interesting opinions on the "best ammo"

[NiklasP]

All this concern about ammo is fine. However, one should never forget that really critical factor is where bullet, buckshot, birdshot, slug, whatever, hits the critter, man or beast.

Being a hunter all my life, much of it with rifles (various standard -32-20 and up- cartridges from 1870s-1890s, NOT modern magnums), most with shotguns, some with "wimpy" revolvers. One-shot kills were always the goal and very commonly the result. One-shot kills required proper shot placement, NOT the latest gee whizz cartridge or bullet.

It has often been noted here that most handguns used for self defence are unlikely to instantly stop an attack without proper placement of bullet. Unfortunately, being prey instead of hunter puts a defensive shooter at a major disadvantage as regards accurate shot placement. After shot placement, penetration rules, with more than minimal tissue disruption a poor second.

Niklas

 

[safearm]

I wrote this in another post, but it bears repeating. This is an edited version of an old Evan Marshall article. The author, "Anonymous," adds his opinions to material that has already been published, and doesn't have the courage or honesty to reveal his name. If I'm going to pay attention to someone's intellectual talent, they have to reveal who they are and use their own work. I don't think much of this article and it proves that there is a lot of questionable information on the 'net waiting for someone to grab it.

 

[Snowman366]

Originally posted by Ron H.:
Sir, no offense, but thugs are not made out of plaster or wood. I have to agree with Mr. flop-shank on this one.

...I would not trust any birdshot load to penetrate enough on a human target.

Same here. Birdshot way-too-often isn't effective on "large" people, or those wearing heavy clothing. One of our motorcycle officers was shot three times by a hold-up man with #6 shot a number of years ago. The officer was dressed in a leather police jacket with heavy winter-type underwear on under his uniform, and no ballistic vest. The light shot barely penetrated into his skin and was picked out with tweezers later at the ER, after he'd killed his attacker with return fire.

I know of three cases over my long career where light shot did the trick, but both were at muzzle-contact distances. Not to say that I'd ever wanna get shot with it, but jeez, I'd never want to stake my life on it working conclusively in any sort of anti-personnel shooting.

The #4 buckshot, that was so in vogue in the 1980's with the armchair ballistic cognoscenti in a number of large police agencies, was a very shallow penetrator on torso hits when heavy clothing was worn and/or the target was a large male.

 

[flop-shank]

Most of you know that I'm not, in most cases, a fan of heavy-for-caliber bullets for self defense. I prefer midweight projectiles. On the flipside, I've also said that I would rather have a bullet that's too heavy than too light. Overly heavy bullets don't usually lack in penetration. I feel the same way about shot from a scattergun. If I have any doubt that a shot size is too small to insure adequate penetration, then I'll move up in size until all doubt is removed.

 

[pps]

Lately the "best ammo" is simply that which you can get a hold of.