[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

What say Ye?

[Liberal Bob]

Try 1/2 oz of silly putty. It will knock them down at 20 ft. and kill them at 2 ft.

NOTE: I accept no liability for any hand load not conforming to the exact specifications written in secret ink and hidden inside my left shoe.

[WindMinstrel]

Popular mechanics had something about a new shotgun load that has 2 payloads -- one for short range, the other for long -- all in one shell. Sounds like cool stuff!

[Constitutional Patriot]

3" magnum number 1 buckshot. It gives you around 30 pellets that are .33 Cal. (I believe). I keep the Moss 500 in the closet with a handfull of these nearby.

[dirtboy]

I have a Mossberg pump, deer barrel with the plug removed. I don't keep a round chambered, so that gives me five to load. The first round is made by Federal, a special home-defense low-recoil round with 2-shot - an excellent choice IMO. However, I have to load the gun for both 2-legged varmints and bears where I live, so the remaining four rounds are 00-buck, slug, 00-buck, slug. This allows for increasing levels of nastiness depending upon what I'm up against...

[RiflemanSharpe]

Remington 870 12 ga pump, 20" slug barrel with 7 shot mag extension. 2 3/4" 00 Buck magmuns, 12 pellets each. This is what I keep handy.

[lugsoul]

Hmmm... Strange. I would've expected to see more BPS fans. That's where my vote goes.

[Nalu]

I load my own 12ga 3in with BB and #4 Buck in Rossi Coach gun.

[Hot Tabasco]

You figure anything you shoot in your house is probably going to be within 15 feet so in my opinion it doesn't really matter what shot size you use. Once you pull the trigger, your next major concern is how to clean up the mess......

[Casloy]

Probably makes no difference. If you inside your home any load of shot will do the trick since it will be at very close range. A slug is probably not a good idea since you are more likely to miss.

[Bear_Slayer]

Sheetrock Penetration tests

[CodeToad]

My fav: #2 steel. A bit much indoors and sort ranges but also great for longer shots and outdoors.

[StoneColdTaxHater]

Bird shot.....point in general direction of soon to be dead person and squeeze trigger

[freedomlover]

Within the first 5 to 10 yards it really doesn't matter, so I use birdshot. Also I strongly suggest people go to a range to see how small the pattern is at that range.

Also for those who talk about "sweeping" a house with short barrels etc IMHO you are morons. If you go after a perp in YOUR house you are asking for trouble. If it comes to it I wait in a room behind a closed door with my family behind me. You know your house, and will likely be able to hear them coming. Screw the "rack" sound - the first thing a perp is going to hear is an explosion as soon as they try the door.

[IndyTiger]

A Remington 870 pump with double-ought buckshot is what I have.

[brazzaville]

Good morning.
"What say Ye?"

My Remington 870 has two dove and quail loads followed by five OO buck rounds.

A threat that isn't persuaded by the smaller shot will get the buckshot and the door will get replaced later.

Of course I live in a sparsely populated area and don't have to worry about messing up the neighbor's apartment.

Michael Frazier

[simonbirch]

Why beat around the bush? If someone is in your home and is uninvited, you have to understand that if you wound him he will give his side of the story, and he could say YOU invited him in and then went crazy. Save everyone the cost and unexpected result of a trial, use 3xxxbuckshot. One shot, one kill, no trial, no second opinion to cause reasonable doubt. He broke in, you caught him, fear for your life, used deadly force and succeeded. Topping eye witness news tonight, burglar killed during break-in.

[Shooter 2.5]

Deer slugs, 00 buck or #4 shot.

Between the three, it will get the job done. I have a ammo holder on the side of my receiver that holds five shells. I have a mix of 00 buck and deer slugs.

If you have a Mossberg 500, you can extend the tang on the elevator to hold a lot more ammo if you use Aguila MiniShells with buckshot. The field grades don’t work.

[P8riot]

Unequivocally, #1 shot.

[tacticalogic]

I like my Browning BPS. Maybe a little heavier than the others, but smooth as glass and works in either hand.

[IamConservative]

My favorite is a 20 gauge, single shot, 18” long. It has a pistol grip and an ever so slightly modified barrel length. I put a #8 bird shot in it. It has one purpose only. If you want to find out what that is, just crawl through the window after dark. I also keep a .357 magnum pistol and Maglite flashlight that has a t-handle so it can be used as a night stick.

...and if that doesn’t work, I do sleep naked.. :)