Best Home Defense 12 ga. Load

[Luckyforward]

Feedback please!

What is the best load of shot for a 12 ga. pump shotgun used for home defense?

What do you use?

Thanks!

[Guest bkelm18]

I use Federal 00 Buckshot.

[Schadenfreude]

http://www.rottweil-munition.de/en/db_article/Rottweil_BRENNEKE_Classic_Magnum.php?navid=51

I prefer these, however, I have cinder block interior walls & don’t really have to worry about over penetration. I can shoot one ragged hole at 25 yards with them. This slug lets you make a precision shot without worrying about where the wad is going to go as it is attached to the slug.

[nightrunner]

00 buckshot and slugs alternating.

or some prefer #4 shot

[TripleDigitRide]

#4, #4, 0 Buck, 0 Buck, 00 Buck, 00 Buck, Slug. That's how they'll come out.

[Guest Brian@GunDepot]

Hornady Tap Personal Defense Ammo.

[enfield]

6 posts and 6 opinions!

#1 buck is the best combination of lethality and reduced penetration.

Birdshot is for birds.

[Smith]

In doing research for the same thing, I found #1 buckshot for home defense. It was even recommended as the best for police purposes. That being said, it was really hard to find the stuff, so I went with 00 buck.

[Guest canynracer]

#4, for in the home. Wont go through your drywall and insulation, but will make a very bad day for the bad guy.

Cops are outside, so #1 is better for them...but inside, #4

[Guest gcrookston]

I use 00 Buckshot. Here's an interesting table

http://www.firearmstactical.com/briefs10.htm

[et45]

Well if you are using a cylinder choke gun I would go with the #1 buck shot.More pellets and tighter pattern than 00.I have a slug barrel on my 870 with screw in chokes so I have # 6 shot with the full choke tube installed.Anybody thinks that combo won't do some damage.At 7 yards it will slam a steel pepper popper to the ground harder than any handgun round.

[TripleDigitRide]

6 posts and 6 opinions!

#1 buck is the best combination of lethality and reduced penetration.

Birdshot is for birds.

Then you wouldn't mind being TGO's very own test dummy, right? Most of us have never seen what type of damage #4 can do to a human body. Since it's for the birds, you should be pretty safe.

Fact is, at Home Defense range (INSIDE A HOME), #4 would turn parts of the BG into hamburger meat. Even if this didn't kill him, it is very likely to slow him way down--the reason for the escalation from #4 to a slug. Once the BG has slowed down, it's much easier to ensure a clean, on target hit with the buck and slug (if needed).

The main reason for me using #4 is, because my daughters bedroom is right next to mine, in the very direction the BG would likely be coming from. The #4 is a bit less likely to travel through the wall, risking injury to my daughter.

Just my

[Guest bkelm18]

Are we talking #4 Buck or #4 Bird?

[TripleDigitRide]

Are we talking #4 Buck or #4 Bird?

Sorry, I made my last post a bit confusing. I was talking about both, but didn't make it clear.

I use #4 Buck, but started out talking about #4 Bird damage to the human body.

Sorry, it's still early.

[threeshot]

Using 3" or if your shotgun can chamber 3.5" shells of oo or ooo buckshot.

Ballistics:

http://www.tacticalshotgun.ca/ballistics_shotgun.html

http://www.tacticalshotgun.ca/content_nonsub/shotguns/shotgun_ammunition.html

Some people will prefer smaller size like #1 or #4 buckshot trying to prevent errant pellets from penetrating through drywalls. The US military uses combat tested oo buckshot for close quarters combat.

I do not want to have to use two, three or four shots of #1 or #4 buckshot to get one of X bad guys to go down with a five shot capacity shotgun. Hence my preference for oo or ooo buckshot.

[Guest bkelm18]

Well I agree that its probably no walk in the park to be shot by #4 Bird, it just doesn't have the penetration and stopping power as Buckshot. If it's all I had, I'd use it, but there are better that offer reduced penetration.

[Guest NormShaver]

i would have to say that getting hit by even the 7 1/2 bird shot is going to hurt and do some damage. that being said i have 00 buck

[Guest Grout]

Well if you are using a cylinder choke gun I would go with the #1 buck shot.More pellets and tighter pattern than 00.I have a slug barrel on my 870 with screw in chokes so I have # 6 shot with the full choke tube installed.Anybody thinks that combo won't do some damage.At 7 yards it will slam a steel pepper popper to the ground harder than any handgun round.

Around point blank range to about 5 feet it doesn't matter what load you have if your gun is full choked.It is going to leave a mess,I have seen it.

[bubbiesdad]

i would have to say that getting hit by even the 7 1/2 bird shot is going to hurt and do some damage. that being said i have 00 buck

I shot at a silhouette target with 7 1/2 at the last meet n shoot in Kingsport. around 20 feet. Some pretty significant damage and the shot held together nicely. Still, bird shot for practice, OOB for home defense.

[Guest grimel]

Around point blank range to about 5 feet it doesn't matter what load you have if your gun is full choked.It is going to leave a mess,I have seen it.

At point blank range a full choked shotgun is going to have a pattern somewhere between 3/4" and 3'.

[nightrunner]

At point blank range a full choked shotgun is going to have a pattern somewhere between 3/4" and 3'.

i hope you mean 3" not 3'

no way is a full choke shotgun going to spread to 3' in 1foot or less(point blank range)

[141FE]

#4 buckshot - more pellets

[Oh Shoot]

#4 buckshot - more pellets

Methinks 8 to 12 .32 size pellets (00 buck) at 1200 fps or better oughtta do it. And sure seems to me that with an 18" or longer barrel, within the 25-30 foot max shot within the home, one SHOULD be able to put EVERY ONE of them IN the perp, too.

- OS

[Guest Mugster]

At point blank with any size shot a 12ga will rip a 1" hole in an exterior door or go clean through 2x1/2" plywood pieces bolted together. It'll also blow off door hinges and go through a car door.

Outside of 5-10' you want buckshot. Lead BB or BBB might be a good compromise, but that shot is hard to get.

I stroke up with 3" 00 buck and 3" slugs for home defense. I have an optic on my shotgun though. I'd stick to buck unless you have some sort of sights and can handle slugs. They'll kick ya pretty good.

[molonlabetn]

I keep mine stoked with Federal 00 Buck, but I've got a few boxes of Federal T-shot (just slightly smaller than #4 buck) which would be good for very close quarters, or for 4-legged pests. Keep some Federal 1oz rifled slugs around, too. But, there's always a full mag-tube of the buckshot in the gun.