HD loads

[bshefa]

I'm sure this had been asked before but I really couldn't find it...so here goes. In yall's opinion what is the best shotgun HD load between these three and why?

1. 00 Buckshot
2. 000 Buckshot
3. BB or T shot
4. Slugs
5. 7 1/2 or 8 Shot
6. 4 shot
7. other?

2 3/4 in, 3 in, 3.5 in?

Thanks Ya'll

 

[liliysdad]

#00 Buck without a doubt. The birdshot for indoor use is nothing but a myth. It does not possess the requisite power levels and wound ability.

 

[mete]

00 buck, reduced recoil version, 2 3/4 " will work well.

 

[FirstFreedom]

I go with 000 buck, 2.75"; slugs as backup. But anything from #4 buck up to 000 will work well. I just prefer the heavier.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shotgun_shell#Buckshot

 

[Syntax360]

#00 Buck without a doubt. The birdshot for indoor use is nothing but a myth. It does not possess the requisite power levels and wound ability.

That is, without a doubt, not the best HD load.

#1 buckshot is the smallest shot size that will reliably penetrate the FBI minimum requirement. The 16 pellets from #1 offer 30% more wound trauma, shot for shot. Of course 00 will get the job done just fine, but #1 is the "ideal" load for 2 legged critters.

#4 buck is as small as you should go if overpenetration is a concern. liliysdad had it right about birdshot being a joke (albeit a nasty one). About half of the pellets in #4 buck will reliably penetrate the minimum, and it won't do quite the number of drywall that anything larger would.

At the end of the day, anything >= #4 buck is going to get it done just fine - it's just a matter of "how dead" you want the target.

See here for data

 

[skeeter1]

I go for #4 buckshot. Not much worry about over-penetration, and it will take down a BG. Just my two cents worth.

BTW, 2-3/4" rounds are probably just fine. It is a 12-gauge, after all.

 

[bshefa]

I had read about the bird shot some years ago in one of the popular magizines (so long ago I can't remember which one) but thought it a little "underkill" . Anyway thanks for the info

 

[Narcoleptic Warrior]

Alternatives

Of course, buckshot is the optimum load for "welcoming" criminal aggressors.

However, if buckshot is prohibited, unavailable or simply too darn expensive,

I would recommend two fair 12ga substitutes:

Winchester Ranger 2 3/4" extended range HV shells loaded with 1 1/8oz of lead BB shot. This is made by Olin Corp Australia and so may be hard to get stateside. This round actually kicks harder than some magnum OO buckshot and at 11 yards, was able to shoot through 110 pages of paper covered with 3 t-shirts. I'd reckon that it should be able to penetrate 6"s into a BG's body. On average, I was able to get 13-17 of these .18" pellets into a 6 inch group centering around the heart area. I don't know about you, but 13-15 seperate holes perforating my heart, lungs and stomach is something I dread to think about.

Another round I have tested is Fiocchi's PL32 2 3/4" 1 1/8oz #4 birshot load. The kick on this one is quite manageble. At 11 yards, it was able to shoot though a hardcover highschool yearbook. Anecdotal evidence from other shooters claims that feral dogs can be killed with this load when shot from close range. Hence, if a 80lb mean dog can be dispatched by 1 shot, 2 quick successive shots to COM on a 160-170lb home invader should seriously ruin his day.

However, even if I have to load my HD boomstick with turkey or waterfowl loads, my backup plan involves a baseball bat. I figure that if the home invader has already taken a torso full of 1 or 2 shells of BB or #4 shot, he must be seriously hurtin' and I would have the advantage when trying to club him on the melon using my bat.