.410 as a home defense shotgun

[Pfletch83]

Here are some results of the Federal 2-1/2 inch '000' load fired from a full choke 24-inch barrel the distance was 15-20 feet





and the second set was shot using the same load,at the same distance using the 18.5 inch cylinder bore barrel.

[knight0334]

Another Smallbore shotgun gauge that can be seen as the best of both worlds is the 28 gauge.

More payload than the .410 and less recoil than a 12 or 20 gauge.

With the right cups the 28ga can shoot as much as a standard 16ga or a light 12ga.

My Winchester 28ga shells are 1oz payloads.

[Pfletch83]

With the right cups the 28ga can shoot as much as a standard 16ga or a light 12ga.

My Winchester 28ga shells are 1oz payloads.

What make is your 28?

[ItchyTick]

FYI,

000 2.5" .410 is on sale at Cabelas for $5.99/box as of last night (online).

000 3.0" .410 is $6.99.

They have 50 cent shipping.

[GeneCC]

well i would go for a much shorter gun for home defense. i know of a guy who as he was comming around a corner in his house he had his pistol grip shot gun pulled out of his hand.

Letting a barrel precede you is asking for trouble. So is "hunting" for an intruder. All the intruder has to do is freeze and they can hear you coming to them.

I counsel keeping low to the ground and moving very slowly through the house. Even crawling on the ground. During WW II Japanese point men sometimes crawled while their people lagged behind them.

An intruder has a tougher time seeing you on the ground. Your silhouette isn't "human" on the ground. You don't make footstep sounds. You practice shooting up close from prone and you're good to go. Sure a shotgun is going to be brutal without leg and back muscles to manage the recoil. Life is hard sometimes.

Crawling on the ground is good practice for evacuating from a house in a fire too. Staying low reduces smoke inhalation.

I bitch at people at the range who only shoot sitting or standing. "What about Prone?" I ask them. "Don't need it", they say. Yes they do need to shoot prone.

The ground is your friend.

[GeneCC]

Is the .410 a decent possible shotgun for use as a home defense tool?

Input! I demand it!

Depends on your home. A .410 with buckshot or those kicking "home defense" rounds from Winchester (I think it's the PDX) would be fine.

I prefer a 12 gauge myself. My main reason was the very wide variety of ammunition for the 12 gauge. I live in a house without close neighbors.

A Trauma surgeon once advised me on shotguns and self defense. He said that "Birdshot is for birds". Causes "very nasty looking wounds". I've also met people who have been shot with birdshot. One was shot twice by some goofballs with a 12 gauge. I think #6 shot judging from what was left in him.

All he got for his misery was a wild looking skin condition on his back. Like he has metal embedded under his skin. Which he does!

The Trauma surgeon counseled buckshot or slugs. I keep both handy but rely upon either 000 or #4 (which the FBI used to use).

I own rifles and handguns. I keep a shotgun for the house. I figure if they're in my home they're not going to do me right at all. So I feel free to do what I gotta do.

[spblademaker]

If you have a concern if any shotgun would be good for home defense, you need to ask some questions: Can I shoot it quickly and accurately? Can I reload it quickly? Can I use the shotgun if I am injured? Can I move the shotgun easily in my home? With regards to the caliber, the only question to be asked is: If I were a badguy, would I want to be shot with this round?

[Edg]

We have to remember one thing. In most home defense scenarios we're not necessarily trying to kill the intruder. Yes I know that dead men tell no tales and they don't sue you, but the main concern is the safety of yourself and your family. Changing the attacker's channel is the priority. Getting holes poked in you will usually (not always) change your channel. Like P-11 said "people don't like to bleed". You must be able to stop the attack and then retreat (that still is our duty in PA) Any gun that pokes holes will stop most attackers and none will stop all of them. Having a gun is better than having nothing. If he is satisfied with the .410 then you probably won't be able to change his mind.

Thats great....unless the guy in your house also has a gun and shoots back.

[Valorius]

There's a story in American Rifleman "The Armed Citizen" this month where a 68 yo woman uses a .410 shotgun with bird shot to drive off 3 attackers, i believe she hit 2 of them.

She was unharmed.

[Pfletch83]

There's a story in American Rifleman "The Armed Citizen" this month where a 68 yo woman uses a .410 shotgun with bird shot to drive off 3 attackers, i believe she hit 2 of them.

She was unharmed.

Nothing against her choice of arm or caliber but buckshot loads would have been more effective if the attackers hadn't decided the best thing to do was run away.

Still though good on the lady for refusing to be a victim.

and it does remind me of what others have said.

"People don't like to bleed"