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Slugs work best for taking long-range shots with shotguns. The hope in all of this handwringing is to have a load that works well enough but minimizes the risk of over-penetration with missed shots or periphery hits. We are looking for something that works well enough to reliably stop a motivated attacker but also minimizes the risk at the same time. The debate is, of course, what is actually the best solution to that problem. This, JJ, is why you are dangerous, ignorant, and most importantly, not a manufacturer of ballistic ammunition.
However, a slug can tear through a wooden support beam, while buckshot is highly highly unlikely to do so, even if you hit all your pellets on the beam. Buckshot is designed to kill bucks, as we know because the pellets are still lethal if you’re close enough while having the potential to stay intact. When you fire buckshot round, multiple pellets will spread out. The further away you are from a target, the most spread you’ll have on your shot. Buying a buckshot for home defense requires you to take a closer look at the product and make sure the following factors are checked. Travis Pike is a Marine infantry veteran, firearms enthusiast, and NRA certified instructor.
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For home defense we recommend the tightest patterning #00 buckshot loading. Our Pick is the Remington Managed Recoil #00 Buckshot RL12BK00This is an eight-pellet load. Reducing the payload by one pellet may tighten the pattern and also reduce recoil. This is a reduced-recoil load at 1109 fps in the Remington 870. The pattern was superb, without any drawbacks, at 1.8 by 1.5 inches.
Therefore, I prefer the Hornady Critical Defense load or Remington’s full-power TAC 8 shells in my Remington Model 1100 deer gun. Again, it’s a matter of finding a load that is both reliable in your gun and throws tight patterns to reduce the risk of collateral damage. The PDX load covers several bases, with a 1-ounce slug and three 00 buckshot pellets.
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While Hornady’s execution of a #4 buck load is the best currently available, there are still some beneficial design features that they left on the table. Until someone optimizes the #4 buckshot load, it will be an unacceptably subpar solution for the defensive application of the shotgun. Stick with the high performers, and all the high performers right now are 00. If I get in coyote range with a shotgun, it’s likely moving, and as such, the spread of pellets helps make it easier to hit a moving target. Lots of little pellets increase my chances of taking the animal down.
We cannot test every shell on the market, but we could test a range of buckshot sizes to gauge their performance. Then we would fire at the target for pattern and measure penetration. We could not use a single shotgun for this test, so for validity, we used two. Because we were testing function, one of the shotguns had to be a self-loader. The goal was to test buckshot for home defense and determine which load might be the best for Gun Tests readers to buy and try for themselves. These loads can and will punch right through drywall at close range.
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Some of the loads, such as Winchester #4, exhibited a wide pattern, with the center fairly tight. It might deliver a hard blow with the center pattern, but also possibly connect with the outliers. History and events give us the most confidence in #00 buckshot, but we also tested mixed loads and #1, #4, and #000 shot.
In my rather small home, well under the median home size in the United States, that number is 13 yards. Well beyond the range I would be comfortable with using most 4-buck loads at. I would wager that most homes probably have a line of sight that extends beyond 10 yards. I’m a member of numerous firearms social media groups across a wide variety of platforms. These groups vary from professionally oriented, science and fact-based groups with high levels of information to the exact opposite.
At the same time, the reduction in recoil does not hamper a round’s ability to stop a threat. According to the Box o’ Truth, No. 4 can penetrate six interior walls, while 00 can penetrate 9. The problem with No. 1 is that it’s not very popular. Both are ballistically excellent rounds and No. 1 is my all-time favorite. They are extremely powerful and are very capable of defensive use. Slugs can even deliver a massive amount of power to a threat.
It’s really not a great choice for animals much larger than coyotes. If you are going to use a shotgun for home defense, think about the old “4 Buck” not used that much anymore, but a hell of a round. Now that you know the difference between slugs, birdshot, and buckshot, you can make the best decision possible for your home defense. Having the right ammunition for the specific task at hand is important, so if you’re planning ahead for self-defense , buckshot is the optimal choice. There are too many variables to be definitive on this, but suffice to say, on average you’re going to do less damage with pellets than you will with slugs. We said “kind of” because at the end of the day, you’re still shooting a shotgun indoors and it’s still going to leave damage.
And don’t miss the FAQ section to get answers to some commonly asked questions. Flyers are pellets that depart from the rest of the shot group and can travel wildly and dangerously. That means an eight pellet load of Double 0 results in 480-grains of lead while a 15 pellet load of No. 1 delivers 600-grains of lead. Buckshot not only varies in size, but it also varies in capacity of pellets per shell. However, if you miss, a slug is going to carry more energy as it travels through both exterior and interior walls. Eight major concealed carry insurance programs are now available to the millions of Americans who carry concealed.
No. 4 will penetrate through drywall and also fail to penetrate through bad guys. No. 4 buckshot isn’t as wrong an answer as birdshot, but it’s still a poor choice for a fighting shotgun. We bought this load in a 25-shell box, which allows for cheap practice in controlling 12-gauge buckshot recoil.
Even if every pellet misses something vital, the damage done creates massive blood loss. A lightweight Proof Research barrel and Savage's renowned AccuTrigger are just two features on this rifle.
Come read up on buckshot and why you should have some in your safe. The answer to this question depends on a few factors, such as the type of firearm you’re using and the range at which you’ll be shooting. For most home defense situations, however, # or 00 buckshot is typically the best choice. 00 and No. 1 loads are your best bet for home defense. I would love Federal to bring back the FliteControl No.1 load, but until then, it’s all about eight pellet 00 loads specifically designed for tactical applications. Why anyone would want a subpar option for home defense is beyond me.
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