Best shotgun ammo

[comsubin61]

See my edits from my post

Thank you again Jennifer quite informative video.

[Ronin]

Here we go again. Best shotgun ammo for urban home defense if 5.56mm.

I agree. I prefer a semi-auto rifle for HD, but it's not always practical in places like condos. 5.56 will overpenetrate even with fragmenting ammo. Shotguns with the right ammo (not birdshot or turkey loads) will overpentrate less.

[Ronin]

Thank you for your feedback. I purchased a Beretta 1201fp. According to youtube the #4 buck should feed reliably. I am not in a position to shoot a lot. Because of health issue so this has to be a short ammo trial and store it next to the bed in case of.

The 1201p is a reliable shotgun. I don't have much time behind one, but one thing I do remember is the recoil is stout. It's a light gun that uses Beretta's inertial system. Recoil is just a thing. If it will cycle low recoil #4 buck or 00 buck reliably, you should be good to go. If it doesn't like the low recoil stuff, try standard #4 buck or 00 buck.

Do not use turkey loads for HD. Birdshot causes shallow wounds, is less likely to stop a threat, and may not deter a determined attacker. Also turkey loads have very high recoil, which means slower follow-up shots, and your shoulder will pay for each round when testing/training. In a HD situation you won't notice it, though.

[Ronin]

How do you fit a 5.56 cartridge in a 12 gauge shotgun?

There's a 12qa adapter that lets you shoot a variety of rounds, though I've never seen one for 5.56. They're mostly for low pressure rounds. It's meant for a single shot shotguns, however. Good to have if you're in a survival pinch and only have a single shot shotgun and several types of ammo, but no matching rifle or firearm.

[comsubin61]

There's a 12qa adapter that lets you shoot a variety of rounds, though I've never seen one for 5.56. They're mostly for low pressure rounds. It's meant for a single shot shotguns, however. Good to have if you're in a survival pinch and only have a single shot shotgun and several types of ammo, but no matching rifle or firearm.

I never knew such a thing existed. Good to know.

[Spaceballs]

Okay so first of all you need to pick your hide position and make that your go to spot for defense if you hear an intruder. You do not "go hunting" for the intruder.

Going hunting for the inteuder so takes away your advantage and puts you against an unknown adversary with unknown weapons in an unknown position, and he probably hears you coming.

Pick a spot where you can be in the dark looking into the light. For example a dark bedroom where you have full view of a hallway with a night light. This keeps you hidden with no way for the intruder to sneak up behind you. If he comes into your field of vision, you got him.

This also lets you choose what is behind the intruder. If your hide spot has you aiming at a wall where your kids are sleeping on the other side of it, or a shared wall with a neighbor, or a steel security door where the shot is going to bounce right back at you.... find a better hide spot.

If you find a spot where you can aim at a cinder block wall, an outer wall (where you know nothing is behind it outside) etc .. now you can effectively choose any ammo you want and not worry about where it goes if you miss. If you are on the 4th floor and the outer wall backs up to the woods... who cares if a stray penetrates the wall and hits a tree 40 feet off the ground?

Now that you can choose any ammo, the answer is Hornady Critical Defense 00 buck or Federal 00 buck with the flight control wad

Both have a wadding that keeps the groupings for 00 buck to a hockey puck size at 15 yards. If you aim center mass, you are going to put 8 pellets in the intruder's chest, not 5 in his chest with 3 hitting the wall you share with your neighbor.

That round WILL stop the intruder no matter how big he is, how jacked up on PCP he is, how thick his jacket is, etc.

[pacpiper]

I have a 1301 and it feeds the Rio low recoil 00 buckshot. That's what I keep loaded and in the side saddle. Then again it's a 1301.

[dannyb]

How do you fit a 5.56 cartridge in a 12 gauge shotgun?

I guess that I'm the one who came along. The 5.56 was a suggestion to skip the shotty and get an AR15. I'm not suggesting anything, just explaining. To my mind, a Mossberg 500 and adapter for shorty shells may solve the over penetration problem. Whatever you do, get thee to a range and practice. You are what you train.

[Carson]

Not going to be able to help you with a semi auto, I have the same setup as in work. Mossberg 590A1 loaded with Federal (LE12700) 12 Gauge * 00 Buck * 9 Pellets * 2 3/4.

[comsubin61]

Not going to be able to help you with a semi auto, I have the same setup as in work. Mossberg 590A1 loaded with Federal (LE12700) 12 Gauge * 00 Buck * 9 Pellets * 2 3/4.

That*s exactly what I ended up with.