HD shotgun defense loads.

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davidsog

New member
Good Thread.

Gotta concur on the Buckshot. I keep some slugs handy just in case but OO Buckshot is the "standard" HD round in my house.

Good advice on the gun being ready to go with one in the chamber. Nothing more useless than bringing a club to a gunfight and I could care less about warning the opposition so they can set up a counter ambush.
 
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Cheapshooter

New member
The flitecontrol keeps the pattern tight which means more pellets on target and less chance of hitting other people/things.
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Flitecontrol is intended to hold tight patterns at longer distances. Basically a hunting load. Unless your house has a 50 yard long hall, or room, Flitecontrol will turn your shotgun into a 55 caliber rifle!?
#4 Buck is a great choice for inside a home. Much less of a chance for collateral damage from over penetration, and shooting through walls. With from 21 to 24 pellets the size of a 22 it makes a devastating wound.
 
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Colorado Redneck

New member
Bird shot is not good for HD. A buddy and I were dove hunting on his farm. We split up and walked around a weed patch, and I heard him shoot, a squeal/yelp, he racked another round and shot, then a third round. A coyote cleared the weed patch going about 100 mph and ran out of sight about 3/4 mile. Buddy said the first round rolled the yote in the dirt, and he hit it with all 3 rounds. I can't remember the shot size but likely #8. Buckshot is the ticket for two legged varmints IMHO.
 
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Cheapshooter

New member
OO buckshot typically has 9 individual pellets which don't make one hole in a solid target on a hit.
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Typical yes. Flite Control not so much. Especially at the short range of home defense. As I said, it's designed, and intended to extend the range of a hunting buckshot load by keeping a very tight pattern at distances far exceeding that of home defense. Where my example of one hole might be somewhat of an exageration, it isn't far off.
Here is one example at ten yards.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cjPa7u8TjGY
 
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Bartholomew Roberts

Moderator
If you are looking for the maximum number of shot where each pellet will still penetrate 12” of gel, then the Federal #1 FliteControl wins the numbers game. I think it would be hard to go wrong with any kind of buckshot though.
 
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ATN082268

New member
Cheapshooter said:
Where my example of one hole might be somewhat of an exageration, it isn't far off.
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I agree with this at the point of impact. Brobee223 on YouTube has a video of the 12 Gauge 00 flitecontrol Buckshot loads fired into gel at 5 yards, 20 yards and 40 yards. At 5 yards, the point of impact is only .75 of an inch but even at that range, you can see it open up from there.
 
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Virginian

New member
Every bit of this is based on opinion, gleaned from articles by "experts, etc. Show of hands from all those other than a possible law enforcement officer who have actually fired a shotgun in self defense. There are no FBI statistics available.
As far as I am concerned anything sized BB (lead) or larger will do. I will use #4 buck or larger because I want them dead. If I get to the shotgun in any event. My .44 Special is first line of defense.
 
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SPEMack618

New member
Federal Flite Control OO Buck

It's what the Georgia Troopers and Local SO carry in their riot guns. And man, does that stuff stay TIGHT.
 
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Warhammer

New member
LE uses Flite Control because they are much more likely to engage a target at distances greater than we would in an in-home, self defense scenario. I agree with the several other who feel that Flite Control rounds for the purposes discussed in this thread are not the best match. The longest shot I could make inside my home is 33 feet, and that's with my back against a wall and the target literally standing on the threshold of my front door.

My choice is a reduced recoil 00 buckshot like Fiocchi LE (9 pellets @ 1150 fps) or #4 buckshot like Remington Ultimate Defense (21 pellets @ 1200 fps) fired from my 14" barreled, cylinder bore Shockwave with a pistol brace added for stability. (I practiced a bit with the Shockwave in it's original configuration, and muscle memory kept making me want to shoulder it's non-existent stock, lol.) At under 35 ft, the loss of 200 fps concerns me less that the ability to get a faster follow-up shot on target. And at such a short distance, I don't want any special wadding to hold the pattern any tighter than it will be already.
 
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2damnold4this

New member
14" barreled, cylinder bore Shockwave with a pistol brace added for stability.
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I didn't know it was legal to put a pistol brace on a Shockwave. If it is legal, that would make the firearm a lot more usable.
 
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Warhammer

New member
Yes, it is and, yes, it really does!

As long as the overall length is kept greater than 26 inches, and the addition is not a "stock," you are gtg.
 
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SPEMack618

New member
I'm running it in a 590 with slug sights. I like the tight grouping. I didn't see elsewhere the distance we were discussing.

I'd still feel comfortable using it at 33 feet.

Federal also makes a reduced recoil load with 8 pellets and the flight control wad.
 
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reynolds357

New member
. No, 3" is not necessary, WAY too much for indoor use. I leave mine hammer down on an empty chamber. Since my 9mm is my first line, racking the gun is not an issue for me. But do not believe that Hollywood/Internet crap about racking the slide and all the BGs dive out the window.
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I did not carry a pump on duty at the Police Dept. I carried a L.F. Law 12. I can tell you from many multiple experiences that when I racked the action, the b.s. ended. Hands reached for the sky.

№4 buck is the preferred home defense load.
 
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Terrierman

New member
If 2 3/4" 9 pellet 00 buck is preferred by the vast majority of law enforcement agencies across the country, that's good enough for me.
 
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USNRet93

New member
keithdog said:
I am planning to get a Mossberg Maverick 12 gauge, 20 inch, 8 shot shotgun strictly for home defense use. Now, I suppose once the BG heard me racking my first shot, they would turn tail and end of story. That being said, what would you load your shot gun with? I've always heard the cliché of 3 inch 00 Buck. But really, is 3 inch magnum really needed for close up SD shooting in your home? I've read that 2-3/4 high brass is more than plenty for HD and less shock to the shooter. And I have heard a lot of folks say they would load up with slugs. That would stop a BG dead in his tracks for sure. But would it go through a wall and into my neighbors house if I miss my target? So, I'm curious as to what YOU would choose for a home SD load? Thanks :D
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Just got one of these new and it is great fun to shoot..very reliable, easy to disassemble and clean..all around great SG..plus GunBroker-$115 plus ship
 
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