Hollow Point Rifled Slugs for HD

Disregarding a hit on a wall stud, paneling, exterior wall, or insulation a 2 3/4" 12 gauge Foster slug will penetrate 12 sheets of 5/8" drywall fired from 20'. As mentioned above that is 6 walls. If you are going to be using slugs as your boogerman ammo then soft slugs like a foster with a hollow point is your best choice and don't miss. Poor ballistic coefficient maybe but at 15' that does not matter, an ounce of lead is going to take some persuading to slow down.

As for heavy set semi armored heavily clothed boogerman invading your house, its more likely to be a cop at that size. Most goombah's breaking into houses are younger, not overly well dressed and usually smaller than the average well fed suburbanite. Unless he is on something really dumb like PCP or meth a load of anything from #4 to 000 shot in their bread basket is going to stop them or at least slow them down enough the average 11 year old girl could kick his tail up around his ears. a couple of quick follow up shots to the initial shot and it will be "Clean up on aisle three." and then a trip to Sears for a new carpet.
 
Pray to god that I'm never on the jury if you miss and hit a neighbor.
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I am feeling pretty comfortable on that.

Disregarding a hit on a wall stud, paneling, exterior wall, or insulation a 2 3/4" 12 gauge Foster slug will penetrate 12 sheets of 5/8" drywall fired from 20'
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Not really. The "test" (admitted by the testers as very unscientific) failed to take in a number of important factors. If you give it some thought you can probably come up with the reasons why it was very unrealistic all on your own.
 
I never understand the obsession some people have with massive overkill in "home defense" loads. It's ridiculous to claim that only a hollow point slug, or only 000 buckshot, will take a person down. The fact is that at home defense ranges, ANY kind of 12 gauge load is going to have nearly the same effect. Whether it's in the form of a single slug, 9 buckshot pellets, or 100 pellets of 7.5 shot, you're still dumping 450+ grains of lead into a spot on your target that's going to probably be less than 4 inches wide at HD distances. The math doesn't change that much. Statistically, the chance of a kill with buckshot is exactly the same as the chance of a kill with a slug hitting the same location.
 
The post in this thread by the user wanting to use slugs as a HD load show his/her lack of respect for the innocent a round near by and a lack of maturity. The bump in the night goto weapon at 2am when your very groggy and not going to be able to aim is a shottie, loaded with buck. Why? Because you will not be able to aim well enough in the few seconds that you'll have to stand, grab, aim and fire, and hit someone with a slug. Wont happen, you will miss at least one time. If you dont think so you've played too many video games and watch too much tv.

If you live alone with no one close by, than a slug is a safer load, however it still isnt ideal. What your failing to understand is the beauty of a shotgun. You have a slight amount of "flub" room. Go pattern you weapon with several loads and see the results. If you think you'll be able to aim the weapon with little to no margin of error, cause your life will rely on it, than get a rifle.

Your line of thought shows your inexperience and multiple tactical mistakes, that WILL result in injury to yourself and to others. A know it all attitude has no place around firearms. People dont report on shooting down airplanes with .50 cal rifles, because most civilians dont try. As in they dont want to maliciously kill innocent people. A will placed .45 round will disable a aircraft easily if in range. Tell us where you live so we can move.
 
The post in this thread by the user wanting to use slugs as a HD load show his/her lack of respect for the innocent a round near by and a lack of maturity. The bump in the night goto weapon at 2am when your very groggy and not going to be able to aim is a shottie, loaded with buck. Why? Because you will not be able to aim well enough in the few seconds that you'll have to stand, grab, aim and fire, and hit someone with a slug. Wont happen, you will miss at least one time. If you dont think so you've played too many video games and watch too much tv.
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OK i'm going to disagree with this,not on the side of over penetration but on the side that you can aim at 2 am when groggy,you can unless you have no experience at all with it.Also the same could be said about using handguns at 2am and not being able to shoot strait.Why am i stepping in on this,i use slugs in my h/d gun as well,i live in the country and i do also have a family with children.The most important thing to remember,is not what you use,but how well you know your weapon and the ways to use them properly.

Now on to the types of slugs i use,they are Winchester 2 3/4 1 oz managed recoil slugs=1,200 fps which are about the same as Remington 2 3/4 00# buck shot at 1,325 fts.

Btw if you use the search function on this group,sometime back there was a break in with 4 b/g's who wore body armor.I want max penetration if need be and buck shot just doesn't have the same trauma effect on body armor.
 
Why am i stepping in on this,i use slugs in my h/d gun as well,i live in the country and i do also have a family with children.The most important thing to remember,is not what you use,but how well you know your weapon and the ways to use them properly.
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Living in the country it might make since to use slugs. The point that people have been trying to make is that it doesn't for someone living in the city, or the suburbs, or anyplace where there are densely packed neighbors.
 
I wonder if there are any stats about a slug vs buckshot in an urban setting.Has anyone ever been shot with a slug from one house to another.

As for using slugs in the city,i had my gun loaded with them when i lived on 24th st in Huntington,Wv ,again they were managed recoil slugs but just as effective as anything else.

Even now i still have neighbors,just not as close,and i still use slugs.I will say this about slugs,i wouldn't use them in apt's or duplexes.If you feel comfy using slugs and are prepared for what may happen then use them,if not,use buckshot but still know the effects they cause.

here is what sits next to my bed every night when i'm sleeping.every one of those shells you see on that belt are managed recoil slugs along with the 6 in my gun.Oh and don't laugh to hard at my homemade holster.
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I wonder if there are any stats about a slug vs buckshot in an urban setting.Has anyone ever been shot with a slug from one house to another.
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In several years of research I have yet to find a single case. There was a case a few years ago of a drive by shooter penetrating a single exterior wall and wounding an interior occupant with a slug but he was actively trying to hit the residents, so this was not an accident.

The post in this thread by the user wanting to use slugs as a HD load show his/her lack of respect for the innocent a round near by and a lack of maturity.
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Again, barring even a single case of an accidental shooting this appears to be the mark of ignorance. I would suggest more research on the subject, before making an uninformed opinion. I prefer to leave uninformed opinions to the antis.
You have a slight amount of "flub" room.
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I am not 100% sure what you mean by "flub room" but if you mean that buckshot will disperse more widely and make targets easier to hit, I will say that the advantage is quite small at most HD ranges. By the same token, you can miss with more pieces of shot as well.

Go pattern you weapon with several loads and see the results.
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I use rifled slug barrels. The pattern on that is quite dispersed at 15 feet. I would say the chance of me hitting an unintended target goes up astronomically.

If you think you'll be able to aim the weapon with little to no margin of error, cause your life will rely on it, than get a rifle.
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If you are trying to imply in any way that you don't need to aim a shotgun as well as a rifle we are going to have to disagree.
Your line of thought shows your inexperience and multiple tactical mistakes, that WILL result in injury to yourself and to others.
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Hopefully some day I will be "experienced" like you, but I don't think I will ever stop making mistakes. ;)
Tell us where you live so we can move.
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I live in the City of Thi, it is right over there under location. Since I know everyone who lives here I can assure you, that you are in no danger.

A know it all attitude has no place around firearms.
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Well at least we agree on one thing. :rolleyes:
 
Mtt tl... Your responces show your maturity and know it all attitude. I'm not trying to argue with you. Here's the way the ball bounces fella, most HD shotties with a combat choke will pattern at about 8-9" at 15-20'. The average distance of a clear shot in a home. That's your "flub" room...8-9".
 
Well which is it?

This:
The post in this thread by the user wanting to use slugs as a HD load show his/her lack of respect for the innocent a round near by and a lack of maturity.
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Or this:
I'm not trying to argue with you.
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You accuse me of being infantile and reckless several times and then you don't want to argue? :rolleyes:

I understand, you have no evidence to support your false assertion therefore your argument is very weak. If I were in your place I would not want to argue either. But I don't go around making unsupported statements or untrue allegations either. Has to do with maturity levels I think.
 
...most HD shotties with a combat choke will pattern at about 8-9" at 15-20'.

Hmm. None of the ones we use here are that open, at least with the loads we use. The 870 on my side of the bed has an 18" factory CYL barrel and will pretty well hold 4" patterns with Federal LE 127-00 (9 00 pellets, 1325 fps) at 25 yards/75 feet. At 15-20 feet it's still making one ragged hole not a lot bigger than bore size.

And that's exactly what I want it to do. Hitting with it is my job, patterning is what the ammo is supposed to do.

lpl
 
The fact that a smoothbore shotgun can effectively launch shot or slugs is often cited as the gun's strength.

I'm starting to wonder if it's the gun's weakness.

Why? Because it encourages people to spend time thinking about how to handle a situation with a shotgun when the better answer might be, "Grab something else." (or get the heck out of there)

Think about the "select slug" drill. I'm not against select slug but I have to wonder: what other gun puts so much emphasis on changing ammo characteristics in the middle of fighting?

Presumably, something about the fight will make someone say, "Gee, nine .32 caliber pellets flying the same direction at the same time isn't working. What I really need now is a single big hunk of lead." If you were in that situation with a pistol or rifle, you probably wouldn't think about it nearly as much. You would have chosen your ammo based on it's overall performance, practiced with it, learned what it does, and accepted it's limitations. And all of the choices have limitations.

I wonder if all the hand-wringing about whether to load the shotgun with buckshot, birdshot, or slugs is putting the cart before the horse. Perhaps it makes more sense to match the ammo to the purpose and then buy the gun that effectively launches the ammo. If buckshot matches the purpose, buy a shotgun, load it with good buckshot, and practice with buckshot. On the other hand, if .308 matches the purpose, buy a rifle.
 
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...most HD shotties with a combat choke will pattern at about 8-9" at 15-20'.
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There's a chart here:
http://hunting.about.com/od/shotgun/l/aastshotgunfaqa.htm

Not sure what to think about that. I'm sure if you are throwing a pattern of small birdshot the pattern might be that wide. Of course, with only 8 or 9 pellets, the potential pattern is the same size I guess but the actual pattern is smaller.

Hmm. None of the ones we use here are that open, at least with the loads we use. The 870 on my side of the bed has an 18" factory CYL barrel and will pretty well hold 4" patterns with Federal LE 127-00 (9 00 pellets, 1325 fps) at 25 yards/75 feet. At 15-20 feet it's still making one ragged hole not a lot bigger than bore size.
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Double hmmm. Is that flite control or something? That's not a normal choke pattern.

I'm currently attending an firearms program for the .gov. Quite a few agencies here and several different shotguns present. None are anywhere close to that tight.

I'm not even sure I've seen a turkey gun that tight.
 
Perhaps it makes more sense to match the ammo to the purpose and then buy the gun that effectively launches the ammo.
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Exactly. All I am saying is; to rule a particularly effectively loading out for an unsubstantiated reason is the height of foolishness.
 
I'm currently attending an firearms program for the .gov. Quite a few agencies here and several different shotguns present. None are anywhere close to that tight.

I'm not even sure I've seen a turkey gun that tight.

Yes, it's FliteControl. It's an old 870 Police barrel I bought used, and haven't done anything to since I got it except shoot it and clean it. It just likes that load a lot. Any number of guns will do that well withFliteControl loads, not just this one. Get some and try it... quit using ammo supplied by the lowest bidder :D.

lpl (retired DoD employee)
 
All I am saying is; to rule a particularly effectively loading out for an unsubstantiated reason is the height of foolishness.
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People used to fire guns into the air to celibate New Years. The number of people killed each year from falling bullets was infinitesimal. Does that mean it was foolish for cities to ban firing into the air?

Second it is beyond foolish to look to a body count to "substantiate" a risk. A responsible gun owner balances sufficient penetration to reliably stop an attacker with the risk of hitting an innocent. Can it or can't it go through 6 walls and is there a risk to innocents in those rooms? That's why I would never consider grabbing a 44mag or my M1A to stop a burglar. 00 buck or 5.56 will do the job without penetrating 6 walls.

Anyway I'm not going to argue the point anymore.
 
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Get some and try it... quit using ammo supplied by the lowest bidder .
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Why? I want a pattern if I'm grabbing a shotgun.

I recognize that at distances encountered by .mil, a much tighter pattern may well be preferable.

I just don't think it would be my choice for a home gun.
 
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