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12 guage 00 buck shot you won't have any legality issues with 00 buck and if you get buck fever you will be crapping your pants when you find somebody in your house. Buck shot will make room for error when you have the crap your pants shakes.
Agree with the margin of error, but OO buck is going to travel through several walls. Remember that this is close range self defense.

This is what I have set up in my home defense 12ga shotgun, plus extra loads on the elastic, stock shell holder.

#7 1/2, #7 1/2, #5 Turkey load, 000, 000, 000.

The rational behind this is, at close range, two rounds of bird shot is enough to knock 99.9% of BG's down at close range.

If the BG is still on his feet and coming at you, (unlikely) a round of #5's will end it.

If the BG is shooting at you inside the house, your family is awake and hitting the deck. All bets are off and you'd better end it quick with 000.

Just my opinion.

Your thoughts?
 
I would still go with the 00 buck with an open choke. bloodtrails thats a very cool link.
 
They often site examples of bad guys being shot with bird shot breaking off an attack, the important thing to realize is that in almost all cases the attacker chose to stop the attack, he was not forced to stop.
Hell yeah, if you got a load of 7 1/2s in your chest, your going to cease your forward motion.

I say any ammo in or around your gun is home self defense ammo.

I don't know about the rest of you folks but the largest room in our house is about 12x15. You put a bad guy at one end an me at the other, even standing against the walls we are at a maximum 5 yards apart, now enter the length of a 28" barrel bird gun, and your down to 4 yards. At 4 yards even on an open choke the shot pattern has not opened far enough to even count as being open. Its going to hit almost like a slug. Not even sure if the shot column has left the wad yet.
The study says that penetration at 3 yards into a block of ordinance grade gelatin is only 6.5 inches using bird shot. 6.5 inches is almost a pass thru on most humans, and if not, it takes the heart and lungs out of the picture. Remember at home distances thats the equivelnat of getting shot with a 70 cal. The energy from that blast is going to knock your intruder off his feet.
 
This is what I have set up in my home defense 12ga shotgun, plus extra loads on the elastic, stock shell holder.

#7 1/2, #7 1/2, #5 Turkey load, 000, 000, 000.

The rational behind this is, at close range, two rounds of bird shot is enough to knock 99.9% of BG's down at close range.
Do you really think you will have time to think through and pick out the # shot you want for your shotgun during the heat of an intrusion. Pick one buckshot load and shoot you may not have a second shot.
 
The study says that penetration at 3 yards into a block of ordinance grade gelatin is only 6.5 inches using bird shot. 6.5 inches is almost a pass thru on most humans, and if not, it takes the heart and lungs out of the picture
Maybe you didn't read the article:

"Even the #4 heavy bird shot load at 3 yards did not penetrate sufficiently to reliably stop an attacker, remember the FBI defines minimum acceptable penetration as 12 inches with 18 inches preferred."

Ballistic gell doesn't have bones or heavy jackets and is not hopped up on meth...

Also remember, if you shoot an intruder, you want him DEAD, not maimed with birdshot that a jury will see pictures of.
 
remember the FBI defines minimum acceptable penetration as 12 inches with 18 inches preferred."
How many people do you know that are 18" thick.

My son Chris was shot in the thigh with shotgun and lost 4" of thighbone, that was completely pulverized, gone! That was with birdshot.
 
Here's the basic considerations as I see it: First, ammo that you can control where the projectile strikes. Practice, practice, practice. Second, what ammo will it take to "incapacitate" the most likely threat. Third, your environment. FMJ's will penetrate deeper, travel further through obstructions, and richochet more often than HP's. If you reside in tight quarters, is it possible a longarm could be wrestled away from you when surprised by a lurking assailant in the shadows? Fourth and last, the law, 'cause who really gives a shit when you just prevented a home invasion by humans or a 500+lb. boar and your family is safe.

Make no mistake about it, the best first defense is a 110+lb. German Shepard or its equivalent. Firearms don't even come close.
 
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