Home defense shot

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Arqbque

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I've been looking at the different options for home defense loads for a shotgun. Looking at the box of truth website, they say that they found that birdshot will go through two piece of drywall but not the paper on the next one, which suggests to me it is mostly stopped by a single wall. However, they don't specify what size birdshot, so I'm wondering if anyone knows exactly what they used or independently what is the largest birdshot that won't go through more than two pieces of drywall, or meets a similar standard.

Will going up in size from say #8 to #6 or #4 make a difference in defensive capability without being much worse at going through walls? Will the type of metal make a big difference?

I am aware that the box of truth website concludes that birdshot is inadequate for defense, and that that opinion is widely held, that 00 Buckshot is the standard, and that 0, 000, #1, and #4 buckshot all might actually be the best.
 
Don't use #6, 7.5, or 8 shot for defense, and don't plan on a wall stopping your shot. If you want to mitigate it as much as possible, go #4 or #1 buck, or even better go with a lightweight .223 rifle.
 
Any suitable defense ammo will penetrate the wall of a stick-built house. There's no way around it.

Just about any reasonable* defense ammo will lose most or all of its energy in the BG, and wont pose much of a threat if it does over-penetrate.

As Dave says, "BA/UU/R." Buy Ammo, Use Up, Repeat. The simple solution is to use buckshot, and train more often to increase your odds of hitting the target, rather than loading up with inadequate ammo in case you miss.

As for me, I use Federal LE 132 00 for the most part, since it patterns so tight (typically, 8" to 10" at 25 yards with a cyl bore bbl). Its a reduced recoil 9 pellet 00 buck. I have also used Federal H132 00, also a reduced recoil 9 pellet 00B, which doesn't pattern as tight, but is available locally. I have another I haven't tried yet, P154 00, which is not reduced recoil, but stocked at walmart.
 
Will the type of metal make a big difference?
Click to expand...

Lead is the least expensive and works well

Some of the old goose loads were a heavy load of #2 - at HS distances, I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end.

While everyone touts buckshot as the best answer, there are other choices.
 
After much research I settled on #4 buckshot for the first two rounds and #00 for the remainder. Many will argue that #7-8 birdshot is just as effective at HD distances but my research tells me this simply isn't necessarily true.

We all want to prevent harming our own family and neighbors but the question is; What good is a defender if he's dead or unable to help? IMHO, it's far more important to use effective ammo and be darned careful about shot placement.

I wouldn't feel outgunned with a full mag of #1 or #2 buckshot but it will penetrate several layers of sheetrock.
 
#4 buckshot is as small as I'd go, I've seen 4B pellets fail to exit an empty plastic milk jug at maybe 15 yards.

Those little pellets don't just lack mass, but seemingly structural integrity as well, as they tend to splatter into shapeless scraps of lead apon hitting anything that's not soft or crumbly.

They're a great reduced penetration indoor load, but I sure wouldn't want to use anything smaller.
 
Take it from a guy that's done a lot of media testing that #1 buck gives up surprisingly little in penetration of building materials to 00 of similar construction.
 
I'm always a bit confounded by people thinking that projectiles that wont go through dry wall will some how reliably reach the vitals of a bad guy.
 
Buckshot. Any of it, from #4 to 000. 00 is most common. The Hornady TAP FPD is really good stuff, very tight group, 8 pellets instead of 9 to reduce recoil, BUT those 8 pellets are going 1600fps. This is pretty fast for buckshot. Awesome load, only thing I'll use in a shotgun for defense. You don't need to worry about drywall penetration if all your pellets are in a 3" group center of mass.

If overpenetration weren't a concern, nor recoil, 000 would be ideal as would #4 3" magnums. Those mags have 41 pellets! But the Winchester XX version has the most recoil of any shotshell I've ever fired.

If it won't go through drywall, it isn't worth using for defense. Birdshot is inadequate. Been discussed on here a lot too.

Some handloaders use mixed buckshot, big shot and small shot to work like a filler. I doubt any of it patterns as well as the Hornady 00, and I know for sure the Winchester PDX buck and ball is basically useless past living room distances.

The nastiest thing you can use looks like the Hexolit 32 fragmenting steel slug. Just show a picture of it and that should end the confrontation.
 
I use Flite Control 00 buck. 00 seems to be the easiest to find, and you can't really go wrong with them.

Anything that penetrates enough to reliably stop an attacker is also going to go through interior walls, there's really no way around it.

You can use anything from #4 buck up to 000 depending on what you like and what patterns best in your shotgun. Avoid birdshot.
 
use # 9s or what ever you have on hand
lots of lead, you could kill some one with a just a wad at most HD ranges :banghead:
 
you could... but why handicap yourself?

you can also kill someone with a 22 short, but you don't see people recommending carrying that because it "could" kill someone.

Buckshot isn't expensive, get some, any kind will do. but I prefer Federal flite control 00.
 
I hit a 250 LB boar at 30 yards with a 12ga 3'' #4 buck it was a broad side shot and while some pellets did not penetrate the shield the vast majority did. No pellets exited the far side but did lodge just under the hide. The hog did not travel more than 20 yards before he dropped. Since that can you guess what my HD shotgun has in it.
If forced to defend yourself in your home the best way to avoid unintended damage is to hit where you aim and let the BG be the backstop. Spray and prey is a really bad option.

On a funnier note one of the leos I was discussing this with keeps a #8 birdshot in the chamber and buckshot in the tube when he is not home. His wife has instructions to shoot out a specific window ( the easiest one to replace ) in the bedroom should she hear an intruder.
Just my .02
T
 
Exactly.

Home or Self Defense is not about killing someone, Lots of different rounds, as well as all kinds of things will kill someone.

Self defense is about STOPPING someone, RIGHT NOW. Buckshot and slugs have a proven track record of doing that. Anyone who has had to finish off an injured bird while hunting knows that #9 birdshot can not be relied upon to stop a person, sure it might happen, but my money (and life) is on buckshot.
 
Why would someone use small birdshot for defense when it's not even recommended for big birds? Sure, birdshot from even one of those .410 revolvers can be lethal (I'm NOT going to volunteer to stand in front of one!) but the object is to stop the bad guy right now.

And for that I want buckshot - 00 or 000 - or a slug.
 
I started a thread a while back similar to this and was hammered at the notion of using #4 birdshot. After shooting everything I could think of with #4 birdshot I concluded that in a HD range, it would do the job. 5 shots of that from 5 yards would no doubt stop the threat. Also don't have to worry about over penetrating into the kids rooms. So I have my 870 loaded up with #4 winchester x ammo....and feel pretty good about it.
 
I'm always a bit confounded by people thinking that projectiles that wont go through dry wall will some how reliably reach the vitals of a bad guy.
Click to expand...
A 55gr FMJ from a .223 Remington will not penetrate drywall but will certainly kill a human. How many hundreds of thousands of people has the .223/5.56 killed since 1950-something?
 
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