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Yah Im gonna try this. Get some ballistics gel and some old clothes, make a dummy and check out the .12 ga with different loads at 15 - 25 feet.
My theory is, as flintsilver7 stated, that 7 1/2 shot will totally neutralize an unarmored human at 25 feet. I will also check out penetration of drywall, 2x4, and insulation.
I will report back with results.
This has been a very interesting thread. I have learned a lot. I didnt know about ballistics gel, have just used bottles, cans, chicken and roast beef for testing.
Freepers rule!

Ballistics gel is actually fairly expensive, especially if you were just going to use it to test this out. There are a ton of resources online about this (for example, the Box ‘o Truth http://www.theboxotruth.com). Another site has some good real-world information here: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=381023.

It’s interesting to note that many of the posts seem to think that’s inadequate. If you ask me, 5.5” of penetration and what looks like at least 2” entry wound is going to stop any human on this planet. People always like to bring up the example of a mythical fat guy wearing a gigantic heavy jacket, but I don’t think that’s going to have much of an effect. The pellets do their damage both by entering the attacker and by bouncing; those that do not break bones will often bounce (doing even more damage). As many posts around will tell you, birdshot can definitely be fatal and buckshot can be less than lethal. While there is no doubt that buckshot is more damaging, for things like price, availability, and safety, I believe birdshot is the better option.

I will note that many objections are based on the FBI’s rather odd recommendation of at least 12 inches of penetration (and preferably 18) for a particular round or shell. In the vast majority of cases, 12 inches of penetration will put the projectile squarely through the bad guy and out the other side.

Still, in any case, it’s relatively cheap to take a thawed ham or chicken out to the range, toss some layers of clothing or an old jacket on it, and see what happens at various distances. I have never heard of a single person who was shot with birdshot and continued what they were doing before. Some might live, but I’m pretty sure it ruined their day.