What is the preferred home defense shotgun round out there?

Don't overthink it, just buy whatever 00 buckshot is on sale, figure out how it patterns at different distances and make sure it cycles flawlessly in your shotgun. #1 buckshot is probably better in the sense that it puts more lead in the air but realistically, how much better can it be?
 
#4 Buck in the tube with a few #00 on the stock ammo-keeper.......just in case. If I ever need more than that, it's a bigger problem than I can handle alone.
 
Has anyone seen any tests on the penetration of birdshot at "in the house" ranges? The way my home is set up you are likely pointing towards someones bedroom at all times. If birdshot actually worked but didn't over penetrate I'd be a lot happier, I worry about this in my home. Is there a SD load that addresses this issue already?
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Scrubcedar, There is birdshot like #6 and then there birdshot such as BB's. Remington sells what they call HD Ultimate Home Defense that comes in one of two loads. BB or a mixture of #2 and #4 birdshot (originally I mistakenly said buckshot. While I corrected this where I spent more time evaluating the Remington ammo, I failed to correct myslef here. Thanks to Al Den for catching this.) The HD stands for Heavy Density. The shot isn't lead but comprised of tungsten, bronze, and iron. I have the BB load in my HD gun, but wish someone did a thorough test.

Here is a link to where I tried to evaluate the BB load. http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=484864
 
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For me, it depends on the gauge. In 20ga (the smallest shotgun I own), I prefer 2 3/4" #3 Buck because it's the only 20ga buckshot I can get locally. In 12ga, my preference is for 3" #1 Buck because I feel that gives me the best balance between pellet count and penetration. In 10ga I like 3 1/2" steel BB as the only buckshot available in that gauge is 00 which has too low a pellet count for my taste. If I were to use a shotgun smaller than 20ga for HD, it would be loaded with rifled slugs.
 
That truth about guns review was pretty good. It covers both tungsten matrix birdshot and lead bb's. I feel more confident now about my choice of Remington's Hign Density BB load, given that it uses a tungsten matrix bb instead of a lead bb.

If you look at that study, it opines that #2 Birdshot would likely be effective an ultra close ranges (inside the home), but be ready with heavier follow up loads. For #1 it is less conclusory but the raw data for tungsten matrix suggests it may be more effective than #2 but does not quite measure up for use as a tactical shotgun load.

{Then it finds that lead BB loads suffice for close tactical loads, meet minimum requirements for medium range tactical loads, but fall short for general tactical use.} That is what I originally posted but it is NOT what was found and it is NOT what Robert Fqarago wrote in that article, which was that:

lead BB has it’s place, being a reasonable balance of penetration and pellet count. That being said, it is not recommended for medium range work. #4 buckshot is the minimum pellet size we recommend for general tactical applications.
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(Emphasis added by underlining.)

Those were lead BB, not tungsten matrix, and your concern and mine is home defense use. Is tunsten matrix BB good for medium range work? I do not know but assume it is reasonable for short home defense distances in which over penetration is a concern.

Thanks to jmortimer for sharing this.
 
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Klawman, the Remington Duplex rounds are NOT buckshot, they are a #2 and #4 BIRDSHOT mix. In an apartment they're probably fine. Indoors in a house the BB loads are probably excellent. I personally wish lead BB Swanshot shells were still available. They were, in fact, my HD round before I went to light #4 Buckshot loads...
 
Thanks jmortimer that's exactly what I was looking for! Understanding that there is a ribcage involved as well different density organs I'll probably go with BB size shot and know a follow up shot might be needed. I have a BPS that I use in this role and repeated follow up shots are no problem, less muzzle rise than I've seen in any shotgun I've seen, kicks a little harder though. Bruised the heck out of my shoulder the first time I had a chance to wring it out, ran through 5 boxes of shells because it was so much fun to empty the magazine rapid fire on the stationary targets I had set up:D
 
Klawman, the Remington Duplex rounds are NOT buckshot, they are a #2 and #4 BIRDSHOT mix. In an apartment they're probably fine. Indoors in a house the BB loads are probably excellent. I personally wish lead BB Swanshot shells were still available. They were, in fact, my HD round before I went to light #4 Buckshot loads...
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Al is correct about it being birdshot and I have gone back and corrected my mistake. He is probably right on about the Duplex Loads being fine for an apartment and BB loads for a house. I am in a house.

That article jmortimer introduced is really quite good, imo. Anyone interested in using the Remington Duplex load should look at what Farago says about #1 tungsten matrix being "limited to an application where an engagement is guaranteed to be very close range and overpenetration is a significant and unacceptable risk," but it doesn't quite measure up to his standards for an all around tactical load. Again, he is talking about #1, while the largest pellet in Remington Duplex is the next smallest size; #2.
 
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I cannot understand the logic of evaluations such as the one at firearms technical, when they give you a choice between a medium heavy buckshot or one of the lightest birdshots; #6. #6 is a fourth the size of BB and there are 3 or 4 sizes in between the two, so why do some experts present one as having a choice between one of the smaller birdshots or buckshot?
 
I like the Firearms Tactical articles in general but they are clearly recommending #1 buckshot as indicated in the summary of the linked article and not birdshot except as an initial round if absolutely necessary:

"If you're worried that a missed shot might penetrate through a wall and harm others, load your shotgun so that the first one or two cartridges to be fired is number 6 or smaller birdshot, followed by standard lead #1 buckshot (12 gauge) or #3 buckshot (20 gauge). If your first shot misses, the birdshot is less likely to endanger innocent lives outside the room. If your first shot fails to stop the attacker, you can immediately follow-up with more potent ammunition.

With birdshot you are wise to keep in mind that your gunfire has the potential to NOT PRODUCE an effective wound. Do not expect birdshot to have any decisive effect.

Number 1 buckshot has the potential to produce more effective wound trauma than either #00 or #000 buck, without the accompanying risk of over-penetration. The IWBA believes, with very good reason, that number 1 buckshot is the shotshell load of choice for quickly stopping deadly criminal violence."
 
My concern with recommending something as small as #6 birdshot is the likelihood that it will do little more than focus a bad guy on your location and tick them off. Sure you can hope to get off follow ups, but some of the larger bird shots are more likely to at least slow a bg down while you bring a more potent load to bear.
 
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