Preference/evidence Q on pellet sizes (12 ga)

[Plinkeriffic]

Hey all,
Had a question about shot sizes (in 12 guage shells) for defense (read 'antipersonnel'). Much has been made about penetration on sheetrock and ballistic gelatin but I don't anticipate any home invasions by a gypsum-wielding blob.

My question surrounds the smallest effective shot sizes. I read that #4 buckshot has the greatest penetration/damage for # of pellets and comparable spreads for defense (wish I could link that one).

Basically, the idea was with spread, # of pellets, and penetration it goes down from the big spheres (00 and such) to #4 without losing penetration and obviously with more of them. I've also read that the smallest acceptable pellet for defense is BB, and I recently went with T shot as it is one size down from #4 buckshot at a much lower cost.

There is an F shot between T and #4 buck, and I believe F is .22 diameter where T is .20 Big enough to hurt ya like #4 but more of them per shot and less expensive (about $.72/per at a sporting goods store).

I would welcome any comments, especially on experience with T or F shot and studies regarding terminal ballistics of the small buckshot/large birdshot for defense.

Thanks for any insight you may have!

-Plinkeriffic

 

[Badger Arms]

Bottom line, 00 Buck is the benchmark standard for a reason. You get, with the 12-pellet load, an average penetration to hit vital organs reliably. The trick is to incapacitate your target. At ANY home defense range, 00 buck or any buckshot will spread no more than 9". More pellets don't mean much unless you just want your bad guy to bleed out. You need to destroy vital organs deep in the torso, break bones, and stop your attacker.

#4 is what I would consider the MINIMUM. The problem is that it does not reliably penetrate enough to guarantee that a torso shot will cause through-and-through penetration. Optimally, the pellets will dump all of their energy in the target and stop just under the skin on the back side of the bad guy. 00 buck comes the closest we can get to that.

#1 Buckshot: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=272614
General discussion: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=114677