Slug vs shot

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CMichael

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I was trying to bring this up before but they closed the thread on me after my first post. To close to the trigger finger.

When I was at Dick's the firearms guy is also a police officer and a sniper.

He recommended for home defense slugs, even Brenbekes (sp?). I got 10 slugs.

I got a bit confused though. I thought shot would be better because it spreads more and slugs could go through the wall.

What do you all think about this?

Also just something was discussed before it doesn't mean that there can't be more contributions to the same topic. If we didn't discuss anything that we discussed before we would run out of topics extremely quickly.
 
Hey there CMichael,

Gotta disagree with you about running out of topics extremely quickly. I'm also willing to bet that you still didn't bother to do a search since this is a subject that has been drilled into the ground, usually by people who don't bother to look up the collected wisdom of shotgunners at this site.

Before this post gets closed, let's just say that shot and slugs both have their uses and applications. At close ranges (under 10 yards) buckshot doesn't open up much to differ from slug ammo, it is just a bunched up group of lead balls. Buckshot is best applied at short ranges up to 25 or so yards. Beyond that range, the buckshot will spread too much and slugs would be better applied. Slugs are generally used up to 100 yards out. Slugs close-up may also have overpenetration problems which makes it dangerous for urban applications like apartment or tract housing.

Finally, you don't really need any "magnum" loads for SD. They'll just hurt your shoulder, have larger flashes at night and be harder to control.
 
It sounds to me like your source, at the aptly named Dick's, is full of Caca Del Toro.

The Govt database I used to access is closed to me since retirement, but as I recall, they reported a one shot stop rate of 99%, regardless of load or gauge.

IOW,000 and 9 shot are statistically identical as to effectiveness.

If there's any top quality instructors out there that advocate slugs instead of shot for HD, I'm unaware of them.

Again check the Archives,and save us some typing. If after that, there's still some questions, ask away or PM me....
 
I'm with Dave on this one. The purpose of slugs is to extend your range beyond the effective range of buckshot. In other words, for the times when you'd really rather have a rifle, but all you've got is your shotgun.

If your living room is more than 40 yards long, sure go for the slugs ;)

M1911
 
When I was at Dick's the firearms guy is also a police officer and a sniper.

He recommended for home defense slugs, even Brenbekes (sp?). I got 10 slugs.

What do you all think about this?

I think the guy at Dick's is a wanna be cop / mall ninja.
 
Hi CWL,

Respecfully you would have lost the bet. I did check the archives but they didn't cover what I wanted to discuss.

Actually the Dick's guy showed a picture on the back of a box of slugs of how slugs mushroom when they hit their target.

This seems to be what we want. Once we hit the target if it mushrooms and rips up the insides it seems to insure max damage to the target, no?

Michael:cool:
 
Actually the Dick's guy showed a picture on the back of a box of slugs of how slugs mushroom when they hit their target.
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I wouldn't believe everything you read or see in marketing literature. For one thing, there are many factors that go into terminal ballistics: target (soft or hard), obstacle (brush, walls, clothing), angle of impact (square on or glancing blow), velocity of projectile, etc.

Despite years of testing, I don't think there is any ballistic gelatin that accurately reproduces the terminal ballistics of a bullet in human flesh, bone, organs, and body cavities. So test rounds into gelatin may show dramatic "wound channels" and bullet expansion, that doesn't equate to what will actually occur inside a human target. Even live animal targets are likely to give different results (with a pig probably being the closest approximation).

I'm not saying that a slug won't mushroom, but take the marketing hype--and the "Dick's guy"--with a big spoon of salt.

This seems to be what we want. Once we hit the target if it mushrooms and rips up the insides it seems to insure max damage to the target, no?
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If you think that mushroomed slugs will create a large wound channel, imagine what nine dispersed 00 balls of hot lead--each almost the size of a 9mm bullet and collectively weighing over 1 oz--will do when they impact your target and start heading in different directions inside the body, bouncing off bones, livers, kidneys, and such. Just plain nasty! :eek:
 
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