How to keep it ready?

[Greg_TX]

I'm thinking that if you're in a situation where 00 ain't enough to get it done, you need to call in air support! I have a few boxes of 3" 000 I bought a while back when I couldn't find anything else - I bet they'll leave a mark when they hit ya.

 

[Wedge]

Pit Bull shell how about just plain 00-buck and the real Pitbull Rip my female on Patrol

 

[Big country]

That is a good looking dog Wedge! How old is she?

 

[Wedge]

She is 17 months. Most misunderstood breed ever. Ive owned several and have never had one issue. These dogs want to please us. So if people are knuckle heads and fight them again they will do what u ask of them with 110% effort no matter what u ask. They are def not born bad ass. They have to be trained that way. They will love u to death. Now if someone was to hurt my wife or son in front of her well then she would probably do what most dogs would do. As ive learned they are dynamite but the human lights the wick.

 

[Big country]

Yes sir I just had to put down my pit/lab mix a while back and I have never had a sweeter dog (to people she was not to fond of any other animals toward the end of her life.) That dog was the most loyal fun loving dog I've ever had. She got into it with two other dogs but that was my fault as I quit socializing her when I started working more hours at work. I miss my Roxy for sure. And yes they are in fact dynamite if the people scare them! Roxy jumped in front of me one night and growled and barked because she thought I was in danger.

 

[Wedge]

Sorry for your loss.

 

[ExpatBen]

Big Country,

Even after your wife gets an M&P, stick with the shotgun for defense when ever possible. Pistols, any caliber, or an inefficient man stopper compared to a shotgun (12 or 20ga).

I wouldn't rotate between shells, pick one and stick to it. The KISS principle, so you aren't thinking when you should be doing other things. In a rural area, where over penetration isn't a problem, the buckshot is a great choice. I live in an urban area and use heavy bird loads, but I'm worried about over penetration, and my distances will be very short. On top of that I don't like recoil either, and the bird loads are much milder.

The 20ga is an awesome choice for your wife. She'll enjoy it, shoot better, and be safer with it.

Stay Safe,

 

[M. Sage]

Bird shot loads will be less effective than a handgun, though. Bird shot underpenetrates horribly.

 

[Roscoe]

Is she really used to shooting the gun?? If she's not going outside the house to check your property (and I wouldn't recommend she leave the safety of the house when home alone at night) I would load the gun with #2's or even #4 shot. At inside the house ranges, there's not going to be a lot of difference between getting hit by buckshot or heavy birdshot. However, the shotgun will be much easier for her to handle. I've witnessed the results of a couple of in-house shootings with shotguns using birdshot (I think one shooting was with #6, one with #4). They could both be described as very messy, very ugly and very final.

 

[M. Sage]

At inside the house ranges, there's not going to be a lot of difference between getting hit by buckshot or heavy birdshot.

Yes, there is. There is going to be a huge difference.

Buckshot (#4 buck and bigger) is going to reliably penetrate deep enough to do serious damage to an attacker. Bird shot is going to make a nasty-looking wound that's too shallow to do any real damage.

Ballistics ShadoWalker’s Firearms and Self Defense Blog

I've seen two rabbits shot in the head at close range with heavy-ish bird shot from a 12 gauge - I did one, my father did another, and in both cases, the bird shot failed to exit the head, obliterating about 1/3 of the bunnies' heads (just gone), but not doing any damage to the rest. That is about 2" of penetration right there. Not nearly enough to rely upon it in a fight.

 

[SIG_Fiend]

Like Sage said, birdshot will result in superficial surface damage. It will look horrible of course, though generally a COM hit with birdshot is not likely to penetrate deep enough to reliably and physically stop someone due to damage to vital organs. The average person, and probably the average thief if shot by even a .22 Short would likely fall over crying as being shot with anything would hurt like hell. All it takes is that one time you happen to be the unfortunate one that gets attacked by the severely determined attacker that is hopped up on pcp and can't feel that superficial damage. That worst case scenario is when you need that sufficient penetration to more reliably hit vital organs and more reliably stop someone. It's always good to plan for the worst case. It's also always a good idea to practice failure to stop drills. Practice firing multiple times on a target with that shotgun, and if necessary go for the head shot. Human beings can be damned persistent and don't always do what you want them to.

 

[TXSig]

There no other sound like that of a 870 shotgun being chambered. When heard there's no mistake what happened. I'd keep it loaded and not chambered, then chamber it when needed.

 

[M. Sage]

All it takes is that one time you happen to be the unfortunate one that gets attacked by the severely determined attacker that is hopped up on pcp and can't feel that superficial damage.

If you've ever met someone who only gets mad when they feel pain - especially if you've ever fought someone like that - you'll know that it doesn't even take drugs to make someone dangerous.

There no other sound like that of a 870 shotgun being chambered.

Why give that warning? Isn't that the same as yelling "find some concealment quick, cause here I come through the door"?

 

[Big country]

Right I keep the shot gun in patrol ready. I just put the plug in it last night because it's bird season. I plan on getting her the 20 and loading it 000 or 00 buck. Bird shot gets people killed and not the bad guy like everyone says it underpenitrates it sucks for anything other than birds! If she can get to the shotty great but if the 9mm is closer I havs no problem with 17 rounds of 9mm HP's going into the bad rather her kicking and screaming. So that is the plan right now it's my 870 when she gets her 20 that will be the go to long gun.

 

[Texas42]

Right I keep the shot gun in patrol ready. I just put the plug in it last night because it's bird season. I plan on getting her the 20 and loading it 000 or 00 buck. Bird shot gets people killed and not the bad guy like everyone says it underpenitrates it sucks for anything other than birds! If she can get to the shotty great but if the 9mm is closer I havs no problem with 17 rounds of 9mm HP's going into the bad rather her kicking and screaming. So that is the plan right now it's my 870 when she gets her 20 that will be the go to long gun.

You loading your own? Cause they only sell slugs and #3 buckshot in 20 gauge.

If you find a place that has 00 or 000, let me know.

 

[Roscoe]

I have been on the scene of two shootings where a shotgun was used. The first was in San Antonio in the late 80's. A man heard someone working on his front door after midnight, took his shotgun and sat at the counter in his kitchen waiting for the perp to get inside the door. When the perp entered the house the homeowner shot him twice with #4 shot. I was the first one to enter the house, after the shooting. I didn't stay long. The wall behind the perp was a mess, one wad pretty much went completely through the guy. The perp was an 18 year old - with a record. The shooting was from approximately twenty feet, maybe a bit less. You wouldn't have wanted to do the cleanup.

Second shooting was in Houston in 2001, number #2 shot was used. Perp's intestines were pretty much opened up, a number of shot completely penetrated the perp. Shooting was from about 25 feet, length of the hallway. Again, I'm sure the cleanup crew wasn't happy with their job.

Until the last couple years the federal government recommended #4 buck as the most effective shotgun load. In the last year or so they have gone back to 00 buck for best results.

For use inside a home 00 buck (or #4 buck) will penetrate more than just the target. Use whatever you feel most comfortable with, but I would be very careful of the background - especially when using buckshot in a family home.

 

[Big country]

I know that heavy bird loads will work, I just prefer something a little more beefy. LOL If it's a 20 gauge I will load it with #3 if I can find it. Or #4 .

 

[M. Sage]

For use inside a home 00 buck (or #4 buck) will penetrate more than just the target. Use whatever you feel most comfortable with, but I would be very careful of the background - especially when using buckshot in a family home.

Anything that is going to be able to reliably stop a bad guy will do that, though. A lot of the "good stuff" is at the back of the human body - the spine, the descending aorta, which runs right next to the spine... You also have to figure that if a bad guy is armed, he may have his arms up in front of his chest (go point an unloaded gun at a mirror and note the target it presents), so you might have to shoot through a good distance of arm.

You should always pay attention to rule #4, no matter what you're shooting.

 

[Texas1911]

Anything that is going to be able to reliably stop a bad guy will do that, though. A lot of the "good stuff" is at the back of the human body - the spine, the descending aorta, which runs right next to the spine... You also have to figure that if a bad guy is armed, he may have his arms up in front of his chest (go point an unloaded gun at a mirror and note the target it presents), so you might have to shoot through a good distance of arm.

You should always pay attention to rule #4, no matter what you're shooting.

Bit different when you are talking about a shotgun though. That much lead at that range is going to be deadlier to a second target than an expended handgun round. There's alot of inertia, and without much dispersion due to the close range, it's going to do a number.

I think it goes without saying that you should know what's behind your target regardless of what you are shooting.

 

[M. Sage]

You have to look at the buckshot pellets separately, though. You've got .33"-ish lead balls doing about 1200 feet per second. This isn't a whole lot different than 9mm, power-wise. The difference is that the shotgun puts a bunch of them out there at the same time.