Recomemdations for 12Ga home defense load


raycogxxx

New member
00 Buck or 04 Buck for. Gun is Maverick 88 18.5", pistol grip/retractable stock.
 

I have OO Buck in the 12ga's at the moment but I keep some #4 buck around too.

The benifit to #4 Buck is that you have more pellets... duh right. So, lets say you had to take a shot down your hallway, which may be more than 12 feet... I'd feel better knowing I have 27 or so pellets filling the hallway rather than 9-12.

And here's another thing to consider... wether you choose OO Buck or #4 buck... the guy you shoot isn't likely to get up after either one.

One example of the usefulness of #4 Buck... small, but an example none the less. The Durham, NC SWAT team uses #4 buck as their shot of choice. I know this b/c my father is the Armorer there.

Regardless, just make sure you hit the perp down the hall.
 
I was told 00 buck will make it through most walls, while 04 buck usually won't. I live in an apartment, so 04 buck for me. If I lived in a house, 00 for me. This is what multiple gun shops told me, so take the information as you see fit.
 
If you're using the pistol grip w/o the stock (like I do) then whatever load you go with it should be the low-recoil stuff. In my Mossy 500 I use a combination of Remington OO and Federal Hydra-Shok slugs (low-recoil for both).
 
I use #1 buck for what I feel is the best compromise between stopping power and reduced overpenetration. 00 buck, to me, is too likely to kill a family member or pet in the next room, or maybe even a neighbor. #1 buck reduces that chance somewhat while giving up almost nothing in stopping power. It is somewhat hard to find though, so I usually have to order it in bulk.
 
Remington Self Defense, combo of #2 and #4 in each shell. I'm also thinking of getting some bean bag loads, so if the bean bag doesn't work I follow up with the real ammo.
 
for in the building engagements, I have low brass #8 birdshot in my SGs.....for an engagement upto 25' I have #4 buck and 000 buck...all 2.75" rounds. AND YES, low brass birdshot WILL KILL easily at 20 feet. go onto YouTube and look up Demolition Ranch's birdshot vs buckshot vs slug video.
 
and for those who rant about that birdshot is NOT an effective killer.........just shoot some!!!! I have shot 2000+ rounds of shotgun shells while hunting and testing shot patterns, penetration, ect., ect......and a load 1&1/8th of lead shot going 1200fps with do lethal damage to the chest of a target enough to stop the target WITHOUT shooting through walls and killing a bystander in another room.

one test we did was walking through a house that was going to torn down and shooting pumpkins with both buckshot and birdshot in the rooms. the buckshot penetrated one wall and entered another room almost everytime, where as the low brass birdshot didn't.
 

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