to pass that you need to fire it in defense of yourself or others, you should not assume that you can fire these two warning shots with basically less than lethal bird shot. In the two seconds it takes to fire the birdshot and get to the real ammo, it may be too late for you or your family. (OK, OK. Not really less than lethal, but somehow the crackheads always survive this stuff, but the innocent all-American kid who has an AD catches one richochet pellet in the external jugular and dies before EMS arrives. Crackhead/methheads are probably the ones that will be kicking your door in, not the all-American kid.)
Seriously, your goals are admirable. We all want a smart ammo that immediately stops bad guys but doesn't harm innocents. But just going to a small birdshot doesn't meet your goal. The problem is that the average wall, drywall, offers almost no resistance. Even little birdshot will penetrate it. See the box-o-truth thing for confirmation of that. With 7 1/2 you will still be running the risk of that any missed shot will penetrate the wall and be into the next room. It's a fact. Conversely, as poor as drywall is at stopping birdshot, other things, like leather, canvas, or cotton clothing, or even flesh and bone, are fairly effective at stopping it. So you end up with birdshot not being an effective load for a human, yet it WILL still penetrate a drywall. A LOSE-LOSE proposition.
Moreover, are you really lessening the odds of stray pellets if you choose a round that ensures you have to pump the entire tube of ammo into the methhead when maybe one round of buckshot would have been more effective?
I do think that if I were to use a birdshot, it would be the largest I could get, BB or 2 lead. Certainly not 7-9. Duck or turkey loads over quail loads for sure.
Just wondering, do you use birshot loads in your pistols also? Why not?
Good post, M2. I would also suggest teaching the kids to hit the floor (yes I know about skipping but you're probably shooting centermass) and get to cover if they here a confrontation. Last post from me, M2. I promise. I know you got my point.