12 Gauge Home Defense Loads

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Personally, for HD I'm looking at a maximum distance of maybe 4 yards that I'll be shooting with my shotgun, so I'm not too worried about the spread. Not even a Judge would spread much at that range.

I'm not too worried about overpenetration, but I am about underpenetration. I haven't seen #1 buck in any of the shops I go to, but I've got both #4 buck and 00 buck handy. I've had #4 loaded, but I think I may switch to 00, just in case that guy is wearing some heavy clothing (which happens in WA state quite frequently).

I wouldn't use slugs, because if I'm going to use a single projectile per shot I'm going to get a rifle that will hold 30 of them in a standard magazine.

However, I would use a slug over any of those special loads (i.e. 1 slug + 3 00-buck, mixture of buckshot + birdshot).

EDIT: Retcop, overpenetration in the home is going to happen if your load is capable of physically stopping an attacker. As you increase the size of the shot, you get overall less wound diameter. A 0.73" slug is a 0.41"^2 hole, 9x 0.33" (00 buck) holes is 0.77"^2. 27x 0.24" holes (#4 buck) is 1.22"^2. What then matters is if it will penetrate deep enough. In general, however, the more pellets you have the better, if you have enough penetration.
 
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Inside the house - Winchester Ranger Low Recoil 00 Buckshot

Outside the house/Out on the farm - Federal Flitecontrol Low Recoil 00 Buckshot with Federal Low Recoil Truball Slugs in Sidesaddle.

The #1 and #4 Buckshot will work fine, but long experience with 00 Buck keeps it in my shotgun.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr
 
My HomeLand Security shotgun is loaded with #4 Buck, because that is what patterns best in MY gun.
 
I keep 2 3/4 inch #4 buck in my shotgun . It patterns the best for me and I have seen 200lb hogs shot from 30 yards with 100% penetration side to side ,so i am confident it will do the job ! My 00 buck patterns at 25 yards had gaps big enough to miss vital organs ! Kevin
 
SEE IT LIKE A NATIVE said:
I keep 2 3/4 inch #4 buck in my shotgun . It patterns the best for me and I have seen 200lb hogs shot from 30 yards with 100% penetration side to side ,so i am confident it will do the job ! My 00 buck patterns at 25 yards had gaps big enough to miss vital organs ! Kevin
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Did you try Federal or other brands with flitecontrol? I have shot quite of a bit of Federal 9 pellet LE 132 and 8 pellet LE 133 and the patterns are very tight.
 
Some, including myself, do not desire the tightest pattern possible.

The 00 Federal Power Shok ammo that comes in the 175 round cans is in a shotcup and buffered, and when launched through an IC choke it gives me a consistent, uniform, 11" pattern at 20 yards, which suits me just fine.

I have also heard spotty reports of donut shaped patterns with the flite control at longer ranges. In any case, the cheaper, traditional shotcup is performing great for me.
 
2 & 3/4" 00 Buck, usually Winchester.

I have fired a bunch of the 3 inch stuff.. My biggest complaint was with Federal's 'buffered' shells always leaked buffering materials. I figured all that loose plastic might find a way to jam up a perfectly good shotgun so I set it aside. Still have about 30 rounds of the stuff.
 
Waywatcher said:
Some, including myself, do not desire the tightest pattern possible.

The 00 Federal Power Shok ammo that comes in the 175 round cans is in a shotcup and buffered, and when launched through an IC choke it gives me a consistent, uniform, 11" pattern at 20 yards, which suits me just fine.

I have also heard spotty reports of donut shaped patterns with the flite control at longer ranges. In any case, the cheaper, traditional shotcup is performing great for me.
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I have several ammo cans with the same Federal 00 buckshot shot shells. I use them for practice since the indoor gun range does not allow birdshot to be fired there. I just blow the buffer off of the shells before loading them into my shotgun.
 
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Just out of curiosity, are there stories of people surviving getting hit by buckshot point-blank?
 
Just out of curiosity, are there stories of people surviving getting hit by buckshot point-blank?
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My mom got me a job when I was in high school one summer at the hospital where she worked. I was the "night porter", mopped the halls and mopped up/cleaned up the ER and OR and such when needed, lotsa blood and guts around. One night a guy had driven himself to the ER, shot in the gut with 00 from a 12 gauge. He walked in holding his guts in. He survived.

Gotta hit 'em where it counts, be it .25ACP OR 12 gauge.
 
I am not much of a shotgun person but i find this thread useful in terms of determining the load for HD.

I am also in market for HD pump action and some devastating ammo because i dont belive in the certainty of follow up shots
 
That can be a self-fulfilling-prophecy--High recoil loads=longer time to get back on target, more chance of flinching.

FWIW I use standard power buckshot, but I don't see the logic in going past standard power. It also happens to be the cheapest, compared to magnum or low recoil loads, which is a big deal to me.
 
El Godfather.....

Before retirement, I had access to a .gov website that listed one shot stop rates. Shotguns ran and probably still run 99%. Even a lowly field load dumps a humongous amount of energy into a target.

I prefer 00 in the reduced recoil stuff. Proven track record, easy control.
 
i dont belive in the certainty of follow up shots

But ALWAYS prepare to deliver one anyway. Even shotguns are not 100% death rays, and Murphy is always hangin' around.
 
8x 2-3/4 0 Buck in the tube behind a modified choke. Patterns well for me and should be quite effective. (I figure a modified choke is cheaper than specialized 'flite control' ammo in the long run)

Slugs in the sidesaddle are boring 'slugger' 1oz slugs.
 
I've got 5 rounds of Win-Lite low recoil 00 buck in the magazine of my M12 and 5 Federal reduced recoil slugs (the blue ones) in the sidesadle.

I keep the mag underloaded incase I need a slug up first.

The low recoil stuff is plenty deadly and makes the gun more user friendly for my better half. I also shortened the LOP and added a limbsaver and a fiber optic bead. She's all business.
 
I use birdshot only for inside the house, unless I'm living alone. This is because buckshot and slugs will penetrate several walls and potentially kill a family member several rooms away. Birdshot typically won't perforate more than one wall, but is completely deadly when used at 1-room distances (say 30 feet).
 
but [birdshot] is completely deadly when used at 1-room distances
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You are living in more of a false reality with that one. Can it be deadly? Yes. Is it "completely deadly"? Most definitely not.

Just as an example, my grandfather (a doctor) had a man brought to him who had tried to kill himself by shooting himself in the chest with a load of 12 ga birdshot. Not only did he not die, but my grandfather predicted that it would have taken the man another hour and a half or so to die from his injuries because the pellets did not do much damage. They did not penetrate well, and once inside his body, the holes they made were not large enough to cause a rapid loss of blood.

This was with the muzzle about 4" from the man's chest. Is this indicative of all birdshot injuries? No. But it is enough to convince me that birdshot is a no-go for defensive purposes.
 
I just started loading slugs and 00 for home defense and my mossberg 590a1 is on the way. A buddy of mine test fired my 00 in 2 3/4, 1 1/8 clay buster wad and 18 grains of 700x and said, after testing on piece of plywood at 20 yards, " I'd rather get hit with a slug.

Had him test some 1 oz fosterslus with same powder drop and said the recoil was light and accurate at 30 yards +\- 3 inches
 
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