Home Defense shotgun round suggestions?

[Lakeland Man]

One of the guns in my arsenal is a Mossberg 12 ga. I currently have a variety of shell types for it, from slugs to turkey loads to OO buckshot. Any suggestions from the group on what is the best for home defense.

I live in a semi-rural area and the nearest neighbor is about 100 feet away from the closest point in my house.

 

[no sheep]

I use this Fiocchi High Velocity 12HV00BK, 12 Gauge, 2-3/4", 9 Pellets, 1325 fps, #00 Buck Nickle Plated Lead S - Able Ammo

Don't know if its the best, but what I have seen it do to a water heater it should be more then fine in the house.

 

[the dark]

Given your situation, I think 00 buck is the best bet.

 

[Jbotto]

I trust most any field loads. #4-#8 shot lead, but generally have #6's.

 

[SGB]

 

[SGB]

I trust most any field loads. #4-#8 shot lead, but generally have #6's.

BIRD SHOT IS FOR BIRDS !!!! ...... it is a very poor choice for self defense.

 

[FrontTowardEnemy]

#4 Buckshot, if you can find it.

 

[docbas]

BIRD SHOT IS FOR BIRDS !!!! ...... it is a very poor choice for self defense.

Why would you say that?? At the distances inside a home, you're basically shooting a slug, not individual pellets. Also, it wouldn't penetrate walls as well. Just looking for some clarification, as I also use #8 shot.

 

[phone man]

I agree about the field loads-at home defense range you're still going to cut someone in half and what gets by them won't go through your walls and into your neighbors walls and hit them.......

Why would you say that?? At the distances inside a home, you're basically shooting a slug, not individual pellets. Also, it wouldn't penetrate walls as well. Just looking for some clarification, as I also use #8 shot.

 

[no sheep]

I agree about the field loads-at home defense range you're still going to cut someone in half and what gets by them won't go through your walls and into your neighbors walls and hit them.......

While i agree with you that bird shot is very nasty at close range this guy has no neighbors, go with 00 and call it a day.

 

[SGB]

Why would you say that??

Because it's true

At the distances inside a home, you're basically shooting a slug, not individual pellets.

No you're not, it's a shot column of low mass individual pellets

Also, it wouldn't penetrate walls as well. Just looking for some clarification, as I also use #8 shot.

#8 12 ga. bird shot out of an 18 inch barrel ... note the LACK OF PENETRATION and the spread of those individual pellets.

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I agree about the field loads-at home defense range you're still going to cut someone in half.......

Having worked shootings involving bird shot loads at close range I know first hand that this is urban BS.

 

[Naybor]

Just as #8 shot doesn't penetrate a wall as easy, it won't penetrate a BG as well at other than very short distances.

IMHO, I would feel more comfortable with#4 or #5 shot.

I do use #00 in my HD shotgun, but I must say ANYTHING coming from a shotgun is better than nothing.

 

[SGB]

Just as #8 shot doesn't penetrate a wall as easy, it won't penetrate a BG as well at other than very short distances.

IMHO, I would feel more comfortable with#4 or #5 shot.

I do use #00 in my HD shotgun, but I must say ANYTHING coming from a shotgun is better than nothing.

#5 shot .... still meant for birds

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[trailboss]

While I have not seen them yet
My local dealer has on order a 12ga buckshot round that is about an inch and half long. So you can load more rounds.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

 

[Bill Cavalieri]

My Mossy 530 is loaded with 5 rounds of Winchester Super X 3" Magnum Buckshot Loads. 15 pellets of 12 ga. double-ought buck each should stop any threat.

 

[ajgreen2]

#8 12 ga. bird shot out of an 18 inch barrel ... note the LACK OF PENETRATION and the spread of those individual pellets.

Do you know what the range was for that pic?

 

[fudo]

Why would you say that?? At the distances inside a home, you're basically shooting a slug, not individual pellets. Also, it wouldn't penetrate walls as well. Just looking for some clarification, as I also use #8 shot.

Absolutely do not use birdshot for SD. It will not penetrate deeply enough to be effective. It makes a nasty-looking but superficial wound only. Go for double or triple 0 buck shot. I am especially fond of the Winchester PDX 1.

 

[jtg452]

What I did was I bought a box of everything I could get my hands on from #4 Buck to 000 Buck and shot it to find out what patterned the best at the maximum indoor distance I'd end up having to shoot. In my case, I found my house shotgun likes #1 Buck (the 2 3/4" Federal plated 20 ball to be precise). The unplated 16 ball Winchester and Remington pattern almost as good, so they are my second choice. I figure that 16 to 20 .30 caliber round balls traveling 1200fps or better every time I press the trigger will do the job if called upon.

 

[Stan45]

Home defense use 00 Buck or Slugs

Bird shot is for birds.
In my younger days squirrel hunting always the bird shot was just under the skin f the squirrels.

 

[Stan45]

One particular case has been documented from Australia.

In February 1995, a man committed suicide on parkland in Canberra, Australia. He took a pump action shotgun and shot himself in the chest. The load passed through the chest without hitting a rib, and went out the other side. He then walked fifteen meters, reloaded, leaned the shotgun against his throat, and shot his throat and part of his jaw. Breathing through this gunshot-inflicted tracheotomy, he reloaded, walked 136 meters to a hill slope, lay down on the slope, held the gun against his chest with his hands and operated the trigger with his toes.

This shot entered the thoracic cavity and demolished the heart, killing him.