best ammo for home defense??

THIS is the best ammo for home defense.

buckshot.jpg


You are in your home, correct? ALL handgun cartridges are underpowered. Why use an inferior weapon when you can comfortably and safely have a 12 gauge shotgun loaded with buckshot right next to your bed?
 
You are in your home, correct? ALL handgun cartridges are underpowered. Why use an inferior weapon when you can comfortably and safely have a 12 gauge shotgun loaded with buckshot right next to your bed?
Click to expand...
Personally, I think the shotgun is the inferior weapon, but everyone has their favorites I guess.

These days, Id prefer an AR or AK with a red dot, but thats me. Rifles are easier to handle, easier to shoot, easier to load/reload, can also be suppressed. Pretty much everyone can shoot them too, even kids, and they encourage practice rather than discourage it.

The biggest advantage to the pistol over the long guns though, is its ability to always be with you. All the other stuff, you have to go get, that old Glock 17 is right here on my hip, and an arms reach away in my pants when Im in bed. Pretty hard to beat that.
 
Hi Jay,
welcome. Lots of good advice and opinions here. Being in Chicago, it's not clear how 'legal' home defense shootings will be handled, in particular driven by Police Superintendent Gary McCarthy, a self professed anti-gunner who has an interesting history in his public comments and unique way of providing Unified Crime Reporting statistics to the FBI. It is also concerning from some of his comments him that punishing 'lawful' home defense shooters is not out of the question. That would be one of my considerations on defensive weapons and how to handle a legal defense of your home.

As noted above, the CZ is a good weapon, and any of the HP rounds listed above will work fine.

Make sure you practice more than once or twice a year,
as JD0x0 mentioned, 5 hits out of 200 rounds at the Boston Marathon (i.e. 97% stray rounds) is unacceptable for professionals much less home defense, particularly in Chicago. 1 well placed round will stop the threat. 1 bad round / stray / over penetration can be the most expensive decision of your life, financially and otherwise.

I'm assuming you're inside Chicago with neighbors close by. In the future, if you're considering another home defense weapon, and you haven't fired a 12 Gauge with bird shot, give it a try at a paper target from 5 yards, a common distance in actual home defense. Notice how tight the pattern is. the fire a 12 gauge slug. At this distance, the bird shot is still pretty tight, will knock anyone down with a center of mass hit, and won't penetrate anywhere near as far as buckshot, an HP 9mm round or something with significantly more muzzle energy.

Good luck and welcome.
 
Rifles and shot guns are difficult to maneuver in a home, too large to discreetly answer the door with and are usually more difficult to find practice ranges for in cities.

Long arms just aren't very practical for defense use in small spaces. They might be fine if you are the one invading a home, but not the other way around.
 
RX-
If rifles are so hard to maneuver then why do swat teams use them in close quarters?
A swat team member can be way more effective with an AR or SG than an untrained civilian with a pistol in close quarters. And vice versa a trained civilian can be way more effective with a pistol than someone that's untrained with a rifle. the key component is TRAINING! whatever your choice of protection is make sure you TRAIN with it! but to say an AR or shotgun is handicapped in an HD situation because of its size is simply untrue. If you feel that way than perhaps you could get more training with them.
 
Good question. Why do SWAT teams, Delta, SEALs and others still train house clearing with pistols as a primary? Maybe they don't always use a rifle for every job?

Do SWAT teams have to pick up sleepy kids or restrain excited pets? Do SWAT teams worry about looking like crazy people and scaring the neighbors?


Keep a shotgun or whatever handy if you want, but you're not likely to take it with you when your teenager and his girlfriend come home unexpectedly early one night and you want to make sure it's really them. But you can put a handgun in your robe pocket and not scare the crap out of the girlfriend.

That's the reality of home defense - you don't get to decide what it is going to be like. Halloween is going to be extra scary if you keep answering the door with candy corn and an AR15.

If you actually believe that defense is a posture you want to take all the time, handguns are much more portable and flexible tools than long guns around the home.
 
You're darn right you will get a lot of opinions, here's mine.
I prefer Hornady critical defense ammo.
My $.02

My purely un-scientific opinion is that, much like what gun you choose, you should load it with whatever ammo makes you most comfortable based on your own research and performance testing.
 
RX-
Good question. Why do SWAT teams, Delta, SEALs and others still train house clearing with pistols as a primary? Maybe they don't always use a rifle for every job?
Click to expand...

- they use both because they train with both. If you look at my last statement you will see that I addressed that. But my question stands. How can you say a rifle is handicapped for HD due to it's size if indeed SWAT, Delta and SEALS do in fact for the majority of the time use them for CQB?


Keep a shotgun or whatever handy if you want, but you're not likely to take it with you when your teenager and his girlfriend come home unexpectedly early one night and you want to make sure it's really them. But you can put a handgun in your robe pocket and not scare the crap out of the girlfriend.
Click to expand...

-Actually I will use whatever is closest to me at that time as I feel that I am proficient with either. But I wont hesitate to take my AR with me due to its size. Situations like that are why practicing trigger control and muzzle control are important.

That's the reality of home defense - you don't get to decide what it is going to be like.
Click to expand...

-EXACTLY! Thats why I would rather have my AR than pistol given the choice.

Halloween is going to be extra scary if you keep answering the door with candy corn and an AR15.
Click to expand...

That'll teach em for tryin to steal my candy:p

If you actually believe that defense is a posture you want to take all the time, handguns are much more portable and flexible tools than long guns around the home.
Click to expand...

-once again if you train with a Rifle for such scenarios you will be proficient with one in such scenarios
 
It isn't a question of proficiency. I don't feel like you understood the point of the examples I listed. Rifles are too large to hide, and showing up everywhere with a weapon is going to get you labeled as a nut job.
 
I understand your point but no one is talkin about walking around with one for all to see. We are talking about Home defense not conceal carry. Who is going to see you and call you a nut job? A burgler? A home invader? a kidnapper? my son? my wife? my dog? they know what I'm going to do when something goes bump in the night. So it's nothing new to them.

Anyone who thinks your a "nutjob" for protecting your family with an AR already thinks your a nutjob for owning any firearm.
 
There are other people that come into your home and yard that aren't family.

You don't have a plan to deal with people that you're unsure of. A female teenager on your porch at 2am may be a neighbor in need, or a crack addict. You going to point an AR at her until you find out she lives 3 doors down?
 
As far as long guns go, like anything else, it depends on what youre using and what your skills are.

My idea is a short barreled, pistol griped, mag fed gun, not your typical rifle or shotgun. Something select fire and suppressed is even better.

I always have a pistol on, no matter what, but if I thought there was the need to repel boarders, or deal with something where a pistol would be a poor choice, Im certainly going to grab something thats more appropriate. No matter what, I have a lot of options, and options are good.


The "nutjob" comment....., well....., its pretty obvious it was meant to annoy and belittle. Dont let it get to you. A lot of comments like that, are made by those who feel certain weapons shouldnt be allowed in "our" hands, especially if they think how the guns and/or their use might be perceived, will affect them in some way.

Ive always found it amazing how many "gun" people think you shouldnt be able to own or use scary looking, or worse, full auto weapons, especially if they think it somehow might make them look bad, or might interfere with their interests. I know a number who I have no doubt would throw those of us who they dont approve of or agree with, under the bus in a heart beat, especially if by doing so, they think it would put them in a better light.

When a "gun" person calls you a nutjob over your choice of gun, that tells you a lot.



You going to point an AR at her until you find out she lives 3 doors down?
Click to expand...
That all depends on what shes doing and how shes acting. Like anything else, certain behavior draws certain responses.

And really, what does it matter what you have with you "to point"?

The other issue is, you make it sound like the only choice someone who has a rifle along, is to "point" it at someone. A rifle is simply another weapon, and responses are the same with it, as they are with a pistol, shotgun, SMG, whatever.
 
You don't have a plan to deal with people that you're unsure of. A female teenager on your porch at 2am may be a neighbor in need, or a crack addict. You going to point an AR at her until you find out she lives 3 doors down?
Click to expand...

Yeah my plan is to not point any gun at someone just because they are on my porch.

as AK said would pointing a pistol at said girl be any better before knowing why shes there?

RX No one is saying a pistol is a bad choice but your arguments as to why rifles are bad for HD don't make any sense
 
I believe I already said
Keep a shotgun or whatever handy if you want,
Click to expand...

The OP said he was getting a handgun for his home. A couple of you guys said that was the wrong weapon.

Is a handgun the wrong weapon for home defense or not?



I've already made it clear that it is a great weapon for home defense because you can discreetly take it into unclear situations, and it is can be shot at contact distances where a long gun might be deflected. That's all.

If I had to choose one or the other, I'd choose a handgun. Win12 and AK103 opined that they would choose a long gun. Now it sounds like AK103 really meant you need to have both. So I don't know what anyone is arguing about.
 
I simply said having both gives you options.

If you always have a pistol on, you "always" have at least a pistol. Sometimes you might want more, depending on the situation. Also, if there is time and choice, a proper rifle is the better choice.

In any case, the rifle is the better choice when it comes to power, and is more likely to put an opponent down quicker, and in the cases the pistol calibers cant.

Pistols generally suck in the power respect, and you had best be well versed in shooting without hesitation, quickly, accurately, and for as long as necessary.
 
Welcome Jay,

The key for any pistol round is PLACEMENT!

You are correct in following that any medium weight bullet from current manufacturers are great, you'll likely try several to see what gives best groups.

For additional practice you need to buy /reload similar ammo that duplicates the recoil in your firearm.
 
In 9mm my favorites are Federal HST 147 grain, and the Barnes bullet. If I have to answer the door at 230AM, it's with 00 buck. I won't be worried about being discrete at that hour.
 
Model12Win,

A shotgun is an excellent weapon. But it will most likely become a liability were you to have to walk around in your home trying to find a bad guy; e.g., protect other family members. If you have to leave your bedroom, a handgun is a far more wise choice.
 
There's no big difference in performance among the top shelf hollowpoint offerings from the major manufacturers like Winchester, Federal, Remington, Speer, Hornady. Any will serve well for HD.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top