you must have a really big home. I get about 6-8" out of my 590a1 from 25 yards with middle-of-the-road 00 buckshot, and I don't even have a modified barrel or chokes or anything...at 25 yds you're going to have a really, really tough time convincing anyone you used your weapon in self defense unless they're shooting at you. But if you discovered an intruder in your home, sleep in your eyes, still only half awake, are you going to wait to be shot? for that matter how good are those sights going to be when youre all groggy and half alert? every time i wake up in the middle of the night I think how bad it would suck to be in a life threatening situation that way. average persons only going to be 70 percent at best, and thats why I go with the bead sight, 3 simple steps : id threat- point- and click.
If you're dead set on sights, do this:
before you look into sights or optics or anything, take your gun and get 1 box each of 4-5 different brands of the best 2 3/4" buckshot you can find. Use 1-3 rds of each to make sure you avoid any flukes. Take pictures of each one and compare. I recommend Federal Flitecontrol tactical 00 buck (ammunitiontogo.com), Hornady TAP 00 buck, and Federal VitalShok with or without Flitewad. If you want a 4th and 5th option, try standard Remington 00 Buck and Winchester Supreme (NOT Super X, not Winchester "Military Grade", not Wolff, not Sellier & Bellot, not Federal Power Shok, not Rio, Noblesport, only exactly what I've recommended). I've tried a bunch of stuff, and for applications where tightness is the most desired effect, keep it limited to these. The Fiocchis ok too. You can find the Vital Shok at any Walmart I think.
Take them all out and Pattern test them @ 15 yards. Any more, and the self defense argument is flying out the window anyway, unless the guy has a gun aimed at you. Any less and it'll all be the same with good name brand ammo. And if hes out at 20-25 yds, if the patterns good at 15 yds its still going to man-sized tight at 25-30 with maybe 1 or 2 fliers. Select the tightest load out of that. Then decide if you need an optic or sight more than you need a simple light set up. If you do, I'd look at Tritium Ghost rings. They'll be cheaper than the optic, won't require batteries, WILL hold up to the abusive recoil of 12 gauge and will be easier to mount. I still hate em both in looks and the way they slow me down, but they do work for those who just must have sights on a weapon that wasnt ever really intended to have any.
Mesa tactical makes products that'll add a shellholder as well as a top-of-receiever rail, I'd look in that direction.
But I've put all of this to the test a long time ago and decided an optic would be money poorly spent.
to be honest, I'd forgo battery-powered optics on any weapon in a self defense context EXCEPT for a precision long range rifle (ACOG) because it introduces another variable that most people just shouldnt deal with in a life threatening situation. give me iron sights any day. theyre cheaper, theyre tougher, theyre easier and they dont quit. ever.
