Dave: Today I got my new 20ga 870 Youth Deer Gun (with rifled barrel). The dealer let me test fire it at his place with Winchester SUPER SPEED GAME LOAD #8 shot (22 GRAM 1275 FPS), and some yellow shells with only #5 marked on them (he recommended the latter for HD and gave me 6 such shells to bring home). Both of the 2 different shells (#8 and #5) were spread so widely that much was off the silhouette board at 15 feet, and the portion of the shot that stayed on the silhouette was very widely distributed throughout the entire form. The dealer said that this is adequate for home defense, because it would make an intruder "stand up" and decide to leave my home. He said his 12ga 18" HD weapon fires as wide a spread as what mine fired today. That is not what I have been led to think is adequate by what I have read on this and other internet sites (but of course I really am a tyro and may not have understand rightly what I have read). I wonder if you could recommed some loads for me to test (when I find a place to do more testing) in an effort to ascertain the best shot shell for HD with this gun. I already have 20 boxes of Federal 7/8 oz. shot, #7 1/2 shot (2 1/2 DRAM EQ - "Small Game and Dove Load"), which I ordered from Cheaper Than Dirt, and which I have not yet had a chance to test fire for spread/pattern.