Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Shot size for home defense

I certainly wouldn't want to get shot in the face with 7 1/2s or 8s. Some human targets are going to quit when you shoot them with anything. But if you run into the guy who's not going to stop unless vital body functions shut down, giving him a really hideous flesh wound (as opposed to punching holes through him) might not be enough to accomplish what you are trying to do. There's certainly a whole bunch of variables that no one can predict ahead of time, but I honestly see no advantages to bird shot to offset the obvious disadvantages.

Well, let's hope none of us ever has to find out.

1 to 1-1/8oz 7-1/2's @ 1200fps or faster @ 15ft will equal big nasty hole in body or head. Try it out on a big thick phone book either soaked in water or dry.

Ahmen to that!!

45 ACP...period!! scatter gun ? no thank you!!

Or a two watermelons back to back. The damage is dramatic. One shot to the center of mass inside ten feet, even with "soft target loads" should put the stops on anyone NOT cranked up on drugs. Two shots for them, and that is not taking into account a neck shot. Remember, at close range the shot load acts almost like a solid. I would not want to be shot by even a 7/8 ounce of lead going a pedestrian 1000 fps, or in bullet terms (for a 12ga.) @ a 70 caliber, 383 grain bullet, at 1000-1200 feet per second. Not too far off of a 45/70 with a 300 grain bullet. Who wants to be infront of that?

My .45 is never too far away, but it does not even come close to what a shotgun will do at close range with the right load.

Good defensive weapon for sure but just want to dispatch the bad guy while not destroying my house!!

You have a good point there too!!

So much for small shot lacking penetration at short range...

That's an interesting photo, but that doesn't look like a shot pattern from a full choke at 15 feet. Usually that is one single hole of gauge diameter.

My thoughts exactly.

As someone else mentioned, send a load of 9s into a watermelon at close range and then think about if it would be effective. Even a centered .410 at close range is going to end things quickly.

Debating shot size for home defense? Waste of time. They all work.

Anybody but me use the buck and ball shot shells?

what is wrong with 23/4 inch BB loads?

Actual "BB" size shot would be great inside the home. That's big enough for really good penetration without being too big. In fact, aren't there some home defense specific loads out now in low recoil 2 3/4" BB-size shot?

As an aside, I use 3" magnum tungsten BB's for coyote hunting and they flat turn a coyote upside down to 50-ish yards with a good choke combo. I think they kill coyotes better than the larger plated lead No. Four Buck. Different kind of load, but experimenting with penetration testing and then actual hunting gave me a new found respect for those hard little tungsten BB's. Inside the house a low recoil load of BB's would be hard to beat.

I have seen alot of recomendation for 4 shot on the internet including I believe Chuck Hawkes.

I was a member of a jury on a murder trial several years ago. The victim was shot once in the chest with a #7 1/2 12 gauge load. The State's ballistic expert said that the range was approximately 7 feet. The shot entered the right side of the victim's rib cage and traveled across the chest cavity, destroying both lungs and the heart. The victim died instantly. There was no exit wound. The entrance wound appeared to be little more than the diameter of the barrel. If you are talking about inside the house distances, I don't think you have to worry about birdshot not getting the job done, and it would be less likely to pass through the attacker and possibly injure anyone else that may be in the house at the time.

Chris

Correct. Amazing that many here underestimate the destructive power of a shotgun at close range.

At 10-20 feet an ounce of 7.5s will knock-and probably kill-the biggest Canadian Buck that ever lived on his azz pretty much right now. Proper location, being a given.

At that distance, one ounce of shot-the equivalent of 437grains-going 1200fps is pretty much one ball of solid shot.

Until it strikes an object and begins to break up into separate small individual pellets. That swarm of small shot does not have the penetration properties as one ball of solid shot (slug). I won't argue against 7.5's at 20 feet, but a slightly larger shot like #4's would better assure correct depth of and more complete penetration. Remember, the attacker might be drugged or drunk, could be quite large in size, and possibly wearing heavy clothing. At least for me personally a 1 1/8th ounce field load of #4's would be more comforting without over doing it inside the house. Personally, I like the specially formulated low recoil BB- size shot even better.