Shotgun for HD

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Nick_C_S

New member
Hi, I've been on TFL for a while now, but I'm purely a handgun guy. But something I've always wanted to know, and I bet the answer can be found right here in the shotgun forum.

With a 12 gauge, at typical home defense range - say, 20 feet or so - what really is the best loading for self-defense?

I know that the ol' "00-Buck" seems to be the knee-jerk response; but is it really the best shot to use?

And would it matter if it's a 2-3/4" or 3"?

Just something I've always wondered, and finally want to actually know.
Thanks - Nick.
 
Any buckshot is just fine. I use whatever I find that happens to pattern nicely. Partial to 000 but if concerned with overpenetration use 1 or 0 shot sizes.
 
best is relative...just like picking a cartridge for a handgun for defense...( size of bullet or pellet and velocity matter )...

and it matters if the intruder has a heavy coat on / or a sweat shirt, or a T shirt....does over penetration matter thru a sheetrock wall, etc.... # 2 shot, OO Buck, a slug...it depends...

OO Buck is probably the consensus....and 2 3/4" shells are fine. Heavier loads and higher velocities mean a lot more recoil ...type of shotgun, weight of the gun, experience of the shooter, etc all matter ..just like in handguns.../ what works for me at 63 yrs old, 6'5" and 290 lbs -- and someone that shoots about 200 shotshells a week thru target shotguns...is one thing / vs someone that only shoots 10 shot shells a year...
 
I'm 5'11", 200 lbs. This hypothetical shotgun would probably be a Mossberg pump action 590. Knowing me, I'd do my fair share of practice with it (I've only shot a shotgun a few times - was fun).
 
I personally use 2 3/4" 16 pellet #1 buckshot shells for home defense.

There was a study some time ago that showed #1 buckshot could produce something like 40% greater total area of wound damage versus the standard 00 buck 9 pellet load. #1 buck can still penetrate deep to destroy vital organs, and at ranges beyond smaller buckshot like #2 or #4. People will recommend birdshot of various sizes for home defense. I don't buy it.
 
Plenty of people will recommend #1 buck...but it is almost impossible to find at the best of times, and really so during this ammo shortage.
Yet 00 buck is the load that made the 12 gauge's reputation, and it has been pretty easy to find all this time.
 
I've also heard that #1 buck is supposed to be "best" because it consistently meets the FBI recommended penetration of 12" (in gelatin blocks) while creating more wound channels than 00. I guess smaller shot doesn't always reach the 12" mark.

Nine 00 pellets seem to fit nicely in 12 gauge shells and pattern pretty tightly. Not sure how #1 compares as patterns are concerned. I've never actually tried #1 because I don't see it in stores.
 
00 buck is the most commonly found, but anything with "buckshot" in the name will be fine. Smaller, non-buckshot shot sizes can work, but offer no advantages, and several possible disadvantages. Use some sort of buckshot if available. If not available, use the biggest shot you have and hope for the best.
 
Smaller, non-buckshot shot sizes can work, but offer no advantages, and several possible disadvantages. Use some sort of buckshot if available.
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This.

I keep low-recoil OO buck in my shotgun for HD.
 
I figured that when my shotgun is in it's home defense role (which it is most of the time, unless I take it to the shotgun field and put on the 28" barrel), then I don't want to second guess anything. If , god forbid, I ever have to actually use it, then I figure that it all went to heck and I would be in some dire straits.

So, I load up some potent 00-Buck that has been tested in my gun for patterning at the largest distance found in my house. Why chance it with something less potent? I know people go round and round about which, lesser, load should do the job. But, when it comes down to it, I don't want to chance it.

This is my opinion and this is what I'm comfortable with. You have to find your own answer to this question,to see what you feel is correct for you.
 
Experts on the subject recommend:
Long guns, including shotguns, are best used from a stationary position for home defense, rather than roaming around looking for bad guys.
Choose a barrel length that is easy to manipulate for that.
Pattern the load and choke for effective defense use, more like a rifle rather than bird hunting or clay games.
Become very proficient in the use and manipulation of the gun.
Home defense tactics are a must, also.
Knowing which directions are safe to shoot, warning equipment to prevent surprises, and lots, lots more.
Probably more important than the gun choice.
Sounds like good advice to me.
 
Exactly. The correct answer what you decide fits your situation and you do two things. You practice and develop a home defense plan. I also decided to add a weapons light.
 
I agree with g.willickers....

Shotguns are probably best used for defense from a stationary position...not clearing a house / so I think most any shotgun can be a good "defensive shotgun" vs an optimal "fighting shotgun"....

I don't rely on any shotgun for defense...( I'm a 1911 or S&W revolver guy ) when it comes to defense ...and no lights, mag extensions, etc for me.../ taking the plug out of a standard field shotgun will give you at least 4 + 1 of 2 3/4" shells in the gun ...and in a field gun ( pump or semi-auto) with a 28" or even a 30" barrel, from a stationary position, is just fine, in my opinion.

If I wanted a "fighting shotgun" it would be a Benelli M-4....gas gun.
 
Staying Put

Long guns, including shotguns, are best used from a stationary position for home defense, rather than roaming around looking for bad guys.
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Even with a handgun, I'm not going to roam the house looking for bad guys. I'm staying with my wife in the bedroom (upstairs) and calling 911. I have no tactical training - other than the occasional shoot house in IDPA. And it would be foolhardy to consider that "tactical training." It's just enough experience to tell me that I don't ever want to put myself in that position.

Which is why I started this post.

Since I'm remaining stationary, why have a handgun when you can have a shotgun? It would seem to be the better choice in such a scenario.
 
Even with a handgun, I'm not going to roam the house looking for bad guys. I'm staying with my wife in the bedroom (upstairs) and calling 911. I have no tactical training - other than the occasional shoot house in IDPA. And it would be foolhardy to consider that "tactical training." It's just enough experience to tell me that I don't ever want to put myself in that position.

Which is why I started this post.

Since I'm remaining stationary, why have a handgun when you can have a shotgun? It would seem to be the better choice in such a scenario.
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Couldn't have said it better myself:). For me, I like a short barreled (18 1/2in), "Plain Jane" model pump action 12guage. Any make and model will do as long as it's been tested to be reliable and durable over time. Reading too much of the forums can cause a person to keep second guessing their decisions on these matters. Think it through, make an educated, well reasoned decision, and be confident in what you decide. Don't let the latest Internet chatter cause you to get caught up in the constant purchasing of firearms that never satisfy, because someone is always going to be around telling you how great their newest purchase is, and how you really need one, because what you currently have just won't "cut it", even after decades of historical proof indicating otherwise.
 
I like a shotgun for HD. It's point and shoot.. Literally... With some practice it becomes easy to hit a fairly small target nearly instantly within the distances the average house has.. I have a Remington Talo edition 870 just for that purpose.

For years I had a long barreled 870 Wingmaster that served the same purpose.

I use 00 buck in 3" shells.
 
Staying stationary is one thing....putting effective knockdown shots on target quickly is another....

Even if I'm hiding in bedroom with my wife...calling 911...and intruder steps into the doorway in my bedroom / can I make 3 shots on target in 2 sec with my 1911 ...or with my shotgun ?? I'm a little quicker with my 1911 / or a S&W revolver than I am with most shotguns.

Both the handgun and the shotgun may work just fine...( and I train a lot with my shotguns - and my handguns ) ...but I'm still quicker with my handgun. So it depends ...on what works best for you.
 
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