Wisdom From The Cactus Mailing List

Hi List,

Part of my work is to train the nice policemen how to shoot people better. Part of this is giving shotgun lessons using (mostly) the Remington Model 870 12 gauge in various barrel configurations. Or, sometimes, an officer's own personal Mossturd.

My demonstration begins with firing one round of factory buckshot, either 00 or (more often) 000 at a B-27 silhouette target from a distance of fifty yeards. I then take the whole class to the target so they can see where the buckshot went.

While they are gawking at the target, I explain that 000 Buckshot is about 9mm or a little bigger, and that each pellet weighs about the same as a standard .380 ACP slug and moreover, these pellets arrive at the target at approximately the same velocity (for the distance) as a
standard factory .380 ACP FMJRN slug.

This makes an impression on them because, this one-shot, fifty-yard target usually has only one (1) hole on it, usually in the midsection. A really good barrel may put two or three pellets (out of a standard load of eight pellets) on the B-27 target at fifty yards. To discourage negativism, I then point out that the "wound" represented on the target almost certainly would mean that the injured party would need to go to the hospital emergency room within only a few hours depending, thereupon to be arrested, --and that the officer's next-of-kin will find this
comforting.

A similar effort is attempted at 40 yards where an additional hit or two usually will have registered. Of course, the officers get the same pep-talk. They rarely say anything because they're too busy thinking pretty much the same thoughts as they had at 50 yards.

Interestingly, at 30 yards with large buckshot the police shotgun starts to get to work, and at 25 yards matters really get serious. At 15 yards, the result would horrify liberals.

....I need to interpret the term "police shotgun" as I use it: over the years I've found that the so-called "deerslug" barrel, a smoothbore tube set up specifically for shooting rifled slugs accurately, is an excellent alternative for police work: it indeed DOES shoot slugs VERY
accurately, and ALSO patterns buckshot pretty well, depending.

I want to make this technicality understood, because the traditional police "Riot" barrel is about as useless as teats on a boar hog. It patterns wretchedly and usually is even worse with rifled slugs. In an era wherein the police are obliged to account for each pellet in a load of buckshot, the decision to issue "Riot" barrels is fraught with liability issues relative to public endangerment. ...But, of course, if a nice, short "Riot" barrel were installed with Remchokes, all this criticism would be obsolete.

Personally, I take the view that the bigger the buckshot pellets, generally the better. However, at closer ranges such as in a house or other short distance situations, a strong case can be made for using smaller buckshot such as #4 Buck. These little guys can be VERY lethal at close ranges, certanly from about 13 yards and closer.

All of this can be tested for just a few dollars of factory ammo and a few more dollars for proper targets. And, I should add, a few 1"-thick clear pine boards of recent vintage. This is one time when the over-century-old military standard for lethal penetration might still be useful. You may recall, the U.S. Army felt that penetration of a 1" pine board corresponded to a "dangerous wound." ...Of course, that was prior to any awareness of dangerous drugs such as "Angel Dust" and PCP. With those drugs influencing Mr. Scroat, politically incorrect wounds are essential to stopping the miscreant before he kills everyone near.

So, enough random observations. Hope this lends a measure of perspective. If anyone considers using buckshot for anything at all, it would be prudent to experiment with it in the intended gun, first.

Paladin

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -- PJ O'Rourke