Thoughts on shotgun for home defense.

[Mephistopheles]

Greetings all, Recently sold my Mossburg 500. I have come to the conclusion that it is not a good fit for home defense. Yea I know. All of the experts say a 12 ga pump is the one to have. I don't know. The longest distance in the house I rent is 33ft down a hallway. At 33 ft my Mossy left a very large hole in a target, but not much else as far as spread goes. In the time I pump another shell into the chamber I can get off 3 rounds from my 9mm with a much larger pattern, Yea, I'm that bad of a shot. As the man said, "Nobody likes to bleed" and if someone has some old geezer blasting away at them with a 9mm, they are going to get out of the area. No one is going to get up after being hit with that 12. I want them to get up and leave. I mentioned I rent. I would much rather some tweeker ran away or went outside to die. My rental agency would love to have me replace this worn out carpet and I would rather explain to the police why the guy is dead in my front yard then explain to the agency why their carpet looks like I spilled wine all over it. As far as the sound of a racking pump goes. It is intimidating, but the sound of me screaming and yelling that if this tweek is going to cost me money, death will be a blessing. Well, that's my take on it.

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[2506]

I think everyone on this forum (and most everyone else) would agree that if you have determined that you need to shoot someone in your home, the consequences of injuring an intruder so that they 'ran away or went outside to die' are much more dire than having the the tweaker DRT (dead right there) form a single shotgun blast.

 

[powersbj]

People shot die mostly from bleeding out, this takes minuets, unless you get lucky and hit a major component of the nervous system. People in their right mind will run but people in their right mind dont usually break into occupied homes. There is IMHO a high risk of the invader being in an altered state of mind perhaps high or desperate for a fix. Either way the self preservation instincts and pain receptors of the perp are probably a bit off to say the least. In that situation you need to cause as much trama as possible as fast as possible to make their bodies non functional which the shotgun excells at. Yes you still have to aim a shot gun the idea you don't is a Hollywood myth.

 

[jordanvraptor]

If you dont want to kill him, use birdshot. It spread a pattern quicker too. Or use rubber buckshot or bean bag rounds. If you are set on a 9mm carbine. I love my Kel tec sub 2000 with 33 round mags and a laser.

Personally, if a criminal is in my house, he is a lethal threat to me and I will fight until he is no longer a threat. Carpet can be replaced.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

You don't want them to get up and leave, you want them down, ASAP. Only the 12 GA can do that and also offer no more wall penetration than a handgun

Make mine 12 GA 12 pellet 00 buck. Birdshot is for little birds.. no one is going to remain active with a full load of 00 thru their vitals.. they either run to fall and die outside, or fall down and die on the spot

 

[jfw]

I think neutralizing the thret as quick as possible is the key which the shotty excells at. Also, while you still have to aim it's still much easier to get hits with bird and buckshot especially in a high intense situation. Furthermore, one shot with shot gun throws 9 .32 caliber pellets (I think) as opposed to 3 9mm bullets. I think there is less over penetration issues with the shotgun as opposed to hand gun..

 

[speeddemon94]

In the ranges a home invasion scenario takes place, a shot gun is no more effective than a rifle. The 12ga hole will still be roughly that size when it hits the bad guy. Main thing with any home defence situation is to shoulder the weapon and use the sights, they're there for a reason. You don't have to worry so much about over penetration, but there will be no greater spread. The shotgun thing is a myth when it comes to massive spread patterns.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

In the ranges a home invasion scenario takes place, a shot gun is no more effective than a rifle. The 12ga hole will still be roughly that size when it hits the bad guy. Main thing with any home defence situation is to shoulder the weapon and use the sights, they're there for a reason. You don't have to worry so much about over penetration, but there will be no greater spread. The shotgun thing is a myth when it comes to massive spread patterns.

Most rifles have way too much penetration for urban defense.. anything larger than 5.56, really. Also at really close range often buckshot has a billiard ball effect, tangental pellet paths

 

[speeddemon94]

Agreed, but most people instinctively shoulder a rifle and use the sights. And I have patterned LOTS of scatterguns at varying ranges with many different loads. I've shot a turkey at 15 yards with an open choke tactical shotgun and 00 buck, and 99% of the shot hit the bird. I'm just getting at the fact that they don't do what most think they do.

 

[osterr1999]

You are correct in that you can't just point it in the general direction of the bad guy and expect to hit him. That being said, he is much more likely to go down and stay down with a center mass hit from a shotgun than from a single shot from an AR or a 9mm.

 

[jordanvraptor]

Using a shotgun with a rifled barrel loaded with buckshot will spread the pattern really quick. I dont recommend that but it does accomplish what the OP is asking about. 18 inch spread at 5 yards with Wolf OO buckshot.

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot43.htm

 

[Boats]

In any CQB setting, even a "hostage shot," there's nothing I want in my hands more than my Mossberg 590 with my reflex sight mounted because I know how it patterns with my chosen load at the known distances in my home. I prefer the perp DRT though.

 

[knuckle Head]

OK, not to be smart

But who gives a rats arse if some scum bag dies who broke into your home to do you harm and those in it harm or take what what you worked hard for. Heck I my biased opinion I could not give two cents, as a matter of fact, I would be willing to supply you with a box of 12 ga, 000 Buckshot 3 magnums to the job with, that way it would be one less scum bag I might have to deal with.

Just my biased opinion is all.

 

[just dan]

00 buck + practice. i've seen guys *fast* and accurate with pump 12ga... just takes some practice like everything else. plus nothin' stops like buck.

 

[Just Me]

So what happens when you shoot at him 3 times? Maybe you hit 3, maybe less. A tweaker may not even feel some hits from your 9mm. Do you really want to bet your life that he will run away? Not me.

 

[Kruel J]

If someone breaks into my home and threatens my family, the only thing on my mind is how quickly I can stop the threat. The well being of the bad guy isn't even on my priority list.

If you aren't prepared to use your gun with lethal force, then don't own it. There are documented cases of homeowners trying to just wound the intruder and having said intruder get their gun away from them and kill them.

 

[PaulZ]

Holy smoke! was there anything left to eat?

Agreed, but most people instinctively shoulder a rifle and use the sights. And I have patterned LOTS of scatterguns at varying ranges with many different loads. I've shot a turkey at 15 yards with an open choke tactical shotgun and 00 buck, and 99% of the shot hit the bird. I'm just getting at the fact that they don't do what most think they do.

 

[PaulZ]

I still like the fear factor. BTW, if you have a loaded double barrell the springs will be compressed for a long time. Does that make it less reliable?

 

[knuckle Head]

If someone breaks into my home and threatens my family, the only thing on my mind is how quickly I can stop the threat. The well being of the bad guy isn't even on my priority list.

If you aren't prepared to use your gun with lethal force, then don't own it. There are documented cases of homeowners trying to just wound the intruder and having said intruder get their gun away from them and kill them.

The moment they start breaking into your house they have threatened you and your family, form that point on they are fair game.

They made the decision to get not the person who pulled the trigger.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Agreed, but most people instinctively shoulder a rifle and use the sights. And I have patterned LOTS of scatterguns at varying ranges with many different loads. I've shot a turkey at 15 yards with an open choke tactical shotgun and 00 buck, and 99% of the shot hit the bird. I'm just getting at the fact that they don't do what most think they do.

I'm a shottie natural, they point better than any other common weapon for me