Been running an 870 since I was 8 years old. Uncle shortened the stock on a 12ga. Express, and we went duck hunting. Got my first Mallard drake that morning. Turkeys, deer, dogs, squirrels, quail, doves, ducks, geese, crows, and a coyote or three. Rabbits, too, although I prefer a rifle for those and squirrels. Shot loads of clay birds, and used one to eject several bikers from a friend’s bar once. My house gun is an 870P loaded with five 3” 4buck loads, 41 pellets each, backed by two slugs. Two more slugs in the Speedfeed stock. It’s my town gun. House is just me and wife and the GSD. 4 buck won’t kill the neighbors. When we get moved into the farm, the 870 will stay by the bed, but the AR will get top billing. No neighbors close enough to worry. A .223 ballistic tip is nasty to any realistic SD distance, and that gun shoots where I look. 870 does too, but in spite of my decades long use of the shotgun in the field, I like a rifle better when I can use it. And if I need to make a head shot for some reason, it’s a chip shot with that rifle. To me, the Glock, which also shoots instinctively at this point, is for places I can’t take a long gun, or as a secondary to back up my long gun.
As far as killing a person, I am not wanting to. But if they come all the way out to my house in the night and break their way into it, they already came past a locked gate, a dog in the yard, and breached my home. At that point, they are a dead man. No quarter given to a hostile who has been inside my home, because he isn’t coming back when he is more familiar with the place and maybe my wife is there alone. She will kill him too, and has the dog there, but why risk it?
I'm going to go watch another episode of "The Little Rascals" and have a talk with my dog now. The Rascals are funnier than you guys and the dog is smarter so it's a win-win for me.
I’m of the heavy birdshot backed by #3 buck philosophy. Cylinder bore is good. Fella that has experience in the field has little problem shooting airborne quail in the noggin when they’re in close. People in the nightlights aren’t a tough target. Anyone thinking a load of turkey shot at 15-20’ isn’t lethal needs to smoke something else.
Coyotes are fairly tough right? Called one into our set one morning and a doggy bout ran over my son. He recovered and centered the feline in a 10 ga 2 1/4 oz load of plated #5's at around 15 yds. Near as we could tell it never quivered. Was a hole about every quarter inch.
Colossians 3:17 (New King James Version) "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
I'm currently without a shotgun in the house for the first time in many decades. I've given 4 or 5 away over the past few years.
I've still got a rifle or 2.
But I don't really worry too much about home invasions out here. Some burglaries went on about 7 or 8 years ago. But those folks got rounded up and there's not been anything going on since then.
Never seen things die as fast as being shot with a shotgun. Whether a pitbull shot at 20 ft with 00 buck from a 14 inch 870 cylinder bore, or a coyote shot at 15 yards with #4 shot in a turkey load with extra full choke. It was like an "Off" switch was hit.
This thread has me debating 00 buck vs #4 buck however.
"Put none but Americans on guard tonight." -George Washington
Confronting a home invader, even in familiar territory like your own home, is a losing bet. Unless you have to move to protect children, etc., the best bet is to stay put and cover the one access point to your safe area, then drop anybody who gets funneled into that spot in his tracks after you light him up and confirm your target. His buddies will have to climb over his bloody corpse to get to you, which will slow them down if they press on with the attack. It's also a good idea to have 911 on speaker phone while you're defending your "safe space". Jerry
This sounds like a good idea, until they set the building alight and smoke you out.
Ain’t heard of the Hurons going on the warpath in 28 years. And that was in that movie.
Most likely to bust into a house around here are young men of limited means, IQ and education needed funds to buy controlled substances. Prob’ly Hispanic where I’m at.
I ain’t heard of home invasions yet as a viable career path, seems like most of these young men only get to pull off a very few. But then this is still Texas.
In fact 25 years ago a School Admin living four houses down shot and killed a high school punk who mistakenly assumed he wasn’t home.
He wasn’t an Admin at that school but he sold his house and moved after that. I never met the guy, I weren’t moved in yet.
"...if the gentlemen of Virginia shall send us a dozen of their sons, we would take great care in their education, instruct them in all we know, and make men of them." Canasatego 1744
My bedside weapons are an 870 loaded with 2 rubber buckshot followed by 3 lead #5 and an AK47 with a 30 round clip. I really believe I would use the 870 if the situation warranted it. However a forced entry by a crazy would call for the rifle. I've used an 870 for over 50 years so it is very familiar and easy to handle even if it is too dark to see. I believe the rubber shot at 20 feet would work in most cases and getting to the lead loads would go pretty fast.
Patriotism (and religion) is the last refuge of a scoundrel.
My bedside weapons are an 870 loaded with 2 rubber buckshot followed by 3 lead #5 and an AK47 with a 30 round clip. I really believe I would use the 870 if the situation warranted it. However a forced entry by a crazy would call for the rifle. I've used an 870 for over 50 years so it is very familiar and easy to handle even if it is too dark to see. I believe the rubber shot at 20 feet would work in most cases and getting to the lead loads would go pretty fast.
Dang man, you got me beat! I thought forty years was a while to be using one. Come to think on it, I suspect there’s a lot of fellas here have used one longer. Maybe some used it more. Fifty years would probably qualify as experienced, as long as it was in the field more than the safe.😁
Never seen things die as fast as being shot with a shotgun. Whether a pitbull shot at 20 ft with 00 buck from a 14 inch 870 cylinder bore, or a coyote shot at 15 yards with #4 shot in a turkey load with extra full choke. It was like an "Off" switch was hit.
This thread has me debating 00 buck vs #4 buck however.
My 870 is stoked with 00 and #4.
Slaves get what they need. Free men get what they want.
This thread has devolved into the annals of CF goofy schidt. Those apaches and jigaboos will burn you and your rubber buckshot out into the open! Wake up ma and hep me find that boomstick and the right shot!
mike r
Don't wish it were easier Wish you were better
Stab them in the taint, you can't put a tourniquet on that. Craig Douglas ECQC
This thread has devolved into the annals of CF goofy schidt. Those apaches and jigaboos will burn you and your rubber buckshot out into the open! Wake up ma and hep me find that boomstick and the right shot!
mike r
In all fairness, the guy that just whacked around two dozen folks in Nova Scotia was burning folks’ houses and shooting them when they ran out. Precedent set...
This thread has devolved into the annals of CF goofy schidt. Those apaches and jigaboos will burn you and your rubber buckshot out into the open! Wake up ma and hep me find that boomstick and the right shot!
mike r
I'm trying to remember the last time home invaders burned someone out here in the metro area. Besides, stealing the wagon and straw would be a lot of work.
Of course, if someone's attempting to burn your house, or any occupied dwelling in this state, deadly force if justified.
Last edited by antelope_sniper; 04/24/20.
You didn't use logic or reason to get into this opinion, I cannot use logic or reason to get you out of it.
You cannot over estimate the unimportance of nearly everything. John Maxwell
This thread has devolved into the annals of CF goofy schidt. Those apaches and jigaboos will burn you and your rubber buckshot out into the open! Wake up ma and hep me find that boomstick and the right shot!mike r
I did say the gun has 3 lead #5 right behind the sub lethal loads and also an AK47 at hand. I just like the idea of sub lethal if someone needs a little lesson in manners like the day a mad wife beater chased his wife up on my carport and she managed to barge in the house for refuge.
Patriotism (and religion) is the last refuge of a scoundrel.
This thread has devolved into the annals of CF goofy schidt. Those apaches and jigaboos will burn you and your rubber buckshot out into the open! Wake up ma and hep me find that boomstick and the right shot!
mike r
In all fairness, the guy that just whacked around two dozen folks in Nova Scotia was burning folks’ houses and shooting them when they ran out. Precedent set...
Exactly. Thank you.
Slaves get what they need. Free men get what they want.
"The Warden's" uncle - ~ my age - named Ernie Lopez, why he carried his riot gun with a slug, followed by buckshot? His answer - sometimes you gotta knock out the window so them meskins can hear you!
I've always been a curmudgeon - now I'm an old curmudgeon. ~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
Ever heard an 870's slide worked in anger? A assure you it is a sound that will get your attention instantly and that you will remember half a century later.
'Four legs good, two legs baaaad." ---------------------------------------------- "Jimmy, some of it's magic, Some of it's tragic, But I had a good life all the way." (Jimmy Buffett)
I’m of the heavy birdshot backed by #3 buck philosophy. Cylinder bore is good. Fella that has experience in the field has little problem shooting airborne quail in the noggin when they’re in close. People in the nightlights aren’t a tough target. Anyone thinking a load of turkey shot at 15-20’ isn’t lethal needs to smoke something else.
Yep. Mine has heavy turkey load # 6 shot for the first round followed up by 3 # 4 Buck. Last round is a big ole lead slug. 🤠
"Allways speak the truth and you will never have to remember what you said before..." Sam Houston Texans, "We say Grace, We Say Mam, If You Don't Like it, We Don't Give a Damn!"