I am sure this has been gone over many times here, but thought this was a good video showing both bird shot and 00 buck through several interior walls.
If it has been posted before I am sorry.
Just walls - bird shot and 00 buck
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOUyLz8Rsr8&feature=related
Walls with a pumpkin used as a simulated head - bird shot and 00 buck
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSOWpy5OKSc&feature=relmfu
This is eye-opening, as are the other videos associated with it. I’m going to run a test with the #4 Buck 12g and #3 Buck 20g that I use for HD as soon as I can. I’ll be sure to video and post the results.
Yeah it was a little surprising to me as well. It is really making me want to go out and run a few test myself. I didn’t expect that much penetration from the bird shot. Hell, even the 00 buck penetrated more than I thought it would as it went through all 3 walls and still damaged the tree behind the test set up.
What exactly is surprising about this?
Birdshot and buckshot go through walls. Anything that will reliably stop a bad guy is going to go through walls, sometimes several of them. Going through drywall is not that special. You can punch through drywall. I have several of those 5" plastic discs on my walls because my kids opening a door too hard punched a hole in a wall.
And I wouldn’t say that pumpkins are representative of the human skull in anything other than the general shape.
Didn’t find it particularly eye-opening either.
Drywall isn’t a bullet stopper. Period.
The bird shot is what I thought was a little surprising. I had no doubt it would go through walls, I just didn’t think it would make it through all of those is all. I had no doubt about the buck shot.
Understood, but again I wouldn’t get too worked up about it.
You can push and punch through drywall. Doorknobs go through drywall. I’ve seen a .22 go through three walls, a jacket sleeve, and then fall into the pocket.
If you’re simply looking at the effects of birdshot and buckshot on construction materials and a squash, I guess this video fits. That’s about the complete utility of the videos.
m24shooter is absolutely correct, there is NOTHING at all surprising about what is shown on these video’s for anyone who has spent even a small amount of time studying a portion of the valid wound ballistic literature that has been published in the past 30 years…
I’d be more interested in seeing the results of different ammo hitting two layers of dry wall and a brick exterior.
I don’t want rounds exiting my brick house and hitting the neighbors house.
Well I’ll say that I had assumed that bird shot was def the way to go in a home, its currently loaded in my 870, and not being one to study bird shot ballistics. I’m glad the video was posted cuz I just had a daughter ten days ago and if the unlikely situation arises where I’m shooting with others in the house I’m going to be more aware, not that I would have neglected it, then I would have previously. Thanks for the post…and great forum!!!
edit…
I do however wish they would have done one with the pumpkin, then the walls as I don’t much intend on shooting inside my house and missing…
If your shotgun is loaded with birdshot as a “home defense” round you might as well put it in the safe and get a bat.
It’s worthless as a man stopper.
6ft tall, 210 lbs, black belt, Marine, dabbled in knife fighting, I dont want to stop them silly, I just want them stunned so I can take a Ka-Bar to them…
You may want to look at the terminal ballistics on birdshot; I would not use it in a defensive gun.
I have two kids in my house as well, but birdshot is just not a solid fight stopper. It is even moreso because I have kids in my house that I want to remove as much chance from the equation as I can and stop a threat to them as quickly and reliably as possible. For that reason, I use buckshot in my shotguns at home.
With proper load selection, you can get 5.56 loads that will retain terminal ballistics without the danger to unintended targets that shotgun loads will have.
However, the best way to reduce that possiblity is to hit your target in the first place.
DocGKR has a lot of information on both terminal and intermediate ballistics on this site. They should be read by both the home defender and the professional. There is a lot of very good info for both.
Not to change subjects but I was wondering about using the 5.56 in a home defense, where could I read up on that? I’ve always been kind of weary of using that weapon system inside my own house. Since I cant exactly afford a mansion, I just always figured the way to go, assuming your dealing with 2-3 targets MAX, that cqb wise you couldnt beat a 12 ga.
To paraphrase: in dealing with an unarmored target at close range the shotgun is capable of dealing damage beyond other weapons.
If you want to read up on the 5.56 performance, look through the tacked threads here. Lots of info there.
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=19881
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=56486
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=44869
I believe that there is some info in the Terminal Ballistics section. In addition, if you are facing a multiple threat, unless you are very proficient with the pump shotgun you stand a better chance with a semi auto rifle.
YMMV.
NO doubt there…and I’m glad you brought up that point. I wouldnt go so far as to say I’m a dragon slayer with my 870…I’m not bad. I do think you just gave me an amazing excuse to hit up Adair range with the 870 as I have a spent a fair amount of time transfering from a dry shotty to a sidearm, I’ve only spent a limited amount of time hitting skattered multiple targets with the 870. Thanks…
If you are ever up for a road trip to Phoenix let me know. There is a small cabal of us here.
Could always look at good ole boxoftruth.com
Also don’t forget that if a bad guy ever took your wife or kid hostage, I would MUCH rather have an AR than a 12 ga. in my hands IF I ABSOLUTELY HAD TO take that hostage shot.
Obviously this situation is very much less than ideal, and the possibility if it happening is slim, but it’s just food for thought.
But that’s why we train right? For those “less than ideal” situations that we might have to act upon if there’s no other way out.