Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Governor at the range. My video of what ammo works best.

It was a unusually warm day today in Central Pa. so I did a video selection of the most popular choices of ammo for the Governor.
I test the new Hornady Triple Defense, Winchester PDX1 triple disc, Federal 000 buck, Winchester 45LC 225 Long Colt.0





My full review of the Governor here:
"http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1980-present/289833-governor-fires-judge-finally-taurus-free-governor-review.html"

I feel sorry for any perp that gets killed by one of those things.



Travis

Great review! Thanks

The Governor is on my short list of guns I need to own

I think you need a new list.



Travis

Bahaha! Agreed.

Serious question for yall? Why would this not make an excellent self defense handgun? For one, its a revolver and for two, you can see from the video that it is accurate and apparently quite deadly. Not to mention you can use .45acp as well

Excellent? In a word, NO!!

It's massive, and .410 looks really impressive when it hits paper. But what does it translate to when it hits tissue? How far do those pellets penetrate?

They're gimmick guns where defense is concerned. Outside of about 10 yards, the patterns open up pretty big, and both hits on target and penetration become even more of an issue.

For snakes, using Fiocci #9 shot in .410 they're absolutely awesome. But who has snake problems so bad they need a dedicated snake gun?

As a defensive revolver in .45 Colt; now it's decent. The .45 Colt is a first rate defensive cartridge, not some silly gimmick like the .410. But then you have to ask. If I wanted a large bore revolver for self defense, why saddle myself with a HUGE 5 shot with marginal accuracy? Why not just get a REAL revolver in the cartridge you want?

These things sell because they play off the ignorance of people who don't really know their guns (I'm not trying to be rude, just stating the facts...there's no shame in being ignorant of how guns really work; we all were beginners at some point).

Shotgun cartridges are most effective in long guns. Even in a long gun, .410 wouldn't be my first choice.

If you want a revolver for self defense, then just buy a real revolver and be done with it.

No one seriously considers a 410 shotgun an ideal weapon for self defense. The shotgun will get about 1200 fps the revolver 410 will be lucky to get 600 fps if that much. The huge cylinder to accept the shot she'll is overly long for the 45 Colt and that is not conducive to accuracy. These type weapons excel at nothing.

KevinGibson and jwp475 nailed it! Good posts.

Awesome test! I need one of these!

Eric

Having hunted small game with a .410 handgun at very close ranges, I can tell you, you'd be seriously hindering yourself by this choice.



Travis

Meh...
I bought the Taurus Judge out of curiosity to go test it out. I have a large handgun collection and it wasn't untill I did some shooting and killing with it that I started to see the beauty and knew it was more than a novelty when used correctly.. At that point, it was time to step up to the much better quality Governor with night sights.
I have killed several farm animals with my Judge that I owned at the time. One hog we put down was shot (10 feet) in the head with the Federal 000 buck and it blew its skull into mush. Another pig we put down and it was smaller in size and it took the top of its skull completely off. Its all about the ammo you use in these. The shot pistol is like fire, scarry at first but very usefull when used correctly with the right ammo. It makes a great Personal Defense weapon when you stick to the 000 Buck, 45LC. Its even a better trail gun. I have killed countless grey squirrels with Federal #4 shot. After owning both, I can tell you the Governor keeps a much tighter pattern and was more accurate than my Judge.

The Federal 000buck does NOT open that much more past 10 yards. Even 20 yards its the size of a 5" circle. The 000Buck is where its at with these guns. The standard 410 loads are crap in these pistols. Even with Shot Pistol specific loads like #4 are not that great for a human and what I use for squirrels and small game at reasonably close distances.

The empirical data is there.... This is a 10 yard shot with 000Buck. 30 feet is longer than most anyone's room in their house. The idea is to stagger the cylinder with 000Buck and 45LC to handle the very rare scenario you are defending your self past the 15-20 yard mark. At that point you better have a hell of a lawer for engaging much past that.
Even old Hickock45 can see the beauty.

How can you possibly argue with 4 36caliber balls in a 2" group at 10 yards???
Its accurate as hell and very controllable. Its all about the ammo.



At 29.5oz, its lighter than its size would have you believe. Carry it on the belt in a good holster or good shoulder rig and you won't know its there.

I think some of you experts are missing the point. Most self defense and police shootings are inside 7 yard and a large number are within touching distance. Any .410 ammunition you put in the chamber will work well at that range. The trouble with .45 colt or .45 acp ammo is over penetration. Make yourself up a fake studded wall with drywall on both sides and test your preferred ammo on that. Now just imagine, in the dark in the middle of the night in your house. Your kids might be on the other side of the wall from the burglar in your house. In that case bird shot might be the best. I can't imagine a better handgun for such a scenario. The only thing better would have been my trained police K-9, but he's long gone.

Well I couldn't disagree with you more.

I'm not saying it's worthless, because for home defense at those sorts of ranges it will probably work; it's just far from ideal. If you're thinking birdshot out of a .410 you may be in for a rude awakening. In 16 years on the street as a Paramedic, I've had several people shot with birdshot. Including those shot in the chest inside of 10 yards. EVERY last one still had fight in them if they chose to. With 12ga buckshot, inside of 20 yards, I've yet to treat a single victim; all were declared dead at the scene.

Look up birdshot ballistics gelatin testing and you'll see that from a 12ga it MIGHT reach deep enough to hit vitals from a frontal shot. Now if it's iffy with a 12ga from an 18" barrel, how well do you think it's going to work from a .410 with a 3" barrel?

As for misses and walls...Simply put, if you have family in other rooms, you just can't afford a miss. ANYTHING that will penetrate soft tissue enough to reach the vitals will zip right through wall board. Actually wall board is easier to penetrate than living tissue. Fire a pellet gun at a ham, and then shoot it at a couple pieces of wall board; it's interesting.

So what you want to know for home defense is not so much will it penetrate walls if I miss (yes it will, if it won't; it's inadequate for defense); but will it penetrate a wall AFTER going through a human torso...now THAT's over-penetration for home defense.

Hey, before I became a paramedic I thought the same thing you do. I thought birdshot out of a shotgun would be perfect for home defense. When I started treating ACTUAL shooting victims, it was a real wake up call. In fact, I'm generally not real impressed with shotguns. Inside 20 yards with #4 or larger BUCKSHOT, they're devastating. Outside 20 yards, I've never seen a fatality from a shotgun with buckshot.

So for .410 buckshot, inside of 7 yards it's probably marginally adequate. Understand that you're talking very small round ball projectiles. Round balls have very little sectional density. 000 buck which is (IIRC) .36 caliber at about 70 grains per projectile. So think of a handgun shooting a 70 grain bullet at only 700 fps. That's a touch less than a .32 ACP, but with only about half the sectional density of the .32 ACP (stop and think about that...a .32 ACP that penetrates half as far; how much confidence do you have in that?). So even if there are a dozen balls (and there aren't in a .410), if none of them reach a sufficient depth, what then do you have?

So the Governor/Judge is an adequate defensive revolver. In .45 Colt, I would use a bullet in the 200-230 grain JHP load which should be just about ideal for a dedicated inside the home load. Use that and you have as good of a load as you can ask for from most any handgun. The Governor only has 5 shots, but if you make them count, it will get the job done.

So if that's what you have, you can be quite well armed. If I were buying a new gun, I would just buy a normal revolver in the caliber that suits me.

Just don't get caught up in the .410 hype because that's all it is. Sure it will get the job done at very short range. But what if someone's holding your loved one hostage at 10 yards away; you wanna take that shot with a .410 buckshot load? What if your assailant is 20 yards away shooting at you. I haven't seen a 12 ga shooing buckshot ever kill anyone beyond 20 yards; you really think a 3" .410's going to get the job done?

The Governor has 6 shots. The skulls I shot were penetrated thoroughly and the smaller skull I shot penetrated completely through, blowing it apart.. It had enough kinetic energy. Shooting a thinner human head would equal a closed casket. The getting shot by 4 rounds at the same time in a very small point of impact is what amplifies its effectiveness. If you don't have confidence in your weapon then I understand. Having owned one and tested it out way beyond what the average owner can do certainly brings more clarity to its potential and actual field performance. I certainly would take a head shot at 10yards with 000Buck or 45LC if the opertunity called for it.
Considering the Governor can shoot 410, 45LC and 45acp, its almost a perfect weapon for a gun owner with multiple calibers and likes to reload. The versatility is unmatched by any other handgun. Consider it just another tool in the toolbox of handguns. Its just more of a multi tool.

Shotgun revolvers are an answer to a question that was never asked. Poor performance with bird shot, and why even shoot buckshot? The spread is not exactly going to clear any hallways. Just shoot a bullet and do the job correctly. But then you're packing a big, ridiculous, unwieldy proposition that is better suited to the set of Hellboy than the streets.

It seems like they sell well with the Bubba crowd; S&W will probably make some money off of them and their stocks will increase, so there is one upside!

Poor performance with birdshort on humans. What buckshot is supose to clear a hall way anyway??? The gun is multi dementianal and can be used with personal defense, critter hunting. survival, pests in areas you don't want ricochets, etc,... They also make a hell of a swamp gun. It goes well beyond just the bad guy in my house scenario. I suppose you would actually have to own one to have any educated experience on its potential. Just because a gun may not fit "your" ideology doesn't mean its wrong or inferior.

What is the "Bubba" crowd??

Exactly.



The uniformed, typically overweight, Team Realtree clad, Outdoor Channel watching buyer with more money than sense who purchases the Taurus Judge, Butt-Out tool, and camo wallet. Bubba often can be seen in his natural environment, at the Wal-Mart gun counter spouting off complete BS to anyone who will listen. Alternatively he comes on internet forums to preach more of the same.

Regional variations abound, including Self-Defense Bubba, Tacticool Bubba, and Backpacking Bubba.

Hmm... Never occurred for me to classify someone that way....

Can't forget archery only bubba, ATV bubba, or beer drinking bubba.

I once had a Thunder 5, similar concept.

It went down the road.

DF

I've been around a Taurus Judge enough to know it's a silly concept. A regular revolver will take shot capsules for snakes, so there's really no advantage to the shotgun/revolver.

Another issue which I have yet to see addressed regarding shotgun revolvers is the lack of adjustable sights. If you decided to use one for hunting you are pretty much SOL if your loads don't shoot to POA. A full framed handgun that sucks for hunting, yet has a sight system normally found on concealed carry revolvers...which it's not worth a crap for either because it's huge.

I'm not real sure what the shotgun/revolver is good for, other than separating Bubba from his money.

I've owned two Judges and a Governor. The Governor is the correct execution of the concept the Judge popularized. I've shot them extensively as some of the posters on this thread know.

The bottom-line on the Judge is that the ones I've owned are unreliable when fired double action. In fact, Hickok was mentioned and I think I've probably shot them more extensively than he has. IIRC he did little, if any shooting double action. I own single actions and obviously they will not shoot without being cocked. If I own a double action though, I expect it to shoot properly both single and double action. To me, there is no reason to argue further about patterning, 45 Colt accuracy, etc. I want a double action to shoot double action.

The Governor is a more versatile gun in some respects, than the Judge. If you want a gun with 45 auto capability the Governor is for you. I don't really care about that and I'd really rather have the 3" chambers of the Judge than the Governor's 2 1/2" chambers and the 45 auto capability. But that's how it is. The Governor is fairly light and is easier packing to me, than my 44 Mag. Mountain Gun. I have a DeSantis for the Judge I no longer own and it is a sweet holster, but it wasn't made when I got the Governor. I bought like the third Governor I ever saw. I've got a custom-made holster for mine.

The Governor's accuracy with 45 Colt's is adequate as is the patterning with most self-defense loads as long as the range is close up. The Governor is surprisingly light too. The recoil is not bad as long as the 45 Colt loads are cowboy or standard. I would not shoot hot loads in this gun as they are not recommended. The Governor also shades the Taurus on capacity, carrying six shots rather than five, as was noted.

I like the Governor and don't trust the Judge. As an aside, I don't trust the Tracker either. They are a cute gun and one I wanted until I've heard the exact same stories from owners that I experienced with the Judge.

I've been shooting rats when I bushhog with .357 shot capsules loaded with #8 shot. It often takes 2 shots for each rat if they are big ones...and often there will be more than one rat. I've used a short double 12 gauge and a single shot 20 gauge before but it takes to long to get them in action from a tractor and they are a bit of overkill. You can call me Bubba cause I'm dying to try a Governor for this...

I'd probably take this setup, over a shotvolver

I had never liked the concept of the Judge before one of my ponds, which is not far from the house and which the kids frequently walk around, became infested with snakes one year. I shot a few with my Smith .44 MG and the shotshells just shredded the bastards. However, when I went to get some more they were very expensive. Seeing an opportunity, I bought a Judge which I'd previously thought was fugly. I admit to falling in love with the gun. For about a year I carried and shot the thing more than any other gun that I have. I further admit that some here loved flaming it and I was constantly shooting and patterning it to prove them wrong, sometimes with success and other times not so much. One day it struck me that if I really was to use it for self defense, I should be shooting it as I would for that, in double action. I don't think many Judge users fire theirs double action because the problems I had were duplicated across two guns. There are many versions of the Judge and maybe others with different versions don't have these problems. I won't say mine were an anomaly however, since several fixes for these problems exist on the Judge site and also I talked to a gun dealer whose son had identical problems and who had the same ones with his Tracker. I tried a couple of the fixes and they improved reliability but not to an acceptable level.

IMO the Judge could do what it is supposed to if Taurus would just be more careful in their manufacturing and qc processes. Then they'd have the Governor.

Nice Randall and fabulous holster. I bought my wife a Walker. She always loved one I had and traded off. So a couple of years back I spied a nice one and got it for her. She's also got a Colt Navy reissue.



Folks here are probably tired of this pic but I like posting it. Apologies in advance for the re-re-post.

You shot a pig in the head from the 4yd line and it died? While I don't make a habit of shooting pigs at 10', I'm going to go out on a limb and say a .40, .45, 9mm, .357, .224, or just about any other caliber bullet would have also resulted in a very dead pig.




Because there is no benefit to it. If I'm shooting something at 10yds I want the benefit of an expanding HP or the penetration of a hard cast. A .36 caliber ball going that speed is not an advantage.


Travis

Yeah. Let me run out and buy a .410 handgun for all those intruders that warrant deadly force and hide in front of the wall that separates us from my son's room so that I can not penetrate the wall for fear of hitting my son.

This is obviously a niche that needed filling in the handgun world.


Travis

I'm not understanding the reasoning in ammo being too expensive for one gun, so buying an entire gun to replace it? The money spent on a Taurus Judge would buy a lifetime worth of snake loads for a 44 mag.

I've seen the double action issues on a couple of other Taurus revolvers; the problem is certainly not limited to the Judge.
Taurus = Crap.

I don't see the benefit to it. I don't understand why you wouldn't just want a .250gr. Keith (as an example) hitting that target, as opposed to some .36 cal balls.



Travis

I want a Governor or Judge in 12 ga 3.5 inch

The pig shot with the ridiculous handgun tells me a lot.

For one, when butchering hogs, one doesn't want to kill them outright, you're only looking to stun the hog so you can hang them, slit their throats, and bleed them out. When their hearts are still pumping it acts sorta like a sump pump, and does a much better job of bleeding them out than if they are dead...which results in nasty pork.

For another, a 22 LR or even a short will do the job. I've killed several pigs outright with skull shots from a 22 LR at <10ft, so that must mean it's an awesome self defense weapon?

I worked for a Meat Packing company in the killing room when i was a teen and i killed 90 % of the Sausage Hogs and Beef Cattle with a Remington Single Shot 22 with Shorts , Bang Flop.

Yea,yea...You know everything. Bla,bla,bla... I cant tell if you are just confrontational or just stupid.

One 380fmj might not be the most effective tool but when 4 are shot simultaneously in a 2-3" area extrapolates its effectiveness considerably.

You either get it or you dont. You obviously are not in the market for one so give it up and stop wasting bandwidth.
The shotpistol is alot like giving a Bic lighter to a caveman. 8 out of 10 will see its usefulness but there will always be those 2 caveman that will scratch their ass with the lighter as they rub two sticks together.




Watch what Hickok45 says about the Shotpistol (and this is with a lower quality Judge).....

The irony of Smith & Wesson copying Taurus makes me smile......

That's a very poor analogy because a Bic lighter would make fire more efficiently than two sticks.



Travis

In the old days, a .36 caliber round ball settled many an argument but also caused quite a few lingering deaths. When well-placed, it worked reasonably well. However, they were also running 1000fps and therein lies a substantial difference between an 1851 Navy and a .410 with a barrel shorter than its cylinder. Especially if that .410 is firing hardened shot. Percussion guns use softer swaged balls and usually expand at least a little bit. That, coupled with their velocity makes them far more effective than any .410 scatterpistol. No amount of wishful thinking is going to change that.



Sad but very true.

My take on this thread is, you either like the concept of a handgun that fires shot shells or you don't

Bahaha.

Roundball loads can be fired from a normal revolver - for instance a 44 Mag will take three .429" sized and flattened balls, a 38 Special three 35 caliber balls.

Normal revolvers can fire shot capsules for snakes.

So just where is the huge step up in usefulness?

Thanks Bea175, your take is exactly correct. Its been that way with this idea. I was on the other side of the fence until I experimented with one. I am fine with the take it or leave it argument. What is so disturbing is how the "My way is the only way" mentality is forced down from such a condescending place from only a few. The "I'm right and have to have the last word". Its rather pathetic. If you like the idea, great because this is the right thread. If you dont, move on and find something else to contribute positively to.





Watch what Hickok45 says about the Shotpistol (and this is with a lower quality Judge).....

Not really my way is the only way...more like my way is the only one that makes sense.

The Judge and Governor are examples of a pi$s poor fix to a problem that never was.

I think the carbine version (of the judge anyway) is neat.

I don't understand why disagreeing with your opinion regarding a handgun is "disturbing."

What I'm saying is that this handgun is simply a poor choice for anything at all. It does nothing well, and everything poorly. If you can explain why .36 cal balls are an improvement over modern day HP's, or why bird shot surpasses a Keith style wadcutter, I'm all ears.

Who is Hickock 45?



Travis

Ah yes, the enduro motorcyle -- both on and off-road capable. Can do both, but neither well........ I would rather bank on an "ordinary" revolver, but that's just me.

An old TN guy with a penchant for shooting Glocks very well, has a steel plate range in his backyard, and makes a lot of video's covering a lot of handguns.

I don't think he's ever shot a gun he didn't like so his opinion on them all is pretty much "they're fun"...

Not exactly a quality reviewer...

He's a pretty good old boy. Him not being a quality reviewer may be a bit harsh, but he's probably more on the "fun" side than the hardcore one. His range is pretty awesome. I've seen him do woodswalks before shooting zombie targets and such with AK's, shotguns, Garands and what-have-you. He must have a bit of land besides just the range. I thought he'd been a teacher who retired but then there have been people who've said he's an ex LEO. Maybe he's been both.

His Judge YouTube video is pretty good, but he missed some things. The beginning is awesome though. My kids loved it.

Smith actually produced one in 28 gauge. I know 'cause I saw pics of it on the internet...

Anyway, I did see some pics. The story I got was that the 410 was acceptable to the ATF because it was the same bore diameter as an existent cartridge, the 45 Colt. They supposedly declined the 28 ga. because no existent cartridge would fit. To the best of my recollection anyway.

Maybe I'm wrong. Here's a link to the Raging Judge in that gauge. I sure thought I saw pics of the Governor in that gauge but maybe it's the Raging Judge.

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/20...ng-judge-counters-smith-wesson-governor/

The "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all" defense is always a good one when there are no facts to fall back on.

What are you talking about??? What facts are you babbling about?? 4 projectiles produce more trauma than one when executed at the same time. Especially in a concentrated area. Thats physics at work. The same would apply to any 000buck in a 12gauge but obviously in a more powerful level.
I give a actual video of performance. Like it or not, it was a example of what ammo is out there and how it performs with the Governor. At least I am doing somthing constructive.
Its not my or any other members job to convince you of anything. You seem to think everyone owes you this. You also seem to relish confrontations and pissing matches. Do you ever contribute anything other than to flutter about giving your 2 cents?? From what I can tell that's all you ever do and put up nothing on the forum.

Post the results of your penetration tests.

I like the version where the rounds are tube fed rather than using a cylinder and it has a stock and a 28" twelve gauge barrel and an inertia driven semi-auto action.

Youtube is full of them. Not that its my job but....
One with a Judge

One with a rifle


One in a Derringer.

Just a novelty piece.



Travis

I've never been drawn to these type of revolvers. I have some Glocks, and a Rem 870.

But a couple positive thoughts I have about them,

- Between all the varieties of 45acp, 45Colt, and 410; a person might be likely to score SOME type of ammo it could be fed when supplies are lean.

- With the long cylinder, the 45acp/colt ammo is getting a long running start before hitting the gap. Velocity should be fairly good, and flame-cutting at the gap should be very low seeing how pressure is going to be well past peak.

- simple manual of arms, and versatility in ammo might serve a non-enthuast well enough for home defense tool.

Shooting buckshot with a rifle has zero bearing on the conversation.

Shooting gel with the Judge and not measuring penetration or the wound cavity isn't a penetration test.

I'm talking about an actual measurable penetration test that we can compare to other rounds and commonly accepted minimum standards for penetration.



You're the guy asserting that this is a viable self defense weapon, so yeah....it is your job to verify what you're saying.

That's only true when comparing like projectiles. Buckshot and HP's ain't like projectiles.

Meh, I blew a 165lbs pigs skull apart. That was good enough for me.
The job of your own convincing is up to you and if you are really interested in knowing.

The purpose of the thread and video was for owners of this and similar shot pistols. Not to convert the non believers.
I am totally fine of any forum member chooses not to use it. I respect their choice just like I hope they would respect the choice of those members that like the shotpistol concept.

mystro-----I've got Federal's 000 buck in my Poly PD Judge. The Judge is my nite stand gun. My Poly PD Judge has a little wider "pattern" than your Governor----but I'm happy with it.

Some said smokeless powder was just a passing fad...

BTW, I'm on your side in this argument...

I got rid om my .410, Thunder 5 gun. It was just too clunky and heavy for any practical use, IMO.

DF

I'd be curious to know what kind of velocity those 000 Buckshot loads are getting from the revolvers. I can understand why folks are not putting their chronographs out in front of those loads though.

Very hard to chronograph but I did managed to get it done. Federal had 1200fps on the box two years ago and now has 850fps on the box. I knew they were not going 1200fps and chronoed them out of a Judge Public Defender that I owned at the time at 850-870fps. Not bad for 290grains of lead from a snub nose.

I'd bet 1200 is probably about right in a typical .410 shotgun.

My youngest boy bought a Governor, and only then priced factory ammo for it.

He didn't shoot it much.

The specific shotpistol ammo makes a big difference. I bought some typical #4 shot from SG a few years back and it spread way to fast. The Federal Personal Defense #4 holds tighter and is very effective on grouse and gray squirrels at 12-15 yards. In the end its still only a 410 and shot doesn't go very much further.

Thing's a [bleep]' gimmick. Marketing it toward the self defense crowd is nothing short of total bullschit and the marketing of it as a viable hunting arm is also bullschit.



Travis

Yea, we heard ya the first time. Your not pheelin the shotpistol concept. I didn't think you were gonna buy one, try one, or even experiment with one, so your vast experience with one and opinion is well noted.

I'm betting the Governor is a 1/4" revolver.

So a single 000 buckshot round has 12% less weight and 15% less velocity than a 90 grain .380ACP round, in a non-expanding projectile. Just for conversation.

I'm betting with 63516 post you have waayy too much time on your hands..

hmmmm is that kinda like the El Camino's I've seen that have more ground clearance, bigger payload area, etc. ?

But there is 4 of them at the same time. Germans officers didnt have any problem with a 380 FMJ.

I know there are four. But a death of a thousand cuts isn't as dramatic as a machete to your noggin.

I prefer my opinions to be very well noted.



Travis

Does that mean they'd be good for deer and coyotes?



Travis

True, but four 380fmj shooting you in a 2" area all at the same time is a gonna get the job done. It also takes that 2" area and concitrates the entire area into a mess.

Coyotes close distances, sure. Deer? Who would purposely hunt deer with a 410 out side of a extreme survival situation.????? That said, I would hunt deer with a 22lr if I had to and get the job done every time. Shot placement is what kills deer, not caliber.

So they work on coyotes at "close distance" but they are a poor choice for deer and a better choice for deer would be the 22LR but at the same time a .410 fired out of a Governor is a viable defense round?

Gotcha.



Travis

Ummm... no. If what you advocate were an ideal defense load, we'd all be carrying 3 round balls in our .44 mag casings.

The reality is a good HP, LBT, or semi-wadcutter is going to do a far better job and not be hindered by range.


Travis

I never said a 22lr is a better choice, I said it would get the job done. All things being equal with shot placement, a 410 000 buck can kill a deer if close enough, just as a 22lr CAN if you really had to. Shot placement is what kills deer. So will a 9mm and I wouldnt recomend hunting deer with a 9mm. What does hunting large game have to do with a Personal Protection pistol??? Where you are missing the mark is the ability to shoot 45LC or even 45acp right along with the 000buck. The possibilities and choices are there all in one cylinder. You don't have to limit the gun to just one type of ammo.

Those are impractical.

I can do the same thing with a regular revolver, though with bigger round balls. So what is the advantage of the shotvolver?

To shoot 410 ammo if you want to. The 45LC and 45ACP is always a option and the Governor shoots them very accurately. Its a high quality, light weight revolver with tritium sights so its not like you have shoot a 410. Many including myself feel staggering the cylinder with 45lc and 000 buck gives you the greatest option especially not knowing when and how you may have to deploy the gun.. POI with 45LC and with 000 Buck are the same so its easy to open the gun up with a very controlled recoil.


Here is a good video of Guns and Ammo testing the bird shot and PDX1 discs.
Birdshot is getting 8" of ballistic gel penetration. PDX1 buckshot is getting 14" of ballistic gel penetration.

I think this is the video many want to see..

Guns and Ammo test

I found some gelatin tests with various ammo out of a .410 Judge here:


http://www.410handguns.com/410_gel_results.html

From the linked article, it looks like those 000 buck pellets really get smooshed into pellets from setback on firing, and penetration suffers.

Check out this balistic test done by Guns and Ammo
Guns and Ammo 410 Ballistic test