Slugs for home defence

[Fordracer2082]

I was wondering about using 12 gauge slugs for home defence .I have found that Federal make a Tactical TruBall Rifled Slug as well as a Tactical Rifled Slug (HYDRA-SHOK HP0 in there LE line and BRENNEKE make a Tactical Home Defense slug .

 

[jpk1md]

I was wondering about using 12 gauge slugs for home defence .I have found that Federal make a Tactical TruBall Rifled Slug as well as a Tactical Rifled Slug (HYDRA-SHOK HP0 in there LE line and BRENNEKE make a Tactical Home Defense slug .

I would think heavy shot might be more effective.

 

[Numidian]

I would think heavy shot might be more effective.

Why do you say that? Are you saying it's harder to miss with buckshot then with a slug? At any range inside my house I'm going to be probably under 5 yards...at that distance the pattern of buckshot is going to be only inches more then a slug... If I'm that far off center of mass, I've got bigger problems.

 

[JeepDriver]

The Box O Truth speaks again!

Various Shot Gun Loads

Rifles, Shotguns and Walls

Buck Shot Patterns

 

[jpk1md]

Why do you say that? Are you saying it's harder to miss with buckshot then with a slug? At any range inside my house I'm going to be probably under 5 yards...at that distance the pattern of buckshot is going to be only inches more then a slug... If I'm that far off center of mass, I've got bigger problems.

No, its tougher to miss

 

[Numidian]

No, its tougher to miss

Hmmmm at 12 ft this is the patterning.... If you miss with the slug, you're going to miss with that... Or maybe you'll get them with a pellet or two in the arm... Buckshot is not magically jumping into a net of pellets that will make sure to hit any and all bad guys no matter where the gun is pointed.

The only real consideration for home defense load imo is overpenetration...Do you live in an apartment or townhouse? Do you have other people living in your house who could be behind the wall behind the bad guy?

 

[DD214]

That photo makes it clear than a scattergun isn't so much of a "scatter"gun at your typical home defense distances. Of course barrel length has a lot to do with it as well. What length barrel did you use for that test?

 

[jpk1md]

Hmmmm at 12 ft this is the patterning.... If you miss with the slug, you're going to miss with that... Or maybe you'll get them with a pellet or two in the arm... Buckshot is not magically jumping into a net of pellets that will make sure to hit any and all bad guys no matter where the gun is pointed.

The only real consideration for home defense load imo is overpenetration...Do you live in an apartment or townhouse? Do you have other people living in your house who could be behind the wall behind the bad guy?

yes, but the area that a load of buckshot covers is at least 10 times the real estate of a single slug while providing significant knock down power.

If your aim is off and you get the BG with a few pellets in the arm then there's a good chance that that arm is incapacitated and more or less useless....and on the off chance the douchebag it still coming after you then you just upped your chances of being able to eliminate the threat in a hand to hand situation.

This is not a 1 or 0 situation folks.....in a life or death situation I'll take any advantage I can get and I personally feel that Buckshot trumps a slug...ymmv.

 

[canuck]

At confrontational distances (5 - 20 feet) inside the house ANY 12 guage load will be devastating. Hell the wad will probably mess you up at 10 feet. I like #4 in my house to reduce some of the potential for overpenetration.

 

[novus collectus]

That photo makes it clear than a scattergun isn't so much of a "scatter"gun at your typical home defense distances. Of course barrel length has a lot to do with it as well. What length barrel did you use for that test?

Actually I have read that a shorter barrel does not increase the spread. Even a sawed off may not increase the spread.
In actuality a shorter barrel may actually reduce the spread because I believe the higher the velocity; the greater the spread (caused by more turbulence?) http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot20.htm

About four or five years back I tried to make my own scatter shot and I tried different experiments like using three cardboard disks to seperate the shot into three layers, sectioning the shot into four chambers using card, and I even took each and every buckshot pellet and dimpled it so that it looked like a red blood cell.
The best spread I got was with the four chambered shell, but not mich better.
Believe it or not, the dimpled buckshot actually gave a much tighter pattern....a mystery.

If you want a loud scatter gun, then use one of these barrels:

 

[Numidian]

That photo makes it clear than a scattergun isn't so much of a "scatter"gun at your typical home defense distances. Of course barrel length has a lot to do with it as well. What length barrel did you use for that test?

That picture is directly from the link above me, Box O Truth

 

[tonyjj]

I keep #8 target loads in my 870, will not penetrate through walls and at close quarters is devestating.

 

[Corsica Coatings]

I'm gettin kinda old, but if I remember even close to the truth....Dick Chaney was shooting a 28 ga #8's when he shot the lawyer at about 20 yds and put him in the hospital. The shot wasn't life threating as I recall. I have shot a bunch of things with a 28 ga using #8 shot and it kills little birds and squirrels and bunnies just fine but I sure wouldn't want to rely on bird shot (unless it is a near contact wound) to stop/kill anyone that I have made the decision needs to be shot to protect myself or family.

There is a reason why police and military all over the world use 00 buck and slugs in their shotguns!!

Just a guess on my part, but maybe the best possible defense shotgun in the world is a Saiga 20ga 10 shot with a ghost ring and front night sight loaded with soft lead slugs...easy to control, easy to double tap, very effective from 0 to 50 yds and gives you legendary AK reliability. If you anticipate more than 10 bad guys, then move up to an AK or AR....but do it soon, the Boy Blunder is going to cut the supply as soon as he can....remember, Joe Currin is his father-in-law!!!

 

[Simon Yu]

There is a reason why police and military all over the world use 00 buck and slugs in their shotguns!!

To be a bit more precise, they need to account for the possibility of shooting through light cover in addition to terminal ballistics. Depending on your house setup, this may not be a concern and what kind of buckshot can be altered accordingly.

 

[biermkr]

Bird shot is great if attacked by a flock of birds!

 

[repair-man]

Bird shot is great if attacked by a flock of birds!

Agreed! Also OK if a gang of orange disks comes kicking in your front door at 3:35 in the morning.