Best Shotgun Loads for Home Defense

Am Shooting Journal ^ | 6/19/2017 | E Nestor

[archy]

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?

Why give up your position? I've never understood this.

A couple of other scary noises come to mind, one being an ear-shattering ker-boom! followed shortly by the wet kerplopping noise your crime partner makes as his body drops to the floor. Then the remaining bad guy gets to hear the sound of the next shotgun round being chambered. Yep, THAT would be scary.

Personally, I reckon that the sound of a shotgun being charged, especially at night, isn't nearly as impressive as that little *pop! sound made by the igniter cartridge of a flamethrower just before the operator opens up the fuel release valve *trigger*. Also especially at night.

[archy]

I wonder how many hours of thought the author engaged in before coming to this ‘advice’?

And without any consideration of muzzle flash at night as being something to consider. American Shooting Journal is getting more and more of a reputation for some of the worst half-considered, ill-opinionated and flat-out inaccurate articles in the gun magazine industry.

[archy]

I wonder how many hours of thought the author engaged in before coming to this ‘advice’?

And without any consideration of muzzle flash at night as being something to consider.

American Shooting Journal is getting more and more of a reputation for some of the worst half-considered, ill-opinionated and flat-out inaccurate articles in the gun magazine industry.

[NorthMountain]

That looks like burning magnesium.

[archy]

That looks like burning magnesium.

And it smells like burning magnesium. Unless a bear gets in the way.

I am not going to try to find out for you if it tastes like burning magnesium, however.

[NorthMountain]

I have used burning magnesium to ignite a mixture of iron oxide powder and aluminum powder. I’m not about to try tasting it either ...

[Hot Tabasco]

I have a side by side 12 Ga. Ithaca model 100 that is pretty much new and probably never shot. How do I find its worth and how do I sell it?

As a side note, the serial number is L 170645

[Lurker]

Might be hard to explain that to the insurance company.

L

[marktwain]

The easiest way is to look at the gun auction sites on the Internet and see what similar models are going for.

https://www.gunauction.com/

http://www.gunbroker.com/Shotguns/BI.aspx

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/657222934

Rough guess for a run of the mill 100 in like new condition? About a thousand bucks from the above sources.

There were some special models made, but you would need to research that. Much depends if it is an early Ithaca or the more common version made in Japan, later on.

[Hot Tabasco]

Thanks for the sources, I’ll check them out.......

[2111USMC]

I buy a lot of my ammo from Aim Surplus.

For smooth bore shotguns Remington Sluggers are pretty good.

https://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=ZAAS12MRS&name=REM+AMMO+SLUGGER+12GA.+3%22+1760+FPS.+1OZ.+RIFLED+SLUG+5PK&groupid=4966

[TexasGator]

Perfect home defense round!