Disclaimer: This post is informational only. It does not endorse or instruct engaging aircraft or drones with firearms. Local, state, and federal law very likely prohibit firing at aircraft; doing so can cause injury, property damage, and criminal liability.
When readers bring up “what will stop a drone,” the underlying question is purely ballistic: what does a given cartridge actually do to small, lightweight airframes and their components? Below is a concise, physics-forward look at common categories people discuss and the tradeoffs each presents.
12-gauge birdshot
- What it is: Many small pellets in a single shotshell (sizes vary).
- Physical effect: Wide pattern, many potential impacts; individual pellet energy is low. At very close distances pellets can abrade, nick, or sever small components, but results are inconsistent.
- Tradeoffs: Higher hit probability in close quarters versus limited per-pellet damage and significant collateral risk due to spread and stray pellets.
20-gauge birdshot
- What it is: Similar concept to 12ga birdshot but with less total mass and energy.
- Physical effect: Narrower pattern and lower terminal energy; less destructive potential than 12ga but slightly more controllable recoil.
- Tradeoffs: Lower destructive potential and similar safety concerns; typically cited for lighter recoil rather than effectiveness.
Buckshot (12-gauge and similar)
- What it is: A handful of much larger pellets per shell.
- Physical effect: Greater per-pellet mass and penetration potential; a hit is more likely to disable structural elements or motors than birdshot.
- Tradeoffs: Greater destructive capacity comes with much higher overpenetration and collateral danger.
Slugs (multiple gauge, rifled or sabot-type)
- What it is: A single heavy projectile that behaves more like a short, fat, rifle round.
- Physical effect: Concentrated kinetic energy capable of catastrophic structural damage on contact.
- Tradeoffs: High potential to disable, but also high risk of overpenetration, ricochet, and unintended damage — effectively a rifle-level problem even at short range.
Bolo round (multiple gauge)
- What it is: A catch-all label for multi-element or entangling shotgun concepts (not a single, standardized commercial load). Typically two large pellets connected by a cable.
- Physical effect: Intended to create a disruptive, area or snagging effect (hoping to ensnare propellers) rather than a single precise strike; behavior is highly inconsistent.
- Tradeoffs: Unpredictable terminal performance, high risk of secondary fragments/ricochet, large collateral-damage potential, and serious legal/liability exposure.
Handgun micro-shot / specialty micro-pellet loads (aka “rat shot”, “snake shot”)
- What they are: Niche loads with many tiny pellets in handgun calibers or specialty shotshells.
- Physical effect: Very limited range and energy; inconsistent effectiveness and often designed for pest control, not airborne targets.
- Tradeoffs: Limited utility and potential legal/regulatory issues with nonstandard ammunition.
Centerfire rifle cartridges (5.56, .308, etc.)
- What they are: High-velocity single projectiles.
- Physical effect: High penetration and focused destructive capability; can damage critical electronics or structural members if struck.
- Tradeoffs: Long-range danger, deep penetration through unintended targets, and severe legal/safety implications in civilian areas.
Frangible & engineered projectiles
- What they are: Rounds designed to fragment or disintegrate to reduce ricochet/overpenetration.
- Physical effect: Reduced long-range overpenetration but still produce hazardous fragments and wreckage.
- Tradeoffs: May lower some risks but introduce others (fragmentation debris, limited availability, inconsistent results against composite frames).
Practical Reality — Why Cartridge Talk Is Mostly Theoretical
- Hit probability vs. damage: Many pellets increases chance to strike, but individual pellets may not transfer enough energy to reliably stop a powered drone. Conversely, single heavy projectiles deliver damage if they hit, but a hit is harder to achieve and far more dangerous if it misses.
- Debris & secondary hazards: Damaging a drone can create falling parts, spinning propellers, or battery fires (lithium-ion) — hazards that often exceed the initial risk from the drone itself.
- Overpenetration & ricochet: Higher-energy rounds travel farther and can penetrate many materials — a serious danger in built environments.
- Legal/liability reality: Beyond ballistics, firing at an aircraft in many jurisdictions triggers felony statutes and severe civil liability. That reality often outweighs any theoretical effectiveness.
What It Means for Preparedness
If you’re cataloging knowledge, the takeaway is this: cartridges differ predictably in spread, pellet mass, energy, and penetration. Those physics explain why people discuss birdshot, buckshot, slugs, or frangible rounds. But those same physical realities create real world hazards that make kinetic engagement inappropriate for most civilians.
Safer, practical options include documenting incursions, notifying authorities, improving privacy/hardening measures (netting over sensitive areas, shielding), and consulting licensed counter-drone or security providers for high-risk sites. These choices reduce exposure without introducing the cascading liabilities of a kinetic action.
We’ve covered more on this topic in other Security & Defense posts – check them out. Need supplies for your own preparedness plan? Visit our store for ammo, gear, knives, mags, parts, supplies, tools, etc, you can count on.
Disclaimer: This is a technical overview, not a how-to. If a drone presents an imminent threat to life or property, contact appropriate authorities and do not create additional hazards.