Is the defense shortgun still relevant?

[Axxe55]

It reeks because you have your head up your ass. Or is that a Bulls ass?Failure to communicate was a vailed reference to Cool Hand Luke and chain gangs.

Well, Bless your heart.

Get butt-hurt often? They make a ointment for that.

FYI: the word is spelled "veiled", not "vailed".

 

[gll]

It reeks because you have your head up your ass. Or is that a Bulls ass?Failure to communicate was a vailed reference to Cool Hand Luke and chain gangs.

Great movie! I'm shakin' it boss!

 

[billtool]

I keep a semi auto combat 12ga as my go to bump in the night meanie. One safety click away from pressing into action. If my bride isn't by my side I'll hesitate. If she is - then I'm shootin' through walls and internal doors. I don't give a crap if I f-up a couch. Never shooting from inside to outside through a barrier with an unknown/unseen threat beyond. Only 00 buck. Whoa be it to the Cat(s) that breaches the threshold. There's just no escaping the devastation.

 

[candcallen]

Is this thread still relevant?

 

[Jreed6741]

The 12-gauge pump shotgun is touted as the ultimate home defender. ... Shotguns cast a wider shot pattern, and can take down an intruder even in the most inexperienced hands. Once properly set up, the 12-gauge shotgun is probably the best all-around choice for the average homeowner seeking a defensive firearm.

 

[Charlie]

The 12-gauge pump shotgun is touted as the ultimate home defender. ... Shotguns cast a wider shot pattern, and can take down an intruder even in the most inexperienced hands. Once properly set up, the 12-gauge shotgun is probably the best all-around choice for the average homeowner seeking a defensive firearm.

I slightly disagree with the above but only with the 12 ga. part. In an average size home, not too big and not too small, a 20 gauge would be more than enough for protection ........... and without the blast, kick, etc. associated with the 12 ga. I would surely hate for my wife to have to shoot a 12 ga. in the house. I kid my neighbor about his 12 ga. shotgun and ask him why he isn't using a 10 ga. Heh! I've got the 20 ga. in the bedroom waiting for any intruders and that should be just right without tearing up parts of the house.

 

[Tnhawk]

Fishkiller,

In my grandfather's time, a "shortgun" was what many people called a handgun.
(My grandfather was born in Franklin County, TX on 18JAN1874.)

IF one looks, they will see that term in a lot of old newspaper articles.

yours, satx

I'm old but not that old.

 

[Tnhawk]

Most all of mine will have about a 4" to 6" pattern at 20 feet. Yes, they do need to be aimed, just that they don't need the same precision in aiming that rifles or pistols require.

If I aim center mass on a bad guy, and I am off center and hit him in the shoulder or arm with a round of buckshot, it's still going to do massive amounts of damage.

8- 00 pellets is going to do serious damage. Compare the size of a 9 mm hole to that of 8 buckshot holes in a target.

 

[Tnhawk]

I keep a Mossberg Shockwave 12ga loaded with 00 buck at my beside, but it is not the only gun within reach.

Are you comfortable with the size, weight, and recoil of at least a 20ga, or better a 12ga, loaded with #4 to 00 buck? If so, a shotgun can be an effective home defense weapon for normal home ranges.

I have no personal knowledge, but gather, from the net, that many women find an AR easier to handle and less intimidating to shoot than a shotgun.

If you choose a shotgun, I suggest it should be one with a shoulder stock, and probably a semi auto, or even a double barrel, rather than a pump, unless you are willing to spend some rounds to master the pump.

If you choose a Shockwave I'd recommend you become familiar with it at the range. The lack of a stock and the short length required a few rounds of practice to achieve the desired results.

 

[A1Oni]

a 9mm pistol caliber carbine or a 5.56mm rifle is best for home defense when used with frangible/expanding ammunition.

 

[A1Oni]

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.

maybe in 1876 or if you live in a place where your neighbor is like 2 miles away.

 

[candcallen]

Okie dokie

 

[Axxe55]

Okie dokie

I hear ya. Some people should probably not be allowed to access the internet unsupervised.

Remember, don't feed the trolls!

 

[Axxe55]

8- 00 pellets is going to do serious damage. Compare the size of a 9 mm hole to that of 8 buckshot holes in a target.

IIRC, a OO buckshot pellet is roughly .33 in diameter. You put all pellets on target, that is roughly the equivalent of hitting that target with eight to nine times with a .32 caliber pistol.

Now the downside is, the greater the distance, lead shot starts to lose muzzle energy and velocity at a faster rate than a single projectile of a pistol or rifle.

But the upside of that is, within the confines of a house or close quarters, this also means over-penetration are not as much a danger as well.

These are some of my considerations I took in as factors of choosing a shotgun for home defense.

 

[mongoose]

IIRC, a OO buckshot pellet is roughly .33 in diameter. You put all pellets on target, that is roughly the equivalent of hitting that target with eight to nine times with a .32 caliber pistol.

Now the downside is, the greater the distance, lead shot starts to lose muzzle energy and velocity at a faster rate than a single projectile of a pistol or rifle.

But the upside of that is, within the confines of a house or close quarters, this also means over-penetration are not as much a danger as well.

These are some of my considerations I took in as factors of choosing a shotgun for home defense.

If I remember right you are spot on…..00 is 9 .32 pellets. I go with # 4 Buck with Federals Flight control wad.

 

[candcallen]

I hear ya. Some people should probably not be allowed to access the internet unsupervised.

Remember, don't feed the trolls!

Some just wanna argue.

You know, you call shit brown and the say no it's a dark rust color.

 

[Axxe55]

If I remember right you are spot on…..00 is 9 .32 pellets. I go with # 4 Buck with Federals Flight control wad.

I had to go look it up to refresh my memory.

#OO is .33 diameter, and #O is .32 diameter.

#4 is the smallest buck-shot at .24 diameter, and #OOO is the largest at .36 diameter.

#4 is IMO a great round for home defense. At close ranges, a very good compromise in size of the pellets and number of pellets.

Downside is that it's a round that just isn't as common as some other buckshot loads and not usually stocked in most places. I have had to order mine online many times.

 

[Axxe55]

Some just wanna argue.

You know, you call shit brown and the say no it's a dark rust color.

No it ain't!

 

[mongoose]

I had to go look it up to refresh my memory.

#OO is .33 diameter, and #O is .32 diameter.

#4 is the smallest buck-shot at .24 diameter, and #OOO is the largest at .36 diameter.

#4 is IMO a great round for home defense. At close ranges, a very good compromise in size of the pellets and number of pellets.

Downside is that it's a round that just isn't as common as some other buckshot loads and not usually stocked in most places. I have had to order mine online many times.

I had to order mine. I like to buy at my LGSs if I can, but no soap for the #4.

 

[Axxe55]

I had to order mine. I like to buy at my LGSs if I can, but no soap for the #4.

WalMart in our area never carried it. The LGS I usually use doesn't stock it either, but he will order it for me, but I usually just order a couple boxes when I order other things I need for guns. About the same price.