The war between Russia and Ukraine is the first drone war. Not the first war in which drones have been used (that was arguably WWII), but the first war in which drones may have accounted for the most significant proportion of casualties. Defense against drones is an imperative, and many different approaches are being tried.
One approach this correspondent has considered is using Tungsten Super Shot (TSS) in ordinary shotguns. On one forum, a commenter stated a Ukrainian soldier had obtained a Keltec KS7 to use for drone defense. Shotguns have obvious utility for close-in drone defense against small-sized drones. Many drones have small quad-rotor designs that are the size of a pheasant. Sizes range upward to drones as large as commercial jet planes. A shotgun defense might work against drones as large as geese.
Ordinary lead shotgun loads have very limited range. The pellets are lead. Significant improvement could be made by using TSS shot in shotguns. TSS shot is very hard and very spherical. It is about 2/3 more dense than lead, about 18-18.5 grams per cubic centimeter. Lead is about 11.3 grams per cubic centimeter. Because of the hardness, symmetry and density, TSS holds tight patterns at long range, often with little choke. TSS #5 shot is considered to have enough energy at 105 yards to bring down geese. If it hits a vital component, it should have enough energy to disrupt small drones. There are 106 #5 TSS shot per ounce. It is easy to fit 1.5 ounces of TSS in an ordinary 2.75-inch 12-gauge shotgun shell. Tungsten has been used as a military projectile for years.
