Bad info that just won't go away

[RWK]

Not only will it not go away, it keeps being perpetuated!

Yesterday I happened to watch a little bit of an episode of "The Best Defense" on the Outdoor Channel. Rob Pincus advocated birdshot for use in a defensive shotgun and Larry Potterfield talked about the "knockdown power" of the .357 Magnum.

Between this and "Personal Defense TV", I sometimes find myself wondering why I torture myself by watching those shows...

[Saginaw79]

Unless Im being attacked by Birds, Im using bigger shot, like 00 or 000

My other favorite myth is that .223 and 5.56 are the same round

My all time one is that crap about a "Gun in the home is 43% more likely to be used to harm you or a family member than protect you"

[Jim from Houston]

As in many things, the truth about these matters is, I guess, too mundane and wouldn't make good TV.

Still, amazing that people will still do the "knockdown power" stuff, since that's even been debunked in the very public context of "Mythbusters", where they tried to make a crash test dummy of human size and weight "move" by shooting it, and could not do so even with bursts of full auto from an MP5, 12 gauge slugs, and finally, shots from a Barrett .50 rifle. That dummy wasn't movin' anywhere.

[larry0071]

My other favorite myth is that .223 and 5.56 are the same round

What is the difference? I understand that 5.56 is typicall loaded hotter and has a higher velocity, also that the 5.56 is a couple mills fatter on the case. Is the velocity a bunch higher or is it a small and slight advantage?

[John_Wayne777]

Not only will it not go away, it keeps getting perpetuated!

Yesterday I happened to watch a little bit of an episode of "The Best Defense" on the Outdoor Channel. Rob Pincus advocated birdshot for use in a defensive shotgun and Larry Potterfield talked about the "knockdown power" of the .357 Magnum.

Between this and "Personal Defense TV", I sometimes find myself wondering why I torture myself by watching those shows...

Sometimes they present decent stuff. Sometimes they present stuff so bad it makes my hair hurt. I distinctly recall one episode of one of the shows where a couple of guys were debating what made the best long gun for home defense. One spoke of adding lights and lasers to the Ruger Mini-14 for the "intimidation factor"....

I watched most of that stuff last night and Bane's show did a whole episode with Pincus. It was...interesting.

[OPPFOR]

As in many things, the truth about these matters is, I guess, too mundane and wouldn't make good TV.

Still, amazing that people will still do the "knockdown power" stuff, since that's even been debunked in the very public context of "Mythbusters", where they tried to make a crash test dummy of human size and weight "move" by shooting it, and could not do so even with bursts of full auto from an MP5, 12 gauge slugs, and finally, shots from a Barrett .50 rifle. That dummy wasn't movin' anywhere.

Wait just a minute!!! You mean to tell me 12 guage slugs won't pick a man up off his feet and throw him back 10 feet?????

I think Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme would beg to differ.

[Littlelebowski]

What is the difference? I understand that 5.56 is typicall loaded hotter and has a higher velocity, also that the 5.56 is a couple mills fatter on the case. Is the velocity a bunch higher or is it a small and slight advantage?

Dude, just look it up. Not trying to be a pain here but that's been covered several times in many places.

[Jim from Houston]

Wait just a minute!!! You mean to tell me 12 guage slugs won't pick a man up off his feet and throw him back 10 feet?????

I think Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme would beg to differ.

Yeah, you know, what I've always REALLY hated is, ya know, when you're hunting, and you shoot a deer with a 12 gauge slug, and they go flying through the air in slow motion, tumbling end-over-end, and then end up stuck-up in the branches of some tree 20 feet away...damn, such a bitch to get'em out of those trees...really should use a less poweful weapon with less "knockdown" power to save the recovery work.

Seriously though...I can't understand how anyone who's ever been hunting can believe half of this firearms bull-puckey that's floating around out there...

[LittleRedToyota]

Seriously though...I can't understand how anyone who's ever been hunting can believe half of this firearms bull-puckey that's floating around out there...

only thing i can figure is they never actually hit a deer...

shot at one, yep. hit it, apparently not.

[Cameron]

I like gun myths like these, I am always telling non gun people I carry a .45 that even if I hit a BG in the pinky finger all his arms and legs will be blown off.

Cameron