12 gauge wad for home defense?

I

inchrisin

Inactive
I'm not here to take a side on buck or bird shot. I'm kind of curious to know what you all think about the wad (in either). I've watched a lot of youtube videos with gel tests, (so they must be true). It looks like either way, with bird shot, or buck shot, the wad does the most damage to a gel block. Why would anyone be afraid to use bird or buck shot when they know that they are just as likely to land a wad to a target inside of their home?
 
I am not sure if I understand your question. Are you asking about loads with just a wad and no shot at all loaded? Or, are you asking if a wad does more damage than the shot itself?
 
I should have specified. I'm saying that regardless of load (bird or buck), don't you kind of feel reassured that you're protected in your home because the wad is going to tear through what it needs to anyway?

^^^Not trying to say that it's an empty load in the shell with just the wad, powder and primer.
 
The wad isn't going to do any damage - it's a piece of plastic that weighs about 17 grains. The pellets do the damage, not the wad - it merely holds the shot load together through the barrel
 
It looks like either way, with bird shot, or buck shot, the wad does the most damage to a gel block.
Click to expand...

So to answer the OPs question about whether the light plastic wad weighting almost nothing does more damage than 1.25 oz of lead balls?

Hmmm.... :confused:

Um. No.

Unless you have an articulated reason to worry about using buckshot, then stick with 00, 01, or 04 buckshot for close range home defense for 99% of situations.

Edited to add: If it appears the wad has done damage to the gel, it's likely because it follows the huge hole carved out by the oz or more of lead paving a path.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhZf_x8Esms

In the above slow motion video, the shot clearly does the destruction and often the wad doesn't even hit the gel or penetrate at all.
 
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I cant begin to count the number of wads if found stuck in a cardboard target or backer.

If the wad will not even go thru a piece of cardboard, how does it do any damage to a person?
 
In the old days, CIL made a 12 gauge blank(that word was on the shell in big black letters) for dog trials, etc. It had a 2" wood fibre wad that would go right through a 2 x 4 at 10 yards.
A plastic wad is slowing as it comes out off the shot and is falling.
 
NEVER... EVER EVER EVER use birdshot for home defense... EVER. #4 buck provides the absolute minimal penetration needed for home defense. I recommend to anyone that will listen, to use #1 buck. It provides very near the same penetration as 0 buck, but you get more pellets per round, and less chance of over penetration.

The wad itself doesn't have enough force to even penetrate clothing. Depending upon the wad and the range the shot/buck may not even have fully exited the wad, which could give the illusion that it is the wad that is doing damage.
 
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