Is the defense shortgun still relevant?

[Sasquatch]

If you want to have some real fun with a shotgun, go skeet or trap shooting with a 410!

Now that'd take some skill!

 

[Analog Kid]

410's are scarce right now.. haven't seen 410 shells available for months, although they are a blast to shoot for plinking fun.

 

[billtool]

Last time I shot trap was with a 28ga. I suck at it in general, but seriously sucked with that little OU Browning. Great little gun. Seriously unskilled shooter. Had a great time though and didn't entirely embarrass myself.

 

[Axxe55]

Now that'd take some skill!

It does! Many years ago, when I got involved with shooting sporting clays with some co-workers, just for fun one weekend we decided to shoot skeet or trap with our 410's. Embarrassing would be an understatement of how I did! But even given that, it was so much fun to do. We had a blast shooting 410's at them clays.

If you ever see a shooter that can bust clays all day long with a 410, don't ever get into a shooting match with him!

 

[Ozzman]

I did the same thing the first time I went to a trap range.
The throwing machines perform very differently from the hand-thrown kind.

The first time I did it, I only hit 3 out of 25 and felt stupid standing out there with wasted hulls to my right.

Took me about a year, but I had my first 25 of 25 in 2018.
Acquired skill is an understatement; as it took me a while and quite a few rounds to learn to shoot without using the sights.

 

[single stack]

I shoot more .410’s than any gauge.
Close to 10,000 a year.

There was a time when I held on to a NSSA A classification in .410 for about a decade.
I never got any better.

Those days are gone.
I’m over 65 and still hold my own at sporting and skeet with the other old guys at the club.
Not many beat me at 16 yard trap with the wee one.

You can’t have a better time with a shotgun than a fourten.

 

[satx78247]

To All,

Speaking of "home defense", shotguns & "predators, who are attracted to nurses", I heard from a local deputy that about Midnight this Monday night that a local RN had gotten off work at 2300 hours at a large hospital here in SATX.
She arrived home & was undressing for a bath when she heard "glass breaking". - She armed herself with her husband's DB 20 gauge & went into the "guest bedroom" to see "what was going on".

Looking into the bedroom, she saw "a strange man with a pistol" IN the bedroom & thereupon shot him. She then called 9-1-1 & told the dispatcher that she had "shot a guy".

Upon arrival, the policewoman (of the 2 LEOs who arrived) said, "Honey, I think you may want to go put on a robe or something."
(The nurse was so "excited" that she didn't realize that she was wearing only a bra & underpants, when the police arrived.)

Investigation revealed that the intruder had a loaded .32ACP pistol, that the criminal had followed the RN home from the hospital, that the 26YO burglar had a "long string of assorted criminal offenses" & that he had received a lethal GSW to the face from a load of #6 shot, from a distance of about 14 feet..
The burglar was thereafter transported to the county ME's office.

While #6 shot may NOT be "perfection"" for house defense, it worked WELL in this particular case.

yours, satx

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Nice!

 

[Axxe55]

I did the same thing the first time I went to a trap range.
The throwing machines perform very differently from the hand-thrown kind.

The first time I did it, I only hit 3 out of 25 and felt stupid standing out there with wasted hulls to my right.

Took me about a year, but I had my first 25 of 25 in 2018.
Acquired skill is an understatement; as it took me a while and quite a few rounds to learn to shoot without using the sights.

I shoot more .410’s than any gauge.
Close to 10,000 a year.

There was a time when I held on to a NSSA A classification in .410 for about a decade.
I never got any better.

Those days are gone.
I’m over 65 and still hold my own at sporting and skeet with the other old guys at the club.
Not many beat me at 16 yard trap with the wee one.

You can’t have a better time with a shotgun than a fourten.

I found out shooting a 410 at trap or skeet, I was the one that ended up buying the rounds of beers that evening! Yeah, I always lost when shooting the 410, but I still had a great time.

I still love shooting a 410, and I really would like to get another one.

 

[Texas_Lone_Ranger]

I'm not for sure where the OP is getting his information from, or the validity of that information.

IMO, the shotgun is still the best home defensive weapon for most people. The distances they would used at within the home, ammo selections that are available, and that they don't require the same precision in aiming that rifles or pistols require.

Agreed, hit the Perp with a Mac truck, not a 'Vette.

 

[leVieux]

^^^^^^^^^^
What this guy said.

Me too. Have a 20GA version of my main shotgun, but only used it for international trips. It is now my #1 S-G at 77 years old. Be 78 in a couple months, but am going squirrel hunting next week w/ 20GA.

leVieux

 

[popo22]

Anyone who thinks a shotgun isn't relevant as a "hone defense" weapon has "no" or very limited experience with a shotgun.

 

[Axxe55]

Anyone who thinks a shotgun isn't relevant as a "hone defense" weapon has "no" or very limited experience with a shotgun.

Exactly. For my purposes, the shotgun is what I consider the best option for home defensive purposes.

 

[MrOrangeVest]

Pass on the shotgun for me as a primary. One of my biggest home defense issues is other users regardless of platform type. 12ga takes more work to handle than any AR. 9mm is easier than...

(Never mind it sounds like Creepy Uncle Joe in here saying all you need to defend yourself is a shotgun. )

 

[satx78247]

Pass on the shotgun for me as a primary. One of my biggest home defense issues is other users regardless of platform type. 12ga takes more work to handle than any AR. 9mm is easier than...

(Never mind it sounds like Creepy Uncle Joe in here saying all you need to defend yourself is a shotgun. )

MeOrangeVest,

Given that:

1. I was "once upon a time, long ago" generally "considered to be" a good shot with pistol, rifles, riot-gun, smg & machine gun (before my eyes started going bad)
2. That over 75% of "home invasion intrusions" occur "in periods of darkness"
AND
3. Pistols & long arms (other than shotguns, firing shot) require "precision sighting",

HOW exactly do you believe that you or anyone else can defend home & hearth in the dark W/O the ability to see the SIGHTS??

SORRY, but I'm NOT buying any.

yours, satx

 

[zackmars]

MeOrangeVest,

Given that:

1. I was "once upon a time, long ago" generally "considered to be" a good shot with pistol, rifles, riot-gun, smg & machine gun (before my eyes started going bad)
2. That over 75% of "home invasion intrusions" occur "in periods of darkness"
AND
3. Pistols & long arms (other than shotguns, firing shot) require "precision sighting",

HOW exactly do you believe that you or anyone else can defend home & hearth in the dark W/O the ability to see the SIGHTS??

SORRY, but I'm NOT buying any.

yours, satx

He didn't say anything about sights, and shotguns absolutely require aiming.

In addition, it's not exactly rocket science to point shoot a rifle or pistol with decent accuracy

 

[satx78247]

He didn't say anything about sights, and shotguns absolutely require aiming.

In addition, it's not exactly rocket science to point shoot a rifle or pistol with decent accuracy

zackmars,

FYI, I don't know anyone (who is really familiar with firearms) who does NOT understand that aiming a pistol/rifle & using a shotgun are NOT significantly different.
(That's the reason that handguns & long-arms HAVE sights & shotguns generally DO NOT.)

You, of course, are free to have a different opinion.
(Opinions are like belly-buttons, as everyone has one.)

yours, satx

 

[ZX9RCAM]

zackmars,

FYI, I don't know anyone (who is really familiar with firearms) who does NOT understand that aiming a pistol/rifle & using a shotgun are NOT significantly different.
(That's the reason that handguns & long-arms HAVE sights & shotguns generally DO NOT.)

You, of course, are free to have a different opinion.
(Opinions are like belly-buttons, as everyone has one.)

yours, satx

He wasn't arguing with you.
He merely stated that the post you quoted (orange vest) said absolutely nothing about lack of sights, or using/not using/aiming them.

ETA:Maybe I'm confused.

 

[satx78247]

He wasn't arguing with you.
He merely stated that the post you quoted (orange vest) said absolutely nothing about lack of sights, or using/not using/aiming them.

ETA:Maybe I'm confused.

ZX9RCAM,

IF he was NOT disagreeing with my post, what exactly do you believe that his post was meant to say??

yours, satx

 

[ZX9RCAM]

ZX9RCAM,

IF he was NOT disagreeing with my post, what exactly do you believe that his post was meant to say??

yours, satx

Sorry, I guess he was trying to say what I said.
Evidently neither one of us said it very well.
Like I said, maybe I'm just confused.