Suggested Shotgun Shells for Home Defense?

[StaticTorque]

Hey ya'll! I've got a 12 gauge shotgun that is for home defense. I live in a "apartment", where i am connected to 2 other houses. Suggested rounds to use?

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[Joe13]

0000 buck shot

27 pellets in a 2 3/4" shell.

Good penetration without over penetration.

Look up some YouTube videos demoing it.

That's what I keep mine loaded with.

 

[Colts4me]

What kind of shotgun?

 

[bbbass]

All I know is that 00 buck will go right thru a 2x4 and keep on going... from personal experience. Thank goodness it was only the roof!! (hard to find the slide button in the dark after a scare)

 

[Tony617]

For an apartment I would use #4 buckshot. I have some Federal #4 buckshot that has 27 pellets. You should practice a lot to be sure so you never miss the intruder if they break in.

 

[bbbass]

I have a light mounted to my shotty, and it hits right in the center of the light. Just make sure to mount it on the bottom, not off to the side.

 

[Yarome]

This particular article is a couple years old, but still a good read that should be helpful (don't miss some of the comments at the article end). In an apartment setting your shot distances are quite limited and you "do" have potential unseen collateral targets on either side of you. Not to mention the very real possibility of ricochet's off of various angled surfaces found in a close quarter setting impacting unwanted targets (like yourself or family members). Personally, I would feel perfectly comfortable with #7-1/2 to #4 shot.

That being said... my goal is not to kill instantly or cut a would be attacker in half with my first shot. I want to decisively deter a would be attacker with the "option" to excercise deadly force still on the table. Let's face it... just about any shot size to the head at less than 5' will have absolute devastating affect. There is also no reason to stop firing after shot 1. If the first load of #7-1/2 doesn't convince an attacker that they are making a huge error in judgement... #2 coming right behind #1 just might.

Additionally... you are in no way limited from loading one... and only one... shot size in your people popper. In a 6+1 you could have a #7-1/2 in the chamber as well as shell 1 in the tube. #2&3 could be #4 shot and the last 3 your... "I'm done d***ing around" loads... or... longer distance in open space loads.

Doing so gives you "options". You may cycle past the #7 1/2's and go right to the #4's. Not that I'm encourageing folks to be loose with their trigger finger, but it's human nature for many to hesitate when exercising the right to use deadly force. If you already have it firmly fixing in your mind, "the first shot probably ain't gonna kill em anyhow"... you, in part, diminish that internal fraction of a heartbeat's hesitation and are much more likely to shoot when you should vs. just a tad bit too late to do you or your loved ones any good.

Solely my own opinons in the specific situation as outlined in the OP... such as they are. Just to say too... it certainly never hurts to carry a few additional "options" in your sidesaddle.

 

[bbbass]

Just thinking out loud: A head shot... don't miss... it takes longer than you think to rack a slide and mechanical things can always fail at the wrong time.

In my own setting, I don't have any kids, and neighbors are far enough away... I have 000 buck and then fragmenting slugs, then 00 buck, then solid slugs, and buck and slugs in the side saddle.

My shotty is not my weapon of first response. I have a Judge in the nightstand loaded with PDX1 .410 copper discs. And an AR15 pistol. My plan for shotty is if I need to go outside. I can't imagine needing to do that, but ya never know. If SHTF, well then... Slugs are sighted in (reflex optic) at 100yds.

 

[BillGabby1]

0000 buck shot

27 pellets in a 2 3/4" shell.

Good penetration without over penetration.

Look up some YouTube videos demoing it.

That's what I keep mine loaded with.

Number 4 buck is just the ticket, but at close range even the light stuff for upland game such as#6, 7 1/2, or 8 shot is lethal as the shot string hasn't time enough to disperse. At 10 or 15' it will just about cut you in half, but the good thing is it isn't as likely to go thru walls and kill the neighbors. double 00 can it has much greater penetration!
I'd stick with the lighter shot especially in an apartment building with their usually thin walls.
Take some of the different loads out and shoot thru a couple sheets of sheet rock set about 3.5" apart like in a typical partition, from a few feet away and report back here what the results are.
I think you will be surprised.

Having said all that since I live in a log cabin and half the walls are at least 8" thick logs, and my main worry is bears or 2 legged skunks.
I have my single shot loaded with 00B, says so right on the shells, I have 2 taped to the stock with blue painters tape, just in case more than one shot isn't enough. Why 2 you ask?
Because three's all I have. Also I don't have one of those fancy little strap on bandoleers that holds a half dozen rounds. BTW if you don't know what a half dozen is, you need to go back to school or at least look it up!
Backed up with my 9mm loaded with Federal 124gr HST if things get completely out of hand.
Gabby

 

[Yarome]

I agree.

#4 aimed squarely at an interior wall at 10' will penetrate and go 10" deep into 20% ballistic gel. At a slight angle, however, only a very small fraction (if any) of the pellets will penetrate both layers of sheetrock so the likelihood of causing serious injury to anyone on the other side is very minimal... at best.

 

[Silver Hand]

Use what you have at close range. If you hit someone with 1-1/4 or 1-1/2 ounces of lead in any size pellet, they will never know the difference. If you use a slug and miss, that might be a problem a few doors away.

 

[ob1]

Here's a thought.

Since you are in such a constrained residence, you need to be damn sure you are not going to penetrate those walls and take out your neighbors.

Take a good look at the construction of your commonly shared walls and then make a trip to the hardware store. Buy some scrap material that will duplicate your walls. Make a "wall" and go take it out and shoot it with a variety of ammo/weapons. This will graphically show you without a doubt what you can and cannot get away with.

You need to be confident on this point. If not, you may hesitate, thinking about whats on the other side of that wall....when a split second means everything.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Nothing impresses the neighbors more than deer slugs.
















lol

 

[KKG]

The #4 Buck has already been stated so I will pass on that. I suggest you look at a Rifled Slug Choke Tube. Even at close range it can help open the pattern a bit. And, that bit might be just enough to get you a hit and not a complete miss. If your pattern is too tight all you get is a "Slug" of shot.

 

[Colts4me]

Poster never said what kind of shotgun he is useing. Single shot, double, o&u, pump or auto. In my double the first trigger is S&B rubber buckshot and the second is number 4s. Gives me a choice if they live or die in an instant. Plus barrel length is important.

 

[KKG]

Poster never said what kind of shotgun he is useing. Single shot, double, o&u, pump or auto. In my double the first trigger is S&B rubber buckshot and the second is number 4s.

If I have ANY reason to shoot someone, it's because I believe they are going to Kill me or somebody else. NO rubber bands for them or their partners.

AND, if there's more than one? I'm just not into the Second Chances idea.

 

[Colts4me]

If I have ANY reason to shoot someone, it's because I believe they are going to Kill me or somebody else. NO rubber bands for them or their partners.

That's all good but clean up and the courts can be a mess. In my way there is an option, once that trigger is pulled there is no going back. You kill a drunk reaching for his phone to call his wife then how many lives do you destroy? With rubber buck or a bean bag round you can knock em down and see if they really want to fight.

 

[Joe13]

With 0000 buckshot there's only one story to work with. I assume.

 

[CHLChris]

BTW, a handgun round (9/40/45) will penetrate tons of sheetrock walls, so a shotgun is a rather good choice. #4 buck is good, but I wouldn't discount the larger sizes of birdshot, too. At distances measured in feet, they act much like a slug, and at just a few yards, the lump of pellets will still be well-concentrated in the center. But if you have a longish hallway, stay with #4 buck.

 

[Joe13]

Average expansion is 1"/yard from a smooth bore is what I keep seeing.