Lightfield HD Specialty Munitions
Lightfield's Home Defender line of ammunition can be a good addition for those who seek more versatility in their personal armory.
On the range I started out with the Lightfield Rubber Slug round. This round is a .73-caliber rubber projectile designed for what Lightfield refers to as mid-range use (20-40 yards). Accuracy was good as I was able to easily engage angled 12"x18" steel targets at twenty-five yards. There was a noticeable "thwang" when the rubber slug hit (and bounced off of) the steel. Further, the energy delivery was obvious as the free-standing steel target and its stand rocked. I would hate to be on the receiving end of this round in any situation. There's no doubt in my mind that this would be a highly effective round out to the 40-yard mark that Lightfield advertises it for.
Next was the Double Rubber Ball round. One thing I noticed was that these tended to project much higher out of the barrel than I ever anticipated. Designed for indirect and low-angle fire situations at distances between 20 and 40 yards, I tested them at a distance of 25 yards using indirect fire. I was able to easily hit my target several times, but only after practicing a couple of times. At one point, in an effort to test accuracy, I aimed straight at the target and was surprised to see the projectile sing a foot over the top fo it. I aimed lower and watched the same thing happen. I don't know if it was due to the strung-balls spinning that gave them lift, but I completely missed the target with the first two shots. These things are moving fast out of the barrel and still carrying plenty of velocity when they bounce off the target. I was unable to find them to recover for photographing. To test this round I was using a B27 target taped to a large (55 gallon) plastic barrel. I could hear and see the impacts and it was quite easy to put rounds on the target (using indirect fire).
Last on the list was the Lightfield HV Star ammo. This 75-grain 1.25" "super star" is a twelve-gauge projectile specially designed to have lots of surface area. It reminds me of a small, but thick, koosh ball. I can't imagine being shot by one of these. The recoil and report was easily the most of any of the rounds tested (with the exception of the Nova Blast round that left my ears ringing even through muffs), and it was extremely accurate, even as far away as twenty-five yards. That's pretty impressive since it was designed as a close range round - eight to eighteen yards according to Lightfield's online information. I fired this round on the same free-standing steel target as I did the rubber slug and it rocked the target impressively. While I was shooting from the twenty yard line (two rounds) I noticed that the projectile bounced off the steel almost halfway back to me (that's why angled steel is a good thing).
Obviously this ammunition takes practice but with practice, planning and good tactics, the addition of specialty munitions to your home arsenal is now a possibility. For more information check out Lightfield Slugs online via the link below.
