- SurvivalBlog.com - https://survivalblog.com -

Letter Re: Birdshot Ineffective as a Home Defense Load

Dear Jim,
Over the years I’ve probably given away five cases of your novel to friends and family, and I think the updated version is outstanding! Thank you so much for all that you’ve done to promote personal responsibility.

Regarding the post on your home page about birdshot versus buckshot, I couldn’t agree more! I’m an instructor with [name of major firearms training school deleted for OPSEC [1]] and this myth of birdshot being the best home defense round is a constant battle with many of our new shotgun students. As you already know, birdshot, when fired within 5′ of drywall will act just like a slug, and tag anything directly on the other side full-on. However, at 8 yards, it won’t even penetrate a leather jacket. You might as well use slugs! All one needs to do is ask Dick Cheney about the lethality of birdshot when applied to humans.

However, if there ever was a small arms munition which has a proven track record of ending people, it’s 00 [“double aught”] buckshot. Granted, it may not end them now (which is the immediate issue in a defensive situation), but of the emergency room doctors I’ve polled, none have ever had to treat buckshot wounds to the torso because those all go to the morgue.

Lastly, there is a brand of shotgun round called Polyshok [2] which has officially become the only thing I load in my defensive shotguns. Rather than bore you with two pages of opinion, got to the web site and check out all of the demo videos. No one lives when hit with it. A hit in a limb will mean, at the very least, loss of it – but anywhere near the chest cavity or head is instant death. You’ll see in the demos how it is also perfect for home defense (no over penetration), and it recoils like birdshot! The only catch is that the manufacturer will only sell to police and military. It’s not illegal to own, just a company rule. I’m sure, however, you know a cop or two who can get hold of a box to demo. It’s $2 a round, but worth every penny. Thanks again! – Fergie