Your favorite shotgun HD load
 

Many say the shotgun is the best home defense weapon, what load do you choose for HD and why?

Federal managed recoil flight control 00 buck.

Prints the tightest no flyer groups in most of my shotguns.

Dragon's breath.

I like the Federal 12 gauge 2 3/4" 00 Buckshot (12 pellets @ 1290fps) and keep it loaded in my 870.

According to the Schwartz bullet penetration model, it should be good for 21.15 inches of penetration and permanently crush a total of 6.49 ounces of soft tissue.

hORNADY TAP 00 BUCK 1600 FPS, AND FEDERAL 00 BUCK VITALSHOK

because make a nasty wood channel

SG actually have preferences like other guns. You should try a few diff loads & "pattern" them. I like the various low recoil #00 buck, but they all do not hit POA & some pattern tighter than others. Just for indoors, I like #4 buck. You get 27, 24 ca projectiles arriving enmass, coverng 6"-7" @ 21ft.
If the fight moves outdoors, then the #00 has an advantage. The heavier/larger pellets will have more momentum as the range increases & fewer will hit, so the larger pellets will provide greater tissue damage. The avg riot choked 12ga spreads roughly 1" per yard. So @ 30 yds, you'll be lucky to land half the shot charge on target.

Great response, thanks Fred. I recently discovered my deceased father's 1967 Light 12 A5 and want to activate it as part of my HD arsenal. I will try a variety of loads as you suggest. I like the description of #4. I know the CW with autos is to stay away from low recoil loads but, I've shot this gun years ago and my memory is it kicking like a mule. I know this gun has two recoil setups (moving the friction ring to the opposite end of the recoil spring) so I'm hoping it will function reliably with a softer load. Any A5 veterans try this?

Before I lost my Mossberg in a boating accident it was loaded with #1 buckshot, which replaced the #4 buckshot it used to carry. With HD shotguns there's not the same concern with effectiveness as there sometimes is with handgun self-defense rounds. But every edge is just that --- an edge.

Reason I say pattern it, I tried two diff brands of non buffered #1 buck. Both pattern like crap in my 870 riot bbl. @ 10yds, lots holes in the pattern, w/ about half the shot missing. the 11x17 paper I use top pattern. All pellets should land center on that @ 10 steps. I am sure buffered shot would be better, but then it cost quite a bit more than most low recoil #00.:dunno: So #4 buck indoors, devastating w/o a huge concern for overpentration from pellets that may miss. Whatever you decide, stick to some size of buckshot, never birdshot.

Any 0 or 00 buck. Because it's 0 or 00 buck.

Federal 12 gauge 2 3/4" 00 Buckshot

i don't need 3 " magnums for home defense.

I will take your advice, as you're one of the wisest GT members around. Just so happens I'm going with a friend on Friday to shoot his 1967 vintage Wingmaster he just bought for $300 so I'll take along some of my leftover shotgun ammo to test, just in case I ever buy another shotgun.

Bring the Pain
 

You realize not much stops a 12ga slug, including the BG you hit with it. A very poor choice for anything but a backup round, like a guy wearing body armor? I carry two in my Speedstock holder, everything else is buckshot of some kind.

Federal low recoil 8 pellet 00 buck.


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Heavy Artillery
 

After I've emptied my HK45C and two extended 10 round mags
of Winchester Ranger T-Series 230 gr +P 45 and the fight continues?

Then the gloves come off and it's slug time.

I like #1 and #4 buckshot the best. I have plenty of 00 but it's not my preferred choice.

2 3/4" Winchester #4 Buck out of a Benelli M2 with a Mod choke.

Any 00 buckshot at at least 1200 fps. With a center-mass shot at 15 yards or less, your attacker won't know the difference.

Federal flight control wad #1 or 00. Right now...LE132-1B

(in both pics POA = POI)

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g1...s/6bb46969.jpg

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g1...s/c310f94f.jpg

Can you cite an example of a private citizen shooting an attacker(s) with a handgun and then, upon failure of the handgun, going to a long gun?

I cannot recall hearing about anything like that and it seems unlikely.

Federal #4 Buck 27 pellet in my HD shotgun. My patrol shotgun is loaded with Federal Flite-control 00 buck LE13200.

I really like the #4 in the house. 27 pellets of .24 caliber is no joke and it patterns well out to about 20 yards, much farther than any distance inside my house.

I like that the #4 seems to spread early compared to 00, atleast in the pattern tests I have done.

Its really devastating up close, but loses energy and the patterns spreads really far at distance.

As much as we've disagreed recently, I agree with you.

I read a study once (can't remember where) that a reload occurred in only 0.5% of defensive shootings. Yes, one half of one percent...

And unless you are a LEO of some kind, using your handgun to fight back to your rifle, so to speak, simply isn't going to happen.

Federal XM12700. Comes in the ammo can. It's just their regular full-power 00. No Flite Control wad. As much as I love what the FC wad brings for hunting and LE use, I don't need it for HD. My 870 is a "hunker down and wait for police" gun, so if it's fired, it'll be into the person beating in my door across the room.

Now that 1B Warp is showing would probably take over if I could get around to ordering some!

A multiple armed attacker home invasion comes to mind.

With ~300 million people in the US.
And ~65K of incidents a year where folks use a gun for self defense.
Your chances of ever using your gun at all are just above zero.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_vio...elf-protection

I never read of anyone saying after a gunfight;
"Damn, I wish I had less ammo and fewer weapons!"
Of course dead men tell no tales.