home defense

cobain 187

Inactive
Hello all. Cobain 187 here. I was hoping i could get some advice on home defense ammo. I own a mossberg 500 riot gun, and ive been having trouble deciding on what type of buckshot to use. Any advice is welcome, thanks.
 
Well, I'm in the minority here, possibly...But I'm a firm believer in "more power"...Have a few boxes of Sellier & Beloit 3" Magnum 00 buck, 15 pellets per load...Kinda punishing to shoot, but unscientific testing shows it'll stop a fight RIGHT NOW! In fact, outa my 20" Mossberg "Special Purpose" the muzzle blast is probably lethal, out to a few feet! Some say not good for short range, as pellets clumped together, but outa my gun, at 30-40 feet, I get pretty decent spread (maybe 12-18")...availble@ cheaperthandirt.com, cheap too....
 
Just please remember Rule #4. Not everyone lives in a concrete box, a castle in the desert or a cardboard shack in the woods.;)
 
Federal's Hi-Power No. 4 loads are a good choice for home defense. Plenty of power at close range, but dont have to worry about over penetration.. Also recoils less than your average 00 load.
 
Here's what I use. I've thought about it lots. I use the 2 3/4" Magnum 00 buck 12 pellet load. Normal 2 3/4" 00 Buck is a 9 pellet load. The 12 pellet is still a 2 3/4" load but sends 3 more pellets out at a higher velocity than the 15 pellet load.

The individual pellets hit with more power and you can carry more in your magazine. In my gun, I can put one more shell in. The results are 3 less pellets but they travel at higher velocity. Also, you get a little less recoil and one more shot.

http://www.remington.com/ammo/shotshell/pre_bucksh.htm
 
I recently patterned several different loads in my Mossberg Model 500 shotgun, 18.5" barrel, at 30 feet. The best of the bunch was No. 4 buckshot. 00 Buck was a pain with the old standard, hard buttplate. The Federal personal defense load wasn't bad, but it wasn't as consistent as the No. 4 Buck. No. 6 birdshot was about the same pattern as the Federal.
 
#4 buckshot is fine. You might even want something smaller if you have a very confined area. Out to a few feet, it won't matter what size shot you have, or slugs, as the shot will not have separated from the shot cup (or not significantly).

I like Federals 00 buck 'tactical' load. Yes, "tactical is in the name. It is a slightly powered down load so your shot is traveling a little slower (somewhere around 1200 fps as I recall). The benefit of the reduced power is less recoil and so you get faster follow-up shots and a little less worry about over penetration issues. If you choose a semi-auto shotgun, you may wish to run through a bunch of the stuff to make sure it will function properly. It should, but I would still check.

Out of my 18" Rem 870 Marine Magnum, the Federl Tactical 00 buck has a spread of about 1 inch for every five feet. I patterned it as 5, 10, and 15 yards with that average result. Each gun patterns differently and will do so differently with different loads. It is nice to know what to expect out of whatever load you choose to use with your gun. I found IDPA cardboard targets worked great for patterning tests.
 
Just remember. Regardless of ammo; bird, buck or slug; at normal inside the house ranges you essentially have a .73 caliber rifle. A stopping shot must be properly aimed.

Practice accordingly.

Sam
 
The Fed database that I cannot access since retirement had ALL shotgun ammo listed at 99% effecive at one shot stops. All loads, all gauges plus the 410. The enormous amount of energy a shotgun round can dump into a target is one of the main advantages to using a shotgun for HD.

BTW, forensic pics of close range shotgun wounds make even the least queasy lose sleep. We used to pass them around in class during the safety segment of training.Shock motivation...

This doesn't mean one can stuff Ol' Betsy with any round. It means that one can tailor the ammo to a particular domicile and neighborhood.

Try out some loads at the measured max distance you can shoot in your home and add a yard for GPs.
Use the load that fits your needs and patterns tightest in your shotgun.

And,contrary to common myth, spread is the problem. We want all pellets in a fist sized or smaller pattern. That's what makes a shotgun so incredibly effective.
 
I like Federals 00 buck 'tactical' load. A little softer on the shoulder. Now if your trying to stay safe from the BG family sueing or LEO looking for a murder rap you may want to think about the bean bag rounds w/lead shot. It really just depends on your tactical and mental needs........not sure if this helps or just confused you more.

some of the other members might not agree with this point of view but in these anti-gun mentality times getting sued in a cival wrongful death case is a possilbility.


Rusher
 
You gotta live long enough to be sued.

I firmly believe in not ignoring the possibility of a civil trial...but you gotta take care of first things first. Shoot to stop, and the most effective stop is the one that sends the most entrails blossoming out of the target's hide.

Beanbaggers in LEO scenarios are covered by cops with real guns, in case the beanbag round fails to work as advertised. Who is covering you?

Mike
 
Agree TOTALLY w/ Coronach...If I'm in a situation where I have absolutely no choice but to use a gun, it means I NEED deadly force, so I want that BG out of commission RIGHT f***ing NOW! Let 'em sue me, I gotta good lawyer...but I survived (or more importantly my family/loved ones did)...Thought about "less lethal" alternatives, realized that's absurd on the face of it...

Remind me of a place I used to work, years ago(24 hour towing)....Cleaning up, found Win levergun in the office...asked what it was for...They said incase anyone 'caused trouble, tried to "steal" back their car, etc. I asked where the shells were...Didn't have any...Yeah, right...I'm gonna wave an UNLOADED gun at a BG....NOW he decides to shoot at me!, and I got nothin'! No thank you...

Its truly sad that we even have to discuss the fact that we might be arrested/sued under these circumstances.... But at least (for now) we still even have the OPTION of defending ourselves...Not so in many other countries
 
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