Suggested Shotgun Home Defense Round

[huntnphool]

...for a 12 gauge, what are you thoughts?

[JLS]

Flight control buckshot.

[HighCountryHunter88]

Anything from a 12 g is gona be wicked at close range but.... I want to have the most spread with the most damage but I don't want lead going next door or across the street so I use heavy bird shot 3 1/2 s

[dmv9]

00 buckshot. ground meat on the other end.

[Dan-o]

#4 buck shot

[snowpack]

I'd go 00 buck.  still get a spread when shooting down the long hallways and each pellet is still packing a good punch.

[Mike450r]

For inside the house birdshot is all you need or want,  your target will be close and you don't want projectiles carrying their weight through drywall with lethal force on the other side.

[lostbackpacker]

Loaded in my 870 tactical is

Buckshot
Slug
Buckshot
Slug
Buckshot
Slug
Buckshot

In that order

[Bean Counter]

An Ar-15/M4 loaded with soft points has far less lethality on the other side of dry wall than either buck shot or slugs. There was a study done on it and it surprised a lot of people. So if that's a concern...

i use 00 buckshot. 12 gauge tactical loads, a little reduced recoil for the ladies 

[ORCA_SIX]

EVERYONE should take a look at these articles. #1 Buckshot is recommended with flight control. Definitely flight control on any buckshot rounds.

http://www.firearmstactical.com/briefs10.htm

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot56.htm

http://www.ar15.com/content/page.html?id=176

[lee]

IMHO it depends on the type and location of the dwelling you are liv'un in.

A house out in the country...... slug, buckshot, etc are fine.

An apartment, or a "cookie cutter" house with only 10 feet between houses..... #6 or even #7 1/2  as the lethal affect of a Scatter gun at close range is devastating.

I would not want to live with the consequences of killing my neighbor in the house beside me from a slug or buckshot discharge over penetration.

Yer milage may vary...
Lee

[jyerxa]

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. 

[nwwanderer]

Whatever you choose, shoot it enough to know what it does.

[Mongo Hunter]

...for a 12 gauge, what are you thoughts?

Personally I like Hornady TAP FPD 00 Buck. When it came out it had the tightest pattern of any 00 buck at the time and from my test it holds pretty true from a cylinder bore. I know there is some concern about 00 buck penetrating walls, however; in order for ANY round to be effective it needs to have enough force to penetrate muscle, bone, tendons, organs ect. and that means it will penetrate a wall as well. If that was not true we would all be using BB guns! If over penetration is a concern Bird shot CAN be an alterative, but I do remember reading a report a while back about a BG who was shot with bird shot. It left a crater in his chest (mostly muscle and skin) and a few of the shot did make it to vital organs, however the damage was minimal enough that he was able to walk into the ER or Ambulance (cant remember witch). not MY idea of STOPPING a BG. your opinion may very.

[huntnphool]

Great stuff guys.