Hammer drilling plasterboard Masonry plugs in hollow board — they pull straight out Hanging a TV or a heavy shelf on cavity fixings alone

Which drill bit should I use for plasterboard?

Almost none — an ordinary HSS or brad point bit in rotary mode, and the real question is which fixing goes in the hole.

Plasterboard is gypsum between two paper facings and it has almost no strength of its own — the paper carries the tension and the core crumbles under point load. So the choice of anchor matters far more than the bit: a plastic plug meant for masonry simply spins in the hole, while a spring toggle or a metal cavity fixing spreads the load across a wide area behind the board. Load ratings on packets assume 12.5 mm board in good condition and are pull-out figures, not shelf-bracket figures, so anything heavy should reach the stud behind. Cutting into a wall blind is the real hazard: cables run vertically and horizontally from sockets and switches in defined safe zones, and pipes do not always respect them.

The options, ranked

Ranked best-first for the stated job. The third column is why the others exist.
Option	Good at	Bad at
Standard HSS or brad point bit	Plasterboard is soft; any sharp bit at low speed makes a clean hole.	Nothing, except that hammer mode turns the hole into a crater.
Self-drilling plasterboard anchor	Needs no pilot hole at all — the anchor is driven straight in with a screwdriver.	Modest load capacity, and it destroys a large area of board if it strips.
Hole saw or jab saw	The right tool for a downlight or a socket cutout.	Blind cutting risks hitting cables, pipes and joists.
Finding the stud	A screw into timber or a metal stud carries an order of magnitude more load than any hollow-wall fixing.	Studs are rarely where you want the fixing.

Technique that changes the outcome

Rotary mode, low speed, light pressure — no hammer
Use a detector to check for cables and pipes, and expect cables above and below sockets
Match the drill size to the anchor exactly; oversized holes leave the anchor spinning
For anything above a few kilograms, find the stud instead

What goes wrong

Hammer drilling plasterboard
Masonry plugs in hollow board — they pull straight out
Hanging a TV or a heavy shelf on cavity fixings alone

Compiled practical guidance rather than a published standard. Product formulations vary by brand and market, so read the label — and where the work is structural, electrical or gas, the regulations that apply where you are govern rather than anything here.

Other drill bit questions

For	Use
Tile	A spear-point carbide or diamond bit in rotary mode only — hammer action shatters tile, every time.
Metal	An HSS twist drill, ideally with a 135° split point, run slowly with firm pressure and cutting fluid.
Concrete	An SDS-plus carbide bit in a rotary hammer — a normal hammer drill will get there eventually and blunt several bits doing it.
Masonry	A carbide-tipped masonry bit in hammer mode for brick and block; step up to an SDS rotary hammer above about 10 mm.
Porcelain tile	A diamond core bit, cooled with water, at low speed — carbide spear points do not cut porcelain.
Stainless steel	A cobalt bit at low speed with heavy constant pressure and cutting fluid — and never let it stop cutting.
Wood	A brad point bit for clean holes up to about 13 mm; an auger for depth and a Forstner for a flat bottom.
Glass	A spear-point carbide or a diamond bit, run slowly under water — and toughened glass cannot be drilled at all.
Plastic	An HSS bit ground to a shallower rake, or a plastic-specific bit, at low speed with a backing board — acrylic especially will crack.
Hardened steel	Solid carbide in a rigid setup, or soften the spot first — HSS and cobalt cannot cut anything much above 50 HRC.
Aluminium	A sharp HSS bit at high speed with a wax or paraffin lubricant — the problem is aluminium sticking to the bit, not hardness.
Large holes in wood	Spade for speed and roughness, auger for depth, Forstner for a clean flat bottom, hole saw for big diameters in thin stock.

Common questions

Which drill bit should I use for plasterboard?: Almost none — an ordinary HSS or brad point bit in rotary mode, and the real question is which fixing goes in the hole.
What should I avoid?: Hammer drilling plasterboard Masonry plugs in hollow board — they pull straight out Hanging a TV or a heavy shelf on cavity fixings alone

Which drill bit should I use for tile? A spear-point carbide or diamond bit in rotary mode only — hammer action shatters tile, every time.
Which drill bit should I use for metal? An HSS twist drill, ideally with a 135° split point, run slowly with firm pressure and cutting fluid.
Which drill bit should I use for concrete? An SDS-plus carbide bit in a rotary hammer — a normal hammer drill will get there eventually and blunt several bits doing it.
Which drill bit should I use for masonry? A carbide-tipped masonry bit in hammer mode for brick and block; step up to an SDS rotary hammer above about 10 mm.
Which drill bit should I use for porcelain tile? A diamond core bit, cooled with water, at low speed — carbide spear points do not cut porcelain.
Which drill bit should I use for stainless steel? A cobalt bit at low speed with heavy constant pressure and cutting fluid — and never let it stop cutting.
Which drill bit should I use for wood? A brad point bit for clean holes up to about 13 mm; an auger for depth and a Forstner for a flat bottom.
Which drill bit should I use for glass? A spear-point carbide or a diamond bit, run slowly under water — and toughened glass cannot be drilled at all.
Which drill bit should I use for plastic? An HSS bit ground to a shallower rake, or a plastic-specific bit, at low speed with a backing board — acrylic especially will crack.
Which drill bit will go through hardened steel? Solid carbide in a rigid setup, or soften the spot first — HSS and cobalt cannot cut anything much above 50 HRC.

Sources

Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place

How these figures are compiled and checked