Suggested Shotgun Home Defense Round

[lostbackpacker]

I'm getting older. I can't play baseball any more and steal bases.

I loved the Mags as I grew up and shot the heck out of em. Sometimes the recoil was all I wanted. Just to feel the kick.

Buuutt? I never want to shoot my 7mm again! I need to realize my bone structure can't handle it any more. I already got 6 broken vertebrae and two compressed disks in my back.

Fact in life I must face. That is my problem and not yours. But it makes me think of the little ladies and what can work best for them a little more in context.

So what am I going to grab for self defense? It has got to be quick and ready to reach. I am going to have to follow up and carry the action through to the end. A double barrel shot gun. 20 gauge for a young woman. 10 gauge fore californicatrion hog. Just like shoes.

I hate talking like this. I got a bad disease for the bones. They are brittle now in my so called elderly senior years. My mind says "any day any time pale and we will square it off" My smarts say, "Your a broken ol fool."

So I get home invaded. Let me tell you. Not only will the pain be worth surviving to see my grand kids again. But I'm only going to do it with one quick and easy shot.  It is all about knowing who you are and not what others are doing. Sounds cool. But that is a quick way to 6 feet under. 

Know, learn what you don't know. Be practical and know what you and your wife can handle. Don't be Macho. Be loving. And the love of your family will tell you what to do and what is best.

Get'er Done. 

tough call on what to use.  i like to think that i would rather have my wife have a broken bone than be killed or something else.  that is why as of now we have the 12ga loaded.  not saying the 20ga wouldnt do the job, but i know a 12ga will.

I would also like to believe that adrenaline would take over and she wouldnt feel the 12ga as much. 

[Mongo Hunter]

found a couple articles regarding birdshot, couldn't find the specific one I was talking about but these are pretty good. hunters drives himself to the hospital, another shot IN THE FACE and lived. lest one the guy had on heavy clothing and was not as seriously injured as he could have been. food for thought that's all, not trying to start a fight.

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/05/02/58-birdshot-pellets-hit-hunter-drives-himself-to-safety/

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/crime/2012/06/19/man-shot-in-face-in-tacoma/     

http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=141894

[oldcamper]

I fired some bird shot threw a piece of 1/4" sheet of plywood. 

[JLS]

There is a good reason why you don't see any police agencies using bird shot in their shotguns. 

Reduced recoil flight control buckshot is very easy to shoot, and very effective.  You can do head shots with this stuff at 25 yards at a standard silhoutte scoring target and keep all 9 pellets in the head.

[jackmaster]

buckshot is great especially if its just you and the wife, but with kids in the house they are gonna be close, i wouldnt want to hurt one of my kids so i would go with BB up to 4 shot, lead of course, within 15 ft its gonna open the intruder up real nice, yet most likely not hurt the kids if on the otherside of a wall, maybe a bb imbedded a little in the skin perhaps but thats ok 

[turkeyfeather]

#5 federal premium turkey loads. If it will knock those tough sob's over some coward tweeker doesn't stand a chance. 

[Mike450r]

For maximum bodily damage buckshot is the way to go.  Inside the house where your kid or wife may be the unlucky recipient of a stray pellet and the shot will be made at very close distances measured from inches to feet rather than yards I personally wouldn't go any bigger than #2 birdshot.  If I went with buckshot it would be #4. 

Whatever I had at the time would be used if needed, including any of my magnum rifles but I am talking for a designated in the home defense 12 gauge round.  I would say do some test shots at distances you would encounter in your house to know for sure and go with what you feel safe with in your house.  My main line of reasoning is those situations often result in a shot that is not optimal and hits nothing but a wall.  I would rather read the story of the family member on the other side of the wall being peppered than FUBAR.

[12Gauge]

#4 buck shot

 

00Buck with 2-3/4 shells gives you 9 pellets  3"mags gives 12 pellets  #4 buckshot I think has 34 pellets for 3" magnum

[jyerxa]

The lost art of "Cut Shells"

[Don Fischer]

Just to be safe, I'd suggest claymore's under each window, a Rottweiler at each door and a Tompson by the bed! An once of prevention!

[Bean Counter]

There is a good reason why you don't see any police agencies using bird shot in their shotguns. 
..

Army Rangers used to pack birdshot. Not sure if they still do or not.

[OutdoorFreak97]

I've heard the first shot should be birdshot as it won't carry through drywall, if they're still coming after getting peppered with birdshot you follow with buckshot

And also, if you only get one shot and it has to count......birdshot is quite lethal at close range.

If I was a thug and broke into a house and heard the sound of a shotgun getting racked and saw a red dot coming down a hallway I wouldn't be to keen on staying to chat... Just my 2cents

[Smossy]

Bolo.

[WSU]

If I was a thug and broke into a house and heard the sound of a shotgun getting racked and saw a red dot coming down a hallway I wouldn't be to keen on staying to chat... Just my 2cents

If you do that in my house you won't hear anything but me telling you get out followed closely by a loud boom.  My shotgun is loaded with buckshot. 

[Smossy]

Bolo round. Aka a Bola. Doesn't get much more lethal then that IMO. Slugs sure do hurt but this is like a double slug with a saw in between.

Shotgun Bolo Round - Medical Damage Analysis