8 Shots: Enough?

If you intend to hit your target, I certainly do.

8 shots should do. However I always liked the idea of having extra ammo on the rifle or shotgun. Just by grabbing a fully loaded weapon you automatically take a reload with you.

A Remington 1100 Tactical is already "set up" for defence. The word 'tactical' is a marketing term and nothing more. All long guns are 'tactical'.
Anyway, if you can't deal with whatever is going bump in the night with 8 rounds, having more isn't going to help.
"...Mesa Tactical Urbino..." Why spend $140 to change one pistol grip stock for another? Unless there's an LOP issue with the factory stock.

8 rounds of buckshot should do the trick if you do your part.

I would also consider the effect Murphy's law could play:
More than one attacker.
Misses.
Reloading is slow.

Keep all that in mind and you should be all set!

8 is Enough. If you can't solve it with 8 shot shells, you need either air or artillery support.

I wonder if any of the kids will get the pun?

My shotgun of choice is an old Ithaca 37 DSPS with a 20" 7+1 and can be slam fired. If I were posting up in my room or looking down my stairs, I would hope to God that I didn't need more than 8 rounds of 00 for what ever woolybooger was in my home. Honestly, I'd be good with 4. Hell, I would feel that I have a tactical advantage in a dark house sitting quietly with even a SxS if all I'm trying to do is make sure whoever is downstairs STAYS down there and doesn't want to be cut in half.

If I need more than 8 shots from a shotgun, then the people breaking in have already won. It will beyond my tactical knowledge of having my wife call the cops, covering the stairs, and yelling down to "Get the BLANK out of my house! If I see even half a head peek around the corner they will be IDing you by the teeth left embedded in my drywall!"

Sunray already said it, but I'll pile on. If you need more then 8 rounds for home defense you're either a Rockefeller, you just won the lottery all in cash or it's the EOTWAWKI. Other then that 8 is more then enough for home defense. In most cases the distinct sound of loading a pump action shotgun is enough to make a perp run. Remember, they are there for a grab and dash. They are not looking to get into a gun fight like it's the old west. But, in full disclosure, I have a side saddle... Hey, you never know when the EOTWAWKI will happen...... ;-)

You touch off one of those buck shot rounds and watch the wall blow apart that should be more than enough for most perps inside your house. That is if you haven't cut them in half with the first round.

Crawdad1 said:

You touch off one of those buck shot rounds and watch the wall blow apart that should be more than enough for most perps inside your house.

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Wow.

I set up my 870 with a 20" rifle sight barrel. I load Federal 1 buck in the mag and in a + 4 extended mag. I added a sidesaddle with 6 more. I also have a speed feed stock with 4 Winchester segmenting slugs,

Overkill on shotgun ammo? Maybe. But shotguns aren't like a mag-fed rifle or handgun with 15,20, maybe 30 rounds on tap and many more easily portable and quickly utilized with a mag change. If it's a riotous crowd looting my house, post-earthquake Armageddon, or just a bump in the night I am awakened by, the shotgun is ready for a wide variety of situations should i need it.

I have first hand knowledge from 27+ years of LE work (and counting) interviewing many folks (sworn and civilian). Some who ran their firearm dry (or got close) were wishing to God they had more ammo with them. I have yet to find a person who was in a gunfight, even a 1-shot stop, wishing they had less ammo available.

It's a personal choice to set up your defensive arms in any way that improves your confidence in your firearm and your ability to utilize it to save a life. Everyone has their own tolerance limit as to shotgun gauge, size, weight, practicality, portability etc., and what's good for the goose may not be good for the gander.

Go with what feels best for you, make sure you can properly handle the arm and reloading tasks under stress...and in all honesty...hope you will never have to employ it.

Stay safe!

Many police departments still have 4 round (stock) mags on their 870's and the like. The sidesaddle is nice as an option to unload the gun and just keep some rounds "handy" with it, though.

Watch at 3:17 where the slug penetrates the wall and goes through 34 inches of gel.



I don't agree at all with his conclusion but its a good video for using a shotgun for home defense.

I guess that it all depends upon your neighborhood.

I think that I would be well served with "only" 8 rounds of buckshot, even though my eardrums would not survive the first two.

jeepnik said:

8 is Enough. If you can't solve it with 8 shot shells, you need either air or artillery support.

I wonder if any of the kids will get the pun?

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I think Dick Van Patten would agree with you.....as do I. I'm actually content with 5.

Sistema1927 said:

I guess that it all depends upon your neighborhood.

I think that I would be well served with "only" 8 rounds of buckshot, even though my eardrums would not survive the first two.

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Yeah, pretty much what I was thinking. After a few shots indoors, you and any aggressors will be pretty much blind and deaf, and hopefully the intruders will be ventilated or gone. If you ever have to shoot after dark, close one eye when you shoot so that you can switch open eyes afterwards and have a hope of some night vision. Shame about the eardrums, though...

brewer12345 said:

Yeah, pretty much what I was thinking. After a few shots indoors, you and any aggressors will be pretty much blond and deaf, and hopefully the intruders will be ventilated or gone. If you ever have to shoot after dark, close one eye when you shoot so that you can switch open eyes afterwards and have a hope of some night vision. Shame about the eardrums, though...

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Best typo I've seen in a while....

entropy said:

Best typo I've seen in a while....

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You had to point it out before I could edit...

entropy said:

I think Dick Van Patten would agree with you.....as do I. I'm actually content with 5.

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Thank heavens I'm not the only old guy around here. I was always partial to Lani O'Grady.

I would feel pretty good about it. I used to use a Benelli M1 Super 90 before I switched to an AR, and I believe that once ghost loaded it was 8. Might have been 9, I can't remember, but what's one round. There was no side saddle for them, at least at that time.

Not to be funny but are you kidding. I`ll leave it at that.

Your fine with 8 shells, Im fine with a double barrel with 2 shots. I've been in salty situations, carried an M500 in Iraq, and guess what my jeep/truck gun is? a NEF 12 ga singleshot.