[Bear_Slayer]

Now if you just want to clear the street a Remington 870 with 00 buck will get their attention very quickly.

I'm a great fan of the 870, along with 00 buck, but I've been rethinking the 00 buck part.

For $16 I can buy 100 rounds of 12ga 7 1/2 shot. The stopping power is less at greater ranges, but mobs, at closer distances, would more readily disperse when lots of pellets are coming down range at them. It may not kill one or any, but I believe it would convince them to disperse.

I suppose with a couple of 00 in the tube, some will get seriously injured/killed while many others are pelted with 7 shot.

Also, for indoor home defense, a smaller shot is still capable of killing an intruder and less likely to pass through interior walls and injure/kill valid occupants,

Thoughts?

[yarddog]

I too like the 870 although I don't currently have one.

Also can't quite make up my mind whether buck or smaller pellets are better. Up close it really doesn't matter. At longer ranges the buck will injure seriously or kill while the smaller shot will do little more than sting. On the other hand the smaller shot will be much more likely to hit.

I have switched loads between BB or #4 buck and double ought several times.

Right now my Winchester defender is loaded with OO Buck.

[MineralMan]

"For $16 I can buy 100 rounds of 12ga 7 1/2 shot."

If you're going to use small shot, I recommend #4, rather than your 7 1/2. I inflicts a more serious wound, but still maintains the advantage of losing destructive force past a certain distance. #4 shot is my choice for in-home defense. It's also cheap, and readily available, especially around turkey season.

[1L]

I agree, but would probably get still bigger shot. I'm not as big of a buckshot fan as others. Too few pellets and at close range, the bigger shot does exactly what you want even if you have to pump 2 or 3 loads into them.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Also, for indoor home defense, a smaller shot is still capable of killing an intruder and less likely to pass through interior walls and injure/kill valid occupants,

---

Some of what you write suggests you may be under the mistaken impression that shot spreads out more than it does. Even in the longest interior household range, that shot will still all hit in the area about the size of a salad plate. Small shot is not "less lethal" unless it is falling from the sky after shooting at a bird, or maybe after a pellet ricochets.

[null and void]

Thoughts?

Dutch load.

A couple rounds of #6 goose, followed by a couple 00 Buck, followed by a few slugs.

The idea is the larger number of pellets in the goose rounds increase your odds of a first shot hit, the heavier 00 allows greater pentration as the perps try to regroup behind light cover, and the slugs penetrate heavy cover as they burrow in...

[Ranxerox]

Here's a fun link for penetration capabilities of various rounds, including shotgun.

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot14.htm

[mad_as_he$$]

I agree completely. In house I have even heard of 6's bring effective. On the street a few more pellets would be helpful. I like the idea of mixing them up. 00 then 7 1/2 great idea!