Home Defense Shot Size

C

cowboy77845

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Sep 1, 2005
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Texas
I asked my LGS for some #4 Buck shot. The clerk gave me what he said was #2 Buck. I did not check before I left the store. It was #2 steel shot, 3" shells at 1400+velocity. Will this suffice for a home defense round?
 
No. You were given ammo meant for migratory birds, not defense. For some size comparison:

00 Buck: 0.330”
No. 2 Buck: 0.270”
No. 4 Buck: 0.240”

#2 Steel: 0.150”


Additionally, steel is less dense than lead which negatively impacts penetration.

If this is for defense, chalk it up as a lesson to verify what you’re buying and then go get the right ammo.
 
Very different numbers on a shell box. I like #4 buck for home defense. Or the mix shot of #4 and #1 buck in the Aguila mini shells, I haven't tried the Federal ones yet. First boxes of #4 I ever got was during the pandemic and 00 buck was gone. Found I like it just as good as 00 buck when I want less barrier penetration. With a side saddle, I keep all sorts of flavors on board.

#2 steel, not ideal for HD. I use it for turkey when I can't find much regular shot or don't want to buy expensive tungstun or exotic shot. And I don't even hunt turkey much. I keep ammo on hand to hunt pretty much anything near me, just in case.
 
i live an innocent life in an out of the way, quiet, neighborhood. no wildlings, gangs, druggies, home invaders around. my at-home, 20ga, 20”, under the bed, h&r single shotgun is loaded with #5 gameshot (thanks to paul harrell).

youtu.be

Bird Shot in your Home Defense Shotgun.

youtu.be youtu.be

fwiw, i can run an h&r/nef single shotgun quite fast since it auto-ejects spent rounds. plus, mine is paired with a 38sp revolver in the nightstand. to be honest, i protect my sometimes-dwelling with a sole 22 handgun (which i am doing right now).

this video shows the value of a tight pattern with different chokes when using birdshot for protection.

youtu.be

BIRDSHOT For Home Defense? NO 🐂💩 Testing. Full, Modified, Cylinder Chokes.....

In this video we take a look at bird shot for self defense. Many people have argued if this is a good idea or not.Let's put it to the test.We will be using t...
youtu.be youtu.be

IMG_0107.jpeg
 
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Telekinesis said:
No. You were given ammo meant for migratory birds, not defense. For some size comparison:

00 Buck: 0.330”
No. 2 Buck: 0.270”
No. 4 Buck: 0.240”

#2 Steel: 0.150”


Additionally, steel is less dense than lead which negatively impacts penetration.

If this is for defense, chalk it up as a lesson to verify what you’re buying and then go get the right ammo.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I’d use whatever I had if I needed to but people do need to educate themselves on proper loads for the job. No. 2 steel is for migratory waterfowl. No. 4 Buck is generally the minimum for defensive loads. The pattern with a birdshot load indoors should be really tight, but the penetrating power of each individual pellet just isn’t reliable once you consider clothing and the ribs/sternum. A birdshot load might fail to stop an attacker. People look at the exterior dimensions of a 20 or 12 gauge shell and think “this huge gun has to be big enough.” But the pellet size matters. If you set out to get defensive loads - get good ones.
 
JeffG said:
Before you get rid of the birdshot, pattern it at living room distances, you might like what you see. My adult daughter has a 3" chamber 20ga with #4 steel. It's a rathole pattern out to 20 feet.
Click to expand...
+1. When I was a (very) stupid teenager, I forgot a .410 was loaded, and blew a hole clean through the wall of our house from about that same 20 feet. It was #6 shot, 11/16 of an ounce, and a full choke. (These details are seared on my brain!) It left a hole about one inch across clean through wood paneling, sheet rock, insulation and siding. If a .410 and birdshot can do that through a wall, a 12 gauge could do it to a person.
 
Shotguns are what shotguns are. You must experiment with your loads (practice). What I use and what you use could be two different things or the same. I like double oh. You might like No 4. Neither is wrong or right. I do know how double oh performs in my shotgun. Never tried steel shot. Not sure I would use it, but testing would confirm. I know not much help.
 
You ask for #4 Buck and you get #2 Steel ... Don't go back to that store ...

The clerk is a crook (he ripped you off) or he's an idiot ....

Stay clear of idiots and crooks ... both are just trouble .

See if you can find some #4 Buck ... that's what I use !
If you can't find #4 ... good old 00 Buck (double - ought ) is always a viable option .
Gary
 
goon said:
A birdshot load might fail to stop an attacker.
Click to expand...
Pump the gun and shoot again? If someone is in my house, I'll stop shooting when either a) the intruder is down or b) the gun is empty.

I personally use #4 buck for home defense. But right next to that is an 11-48 16 gauge full of #6 high brass. If I accidentally grab the wrong gun I'm not to worried; a load of #6 shot at 10 or 12 feet isn't something to sneeze at. All that to say, 3" #2 shot would be a powerful argument against just about anything that might go bump in the night.

Mac
 
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I keep a Winchester 1300 Defender 8 shot by the bed. It’s loaded with #6 shot and the speed saddle has #6 shot. No particular reason other than that is what was available at the time I was buying. I’m not really into over analyzing my load choice when it comes to a shotgun for defense in the home.
 
6 of these and a half dozen of those! I 'm not getting the reasoning as to why it's got to be a certain shot size. Even little ole bird shot will make the "bad guy" change his mind if he is hit. I'm guessing that it's the principle of the thing. You did not get the merchandise that you paid for. I'd probably be upset too. So much for the old saying that the Customer is always right.Or the penetration of the walls maybe?
 
At the distance you are shooting a shotgun inside a house the pattern won't open up enough to do much. You may as well be shooting a slug, if you get a coffee cup sized group you will be lucky.
 
MacAR said:
Pump the gun and shoot again? If someone is in my house, I'll stop shooting when either a) the intruder is down or b) the gun is empty.

I personally use #4 buck for home defense. But right next to that is an 11-48 16 gauge full of #6 high brass. If I accidentally grab the wrong gun I'm not to worried; a load of #6 shot at 10 or 12 feet isn't something to sneeze at. All that to say, 3" #2 shot would be a powerful argument against just about anything that might go bump in the night.

Mac
Click to expand...

It’s not just your shots you need to think about. A wounded attacker could return fire and send a magazine full of 9mm ball through a family member’s bedroom while you’re trying to hit him again.
 
also look closely at the label on the box, there is a difference between #4 BUCK and #4 SHOT. For home defense I just use regular shell instead of magnum shells since I shouldn't need to make a long shot for self-defense and a 2 3/4" shell will cover my house from one end to the other.
 
I'd take it back and swap it. Some stores won't take back ammo, some will. If they won't I'd try to sell it to a waterfowl hunter.

IMO buckshot is what you want. Exactly which can be debated and some tasks are better suited for 00 Buck and others will be better with #4 Buck. But I want buckshot if at all possible.

If buckshot isn't an option then the biggest birdshot I can get my hands on. I have some #2 steel shot from back when I did a lot of duck and goose hunting. That is what I'd reach for if I ran out of buckshot.
 
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