Self Defence load

12ga loads

winchesters ranger line is what you are looking for they have some very nice
loadings in the 12 department,also check hornadys tap line of ammo:)
 
Depends on what your house is like or if you live alone or not. 00 buck is a good choice, but over penetrates easy. Birdshot is actually a good choice because at close range it's just a big ball of lead.
 
Any of the reduced recoil loads from Winchester, Federal, or Remington are good. You should pattern your shotgun to see which load works best.
 
Small game shot #6, at home ranges, it is unbeatable. SLUGS is defianantly out, your just using another BIG bullet, a cylinder choke and 15-20 feet is about an 8" pattern, if my or my family's life is on the line, I'd rather have an 8" pattern than a .40 size hole, the tissue destruction caused by taking a full load of #6 shot at close range is downright mind numbing. Trust me I have seen it first hand.:barf:

DOCSpanky
 
Note he asked for the best, not the most practical for a given situation.

And DOCSpanky, A 12ga. slug will can run anywhere from .50 to .72 cal. A .40 cal hole should be about the size of a .410 slug although I have never measured one.
 
Most folks pack their tubes with 00 buck, but #1 buck actually creates 30% more wound trama and is the smallest shot that will reliably penetrate deep enough to hit the vitals. Check out firearmstactical.com for an in-depth article on the topic.

I believe they recommend federal #1, but I haven't been able to find the stuff anywhere. My 590 is sitting in the corner with remington right now.
 
I'd grab a handgun first, but if I need one of the scatterguns, my first choice will be #4 Magnum buckshot. Plenty effective, without much chance of overpenetration. My two cents.
 
skeeter,

Why would anyone grab a handgun instead of a shotgun, if both were available?

I've always been taught, a handgun is used until a long gun can be acquired.

Back to the original post - both my shotguns in the house are loaded with Federal 00 buck.
 
+1 on the #4 buckshot. However, in my Winchester 1300, there are only 3 rounds of #4, followed by 00 buck. This is based on the premise that if I'm still shooting after 3 rounds, I'm going to want to penetrate sheetrock at corners or through walls. The ammo carrier on the buttstock has 2 rounds of 00 buck and three slugs.
 
skeeter,

Why would anyone grab a handgun instead of a shotgun, if both were available?

I've always been taught, a handgun is used until a long gun can be acquired.

Back to the original post - both my shotguns in the house are loaded with Federal 00 buck.
Click to expand...

Short answer: Because I have a handgun, loaded, near the bedside. All of the longguns are in a safe in another room. When the SHTF, I'd rather have the scattergun.
 
I'm going for the handgun, too. I live in a small apartment with a direct line of site to the door. I've tried grabbing my shotty and aiming and I find it real difficult to do while laying down, etc. I'm a lot better off with a handgun.

I think a shotgun is the ultimate home defense weapon, but I have neither the training nor enough trigger time to be comfortable wielding one in the tight confines of a house, let alone my apartment. I'll take the handgun unless an exceptional situation called for use of the scattergun.

And then there are the overpenetration concerns...
 
Depends

well with over penetration concerns sometimes your better off with a shotgun. Say #4 vs .357sig, Which do you think will penetrate more?
Just something to think about
 
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