When I was 12 years old I learned about the ineffectiveness of birdshot. My Mom and Dad owned a business property on the outskirts of a small town. Part of that business was a coin operated car wash. It was about one o'clock in the morning when I was awoken by loud noises coming from the direction of the carwash. Dad and I discovered two reprobates with a sledge hammer trying to bust the coin box out of the wall. Dad kept them cornered while mom called the Sheriff's Department. Rural county...small town...wee hours of the morning...after several calls no one showed up. The miscreants were building up their courage and threatening my dad who was holding a pump .22 rifle on them. Dad finally backed off and told them to leave. The rifle was loaded with .22 birdshot and he realized he was under gunned.

He used to sing the praises of how .22 birdshot was the perfect self defense round. You could stop people from doing bad things without killing them. After that incident the gun at the ready was a J.C. Higgins pump 12 gauge loaded with 00 buck. I guess he just moved up to shot for bigger birds.