Man, I hate being a newbie...

F

FatBoyAl

New member
but I am to shotguns. Since I moved in with a new lady and she didn't quite like my 1911's, I sold them and bought a Benelli Nova Tactical.
Now, I know what to shoot in my handguns for self-defense, but I don't know nuttin' about shot sizes, outside of what 00 buck is.
So is there a simple way for a simple guy like me to understand/visualize the sizes of shot? And is #4 shot the same as #4 buck?
Sigh, the lessons I must learn.
And ya, I find it a bit odd I can have a 40" long HD weapon but my little ones in the safe weren't cool...go figure.
 
Most manufacturers in thier glossy blurbs have pictures of the various shot sizes. I think in the latest Hornady (?) catalogue they have pictures of the various shot sizes.

The thing to bear in mind about shot is that the smaller the number, the larger the shot. If it is a straight number (#4) it is normal shot. If it has the word Buck after it, then it is buckshot and bigger still. The American system of shot classification is very confusing, the brits avoid numbers for buckshot and use letters. 00 is, for example, "SG".

As a very general rule of thumb- very very general mind you- shot 7-9 is trap and clay loads, 4-6 is rabbit and some smaller water fowl, 1-4 is big fowl like goose, and the buck shot for larger game. I use #6 on rabbits, #1 on canadas, and 4 buck (if I can find it) and 00 for big game and self defence.

Dont feel bad about replacing your pistols with a shotgun- If the SHTF then you will be in a happier place!
 
So is there a simple way for a simple guy like me to understand/visualize the sizes of shot?
Click to expand...
I found this on Remington's site the other day, and found it quite useful. Have fun! :)

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Shotguns for Defense

As a suggestion, don't figure to use the good gun for self defense. When TSHTF, the good gun will inevitable be put away in its case somewhere and useless as those spigots on the bull. Go find a Mossy 500, get a pistol grip and an 18" straight barrel, a bucket of #4 or #00 buckshot, keep it locked and loaded within immediate reach. The new practitioners of home invasion robbery rape and general mayhem don't make appointments to smash into your house, but the "ClickClack" of a pump gun loading that first round is a sound they all know and respect.
 
I keep the Benelli right next to the bed. It's actually closer than my Kimber or Les Baer were, down under the bed in the safe.
Like I said, I don't get it either. Somehow my big Nova Tactical doesn't give her the willies, while my little 1911's did. Whatever.
As far as why I would move in with a woman that doesn't like guns...does any of us have a good reason for moving in with ANY woman? :D
Um, just kidding. No. Really. :)
 
We all know its a problem with all guys being two-headed and sometimes the wrong one doing the critical thinking. My thought with the Mossy Pump was more along the lines of shorter for faster handling, and cheaper for when the Law takes it away until all the hell raising is over. On average in the People's Republic of Maryland, a gun used for self defense, even if the bad guy is in dirt nap mode and had no relatives to sue you over wrongful death, etc. will be out of reach for close to a year. Rather a cat and rat gun sitting in lockup than one that's worth a buck or two. Of course here too, if the lovely lady should get pissed and accuse you of abuse, they come and get ALL your guns until you can prove she made it all up. Something about "guilty until you damned well prove you're Innocent" Kind of an interesting place for a guy to live. Soooo..... if you're gonna bring in a new gal, be more careful than you would if you were doing your first big drug deal, since the threat level is about the same................ :D
 
Hmmm, one-inch, your points are well taken. Actually, the Benelli was only about $350 so not much more than a Mossy by my side. I'm hoping, really, to never have the problem. However, I was at an indoor range when someone committed suicide. I was the only other one in the range at the time and the owners didn't have the cameras on, so the cops took all my guns.
Not only did I have to wait for the entire investigation to finish, which took two weeks, but then I had to go through DOJ again (even tho the reason I was there was that one of my guns had cleared DOJ THAT DAY!) on each weapon to prove that I was allowed to have them in the first place! Aside from the fact that I had to see what happened (no, I don't have much sympathy for the dead in this case, she was a convicted drug dealer about to face two decades in prison), they took my guns for almost a month. So, yeah, point well taken.
As far as the domestic abuse stuff...well...what's the choices? Live alone with guns and no risk of that or live with a woman and...wait. That's no choice! :)
 
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