shot through a rifled barrel
- Thread starter slipper
- Start date
- Location
- Vancouver BC
Well, there's only one way to find out for sure.
Experimentation ho!
Experimentation ho!
- Location
- Vancouver BC
To be honest, I didn't think it would actually happen, kinda cool.
Rifling will quickly turn your pattern to s**t. I have a .410/45LC that has a rifled barrel that has a "choke" in it that is designed to stop the spin of the wad/shot. So of course when i tried the gun for the first time i had to shoot it both ways. With the choke in i was getting decent patterns (for a .410) out to 20-25 yards' but with the choke out there was hardly a pellet on paper at 10 yards.
Using birdshot for self defense is one of the dumber things I've ever heard. Please tell me you don't do this?
juancarlos
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- The Island
If you have neighbours or family on the other side of a wall I would say it's the perfect load. In addition, it's a wider spread pattern and harder to miss in a high stress situation. But there is lots of threads on this.
If you are that worried about over penetration, then you should not be using a firearm, period.
If you intend to shoot at a threat, you should be shooting to stop the threat immediately. Chances are, birdshot will not do this, especially in dynamic shooting situations where the threat is not standing still waiting to be shot by you.
Birdshot has very poor penetrating ballistics. Penetration decreases further if the threat is wearing heavy clothing, such as winter apparel which is worn 6+ months of the year in Canada. The FBI pours a lot of time and money into studying terminal ballistics. Ever since the famous Hollywood shootout, the FBI has become very interested in how different calibers performed when shot through medium that is similar to a human body. They have concluded through all their extensive studies that a projectile must have the ability to penetrate at least 12" through the human body to be reliably effective at dropping a two-legged threat. No birdshot is capable of this.
If I'm in a self defense situation, I want to give myself the biggest advantage reasonably possible. Birdshot will only reduce that advantage, especially if the threat is wielding a firearm. Shotguns in general are poor defense firearms, but better than nothing. But that's a completely separate discussion.
If overpenetration is your main concern, then get a properly trained guard dog to protect you and your family. That's better than any firearm for home defense. If you are relying on birdshot to defend your family, you are relying on a lot of luck.
If you intend to shoot at a threat, you should be shooting to stop the threat immediately. Chances are, birdshot will not do this, especially in dynamic shooting situations where the threat is not standing still waiting to be shot by you.
Birdshot has very poor penetrating ballistics. Penetration decreases further if the threat is wearing heavy clothing, such as winter apparel which is worn 6+ months of the year in Canada. The FBI pours a lot of time and money into studying terminal ballistics. Ever since the famous Hollywood shootout, the FBI has become very interested in how different calibers performed when shot through medium that is similar to a human body. They have concluded through all their extensive studies that a projectile must have the ability to penetrate at least 12" through the human body to be reliably effective at dropping a two-legged threat. No birdshot is capable of this.
If I'm in a self defense situation, I want to give myself the biggest advantage reasonably possible. Birdshot will only reduce that advantage, especially if the threat is wielding a firearm. Shotguns in general are poor defense firearms, but better than nothing. But that's a completely separate discussion.
If overpenetration is your main concern, then get a properly trained guard dog to protect you and your family. That's better than any firearm for home defense. If you are relying on birdshot to defend your family, you are relying on a lot of luck.
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
Maybe when folks nowadays think of "bird shot", you think of upland/target loads or steel. I've killed wolves and coyotes with birdshot ( 3" BB lead) at up to 40 yards with the proper choke. I don't think it's quite as useless as some make it out to be and I'd definitely want to be more than "arms length" away from any shotgun firing any bird shot at me, even if it's out of a rifled barrel.
But yeah, rifled barrels and shot don't make a good combo for consistent patterns, I've tried it out of my 870.
But yeah, rifled barrels and shot don't make a good combo for consistent patterns, I've tried it out of my 870.
juancarlos
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- The Island
I disagree plain and simple. When you kill that intruder and your family member or neighbour on the other side of the wall I think it will be a world of hurt. Canada does not have a castle law so loading anything meant to "kill" such as slugs or Buckshot, you had better be certain your life is in danger and you can prove it, if you pull that trigger. Birdshot to the body or legs from typical distances in a house will be effective IMO and you may then be able to prove you weren't trying to kill someone just for being in your house.
So we disgree, this is fine, it's a forum. However telling someone they are dumb or their idea is dumb because they have a different opinion than you? I don't know why you would do that.
Doesn't matter what the gun is loaded with, if you fire at someone it is with the intent to kill, plain and simple.I know the court will agree with me on that.
I guess we'll just have to disagree. I truly hope you never have to find out if your birdshot works or not.
