Comments on: Buckshot: Overkill for the Home Defense Shotgun?

By: rev. dave

rev. dave — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 17:13:10 +0000

Why no mention of frangible slugs? At interior distances, shot patterns will be spread out minimal anyway. Frangible slugs supposedly don’t penetrate much of anything, and if they’ll blow a door lock out they’ll drop an invader, right? Even if that invader is wearing armor.

By: Evocatus

Evocatus — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 20:40:42 +0000

Good article…

In general, for personal and home defense, a semi-auto handgun you’ve trained with, in the largest caliber you can shoot well, loaded with reliably performing/expanding jacketed hollow point ammo such as Corbon, Hydra Shock or Golden Saber, should probably be first choice for most people…Don’t neglect low-light training with handheld light…

However, IF a shotgun IS your first choice within the home…

Make sure you’ve patterned your gun, and you have trained on movement in close quarters with it…

Then, consider using 2 3/4″ #1 Buckshot…16 .30 cal pellets, maximum wound damage, with minimum over penetration risk…

As shooters, we are responsible for following the rules of safe gun handling, and that includes knowing what’s downrange if we miss or over penetrate.

By: CD.Foster

CD.Foster — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 14:41:16 +0000

As with anything use the right tool for the right job, right? If you don’t have to worry about 00 balls going through drywall and hitting a family member, by all means use 00. However, if you do have to worry about this use a different load inside your house. I personally use 12ga high brass #6′s, but again this would be at very, very close range as this is used inside my home. I don’t have a mansion, so we aren’t talking 100yd shots here. What I do have to be concerned about are other family members in my house not getting hit with projecticles due to overpenetration of the load (doesn’t take much to go through drywall). Again, this is my particular scenario. If I didn’t have to worry about overpenetration, a hard hitting load of 00 would be hard to beat.

By: boomhower

boomhower — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 04:23:00 +0000

JJ….where to start? First of all, don’t EVER again instruct someone how to ‘modify’ their ammunition. You are a perfect example of why gun owners are criticised so heavily. Not only do you not have ANY qualifications or experience to be instructing anyone about anything firearm related, you WILL get someone killed if you don’t knock that crap off. I strongly urge you to remove any shells you may have ‘modified’ in this manner, as well as any other ammunition you have altered in a similar fashion. Say you do use one of those “Bubba rounds” in self defense. Your candy *ss will be hauled straight to jail, trial won’t even be necessary. “Your Honor….As you can see, this man was making this ammunition in his home to cause the most possible damage he could to any man he could get his hands on. He is reckless and needs to be locked up…..*Cell doors closing*”

Secondly….Who in their right mind would ever want to shoot wax down the barrel of their firearms? As if the propulsion of load won’t melt that wax. That’s EXACTLY why no one makes it…..because it’s freakin’ stupid. WAX? Really? Not to mention the fact that your reasoning for doing this is to mimic the effects of a slug. Well….ummmm….maybe you could use….ummm…..A SLUG! I don’t sharpen the points of my .45acp FMJ’s to get “yawing effects similar to rifle ammo” out of my handgun ammunition.

This, JJ, is why you are dangerous, ignorant, and most importantly, not a manufacturer of ballistic ammunition. I know this thread is about whether 00 buck is appropriate for home defense but I had to address your statement. Seriously man, keep ideas like that to yourself. No need to give another knuckle head the idea and have them go kill themselves because they decided to pump a bunch of melted wax rounds down their barrel, followed by a slug which subsequently blew up the barrel in their face.

Moderators….sorry to go off topic.

By: Myke

Myke — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 02:33:44 +0000

This is well written and informative. I did not know about the 8 shot load. Glaring in it’s omission is a recommended substitute.
I have read that US Marshal’s standard load is
#4 which at 7 to 10 yards should be devastating.
Since due to a physical limitation I use a 20 ga I stepped up to #3 Buck. On paper though a 18.5 barrel it looks to be more than adequate.

By: mrmax

mrmax — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:35:52 +0000

Having been a firearms expert in a fatal firearms incident where 00 buck shot was used in a 12 ga the residual damage to secondary personal would have been a major concern 8 of the 9 pellets exited the victim , leaving the wad in the body at 3 meters. The one big problem with the shotgun as a self defense weapon is the selection on ammunition needed at the exact moment required. Training in scenario actions may be the best approach in predetermining what may be needed as a situation evolves.

By: BubbysGrampa

BubbysGrampa — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:50:16 +0000

A point well taken #6 will definitely take someone down in a home defense situation without penetrating walls. God forbid that given our current political scene we end up being lethal in the process of defense.

By: USMC12GA.

USMC12GA. — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:44:11 +0000

I DONT LIVE IN A CARDBOARD HOUSE AND WILL ALWAYS IF NEEDED
USE A 12 GA. WITH BUCKSHOT……DONT WANT TO HIT NEIGHBOR
SNOOZING NEXT DOOR WITH .308 OR .357 MAG. SHOTGUN WITH 00
BUCK WAS BIG TIME USE BY ME IN MARINES AND NEVER EXPERIENCED SECONDARY HITS.

By: gandgpolicesupply

gandgpolicesupply — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:44:48 +0000

Two years ago I defended myself against an armed intruder into my home. I used my Para Ordnance, P-14 (45 acp). I use Winchester 230 gr Black Talon ammo (the original stuff). 4 rounds center mass, 2 were through and through with enough power still in them to impact my safe door and leave some nasty dents.The intruder was a female, about 5’2″, 110-120 lbs.

A friend of mine had to defend himself last year. He had his 870, 12 ga. loaded with Remington 2 3/4″, 4 buck rounds. Fired twice, no over penetration, no fighting back, no problems.

If you are going to use a shotgun for home defense, think about the old “4 Buck” not used that much anymore, but a hell of a round. Same load is great for hogs at close quarters.

By: SliperSlope

SliperSlope — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 06:35:26 +0000

Congratulations on your book. Many rounds may be lethal. In all of our varied experiences we have all seen or experienced oddities, for example a few years ago a co-worker of mine was shot point blank in the face with a .45, he suffered a concussion and was treated and released from the hospital with six stitches. I’ve also seen a getaway driver shot and killed by a single pellet of birdshot fired from an 870 at about 15 meeters after it passed throught a fullsized van. I think the important thing is the diffrence between trained and untrained, and the need to acurately aim a weapon, those of us who are trained could probably be deadly with a .22 if necessary. However, the average armed citizen would greatly benefit, in a life or death situation, from the added lethality and point-shot capability offered by a shotgun, sporting 00.