What to feed a home defense shotgun?

[MOUNTAINORACLE]

I have been using two Ithaca Mag 10s for home defense and have never had to use them but I figured the 10s would get the job done.

Recently I talked into the purchase of Benelli M-3 12 gauge to use as a replacement for one of the Mag 10s****lighter recoil for the old lady and the brother in law wants to get his hands on a Mag 10.

Being to lazy too do any research I decided to go with a staggered loading in the 12 gauge, 2 rounds of number 4 Buck, followed by 2 rounds of 00 Buck, followed by rifled slugs.

Thoughts?

[Chazman321]

2 3/4" 00 buck

Slugs, well, idk what part of Grove City you live in, but they go through walls and carry on for quite a ways... lol


-Chaz

[GonzoGeezer]

00 can penetrate walls as well, especially interior walls. What choke on the M-3 and what distances do you need to cover inside the house? Any choke tighter than IC and small rooms I think even bird shot is going to behave more like buck or a slug, no time to spread. Load 'er up with whatever you use on rabbits. And think about what's on the other side of the wall..

I have a 20 gauge s/s coach gun I can press into home defense use. 18-1/2" IC barrels. I have #3 buck on hand but I use #4 birdshot. Longest distance it would be used in my place is under 20'. On the range, at 15' the pattern still looks pretty tight. There probably is a reference for exactly what the spread is. Someone here will know and weigh in.

My 2¢ worth.

[imashooter2]

2 3/4 inch Federal 20 pellet #1 buck.

[GeneCC]

I prefer #4 Buckshot. The FBI liked it. Standard out of the box so that a Jury won't think I'm playing "Death Wish". I'm not. I'd rather they ran away and left me alone but if they're going to take me out I'm not having it.




I have friends who like Birdshot. I don't. I've talked with trauma surgeons who claim that birdshot isn't very incapacitating unless you're literally on top of the person trying to kill you.


Slugs are dangerous inside of cities. Since they require sighting and since most attacks happen after dark maybe you ought to rethink those things. They do have their place but if one gets away it's like blasting down range with a medium sized big game rifle. Someone gets in the way who wasn't intended to get in the way and it's bad news for them.




Most ballistic gel profiles can be found here...

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

[gummy jones]

2 3/4 inch 00 buck will do the trick as long as none of your rooms are banquet halls.

3 inch sounds a lot sexier (and i actually like it), as does alternating buck, bird, slugs, incendiary rounds or whatever else but is not advisable. you want to take thinking out of any high stress situation and alternating rounds doesnt do that.

IMO the "personal defense" rounds with 3 balls and 2 disks and some wire or whatever else they are selling nowadays is a gimmick that too many people fall for. when the military starts buying these so will i. 00 buck is still around because it works.

[WVBob]

I use #4 shot. I don't have any long shots, most under 20 feet and at 20 feet I have one large hole. My house is wood frame and wall board and in some test shooting at 20 feet, the shot does not go through all the wood.
I set up sheet rock, insulation and one inch boards. Sheet rock was a mess, insulation was a mess, the boards had some holes through it but the paper set up 25 feet in back of everything did not have any holes. Might not be the best, but it works for me.

[Valorius]

Why fuck around...

I use Remington/Barnes 3" magnum .50 caliber 1oz solid copper sabot slugs.



There is nothing walking the earth today that you couldn't kill with one well placed shot with that load.

[mpan72]

I have mine loaded with 2 3/4" 00buck. I would use that Centurion load with the .64 ball and a few 00buck pellets if I had some but I think what I have in my hd shotgun is enough.

[hailmike]

I keep 2 3/4" 00 buck in mine as well. I have #4 and bird shot also but just prefer 00.