Shotguns have been used for home defense for centuries in one form or another. But the real question is, what’s the best home defense load for your shotgun? Let’s figure it out. Posted on 06/19/2017 11:02:37 AM PDT by w1n1
Shotguns have been used for home defense for centuries in one form or another. But the real question is, what’s the best home defense load for your shotgun? Let’s figure it out.
For a thug, nothing can be more terrifying than the sound of a pump action shotgun racking a shell into the chamber for sound deterrent? This will make even the most hardened criminals think twice. Obviously, sheer intimidation will not always solve your big problem. Well what do you feed your shotgun against your home invading foes? Well below are Remington 12 gauge shotgun shells opened up for you to see the actual payload. Impressive, isn't it? Well, each load from size 7.5 on the left to even the mighty shotgun slug on the right has a purpose in home defense.
Birdshot is a favorite of many home defenders. At close range, the blast of these lightweight small pellets hit like a solid fist. The thug in the picture on the right caught a blast at close range. Certainly, this is a postmortem image. Now, a shotgun is called a scattergun by many for a reason. The shot fans out quickly. Read the rest of the home defense shotgun loads story here.
...and pull the duck plug!
12 gauge double, 00 buck, pull both triggers for best results.
Works today.
Prefer #1 Buck in my M1 Super 90. The first sound they are gonna hear is BANG! And in the unlikely chance they keep coming there are 8 more where that came from.
I had an M1 Super 90 back around 1990 give or take.
It was a beautifully made gun and looked wicked. Unfortunately it was the worst kicking shotgun I ever owned. I sort of wish I had kept it just for defense as one would not notice the recoil then.
Still I needed money and it was a hot seller.
Why bother?
Standard lead slugs (punkin’ balls) are very inexpensive.
Slugs don’t get expensive until you get into expanding sabot slugs for rifled barrels.
Took the guy about a week to die from the blood poisoning.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Speed things up a bit with a rock salt and busted glass loading.....a surgeon’s nightmare....... X-Rays and MRI/CAT tech is NO help, probe doc probe.
Which is it. A close packed group or a quickly fanned out group?
Both.
It depends on distance and choke. Generally opens about 1 inch per yard. Out to about 3 yards the shot impacts reinforce each other and aid in penetration.
Then shot size starts making a big difference.
I like premium buckshot. Solid hits to 50 yards with the best Federal loads.
Is the 35 year old slug barrel riffled?
Probably smooth bore and cylinder choked. Great choice for indoor defense.
You are right any 00 for shot type loads.
I have shot a lot of buck in training, testing and hunting my 870 tactical is loaded with 7 rounds of 2 3/4 00.
If I am going to have trouble at by place most likely it well be animal bears normally.
I can tell you from personnel experience at close range under 15 yards 00 well mush a bears head.
I use 3 inch 00 for yote hunting I have rolled them well past 40 yards.
If I need a single projectile weapon a AR is near by.
But then my closest neighbor is 1/4 miles away.
Before my 870 fell in the CO river, with a short rifle sighted barrel and a rifled choke tube, it patterned 00 buck well out to 30 yards (covered a whole 100 yd rifle target) and kept slugs on a paper plate at 80 yds. Yeah, the 00 bucks tends to spread a little faster, but inside your house I’m not sure that is a bad thing.
Smooth bore. Easy to swing around. Just wondering about the best load for home protection. I’ve got some side by sides, and a beautiful SKB over and under, but the 1100 holds more rounds, and I think is a better home defense weapon. But what loads?
Federal FLITECONTROL buckshot loads.
https://www.federalpremium.com/education/flitecontrol.aspx
http://www.luckygunner.com/12-ga-2-3-4-00-buck-federal-law-enforcement-flitecontrol-wad-250-round
I can't tell you how many times I have woken up in the middle of the night and I am not in the Ark.
Oh, hell. Look at this.
http://www.personaldefenseworld.com/2016/04/oath-ammunitions-tango-shotgun-round/
IIRC, slugs are not legal for hunting in New Jersey, so they would be difficult to obtain. Amazon, maybe?
IIRC, slugs are not legal for hunting in New Jersey, so they would be difficult to obtain. Amazon, maybe?
None of the above. I use something entirely different for my nighttime bear defense load in Wyoming [at least 3 fatal encounters in the last year or two, more than we've had bank robberies or drive-by shootings in the Cowboy State]
My second choice is bore-diameter slugs- not sabots- which are fine for other purposes.
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