Is this ammo good for self-defense?

new shotgunner

Don't buy into the popular myth that all you have to do is point in the general direction....you have to aim (point) the gun right at the target you want to hit, or you WILL MISS. Particularly at self defense ranges.

Take a target (paper), put it at across the room distance, and shoot it. See where the pellets hit, compared to where your bead (point of aim) was. Do it with 00B. Then go buy a box of #6, or 7 1/2, or #8 shot, and do it again.

Some guns will be "on", some will hit high, and some will hit low at this distance. This can be an important thing for you to know.
this has to do with stock fit, the way you aim (point) the gun, and the load used.

For inside the house use, I would say that #8 is pretty effective across the room, and not very likely to go through more than one wall if you miss.
Follow up shots with 00 Buck, if needed.
 
My experience it that patterning a shotgun at 30 feet with 00 buck makes a lot of sense. I have found that some rounds give you a consistent group with flyers seldom experienced. While others are not as consistent and often have a pellet or two that do not pattern well. Unless you have a special shotgun, groups of 1 and 2 inches at 7 yards is unusual. The rule of thumb is a 1" of spread for each yard of distance.

I have found S&B 00 Buck to be in the latter class. Often the pattern is nearly twice that of high quality ammo. Estates (before the buyout) used to pattern very consistently and tightly.

Especially when shooting hostage targets, those flyers can kill you.

For those interested, Vang Comp makes defensive shotguns that are designed to pattern tightly. This site https://www.vangcomp.com/Pattern_dea.html shows some of the patterning results of their guns. Most defensive shotgun will pattern less tightly than these. If you look at some of the various patterning tests, you can see the pattern sizes vary dramatically with ammo.
 
mossy 500 20"

#1 buck's the best. I love what it does to stuff. Plus there's enough of it in a shell to have a good time with. I don't pattern my shotgun anymore because the pattern was always in a neat circle and it got boring. I do shoot trap occassionally with it. 20 of 25 or so at 30 yds.
 
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