Best Shell for Home Defense?

What do you use 000 buck for?
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The heavier the shot ( 000 ) the more foot pounds of energy each individual pellet delivers . The bigger the hole from each pellet because of the diameter of the 000. Plus it gives you more distance ( retains more energy down range ) if needed for a target further away.

000 individual pellet 250 ft lbs

00 individual pellet 200 ft lbs

4 individual pellet 70 ft lbs

#6 individual pellet 7 ft lbs

at about 1250 +\- feet per second

Bird shot with smaller pellets is waaay down there in the ft lbs of evergy department .

Ft lbs of energy = penetration
 
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You people suggesting the use of birdshot are making a grave mistake and should refrain from telling others to do so. Your not-so-well-thought-out suggestion may well get someone KILLED! If you want to make the mistake of loading birdshot into your own shotguns for self-defense, that's fine and dandy.. Just don't tell others how potent you THINK or FEEL birdshot is based on personal emotion
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Well I'm glad that question has been definitively answered by an experienced and wise old man who has all the definitive answers at his finger tips. Have you even read the other posts or are you speaking from superior knowledge unavailable to the rest of us? Just curious.

We had Winchester 00, Rubber slugs, rubber buckshot, flechette, and #9 birdshot. What did the military use when you were serving. Just curious, you don't have to tell me if you don't know.

I admit to ignorance about what the police are using. I'm guessing pretty much the same thing we did. I hear they have some nastier stuff since I got out but I don't have any personal experience with it. I'm sure you do.
 
I personally love a shotgun for HD and i know it's probably the best choice. But i also really like a AR, ill have an AR with an aimpoint and bulletproof vest, sidearmed with a 9mm. Wish it was a .45 acp:rolleyes:

As for the HD question of buckshot or bird shot... more power/penetration the less likely the person/intruder is likely to get up. I vote Buckshot.
 
shotgun

I recently took a course on Response to home invasion, the instructors both loaded the first two with heavy bird shot loads followed by all the 00 that it takes to stop the threat.LE here uses a low recoil 00, they all speak well of it.
 
I live alone in a condo. A neighbor above and another behind me. I have a model '97 riot gun with a 20" bbl but I keep it unloaded. I have some 00 buck for it but I always worried about coming home to a bg and him with my shotgun.

I carry and when I get home would rely on the handgun for hd. Same with when I'm home. The shotgun is there and if a home invasion situation were to come up or if the omelet ever hits the fan and anarchy begins the 00 buck would be the stuff I'd want.

As for birdshot, I recall that our former vice pres once accidentally shot a hunting buddy in the face with some. The victim was on TV shortly thereafter and looked pretty good under the circumstances.
 
There are a lot of people here who quite obviously have never shot a shotgun.
Police don't carry birdshot because their guns may have to be used at some distance.
Buckshot works fine up close (-20 feet), but heavier birdshot does, too.
If you were to shoot an intruder in the face with #6 shot at 10 feet, there would be no face left-possibly no head.
 
but if he doesnt my next round is a 00 buck
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And if you don't have the opportunity for the 2nd round?

Having a second, third, 34th, etc round is always a great thing, but I would never rely on being able to use it.
 
Ksmoker said:
I recently took a course on Response to home invasion, the instructors both loaded the first two with heavy bird shot loads followed by all the 00 that it takes to stop the threat.LE here uses a low recoil 00, they all speak well of it
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I'd get yer money back, 'cause that's some lousy advice



Maromero said:
He is. And stop calling him Shirley.
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LoL
 
One time I tried to shoot a wasp with my 12-gauge, but the pellets went right around the sucker! Unfortunately, I had no bug shot.
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I learned right here on TFL that coarse corn meal is the official "bug shot" you seek... Tears the heck out of the carpenter bees!

00 Buck for 12 gauge and for the 20, I find #3 locally but wish I could find #2...
Brent
 
Rampant_Colt said:
You people suggesting the use of birdshot are making a grave mistake and should refrain from telling others to do so. Your not-so-well-thought-out suggestion may well get someone KILLED! If you want to make the mistake of loading birdshot into your own shotguns for self-defense, that's fine and dandy.. Just don't tell others how potent you THINK or FEEL birdshot is based on personal emotion

Please tell me again which police agencies, militaries or private contractors use birdshot in their shotguns for defensive scenarios...[crickets chirping]
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Old Grump said:
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We had Winchester 00, Rubber slugs, rubber buckshot, flechette, and #9 birdshot. What did the military use when you were serving. Just curious, you don't have to tell me if you don't know.

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I bolded the part that went over your head
You guys used #9 birdshot for defensive scenarios?


NeroBrandt said:
Betcha ball and buck would stop an intruder in his tracks...
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Probably. But at what distance?
Once those #4 buckshot leave the barrel and split apart from the ball in that hard-recoiling load they will create more collateral damages due to their known erratic patterns.

Federal engineers have developed what is arguably the best buckshot load combination available, the low-recoil Tactical load using the Flight Control wad.

00 and 000 buckshot is proven to work
 
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Buckshot...too many variances/opinions on which is "best." I will chime in on my preference, however....either Low Recoil 00 Buck or #1 Buck.

Either way, just load up and above all [if, God forbid, the crapola hits the fan]....don't miss.

In addition, while being concerned about over-penetration is understandable, the whole idea is to STOP an attack. Use the most powerful load you feel comfortable with.

Keep in mind you cannot stop what you do not hit, regardless of how effective the ammunition. Also, "collateral damage" usually means you missed.
 
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I bolded the part that went over your head
You guys used #9 birdshot for defensive scenarios?
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Breeching rounds, what makes you think any of your post went over my head. I just listed nearly everything we had in our ammo locker minus a couple of special purpose rounds. That wasn't for anti-personnel use but I won't volunteer to stand in front of it at 10'. You can if you think it's so harmless.
 
During WWII my Father was guarding German prisoners in Texas ( Rommel's African Corp POWS) before going to the Phillipines. The Army issued shotguns with buckshot. He said the pellets were about as big as your finger nail- sounds like 00 Buck or better. I'd stay away from the birdshot.
 
My 870 has a Surefire 618LF light and seven rounds of 00 Buck. Anyone coming to my house is assumed to be after me, not my stuff, and they will be met with extreme violence.
 
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